Every Friday night they set out.

Techno resecured the strap around his shoulder again, not wanting a repeat of last week's incident. An entire bag of supplies had been lost because the strap had snagged behind a loose nail in the floorboards. He'd wanted to go back for it too, but the brat had chosen that exact moment to stomp his way down the stairs.

Of all the times Tommy decided not to sleep in, it had to be when Techno was running late and desperately needed him to not be around.

"You got everything?" he asked Phil. The other man was also getting his gear in order. They tried to keep their excursions as short and smooth as possible for a reason, so preparation was a must.

"Seems like it. I can't wait to test this baby out." Phil gestured at the contraption on his back.

Techno laughed, grabbing onto Steve's halter to pull himself onto the rat's back. "If that thing gets you killed I'm not burying your sorry ass."

"How considerate."

Techno reached out his hand and Phil took it, allowing his friend to pull him up as well. They shifted so Phil could sit in front of Techno, who held onto Steve's reins. The rat squeaked in discontent at being forced into his harness.

"I know." Phil comforted him with a few short pats through white fur. "We'll get you some treats, yeah mate?"

"You spoil him," Techno said as they took off.

There was a smirk in Phil's voice when he answered. "Aren't you the one who tamed him in the first place?"

"Because I knew he'd come in handy," Techno shot back, but they both knew that was a lie.

With Steve's help, they got to the kitchen in no time. It sure beat traversing the winding passages of the house's ventilation system by foot. Techno pulled out his tool, leaning forward to undo the screws on the grate in their way. After two had come loose, they could easily push it to the side, creating a gap just wide enough to squeeze through.

They jumped on top of the fridge. Techno looked around the kitchen but since it was the middle of the night he was pretty confident nobody would be around. Both brothers were deep sleepers. He fastened his grappling hook on the slit of the fridge door to start his descent to the counters.

"You coming?" he asked, noticing Phil wasn't doing the same.

"Nah, I think I'm good. I'll meet you down there."

Techno rolled his eyes but didn't comment, pushing off to climb down. He wasn't even halfway there when Phil jumped.

The contraption on his back had unfolded to reveal two large black triangles, each made up of countless facets. Techno wouldn't know the exact materials they were made of, despite seeing Phil fiddle around with the prototype in their base.

The insect-like wings worked exactly as they were supposed to and by the time Techno had made it there Phil was already waiting, having glided down easily with his makeshift wings. The wide grin on his face showed how pleased he was with this development.

"Show off," Techno told him.

Phil wheezed a laugh. "Aw, is somebody jealous?"

"I think it goes without saying you'll be making me one too."

"I don't remember ever agreeing to that," Phil mused, holding his chin in thought.

Techno latched onto him, pulling on Phil's arm while he whined. "No, come on Phil. Please I want it so bad. And it looked so cool, I need one too. I thought we were best friends-"

"Yeah, fine. I'll make you one, stop being a little shit."

They fell back into their routines easily, searching the kitchen for food and any other things they might need to last the week. Niki had visited, which meant there was a whole tray's worth of muffins in the bread basket. Techno tore off some pieces from the biggest one, shoving them into his pack. He made sure to bring extra for Steve.

"Why is Will's guitar on the table?" Phil asked when they met up again. Techno glanced at the instrument, propped up against a chair. It was only natural for Phil to notice, considering how Wilbur normally rarely let it leave his sight.

"One of the strings broke," Technoblade said. It happened yesterday when Phil was out in the garden. Techno was sitting at the vent of the living room listening to Wilbur play. He had heard the snap of the string, followed by Wil's muttered curses as he threw the instrument down in a huff. He shrugged. "I don't think they have the money to fix it."

"Oh..." Phil stared at the guitar with what could almost be described as pain on his face. He always felt bad for those two, barely adults and already forced to look after each other since their parents died. Wilbur tried to make ends meet by working part-time in a burger joint and playing music at night. Tommy was still in school.

It was exactly the kind of sob story that worked on a guy like Phil, who took in any stray animals he laid his eyes on and nursed them back to health. Not that Techno didn't do the same, but at least he wasn't a sap about it.

"Phil, I know what you're thinking and I'm telling you that's a horrible idea."

"If you know what I'm thinking you should know it's useless to try and stop me, Tech."

A fact Technoblade had to begrudgingly recognize was true. Maybe that was why he didn't intervene as he watched Phil glide over to the table on his wings and pull a coiled length of fishing wire out of his bag.

He might argue otherwise when pressed on the matter, but Techno knew he had just as much of a soft spot for the two humans living in this house as Phil did. Why else would he secretly fix the spelling mistakes in Tommy's English essay or fix the rip in Wilbur's favorite beanie with needle and thread.

Why else would he stand and watch as Phil fixed the string on that guitar.

"It's better than nothing," Phil said when he was done. "And if that next gig works out, he can get a proper replacement. It'll be as good as new."

"He's gonna notice."

Phil shook his head as they set off back towards the fridge. "They never noticed anything before."

"Sure, but this is the first time fishing line has magically appeared overnight."

"Maybe..." Phil stopped. "Maybe that just means it's time they know."

Techno stopped too. "Yeah, because letting people know about our existence has always turned out great before."

"I'm serious, Tech. They seem... different from any other humans we've encountered. Imagine if we wouldn't need to hide anymore."

Techno scowled. "Or imagine they put us in a jar and sell us to the highest bidder. It's just not worth the risk, Phil."

"I'm just saying you should consider it." Phil pulled on the rope, making sure the grappling hook was still attached so they could climb up. "And you gotta admit it's a nice thought." He pulled himself up first, shooting a smile down at Techno.

And for a moment, Technoblade did consider it. No more life-endangering escapades for food. No more hunger or cold during the harsher winters. No more need to worry about keeping Phil safe every time he set out on his own.

"Yeah," he conceded, grabbing the rope to start climbing as well. "It is a nice thought."