PheeTech !!! The brainrot will never stop
Tech found himself following a lot more than he used to.
Before Eriadu, before Hemlock, it was always safe to assume Tech would be off the ship and scanning as soon as they touched the soil. It was his thing, his habit.
He liked to explore, before it all.
Now he stuck beside his brothers like glue, hands wringing and following them. Despite his interest, despite his curiosity. He was lost, clinging to his brothers stability and sense of place.
They knew what they were doing, they knew what they were made for. It was safer to follow them and not risk stepping out of place.
That was what he usually did. Now, he didn't know what to do. Phee was waiting for him by the ramp. They had come earlier than the others to scout, why had he done that? Why had he chosen to break away?
His hands twitched, his skin itched while his bones seemed to crawl underneath him.
"Love?" Phee called. "You coming?"
That was why. Phee.
Phee, who despite his lacking sense of direction and purpose, stood bravely against the current and held him. Like he was deserving of such kind gestures, of such loving ways.
The way she spoke so sincerely of him, it almost tricked him into believing he really was worth the effort it took to create him, to remake him when he so carelessly broke himself.
Tech sighed, scrubbing his face until it hurt, before he walked out. Phee had already reprimanded him once, he should hurry up and join her. He took his place just behind Phee, and they walked off.
The planet was beautiful, but this was not their rendezvous. He turned to her, questioningly.
Phee shrugged. "Thought we could take a detour," She said simply. "Have some fun, do some sightseeing."
He blinked. "That–" sounded fantastic. That was exactly what he wanted to do. How did she always know?
Still, hesitance pulled at him, urging him to follow the order Hunter had given: meet them at the rendezvous.
She took his shaking hand in hers. "It's a short walk, nothing serious," She assured. "Besides, we haven't had an adventure in forever. And I think that's just criminal, don't you?"
Tech found himself smiling privately, and nodded. "I supposed it is," He agreed. "We should do our best to rectify that misstep immediately."
"Indeed we should." Phee grinned, squeezing their hands before walking away. They strolled away from the ship, listening to the ramp shutting as they took in the surrounding forestry.
"Pretty terrain," She commented. "Lovely for crops."
"Yes," Tech agreed, digging his heel in to feel the ground better. "The soil is in prime condition for plantation. Strange how the weather pattern doesn't seem to agree."
Phee looked up to the stormy clouds rolling in. "A little extra nutrition never hurt anyone." She bumped their hips together with a laugh.
"I am slightly concerned with the possibility of overfeeding." Tech murmured, but leaned into the gesture regardless. Phee laughed again, shaking her head. "You would be." She said.
They continued walking. The trees stretched high above their heads, tall to the point that they couldn't see where the leaves started bunching together, the way they had seen on the flight in.
Tech found his gaze wandering to the surrounding area while Phee continued staring upwards. The local fauna were gorgeous combinations of blue and pink hues. Aesthetically very charming, however, most likely inedible.
Tech found he enjoyed the pleasing colours that swirled around them, and he sighed softly, breathing in the fresh air contently. Something in his chest loosened, a calm lull falling over him.
It was peaceful, he liked it.
"Look here!" Phee urged, pulling him over towards a large cliffside. Tech, for a moment, refused to look down, shielding his eyes from the sudden onslaught of sunlight. When his eyes adjusted, he blinked, looking out over the edge.
He couldn't contain his quiet gasp. There was a waterfall gushing over the edge of the cliffside, close enough that sprays of water danced across them both. The water cascaded into a beautiful lagoon, leading out into the sea.
The forest was much more visible up here, too. The treetops were lined with nests and habitats, and across the ocean, just on the horizon, Tech could make out another island.
The sky was a brilliant blue, and it was silent aside from the rushing water. The sudden, euphoric sense of peace rode over him like the waves of the sea, and he relaxed.
"It's beautiful," Tech breathed, watching the ripple of the sea from atop the cliff. Phee smiled beside him, taking a deep, calming breath.
"It really is." She replied. Phee was staring at him, rather than the view, unbeknownst to him.
He glanced towards her and paused, admiring her for a moment. She allowed him, openly staring straight back at him. He ducked his head after a few minutes, clearing his throat as he felt his palm, still holding hers, begin to sweat.
He moved to let go, to apologise for the uncomfortable stick of their hands now, but she only clasped them tighter to together.
"I don't mind–" She blurted. "–my hands are pretty sweaty, too. It's alright."
He blinked, and stopped pulling away altogether. Instead, he turned back to the view, admiring it once more. He took another soothing breath, the ache of everything inside him easing up.
"I've never seen anything like it," Tech mumbled into the quiet. "I've always wanted to see the prettiest sights in the galaxy. One day." He admitted, shuffling his feet as he tracked the water flow.
Again, Phee's gaze never left him. "I think I already found it." She said softly, smiling at him.
Tech tilted his head, looking back to her. "Where?" He asked, equally soft.
Phee's face flared, and she laughed, too loudly, before turning away. "Where do you wanna go next?" She asked.
Tech blinked. "Ah," He shrugged. "Are you not leading us?" He hoped she was.
He didn't have a clue, he hadn't done much independently in so long, he wasn't sure he could anymore.
Phee shrugged. "It's an adventure," She reminded him. "The point is that neither of us actually know where we're going. So pick a path, and I'll follow you."
There it was again. Phee knowing him better than he knew himself. Right now, he was very greatful for it.
He turned to the woods again, thinking. He caught sight of wildlife, and without question, without pause or without consideration, he lit up.
The action was far too like who he used to be. The nostalgia would have killed him had he been any less excited about his find. Had he the rationality to think his actions through, he was sure he would have shut up immediately.
Instead, he pointed wildly into the trees. "There!" He exclaimed. "Did you see that?"
Phee looked amused, but shook her head. "Nope, but you did. Let's go check it out!"
Thoroughly overjoyed, Tech took off. If it wasn't for the tug of Phee's arm, he would have sprinted straight into an overgrown root.
Thankfully, her moment's shock stopped him, and they stepped over it before continuing their sudden sprint into the forest.
Tech led Phee deeper into the woods, their joint laughter and speculation on what he had seen filling the calm tranquility of the woods.
If they missed the rendezvous, Hunter was only a bit angry. His initial reaction of fear-induced, haphazard questions melted at the happy, flushed look on his littlest brother's face when the two of them finally joined them.
"And where have you two been?" Echo asked, already smiling as the duo panted, still connected by hand.
"We went on a walk." Phee shrugged them off. "Saw some pretty sights, you missed it. Big time."
"We saw one of the largest herbivores in the galaxy!" Tech gasped out between breaths. "It was– huge. Like, four times the size Wrecker, maybe even as tall as a walker!"
Hunter couldn't help the fond laugh thay left him. "Was it now?" He asked, watching Tech's enthusiastic nod. "Well, you can tell me all about it on our way to the contact. Come on."
Secretly, Echo and Hunter shared a smile as their youngest brother managed to light up more, squeezing Phee's hand as he happily bound forward again, taking the lead as he dove into the recount of their adventures.
Hunter listened intently the whole way, enjoying the familiar, long lost sound of his brothers voice. One sound he thought he had lost forever, now back again, and this time, it wasn't a holo.
Echo caught the shine in Hunter's eyes and allowed him some privacy, asking Tech questions to pull his attention away from the eldest.
Tech readily complied, Phee jumping in with points of her own. The walk was filled with chats and delight. The normality brightened Echo's heart, and eased his mind.
His little brother talking as he once did, Phee helping him stay on track, a new but not unwelcome normal, and Hunter's shoulders finally dropping with the presence of his family back with him at last.
Yes, things were finally beginning to feel alright again.
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