APRICITY // technoblade x reader DISCONTINUED

30 - Gifts and Genuinity

You extend your arm and Niki takes it, linking elbows with you. You lead her out of the doorway and down the stairs, careful with the heels that both of you are wearing. Philza and Kristin greet you at the bottom of the stairs, wearing matching outfits.

Kristin's dress is a green so deep it's almost black, with gold accents and an emerald brooch at her throat. Phil's swallowtail coat is in a lighter shade of green, but there's a brooch at the base of his throat that matches Kristin's emerald one perfectly. A beautiful feather ornamentation rests behind one of Kristin's delicately pointed ears, the shimmering black plumage clearly from Phil's wings that are preened to a shine and folded neatly behind his back.

Philza smiles as you and Niki step down from the last stair. "You two look beautiful."

"Thank you," Niki beams, letting go of your arm to greet them. She hugs Phil, pressing a kiss to his cheek, and does the same for Kristin. "You are too sweet to us."

"Far too kind," you agree, letting Kristin tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. Philza tucks you into a hug, wing folding around you, and when you pull back you add, "Thank you for not only letting us stay in your home but for caring so much about both me and Niki. You've helped both of us so much, and you've been so thoughtful and generous in welcoming us into your home and your family."

"Of course," Phil says, with a comforting smile. "You both fit right in. I wouldn't dream of pushing you away. You're part of the family now. You're fuckin' stuck with us."

Kristin laughs, grabbing you and Niki and pulling you into a hug once more, the fluffy fabric of your dresses scrunching in between you as you're squeezed. Your smile is wide as you wrap your arms around your best friend and the two adults.

"Oh, Techno, hey mate!" Phil calls over your shoulder, and you pull away to turn toward him.

Technoblade stands at the top of the stairway, a hand on the railing, staring down at you four. He's dressed in a crisp wine-red coat, a light cream undershirt, a charcoal-grey vest, matching dark pants, and leather knee-high boots. A cravat is cinched at his throat with a deep blood-toned brooch. His signature fur-lined cloak drapes over his shoulders, cutting a regal silhouette. His hair, still in the half-up braid that you had woven into it, spills down his shoulders in a pale pink swirl. His hands are covered with dark gloves, and you can see an emerald earring dangling from one of his ears.

Techno's eyes are locked on you even as he calls out a hello to Phil, Kristin, and Niki.

He descends the stairs in a flurry of bootsteps, cloak swishing as he steps close to you. The other three chatter casually, but you can only focus on Techno.

"You, ah, you look..." Your eyes scan up and down, drinking in the gold embroidery on his coat and the soft gleam of the light on his leather boots. "You... wow."

"I could say the same about you." His eyes rake over your dress. You shiver as his eyes dance down your form, taking in the emerald earrings and gold chains decorating you, draped around your throat and into your hair. Your collarbones are exposed to the air, the square neckline of the red dress framing your clavicle. Lantern sleeves billow down your arms, gathering at the wrists, and the bodice fits your torso snugly. Wine-red spills down from the high cinched waist, a billowing flow of tulle that slices to a flat bottom at your ankles, revealing fitted, elegant, slim velvet boots with a solid heel.

He holds out a hand to you, and you take it. "I have something for you, if that's okay." he clears his throat nervously, absentmindedly flipping your hand over and rubbing his thumb over your palm.

"Of course," you murmur, stepping close to him. "What is it?"

You feel something cold slide into your palm, a rustle of delicate chain, and a heavier drop of something. You glance down to see a delicate chain, a fine strand of miniature golden rings, pooled in the center of your palm. Atop it rests a small, flat, golden charm, maybe two centimeters wide and a centimeter tall. It's a stylized boar's head, a crest of some sort, with tiny inlaid ruby eyes. It looks familiar, and you squint down at it for a moment before the realization of where you've seen it before dawns on you.

"This is your crest," You whisper, looking up at Techno as a small smile spreads across your lips. You stretch out a hand to touch the clasp of his thick cloak, running a finger across a larger version of the boar. "And you want me to wear it?"

His cheeks flush pink. "If that's not too forward, yes. I thought it, um. I thought it would look good on you."

"Of course I'll wear it. Put it on for me?"

His expression melts for a moment into something soft and unreadable. "Of course." He loops the necklace around your throat, gentle hands clasping it at the nape of your neck as it takes the sensitive skin of your neck. Your breath is shallow as he steps back in front of you, adjusting the necklace until the pendant is perfectly centered, resting right below the hollow dip of your clavicle.

"Thank you." You catch his hand as he draws away from your throat, lacing your fingers with his and giving it a squeeze. "It means a lot that you want me to wear something of yours."

"No one would look better in it than you do, he replies softly and presses a gentle kiss to your forehead.

When he pulls back, the sound of the world around you seems to flood back in, the chatter of the others beside you and the clamor of the other members of the family racing down the stairs clear once more.

As you and Techno watch with amusement, Tommy skids to a halt in front of you, out of breath and with his hair a mess. "I win! Fuck you, Tubbo, I win!"

"That's not fair," Tubbo complains between breaths as he shoulders Tommy. "You have longer legs than I do!"

"So?" Tommy taunts, sticking his tongue out at Tubbo. Tubbo fakes offense and shoves Tommy again. Ranboo blips into existence with an almost imperceptible shimmer of Enderdust particles, takes one look at the duo, and sighs. All three are dressed in formal attire, though Tommy and Tubbo are a bit rumpled from their race downstairs. Wilbur steps up behind the three teens, ruffles Tommy's hair, and then extends his arm to Niki. She takes it with a bright smile, and the rest of you trail them out to the waiting carriages that will take you to the gala.