Trouvaille | Technoblade x Reader

Chapter 6 - Neighborly Deals

The next day, you woke up blinded by the late-morning sun shining into your eyes through the cracks in the stone roof of the temple. You blinked slowly, then a yawn overtook you. The blanket that you had clutched in one hand wasn't exactly soft, but it was warm, and your body ached. You were tempted to return to sleep, but your throat was scratchy from dehydration.

You sat up slowly, your head pounding, and clutched your blanket tighter around your body to keep out the autumn chill. After slowly getting to your feet, you shuffled outside to your little shack and rustled around for some food. Upon finding none, you sighed deeply and headed over to the overgrown garden just outside of the temple's clearing.

It wasn't until you were bending down to pull some potatoes out of the ground that you realized that the blanket around you hadn't been there when you had fallen asleep. With a jolt, it occurred to you that this too had been another gift from the Blood God.

Warmth bled into your cheeks at the thought of him carefully placing the blanket over you as you slept, but you quickly shook away those thoughts. You knew that he hadn't intended the gesture to be anything more than simple kindness, so you resumed plucking food out of the ground and began to wrack your brain for anything to give him in return.

The potatoes in your hands seemed to scream at you. You remembered the distinct taste of potato in the soup he had given you - he had given you, you still could scarcely believe it - and wondered if they would be an appropriate sacrifice once more.

You gathered as many as you could carry in your arms and set off towards the temple. You weren't nearly as cautious with stepping foot into the temple this time, but you still glanced around nervously. There was no one in the temple, not even the dog, and the fire had burnt out a while ago.

You crept into the temple quietly, just so you wouldn't disturb the Blood God any more than you already had. You began setting the potatoes on the altar one by one, and by the time you had put the second-to-last potato down, the door to the inner sanctum creaked open.

You tossed the remaining potato with the others and tucked your hands behind you innocently.

The Blood God's hand was at the sword at his side, but he quickly removed it. You just stared at the bone mask for a moment because how were you going to explain this? Giving potatoes to the Blood God? If this were any other god, you'd probably be dismembered for such an offense.

"You could just, ya know, hand them to me in person instead of leavin' them on the altar," the Blood God suggested with a shrug.

"Well- it's just, uh... easier?" you explained. "I don't want to, like, impose or anything. You've treated me well - better than most humans, actually - and I just... didn't want to bother you more than I already have. I don't have anything better to sacrifice, and I have no other way to repay you. I don't exactly have a lot of material to work with."

As soon as your mouth closed, you grimaced at your rambling words. The Blood God stared at you blankly, or at least you assumed that he was from under his mask, and you berated yourself for... well, being awkward.

The Blood God then cleared his throat, and you shuffled closer to the altar awkwardly just to have something to do other than await his response.

"Well..." he paused and returned his hand to his sword. "What's your name?"

"Y/N," you answered quickly, eyes darting to the sword. "And you?"

You bit the inside of your cheek so hard that the metallic taste of blood seeped into your mouth. Why did you ask his name? The urge to slam your head into the stone altar passed through you, but you resisted making even more of a fool of yourself.