SBI family AU

Part #31-Snow Storms

Techno was worriedly going through their kitchen, counting how much food they had. New York had entered a state of emergency after a freak blizzard hit. The snow was up to about his knees when he last looked through the lobby doors.

Techno checked on Tubbo for the third time, finding the boy still asleep. He was supposed to be getting ready for school, but that was closed so Techno let him sleep in. After going through his mental checklist again, he started making breakfast.

There was a gasp and the sound of feet running. Tubbo came out of his room frazzled and panicked, "Dad! Why didn't you wake me up? I'm late for school!"

"Schools closed due to the storm. Also, what did we say about running early in the morning?" Techno watched the boy relax and turned his attention to the eggs, which he nearly burnt.

Tubbo joined Techno in the kitchen and started the toast, but kept his eyes on the older, "When did you go to sleep?"

Techno hummed, "About 2. Why?" He didn't mean to lie to Tubbo's face, it just came out. He was in the middle of working when New York closed at around 4 am. From there, his anxiety took hold and he went into auto pilot, checking and rechecking his list.

Tubbo frowned, "I saw the lights still on at 3. Did you fall asleep at the table again?"

Techno transferred the eggs to a plate and added strawberry jam and butter on the toast, before setting it aside for Tubbo to take, "Yeah, sorry. Did I wake you up?"

"No, I just woke up randomly," Tubbo took the plate and sat down at the table, then looked confused as Techno joined him, "Are you not going to eat breakfast?"

Techno shook his head, "I ate while you were asleep." Another lie.

Tubbo just frowned and watched Techno shift into work mode. He saved his last piece of toast and shoved the plate towards Techno, "I'm full, can you eat it so it doesn't go to waste?"

Techno just hummed in agreement, his tired mind too occupied with work. It wasn't until Tubbo got up and left that he snapped back into reality. Smiling to himself, he picked up the toast and continued typing with his free hand.

Tubbo kept a careful eye on Techno for the entire day. He was more sluggish than usual and it took him a few seconds to comprehend things being told to him. Tubbo started scheming and gathered the needed materials for his plan.

Techno had been staring at the blinking cursor for what felt like hours. He was struggling to just stay awake, let alone work. Feeling a tug on his arm, he put on a smile and looked at Tubbo, "What's up, Tubs?"

"Can we make a pillow fort? I already got all the pillows and blankets! Oh! Can we have hot cocoa and cookies too?" Tubbo was basically jumping up and down.

Techno closed his laptop and ruffled Tubbo's hair, "Go ahead and start the fort, I'll make us hot chocolate," Tubbo gave him a big smile and ran off. He was planning something, but Techno was honestly too tired to try and outwit him.

Heading into the kitchen, he started the kettle and got their mugs ready. When the kettle was done, he picked it up and poured the hot water into the mugs, but not before grazing the pot with his free hand and letting out a stifled yell. He jerked his hand away, muttering profanities under his breath, and placed the kettle back down.

"Dad? Are you alright?" Tubbo quickly came around the corner, worry in his eyes, "I thought I heard you yell-"

Techno gave him a smile as he placed his hand under water, "I'm fine, just grazed the kettle. How's the fort going?"

"Do you need like aloe or something? What can I do to help?" Tubbo went over to the fridge and opened it, scanning for the burn gel.

"No, no, Tub's I'm fine. Just carefully carry the mugs in and I'll be right there with some cookies, ok?" Tubbo hesitated before grabbing the mugs and going back to his room. Letting out a sigh, Techno placed both his elbows on the counter and rubbed his face, taking the moment of silence to fight off sleep. Standing back up, he grabbed some Oreos and headed into Tubbo's room.

Tubbo was struggling to keep a blanket from caving into the little room underneath. He was holding the blanket to keep it from falling in while he tried to figure out how to keep it suspended. Suddenly, he felt Techno take the blanket corner from him and set down a chair. Tubbo watched as he tied the corner to the chair and hugged him, "You don't know how long I was trying to fix that."

Eventually, Techno and Tubbo were sitting under the fort. Well, Tubbo was hunched over and talking while Techno was laying on his stomach with his legs sticking through the entrance. Techno had finished his hot chocolate and was desperately trying to stay awake, focusing on Tubbo's continuous chatter.

"Oh! Dad, close your eyes for a second. I have a surprise!" Tubbo sprang up and left. When he came back, Techno had fallen asleep. With a smile, he grabbed the spare blanket and laid down next to him, covering them both.

Mission success.