A/N - This chapter starts with Techno taking a shower. However, it's not like your everyday shower. There's no spout that shoots out water constantly. He is simply refilling and dumping a bucket of warm water over his head while he sits on a stool. The water drains out from under him through an iron trap door. Also, Ramadan Kareem to my beloved Muslims! Okay, that's all. Enjoy my loves! <3
---
𝓣𝓮𝓬𝓱𝓷𝓸'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥.
Steam felt like a blanket around him, while hot water trickled down his body. It's been a while since he's had a decent shower. Meal, too. A part of him was glad he stumbled across this small cabin. Then again, he had no clue on whether it was a good idea to stay or not. More so, whether he wanted to leave.
T̴h̶e̵y̷'̵r̵e̷ ̷n̵i̸c̸e̸ ̸t̸o̸ ̶u̶s̷.̷.̷.̷I̷ ̵w̸a̷n̶n̶a̴ ̷s̷t̸a̶y̴.̴.̷.̸n̷o̶.̷.̶.̷e̴n̸e̵m̷y̵.̵.̸.̴t̴r̴u̸s̷t̶ ̷n̵o̷ ̴o̷n̸e̵.̸.̵.̷
Techno slicked back his hair with one hand. It was hard enough trying to figure out whether he wanted to stay or not by himself, he didn't need the Voices arguing over it too. Refilling the bucket, he poured it over his head, feeling the water crash onto his shoulders. He grabbed a bar of soap from the side and lathered it over his body, only before rinsing again.
I̴'̸m̸ ̴h̸u̴n̷g̶y̶.̴.̸.̶w̴e̸ ̵j̵u̶s̸t̸ ̷a̴t̸e̵.̴.̷.̷s̴h̸u̶t̴ ̷u̴p̷ ̷I̸ ̸c̷a̵n̶ ̶b̵e̷ ̵h̷u̴n̴g̷r̴y̵ ̴i̴f̵ ̶I̷ ̶w̴a̴n̴t̷ ̶t̴o̶ ̵b̸e̴.̴.̴.̷t̶h̶a̷t̸ ̴m̵a̶k̷e̶s̸ ̴n̴o̸ ̷s̴e̶n̵s̴e̴.̵.̸.̴I̵ ̷w̶a̶n̴n̸a̶ ̷s̷e̷e̵ ̸h̴e̶r̷ ̶a̷g̸a̷i̴n̵,̶ ̴s̴h̵e̸'̸s̴ ̵p̴r̶e̶t̴t̵y̶.̵.̸.̵p̸r̷e̵t̶t̸y̴?̷ ̴s̴i̸i̷i̵m̶p̸.̶.̷.̸
Oh my god, please shut up. We just met her today, you can't be calling a random stranger pretty.
B̵u̴t̵ ̴s̸h̸e̸ ̵c̷a̸l̷l̶e̶d̷ ̶u̴s̴ ̴h̴o̵t̸.̶.̶.̴n̸o̵ ̷s̴h̶e̷ ̸c̴a̴l̷l̷e̷d̸ ̷T̸e̶c̴h̴n̴o̶ ̷h̶o̸t̴.̶.̶.̴
They meant temperature wise, idiots. And that's cause I had a fever.
I̴ ̴w̷a̶n̶n̸a̴ ̶s̶t̸a̷b̴ ̷h̸e̵r̵.̷.̶.̴s̶t̴o̵p̸ ̶s̸a̴y̴i̷n̷g̵ ̸y̵o̷u̵ ̸w̶a̵n̴n̸a̴ ̸s̵t̸a̵b̷ ̴s̷o̵m̴e̶t̵h̷i̷n̷g̴,̶ ̸w̴e̷ ̷g̸e̷t̵ ̸i̸t̷.̴.̴.̷n̶o̵,̸ ̴h̴e̵r̵ ̴i̸n̶ ̶p̸a̷r̸t̶i̷c̷u̸l̶a̴r̸.̷.̷.̷w̴h̴y̶?̶.̷.̷.̷t̴h̵e̴y̷'̴r̴e̶ ̶t̷o̴ ̴n̶i̶c̵e̵.̵.̵.̵i̴t̴'̷s̶ ̸d̷a̶n̸g̶e̴r̸o̷u̷s̶.̵.̶.̶b̵r̸u̸h̶h̴h̵h̴h̸.̸.̷.̴
We're not stabbing her! Please, just shut up and let me bathe.
The Voices collectively went silent, for the first time in a while. Actually, now that Techno thinks about it, they weren't going crazy around her either. Weird.
Technoblade pours one more bucket of water atop his soaked-pink hair. The sound of it splashing against the floor fills the small bathroom for a moment before Techno finally stands up and grabs a wooly towel, ruffling his hair with it before wrapping it around his waist.
---
𝓨/𝓝'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥.
Y/N was stuck doing the strangers laundry, dipping the clothes in warm water and scrubbing the cloth together to get rid of any dirt or sweat stuck to it. She looked up when they heard the door creek open. Y/N's eyes trailed from the floor up to the man's blue eyes, doing her best to ignore his well-managed body.
"I finished." Techno monotoned. "I need clothes, though." He continued.
"I don't think I have anything in your size... but I do have an old outfit that's way to big for me that a couple of villagers gave to me when their son grew out of it. I'll go look for it." Y/N replied, hanging the wet clothes, that were in the middle of being washed.
Making their way to her closet with Techno trailing behind them, she pulls out an off-white beige shirt and brown pants. Handing them to him, she smiles. "Let me know if they don't fit. I'll figure something out." Techno nodded, watching as the woman left the room, closing the door behind her.
Y/N waited patiently outside the door for the man to finish. In the mean time, she climbed down her ladder to her couch. There was room for stairs, but it saved space using a ladder instead. Which reminded them, why don't they just expand the house? Well, it would cost a lot of materials. That's a lot of work, besides, who wants to be cutting down trees in below zero temperatures?
Getting lost in thought, she almost doesn't hear the sound of the floor creaking due to silent footsteps. Looking to the side, Y/N glances at the now-clothed Technoblade. "It's a bit tight on the arms, but nothing unmanageable." He admits. Y/N smiles in response.
"Perfect! Then we don't have to worry about what clothes for you to wear while we wait for your old ones are being washed." Y/N clasps her hands together. It was really convenient, actually. She didn't even think the clothes would fit Techno. But they did, and she wasn't about to complain. "Want me to dry your hair?" She offers, leaning a bit to the side to get a glimpse of his pink hair. Since it was wet, it was a bit darker than when he first came in.
"I can do it myself." Techno grumbles, yet there was no hostility this time.
"Oh, come on. I have nothing better to do." Y/N moved over and pat a spot on the couch, signaling Techno to sit down. Reluctantly, he did, tossing her the towel that was needed to dry his hair. They sat facing towards each other, Y/N placing the towel on top of his head. She began to massage his scalp in circular motions, making their way down his long hair. Techno felt himself melt into her motions, letting down any guard he had before, along with any tensions. Y/N was relieved about this, since the man hadn't once let himself relax since they've encountered each other. "Y'know, for someone with a fever, you seem to be functioning fine." Y/N spoke. Techno opened his eyes, which he didn't even realized he closed earlier.
"I had a lot of fevers when I was younger. I used to not do well in cold temperatures, but here we are." Techno explained, closing his eyes once more. Y/N only hummed in response, letting him know they acknowledged his statement.
---
𝓣𝓮𝓬𝓱𝓷𝓸'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥.
"There. Your hair is relatively dry now." Y/N chimed, clapping her hands together. Techno noted that they seemed to do that a lot. "If you'd like," The woman started, getting up to put the now damp towel away, "I could braid your hair for you as well." She finished. Techno debated it.
"I don't want to cause you any more trouble." Technoblade replied. Which was true, he didn't, but he also didn't want to stay longer than he had to. He would've left a while earlier if she hadn't insisted that he stay and take a shower while she washed his clothes. He was still relatively close to L'Manburg, or at least, it's ruins. He was a wanted fugitive. Techno didn't want to cause trouble for Y/N, who has shown him nothing but kindness and hospitality.
S̶t̴a̶y̵.̴.̶.̸w̶e̵ ̶w̶a̵n̷n̵a̸ ̷s̴t̴a̶y̷.̵.̶.̸c̴o̸z̷y̵.̷.̸.̷w̶a̵r̴m̸.̴.̸.̷f̴o̷o̶d̸.̶.̴.̵w̶h̶y̸ ̴l̷e̴a̴v̷e̷?̸.̶.̶.̷s̶i̸i̶i̸m̸p̵s̵.̶.̶.̴w̵e̵'̸r̷e̴ ̵n̵o̸t̸ ̵s̷i̵m̵p̶i̴n̸g̴,̷ ̴t̸h̸e̶y̷'̵r̶e̶ ̸j̶u̵s̶t̴ ̶n̸i̸c̸e̶.̸.̸.̴w̷e̵ ̴h̷a̸v̸e̷n̴'̴t̴ ̶b̵e̸e̵n̸ ̵t̶r̸e̸a̵t̵e̸d̸ ̴t̸h̶i̸s̷ ̶w̸a̶y̸ ̵s̶i̷n̸c̴e̵.̴.̵.̴-
Phil.
Technoblade cut off the Voices, finishing their sentence.
P̸h̵i̴l̷.̴
The Voices affirmed. Techno couldn't help but wonder if his father figure was alright. After all, that man raised him, taught him all he knows and then some, and took care of him as his own. Sure, he could carry his weight, but it's only natural to wonder. Y/N seemed to notice Techno's absence. She placed an arm on his shoulder, which immediately caused Techno to snap out of it. He tensed for a moment, but when their eyes met, he relaxed once more.
"Let's go braid your hair. Don't worry about me." Y/N softly spoke, careful as to not startle the man again. Techno broke the eye contact first, only nodding in a silent response. Y/N hand fell off his shoulder, and they made their way upstairs to a bedroom, where Y/N picked up a wooden brush whose bristles seemed to be made from horse hair. She sat down on the bed, patting a space in front of her for Techno. Hesitantly, he made his way over to the surprisingly cushiony mattress. He felt the bristles press against the top of his head, making their way down to the bottom, ridding of any knots and what-nots from his hair. Feeling relax once more he began to shut his eyes again while the repeated motion continued. A couple of minutes passed before he felt his hair beginning to separate into different sections, each playing a part in the soon-to-be braid. "Would you like to stay the night?" Y/N finally spoke, breaking the comfortable silence the two shared.
"I'm not sure how long I should stay. I'm kind of on the run here." Technoblade monotoned in response. Y/N chuckled, before continuing.
"Right, I forgot, Elsa." The woman mused. In that moment, Technoblade was reminded of the fact that she didn't know what he did. She didn't know he was a wanted criminal, or that he was running from a very angry government, or that he committed possibly several war crimes. She only thought that he was running away from home.
"Right, Elsa." Technoblade responded. He kind of liked the idea of being with someone who didn't know of his violent past. After all, they didn't need to know, nor was it really any of their business. Which is exactly why Technoblade didn't want to drag them into it by staying for to long. Deciding to change the subject in caution of avoiding Y/N asking why he ran away, he spoke once more, "Why do you live out here all by yourself?"
"I've never been a fan of villages, towns, or government in general. It was more-so a choice. Sure, it gets lonely from time-to-time, but some times I run into people like you, wandering about. It's one of those things that despite being so routine-based, it's almost unpredictable." Technoblade could hear the smile through Y/N's voice, even though he wasn't facing them.
"I see. I'm not that much of a fan of governments myself." Technoblade spoke, trying to continue the conversation.
"Really? For someone who dresses like a monarch, that's a tad surprising." Y/N chuckled, which earned a small chuckle from Techno in return.
"The first piece of the get-up was the golden crown, a gift from an old friend of mine. I decided that I needed to match it, that's all." Technoblade explained. Y/N recalled the dusty crown that she polished while he was knocked out.
"Ah, the one with jewels of many colors?" Y/N asked, looking for conformation.
"Mhm." Techno hummed.
"I polished it for you. It seemed a bit dirty and time was catching up to it. I did the best I could, but I really could only get a majority of the dirt off." Y/N said. At this point, they were about half-way through his hair. She carefully looped the strands of pink over each other, repeating the pattern.
"Oh, thanks. You didn't have to." Technoblade mumbled.
"It was no problem. I just wanted to. Besides, I had nothing better to do when there was an unconscious man laying on my couch." Y/N joked, earning a small laugh from Techno.
"Well in that context, I suppose I'll allow it." Techno mused Y/N's bit. They both collectively chuckled before Techno felt his hair fall onto his back.
"I finished." Y/N said, adjusting her sitting position. Techno felt along the braid, pulling it over his shoulder. "Now you're really like Elsa." Y/N laughed.
"I told you, stop calling me Elsa." Techno grumbled, but a small smile ended up tugging at the corner of his lips.
"You're gonna sit there and tell me I'm wrong?" Y/N laughed harder. She was really amusing herself at this point.
Technoblade smirked. "You're absolutely right, I'm so sorry." He said before shifting to a different spot on the bed. "You're wrong." He monotoned. This only caused Y/N to laugh harder. Techno didn't notice it at the time, but he was smiling too. "Your sense of humor is so broken." He shook his head and crossed his arm, like a disappointed mother.
"But it's FUNNY!" As this was Y/N's only come back, Techno couldn't help but chuckle a bit.
"I suppose." The man's arms unfolded, placing behind him as he leaned back on them.
---
Going down the ladder, Techno saw a patient malamute waiting by the door. "Do you need to go out, Buddy?" Y/N questioned in a baby-like voice. The dog only barked in response. The man watched as she opened the door for the big dog, closing it behind him.
"Aren't you worried he'll wonder off?" Techno questioned.
"Not really. He's been such a loyal guy ever since he was a puppy. We've been each others only company for a while now, so." Y/N trailed off. "That is, unless, you stick around." She smiled, lightly implying that he's welcome to stay if he wants. Technoblade took this into consideration. "Well," Y/N started, clapping her hands together after a moment of silence. "I'm going to finish your laundry, I'll be back later." She finished, making her way to a separate room.
Technoblade was left alone with only himself and the Voices. He can't believe the woman would just blindly trust a random stranger like that. He could ransack the entire house and leave. In fact, he would bet that it has happened to them before.
T̷h̸a̸t̴'̵s̶ ̶n̷o̶t̷ ̸a̵ ̶b̵a̷d̶ ̵i̷d̴e̵a̶.̵.̵.̷l̶e̸t̴'̶s̵ ̵r̶a̵n̸s̶a̸c̷k̴,̷ ̴k̵i̴l̸l̵,̷ ̶d̵i̸p̸.̸.̵.̸n̶o̵o̸o̴ ̴t̴h̸e̶y̴'̵v̸e̶ ̴b̶e̴e̸n̶ ̶s̷o̸ ̷n̷i̸c̵e̵ ̸t̷o̴ ̶u̸s̶s̵s̷.̷.̶.̶
Guys, I think we should focus on a more important matter. Are we staying the night, or no?
W̶e̵ ̴c̶a̷n̸'̵t̴ ̴t̶r̶u̶s̴t̶ ̴t̷h̷e̶m̸ ̸y̶e̷t̸.̵.̷.̵w̷h̵y̸ ̷n̷o̴t̶?̵ ̷t̸h̵e̴y̴ ̸h̶a̸v̵e̵n̷'̴t̸ ̶m̷a̶d̶e̵ ̶a̵n̷y̸ ̷s̴u̷s̴p̸i̸c̸i̷o̸u̴s̴ ̵m̶o̴v̴e̴s̸.̴.̶.̴s̴t̵i̴l̷l̴,̵ ̷i̵t̵ ̴c̸o̴u̴l̸d̶ ̸b̶e̸ ̷d̵a̸n̸g̵e̶r̶o̴u̴s̵.̸.̵.̸c̸a̶u̴t̸i̶o̴n̴.̴.̷.̶b̸e̷ ̷c̸a̵r̷e̸f̸u̴l̶.̷.̷.̶.̴
Technoblade sighed. He doesn't know why he even consulted to his voices. After all, they never agree on anything anyways.
M̷a̷j̸o̴r̴i̴t̴y̵ ̶v̵o̶t̷e̵?̵.̷.̷.̷.̸n̴o̵,̴ ̷t̵h̷a̸t̵'̴s̴ ̶d̸e̸m̷o̵c̵r̴a̵c̸y̵.̴.̷.̸e̴w̶,̴ ̵g̷o̵v̷e̸r̵n̴m̵e̴n̶t̶.̷.̵.̶b̵r̸o̷ ̵s̷h̵u̷t̷ ̷u̵p̴.̷.̵.̷o̶k̷a̴y̸,̵ ̸s̶o̴r̵r̸y̴.̶.̵.̶
Be serious. We don't have anywhere to go, we've been travelling for 3 days, who knows when the next village will come by, or if we're even heading in the direction of a village.
F̶a̵a̷a̸c̸t̶s̴.̷.̵.̷.̸I̶ ̷w̸a̸n̵n̶a̵ ̵s̵t̷a̵y̷.̸.̷.̵b̸u̶t̸ ̸g̸u̶y̴s̸,̶ ̸t̶h̵e̵y̶'̵r̷e̴ ̸a̷ ̵s̴t̶r̷a̴n̸g̴e̸r̷.̴.̴.̶w̴e̷ ̴c̵a̶n̷'̷t̴.̶.̸.̷b̴u̷t̴ ̴i̶t̴'̷d̸ ̷b̴e̸ ̴s̸t̶u̷p̶i̷d̵ ̴t̷o̸ ̶l̴e̴a̵v̷e̵.̵.̴.̸w̶h̵a̸t̴ ̴i̸f̵ ̷w̷e̶ ̴s̶t̷a̴y̷ ̸f̷o̸r̵e̶v̴e̸r̸?̴.̶.̴.̶.̵n̷o̵,̴ ̵j̶u̵s̴t̶ ̸u̶n̴t̷i̶l̸ ̷w̶e̶'̴r̶e̷ ̷r̶e̴a̶d̷y̵ ̴t̵o̸ ̸g̷o̸ ̵o̵n̸.̴.̸.̵s̶o̷,̸ ̴s̷t̷a̴y̷?̷.̶.̸.̸.̴I̵ ̷s̶u̷p̸p̵o̴s̷e̴.̸.̶.̷
So, we're staying?
Y̷e̷s̶.̵.̸.̴w̶h̸y̴ ̶d̵o̴ ̵I̵ ̶n̵e̴v̶e̸r̸ ̴g̶e̷t̶ ̴a̶ ̷s̸a̶y̶ ̸i̴n̸ ̵t̴h̵i̴s̷ ̷s̵t̵u̵f̴f̷?̸.̵.̵.̵s̴h̸u̸t̶ ̵u̵p̸,̴ ̵n̶e̶r̴d̶.̴.̵.̷o̵k̴a̵y̵,̵ ̷s̴o̶r̴r̴y̵.̴.̷.̸l̶m̵a̷o̴o̸o̴o̴ ̴n̷o̵o̷o̶o̷o̶b̴
I suppose that settles it then.
Technoblade decided he would stay, only until he was ready to continue on. He was in weak condition, and this Tundra doesn't seem to end any time soon.
Guess we're staying...
---
Word Count: 2313.
Thank you for reading this chapter! Technoblade staying confirmedddd??? yooooooooooooo.
Anyways, see ya my loves! <3