APRICITY // technoblade x reader DISCONTINUED

21 - Amelioration and Audacity

Techno guides you inside with a steadying hand at the small of your back, and the two of you trail behind Phil and Wilbur. The walk to the house is a blur, and the next thing you know, Ranboo is laid in bed and the four of you are gathered around. Wilbur approaches Ranboo, removing the tightly wound bandage from the unconscious boy's head. He hums for a moment, loud in the deafening silence of the room, and begins to sing quietly.

It's a melody that you don't know, and something about the words escapes the grasp of your mind, but it's beautiful all the same. His voice is warm, amber-toned, and honey-sweet as he sings. As you watch, his hands begin to glow a warm golden color, the soft glow caressing Rabnoo's sleeping face. Slowly, you watch as beneath Wilbur's outstretched fingers the skin begins to knit together, and blood leeches out of Ranboo's soft, bone-white hair.

Wilbur's lilting voice shapes one last syllable, and as his ethereal song fades out, so does the glow. Ranboo shifts in his sleep, the crease in his brow smoothing, and you breathe a sigh of relief as Techno re-wraps the bandage with clean gauze beneath.

Wilbur takes a shaky, deep breath in and stands, looking a bit pale. Phil steps towards him immediately, slipping an arm around his back.

"Took a lot out of me," Wilbur mumbles. "Healing spells always do."

"Alright, mate, let's get you to bed."

"Mmm, bed sounds nice."

"Alright. Hmph- You're heavier than you look, Wil," grunts Phil, his wings flaring out as he stumbles a bit under Wilbur's weight. "Gods, Wil, fuckin' help me out here."

Techno laughs as he opens the door for Phil. Wilbur manages to go even more limp, making Phil squawk indignantly, but your worry fades into stifled laughter when Wil sends you a subtle wink.

Phil's muffled grumbling fades a bit more with each footstep, and you and Techno laugh quietly together as you watch Phil practically drag Wilbur down the hallway to his room.

"Hey, Techno, what's goin' on?"

You turn around to come face to face with two half-awake teenagers. Tubbo is rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, and Tommy's leaning on his friend.

"We both heard something, so we're awake now... Why are you in Ranboo's doorway? " adds Tommy, observant despite his clear exhaustion.

You open your mouth to respond, pause, then open the door. "It's a bit of a long story, so you should come inside." You usher them both in and they find their way to Ranboo's bed to make themselves comfortable, and Techno shuts the door quietly behind you. Tommy sits on the floor, back against the bed near Ranboo's head, and Tubbo makes himself comfortable on the bed, sitting cross-legged beside Ranboo's legs.

"So...?" Tommy prompts. "Why does Ranboo have a bandage around his head, and is he going to be okay?"

You sigh and slump into an armchair in the corner of the room, nestled cozily into a corner of bookshelves. "Yes, he's going to be okay, and, well, the short version is that we don't really know what happened."

Techno nods, sighing as he lowers himself to the floor, and begins to explain.

By the end of your story, Tommy is frowning and Tubbo's fluffy ears are flicking nervously. "So you really don't know who did this, not to mention how or why?" Tommy muses, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling.

You rub your hands over your face, exhaustion and frustration hitting you like a wave. "Basically, yes. We don't know what happened, or even if he's still being controlled like a puppet."

"So... what are we going to do?" asks Tubbo, his ears flattening against his head. "We have to figure out who did this so that we can stop them."

"Yeah, we definitely do. But first I think we all need to get some sleep." You say, stretching, and Techno pushes himself off of the floor. Tubbo nods and hops up, pulling Tommy off of the floor.

"Bedtime, but we'll come to check on Ranboo in a few hours," he tells Tommy, then turns to his unconscious friend. "See you in the morning. You'd better be awake, big man."

Tommy just pats Ranboo's shoulder before he follows Tubbo through a side door. You raise an eyebrow, confused as to why they took a different exit.

"They all have connecting doorways, and they share their own big bathroom and den area," explains Techno. "Teenagers, you know. Phil had that built for them after we realized that we'd added two more forces of nature to Tommy's chaotic energy. Now they can bother each other instead of us."

You snort. "Makes sense. That probably explains why they're such good friends. They're roommates."

"Pretty much." Techno offers his hand and you take it, letting him pull you up from the plush armchair. He leads you out of Ranboo's room, pulling the door closed behind you with a quiet click. He guides you back to your room, and when you reach the door, he pauses and glances back at you. "Try to get some sleep, okay? I'm right here if you need anything."

He takes your left hand in his right, linking your fingers in his. Your hand looks small, cupped in his, but his grip is gentle and light. You glance up from your interlocked hands to see him looking down at you, an emotion you can't name in his eyes as he examines your face.

"I'm glad you're okay," he breathes out. "I don't know if I could see you hurt again. Thank you for saving me."

You smile, small and private, and reach up with your right hand to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear. A silky pink strand gets looped behind his soft Piglin ear, and your fingers sweep around to cup his face. "Of course. I care about you very much."

"I- yes, me too, yes," he manages, eyes not leaving yours. "I...care about you very much."

Your smile widens at his words. "I yes me too?" you tease and watch him redden.

"Wow, I'm being genuine, and you hurt me like this." He gasps in mock-offense. "How could you?"

You roll your eyes. "Goodnight, you big crybaby." You trail your fingers down to his collar and tug him toward you, standing on your toes to press a gentle, lingering kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you in the morning."

You slip inside your bedroom, closing the door gently as Techno stands there, fingers grazing his cheek where you'd kissed him.

As soon as the door shuts, your smooth facade drops. "Oh my gods. Oh. My. Gods," you mumble, sliding to the floor beside your bed. "I just did that." You put your face in your hands as your cheeks burn. "I... I did that, I really did."

Slowly, you manage to avoid panicking too much as you tug off your boots and clamber into bed, sure your face is bright red. You tug the covers up under your chin, and as you drift off curled up alone, you wonder what it would be like to have Techno's warmth beside you.