Ghostie Bois Inc

Chapter Six: The Taste Of Victory

(Full disclosure, I have no idea how a fencing match works, and for some reason I didn't look it up--so if anyone knows any better than me and has some stuff to add or correct, lemme know :))

   Techno had been terrified.

   No one would know it of course, but as he'd stood in the locker room, adjusting his uniform in the mirror, he could make calculated note of all the ways his nerves stood out. His eyes were darting back and forth, his fingers trembled slightly while he pulled at the edge of his suit. Even the way he was practicing, the way his sword slashed back and forth through the air, was a reflection of his own anxieties.

   Now, he had known, that as soon as he entered the match he'd be set--after all, adrenaline was usually a helpful tool in his situation.  But until then, he could only sit there and think. Just think. He thought about how he might've fallen flat on his face. Thought about how he might've missed the start off, and gotten thrown off his game immediately. He could've made a fool of himself. Or he could've forgotten everything he'd trained hours to do, and be a total disgrace. Phil and Wilbur had been watching. Phil and Wilbur were going to see him fail, they were going to watch him mess up, everyone would watch him--

   He'd been pulled from his thoughts by the touch of someone's hand on his shoulder. 

   "Hey," someone had said from behind him.

   When he'd turned around, Techno had been greeted by a grin. Not a human one, a printed smiley face was staring back at him beneath the grid of a fencing helmet, two small holes displaying real eyes hidden behind the mask. "Are you doing okay?" Dream had asked.

    "I'm just plotting your downfall, it's okay," Techno had shrugged it off, and used his odd sense of humor as a deflection against Dream's comment. It wasn't that Techno hadn't liked Dream, in fact, he had quite a bit of respect for the guy. Dream had been a talented fencer alongside him, and any time they were paired together had been a challenge that Technoblade found himself excited to win. There had been brief moments, where Techno had even considered Dream his friend.

   But that didn't mean that at the time he'd been any less desperate to win against him during the championship match.

   Dream had snorted, and rolled his eyes behind his mask. "Oh wow, The Blade sounds so sure of himself," he'd said, and sat down on the locker room bench beside him.

   Techno nodded, watching a piece of his hair move back and forth--it was at least something simple for him to focus on. Had he taken his medicine that morning? Looking back on it, he still couldn't remember if he had.

   "Yep," He'd said, made oddly uncomfortable by the silence. "I'm always sure of myself, you know that."

   Dream had nodded along beside him, and hummed in agreement. Techno had found himself looking around the locker room , trying to keep up his 'in-match' persona. He had always felt more comfortable in the heat of the moment--at least, when it came to fencing, he did.

   "--Techno?" Dream had asked.

   Technoblade had turned his head to look over at his soon-to-be opponent. Dream had apparently taken off his mask and helmet, and had rested them against his legs as he'd messed with his hair. "Did you hear any of that?" He asked, looking at Techno.

   Had Dream been talking?

   Techno remembered being slightly embarrassed of zoning out, he'd shaken his head and frowned. "No...I'm sorry."

   Instead of being annoyed, Dream had waved it off with a smile. "No, it's okay. I get it," he'd said. "What I said was, it's okay to be nervous, Techno. It happens to the best of us."