APRICITY // technoblade x reader DISCONTINUED

8 - Manors and Meetings

The carriage is waiting out front, horses whinnying and pawing at the ground as you walk past. Ranboo meets your eyes with a smile, and you find yourself smiling back as you pass him a pastry. Technoblade helps you in, and you feel the carriage jolt forward as you settle in. You pass Technoblade a loaf of bread, tearing off a piece for yourself as you do so. You grab the chunk of bread between your teeth, holding it as you pass him a pastry and some cheese, and notice his smile.

"Wha'?" you ask, voice muffled by the bread.

"Nothin'," he says, his crooked smile only widening to show his tusks. It's endearing.

"Cute," you say through the bread absentmindedly, and only realize you're spoken out loud a moment later. "Um. I mean..."

You grab the bread that you're holding in your mouth and bite off some, filling your mouth so you can't say anything else. "Hmm? Mmm mm mph." You wave a pastry around, trying to ignore your face heating up.

A moment of his trying to suppress his smile goes by before he breaks and just laughs, breathy, high, and genuine, and you nearly choke on your bread as you join.

For a moment, you feel light, not thinking about anything other than the sound of his laugh and your knees bumping together between the carriage seats. Soon enough, though, the moment passes, and you catch your breath to finish your meal.

You stare down at your hands, and the two swords lying beneath your feet that you'd removed to be more comfortable as you travel. The last of the food is gone, but it does nothing to settle the nervous churning of your gut.

Technoblade bumps his knee against yours, drawing your gaze up. "Hey. You look nervous."

You raise an eyebrow. "Astute observation, Magister Technoblade. I am being transported to be tried for the murder of a woman that I looked up to for nineteen years."

He grimaces. "Yeah, maybe not the best conversation starter. I'm sorry." He sighs, "You can just call me Techno, though. The title is a little too pretentious for me. I'm only twenty, It makes me sound as old as Phil."

"Wait, you're twenty? You're so young!"

Techno turns to face you. "Uh, yeah?"

"You're barely older than me. I can't believe I thought you were at least twenty-five," you laugh. "I'm going to be twenty in two months."

Techno fakes offense, but you can hear him holding back laughter. "You thought I was old?"

You snort, completely dissolving into giggles. "Not old!"

"Twenty-five is old! I'm not ancient, how dare you!"

You cackle even louder. "You know what? I'm getting back-up. Ranboo!"

You slide the window between the cabin and the driver's seat open. "Ranboo, tell Techno he's old with me!"

Ranboo snorts. "Haha, old man."

Techno throws his hands up. "I'm twenty! Ranboo, you're older than me!"

Ranboo shakes his head. "In human years, sure, but demons mature differently. I'm the equivalent of a human, like, sixteen? Pretty close to Tommy's age, actually."

"I know, but still!" Techno protests.

"You're sixteen? You are just a kid," you say, surprised. "Also, you keep mentioning names. Tommy, Phil, who are they?"

Techno shares a glance with Ranboo. "You'll meet them soon enough. How far away are we?"

"Maybe an hour from the city center, and another half hour to the estate."