PHILTATOS // Foolish X Reader

18

You stayed as long as you could in the temple with Foolish - and by the time you were taking your leave, the streams of sunlight coming down through the skylight had changed their angles, and Foolish was in a significantly better mood than he had been when you had arrived. It hadn't taken much to get him laughing - the dire situation of the city put on hold for a moment.

There was something to be said for Foolishs' compassion of course, but when all you had known from him was laughter and dopey grins, seeing him upset was wrong. Part of you couldn't stand it, and it was just so easy to make him smile.

Still, you couldn't stay in the temple all day without someone wondering where you had gone.

You wished you could though.

Though you had really only known him for a week now, you had come to look forward to your daily visits to Anoitos' temple in a different way. Before, there had been a sense of melancholy attached to bringing the gilded plate through the doors every morning. You would recite the prayers to no answer, thinking about the city and all of its falling glory. Your thoughts - and the temple - would be filled with worry and sorrow, and you would leave feeling unsatisfied and wondering if anyone was hearing your prayers.

Now, visits to the temple had become visits to a friend. Every morning, you would open the doors to bring Foolish his offerings and see him waiting at the altar steps for you, a smile on his face. You would talk as he ate - about the gods and humanity and the world around you. It was hard to believe that Foolish was the god of fools - he was a wealth of history, having been around since the beginning of time.

The melancholy feeling didn't disappear, of course - not when Foolish was now also concerned for the city, after you had been able to show him - but it did fade. Your visiting to the temple was no longer such a quiet and withdrawn affair - the stony pillars now contained laughter and shared smiles. It was something to look forward to each morning.

It was no different now, as you approached the temple. The sun was just beginning to rise fully in the sky as you carried the plate of offerings down the stone path. Today, the plate was laden with sweet berries and dried dates, along with the usual vials of oils and spices. Your prayer beads kept a gentle rhythm against your chest as you walked up the steps of the temple, balancing the plate on one hand to open the door.

As expected, Foolish was waiting for you inside, sat on the steps below his statue. His almost ever present grin widened at you stepped inside, closing the door to the temple behind you. "Morning Y/N!"

"Good morning Foolish." You said, coming to take your place beside him on the steps, and setting the plate down on the steps between you.

Foolish looked down at what you had brought him, hunger written plain on his face. Still, he paused, looking up at you. "Before I touch anything and make it so you can't have it, do you want anything?" He asked.

"It's for you, Foolish." You said.

"But you always bring such good stuff and never have any of it!" Foolish said. "Really, if you want some-"

"I already ate." You said, nodding at the plate. "I'm really not hungry, but please, go ahead."

You smiled to yourself as Foolish went for the sweet berries first - he really did seem to like those.

"They're good?"

"Of course." Foolish said, licking some of the juice off his fingers. "I don't think you've brought me a single sour one yet - they're always good." He paused, popping another berry into his mouth. "You always bring me the best stuff."

"Well, its supposed to be from everyone." You said. "It's really just my job to bring it to you."

"I know that." Foolish said. "But it doesn't feel like it's from everyone. No one except you prays to me anymore even, so the offerings really are just from you."

Sensing another incident like the mosaic, you were quick to try and turn the conversation around. "They come from the city though - more than just myself put everything on that plate-"

"I sort of like that it's just from you though." Foolish said, picking a dried date from the plate. "It makes it feel like you're actually my friend and not just someone who has to be here."

You stopped yourself mid-sentence, watching as Foolish just picked through his offerings like he hadn't said what he just had. Did he really think you were still just coming because you had to? You had thought it would be obvious that you looked forward to talking with him - you were sure you had expressed it before, hadn't you?

"Are we not real friends, Foolish?" You asked.

Foolish blinked at you. "Well, I mean, I consider you a friend - but this is your job-"

"Hardly." You interrupted him. "Is it really a job when I look forward to coming to see you every day?"

Foolish blinked again.

A smile stretching across your face slowly, you continued. "Foolish, I've spent more time in this temple since you first appeared to me than I ever had before. I keep having to remind myself to leave before noon, or someone will begin to grow suspicious. If it was up to me, I would spend all day in your company."

"Oh." Foolish said, his own dopey grin growing on his face. "So we are friends?"

"Of course we are." You said, because it was true. It was just about the easiest thing in the world to be friends with Foolish - he was a delight in all sense of the word, and by far your favorite of the gods.

Foolishs' grin was so wide, that he had to hide it in his shoulder.