As per requested by rosysugar. I want to write a more protective!Ranboo in the future fussing over seriously hurt!Techno, while this leans more towards... almost humor whump? Just, effortless technoblade who doesn't give two shits xD

"Let's just do one more," Technoblade said. "Then we'll have an even number, right?"

Ranboo nodded as he put the new spawner in his ender chest with the others they had collected so far. "Sounds like a plan."

"I think there's another down this way."

Dutifully following Technoblade into the winding passages of the mineshaft, he really hoped the other hybrid's sense of direction was as good as he claimed. Ranboo had long since lost where they'd come from or how to get back to the surface. All the rock caverns looked the same to him, cobwebs building in the corners and the occasional growl or unsettling noise coming from the dark.

He wasn't paying much attention to keeping his bearings anyway, talking with Techno as they walked and exchanging playful jabs and light banter, confident that Techno would lead the way. Ranboo liked this, the little adventures they went on together. He could remember being so nervous after Phil had invited him to come live in the tundra with them, not knowing if they even really wanted him around. Thinking that maybe the offer had been one made out of pity, not compassion.

Now he knew better and each day Ranboo was getting more glad that he had accepted.

"Let's go!" Technoblade charged ahead excitedly when the final spawner came into view, the metal cage reflecting their torchlight. Ranboo easily caught up and went to work unearthing it, laughing at Techno's constant stream of encouragements for the endeavor. At least until a zombie came lumbering down the hallway and he had to deal with that instead.

Ranboo was still working on dislodging metal from stone when the familiar clattering of bones reached his ears, accompanied by the hissing of a spider and the low moan from another zombie. He tried to glance over but couldn't pull his full attention away from the task at hand without risking having to start all over again. Technoblade was handling it though, Ranboo could catch him moving around swiftly in his peripheral vision, with his sword unsheathed and picking off mobs left and right.

"Did we hit a den?" he asked, despite himself unable to keep the anxiety from rising in his voice. It was soothed slightly by Techno's breathless laughter.

"Imagine hitting a den. Cringe."

Ranboo snorted, but continued doing what he was doing. "Yeah, imagine aggravating mobs in the mines. Not very main character of us." At least until there was a sound he could only describe as a wet plop.

"Keep going, Ranboo," Technoblade said before he had even fully turned. The arrow had buried into Techno's shoulder, sticking out at an angle. The skeleton who had fired it was already dead. There were a lot more of them though, Ranboo realized. A whole lot.

They had hit a den. And they were at the end of a tunnel with no other ways out, more mobs pouring in by the minute. This could turn bad. Still, Ranboo couldn't stop now or he'd lose all the progress he had made on the spawner so far. Technoblade said it'd be fine? It would probably be fine. He tried working as fast as he could, wrenching with increased fervor. Gradually another inch of the metal gave way beneath his touch.

At long last, the spawner loosened and Ranboo pulled it free with a small cry of triumph. He stashed it away and whirled around just in time to see Technoblade being thrown off balance, a sword digging into his leg. Ranboo was there in an instant, driving the blunt end of his pickaxe into the skeleton's ribcage. It stumbled back, hollow sockets burning with unnatural life. In one fell swoop, Ranboo had severed its spine, the skull falling off to clatter against the ground, wicked grin frozen on its face before it disappeared into a puff of smoke. A groan in his blind spot quickened Ranboo's heartbeat but then Techno drove his own sword through the zombie's back, long before it could get close enough to Ranboo to do any harm.

They smiled at each other.

The rest of the mobs were taken care of quickly enough, between the two of them even a den as large as the one they had apparently stumbled upon – bigger than any Ranboo had ever seen before – didn't pose a real threat. Ranboo's muscles strained under the effort still, breath coming quick and ragged.

For once, even Technoblade seemed relieved the fighting was over with. "That wasn't too bad," he said mildly, the statement slightly undercut by the blood running down his arm and the way he was swaying on his feet. Ranboo hurried over.

"Your leg-" He grabbed onto Techno's elbows automatically, not giving himself a chance to second guess the physical contact. Techno didn't recoil from his touch, only leaning his weight into Ranboo to stay steady.

"It's fine, I brought potions. Are you hurt? Also, did you get the spawner?"

Ranboo's shoulders untensed a little. "No. And yes I did, but I hate that that's your main concern."

"What can I say, I'm a practical guy," Technoblade answered as he pulled the flask from his inventory. "Uh, can you help me..." he gestured at the arrow still stuck in his shoulder.

Ranboo blinked. "Y-you want me to pull it out?"

"That would be easier than joinking it out myself, yeah."

A small whirl of distress wanted to build in his chest but Ranboo pushed it down. He couldn't dwell on how this had happened because of him, it was his fault Techno had a literal arrow sticking out of his flesh. He grabbed the handle and Techno flinched, almost making Ranboo let go again.

"Do it in one pull," Techno directed quickly, sensing his hesitance.

With a small nod, Ranboo tugged at the arrow as hard as he could. It came out immediately, a fresh stream of blood pouring from the wound. Techno drank the potion, so the flesh could reknit without the arrow inside.

"Can you walk?" he asked, watching Techno put his weight on his injured leg experimentally. The potion had closed the wound, but couldn't instantly undo all damage.

"Good enough." Techno shrugged.

Ranboo was already hunching down to hook one of Techno's arms around his shoulder. "As long as you tell me where to go because uh,... I'm absolutely lost."

And for once, Techno let himself be supported. "That's fine, I'll probably know."

"Probably?"

"Eh, we can figure it out. We won't starve at least, we have enough spawners to supply us with a lifetime supply of pork chops."