Glowing green eyes track the movements of his tiny wards, keeping regular counts on all three of them as they move about. They were spreading out quite far, putting unusual distance between each other. Perhaps the unease his eldest hatchling had felt was caused by a quarrel between them all. It wasn't uncommon for hatchlings to start testing each other at a certain age, establishing a ranking usually determined by strength or size. Hopefully it won't take them long, he had been quite proud of how closely they had worked together. Up until this point they had never really shown any signs of the rivalry about to start.

Occasionally, his eyes would wander towards the strange structure three of his children had vanished into, not happy about the fact that neither him or his son could follow them inside for protection. The stone it was made from felt odd, far too smooth compared to everything else around them. It did have the same colour as the nest his new hatchlings have built for themselves, which he was very proud of. They were so young but already managed to build their first nest themselves, even if it was from that weird white stone.

He wasn't stupid, he knew that his newest hatchlings originated from this structure, or at least the giant one they tried to visit a while ago. So really, he shouldn't be too worried about them exploring their birthplace. But they were so small and fragile compared to every other creature roaming around... newborns should never be by themselves for long. Their claws haven't even grown in yet!

A frustrated cry pulled all his attention back to the hatchlings outside that he was supposed to be watching, specifically the youngest one of the clutch, that had split a little further from the group. He rumbled in answer immediately and moved over with a single flick of his tail, trying to see what could have distraught his hatchling. His son was watching closely over the other two, giving him the chance to fully focus on their smallest pod member.

~

Tubbo pulled and pulled on the crate half buried in the sand, but it refused to budge. With an annoyed and angry cry, he rammed the blade of his knife into the small opening of the lid, trying to pry it open instead. This was the fourth crate he had found with the launch-bay identification code on it, and the fourth one that he hadn't been able to open. This was absolute bullshit. Why was everything against him lately?!

The soft, familiar rumble behind him drew his attention away from the crate. Foolish settled in the sand just behind him, lying flat with his chin half buried as well, just to be somewhat on eye level with Tubbo. A small chunk of his annoyance faded as he gave the leviathan a little smile. "I'm alright. Sorry if I scared you." Foolish only rumbled louder, a clawed hand reaching out to just barely brush the tip of a finger over his head. The teen couldn't help but laugh. At least someone was still on his side. Shame it was the only person that couldn't talk.

But as he leaned up into the touch, an amazing idea popped into his head. "Actually, since you're here. Maybe you can help me open this." He demonstrated how he was trying to open the crate, pulling and prying with his knife. Foolish watched him curiously, making a little clicking sound as Tubbo lost his grip and cursed under his breath. Then, he slowly began tapping at the crate with a single claw, trying to figure out how to help. It wasn't doing too much at first, only scratching most of the paint off. The leviathan's eyes narrowed as he pressed his claw harder onto the surface, making it creak and bend, before finally giving way.

"That's enough! Thank you!" Foolish chirred as Tubbo tried to shove his claw away from the crate, lifting his hand so the human could get a better look at it. The hole that he created was large enough for Tubbo's arm to pass through without a problem, should there be anything valuable inside. Which might not be the case, as the crate was now flooded and any electronics unusable. Pressing his face as close as he could to the opening without damaging the glass, he tried making out what kind of materials were now in their possession.

He nearly choked on his own spit when he saw the pile of tools, most of which were actually waterproof. "Pac! Pac come look at this!" Within moments the Brazilian appeared by his side, eyes widening with each drill and wrench he pulled out of the crate. "This is amazing!" Welding tools, screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches, even a laser cutter found it's way into their hands. "Even if the water broke some of these, we can scan them, salvage what we can and make new ones! This is huge!" Tubbo's eyes were practically sparkling with excitement.

Pac examined a drill, turning it over in his hands. It was one of the smaller ones, used in the more delicate workings of wires and plates. Perfect for possible improvements on his prosthetic. "We should keep it all in the crate and take the whole thing back to base. Easier for transport that way." The teen nodded, already starting to pile everything back inside. Foolish can break open the other crates for them, and once he did, they will pile everything by the entrance of the wreck and wait for Techno and the others. This trip was going surprisingly well all things con-

"I think this crate has food inside!" Tubbo's mood immediately dropped as he spotted Quackity half rolling a crate towards them, grinning from ear to ear. "It has the identification code for consumables at least. It could just be snacks for restocking the vending machines, but if some of them are still good it could be a nice change from fried fish." Pac was instantly drawn by the promise of new food, examining the crate to see if there were any holes indicating water damage. "I hope this has those spicy sticks that were on our floor, they were so good. Cellbit and I practically lived off those things between meals."

Quackity nodded eagerly, already looking like he was dreaming about tonight's meal. "I know it has absolutely gone bad by now, but I would kill for some cheese. Any kind at this point." The Brazilian laughed, gently shoving the other by the shoulder. Tubbo silently glared at Quackity, fingers digging into the crate he had been holding on to. Such an unnecessary conversation, they have more than enough food, the leviathans provide well for them.

"Any snacks you really want? Maybe you'll get lucky, you did manage to find a whole tool crate." The teen just clenched his jaw, pointedly ignoring the question as he pretended to shift things around inside the crate. Apparently Quackity didn't get the message though, leaning over the crate a little. "Tubbo?" He very nearly snapped his teeth at the other, but managed to contain himself. 'You will leave him alone and you will not utter a single bad word or threat in his direction! Did I make myself clear?!' Yes, he understood perfectly. Be quiet, follow orders. Be easy for once in your life. "Leave me alone."

Before Quackity could open his mouth again, Foolish lifted his head, cooing as Roier swam over with part of a stalker hanging out of his mouth. Hadn't he just been here? Where did he get that Stalker from? He offered the remaining part to his father, who quickly accepted the food with a happy coo. Quackity of all people noticed it as well, frowning a little. "That's weird... they usually don't leave the kelp area." Tubbo had to agree there, Stalkers were a rare sight outside the kelp forest. They blend in well and have plenty of hiding spots to ambush prey. "Maybe Roier just left to hunt them both a snack? Foolish was here, we were protected enough." Well that doesn't make sense, both leviathans were dead set on keeping them safe. "Or one of them just swam out the forest? It's not like they are bound there by chains."

Tubbo decided to mostly block out the conversation from that point on, instead focusing on the last few bits of the Stalker that Foolish hadn't eaten yet. It looked... odd. There were little green spots on it's body, glowing slightly despite the rather bright light from the sun above. That didn't look good at all. But before he could get the others to look at it as well, Foolish tipped his head back and ate the rest, rumbling something at Roier afterwards.

For a moment Tubbo just stared, brows drawn together as he considered what this could mean, or if this was even important at all. It's not like they hadn't seen bioluminescence before, a lot of creatures they had encountered so far glow once it gets slightly darker. But Stalkers don't glow... and those green spots looked like overgrown pimples, not something natural they should have. Maybe it was just sick, some skin irritation or something. Or an infection...

Didn't Techno mention something about an infection? When the ship had been shot down? It hadn't really come up again afterwards, with the argument and all. He opened his mouth again to ask what Pac knew about this, then remembered that him and Pac had been the only ones who hadn't entered the building, as he had still been angry with Techno from their first argument. Meaning the only person he could ask... Tubbo groaned, near ready to slam his head against the nearest crate.

But with communication to Techno and the others cut off, he really didn't have a choice. And he has never been the most patient person.

"Quackity?" The Mexican turned to him immediately, humming in acknowledgement. "When you came back from the building on the island, Techno mentioned something about an infection and the weapon. What was that about?" He blinked, processing the question for a moment longer than necessary. That, or the fact Tubbo was even asking him a normal question. Pac decided to fill the silence, perking up as he heard Tubbo mention the island again. "Oh yeah, you guys did mention something. What happened in there?"

Settling against the crate, Quackity squinted a little as he tried to recall everything as best as he could. "There was this... needle thing that stabbed Cellbit in the arm. It was connected to a button, which we think was supposed to turn off the gun. But the button disappeared after Cellbit pressed it and a broadcast in the building said that infected individuals weren't allowed to deactivate the weapon. That's it really. We don't know what kind of infection it is, Cellbit seems fine so far. And it's not like we can do much, our medical supplies is mostly bandages and the healing paste the leviathans bring us."

Well that was reassuring. They didn't just know about some sort of infection, Cellbit actually had it. And if Cellbit had it, there was a high chance all of them did. Eating the same food, drinking the same water... Before Tubbo could start to yell at him over why the fuck none of them had thought mentioning a potentially lethal infection, he continued to speak. "Why are you asking? Are you feeling sick? Did you see something?" Tubbo shook his head no, glancing back at Foolish. "I'm fine. But the Stalker that Roier and Foolish just ate had glowing spots. It looked... sick? Definitely not normal." The other two humans looked at the leviathans as well, starting to get a little worried.

It was one thing if they were infected with something... but the leviathans? That was a whole different story. Not only were they the only real protection the humans had and they were their friends, but if an infection can harm or even kill massive leviathan creatures, what chance would they have of surviving it? Calm down Tubbo... no one is dying... deep breath... focus on what Quackity is telling you.

"You found out about the infection from the weapon?" Quackity nodded, fingers now nervously playing with the jagged edges of the broken open crate. Tubbo began to ponder that, if only to try and distract himself from the thoughts about the leviathans dying. A giant weapon shooting ships out of the sky... that detects if something is infected... Logically, the existence of something like that could only mean one thing. Two maybe, but one of the theories is definitely more likely than the other.

"If that weapon was programmed to detect an infection before being shut off and Cellbit has that infection... not to mention maybe the leviathans and all the other creatures as well... that could mean this whole planet might be under quarantine." Tubbo scratched at the back of his head, since he was unable to touch his face right now like he usually would, thoughts starting to run wild with possible ideas. "That could mean this is bad. Like really bad. That we all might just fucking die to this sickness before we even have a chance to escape. And if we escape, we will just get shot down again."

A heavy silence filled the space between them as everyone processed that information. There was no way to confirm it yet, unless they find actual proof. Maybe use the scanner to figure something out, or another facility that contains information. If there was a planet wide epidemic, someone must have been working on a cure. Someone must have left something behind. Tubbo sighed, massaging his temples a little. This was something for Cellbit, he was always far better with sorting information and keeping track of everything. He was the ship's Archivist for a reason, tracking every report and protocol.

The leviathans were oblivious to the humans' existential crisis, happily cooing and clicking at each other. Quackity was observing them closely, as if trying to spot any hints of infection on their friends. Which was a reasonable fear to have, as they had just seen Foolish eat an infected Stalker and assumed Roier did as well. There was not much they could do about it now, which is the most terrifying thought of them all. They were aware of the danger, of their most likely infection induced death they will all face, and couldn't do anything.

"Guys? I just had a random thought." Tubbo rolled his eyes dramatically, ready to call Quackity out for making a dumb joke in a time like this, but he couldn't bring himself to actually do it. The fire in his chest had died down during their conversation, and now he couldn't really be bothered to be mad at him for anything. Being mad at him seemed like such a useless thing now compared to the severity of the situation. "What is it?" Quackity turned to the two, face completely serious. "What if this infection... this planetary threat even... is what is causing the changes in Techno?"

That... could actually explain some things. A lot of things actually. It would be a completely reasonable way to explain the visions as simple hallucinations. But there was one problem with that logic... "If the infection is giving him hallucinations and stuff, that does not explain what we saw happen with Foolish last night. That wasn't an infection, you know it wasn't. Plus, if Techno is having all those symptoms, why aren't we having any? Especially Cellbit, who we know is infected." Quackity hummed, nodding along.

"Good points. For the symptoms? Everyone can react to sickness different, there is no 'one way' a person can react to it. But you are right, the whole glowing eyes thing with Foolish doesn't really seem like an infection symptom." Pac was already opening his mouth, most likely wanting to ask what glowing eyes event they were talking about, but Quackity just kept going. "But, hear me out, it's not the infection itself doing this to Techno. I meant this infection, this threat, making this dream leviathan reach out for help to try and solve it? Since we come from off world, maybe they are hoping we know a way to make a cure? Or they need us because we can actually go on land and access the building?"

Tubbo's eyes went wide, mouth actually hanging open. Silently staring at Quackity for a solid minute, which made the other start to squirm uncomfortably. "Okay I know it's stupid, but you don't have to stare at me like-" "Oh you are such a piece of shit, Quackity!" And then he laughed, genuinely laughed, and went to hug him. The older just made a confused noise, arms staying limp by his side. "Why didn't you tell us sooner you're a fucking genius?!" "I... am?"

"What's going on here? Why are you yelling at him again?" Techno's voice jolted them all out of the moment, turning to see him and the others swim towards them. It wasn't angry or accusatory, just curious, maybe a little worried. Tubbo grinned and waved, finally letting go of a still very much confused Quackity. "We were discussing the infection you guys discovered at the big gun! And Quackity just had a genius idea about what is happening to you!"

Techno blinked, looking between the two, now seeming just as confused as Quackity. Not only was the teen happy and excited, which does not match his earlier mood at all, but he was talking normal to Techno and actually worked with Quackity? "And what would that be?" Tubbo grinned and pulled Quackity forward by the arm, clapping him on the shoulder. "Go on, tell them! I think especially Cellbit will be interested in this." Mentioned Brazilian raised an eyebrow, arms crossed over his chest as he floated beside Techno.

Quackity cleared his throat, now looking a lot more unsure about his theory than he had been a minute ago. "Well, we just figured that with the gun programmed to detect an infection to be shut off or not, this planet might be under quarantine. And if this is true, then this infection might be a planetary threat and in turn the intelligent creatures here would try and cure themselves or find help. That dream leviathan you have been seeing? Maybe she wants our help to make a cure or something?"

Just like before, silence hung between them for a good minute or two. Much like Tubbo had done earlier, Techno opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, trying to find a reasonable response. Cellbit, as expected, took immediate interest in the subject. "That could explain so much... An intelligent species made that building, yet we have encountered nothing that smart outside the leviathans. If that virus is here and they were trying to cure it..." He kept mumbling to himself, brows drawn together in thought.

Tubbo watched as Techno withdrew into himself, eyes flitting about in the usual way they do when someone began recounting memories, trying to figure something out. "I... she never asked for help... just to find her." He swam closer, completely ignoring all previous feelings and arguments as he took Techno by the shoulders. "Maybe she wants to ask you in person. And you can't exactly make cures inside your head. It is a reasonable explanation, you have to admit that!"

The way Techno looked at him made him immediately pull back his hands. Confused... hurt. Although Tubbo wasn't sure if it was his fears again or Tubbo himself that was causing it. It was about time to get rid of one of these issues. "Look I... back at the base..." The words got stuck in his throat, unsure how to keep going from there. They both fucked up. He shouldn't have been this cruel to Quackity, Techno shouldn't have screamed at him... it felt like they were dancing around in circles.

Every few days they argue and fight, ignore each other for a bit and then apologize and promise it won't happen again. Even he knew it was exhausting, that their arguments, deep down, were pointless. They can't afford this kind of rift between them, not with all of their lives on the line. And especially not if their theory is correct and they are about to take part in a planet wide rescue mission.

But none of the things he wanted to say sounded right, and he was painfully aware of the multiple sets of eyes on both of them, their mics broadcasting every word they said. Techno seemed to realize it as well and awkwardly cleared his throat. "We can do this... later, back at the base. One of the new blueprints we have is a door, and beds. Once we expand the base and get some more rooms for us to spread out, we can talk in private. Okay?" Tubbo just nodded, agreeing that whatever they need to say should be discussed in private.

Mercifully, Pac decided this was the perfect time to show off their finds. "A lot of decently intact metal plating, which we can probably salvage into materials for the habitat builder. Four crates with tools and more electronics, two with food. Tubbo has opened one crate and it was filled with screwdrivers, laser cutters and wrenches, all very useful! So I'd say today was a pretty good scavenger hunt, yes?" Fit and Cellbit immediately agreed, both swimming over to the crate to get a good look at the tools.

Techno hesitated for only a moment, giving a weary glance back at the wreck. What happened in there that had him so worried? "We should head back to base. We got what we came for, still have enough daylight left to make some improvements to our base and gather possible materials for the blueprints we found." Everyone quickly agreed and began to gather their new loot, catching the attention of the leviathans as they both settle in the sand to help carry everything back home. Tubbo looked back at the wreck, frowning a little. Did Techno and the others get scared by something? Maybe, there are probably a lot of animals in there that settled into the flooded rooms.

He squinted a little as he spotted a small blue light dancing in the shadows of the entrance into the wreck. What was that..? "Tubbo!" The teen turned around, spotting everyone already split off on the leviathans, ready to travel. "Coming!" A quick glance back revealed the light had disappeared again. Strange... probably just a fish or something. He swam over and settled next to Cellbit, grabbing on tight to Foolish's hair. "Let's go home."

~

Fit groaned as he lifted the last crate into place, all six now standing against one wall in their base. While they wanted to expand the base as soon as possible, they decided to have a short lunch break of sorts, sharing cooked fish and water between them. The food crates will remain closed until they can fully settle down for dinner and sleep. Tubbo watched in mild amusement as Fit plopped down beside Pac, who offered him a bright smile and half of his fish. It wasn't necessary, they had enough for everyone, but it seemed like they wanted to be overly cheesy today. Fit took it with only slightly pink cheeks, gently bumping their shoulders together as he took a bite. Tubbo would have said something immediately if it wasn't for Techno giving him a warning look.

"Alright. With a rough guess from the pile of scrap we can salvage and our current titanium stash, we should be able to create three more rooms. If all goes well, we have enough to equip each of them with a door. Now we have to decide if all three of them are going to be bedrooms or if we use them for something else. We probably can't fully move into those today, since I'm sure we don't have the materials to make six whole beds, so that decision doesn't actually have to be made right now." Tubbo watched with only mild concern how easily Techno slipped back into the leader role, when it had seemed like they had agreed to let Fit call the shots.

No one else seemed to really notice though, instead quietly discussing how they should use the rooms. "I mean, once we move the nest this room is perfect for storage and group space, so we could work on bedrooms for now. That would mean we either have to split into pairs for each room or have some arrangements with a trio and single room. Depends what everyone wants." That got the teen thinking. In his opinion, it seemed like Fit and Pac might share and no one wants to trio up with the lovebirds. While he doesn't necessarily hate Quackity right now, sharing a room is out of the question. Which meant that he would either room with Cellbit or Techno.

It was... surprising, how hard that decision was. Because on one hand, Cellbit and Quackity have been discussing theories together the entire trip back and seemed to be getting along quite well. And it's not like Tubbo hasn't practically lived in Techno's quarters and personal space during the whole journey and the crash. On the other hand... with their habit of arguing and mood swings, getting a break from each other through separated rooms might not be that bad of an idea. Quackity could just hang out in Cellbit's room when they want to discuss the infection. And if it works out later, they can just switch rooms. So... he should share with Cellbit, right?

"Tubbo? Hello?" He blinked, shaking his head a little. Fit was standing, looking at him expectantly. "Uh... can you repeat that?" "I asked if you wanted to help me with building the rooms. We'll need Foolish to help us and he listens to you the best." Tubbo was on his feet in an instant, shoving the rest of his food into his mouth as he went to grab his gear. There was a fond laugh behind him, but he was a little too distracted to know who it came from. The oxygen tanks weren't fully refilled, but had more than enough for a quick trip outside.

Everyone else decided to stay inside while Fit and Tubbo planned out where to add the rooms. They only had one habitat builder, there was no reason for all of them to go outside. "We do have to mind the windows... so there are only two spots we can actually connect things to." Fit pointed to the side facing away from the main wreck, where the terrain gets a little rocky. "The leviathans usually lay down to sleep on the other side, so we should be able to expand here without a problem."

Tubbo shrugged, honestly not really caring where exactly they put the new rooms, just that they have them. But there was just one small problem. "If we only expand to this side, then we have to walk through bedrooms to get to the main area. That doesn't really scream 'privacy'." The older hummed, scanning through the different options they had with their limited supplies. Having to walk through one bedroom to get to the next wasn't exactly appealing to anyone. "What if we build a little hallway, two units should be enough, and then we can attach a room on each side. Left, right and front. We share the hallway connecting us to the main area, but no room crossing to get somewhere."

That could work. It was the optimal setup they could do right now without creating weird hallway mazes. "Let's get to work then." Foolish lifted the first piece of scrap, holding it steady as the habitat builder slowly dissolved it and used the material to build the hallway compartment. He gave a curious coo, flexing his fingers once the piece was fully gone. Tubbo couldn't help but laugh, patting his hand against where he was sitting on Foolish's shoulder. "Don't worry big guy, you don't have to understand how it works. It's just for us and we don't fully get it either."

The leviathan lifted another scrap piece and stared in awe as it slowly disappeared, being shaped into another part of their new building. "I think we are blowing his mind right now." Fit just laughed, glancing at them over his shoulder. "I think technology in general blows their mind. Apart from the island building we haven't really seen organized civilization." That's true. Even if you count Foolish and Roier as fully intelligent, with their own language and problem solving, they live out in the open, having nest structures at most. And so far they seem like solidary creatures, no other adults visible anywhere. Just Foolish and his child.

"I wonder how rare leviathans actually are. We saw that one by the ship, but it wasn't humanoid like these two. They do need a lot of food, so they have big territories, not too many in one place..." But Roier must have come from somewhere, and Foolish was obviously not the biological parent. That was still something he was curious about. What had happened to Roier's original parents? Is it simply a case of abandoned egg or hatchling? Are they dead? Did he get lost? Just another reason why he really wanted to figure out a way to communicate with them.

When Tubbo's focus finally snapped back, two rooms had already been added. In addition to that, there was extra plating on the outside of each room. "What are those? I didn't pay attention." Fit looked over to where the teen was pointing. "Oh those are reinforcements. To keep the overall hull strength up, since this many attached compartments can mess with the pressure difference between inside and outside." Ah... that makes sense. He'd assumed that, so far, the pressure wouldn't be a big issue, since they are pretty close to the surface.

"Do we even have enough titanium left to make doors?" Fit shrugged, not able to move much until the final room had finished construction. "If we don't we have to find more. There are a lot of scrap pieces scattered about we could salvage." Once the room was finally finished, they had half of the last scrap piece left. It was still fairly large, but Tubbo wasn't convinced that this piece and their small titanium ore stash was enough for creating three, possibly four doors. With a quick change of the builders setting, the last piece of scrap was turned into an armful of titanium pieces to take inside.

The moment the two re-entered the base, they were greeted by excited chatter echoing down the new hallway. Everyone was exploring the empty rooms, despite them being fully identical to the already existing main area. "We have so much space now! We could have done this so much sooner!" Pac bounced over to Fit and pulled him along by the arm. "Which one do you want?" Tubbo just watched them, amused at how Fit stumbled for a second before regaining his balance. Seemed like he was right in assuming that they would share. Hopefully Cellbit won't be too upset that Pac won't share with him.

Then a hand settled on his shoulder, a little hesitant at first. Tubbo already knew who it was before he turned his head. Techno smiled a little, but it didn't reach his eyes. He looked... sad. And the teen knew exactly why. "We have enough for at least one door. Once we made that we can... talk." Even though he really doesn't want to. Probably never, realistically. But it has to happen, they both know it. Hopefully for the final time, not that separate rooms allows them to get breaks from each other when needed.

Tubbo stepped away, towards the room he saw the others disappear into. "Fit! Can we make the doors before you go off making out with Pac?!" There was a loud cough and quick, embarrassed babble of Portuguese and English before Fit emerged from the room, red faced and shoving against Tubbo's shoulder. "Stop doing that." The teen just grinned, completely unapologetic about his comments. "Doors. Then I can't bother you." He just grumbles and takes the titanium still cradled in Tubbo's arms.

It took three titanium pieces and some rubber they had made recently to replace Tubbo's suit and make diving equipment for Pac. Which meant they only had two doors for now, but it was better than nothing. Besides, they can't sleep in them yet, they still need to get the materials for beds. "This is all we can do for now. Unless someone wants to go out for another supply run, its barely halfway through the day." Pac instantly lifted his hand, which caused Fit to immediately start laughing. "What? I'm bored!"

That ended up being a fantastic idea. Fit and Pac left the base together with Foolish, leaving Roier to actually protect their nest. Cellbit and Quackity decided to sit together with the PDA, starting to read through scans and make notes on their theories, trying to see what they could figure out about the infection in general. And Tubbo? Tubbo hesitantly followed Techno into one of the new rooms, nervously messing with his fingers. The moment the door closed behind them, there was an awkward silence filling the room.

Starting the conversation was always the hardest part. Where would you even start? Which issue to address first? Tubbo once again opened and closed his mouth uselessly, again, trying to figure out what to say. But then Techno chuckled, quiet and soft, and simply patted the spot beside him on the floor. It felt so painfully familiar to how things felt back on the ship. "Sit down first. Knowing us, this will probably take a little while."

Tubbo sighed and sat down beside Techno, back pressed against the wall as he drew his knees in close. "I don't really... know where to start." Techno hummed, leaning his head back against the wall. "Then let me." The teen looked up at him, a little confused. Wasn't the argument mostly his fault, not Techno's?

"I'm sorry. For yelling at you, for snapping and basically threatening you. While you were being infuriatingly difficult, I'll just have to admit that, I could have gone over it differently. More careful. The last few days have been a mess, and through all of it and my own problems, I forgot you are literally dealing with your father's death. While it doesn't excuse how you treated Quackity, grief does influence behaviour a lot. Makes you lash out. God knows I've been there."

Tubbo stares at him with wide eyes. No, this was wrong. Why was Techno apologizing for his mistakes, justifying his behaviour? He was making himself the punching bag again. Taking the blame for the sake of having peace. Apologizing for the yelling was okay. But not excusing Tubbo's behaviour. This can't happen again, he always does this.

"No." Techno blinked in confusion, turning to look at the other. "Stop apologizing. I caused this fight. Just like the last one. I insulted Quackity, I hurt you, I basically dared you to yell at me. Stop trying to take the blame for everything." Tears prick at the corner of his eyes and he wasn't quite sure if it was anger or hurt. "You always do this! Something goes wrong or I mess something up and you try and fix it! Even if it's not your fault!"

He tried to get up and walk around, let this frustration out in any other way than shouting with no filter. God knows that is exactly how they got into this mess in the first place. Him getting frustrated and having no other way to let it out beside insults. But Techno kept him down with a firm hand on his shoulder. "Tubbo, I need you to calm down. Breathe." The teen huffed, looking anywhere but at Techno, fists clenching and fingers digging into the fabric of his suit. "I don't think breathing exercises will do much here. You're just trying to distract me." There was a small pause, then Techno's hand moved from his shoulder to just lay on his arm, squeezing gently. "Is it working?"

The absurdity of the situation just made him laugh. A little bitter, definitely not happy, but a laugh regardless. "You're such an idiot." And that's when Techno visibly relaxed, shoulders slumping as a soft smile settled on his lips. "Yeah. I know." He leaned back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. "So are you." They both really were idiots, weren't they? All of this mess... this walking in circles... The silence that followed was a little more bearable, a little less tense. Just them quietly gathering their thoughts.

"Why is this so difficult...?"

Techno didn't answer right away. The silence stretched, not heavy, just thoughtful. It helped Tubbo to sort his own thoughts a little, finally calming down from the frustration he had felt before. They were both a mess... not just him. "Because we care too much," he finally said, voice barely above a whisper. "And we're both scared of what happens if we mess this up. Again."

Tubbo's throat tightened, feeling near ready to cry. He didn't know how to respond to that, so he didn't, in fear of saying the wrong thing, breaking the vulnerable moment they had. So he just nodded, slowly, eyes still fixed on the floor. And Techno didn't push. He just sat there with him, close enough to anchor, far enough not to crowd.

"I miss you... I miss how things were on the ship. Easier. Safer." The older sighed, heavy and full with grief. They all missed the ship, no matter how miserable their lives were. Working for the Federation was still better than surviving out here. "I don't think we can go back to how it was then. Even if we make up and move forward as friends again, things have changed. And I think that's the problem. We try so hard to keep everything like we used to know it and this planet tears us down again." He reached over the gap between then, taking his hand. "Survival is nothing but stressful. And we have to adapt to it. Emotions will run high for our entire stay here, we'll just have to live with it. We will argue and then two hours later our lives depend on each other again. As long as we are okay with that, then we should be fine."

They'll be fine. One of Techno's favourite lines to say. But despite how often he used it, it seemed more genuine now. Like he actually meant it this time. "I never really mean any of it..." he offered, voice small. Techno himself said they could be fine. That things between them would always be okay despite the fights. Tubbo stared at the hand holding his, reassuring and grounding. A promise to be there, no matter how many times he fucks up. "I know you don't. Nice to hear you say it though." He smiled, squeezing his hand. "We're okay. I do want you to apologize to Quackity. Please."

Tubbo nodded, knowing he'll have to do that sooner or later. An official apology, for everything he has said and done since they first found Quackity on the island. Tell him he is part of the team. "I will. Tomorrow." And that seemed to be good enough for Techno. "Thank you."

They're okay. And as long as they stick together, it will stay like that. 

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Chapters will return to regular scheduled posting now, as the difficult part I was stuck with has been solved :D

HitD discord for sneak peaks and character art: https://discord.gg/qWAYuHBH

See you next chapter o/