They'd only just breached the treeline when Michael finally asked the question. "Are we there yet?"

Technoblade turned around and pinned him with his most dead stare yet, continuing to walk with his back to the worn path. "It takes at least a week to get to the Esempi Michael. We've been at it for five hours at most."

Michael frowned. His feet were aching from his trek across the fields between their little village to the forest. His pack felt much heavier than it had when they'd started up, which confused him considering all it consisted of was an extra pair of clothes wrapped in a light cloak. His breaths were coming out fast and laboured. He was regretting not putting a water bucket in his inventory before starting out.

"Leave him alone Techno, it's his first time." Phil said. "You'll get used to it Michael. The pain makes it all the more rewarding when we get there."

Michael grunted, doubting it. He wanted to stop and rest, wash the sweat off him and sleep for the next five weeks. Potato farming may have done wonders for his arms, but nothing for his legs.

Nevertheless, he refused to fall behind, wanting to prove to Techno and Phil that it was the right decision to bring him on this trip. They continued down the worn forest path for another few hours before finally stopping for lunch. Michael had never been more grateful in his life. He plonked down on a fallen tree and shoved his sandwich down his throat, his stomach quieting.

...

Over the next few weeks of travel, Michael felt like he was learning things. Techno taught him how to light a fire on their first night. After setting alight several bushes, Phil had decided lessons involving fire could resume at a later date and Michael was subtly banned from touching the flint and steel.

On the third night, they needed to restock food, so Techno decided it was time Michael learnt to fish. There hadn't been any lakes near Michael's village and therefore he hadn't had much of an opportunity to learn. Luckily, Techno was a good teacher, despite being a relentless slave driver, and soon Michael found himself the designated fisher. He was immensely proud of this position, even if he suspected it was just to keep him happy so Phil and Techno could focus on keeping them on track.

On the fifth night, Michael had a nightmare. He'd shot up in the middle of the night plagued with visions of blank walls caving in on him and locked trapdoors mocking him as he ran around an empty room trying to escape. He'd slapped a hand to his mouth, muffling his panicked breathing, eye darting wildly side to side. Slowly Michael had relaxed, taking in the wide open space around him, the stars shining down on him, unobstructed by a ceiling.

He'd still been too shaken up to go back to sleep, instead choosing to go for a walk. Techno and Phil didn't know about the nightmares, and Michael liked to keep it that way. After finding Michael collapsed in the snow miles from Ranboo and Tubbo's house, they hadn't talked much about what happened. All they knew was that Michael would sell his soul to avoid going back there, despite his willingness to embark on this trip.

None of that mattered, and if Michael appeared more tired than usual the next day, no one mentioned it.

The next three weeks went somewhat the same. Michael found himself losing track of time, the world a green and brown blur around him, sometimes breaking to reveal a village or a crystal lake. He continued to pick up skills as they travelled; hunting, gathering, how to tell poison ivy from box eider. He collected trinkets as they went along, including a bandanna he tied around his forehead in a mockery of Techno's crown. If either of the adults noticed they didn't say anything, though Michael did catch a smirk on Phil's face when he first tied the band around his forehead.

He was happy, and the journey was living up to all his high expectations. By the time they'd approached the last village before Dray, he felt as if he'd filled his entire pre-adult wishlist.

Which was good, because his birthday was the next day. Michael knew the celebrations would be limited, given their supplies were built less for partying and more for surviving.

"Are we doing anything for my 18th?" He asked mildly a couple of hours before they settled for the night.

Phil shot Techno a panicked look and Michael resisted the urge to sigh. Phil would forget his birthday. Luckily, Techno did not suffer from old age and seemed to have a vague plan.

"There's a village a little that-a-way off the path," Techno said, gesturing a bit forward to their left. "It has a good bar."

Michael grinned when Techno wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at them - still maintaining his deadpan of course - and Phil choked.

"We can't let Michael drink! He's still only a boy!" Phil said.

"Not once he turns eighteen he won't be." Techno replied, with full knowledge of the out-of-village parties Michael snuck out to three years ago. "Don't you want his first experience of alcohol to be with us, his most trusted guardians?"

Michael nodded innocently.

Phil still looked weary but agreed all the same. Techno smirked. Michael felt alive with energy that night, buzzing beneath his sleeping bag.

It took him almost an hour to fall asleep, but when he finally did, he slept deep and dreamlessly. He came to the next morning slowly, like you do when you've had a good sleep and wake up actually feeling rested.

He turned over, content to lie in a little longer, when pink hair entered his film of vision.

"Michaellll~" Technoblade whispered, and Michael tensed. He knew that tone.

No less than half a second later, his sleeping bag was ripped off him and he was exposed to the cold morning air.

"Nooooo." He groaned. He made grabby motions for the blanket, shivering.

"Guess what day it is buddy." Phil whispered, and God no, not Phil too.

"Sleeping day?" Michael said hopefully, voice still husky with sleep.

"It's your birthday, idiot." Techno said, and Michael was immediately switched on.

"Omygoditsmybirthday." He breathed out. He jumped up, grabbing Techno by his face. "I'm 18!"

He laughed, loud and clear, echoing in the quiet clearing. The horses whinnied softly from their posts by the tree, and Michael ran up to them, still laughing. He grabbed his horsed face and pulled it towards him, gentle in his excitement.

"It's my birthday." He whispered like it was a secret between him and his horse. Then he pushed his horses' face away, throwing his arms up. "I'm 18!"

Phil was chuckling quietly, and even Techno couldn't resist the small smile that crept onto his face. Michael watched them with shining eyes, feeling strangely elated. "I'm 18."

It hit him, suddenly, that his parents weren't there.

They never got to see their son grow into a man. They never really got to see their son grow up either, but it was hitting harder now that he was a legal adult. His parents never dealt with him through puberty, helped him with his first relationship, work with him to try and find a job. Techno and Phil were there instead, and as much as he loved them, it felt like there was a part of him missing, something he'd left behind. Something that... Did he really have to leave it behind?

As if sensing his sombre mood, the horse nudged his arm. He looked down at it, absent-mindedly patting its snout. He wondered if horses ever worried about things like this. Probably not, he concluded. Oh, to be a horse.

Phil's vice startled him out of his stupor.

"How does it feel being 18?" He asked. Michael looked up in surprise. He hadn't realised how close his substitute parents had gotten in the last couple of minutes.

"Great." He said, smiling crookedly. Techno looked suspicious but didn't say anything. Michael shook himself. "So... When are we going for drinks?"

Phil sighed. "So eager. At least wait for the sun to go down Michael."

...

And that's where I got up to before I stopped writing and realised I was never going to actually finish this fic bc I'm lazy and have moved on from this fandom several times over so yk

I'll post all my notes and stuff for this fic later prob, plus the little past segment I wrote

sry if some things didn't make sense, it's unedited lol. Thx for reading, you guys have no idea what you mean to me (especially is you came from Till Death Do Us Part to here, you guys are amazing <333333)