Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was the opportunity of a lifetime. Hermitcraft was opening its doors to a few hundred players who were lucky enough to first win the lottery and then pass the strict security measures. It had been the talk across servers for months. When the first announcement was released, everyone thought Hermitcraft had been hacked. Xisuma spent days answering concerned messages from other admins that offered help with the security breach. His comm had been beeping non-stop to the point where Keralis forcefully took it from him and banned it from the bedroom. To be fair, the announcement was quite ominous.

“For the first time, Hermitcraft will open its doors to YOU. For a whole week, we will welcome a few hundred selected players to visit our world, talk to the Hermits, and play some minigames. The application process will open shortly, but be warned: We take our security very seriously, double applications, fake accounts or bribery will be punished by disqualification. For more information and more ground rules for visiting our world, please wait for the official application platform to go live. We are looking forward to sharing our lives with the world. See you soon!”

Chapter Text

When X had pressed the button to upload the announcement to the minecraft network, he had to close his eyes for a second. Was this really a good idea? Did he put his Hermits in danger by inviting other players?

They all had been asking and answering these questions for the past few months. Every possible problem and issue had been considered, analysed and questioned. The firewalls had been reinforced. He had locked the coding of each player on the server so no glitches or malfunctioning was even possible. Backups of the world had been made. Each new player would need to wait for the 5 minute cool-down to end before they would be able to interact with the world. The program to regulate the stream of players had been installed, additional memory capacities had been added. X couldn’t remember the last time he was not elbow deep in the coding of his server. The glowing of the code followed him in his dreams and there were enough nights when Keralis held him after a particularly bad nightmare.

But still, everybody was excited.

The entry building for the players including waiting rooms, rule boards, rooms for refreshments and of course, the portal, had been finished by the builders weeks ago. Mob-proofing the cities had been a task or two, but would finish within the next few days.

Especially Scar had been very busy. Scarland had too many hidden dark spots so eventually Doc and Grian pitched in with additional torches and glow lichen.

After a lot of consideration, Decked Out would be closed for the week. It was too dangerous for new players and it would be unfair to Tango to spend the whole week fixing and refilling the game.

The boat race had been finished, Etho and Ren only making finishing touches here and there.

Doc had added more decoration to his perimeter as well as a path from the shopping centre to help getting around without an elytra.

Every Hermit had polished their base to absolute perfection, no leaf block or walkway was out of place.

The selection process itself was lengthy and sometimes annoying, but X would rather kill his code than expose his Hermits to any danger. After a potential visitor gave his name and homeworld as well as some additional information, the database automatically deleted double or spam accounts. Despite the warning, a lot of people wanted to visit Hermitcraft badly enough to not shy away from illegal activities. After those were sorted out, the real selection began. Underage players would not be allowed. Players with an account younger than a month before the announcement was made would not be allowed. Players that had a negative track record or had been banned from public servers for misbehaviour would not be allowed. The list went on and on. All Hermits pitched in and together they spent weeks narrowing down the thousands of applications. While they worked, the whispers and speculations grew louder. Would they finally pick a new player to join them permanently? Was this a big goodbye to their current server and they’d move again? And most importantly of all, who would make it through the selection process??

~~~~~

On the evening before the big opening, they had ended up with exactly 253 players who would be allowed to enter Hermitcraft, always in batches of ten. When the number was announced, the hall went quiet. All Hermits had been gathered.

“That’s quite the number.”, Scar said, leaning heavily on his cane. The last few weeks had strained his body more than the others and he decided to use his walking aid again.

Grian was sitting at his feet, one arm loosely slung around Scar’s legs.

“We’ll be fiiiiine.”, he said. “We went through every single problem that could happen. We are prepared.”

“The server certainly has never looked so posh!”, Mumbo said, straightening his suit. A small laugh went through the room.

“Might be a warning for some of us, to not wait for their chest monsters to become absolutely ginormous!”, Doc rumbled with a cheeky look towards Grian. He just shrugged. “Not my fault my brain doesn’t work in the same mysterious ways as yours, creeperman.”, he said and stuck his tongue out towards Doc. Doc’s eyes darkened. “Careful.”, he growled, his voice an octave deeper.

“Promises, promises…”, Grian smirked before screeching and flying towards the ceiling when Doc tried to snatch him, Doc’s claws grabbing thin air. “Too slow!”, Grian cackled.

Ren shook his head and dragged Doc back to their seats where he started to slowly comb through his green fur to calm him down. Grian always knew how to press Doc’s buttons. Ren was looking forward to tonight, when Doc would probably use him for his pent-up frustration.

“Grian, come down here, we need to go through the welcome process once more.”, X said, ignoring everyone’s sighs.

“I swear, I can cite this word for word by now!”, Bdubs mumbled into Etho’s ear while he nestled in his lap. Etho just shook his head and looked at X.

“Well, Bdubs, you want to tell us then?”, X said, folding his arms. He had taken off his helmet for this occasion, his void-deep eyes sparkling as Bdubs started sputtering.

“Yeah - well - I -”, Bdubs said. He coughed and sat up straighter. Etho’s hands on his thighs tightened. “The first visitors will arrive at 10 am, always in batches of 10 people, with 5 minutes in between. Each new player has a 5 minute cool-down before they can interact with the world. When they arrive, they will automatically receive a message to go to the rules room. When they leave the room, they will receive a stack of golden carrots from the dispenser and some basic iron tools. No armour, no elytra. Player PVP will be off for the time-being except in the minigame-areas where it is required. The difficulty has been set to easy to increase player safety. Keep-inventory has been activated. When the players leave the arrival area, they can explore the world on their own. At fixed times there will be get-togethers with the Hermits and we all will be there to answer as many questions and interact as much as possible. The server is open to the public from 10 am to 6 pm. All selected players can log in unlimited times during the week and during these times. After a week, the visitors will be deleted from the whitelist and all settings will go back to before.”

Bdubs looked around the room.

“Did I forget anything?”

X shook his head and laughed. “You got everything perfect. I should have known better. Thank you all for helping me prepare the server for our visitors.” He looked around the room, his dark eyes sparkling, little streaks of void creeping from his suit. “I’m sure this will be an unforgettable week for us all. While preparations have been stressful, let’s not forget that the goal is to interact with the outside more, to have fun, to have interesting conversations with fascinating people and to broaden our own horizons. We have been too comfortable in our own world for too long and we need some fresh air.”

The Hermits nodded. They had been through this speech several times by now.

Keralis clapped his hands. “Alrighty, I think that’s enough for today. We’re all tired and need to rise and shine quite early tomorrow. So let’s all go home, cuddle our loves and see you all here tomorrow!”

The hall was slowly emptying. X watched the Hermits go, nervousness making his breath shallow.

“It will all be fine!”, Impulse said to him, clasping his shoulder before reaching for Tango and Zedaph and leaving as well. X smiled weakly.

~~~~~

“You’re worrying again.”, Keralis stated, as they walked back to Keralis’ base. X shrugged. “Yeah well … we’ve never done that before and I’m scared I forgot something. Nearly 300 people will flood our world tomorrow and not all of them will be nice. Our selection process was very thorough but you can never get all of them and -”

“And we all have some admin rights for this week and can kick troublemakers. And we can end this event any time we do not feel safe. We don’t own them anything, Shashwammy. And don’t forget: We are the Hermits. We are not like the others. They are just them. But we are US. We have vex-magic, the void, hybrids, demons, and zombies. Nothing can break us.”

They reached Keralis’ base and slowly walked towards the living quarters.

“Your’re right.”, X sighed. “Still – you know my brain, K. Can you help me please? Can you help me sleep?” He hadn’t put on his helmet again and now the endless void was looking at Keralis.

Before meeting X, Keralis would have never called the void beautiful. But X’s eyes always seemed to look directly into his soul - and liked what they saw. But now X’s body was tired while his brain wouldn’t shut up. The tendrils of void leaving his body had grown stronger as his control was weakened. The admin had overworked himself, despite Keralis’ best efforts to support him. Thankfully, Keralis knew just the thing to relax X. He nodded.

“Of course, babe. We’re going with the traffic light system, yeah? You know your safeword?”

“Diorite.”, X replied, smiling a bit at that.

“Perfect.”, Keralis said. Then he straightened his spine and let full authority flood his voice.

“Now I want you to go to the bathroom, undress and clean yourself. Choose a soft bathrobe and then return to the kitchen.”

X nodded, some tension already leaving his shoulders. Keralis extended his hand.

“And no communicator for the rest of the evening.”

“But what if -” Keralis grabbed a handful of X’s curly hair and tugged him towards him.

“You will do as I say.”, Keralis said firmly. X handed over his comm, but Keralis could see the effort in his face.

“If anything happens, they can always just call me or come over.”, he added a bit softer. “Colour?”

“Green.”

“Then off you go.”

~~~~~~

When the water turned on in the bathroom, Keralis turned to the kitchen and grabbed the small bowl with chorus fruit he had prepared for tonight. The fruit smelled and tasted terrible raw and would teleport people around the place randomly when consumed. However, when mixed with milk, a sprinkle of regen potion and some pieces of meat, it added up to a mild soup. Normally, void infants were fed this soup in their early days, but it was always a great way to calm down his Shashwammy. Keralis started whistling while chopping up the chorus fruit. When he had just finished setting the table, X came in, hair an unruly wet mess but cuddled up in Keralis own bathrobe. The dark green set off X’s pale skin and made his eyes even more prominent. Without the armour the tendrils of void were following him around everywhere, curiously tasting the air like thin, see-through snakes.

X smiled when he saw the soup.

“You remembered.”, he said softly.

“Of course.”, Keralis said, giving him a kiss on the head. “Now eat up, I know you’re starving.”

After the first spoon X closed his eyes and hummed.

“It’s perfect”. He looked at Keralis. “Thank you.”

Keralis just nodded and ate his own dinner, left-over stew from lunch. His stomach couldn’t tolerate the chorus fruit, not even with the milk. While X dug in, Keralis watched as the colour slowly crept back into his lover’s cheeks. X was a good admin, the best Keralis ever had, but sometimes he forgot himself over his players’ needs. And Keralis saw it as his job to remind X that he was a person with needs too and that he needed to take care of himself. It wouldn’t help anyone if X got sick. And Keralis would take especially good care of him tonight –

“What are you thinking about?”, Xisuma asked. Keralis had been staring at him absentmindedly. Xisuma had finished eating and was now leaning back in the chair, the bathrobe slightly opening. Keralis eyes dipped to the pale smooth skin over tight muscle that was revealed. He wanted to know how the skin tasted.

“Are you done?”, he asked, his voice rough. X smiled and put his arms behind the chair. One sleeve slipped off his shoulder. This little devil knew exactly what he was doing. He would –

“I am.”, X interrupted his thoughts. “But you hardly touched your food.”

Keralis looked at his plate. It was true. But-

“I’m hungry for something else.”, he said, pushing his chair back. X watched him, the dark tendrils growing stronger, reaching out towards Keralis.

“Let’s go upstairs.”

Chapter Text

X smirked. “Why not stay here?” With a swish of his hands, the plates and food disappeared, the table clean. He rarely used his magic and everytime he did, Keralis was astounded. And turned on.
“The table is pretty uncomfortable, don’t you think?”, Keralis said.
“I don’t want you to be nice to me tonight.”, X answered. He stood up, slowly walking towards Keralis. His pale strong fingers opened the knot of the bathrobe. When it finally slipped off his shoulders, X stood before him.
“You want it rough, huh.”, Keralis murmured, looking at X. The strong shoulders, normally hidden beneath thick armour. Great pecs, more than a hint of abs below. Keralis did not acknowledge X’s dick, not yet.
X’s void origin made his body pale, contrasting even more with the void tendrils completely encompassing him now. He only ever let Keralis see the full extent of his void.

Keralis picked up the bathrobe and threw it on the table.
“Lay down, on your back.”
X crawled on the table, the muscles under his skin moving.
Keralis grabbed his legs and positioned him so the edge of the table was between them. X’s breath stuttered. Then he pulled him closer. With the belt of the bathrobe in hand, he walked around the table to X’s head, tied his hands together and looped the belt around one of the table legs.
Now X was laid out like a buffet in front of him. Keralis licked his lips.
“You are not allowed to touch me. Not with your hands, your body, your lips. Not at all. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“You will not come until I tell you to. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Lastly, you will not make a sound. Understood?”
“I - yes.”
“Colour?”
“Green.”
X’s arm muscles were straining against the belt, his stomach hollowing out due to the positioning. His void was flustered, weaving around him, dipping the ups and downs of his body into shadow. His breathing had quickened, a slight blush creeping into his face.

X wanted him to be rough. Keralis could do that.

Without further ado, he grabbed X’s dick, already hard and took him into his mouth. X’s body tensed, his legs flexing around Keralis’ head. Keralis stopped for a second, waiting whether X would touch him. A few seconds later, X’s shaking legs lowered back to the table. Keralis continued his onslaught, his mouth and hands only touching X’s dick. He swirled his tongue around the tip, then flattened it against the length, pressing against the pulsing vein. X’s body was taught like a bow, his breathing irregular and forced. Keralis lifted his head, just caressing the head with his lips. Salty pre-cum started to coat his tongue.
Keralis looked up at X's body. He had thrown his head back, the tendon’s of his neck impossibly tight. His chest was working, his ribcage extending and contracting quickly. But no sound left him, only the wheezing of his breath was audible. To have all the sexual contact concentrated on one area, with no way to reciprocate or to let out the emotions would slowly override his brain, would make him forget everything until he would beg for more. Keralis smiled. Grian might know Doc’s buttons, but no one, absolutely nobody knew Xisuma as well as he did.
He lowered his head again, spreading the pre-cum, until he could feel the tip hit his throat. Carefully, inch by inch, he lowered his head more and more. X’s breathing grew more laboured. His body began to shake violently and Keralis thought he heard something rip. Then his nose touched the short hair in Xisuma’s crotch. For a few seconds he just stayed there, breathing carefully. When X started to calm, Keralis swallowed and felt his throat contract around X’s dick, massaging it in the best way.
A quiet sound escaped X, not really a scream but close. His legs were shaking, his whole body vibrating. But he didn’t come. Keralis was proud of him. He stayed a few more seconds in this position, until his throat started to hurt, then he slowly rose up again. He pressed a kiss on the tip of his partner’s dick which was now an angry red. He looked at Xisuma. His skin had pebbled and reddened, his nipples tight and a soft pink. His abs were contracting and shaking, his arms loosely above his head. He had ripped the belt. Keralis’ eyes narrowed.
“You’ve ripped the bathrobe belt.”, he said. X looked at him, at his arms. His eyes were clouded, his face flushed. He opened his mouth.
Keralis cocked his head and waited. X closed his mouth again. Keralis nodded.
“I thought so. Well, you need to be punished, of course. I really like this bathrobe, you know. But without a belt, I cannot really wear it, right, Shashwammy? Anybody could see me naked that way.” X grew agitated again, his eyes darkening. Oh, he didn’t like that thought. The void tendrils wrapped themselves around Keralis’ arms. Their touch was cool, like a gust of spring air.
Keralis grabbed the little ring-vibrator he had pocketed before. Carefully, he put it on Xisuma’s dick, making it throb.
“I know you really want to come. But you’ve been doing really well so far. So this little punishment is nothing, right? I’m sure you can do it.” When he was happy with the placement, he looked at Xisuma. His eyes were tracking every single one of his movements.
“Colour?”
Xisuma coughed. “G-green.” His voice wavered.
Keralis nodded and walked towards where X’s head laid. While he walked, he used the little remote control to turn on the vibe. X always reacted so beautifully to all the little things he did. His body went taught, nearly jumping off the table. His mouth opened in a silent scream and Keralis used the opportunity to dive down and conquer his mouth. His tongue dove in, X meeting him halfway. It was a messy, breathless kiss, X hardly able to give him his attention.

His whole attention was on his dick because oh - oh gosh - it felt so good, he could see stars. Every synapse in his body was tingling, his balls were so full. He was so hot, he needed - he wanted - he forgot how to breathe, Keralis’ smell was surrounding him and his dick felt so good, he was so close, so – the vibe stopped. X panted, his eyes darted towards Keralis.
“No cumming, did you forget?”
X let his head fall back. He’d die. Pleasure was pulsing through his body. His skin felt too tight. His breathing was choppy. Goosebumps were covering his body. He had lost control of his void completely. The kitchen was plunged in the deep darkness of the void, his tendrils basically chaining Keralis to him.
The vibe started again. X buckled. His brain flatlined. He couldn’t see anything, only white filled his vision. But he wouldn’t cum. Keralis had said that he shouldn’t and while he didn’t remember why, he was sure there was a good reason. He would be good and not cum. Even if it was so hard. He was so hard. He wanted to touch Keralis. He wanted Keralis to touch him. A whimper broke free.
Soft fingers stroked his damp forehead.
“Just a bit more, my Shashwammy.”
A warm mouth kissed his right nipple. Xisuma wasn’t sure if he was really screaming or if it was inside his head. Fingers started to comb through his hair, little tugs that sent shivers down his body. Keralis’ other hand was moving down his body, drawing little circles that drove him crazy. Just a bit lower - just a bit. Xisuma gritted his teeth so hard he thought he heard something splinter. His whole body was on fire. The vibrator was relentless, driving him higher and higher. Then Keralis’ hands left him again. He nearly started crying. He opened his eyes and saw Keralis walking towards his legs again. YES - no - the vibe didn’t stop. Keralis pulled out a little vial. X closed his eyes. When warm wet fingers touched his hole he had to concentrate every single thought he had on not cumming. He would not disappoint his lover. His Keralis. A finger slowly entered him, the stretch a perfect balance to the onslaught around his dick. Then something warm and wet touched his dick again. Encased it in impossible warmth and tightness. This time Xisuma screamed for real, his voice breaking halfway. Keralis slowly bobbed up and down on his dick while working him open and the vibrator was still running. X couldn’t think. Only feel. All his muscles were taught, his hands and fingers cramping around the edge of the table. His legs were shaking with the effort to not catch Keralis between them.
A second finger followed, then a third. X was out of words to say or think. His mouth was open in a wordless scream, drool running down one side. His body was sweating, little pearls running down his face. Keralis was relentless. He pumped his fingers inside Xisuma, always barely missing his prostate. Xisuma was going insane. The void was rushing out of his body in pulses, covering the kitchen, probably the whole base. Keralis was a dark smudge, his own pale body glowing in the darkness.
“Please..” Xisuma couldn’t stop the whimper. His voice was rough. Keralis looked up.
“Oh my Shashwammy, you’re doing so well. Don’t worry, not too long anymore. Be good for me, will you? Good for your Keralis?” X nodded. Of course. Always.
Keralis’ finger grazed his prostate. X went mad. He lost all control. He didn’t even notice when he pushed himself into a sitting position, when he pulled Keralis closer, when the void wrapped around them and trapped them in a box without sound or light.
“Keralis.”, he said. That was not his voice. It was more.
Keralis snickered. “Was wondering how long it would take. I love your void-self.”
X’s void shredded Keralis’ clothes until he stood naked before the table.
“Please.” X’s voice that was not his voice said. “Please. Pleasepleaseplease-” Keralis stopped him with a kiss. His fingers left him, leaving him feeling empty. The vibrator was turned off, the pressure of the ring left him.
“Just a few more seconds, my Shashwammy.”, Keralis said. Slowly Keralis lowered him back to the table. Xisuma was staring blindly into the darkness. His lower body was pulsing and pulsing and pulsing, so close to release.
“Colour?”
“Green, so fucking green - please just fuck me. Please. Keralis. Please. I need you. Please fuck me. Ple-”
With one smooth motion, Keralis entered him. He quickly withdrew, just to slam home in an instant. Xisuma felt full, so full. Finally. The pressure was perfect and then Keralis hit his prostate head on. And again. And again.
“You can cum now.”
One more hit on his prostate. Screaming, Xisuma came. His hands were fumbling for support and found Keralis’.

He fucked him through his orgasm, in quick, deep strokes, hitting his prostate with every single one, until Xisuma was only spasming and babbling noncoherent words. With a final stroke, Keralis buried himself deep within Xisuma and came as well, letting out a deep long moan, before collapsing on Xisuma’s sticky stomach.
Xisuma was still staring blankly at the ceiling when Keralis started cleaning up his body. He still spasmed from time to time, goosebumps covering him where the warm towel touched him.
“Xisuma, babe, I will take you to the shower, alright?”
A shallow nod.
Carefully, Keralis hoisted the taller man into his arms and walked towards the bathroom. He sat X on the bathroom floor, wincing when he noticed how cold the tiles were, then turned on the hot water. Xisuma’s void started to seep back into him, turning his skin dark where it reentered his body, dark veins spreading on his skin until they slowly disappeared.
Keralis would never tell anyone about these moments of vulnerability Xisuma showed him. Nobody had ever seen the admin this way, and if it was Keralis’ decision, nobody ever would. Xisuma was his and this was his price.

After the shower, he wrapped him in a big soft towel and led him towards the bed. When they were laying under the blankets, Xisuma yawned and stretched out his arms for Keralis. He scooted closer, laying his head on X’s chest. He had long since gotten used to the lack of a heartbeat. Xisuma’s fingers started caressing his face.
“Thank you.”, he murmured.
“Always, Shashwammy. Are you feeling better?”
“Yes.”
“Anything you didn’t like?”
“I loved it. The vibrator was a surprise, but I think I really needed that. You always know what I need.” X kissed Keralis’ forehead.
Keralis sniggered.
“Well Shashwammy, that’s because I love you. I will always love you, always need you and always know you.”
X’s embrace grew tighter.
“Me too, you know. I will always love you. Always need you. Always know you.”
“Let’s sleep now, love. Exciting day tomorrow.”
“Yeah…”

In the kitchen, the last of the void was slowly dissolving, leaving an empty kitchen with an immaculately clean table.

Chapter Text

Doc watched grumpily as Scar and Grian left the entry hall and took off into the sky. Grian did some crazy somersaults while cackling maniacally and Scar nearly fell out of the sky when his elytra broke. Grian had to dive and catch him under his arms, his parrot wings working hard to support both their weights. Bopping and dipping, they finally took off into the night. No sense of self-preservation, in both of them.
It was a good decision that the players joining tomorrow would not get an elytra. At least not right away. The sky above Hermit City definitely wasn’t big enough for nearly 300 players flying around. And he was pretty sure not all of them were experienced flyers. One Scar was definitely enough for the server.

He shook his head, rummaging in his inventory for his own rockets and elytra. A hand touched his elbow.
“Fancy a walk?”, Ren asked with a smile. Doc huffed. He didn’t like flying too much anyway. Creepers and flying just didn’t match. Could you imagine that? Creeper diving in from above and killing you mid-air? Doc huffed again and put his stuff away.
“Sure.”

As they walked away from the building through the - now well-lit - alleys towards the perimeter, their hands interlaced. Ren snuggled into his side, soaking in Doc’s unnatural body heat.
“Organizing Grian’s chest monsters really annoyed you, huh?”, Ren asked.
“It was even worse than lighting up Scarland! Every time I thought we went through the last shulker, there was just another fucking chest monster somewhere else! Why does he do this? Who needs so much stuff??”, Doc growled, his fingers flexing as if remembering the endless rifling through blocks.
“Took forever to clean my claws afterwards.”
“I know, I helped you, remember?” Ren sniggered. Manicuring Doc was an experience in itself. The hybrid’s claws, pitchblack like the night, were hard as obsidian. But hours of grabbing stuff and putting it away had worn them down quite a bit. It had taken another few hours to get them back into shape. Ren purred a bit when he remembered how they tested their sharpness.
“You also have a lot of stuff.”, Ren remembered Doc. They had reached Doc’s base, the building bright in the moonlight.
“Yeah, but I have a fucking perfect sorting system! No shulkers in sight! And Grian kept fiddling around with blocks, telling us where he got them and why and what for and I ummphh–” Doc was rudely interrupted when Ren stopped short, pushed Doc into the outer wall of his base and pulled his head down for a rough kiss. Doc’s arms immediately wrapped around Ren, pulling him close and nudging a knee between his thighs. Ren started growling again, his own claws scratching over Doc’s scalp, making metallic sounds every time they hit his prosthetics.
“What -”, Doc started but then Ren’s tongue filled his mouth.
“Shut up, shut up, stop talking! It’s been way too long!”, Ren snarled, sharp teeth snapping at him. Ren’s hand grabbed Doc’s horns, pulling him closer.

Doc’s vision wavered for a second. He fucking loved it when Ren did that. With a quick motion, he picked Ren up, turned them around and pushed Ren against the wall. Roughly. Ren’s growling turned into whimpering for a second before growing wild again. Doc’s lab coat started to smolder and to turn into ashes as his creeper nature gained the upper hand over his instincts. Ren was right. With all the clean-ups and reparations and decorations, they hadn’t had many moments for themselves. In the evenings they’d often been too tired to do much more than cuddle and fall asleep. They were both pent up.

Doc’s hand pressed into Ren’s waist, feeling the soft fur where his shirt had ridden up. Ren’s tail was slashing wildly while his thighs were wrapped around Doc tightly. When Ren started moaning into Doc’s mouth he noticed that Ren was grinding himself against Doc’s hard dick through their clothes.

Doc’s mouth tucked into a grin. Always so greedy. Time for a little playtime.
“Traffic lights?”, he asked while he started ripping off Ren’s shirt. For a second he hesitated, but meh, he’d just buy him a new one. Or Ren would wear one of his. Hmmm. He liked that thought.
“Green, yellow, red.”, Ren huffed before pushing the glowing ashes of Doc’s clothes from his body. Doc’s fur had started to stand up, electricity beginning to spark all over his body, making his red eye glow menacingly. He looked absolutely deadly and terrifying. God, how Ren loved this man.
“Safeword?”, Doc asked.
“Diamond. Come on Doc, we’ve had this eeek-”, Ren let out an unmanly squeak when Doc simply threw him over his shoulder and jumped down into the perimeter. The couple hundred blocks of fall were over in an instant. Landing silently on his feet he walked over to the water-filled area, sparkling in the light of hundreds of sea lanterns that illuminated the perimeter now. At any other time he would have stopped to admire the view. But not today. Not when he could feel the electricity in his mouth, his lungs.

When he reached the water, the water started to sizzle around him, little bolts of electricity running through the waves.
Doc slowly let Ren down, rubbing his body against his own, revelling in the feeling of Ren’s fur on his own, how his electricity sprang to Ren and back. Ren had lost his sunglasses, his golden eyes shone bright as the sun, his vertical pupils widened.
“Come on, dude. Don’t hold back.”, Ren said, ripping away the last of Doc’s clothes. When Doc was naked, Ren slowly walked away backwards, still looking at him, while stripping out of his pants slowly. “Give me what you have, baby.”

Doc loosened a deep, deep breath. Nobody else could handle his creeper half like Ren. Nobody healed as fast as Ren while still being able to feel the exhilarating effects of electric shocks. Nobody would be able to stand in the water with him when he was like this and still move as gracefully as Ren. Still, it always took a bit of persuasion for Doc to lose his inhibitions. Damn protective instincts.

Ren laughed into his face.
“Don’t be so grumpy! Don’t you want a piece of this?” He turned around and wiggled his ass towards Doc, before running away screaming laughing as Doc tried to snatch him.
“Oh, puppy wanna play?”, Doc growled, tasting ozone on his tongue. He could practically feel how his biological eye lost all its white, turning black and soulless. He knew that black streaks would reach out from his eye, tinting his fur black. This was the moment where people usually started screaming and running.
Ren just beamed at him.
“There he is.”, Ren said, his voice heavy with anticipation.
Slowly, Doc walked towards where Ren was standing. Electric bolts shot into water with every step. His fingers were flexing, his claws eager for something to bury in. His muscles were spasming under the onslaught of his own other half.
Ren’s fur was waving in the electric field Doc was creating around them. No other Hermit would dare to come close to him in this state. They would simply dissolve out of existence. Even respawning would hurt.
They definitely had waited too long for this.

“Colour?”, Doc said, his voice raspy and deep. A little electric bolt shot out of his mouth. Ren followed it with his eyes before it hit the water surface, heating up the water until it bubbled. Then his golden eyes flicked up to him. The pupils were impossibly dilated.
“Green, my love. Always green.”
Doc wanted to grab him, bite him, bury himself deep inside him. But he needed to be patient. Slowly, he reached out his hand, palm up. The first contact was always the most difficult one, even for Ren.

Ren crept closer, tail swishing through the water. Where his fur got wet, it stuck to his body, revealing his slender but strong form. Even though his werewolf origin made him taller than most Hermits, Doc still had a good few inches on him.
When Ren put his palm into Doc’s hand, his body went taut like a bow. Electricity sizzled over his body, running through him and into the water. His eyes turned red, even though there was no full moon. His teeth elongated when his body went into assault mode. Ren grabbed Doc’s hand and tackled him into the water. The water stopped their fall, sizzling and bubbling around them.
Sharp claws scratched over Doc’s body, cut off this air as Ren wrapped his hands around his throat. Doc’s body buckled, his vision darkening, while Ren pushed his tongue into his mouth. Just before everything went dark, Ren loosened his grip, stroking his neck nearly apologetically. Little bitch. Doc hissed, electricity hitting Ren, scorching the tips of his fur. With a flick of his body, Ren was below him. He looked beautiful, red eyes, sharp teeth exposed to growl at him. His fingertips were bloody but Doc didn’t feel any pain. He probably had already healed.
“You want to hurt me, little puppy? Bite me?” Ren snarled.
“I think your mouth is way too insolent tonight. I think it needs to be filled.” Ren’s pupils contracted for a second before blowing even wider than before. The growling increased, Ren practically vibrating with it. Doc pulled Ren up until he was kneeling, his face right in front of his crotch. Doc’s dick was already hard and he pressed Ren’s face to it.
“Suck.”

Ren stared at him in defiance. Just when Doc thought he went too far, Ren opened his mouth and started licking his dick, still watching him. Doc buried his hands into Ren’s long hair, pulling at the strands.
“I said suck. Open your mouth.”
Slowly Ren opened his mouth, his sharp teeth glinting.
“Good boy.” One of Ren’s ears flicked.
Doc grabbed Ren’s chin and pulled it down a bit further before slamming his dick into Ren’s throat. Ren’s eyes crossed and nearly closed, his hands grabbing Doc’s hips, pulling him even closer, until Ren’s nose touched Doc’s fur.

The creeper hybrid set a quick pace using Ren’s hair to direct him. Loud sucking and slurping noises filled the perimeter, interrupted only by Doc’s hisses and Ren’s low growling.
Doc’s breathing sped up, more electricity leaving his body, crawling and jumping over Ren’s body, concentrating on his hard dick, bobbing between his legs.
Ren’s mouth was heaven. Doc lifted his eyes towards the dark night sky. His dick was encased in tight warmth, Ren’s throat contracting and shifting around him. Ren’s long tongue was wrapped around his tip, pressing on the little hole. One of the sea lanterns got hit by a bolt of electricity and exploded into a million glittering pieces. Ren didn’t even notice. His eyes were trained on Doc’s face, streams of tears running down his cheeks.

Doc slowed down a bit and stroked Ren’s face.
“You like that, little puppy?” Ren growled, the sound wrapping around Doc’s dick and he nearly came.
Doc hissed.
“Still not behaving, huh?” Doc bumped Ren back, effectively pushing him off his dick.
“Turn around.” For a second, Ren resisted. His eyes were a deep dark red, nothing human left. At this moment, they were both more animal than human. Just like they had planned.
Slowly, Ren turned around, presenting Doc his ass.
When the first electric strike hit his butt cheeks Ren gasped. Then the next one hit, on the other cheek. Ren’s body shivered. By the third, his arms gave in, his body splashed into the water, his face barely above the waves. He looked back at Doc just as the next flash left his unmoving body. Ren’s body lurched, his dick bobbing. God. Doc just stood there, arms folded, his dark evil eyes sucked on Ren’s body. The next flash was slower, slowly creeping around Ren’s body, before touching the metal piercings in his nipples.
Ren moaned as the electricity slashed into his nipples, his body, curling in his stomach and his dick.

“Colour?”, Doc asked. His voice was barely human anymore.
“Green.” Ren growled huskily, barely able to formulate the words. “Give me all you have, green boy. I can handle it.” In fact, Ren was starving for it. Had been waiting through the whole goddamn meeting, the whole fucking week for it. He needed it. His body felt too tight, too small for him.
Doc hissed and the night briefly flashed to day when more lightning hit the water around Ren. Ren grinned. Finally.
Electric bolts rained down on his body, slashing through his fur, leaving burned streaks on his skin. They healed almost immediately, leaving him with the shiver of pained memory. Electricity wrapped around his dick like a cage, sparking a fire deep in his stomach. His balls were so full, so heavy, but he needed more. More touch. More pain.
“Doc.” Ren said through gritted teeth. His claws buried themselves into the hard stone floor, the softer skin ripping and bleeding. He didn’t even feel it.
A single sharp claw ran featherlight down his spine. Ren shivered.
“Doc.”, he said again.
“What?”, the monster above him said while electricity wrapped a hot sizzling hand around his throat, making it hard to breathe. While more heat fell down onto his body with unrelenting strikes. Splitting open his skin, burning him superficially, oh so lightly. He needed more, deeper.
“Doc.”, Ren finally whimpered, reaching back and pulling Doc closer by his legs. He moaned when Doc’s dick touched his ass, sensitive after the repeated healing. Even Doc’s dick was covered in lighting. But it was not as strong. For him, Ren knew. He didn’t even know how Doc was able to control it that way. Fuck it, he didn’t care.
“Fuck me.”, Ren pressed through his tight throat. Electricity crawled up his face, into his mouth, leaving the sweetest trail of pain in its wake.
Doc hissed and then there were wet fingers in his hole. Thick, strong fingers, with long claws that oh so carefully pried him open. Ren didn’t want to be prepared. He wanted the pain. He wanted to feel alive. He wanted to feel it all. He wriggled, trying to tell Doc since his throat was filled with flashes and he could barely see because his eyes were tearing up so much. His body was spasming, his muscles close to giving out. It was fantastic.
Finally, Doc’s fingers left him and something much bigger entered him, stretching him. Lightning touched his sensitive inside, making Ren quiver. Yes, yes, yesyesyesyes. He wasn’t aware he was babbling nonsense until Doc’s fingers filled his mouth, touching his tongue and leaving the taste of ozone. Ren sucked on his finger, relinquishing the feeling of being filled on both ends. Sizzles of electricity made their way through Ren’s body and caressed his prostate. Would he be any more human, he’d be screaming in pain. Thankfully he was not. This? This was exactly what he wanted. Needed. He started pushing back on Doc’s dick, demanding more, harder, something.

Most of the water around them had evaporated. More lanterns exploded in rains of glitter while Doc fucked Ren. Drool was running down Ren’s chin, pre-cum dripping from his dick. The electricity vaporised it within seconds before it touched the floor. Doc kept hitting his prostate, grabbing his ass cheeks hard with one hand while lightning crawled all around them, crashing into the water and the walls of the perimeter.
Doc’s hissing grew louder, his claws dug into Ren’s skin, drawing blood. Ren’s eyes closed, his whole body concentrating on this feeling. Doc inside him. Doc’s electricity around him. Doc’s fingers in his mouth, ozone coating his tongue, flashes in his throat, on his prostate. He was close, so close to coming untouched.

Then Doc flipped him around, the air leaving his lunges as Doc stood before him in his glory. Doc’s fur had turned completely black and had partly ignited without burning. Glowing pieces of ashes were in the air, being torn up by the bolts of electricity that encased him. Way too many white teeth, black eye, red eye. A god worth worshipping.
Ren spread his legs and reached out with both arms. Doc grabbed his legs, spreading them further, claws digging through fur and skin. As he pressed his dick inside again, Doc threw his head back, his abs working hard. In this position Doc felt bigger, deeper. Ren grabbed his dick and started jerking off furiously until Doc hissed.
“No touching.”
“Oh god.” God. God. God. My god.
“Correct.”

Doc sped up, the obscene noises increasing. More lighting hit Ren’s nipple piercings, burning and teasing his flesh. Flashes crept along the inside of his thighs, biting the sensitive skin here. His dick hurt so much. He wanted to come. Please. He needed to come. He needed Doc to touch him. He needed Doc to pound him harder, to give him all he got, to fuck him into tomorrow.
A hand closed around his throat, cutting off all oxygen. Ren’s eyes crossed. Yes. YESYESYES. Doc hit his prostate again. And again. And with every following thrust. Ren didn’t even notice he was cumming, screaming, clawing at Doc’s arm, tearing his skin and smearing blood everywhere. Doc was growling, hissing, not stopping to move, to hit Ren with lightning and flashes until Ren came again, his body bucking, spasming. Incoherent babbling left his mouth again, one of Doc’s fingers had found his way into his mouth again.

Doc felt his orgasm approaching deep in his spine. His whole body was tingling at this point. Ren was laid out so beautifully in front of him, blood splattered on his racy strong body, his pupils completely black, only a sliver of red left. His eyes unable to focus.
At the next thrust, Ren’s body contracted, tightening like a fist around his body. Doc moaned, his orgasm splitting through him like fire. Ren screamed again as the electrified cum filled him, tingling through him, hitting all the right places, running over his body, to the metal in his nipples, to his prostate, already overly sensitive. Ren came a third time, not even able to close his eyes or his mouth or to lift a single finger.
More lanterns burst.

Then only breathing filled the perimeter. The electricity calmed down and crept back towards Doc. Slowly he rose, his fur smoothing down by itself. The black veins retracted, his head cleared. Not much, but enough to be able to push back his animalistic instincts once again. He felt refreshed and full of energy. His head was clearer than it had been in days.
He looked towards the mess at his feet. Ren was still spasming. All damage already healed, only the blood on his fur told the story of what they’d done together.
“Puppy?”, Doc said softly. When Ren didn’t answer, he lifted him into his arms easily and cradled him towards his chest while walking to the elevator. He could probably hold Ren and jump up, but Ren’s body had been through a lot. No need for further strain.

Ren nuzzled into Doc’s fur, perfectly content. His body was still twitching here and there and his nipples and dick definitely were tender. He wasn’t sure whether his voice would work. So he went back to their own way of communication.
Three taps on Doc’s biceps. I’m good.
“How does your body feel?”
Three taps.
“Is your throat sore?”
Two taps. Yes.
“I’m sorry. I will get you some health and regen potions right away. Let’s just - “
One tap. No.
“But doesn’t it hurt?”
One tap.
“Babe, Ren, come on. I don’t want you to hurt.”
A hard tap. Definitely no.
Doc sighed.
“Then tomorrow morning alright? I don’t want the others to guess what we did tonight.”
Two taps.
Doc kissed Ren’s head while he walked them to the shower.
Afterwards, he wrapped the already sleeping werewolf in his arms and spread a thick blanket on top of them. The potions were already prepared and waited at the night stand. The rest of the debriefing could take place tomorrow.
“I love you.”, Doc murmured in Ren’s still damp hair.
Two taps.
Two taps.
Two taps.

Chapter Text

Grian was panting a bit when he finally set Scar down in front of his base. While his wings may be strong, Scar was a tall dude and lanky as he was, there were still muscles hidden underneath his work uniform. 

“I could have walked, you know.”, Scar said, stretching his shoulders. Grian eyed his cane. 

“Suuuure.”

“I could’ve!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Ooor I could have just gotten another elytra.”

“And flying would have taken a toll on you. Your body is already overexerted.This was nothing. Don’t worry about it.” 

Scar sighed. Grian stood up on his toes and pecked Scar on the cheek.

“Come on, let’s go inside. All that talking and listening made me thirsty.”

Hand in hand they walked towards Scar’s townhouse. Scarland was gorgeous at night now. Street lamps combined with hidden lighting in the buildings gave it a warm, comfy glow. No more surprise creepers or skeletons in the shady alleys between the houses.  

Scar let Grian enter his base first, then he walked towards his still broken storage system and stuffed the broken elytra in one of the boxes. 

“I baked a new batch of elven cookies, you want some?”

“No thanks.”, Grian said. “I don’t feel like randomly teleporting tonight.”

“As you wish, love.”

Grian watched Scar rummaging through his chest, putting some things from his inventory away and finally returning, an elven cookie in hand. His limping had gotten worse since they got back home. 

Grian frowned.

“Come on, I will give you a massage. You look really tense.”

“Oh huh - no it’s fine. Grian, really, I’m good. I –” Scar’s protest got interrupted when Grian simply shoved him in the direction of the bedroom. 

“Do you not want me to help you?”, Grian asked in a playful voice, acting offended.

“Oh, no, of course not! I’d never - you know, Grian, I always like it when you help me. Ah, but, you know, the last time–”

They’d reached the bedroom, Grian shutting the door behind them and turning on the redstone lamps that had been hidden in the walls. He eyed the cookie, then snatched it from Scar’s hand and put it on a sideboard.

“Hey, I wanted to eat that!”

“What do you mean with ‘last time’?”, Grian wanted to know while already tucking Scar’s shirt from his pants.

‘“Well, uh, not that it was bad, it, uh, just, you know. As you’re not an experienced massagerist - massageman? - massaging man, it was, uh, a bit – rough?”, Scar stumbled and sat back on the bed which Grian had slowly pushed him against. His shirt was on the floor already, his pale bare skin shining in the warm light of the bedroom. 

“Don’t you like it rough?”, Grian asked, trailing a finger along Scar’s collarbone. Scar blushed. 

“Well, yes, but –”

“Why won’t you let me help you?”, Grian whined, making puppy eyes and deliberately drooping his wings to the floor. He knew Scar could never escape his puppy eyes. 

Scar’s eyes turned round and panicked. He grabbed Grian’s hand and squeezed it. 

“No, no, of course you can help me? Just maybe, uh, be a bit more gentle to my skin? You know, the scarring and all –”

Grian started snickering, the evil creeping back into his eyes. Scar looked alarmed.

“Oh you tricked me! How dare you! You will not touch me tonight, I say no, you - you little devil you!--”

Grian huffed and pushed Scar back on the bed.

“Move up, you beanpole.”, he demanded.

“How dare you!”, Scar puffed up while already crawling backwards until his head was on the mountain of pillows he kept. Grian pulled off Scar’s pants and threw them aside, provoking a shriek from the tall man. Scar only wore his boxers now, blue with yellow frogs. Grian eyed them for a moment. Maybe they’d meet a sad fate in the washer. Totally not his fault, of course. 

Then Grian followed him, settling over his thighs and taking off his shirt. A new glint entered Scar’s eyes as he watched Grian undress. Grian wore nothing under his red sweater. When Grian popped the button of his pants, Scar’s eyes started to glow in an eerie blue.

“Shush! No vex magic tonight! You will relax, you hear me?”, Grian said and tapped Scar on the chest. The glow died and Scar looked seriously sad.

“But I want to make you feel good, too.”, he mumbled, his hands stroking over Grian’s legs, up to the waistband of his pants. He hooked his finger into the cloth and wiggled a bit. “Take that off?”

“I know, love.”, Grian said soothingly while he plucked Scar’s hands from his body. “But this time, I will take care of you and you will accept it. No touching. Alright?”

Scar’s mouth turned down, but he nodded and put his hands above his head. 

“Better?”

“Yes, very. Thank you.” Grian beamed at Scar who relaxed a bit more into the pillows and smiled back.

“I got you something.” Grian said and fished something from the drawer next to the bed. It was a small potion bottle with a light yellow fluid. 

“It’s a massaging oil. Stress made it for me.”

“Oooh!”, Scar said, looking impressed and only a tiny bit scared.  

“It’s good for the skin, makes the massage smoother and has some pain relieving properties.”, Grian listed while he poured some of the thick liquid into his palm. He rubbed his hands together to warm it up, then carefully placed his hands on Scar’s shoulder. He had to scoot a bit up Scar’s body to reach the tense muscles there, but then he dedicated himself completely to loosening the muscles, smearing the potion onto Scar and massaging it into the particularly achy spots. He worked carefully to not hurt Scar any more but applied pressure where he knew he could. “It also contains a regen potion so it will help your body recover.”

Scar watched Grian’s concentrated face, how he had pulled his lower lip between his teeth and fell in love a little more. While the last massaging session had been – interesting, it was clear that Grian had done his research. He used just the right amount of pressure and hit all the good spots. His hands were warm on his naturally chill skin and his body weight just above his crotch made him think of good things. 

Maybe later, when Grian was done, he could cheat a little with his magic. 

Make Grian a bit flustered. 

Turn their positions around and lick every part of his body. 

When Grian moved from his shoulders to his arms, Scar closed his eyes. The potion smelled really good. It left a nice prickling feeling in its wake, warming his muscles and easing the ache deep in his bones. 

Normally, he was able to take care of the special needs his body had, with his vex magic sometimes chilling his bones too much, eating away on his muscles too much. But the last few weeks had been anything but normal and he forgot to eat properly, forgot to take his potions or do his exercises. He was very thankful that Grian offered that massage. 

Even if he was slightly hesitant in the beginning. 

Grian wiggled around a bit in his lap and Scar’s arms naturally came down to keep him there. Maybe he did grind a tiny bit against him. 

When he heard Grian’s shaky sigh, Scar’s eyes sprung open. Grian was still massaging him, currently working his pecs. But his face was flushed, his wings puffed up a bit. Scar’s eyes slid lower, to the bulge in front of Grian’s pants. He gave his hips another tiny thrust, watching Grian’s eyes waver while he swallowed. 

“You okay there, birdie?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m just - it’s a bit warm in here, isn’t it?”

Scar was snickering inside his head.

“Maybe take off your pants?”, he suggested.

“No, it’s fine. Maybe I’ll just open a window and –” Scar’s hands wandered to Grian’s ass, gripping it while he rolled his waist. Grian’s head fell forward, another sigh that sounded very close to a moan leaving him. 

“Don’t –”

“Don’t what?”, Scar asked innocently. While he held Grian with one hand, he used the other to caress the bare skin of his waist, following the lines of his body towards his ribs and up, up, until –

“Stop that!”, Grian said. “I am not done! No touching, remember?”

Scar contemplated saying he forgot that. Maybe he wasn’t listening before. But then he shrugged and put his hands above his head again.

“Fine.”

What the hell was going on? 

Grian’s vision was wavering, his whole body tingled. Something was up. But he was pretty sure that it was not Scar’s vex magic. This felt different. Hotter. 

He was working through an especially tight knot just above Scar’s right pec. Scar’s skin felt luxuriously chilly under his hot fingers. 

When another wave of - pleasure, let’s face it - hit him, Grian rolled his hips involuntarily to relieve some of the pressure building in his body. Scar’s torso was glistening seductively from the massage potion. The heavenly smell was filling the room and - 

“The potion!”, Grian blurted out. Scar looked at him surprised.

“The potion?”

“Stress gave me this weird look when she gave me the potion! I am pretty sure she put something in it!”

“She put something in it?”, Scar parroted. “Like the regen potion?”

“No, no, I think it’s something else. Don’t you feel it?”

“Feel what?”

At that, Grian paused. Scar seemed entirely unaffected.

“Uh, the, ah, the potion makes my skin all tingly.”

Scar looked at Grian’s hands on his body. 

“Yeah, I feel that, too. But I thought that was just the regen effect.”

Grian mumbled something incomprehensible. Apparently it was just him. Now that he took a moment, he noticed how his whole body had been heating up, his dick practically aching for some release. He felt so hot. So horny. He felt fantastic. He was wondering …

“Hey, what are you doing? I don’t think you should drink that!”, Scar said, but it was too late. Grian took a generous gulp of the potion. 

It tasted sweet, like roses, with a hint of cinnamon and something else. Grian’s body tensed as the potion took effect, the nearly empty bottle falling onto the bed next to him. It was amazing. He felt amazing. 

His dick was so hard, his balls so full he felt like he could cum forever. His nipples grew sensitive, the cooler air touching him feeling incredibly arousing. 

Scar’s chilly body beneath his legs sent thrilling shivers up his body. His mouth started watering. 

“Grian?” Scar’s hand came up to cup his cheek, the touch spreading through Grian’s body as if he had deep-throated him. Grian moaned. Scar’s eyes turned round.

“Grian, what is going on?”

“A-aphrodisiac.”, Grian said, his voice rough with arousal. He swallowed. There was so much saliva in his mouth. He needed - he wanted - 

Scar opened his mouth to say something, but Grian dove down and kissed him. He plunged his tongue in Scar’s mouth, moaning at the cool wet insides. Scar’s arms came up around him, pressing him into his cool body, deepening the kiss. Grian couldn’t think anymore. His mouth felt so good. His dick was pinned between their bodies with minimal friction but he knew he was already leaking. Scar’s dick pressed long and hard against his stomach. 

When their tongue’s touched, Grian’s eyes rolled back into his head and he started rutting against Scar.

While a bit confused, Scar reciprocated Grian’s kiss enthusiastically. When Grian mentioned the aphrodisiac, the whole situation had made a lot more sense. He did not understand why Grian drank the potion though. He was a bit worried that it was not edible. But so far, Grian seemed fine. Or at least, very much alive. 

Scar felt Grian’s short nails scraping over his scalp, digging into his shoulders, his arms. It seemed like he couldn’t be close enough to him, rutting his hard dick against his body, pressing his chest against Scar’s chest, moaning loudly into Scar’s mouth. Scar’s own dick had been hard for a while now, begging for attention. Slowly, he started rolling his hips into Grian’s stomach. The friction made him growl and Grian’s breath stuttered. But at least Grian didn’t scold him anymore. Scar rolled his hips again. 

Suddenly, Grian’s weight on top of him was gone. The smaller man fumbled at his clothes and practically ripped his pants and underwear off. Scar started sweating when he saw Grian’s dick, hard and big and already an angry red. Did his balls seem a bit bigger? His face was blushed prettily, his eyes fuzzy.

Grian was on fire. He needed a dick. Right now. Better even two. When his stupid pants were finally off, he crawled back to Scar who hadn’t moved at all. Scar’s huge dick lay on his flat stomach, a little precum smeared on the tip. 

Grian had never seen anything tastier. 

His mouth started watering again to the point he was practically drooling. Dick. Scar’s dick. 

Grian practically pounced on Scar and started sucking on his dick like it was his favourite popsicle. Drool was running down his chin, dripping onto Scar who was spasming and moaning under him. Scar tasted delicious. His precum was salty but also spicy and it somehow chilled his hot tongue. Grian bobbed up and down until the tip hit his throat. He swallowed and then opened his throat wide, feeling Scar slide in and out the tight passage. 

Scar’s fingers caught Grian's hair, tugging and pressing him down, deeper, until his face was buried against Scar’s crotch, his dick completely buried in his throat. Grian saw stars, his own dick hadn’t stopped twitching since he started licking Scar’s. His hole, his body felt so empty. While struggling to breath around Scar’s length, Grian smeared the fingers of one hand through the small pool of potion that had spread next to him. 

Then he started working himself open. 

The first contact of the potion with his hole was nearly too much, his hips bucked against the air. 

Grian’s eyes were tearing up, his throat protesting against the prolonged intrusion. Slowly, he lifted his head and greedily lapped up all the delicious precum on the tip. Scar was letting out a litany of profanities, his body trembling underneath Grian. 

When Grian pressed his first finger in, a loud moan escaped him, vibrating against Scar’s cock in his mouth. It felt so good. His insides started burning up, his dick twitching non-stop while his balls started to tighten up. The finger slipped in easily, so Grian arched his back, effectively pressing Scar’s dick into his throat again, and pushing in a second finger. Then a third. It felt so good, Grian couldn’t think about anything else than the pressure of Scar’s dick in his mouth and the heat that was radiating from his fingers. If he could just touch this one point, put a bit more pressure -

A disappointed moan escaped him. His fingers weren’t enough. He couldn’t hit his prostate just right. But he knew what could.

With a wet sound, he pulled his mouth off Scar. When he looked up, he noticed that Scar’s vex claws had completely destroyed the bedding around them. 

Scar himself looked devastated, his eyes locked on the ceiling, his breathing laboured. 

For a second, Grian’s brain cleared.

“You okay?”, he croaked. Scar’s eyes shot towards him, the eerie vex glow making Grian shiver.

“Absolutely. But I don’t know how long–”, the rest of the sentence turned into a scream when Grian positioned Scar’s dick at his entrance and sat down in a smooth motion. Grian’s eyes rolled back again and he came in thick streaks across Scar’s stomach. Scar’s hands were digging in Grian’s thighs, carefully not breaking open his skin with his claws. 

“Grian!”, Scar sounded like he had to force that one word out. His teeth had elongated and multiplied, his normally green eyes completely white. Grian nearly came a second time from the sight. 

His body hadn’t calmed down. 

Like, not at all. 

He was still burning up. His mouth felt so empty, but his balls were so full. Frantically, he started bobbing up and down on Scar’s dick, setting up a fast and deep pace. Scar’s dick was thick and long, stretching him perfectly just to the edge of pain, but no further. He kept hitting his prostate straight on. 

It was not enough. 

More, he needed more. Grian grabbed one of Scar’s hands and started licking his fingers, sucking index and middle finger into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the sharp claws and cool skin. Had Scar’s skin always tasted this good? Grian was drooling again, sucking in the fingers as deep as he could while grinding down on Scar’s dick.

Scar was seeing stars. Or maybe just white. He couldn’t tell. His dick was encased in tight heat, Grian’s insides massaging and milking him. He had already come once, right when Grian sat down on him. Grian hadn’t noticed, showing no mercy on his sensitive dick. He was hard again, so hard. Grian’s tongue around his fingers, his heat on his dick, he couldn’t think. 

His vex side kept gaining the upper hand, he was unable to retract his claws. 

They would need new bedding. 

Probably a new mattress. 

Grian kept riding him mercilessly, moaning around his fingers, clawing one hand into Scar’s side. Scar tried to reciprocate the movements as best as he could, but his body kept spasming from the pleasure. Grian came again, more hot cum splattering on his cool stomach. The sensation was enough to push Scar over the edge again, hips bucking into Grian who kept moaning and pleading for more. 

Scar’s vision whitened out again. 

Grian didn’t know how often he had come already. He just knew that his body kept burning up, his balls were so full, and he needed more. More. Moremoremore.

He hadn’t noticed that he was talking aloud until Scar snarled and multiplied. Three pearl white see-through Scars scattered around them, all naked. All hard. Greedily Grian grabbed the one closest by the hips, pulling him towards him. Real-Scar’s fingers pulled out of his mouth and dug back into his thighs. One of the shadow-Scars bent down towards Grian, a mean smile on his lips. The kiss was an attack, teeth and claws snapping for Grian. Real-Scar started fucking into him from below in earnest, making Grian’s dick bob and drip pre-cum again. 

“You want more?”, all the Scars said in unison, their eerie voices filling the room. “Then more you shall receive.”

Grian felt like he was melting. Scar below him, ramming into his tight hole. Scar in front of him, kissing him brutally. Then shoving his dick down his throat. Two Scars to his sides, their dicks in his hands, their mouths on his body. Cool skin touching burning skin. Grian’s eyes didn’t see. His balls were incredibly full, incredibly tight. 

He came again. And again. 

Again.

He stopped counting. 

The light outside the window changed. And still, they kept going.

Grian slowly regained consciousness. He lay on top of Scar, something sticky between them. Scar’s arm lay heavily on his back, one hand buried in his hair. Grian’s throat was a bit sour, his mouth incredibly dry. 

“Scar?”, he croaked.

“Ngh?”

“Can you let me up?”

Slowly, Scar lifted his arms, releasing Grian.

He sat up, checking his body. Actually, aside from his throat, he felt really good, refreshed even. The potion’s effects must have helped.

The sun was just rising outside, dipping the room in golden light. They probably didn’t sleep much. 

Grian looked at Scar.

Oh. 

Scar was covered in bite marks and hickeys, even on his dick. They hadn’t healed yet, despite the regen potion. Well. 

“You okay?”, Grian asked. The bed was completely destroyed and the feathers of one pillow were strewn across the room. 

Scar just groaned, trying to pull Grian close again. 

Grian quickly checked his comm. They still had about 3 hours before they had to get to the Great Hall for the visitors. Enough time for some cuddles. He set an alarm, before pulling up the covers from the end of the bed and snuggling into Scar’s side who put his arms around him tightly.

He really had to get more of these potions.

Chapter Text

The next morning all Hermits gathered in the entrance building. Conversations were flowing lightly but the overall tension was noticeable. 

Keralis didn’t leave Xisuma’s side and Scar and Grian were unusually quiet. Ren and Doc on the other hand seemed strangely relaxed, Doc’s rumbling laughter filling the big hall. Etho and Bdubs slipped into the room only a few minutes before Xisuma clapped his hands and everyone quieted. 

Xisuma cleared his throat. It was a strange, deep sound. 

“This is the point where you tell me whether you still have any doubts or concerns that we need to talk about. A word from you guys and I will cancel the whole event, no questions asked. This is a big deal for us, for this world we shaped for ourselves. I do not want any of you to feel pressured to show sides of yourselves you’re not ready to show.”

Quiet filled the hall. As most of the Hermits were at least hybrids, everyone knew what Xisuma was talking about. While Doc or Ren couldn’t hide their hybrid status, not everyone of them had officially shared what exactly they were. A few Hermits looked towards Grian. It would take a lot to bring out his Watcher form, but this was an absolutely exceptional situation. 

Standing next to Scar who had chosen a wheelchair for today, Grian spread his wings protectively around him. He looked relaxed, not minding the eyes on him. 

Like this, with his comfortable red sweater and the colourful parrot wings spread, nobody would assume him to transform into this nightmare with way too many eyes and wings as dark as the night. 

Tango spoke up. His ice blue eyes swept across the Hermits warily. He had considered going back to his hot lava demon self but since it would only be for a week and the process was somewhat complicated, he decided to stay chilled. As soon as he returned to his dungeon he would need this cooler form anyway. 

“I can’t speak for you guys, but for me I feel like we need to get a bit uncomfortable. We have had this safe little corner for far too long, many of us haven’t left the server in years. And that is fine. But we are getting too complacent, too sure of ourselves. If anything should happen to this server and we need to leave, we are not prepared. When we need anything we can just buy it in our shopping district or ask a neighbour. If there’s something we cannot or do not want to retrieve ourselves, like going to the end, there’s always somebody willing to do it for us. So yes, while this may be strange or even challenging for us, I also see this as an opportunity to grow. But as Xisuma has already said, if anyone in this group feels uncomfortable, we should not do it. Yeah, people will be angry, but this is our world and nobody has the right to visit.”

Impulse nodded. He was leaning against one of the pillars behind Tango?, his broad form nearly swallowing the much more slender demon. 

“I agree.”, he said and put a hand on Tango’s shoulder. “I just want to add that while I think it was a good idea to block off our private areas so no other player can access them, we all still need to be aware of the fact that for the next seven days, there will be a lot of eyes on us. At least during the day. I am not saying we should hide who we are but we should keep it a bit more … PG, if you know what I mean.” 

Quiet laughter ran through the room.

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about!”, Bdubs exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. Etho stood behind him in the shadows, his eyes never leaving Bdubs smaller form. 

“Your lover may be sneaky, but you definitely aren’t, little one.”, Cleo sniped in and cackled when Bdubs’ moss cloak ruffled up. 

“Oh you -”, Bdubs started.

“We will keep it down during the day.”, Etho’s calm voice interrupted. “I’m sure we all will have our hands full with handling the stream of visitors. And they all leave at 6 pm right?” 

Etho finally looked up, his glance touching all the Hermits. 

“That’s a lot of play time until the next morning.” 

At his last words, movement ran through the group. They all knew what he meant. All of them had to lay off these… activities for the last few weeks in order to polish up the server. 

“We should have a more private event when the visitation week is over.”, Doc suggested, his teeth glinting in the light. His lab coat was white and pristine, looking brand new. 

“We will do that. We definitely deserve it if we survive this week.”, Xisuma said, only half joking. “Anyway, I think we are ready. Everyone knows their task?” 

Nodding all around. The Redstoners would be available for all technical questions, the builders would take care of the creative questions. The experimental Hermits like Zedaph and Joe would manage newer players and those with an abundance of curiosity. 

Everyone else was to keep an eye out for any disturbances or lost players. Hopefully, there would be a lot of grouping so it was easier to watch out for everyone. In the end, these groups would mix anyway, but it was nice to have a bit of structure. 

There were only 24 of them and over 200 visitors. It would get tough. 

Xisuma had to swallow as nervosity was creeping in again. He could sense Keralis shifting behind him as if he felt X’s stress. 

“Alright, then let’s go!” 

Blue light appeared around his hands as he unlocked the portal via admin commands and then checked the code one last time. Everything looked perfect. Keralis squeezed his shoulder and for a second, X relaxed into him. Then the first people started to materialise in the portal and X straightened his back. PG. No problem. Keralis’ hand slid off his shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silver waited for a second until their eyes had adjusted to the new light level before they stepped out of the portal. 

They had been with the fourth group to enter so the noise level was already high. 

They quickly stepped aside when someone pushed from the back. Some people really wanted to make the most of their time here, already running through the entry process, eager for the 5 minute cooldown to end. Silver looked at the timer in the left bottom corner of their visual field. 

4:38 minutes. 

Enough time to take in the entry building and the masses of people around them. Right across the portal was a big wall with signs, pointing the visitors into a labyrinth of corridors where they would get starter equipment. Slowly Silver started walking, careful not to be in anyone’s way. They were in no hurry, with the cooldown they could not leave the building any earlier, even if they rushed to the exit. 

They still couldn’t really believe they had been among the lucky players to get chosen for this event. It really was a once in a lifetime experience and when Silver had submitted their application they had done it more out of a spur of the moment than real hope. 

They had been an avid admirer of the Hermits for a long time. 

Every snippet of information that they found about them just added to the awe they felt. A big group of players that lived together peacefully, helped each other out, did not feel the urge to start wars or fight over resources, instead creating not-so-minigames, their own shopping districts and fantastic mansions? As far as Silver knew, most of the Hermits were some sort of genius, all insanely talented and always generous with their love and gifts. A big happy family not afraid to show their affection and care for each other.

Of course, their perfect world also attracted envy. There were speculations about how they were able to sustain themselves, about rich investors in the background, pulling the strings. 

And what did they do with all their diamonds anyway? The Hermits nearly never left their world, keeping their wealth inside, never sharing the products of their ingenuity and only seldomly importing goods from other servers. Their world flourished without outside influence and it was clear that external disruptions were not welcome. 

Doc and Ren being open with their hybrid status,messed up past and the acceptance on the server fueled those negative comments even more. Maybe they intended to turn Hermitcraft into a rarity zoo? Did they use them for experiments? Why would they care about the hybrids but not invite well-known and respected players with a crystal-clear background and perfect references? 

And why did the Hermits consist mainly of men? Did they have secret orgies or what? And how they easily accepted different sexualities and pronouns, weird …

Silver had heard more than enough nasty comments. They were all fuelled by greed and jealousy of the picture-perfect world of the Hermits. Silver was sure that probably not everything was as great as it seemed, who knew what was going on behind the scenes, but still. It was nice to see what could be possible if people just worked together and accepted each other. 

Sometimes, secretly, they wished they could be a part of that. 

Another shove brought them back to the present and Silver concentrated on their surroundings. 

The building was pretty, made of undyed terracotta and several types of wood complimenting their warm red-brown colour. Big windows and door frames gave the hallways an airy feeling, fantastic chandeliers hanging from the sloped ceiling. While the details spoke of Bdubs’ talent, the ceiling and walls had Scar’s signature. Silver laid a hand on the cool terracotta wall and admired the handiwork that had gone into this, feeling the faint memory of clay being carefully compressed and formed. 

Then they followed the signs. 

At the first station, they were equipped with a whole shulker full of golden carrots and a reminder of the rules that were set up for the week.

1. While player pvp is off, we still do not allow any kind of ill treatment of other visitors or Hermits. Doing so will result in a server ban.
2. Intentional griefing of the players’ bases, the shopping district or other man made structures will result in a server ban.
3. Intentional griefing using creepers or other explosive mobs will result in a server ban.
4. Theft or ill-intended pranks will result in a server ban.
5. The Hermits’ orders have to be obeyed. Refusing to do so will result in a server ban.
6. Please watch out for each other. In case you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, please look for the closest Hermit or help centre. If you are unsure where the help centres are, please use your comm and type /helpcentre.

Strict but reasonable rules. Still, Silver saw a few making faces at the rules. What did they expect? They were visiting their world, of course they would protect it. 

“Have you seen rule number 5?”, a pretty girl with red hair said to her companion, a pale blue haired guy. 

“What if they tell us to jump off a building or drown in lava or something like that?”

“It’s the Hermits .”, blue guy answered. The player tag above his head said “they/them” next to their name. It was the first world Silver visited that put this much emphasis on player’s individualism. 

“Do you really think they would do that?”

Silver moved on and missed the answer. The question was not completely out of place, on other servers Silver would ask themselves the same thing. But here? The Hermits were the most friendly, comradely and peaceful group of players out there. Even with their secrecy it was clear that there was no bad blood between them and that they did not foster any bad feelings towards outsiders. Silver was sure they probably wouldn’t even need a sword as long as they didn’t stray too far from the paths. 

At the next station, Silver got equipped with a basic iron tool set (including a sword) and a small variety of building blocks like cobble and a stack of torches. While they put that away and organised their inventory, they went through their plan for today. 

Judging from the big map that made up an entire wall close to the exit, the entry building was just at the edge of the shopping centre, so they would explore that first, even if they didn’t have any diamonds for purchases yet. 

After that, they’d either use the Nether hub for getting around to the player bases or they’d just walk. Probably walking, it was beautiful weather and Silver was really curious about the infrastructure the Hermits had created. 

Finally, Silver was equipped with a map, more food they’d ever be able to eat within the week and also some potions of healing. Their timer was just ticking down to zero as they walked towards the exit. 

More people were pressing against their sides, making them a bit uncomfortable. 

As soon as they were out in the fresh air, the crowd scattered in the big yard. It was a big round plaza, with geometric mosaics laid into the floor and pretty lanterns in a wide circle. 

Trees were scattered in neat groups on each side that provided shade against the summer sun and there was even a little fountain right in the middle. Behind that, Silver could see the huge signs telling where each Hermit could be found in the morning. Redstoners, builders, experimental. 

Outside of the building, the players spread out quickly, giving Silver more space to breathe. They tugged out the map they had gotten and started planning their route. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Here they cooome.”, Scar was singing silently while they watched the visitors pour out of the building. For the first wave, some of them had stayed inside, close to the portal, to check whether everything was working. After the first ten players had arrived, everyone had moved out towards the big booths they had prepared. 

Scar was sitting in his wheelchair, a pillow in his back, Grian leaning on the hand rest. Together they watched the masses arrive.

“Are you okay?”, Scar asked, touching Grian’s hand lightly. 

Grian smiled and suppressed the urge to kiss Scar’s head. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not the one that was so tired they didn’t even heal properly.”

Scar pouted. “I think me and my shadows came over 20 times last night, I think I’ll be forgiven.” 

Grian’s body heated at the memory but soon he had to concentrate on other things as the first players arrived. 

Everyone was eager to meet the Hermits and ask their questions. 

From the corner of his eye, Grian could see that Doc was busy with a group of nerdy looking players that apparently had a ton of Redstone related questions. He snorted. Oh my, was he happy he didn’t have a clue when it came to Redstone. 

Doc’s ears were already starting to ring. He had thought that handling the Redstone stuff would be easy. Like, he knew what he was doing. He was exceeding the alleged Redstone limits on the regular. Hell, he was breathing Redstone at this point. 

But somehow, he ended up with a bunch of idiots that thought they knew better and tried to educate him on the topic. 

Doc sighed and looked over their heads for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. He should be more patient, they were probably just excited. He couldn’t get irritated this early in the week, there were still so many people to come, so many questions to answer. X had warned them that they would probably get asked the same thing over and over again. The problem was that patience had never been one of Doc’s many skills. The only time he managed to be patient was when thinking about Redstone problems or solving them. 

Doc contemplated setting up an “FAQ” sign, just to get rid of the most annoying questions such as ‘Did it hurt when you lost your arm?’ (The answer was yes, it fucking did, what do you expect?), ‘Who taught you Redstone?’ (Noone did, he was an autodidact), ‘What’s the coolest thing you ever built?’ (Probably the Octagon? He still dreamt of the night when they lit up the building with lightning. Noone but him and Ren had been able to even get close to the building for days and Doc had reached his own version of super-charged. Ren was smiling for weeks). 

Something shiny caught his interest as he was eyeing the still steady flood of people leaving the entry building. There was a player that was taller than most others. Doc estimated they’d probably be about 6,0ft, maybe even taller? They had a slender body, with short silver hair that reflected the sun. For a second they locked eyes but before Doc could nod or wave, they had already looked away and walked towards the shopping centre. 

“Hey man, are you listening? I’m just saying that your use of repeaters could improve if you’d put more focus on the dispenser ticks…” 

Inside, Doc was starting to scream, but he tried to smile (without showing too many teeth) and turned his attention back to the player in front of him. There’d be other players, some would even have interesting insights, he told himself. And if not, it was only one fucking week. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silver slowly strolled through the shopping district, admiring the different building styles and making notes for themselves. 

Especially Bdubs’ shading and texturing technique was something that awed them quite a bit. They took notes in the book each player had gotten at the start, carefully writing down building block and texture mixtures. 

Silver was surprised how empty the shopping district was. They had expected that everyone would come here first since it was so close. But they were all probably still at the portal building, talking to the Hermits. 

Silver had considered doing that as well, but there had been so many people and the Hermits had already seemed pretty overwhelmed. Doc especially. They snickered quietly when they thought back to the enervated look Doc had on his face when he had handled all those people.

They were pretty sure that for a second, he had seen them and Silver had felt a flash of excitement. Trying to seem cool, they had looked away quickly though. Silver was rolling their eyes at themselves. 

As if Doc would care whether they were cool or not. Hell, they had never done more with Redstone other than connecting an observer with a dispenser or piston. Doc would be SO impressed with that for sure. 

Silver continued their tour through the shopping district, listened to Zedaph’s cacophony for as long as they could and got pretty lost in Impulse’s shopping tower, checking out the different floors and the products on sale. Since they were allowed to keep the things they got on Hermitcraft, they might stock up on some items, like elytra or sea lanterns which were hard to get. While they were well established on their own server, their Redstone and farm building skills only went so far. That meant that items that required more grind, more time or simply more skill were rare for Silver. 

Maybe they’d also get some pumpkin pie, just for fun. 

Grian’s Entity was definitely something else. Silver could feel how the build pulsed with energy. They wondered how Grian got it to stand so still for so long. When Silver touched the legs of the Entity, they could feel its impatience and eagerness to move on. Fascinating. Maybe it was allowed to move during the night? Where did Grian even find it? Was there  a natural source of them somewhere in the world? Silver got excited by that thought. Maybe they’d squeeze in some more exploring in their already tight schedule. Get a fast horse and just roam around in the untouched nature beyond the Hermits’ city.

When the sun was high in the sky, Silver took a break in Scarland, sitting on one of the benches and eating their Scarland sweets. So far, the Entity and Scarland had fascinated them most. The Entity because of its otherness and Scarland because … well. It’s Scarland.

There were more players in Scarland, walking up and down the main road, holding popcorn and Jellie balloons. 

Silver stretched out their legs. For the visit they had opted for a relaxed outfit of a white top and linen pants, a luxury that they imported to their private server. Most of the other players wore similar outfits but some had chosen clothes the Hermits were also wearing, like Scar’s work uniform. There had been some confusion already when players had thought it was Scar before noticing the mistake.

In the afternoon Silver planned to visit Doc’s perimeter. While they did not have any specific interest in the Redstone contraptions Doc had built (despite having huge respect for the feat they posed), they were very curious about the ruins of the lost civilization there, especially the murals. There was not a lot known about the old ruins there or where it came from, so Scar was thrilled to be able to see it with their own eyes. 

A group of guys walked past Silver, looking at their maps and gesticulating wildly, their voices loud. 

“No, I’m telling you, it’s that direction! I’ve seen it in his videos, trust me!”

“Dude, you have no sense of orientation, it’s that way. Just follow that–”

“You’re both wrong, we need to go this way!”

They stopped in the middle of the street, all trying to look into the same map and figuring out directions. They seemed pretty lost. 

Silver watched them for a few seconds, then they put their food away and stood up. 

“Can I help you?”, they offered. 

All three froze and looked over at Silver. After a quick once-over, making Silver somewhat regret their offer, the tallest one - still a bit shorter than Silver - showed them their map.

“We want to go to Doc’s perimeter to take a look at the wither reactor. Do you know which direction that is?”

“Yeah sure. You follow the main road until you come to the big Scar and Jellie statue and then you turn left. You’ll see Doc’s base in no time and then you can just walk along the perimeter edge towards the elevator.”

“Man, I wish we had our wings, would be so much easier this way.”, one guy said, already turning away.

The guy with the map nodded and mumbled a thanks before walking away with his friends. 

Silver looked after them for a moment before turning the other way. They’d go to Doc’s perimeter in a bit but hopefully these guys would be gone by then. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doc sighed before opening a potion of Regen and emptied it in one go. He had snuck away from the crowd and was leaning against one of the big dark oaks in the forest next to the entry building.

“Busy morning, huh?”, Grian’s voice said from above him. Doc flinched, the glass bottle crushed in his hand.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry!” Grian hopped down the tree branch he had been perched on and grabbed Doc’s hand. The potion and Doc’s natural regeneration had already healed the cuts, only dried blood, also smoking away, and small shards remaining. Grian tried to pick the shards that stuck in Doc’s thick skin but was afraid to tear the surface again.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you!” Grian had to tip back his head quite a bit to look into Doc’s face. Man, the fucker was way too tall for his own good.

“All good, birdie.”, Doc said, grinding down the shards in his hands until only sparkling powder was left and stuffed it into his inventory. 

Grian pointedly ignored how that display of pure strength made him feel. 

“Don’t call me birdie.”

“Okay, little one.”

“Hey!”, Grian screeched.

“Shhhh!”, Doc said, putting a big hand over Grian’s mouth. “You don’t want the hordes to hear us –”

Footsteps and voices approached.

“Damn!”, Doc sweared, scooping a surprised Grian up into his arms. With one powerful jump, he had transported them up into the treetop, throwing a potion of invisibility over them both. 

“Take off your elytra and armour!”, he whispered, already crouching down and taking off his boots. He didn’t wear any other armour and no elytra. Grian followed his example and then crouched next to Doc. He wasn’t sure why they were hiding, but he was always up for some mischief. 

“I swear I just heard Grian around here.”, the footsteps stopped under the tree. 

“Yeah, and I saw Doc’s name tag. Weird.”

“Maybe they flew away?”

“I didn’t hear any rockets go off.”

“Well, Grian doesn’t need any.”

“Oh right, his parrot wings. Totally forgot about that.”

Some mumbling.

“Do you think it’s true that Grian’s wings are an erogenous zone?”

Next to Doc Grian flinched, nearly losing his balance on the branch. Doc grabbed him and pulled him close, pressing Grian’s back towards his chest. 

“What the fuck man, where did you even hear that?!”

“Uh, you know, somewhere …”

The voices grew quieter as the group walked away. Doc slowly exhaled. He just wanted a damn five minutes of peace. Please. 

Grian wriggled around a bit and Doc released him. 

“Sorry, didn’t want you to knock them out by falling on their heads.” 

Grian snickered.  

“Would serve them well. Erogenous zones? What the hell?”

Doc cocked his head. Slowly he reached out and put a hand just below the point where Grian’s wings were connected to his back muscles. With deliberate intent he stroked down, towards Grian’s ass. Grian shivered, his wings twitching. 

“Well, they weren’t completely wrong, were they?”, Doc rumbled. He loved teasing Grian. He was so responsive. 

“Oh Doc, you want to play?”, Grian said, his claws extending. His pupils had already dilated.

“You know we need to keep it PG, Grian.”, Doc said, ignoring the heat already pooling in his stomach. 

“PG, blabla, who cares. We are invisible for another –”, Grian quickly checked his stats. “Six minutes and 10 seconds.”

“Six minutes? You’re quite the quick shooter, huh?”, Doc teased.

“Oh shut up, Doc!”, Grian muttered, crawling into Doc’s lap and pressing his mouth on Doc’s lips. Doc purred and pulled Grian closer, pressing his tongue into his hot mouth. 

Grian moaned. 

“Shhhh.”, Doc mumbled into Grian’s mouth, pressing his hands into Grian’s sensitive back. The hybrid positively melted into Doc’s touch. “We will have to be quick. How do you want it?”, Doc asked, nipping at Grian’s lips. 

“You know I can never be quiet riding your dick, Doc.”, Grian said between quick breaths before moving back a bit. “I wanna suck you off.”

Doc chuckled. Grian was a rather loud bed partner, so stuffing his mouth was probably a good idea. He shifted a bit on the branch, one arm reaching up to balance himself. With the other he palmed the bulge in his pants. Grian followed his movements, desire in his eyes. 

“You gotta ask nicely, bird boy.”

Grian swallowed. His clawed hands flexed. Oh, he wanted it. 

“Please let me suck you off, Doc.”, Grian said. “Please fuck up my throat.”

“My pleasure.”, Doc answered, moving his hand. Grian crawled forward, popping the button of Doc’s pants, freeing his dick. 

“God, it’s been way too long.”, Grian said, before swallowing Doc's cock in one go. Doc threw back his head, clenching his teeth to not make a sound. The hand around the branch above him twitched, the other one grabbed a handful of Grian’s hair, provoking a silent moan that vibrated around his dick. 

They really shouldn’t be doing this, so close to the main road. Grian’s mouth was a revelation, hot and tight and oh so talented. Doc put all his concentration in staying still, staring up at the leaves and the blue sky between them. He was already close, still pent up from weeks of abstinence. Without the little session of last night with Ren, he wasn’t sure if he wouldn’t have come already. 

Then Doc made the mistake of looking down to Grian again. A low moan escaped him when he saw that Grian had stuffed his own hand down his pants and was jerking off vigorously. 

The branch under his hand started cracking and Grian looked up, meeting Doc’s eyes. Grian’s eyes were teary, arousal clouding his vision. Grian reached up, putting one hand on Doc’s tense abs. With his eyes he seemed to say “come on!”. Then he closed his eyes and started deep-throating his dick. Doc’s brain went haywire, the branch in his hand snapping under the strain, so Doc threw it away and buried both hands in Grian’s hair. He started pumping his hips, Grian meeting his movements enthusiastically. The tree branch they were sitting on was sturdy but he wasn’t sure how much it could actually take. They needed to get back. They needed –

Then Grian did something with his tongue and Doc didn’t know what he needed to do other than coming down Grian’s tight throat. He pressed Grian’s face into his crotch while his vision whitened out for a couple of seconds. He could feel Grian moan around his dick, could sense Grian stiffening before going limp. 

Slowly, Doc’s vision returned and his brain kicked in again. Grian’s blowjobs always were something else. He untangled his fingers, smoothening Grian’s hair before carefully lifting him from his dick. Grian’s face was flushed, drool on his chin, his eyes closed. He would also need some new pants, it looked like.

Doc pulled him to his chest, carefully folding Grian’s wing close to his body. Grian’s throat had to be on fire so Doc took some regen potions out of his inventory. He took a few sips, kept the liquid in his mouth and then bent down, kissing Grian and feeding him the potion. 

Slowly, Grian started to respond, kissing him deeply. 

“Here, have some more potion.”, Doc said, offering the bottle.

“Want you to feed it to me.”, Grian said, not moving. 

Doc huffed amused and took some more sips. 

When Grian was fully responsive again, Doc kept him close for a few minutes more, even though the invisibility potion had long since worn off. Grian was always cuddly after sex and - let’s be honest here - Doc enjoyed cradling the much smaller player in his arms. It satisfied some very deep instinct within him. Grian buried his face in Doc’s chest, his hands grabbing onto his lab coat. Breathing in Doc’s somewhat burned scent he concentrated on his arms around him and this distinct feeling of fragility he got around him.

“You need new pants.”, Doc finally said. 

Grian sighed. Cuddle time was officially over. He pulled a fresh pair out of his inventory, ignoring Doc’s surprised look.

“What. Did you really expect me to stay PG for a WHOLE day? After that hell of a month?”

Doc chuckled. 

“You’re right. Come here, I’ll help you undress.”

Doc stabilised Grian while he changed pants. Then he sighed. 

“Is your throat okay?”

“Totally fine, creeper man. You took good care of me.”

“We gotta go, birdie.”

“I know. How’s it going with the Redstone crowd?”

“It’s okay. I’ve had some really interesting conversations and it’s always fun to show the beginners how Redstone works. But then, well, …”

“There’s always the idiots that know better.”, Grian finished the sentence for him. Doc nodded. 

“Come on, let’s go back. I have a base tour scheduled in – oh shit, five minutes ago.”

“Then I’m probably late in the perimeter as well. Oh well.”, Doc grinned. “Worth it.”

With one final, hard kiss, they both hopped off the tree and ran away in different directions. 

A few metres away, Silver stood motionless, not even moving a finger, trying not to make a sound, not sure they were even breathing. They had just wanted to have a quiet few minutes, taking a breather while listening to the forest sounds. When they had noticed what they had intruded in it was already too late. Too scared to be discovered when sneaking away, they just stood there as if rooted to the spot. 

They definitely shouldn’t have heard what they had. Definitely.

They were in so much trouble.

Chapter Text

After a few seconds, Silver’s body decided they could move again. 

What to do, what to do. They pressed their hands against their hot face. Arousal wrapped around them like a heavy blanket. Oh god. The sounds echoed in their head, making them hazy. 

They were so fucked if the Hermits found out. They’d think they were a pervert. Silver did feel quite a bit like a pervert at that moment. Why didn’t Silver just walk into another forest? ANY other direction would have sufficed. No. It had to be this one. This particular stupid ass forest. 

And now they knew things they definitely shouldn’t. Hell, probably nobody else outside of Hermitcraft knew about Doc and Grian. Not that it was anybody’s business but theirs.

Silver was a bit surprised. There had always seemed to be a special connection between Grian and Scar so if they had to guess they would have assumed those two were together. Silver shrugged internally. Not their business either.

Slowly, they started walking again, trying to forget the last few minutes. After a few attempts, they gave up and stopped in a small clearing. There was no way they wouldn’t dream of that tonight. So they needed distraction. They had planned to go to the perimeter tour; the murals were one of the things quite far up Silver’s list of attractions. But … could they now? Would they be able to look into Doc’s eyes now? 

Silver shook their head. Doc or Grian hadn’t seen them. They had no idea. As long as Silver acted normal nobody would ever know. 

Silver was still a bit shaky, so they knelt down and pressed their hands in the mossy ground, feeling the energy below. As Silver channelled their magic into the earth below, tiny saplings started winding themselves around their fingers and wrists, deepening the connection while Silver closed their eyes and rooted themselves deep within the forest’s calm awareness. They could feel that the forest was worried about what Silver had witnessed.

“Don’t worry.”, Silver whispered. “I won’t tell a soul.” They wove their magic into the words and sent them towards the ground. The forest responded in happy surprise, small white flowers blooming on the saplings. 

“You don’t have a lot of people to talk to, have you?”, Silver mused. “I’ll be back tomorrow but I gotta go now.” The grip of the saplings tightened for a second before they retreated back into the moss. 

It took a bit of try and error and some nudging from the trees but finally Silver found their way out of the forest again and headed to the perimeter, still trying to get rid of the imaginary pictures in their head. 

Silver had almost reached the perimeter when they froze. Would an admin be able to trace their interaction with the forest? Would they be able to identify them? Even worse, would they talk to the other Hermits and find out they had eavesdropped on Doc’s and Grian’s … conversation?

So, so much trouble. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Doc reached the perimeter, a small group had already gathered at the entrance of his base. He wasn’t surprised that the group wasn’t big – it was already the fifth tour today and many players chose to discover the world on their own without the guided tours. 

Doc had code-protected all his redstone contraptions so without admin rights nobody would be able to interact with them. That was the only reason why he even allowed unsupervised players in his perimeter. Still, his fur started to puff up a bit at the thought. It only needed one unprotected glass block at the wither reactor, one loose piece of redstone at the tunnel bore and the whole perimeter would go to shit. 

Trying to get rid of the tenseness between his shoulders, Doc rotated his arms and massaged the area where his robotic arm connected to soft muscle tissue. It was probably time for an update for his arm but that had to wait another week. 

Normally, he would just bury himself in his laboratory for a week or a month, eating when he remembered, sleeping when his body demanded it and only coming out when he was done. 

But right now he had no time for working on delicate cables, tiny hinges or viscoelastic sponge when he needed to be awake and available during the day. Maybe he could start some sketches though. He wanted to improve the sensibility in his fingertips, maybe integrate a small laser cutter which would help him with building. He could try another coating for the metal as well, perhaps something a bit warmer, more actually skin-like?

Already juggling some rough ideas in his head, he approached the group standing idly in front of the base.

The seven players were looking around, some with their notebooks in their hands. One was sitting at the edge of the perimeter, dangling their feet off into thin air. All looked up when he got close.

“Sorry for the delay, I had something come up!”, Doc said when he reached the group. Yeah. 

His dick. 

Ha. 

He pushed the thought away and looked the group over. After inspecting the pronouns attached to their playertags, he sighed internally. Sadly, it seemed only male players had come this time again. While he understood that the perimeter and Doc himself could be pretty intimidating he really wished for some female representation in the Redstone realm. 

He clapped in his hands, all eyes on him. 

“Alright, before we go down, a few things. While the Redstone is admin protected I don’t want to see any of you trying to move, destroy or alter any of the contraptions down there, you hear me?” 

Nodding faces. 

“Be careful of your surroundings and be prepared to defend yourselves. We lit up the perimeter as thoroughly as possible but there are a lot of nooks and crannies where a creeper or skeleton could spawn. If you want to leave the tour to explore by yourself, that is fine, just please let me know.” More nodding, some grabbed their iron swords tighter. 

Doc was pretty sure they wouldn’t need them, not with him around, but he’d rather have them over prepared than blindsided. 

“Alright. If you have any questions during the tour feel free to ask away. We’ll use the elevator for the way down since none of you have an elytra.”

“Why can’t we just jump into the water from up here?”, one guy asked.

“Well, for one the water isn’t deep enough everywhere. Second, around the edges the walls protrude here and there meaning you could simply splat on stone instead of hitting the water.” The group gulped.

“So elevator it is.” 

Together they moved toward the elevator, Doc herding the group in front of him, when he suddenly heard a voice behind them.

“Please wait! Sorry!”

He turned around. The silver-haired player that he had seen in the morning was jogging towards them. Doc’s eyes quickly ran over their slim body before moving to the player tag and pronouns. SilverWillow used they/them pronouns. Well, at least some diversity. 

Silver skidded to a halt before him, breathing hard. Their face was flushed. They bent over, holding up a hand.

“Sorry, sorry I’m late. I kinda lost sight of the time and it’s quite the walk without an elytra and –”

“All good.”, Doc said. “We haven’t started yet.”

“Oh thank god.”, Silver answered and finally looked up. Doc unconsciously took a step back. There was something … unnatural about Silver. Two differently coloured eyes watched him, deep purple and forest green. Their short silver hair seemed natural and the way they moved… Their movements were a bit too smooth, too inhuman. Doc’s cybernetic eye also caught splinters of particles around them, way too small for the human eye and not identifiable even for him. 

Doc was sure he had another hybrid in front of him. 

Silver’s eyes contracted, wariness appearing on their face. Doc realised he had been starting too intently, so he controlled his facial features again and smiled at Silver. 

“Come on, the rest are already waiting at the elevators. If you have a question at any time during the tour feel free to ask me. And no, you cannot jump down into the water.”

Silver cautiously looked down into the depths of the perimeter. 

“Well, thank god, I’m pretty scared of heights.”

Together they walked the last part of the way. 

“I already have a question.”, Silver said after a moment. 

“Shoot.”

“Isn’t it kind of barbaric to keep the ender dragon tethered to your flagpole? They may be dangerous, but they’re also a wild and independent being, so chaining them and restricting them doesn’t seem right.” 

Doc was a bit surprised by their very direct words. So far, none of the visitors had shown empathy or even concern for the dragon. He looked up to the dark shadow in the sky and smiled. 

“Don’t worry, Princess is totally fine up there.” 

Silver narrowed their eyes, following his gaze . “Princess?”

“She’s pretty majestic but I couldn’t make her my queen, so princess it is.”

Silver looked slightly confused but they had reached the rest of the group and they didn’t press any further. 

The seven guys looked Silver up and down, none of them greeting them or even looking remotely friendly. 

Doc had to pull himself together hard to not start to growl. He did not like the looks.

Silver didn’t seem to care though. They crossed their arms and seemed properly unaffected. Doc noticed some chunky rings on their hands, looking like differently shaped leaves. Interesting. 

They rode the elevator down in two groups, Doc making sure they all kept their arms and curious noses inside during the ride. The first questions came up; how did he connect the numbers to the actual floor of the elevator and so on. Silver watched everything with interest in their eyes and said nothing. They took notes in their book and turned towards the murals, starting sketches and absorbing everything with pure joy in their eyes. Doc couldn’t seem to push their presence in the back of his head. 

On the ground of the perimeter they all took off their shoes and waded through the sun-warmed water together, touring the farms Doc had built. At each farm he was bombarded with technical questions from the guys while Silver seemed perfectly content with observing everything, sometimes touching the glass or stone with careful hands. The TCG arena seemed to be a highlight for them. The ancient copper chains and porous bones making up the base and enveloping the arena even earned a quiet “Incredible!” that Doc soaked up like a sponge, making his fur puff up a tiny bit. He kept an eye on them while he went into the details of the Redstone enabling the arena and the reset machinations he had installed. 

They ended the tour at the wither reactor, the guys observing the destruction of the wither heads, taking notes and asking questions regarding the destruction radius, flight deviation and output per hour. Doc answered all the questions patiently, even enjoying the conversation. Still, he was always aware of where quiet observant Silver was standing. Silver kept looking up towards Princess, shading their eyes with their hands, the silver rings glinting in the sunlight. They seemed seriously concerned about the dragon and Doc decided to go into more detail about Princess’ situation as soon as the Redstone questions calmed down. 

The hundreds of sea lanterns had also earned a smile from Silver, their approval making Doc feeling kind of warm inside. Ren and Doc had replaced the broken lanterns this morning and all the shards and other proof had long been washed away by the water. Doc kept watching them and when Silver looked up, their eyes met and they blushed, their pupils dilating and they quickly averted their gaze.

That was a bit weird.

Finally, after nearly two hours of touring, they reached the elevator again. 

“Can we also take a look at the tunnel bore?”, the tallest of the guys, apparently their leader, asked. Silver glanced towards the deep hole on the side of the perimeter which was currently blocked off with dark grey stained glass and the darkness beyond. A shiver ran over their body. 

“No, sorry. There were too many spots for monsters to spawn and the Wardens are unpredictable, as you know. To keep you safe and to make sure nobody stumbles into the arms of a Warden by accident, the tunnel bore is off-limits this week.”, Doc answered and pressed the button for the elevator doors to open.

Displeased murmurs from the group but nobody pressed any further when Doc narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

Doc watched the guys get into the cabin. Some had left earlier already so now they would all fit in in one go. This was the last group for today and he was looking forward to roam around a bit and meet up with the rest of the Hermits.

Then he felt a soft tap on his biceps.

“Is it okay if I stayed back for a bit? I’d like to make sketches of the murals and the old ruins.”, Silver asked, smiling at him. The slight breeze played with their pale hair and the sun  revealed nearly invisible freckles on their nose. Doc’s heart may have squeezed. 

“Of course, as long as you don’t touch the Redstone.”, he said.

Silver laughed. “I have listened to you talking about it for like two hours and I still don’t understand a single thing.”, they said. “So no, I will not touch ANYTHING that is even remotely red or dusty. I just really like the ruins and how they used the available space so efficiently. The tools they had all these millennia ago must have been astonishing!”

Doc paused at that, feeling stupid. He had spent all this time talking about chunk loaders and zero tick farms and never, not with one word, had he gone into the history of the perimeter.

“You know what, I’ll bring these guys upstairs and then I’ll come back down and tell you a bit about the murals and ruins. I’m sorry, most people come to see the Redstone so I completely forgot to mention them.”

Silver’s eyes sparkled. While they were really tall, Doc still towered above them by at least one and a half feet and they had to lift their head to look at him. The light of the lanterns caught in their eyes. There were a few speckles of green in the purple, Doc noticed.

“That’d be nice.”, they answered.

Doc just nodded and walked to the elevator. The guys were watching them sourly, clearly ready to leave the perimeter. A growl built in the back of his throat but he swallowed it down.

“Alright guys, up we go. If you have any more questions, shoot now or you can come back whenever there’s another tour. We still have the whole week ahead of us!”, Doc said, trying to ignore the knot that was starting to form in his stomach. Something was brewing, he could feel it in his old-ass bones. He couldn’t wait to get rid of this bunch. 

Silver stood by the ruins next to the elevator, studying the structure of the building when something splashed right next to them, spraying them with warm water. They shrieked, tumbling back and nearly landing on their butt. A big hand grabbed their arm and kept them upright. 

Doc grinned apologetically. 

“Sorry, didn’t want to scare you.”

Silver looked from him to the top of the perimeter and then back at him again.

“Did you just -” They gesticulated wildly.

“Jump? Yep.”, Doc said, letting the ‘p’ pop. 

Silver’s eyes dilated again, and oh, Doc’s animalistic side was purring at that. 

“That’s impressive.”, they finally said, taking out their notebook again and circling him like a very interesting specimen at a museum. 

Doc slowly turned to follow her. “How does that not hurt your joints? Does that have to do with your creeper side? You were really quiet, too, now that I think about it. Or is the goat side? Mountain goats have great leg muscles. Or do your cybernetic parts –”, Silver slapped a hand on their mouth.

“I am SO sorry, oh my god, I didn’t want to – like, you don’t have to answer, I didn’t want to bring up bad memories, I just don’t think before I talk, again, so sorry. I - uh - I’m just gonna shut up now and draw those ruins. Over there. Far away. Again. Sorry.”

Doc smirked. Whatever it was that was off about them, Doc didn’t think they had ill intentions. They were so easy to read.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve always been open about my heritage. And yes, it’s a mix between the creeper and goat portion inside me. I could also land on the stone and it wouldn’t hurt me. Also wouldn’t make a sound.”

Silver’s eyes turned round.

“Really??”

“You want to see?”

 “Oh, you don’t have to go all the way up again just for me. It’s just my damn curiosity, it’s really not important, I -”

Doc simply bent his knees and with one powerful push of his thighs he hopped up to the edge of the perimeter. He just hoped Ren wouldn’t see him. Or any of the Hermits. They’d laugh at him for weeks for being so infatuated with Silver. Ren’s taunting would be merciless. 

He turned around and looked down at Silver. They were staring at him, their arms limp at their sides, the notebook just dangling from their fingertips. 

Doc grinned. Yeah, alright, at this point he was just bragging, but hey, who cared. He quickly checked the time. They still had about 45 minutes until Silver had to leave. No other players had found their way to the perimeter yet, so hell, why not. 

Taking a step forward, Doc dropped into the perimeter, landing silently on his feet on the stony edge. Silver had both hands in front of their mouth again, their face a bit pale.

“Oh god. Holy goat mother, I thought you misstepped or something. Jesus christ, what the HELL dude. That is insane. Amazing, yeah, but, what the hell.”, they sputtered. 

“Sorry, not sorry.”, Doc said. 

“That’s really impressive. What else can you do? If I may ask?”

Doc hesitated. Showing off was one thing, exposing his hybrid traits was something else. 

“Sorry, but that is … kinda private. And I don’t know you at all, so … I’d rather keep it this way.”, he said.

Silver’s face had flushed at the word ‘private’. Their mouth opened and closed a few times. Doc was ready to just call them out and tell them to spill, but then they seemed to give up and let their head hang.

“Doc. I have something to confess.”

Uh oh. Doc prepared himself. Were they a spy? An outlawed player from one of the anarchy servers? Another crazy stalker? 

“Okay?”

“You know the forest between the shopping centre and your base?”

Where were they going with this?

“Yeah?”

“So. Uh. I was a bit overstimulated by all the people so I decided to take a walk there. Before I came here.”

“Okay?”, Doc repeated, still unimpressed, but then it hit him.

Oh. 

Oh no. 

The forest. 

Where Grian and he –

“I might have heard something that I shouldn’t have and I am sorry, very sorry, like super duper sorry, and I won’ttellanyoneIpromise!”, Silver sputtered, their words speeding up. 

Doc just stood there, his brain going into overdrive. Oh no. This was bad. This could actually be catastrophic. Only very, very few people outside the community of Hermitcraft knew about the poly activities on the server. Or about non-PG activities at all. Privacy was holy for the Hermits, for various reasons, all of them vitally important.

Silver and Doc stared at each other, Silver now bright-red, Doc thinking through every possibility he had. There weren’t many. He pulled out his communicator.

“I need to call X. Sorry, but this is admin level.”, he finally said. Man, he was going to get into so much shit.

“Okay. I’ll just wait over there, okay?”

Silver sat down on the outer edge of the perimeter, on some stones protruding out of the water. They watched Doc walk a good distance away and call X, his voice just a rumble. 

In how much trouble were they? While it wasn’t their intention to eavesdrop, it still was a VERY private thing they overheard. They just hoped they wouldn’t get banned. 

They could just have not said anything but somehow it just didn’t seem right to them. So here they were, waiting for what’s to come. Silver was pretty nervous. Doc hadn’t seemed too angry though. Pretty shaken, yes. And probably worried? 

To distract themselves they restarted sketching the ruins, focusing on their square shape and the different states of deterioration. Each house was lined with a border of copper, most of it still in very good condition. How had it been so well preserved? Copper was a very soft metal, denting and bending easily. But as far as they could see, it only had a few scratches. Maybe the stone had formed around it rather than falling onto it? That could be a possibility. 

Same for the framing around the perimeter. The borders were edged with murals of abstract designs and goat heads. Again, the copper didn’t seem too damaged. Maybe Doc had replaced some? But the old water tanks still looked broken, the deterioration there much worse. 

Silver turned around, looking at the murals of the goat mother. They looked pretty much intact. So either they had been protected in some way or they were constructed of very sturdy blocks. Silver looked to where Doc was still standing and talking to X presumably. When he looked over they gestured towards the murals and Doc nodded. They gathered up their stuff and with their shoes in hand they waded through the water to one side of the perimeter. When they had found a good distance to see the whole mural, Silver put down a shulker to sit on it. Then they started sketching the mural, trying to figure out the blocks used all those years ago. 

They were deep in concentration when a hand touched their shoulder and they almost fell into the water again.

Armoured hands grabbed their shoulder though and they stabilised themselves on the shulker. 

“Sorry.”, Xisuma said before walking around her and standing in front of her. “Doc told me we have a little privacy problem here?”

X’s voice seemed calm, revealing nothing. Silver put their stuff away and braced themselves for the speech they expected.

“I’m not sure if it’s really a problem.”, Silver answered. “I saw something that I shouldn’t have. I already told Doc but I will tell you as well, nobody will ever hear a single word of that from me. I’m good at keeping secrets.” They looked X square in the face, not hiding anything. And maybe they let some of their magic be shown in their eyes. 

“Hm.”, X said. Since X wore his mask, Silver couldn’t see his reaction.

“Doc has already told me roughly what you heard, so you don’t need to repeat it.”

“Oh thank god…”, Silver mumbled. X let out a quiet laugh that sounded more like an enervated sigh.

“And while we would like to believe you, we will need a bit more than your promise. I hope you understand.”

X pulled out a piece of paper and held it out to them.

‘Non-Disclosure Agreement’ was written on the top. Silver skimmed the text. It had all the usual text bits, all something they had read and signed a dozen times before. Nothing extraordinary and nothing they wouldn’t agree to. Only the last paragraph seemed a bit ominous.

“Breaching the aforementioned non-disclosure agreement in any shape or form by revealing even parts of the specified information by speaking, writing or by keeping silent, the player SilverWillow will be tried by the Hermit tribunal and accept their jurisdiction.”

Since Silver had zero intention of telling a single soul about the incident, they shrugged internally. 

“Do you have a pen? I only brought my pencils.”

“Of course.” Xisuma passed them a pretty blue fountain pen and Silver set their signature on the appropriate lines. 

When they handed Xisuma the paper back, Doc approached. 

“Already done?”, he asked, looking surprised. X nodded and passed him the agreement. Doc skimmed it.

“What, you thought I’d raise hell or something? I think it’s a reasonable decision.”, Silver answered and hopped off the shulker. It started to get dark and they had to get back to the portal. “I would have done the same. In fact, I have done the same in the past.” X and Doc shared a look.

Xisuma handed Silver a copy of the NDA and they put it in their inventory. 

“Thank you for being so understanding.”, he said. “We are trying to keep everything PG while the visitors are here -”, he shot a look at Doc who squirmed. “But mistakes happen and as an admin it’s my duty to keep my players safe. That also concerns their private life. So even though you are bound by the NDA I would also personally like to ask you to not speak about what you saw or what you heard. It could seriously impact my players’ wellbeing and safety.”

Silver nodded. “It is nobody’s concern who we love, is it?”, they said, deliberately using ‘we’. 

X cocked his head. 

Then his comm pinged and he looked at it for a few seconds.

“I am sorry to leave so abruptly but something else has popped up. Doc, please bring Silver back to the portal. You can close it after they leave, everyone else is already gone. And then please talk to Grian. He should be informed as well.” And with a spray of stars from his rockets, Xisuma was gone. 

Silver and Doc stood alone in the perimeter, sky darkening and the sea lanterns unfolding their full effect.

“It’s beautiful!”, Silver finally broke the silence, gesturing to the reflection. Doc followed her arm. 

“It is. I’m contemplating keeping it like that even after the visits. Gives the whole perimeter a more holy feeling.”

“That is definitely true.”

Doc pressed the button for the elevator but instead of the sounds of pistons and Redstone working, the perimeter stayed silent.

“Damn. I knew that would happen.”

“Is it broken?”

“Sometimes the chunks get unloaded and then reloaded too quickly and a piston jams. Probably an easy fix but not in the dark. Will take a look at it tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay. Do you have an elytra for me to fly up, then?”

“Sorry, I didn’t bring anything with me. When X came I put everything in my base since I didn’t know how we’d proceed.”

Well, if that wasn’t ominous.

“I can jump up and get it. Or I can carry you up with me.”

Silver’s heart skipped a beat. They eyed Doc’s arms. He had already shown he was pretty strong and his arms were big but they were a tall … person and the acceleration through the jump would probably make them heavier and –

“Promise you won’t drop me. I didn’t joke when I said I’m scared of heights.”

“Promise. You are safe with me.” Silver’s heart stuttered a bit. 

Doc came over and within a second he just scooped them into his arms princess-style as if they were a mere bundle of clothes. 

“I’m not too heavy, am I?”, they still asked. Doc just laughed and jumped up. Silver might have screamed a bit. And their arms might have strangled Doc. 

In an instant, they were at the top of the perimeter but Silver couldn’t move.

“You okay?”, Doc asked, prying their arms off him. 

Silver nodded. Shook their head. Tried to breathe.

Adrenaline was flooding their system, energy their body couldn’t use cursed in their veins. 

They hadn’t thought about the implications of being in the air. Flying with elytra was normally okay since they were the one navigating. And they hardly used them anyway, only for very short distances. They had time to prepare for those flights, grounding themselves beforehand and getting rid of any abundant energy. 

The jump with Doc started and ended a bit too fast and their body didn’t know what to do with all the chemicals swarming their blood now. Silver could feel the pressure under their skin, their eyes. Their fingertips started to itch and the skin on their back started to feel too tight. 

They needed to ground themselves. 

Right now. 

Silver scrambled out of Doc’s arms and stumbled to the ground.

“Careful, don’t hurt yours–”, Doc cut off when he saw their face. 

“Please turn around.”, Silver said through gritted teeth. 

“Silver, what’s going on? What can I do –”

“Turn around and don’t look!”, Silver barked at him. They would apologise later. Profusely. “Please don’t look.”

Doc stared at them for a second longer, then he turned around. He was tempted to scan Silver for injuries but something in their voice held him back. He started to walk away.

“I’ll make sure you have privacy.”

Silver wasn’t able to answer anymore. They pressed their knees and elbows and hands and forehead against the cool soil, felt the grass grow, saplings reaching out towards them, caressing their sweaty face and shaky hands. 

With all their might, they pushed . Deep, deep under them, something rumbled and they spared a single thought to ‘Hopefully Doc’s base doesn’t break.’ Doc was swearing silently a few steps away.

The rumbling grew louder as more sprouts shot out of the ground, slinging themselves around Silver’s body. Silver’s magic connected with the magic of the land and oh, it was so abundant, so rich. They could tell that the Hermits treated their world well. A steady stream of magic flowed out of Silver into the dark ground, quickly soaked up by the surrounding nature. 

They had been close to transforming. That hadn’t happened in years. Silver had never lost total control of their hybrid sides before, had always been able to keep it well-hidden, deep within them, where no-one would look. 

They should have known that Hermitcraft was different. Should have known that being surrounded by so many people and so many hybrids would make their halves act up. Not even a day here and already close to catastrophe. Silver breathed in the musk of the dirt and sent more of their energy into the ground.

They could feel the pressure behind their eyes decrease, their lungs finally able to expand normally again. When the buzzing in their ears finally stopped they could hear them .

It’s all good , the soil told her.

The sun will rise again tomorrow , the grass blades whispered.

We will bloom soon , tiny blossoms giggled.

We are going to take care of you , something darker, older promised. 

And Silver calmed down, feeling their pulse slowing down, their body temperature lower. The grumbling grew quieter and then stopped completely as the stream of their magic came to an end. The saplings and flowers and sprouts released their body and they could sit up, breathing in deeply. 

Sending a message full of thankfulness into the soil, Silver rose, brushing dirt from their knees. Doc stood a couple of feet away, back towards them, his lab coat blowing in the soft evening breeze. He seemed to type something on this comm. 

“Hey. Ah. Sorry for that. I’m ready now. Sorry again.”, Silver said, walking towards him. How do you explain to a stranger that their body had gone into overdrive because of some simple gravitational changes?

Doc looked at them, then behind them and his bio eye widened. Silver turned around and startled a bit. Where they had kneeled down the grass was now greener, denser, and hundreds of small white flowers were blooming in a perfect circle.

That was new.

“Hybrid things, huh.”, Doc then simply said and offered his arm like a gentleman. Silver startled.

“Like recognizes like.”, Doc shrugged. 

Silver gulped. They may have hinted to that with X, but saying it out in the open was still a lot. 

“Sorry, I didn’t think the jump would have that effect on me. My … hybrid side doesn’t like losing connection to the ground suddenly. Tomorrow I’ll take the elevator, if it works again.”, Silver answered, accepting Doc’s arm.

Doc looked at them. 

“You’ll come over tomorrow?”

“Of course. You wanted to tell me about the perimeter’s history, remember?”

Doc just nodded, glancing at them from the side.

Hermitcraft was gorgeous in the evening, the soft lighting dipping everything in gold. 

“You really transformed your world into something extraordinary.”, Silver said, interrupting the silence. 

“Thank you. We do love it a lot.”

“Yeah, it told me.”

Doc’s step didn’t falter at that odd statement and Silver decided to just skip over it. Their hand in Doc’s elbow was warm, his biceps proving the ease with which he had carried them. Silver felt a bit swoony. Or maybe it was just the aftereffect from their earthing earlier. 

Doc left them with an exaggerated little bow in front of the portal and waited until they had disappeared before reaching into the code and locking down the portal. Just to be safe he even tried to reignite the portal manually but it was definitely turned off. Satisfied he turned around and nearly ran into Ren.

“Soooo… I heard something very interesting.”, Ren grinned.

Chapter Text

Etho had spent the morning hidden in the big tree on top of his base and watched the visitors exploring his half-finished home. He had made some half-hearted attempts in the last few weeks to finish at least the outside but in the end other priorities and the Blue River Boat Race had won. 

Now people were walking all over his base, testing his speed running platform, checking out his alien room and looking at his storage system. Etho was grumbling at the sheer amount of strangers everywhere and stayed perched on his branch.

It wasn’t like Etho didn’t want the visitors to come to Hermitcraft. Hell, he didn’t really have anything against them visiting his base. The problem was that he was required to be there as well, to be available for questions and inquiries and small talk. He had never been a people person. Big crowds made him feel restless, like he was buzzing with energy that had nowhere to go. And now there were crowds everywhere. And so many of them wanted to actually talk to him. 

Can you imagine?!

Again, Etho didn’t have anything against talking to them. He may not be well-spoken like Xisuma or chatty like Bdubs, but he was a good listener and thoughtful. The things he decided to say made sense, at least most of the time, he was pretty sure. But there were so many of them and at some point he ran out of words. That was the moment he decided to chug an invisibility potion and just climb this stupid tree. And now he sat there, already three invis potions deep and still not inclined to go down again. 

He understood that the Hermits had to look out for all those players. Most of them still only had the iron tools they were provided with at the beginning. Many were not trained in combat at all. And while he did spend a good amount of time lighting up the area around his base, he had resided in the middle of the jungle where the foliage was dense, thus creating too many dark spawnable spots to light up. 

And so he just sat here, in his tree, chin on one of his knees, on look-out for any creepers or skeletons. Most players stayed in little groups of three or four, chatting with each other and keeping a good distance away from the surrounding jungle trees anyway. 

The explorers would learn their lesson sooner or later, Etho decided as he saw a couple striding into the green hell. 

Still, he kept his bow and arrows close and stayed watchful. Nobody would die on his watch today. 

When Xisuma had brought up the idea the first time months ago, Etho had been reluctant. He needed more information, needed to digest the proposal and come up with appropriate questions to ask. He was a loner, the thought of being surrounded by hundreds of people he didn’t know sounded exhausting to him. 

When X explained that the Hermits were not obligated to give meet and greets, that they could also close off their bases completely or partly and take a week of vacation somewhere else, Etho had been more at ease. If he didn’t need to actually talk to all of them, he was fine with players coming to his base. 

Still, Etho was a bit worried. Apart from the obvious issues of overloading their server, possible hacks or glitches, Etho knew that many people had ill intentions. Their selection process had been harsh, but you could never find all the bad eggs. Right at this moment, they would be walking on Hermitcraft, undetected and unsuspicious. He just hoped that they would find them before they could do anything. 

Sure, buildings and bases had been protected, no griefing was possible and even if they decided to rob every single store on Hermitcraft, the Hermits had enough farms and resources to survive for months. The worst case scenario would be to briefly leave the server to subspace and load a backup from before the visit.

Etho’s bad feeling didn’t ease though. Somewhere deep in the pit of his stomach he knew something was coming. He couldn’t put a finger on it, not yet, but it felt like the vision sat back in the dark corners of his head, waiting for the right moment to come out. 

He didn’t like the thought of something happening. The memory would stay on their world forever, backup or not. They would start avoiding the spot where it happened, it would become an abandoned, unloved location on their world. That’s not how he liked his home. 

He was probably overthinking. Everything would be totally fine. Probably.

Only once he had to shoot a creeper, the player he had saved not even realising it. Nobody had found him either. And at some point the endless chatter had faded into the background as he started thinking about the new storage system he wanted to build. He forgot time over bud-switches, shulker-refillers and the never-ending lure of Redstone. 

When the sun started setting, he decided he had spent enough time watching out for other people. Soon enough, they’d leave for the portal anyway. He took another potion, hopped off the tree and used the water speedway to leave the jungle. When he came closer to the shopping district he slowed down, finally stepping off the speedway when he reached Bdubs’ horse head. Spending some time on the horse meadow sounded like a good plan to him. 

Soon he reached Bdubs’ little horse game booth. There were rummaging noises inside, horses neighing and the bubbly voice of someone he knew very well.

“Yes, yes, darling, you’ll get your snack. Just let good ol’ Bdubs find it, yeah? Where did I put it? I am sure I put it in that shulker, this can’t - AHA found it! I told you, darling, I’d find it! Here ya go!”

Etho chuckled and let himself in through the back door. Bdubs was feeding apples to the three horses currently displayed as wins. The white one was trying to eat his moss coat while Bdubs was petting the soft nose of a brown horse with dots. 

“Careful Bdubs, seems like they prefer your coat over apples.”, Etho chuckled.

Bdubs jumped.

“ETHO! You - don’t scare me like that! Where the heck are you? Are you invisible again?” Bdubs turned in a circle, squinting his eyes.

Etho reached out and tucked on Bdubs shirt. 

“Here I am, little man.”

Bdubs blushed. 

“‘m not small! How dare you!” With outstretched arms Bdubs walked forwards until he touched Etho’s chest.

“Hey, beanpole.”

“Hey, Bdubs.” Etho smiled when the smaller man wrapped his arms around his invisible waist and hugged him close, burying his face in his chest. Etho patted his back awkwardly before resting his head on Bdubs’ unruly hair. He breathed in Bdubs’ distinctive scent and let out a deep breath. 

“Why are you invisible this time?”, Bdubs mumbled.

“Too many people at my base.”

“I see.”

They stood still for a few seconds, just enjoying each other's presence. Tiny white flowers had started blooming on Bdubs’ coat, Etho noticed. 

“What’s the white horse called?”

“Betty.”

“Betty likes the white flowers on your coat.”

“Wha — Betty, stop eating my clothes!”, Bdubs exclaimed, ripping the coat from Betty’s mouth. Betty looked at him with sad eyes, a lonely white flower disappearing between her soft lips. 

Etho chuckled again. 

“Had many visitors today?”

Bdubs was inspecting his coat for holes, still grumbling quietly. Etho leaned back on the wall. The horse game booth was a small build in the middle of the meadow. Players could win a horse when they were able to hit the target behind the horses three times in a row without hitting the horses themselves. Difficult, but doable. Etho hadn’t tried it himself yet though.

“There were quite a few here in the morning. In the last hour or so it has calmed down quite a bit. Thankfully, I had to breed and restock the game nonstop. Wayyyy too many talented people here, I’m telling ya.”

“What happens to the horses when the players leave?”

Bdubs froze, the coat dangling from his fingers. Slowly he looked in the approximate direction of Etho’s face, frowning.

“You haven’t thought about that, have you.”

“I - uh. No. I guess I’ll just let them roam freely?” Bdubs shrugged. “Maybe I’ll take some to Scarland again, we’ll see.”

“Horse-cursing again, hm?”

“Yeah …”

Etho’s potion started to wear off. Just as he decided to go without, voices approached. Quickly, he dug out a new one and chugged it in one big gulp. 

“Visitors, Bdubs.”

Just as Bdubs turned around, the players came around the corner of the big stone horse head beside which Bdubs had built the booth. Etho watched as Bdubs stood up tall, smiling broadly at the new arrivals. He had to grin. Bdubs was barely able to look over the counter since the stage behind was lowered into the ground. He had even built himself a little line of slabs to stand on to be able to look out and still his chin was just short of touching the wood of the counter.

Little Bdubs. 

While Bdubs started explaining how the game worked and what perfect, fast and high-jumping horses he had to offer as prices, Etho watched him. Bdubs was one of the few people Etho could be around even if he couldn’t stand anyone. Even when the visions drove him crazy, when his Redstone didn’t work and all he wanted to do was dig a hole and disappear for days on end, he found relief in Bdubs’ presence. 

He’d never say that to him though. 

The friendship with the moss man had grown slowly and definitely only because Bdubs had been so persistent. When Etho first entered Hermitcraft years ago, he had been perfectly fine to adhere to the name of the server and stay a hermit, secluded in his own base. But then Bdubs came along, chatting about his big base plans, about block combinations and wow, Etho was a tall lug, not that Bdubs was small, no, not at all, and hey, would he like to go horse riding at some point together? And somehow, Etho ended up being dragged around by Bdubs, getting to know the other Hermits, and finding his place in their little society. 

Etho adored Bdubs. He’d never tell him though. His bubbly personality, his loud mouth and never-ending optimism was something that Etho had always lacked. Before joining Hermitcraft, he tended to fall into broody moods, forgetting to eat and sleep, not seeing anyone for weeks. He still did that now, but after a few days without messaging back Bdubs would always come around, feed him soup and tea, sit with him outside in the sunshine and just talk to him. About everything and anything really. Even if Etho didn’t react, even if Etho didn’t answer or told him to leave him alone - multiple times - Bdubs never wavered and always stayed until he was sure Etho was in a better mood. And the worst part was, it worked. Bdubs’ visits always helped Etho out of the dark pit he sometimes fell into. His voice, his starry eyes, his toothy smile warmed a place in Etho’s heart that had stayed cold and empty for far too long. He’d never tell Bdubs though. 

Those dark pits haunted Etho. Sometimes he could feel them creep up on him, and could at least try to take measures to avoid them. Not that it really worked. Ever since … then … the pit was a steady companion in Etho’s life. Sometimes it was more like a dent in the street, and sometimes it was as if someone dug a hole down to bedrock and Etho fell right in, without any tools or blocks to find his way out. 

Bdubs’ presence - while sometimes annoying and persistent and loud - was like someone gave him a helping hand - or a rope to climb up, really. 

Over the years, while staying on Hermitcraft, the pit had gotten more shallow, and it was easier to find a way out. 

In exchange, the visions had gotten worse, as if there was a balance. Either dark pits or unsettling visions. Even though the visions were still very infrequent, they had changed. Had turned a lot darker and ominous. Etho hadn’t told Bdubs yet since he wasn’t sure yet what it all meant. The visions just showed him rotten land, infected by some unknown disease. Etho didn’t recognize the scenery. That was the thing with visions. Sometimes they affected him directly, sometimes they would take place next week. And sometimes they were somebody else entirely , somewhere in the far far future. There was no connection to the current events, none that he could see. So he didn’t want to alarm Bdubs by telling him.

Because then there were the times when Bdubs was sad. Etho never liked those times. Then Bdubs’ moss coat started rotting, his eyes turned dull and empty, and even the slightest discomfort could rattle him deeply. Those times didn’t happen often. But when they did, Bdubs’ personality seemed to crumble, he was insecure, quiet and deeply afraid of inconveniencing anyone. He started to isolate himself, not leaving his tower, not looking after his horses. It was unsettling to watch. Bdubs then moved like an old man, slowly and as if he was in constant pain. His voice was broken, his spirit buried under a heavy burden. 

In the beginning, Etho had been completely overwhelmed by Bdubs’ deeply felt emotions, good and bad. He wasn’t used to someone actively and freely sharing their emotions. He didn’t know how to handle them. Especially the sad ones. But at the same time, it broke his heart to see the little man so insecure, so broken by something Etho didn’t understand. 

Because Bdubs’ pit was nothing like what Etho experienced. Bdubs’ pit was mean and angry and ate Bdubs from the inside out. 

The first time it happened, Etho had baked a cake and put it in Bdubs’ kitchen while he slept. The cake turned mouldy before Bdubs even saw it. 

Then Etho tried pulling Bdubs out of bed, into the sunshine, but that didn’t help. He made him soup and tea but Bdubs only had a few spoonfuls, sipped from the cup and curled himself up into a small ball, not even able to look at him properly. Etho sat with him and tried to talk to him about everything and nothing, but Etho wasn’t a chatty person and he couldn’t think of things that Bdubs would find interesting. And talking about Redstone had always bored Bdubs to death (even if he tried to hide the fact and always smiled and nodded when Etho started his monologing in the past).

And then Etho noticed something. Bdubs was a touchy person. He just liked touching people, whether it be leaning his head on another’s shoulder or a hug or an arm around one’s waist. He always stood close to people, was always the first to hug and the last to let go. He gave away his heart and love so freely.

But when Bdubs fell into his pit, he isolated himself. Didn’t go near anyone, didn’t talk to anyone. Didn’t hug anyone. 

So Etho started touching Bdubs. It was strange for him. He had gotten used to Bdubs hugging him every time they met up, but it was always Bdubs taking the first step, never Etho. 

In the early stages of their friendship, he had more or less endured the hugs, but at some point he had started reciprocating them. Touching other people had been a foreign concept to him. He had to get used to it, had to unlearn his instinctive reaction of recoiling, of pushing back. Not that he had a choice. When Bdubs saw Etho, he would always light up and hop over and wrap his arms around him, showering Etho with his happiness and sunshine and friendship. Indulged him in the warmth of Bdubs’ body, in the strength of his arms, the mossy smell of his hair. 

And Etho had started looking forward to those hugs, had held onto Bdubs a little longer, a little tighter. When Bdubs was busy with a project and couldn’t visit Etho for days in a row, Etho had started to miss his body in his arms. 

He’d never told him though.

So Etho started touching Bdubs slowly. A fleeting touch of fingers when giving him a cup of tea. A quick tap on the head when walking past him. A short side-hug when they were standing next to each other. But it wasn’t enough. Not for Bdubs, and, strangely enough, not for him. 

At one point, Bdubs just sat in his bed, looking at him with his big eyes that didn’t shine anymore. Etho had come over for tea and maybe a hug and another attempt of getting Bdubs to leave the house.

“I don’t know what to do, Etho.” , he had said, his voice quiet. “It’s like there’s a worm inside my brain and sometimes it just eats away parts of my brain, the parts that make me happy, like my hobbies and friends and I can’t seem to remember what makes me happy. And then I’m - I’m like this. I know it’s not normal. Sorry.” His hands twisted the blanket. 

And something inside Etho’s chest hurt. This was his best friend, how was he unable to help him? Unable to make him see how important he was to him? And Etho had stepped forward, knelt on the bed and just pulled Bdubs to his chest, blanket and all. He held him close, cradled his head in his hand, rubbing Bdubs’ back with his other. 

“It’s okay.” , he had said. “I am here and I am not going away. I am here, B.” 

And Bdubs’ body had slumped, hands gripping Etho’s shirt. They had sat like that for what seemed like hours on that day. At some point Etho had started talking again. He didn’t remember what exactly he had been monologing about, but he was pretty sure it had been about Redstone. Bdubs had fallen asleep in his arms and Etho had slept in his bed, still cradling Bdubs, his mask on the nightstand. In the middle of the night Bdubs had woken up, put the blanket over both of them and cuddled back into Etho’s arms. And Etho had held him the whole night, close to his heart.

The next morning, everything had been different. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So now Etho was standing there, in this game booth smelling like horse and hay and wood, listening to Bdubs’ excited chatter about the game and watching how his body was moving with his gestures. Bdubs was vibrating with energy, the visitors making him flaunt his entertaining skills. His whole body seemed to glow, to move with purpose.

Etho cocked his head. 

He had an idea. 

Silently, he approached Bdubs. When his hand touched Bdubs’ shoulder, his talking stuttered for a second, then it picked up again, speeding up a bit. Etho shuffled Bdubs around until he could kneel in front of him, perfectly concealed by the counter and the invisibility potion. 

Bdubs’ hands found their way to Etho’s shoulders, gripping hard. 

“A-and then you just throw the snowball on the target and if you hit the - the bull’s eye, you win! It’s easy like that!”

Etho pushed Bdubs’ shirt up, pulling down his mask and pressing kisses on the smooth skin above the waistband. Bdubs jumped a bit, letting out a high breathy sound. 

“You okay, Bdubs? Your face is a little red.”

“Everything is totally fine, yep yep! Just a little sunburn, you know! Haha! But you - ahem - you should hurry up, it’s nearly time for you guys to get back to the portal!”

Bdubs took a few steps to the side, Etho moving with him. Like this, Bdubs was mostly hidden from other players. 

Etho continued kissing Bdubs stomach, his tongue tasting his skin, the soft hairs that led into his pants. His fingers were already working on the button of the pants. 

He wasn’t sure Bdubs was even breathing, his hands kept fiddling with Etho’s hair, the side of his face, where the mask started.

Etho looked up. Bdubs stared at him, face flushed. Etho cocked an eyebrow.

Okay?

Bdubs nodded his head maniacally. Etho grinned. As expected. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After this first night they had spent together, their dynamic had changed drastically. The fleeting touches turned more significant, their glances more meaningful. Hugs got tighter, longer, hands more daring. When they spent time together, Etho left Bdubs restless, not knowing what he wanted or needed. It was only when he had Bdubs in his arms that Etho could calm down. More often than not, they spent the nights at each other's bases, talking late into the night, their hands, their bodies touching at some point. More often than not, they’d wake up in the same bed, Etho curled around Bdubs who had snuggled into his chest, their limbs entangled. And when they had to part for their projects it just felt wrong. 

It still took them months to take the next step. 

When Bdubs had kissed him the first time, Etho was caught by surprise. He had noticed the change in Bdubs’ behaviour, in his own, but he had been unable to put his finger on what exactly was going on. 

But when Bdubs’ hands had tugged down his mask and his soft lips touched his, everything fell into place. Of course, of course , that was what it was. And then Bdubs’s tongue had touched his own and his brain had shut down. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The button gave in and Etho tugged down Bdubs’ pants a bit. He was fully aware that he was currently breaking all the rules X had stated this morning, that this was not at all PG, but Bdubs was already a trembling mess and he was his and anyway, he wanted to do this now. He had always been a man of opportunity. 

Bdubs didn’t wear underwear. Etho pressed a kiss on his dick that was bulging but still trapped inside the pants. Bdubs’ breathing sped up, his body rigid against the wall, trying not to move a muscle. 

Loud hollering made Bdubs jump.

“I nearly got it, did you see that?”

“Y-yes that was very amazing indeed. You should try againnnh.” Etho pulled Bdubs’ dick from his pants, licking at the wet tip before swallowing it down. He looked up at Bdubs who desperately tried to control his features while still talking to the players. His hands pulled roughly on Etho’s hair, pressing him closer, a silent urging. His throat was bobbing, little pearls of sweat started glistening on his forehead.

Etho started moving, hands on Bdubs’ hips, keeping him in place. Slowly, he built up a steady pace, controlling his movements and making sure to not make a noise. A shiver went through Bdubs, the muscles in his legs started shaking. He panted quietly, his grip tightening. 

“One last try, guys! It’s getting very … late. Mhmmh. Very late.” His voice was breathy, shaky. Etho enjoyed this very much. 

“You sure you good, Bdubs? Did you catch a cold?”

Etho snickered and sucked on Bdubs dick while fondling his balls in one hand. Bdubs twitched. 

“Ngh, yes, sorry, I - I mean maybe I am getting sick, dunno. Maybe you should better get going before I pass it on to you, you know? I’m feeling kinda weak in the knees and stuff.”

A thin layer of sweat was building on Bdubs’ skin. Etho pushed up the shirt a bit more, his fingers sinking into the soft surface of Bdubs’ body. He gripped him tightly, pressing him against the wall, while opening up his throat and taking Bdubs deeper. He tasted clean and salty, Bdubs’ skin smelling like earth and grass and sunshine. Etho inhaled deeply, trying to get as close as possible to Bdubs.

Arousal pulsed through his own body but he ignored it. He’d get it later, he promised his hard dick. Now it was Bdubs’ turn.

He sped up his movements, his fingers digging into Bdubs. The players must have left since Bdubs was moaning and panting and pleading with him without restraint. When Etho looked up, Bdubs was staring blindly at the ceiling, his mouth open. 

“Etho, Etho babe, please, god, fuck, fuck , faster please - I’m close -”

Etho hummed and slowed down again. Sinking back on his heels, he licked Bdubs’ dick which had turned an angry red. The tip was salty with precum and Etho sucked quick and hard on it, making Bdubs cry out. Bdubs was fumbling with his clothes, his coat falling to the ground, the pants slipping to his knees. Etho started his rhythm again, pressing his tongue on the bottom of Bdubs’ dick, feeling the tip slip in and out of his throat. When he swallowed around it, Bdubs’ body simply collapsed around him, his hands pressing Etho’s head into his crotch. His body started twitching, his dick pulsing in Etho’s mouth.

“Etho, god. So good. Fuck. Fuck .”

Warm liquid was filling Etho’s mouth and he was swallowing eagerly, wanting to get every drop of it. Bdubs’ grip was suffocating and Etho loved it. He was completely surrounded by Bdubs’ body, his scent, the adorable sounds he made while he choked Etho on his dick. 

When Bdubs started going soft, Etho slowly retreated. He kept his hands on Bdubs’ hips when he got up. Bdubs looked at him dazedly. Etho pulled up his pants, buttoning them and straightening his shirt. When he picked up the moss coat, Bdubs’ hand stopped him. 

He pulled him closer and stood on his tiptoes to kiss him. 

Kissing Bdubs always felt like the very first time, Etho mused when he wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer and feeling the shakiness in Bdubs’ breath. He tilted his head to kiss him deeper, pushing his tongue into Bdubs’ mouth who moaned and grabbed him tighter. 

“Gosh, guys, seriously? The portal isn’t even closed for five minutes!”

Etho lazily finished kissing Bdubs until the smaller man was breathless again and leaning against him before he pulled his mask up and looked at Xisuma.

“Hey X. Didn’t see you there.”

“Why do I get the very urgent notification from several players that they are worried about Bdubs being sick and shaky? Hm? Doesn’t have anything to do with you here, hm?”

Etho chuckled. 

“Sorry, no idea why they would think that.”

“Yeah, no idea, haha.”, Bdubs parroted, putting on this coat again. 

X just shook his head.

“First Doc and Grian, now you guys. I swear to the void, this week is going to kill me.”

“Ooooh, what did Doc and Grian do?”, Bdubs asked, sneaking his hand into Etho’s. 

“Ask them yourself. I will get some very well deserved rest now. As you should, too. Please.”

Etho put his arm around Bdubs, pulling him closer. The moss coat was soft and squishy. More white flowers sprouted.

“We’ll see.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bdubs’ fingers slowly traced one of Etho’s scars. He followed it from the hollow of his throat down to his belly button where it ended in a wrangled mess of skin. Slowly, Bdubs put his palm on the bumpy surface. 

They lay in Bdubs’ bed in his tower. It was a tight fit, but they made it work. Bdubs’ head was on Etho’s shoulder, Etho’s arm lay loosely around him. Both were breathing deeply, still recovering from the awesome, breathtaking, amazing sex they just had. Even thinking about it made Bdubs’ body heat up again. The way Etho’s tongue had -

“What are you thinking about?”, Etho interrupted his unruly thoughts.

“X could remove these, you know.”, Bdubs evaded and tapped the scar. Etho lifted his head a bit to look at what Bdubs meant. He had taken off his mask again, the scar that split the right side of his face white in the low light of the candles they had lit. His red eye caught the flicker of the flame, glowing eerily. 

“I know.”

“But you don’t want to?”

“No.”

Bdubs was curious but he knew that Etho would share his thoughts with him if and when he wanted to. Nobody was better at keeping secrets than him. Not pressing any further, his hand continued its travel over Etho’s body, caressing him. 

“It’s just …” Etho fell silent again.

“Yes, love?”

“What happened to me was bad -”

“Understatement of the year!”, Bdubs grumbled.

“It was bad, I know that, but … When I was there, when they held me there, I never knew if I’d see the next day. I never knew when they’d decide to stop giving me food, when they’d just put my cage outside and wait for the monsters to come get me.”

Etho’s body was relaxed, his voice even. Still, Bdubs hugged him closer, pulled up the blankets some more.

Etho continued, caught deep in his memories. 

“I knew that they did what they did because of fear. People are always scared of what they cannot understand. And I was a puzzle they couldn’t solve, an abnormality, an anomaly of nature. Of course they were scared.”

“But that doesn’t -”

“It doesn’t excuse what they did, no.” Etho kissed Bdubs’ forehead. Staying in this position, he continued, his lips grazing Bdubs’ skin.

“I will never forget what they did to me. It has shaped me, might have deformed me in some way. I’m not saying I forgave them. I don’t think I can. But I have accepted it, I have moved on. And I am still here. I have survived those bad times. I have survived days without food, days without sleep. I have survived the - the torture, the beatings. I am still here after they tried to carve the evil from my bones.” Etho’s voice had grown quieter, pained. 

It had taken Etho a long time to talk to Bdubs about his past. 

Bdubs had already started to put two and two together from the many small pieces of information Etho sometimes dropped. But the first time Etho had told him his story, Bdubs had experienced what it meant to hate someone with his whole heart. 

Bdubs’ heart broke for the young Etho who had nothing and no one. Who only knew pain and fear. He wanted to rip a hole into time itself and hug that young boy. Bdubs was unable to comprehend the evil in people. How was a person able to do these horrible things to somebody else? How could one justify this level of injustice? Being scared of the unknown was one thing, but punishing a young boy, endlessly scared of the terribly real dreams himself?

Etho’s body spoke of the unspeakable. His scars told the stories of his youth, of the cruelty of his captors. 

To this day, Bdubs wasn’t sure how or when Etho’s eye had turned red. When those dark little symbols which were often mistaken for a discolouring of his iris, had appeared. It seemed like the last puzzle piece to Etho’s story. 

“You are still here, after all this.”, Bdubs confirmed. He tipped his head back and kissed Etho. “You are here with me and I am so thankful for that.”

Etho smiled his small, sad smile.

“And those scars remind me of that. Despite everything, I made it, I am better now, I am well and I am happy. I have friends and a family that chose me. I love it here. Every time I see those scars I remember how far I’ve come. And no matter how bad it gets, I’ll get through it.” 

“You are amazing, you know that?” Bdubs pushed himself up to rest on his elbows. He looked down at Etho. 

“Yep.”

“I love you. No matter what happens, no matter how you change, no matter what you’ve gone through, I. Love. You. Never forget that.”, Bdubs said. 

For a moment, Etho seemed surprised. He never expected it when Bdubs shared his feelings with him. But then he smiled and it was as if the sun just rose. 

“I love you, too. I am here for you Bdubs, in good and bad times. I am here for you.”

Bdubs leaned down and Etho’s mouth welcomed him greedily. It was a deep and slow kiss, an exploration and confirmation.

Chapter Text

When the last visitors left through the portal, arms full with Scarland merch and wearing cat ears, Tango sighed deeply.

“Man, that was exhausting!”, he said, closing his eyes for a second.
“I think it went pretty well.”, Impulse said, rummaging in his inventory before biting into a ripe red apple. “Did you see how excited they were to see the Dwarven Keep? And I got to show them all the cool designs I worked on and the crane I built and the forge - gosh the forge! They loved that!”

Tango just nodded. Impulse had had a busy day, his hands full with the base tour and his place. Since Tango didn’t have a mega base - and Decked Out really didn’t count as a base - he had only done tours through the nether hub and the general districts.

Of course, most questions directed at him were about Decked Out.

Tango knew that closing down the dungeon had been a good choice. The dungeon was moody on its best days. So many new faces, so much fresh flesh to devour would probably hot-wire some of the Redstone connections. A nightmare to find and repair.

Still, there was a tiny part of Tango regretting that he couldn’t show his work to more people. Of course, when they decided to leave this world at some point in the future, it would be accessible to the public, but then Tango wouldn’t be there, probably busy with settling in wherever he would be by then. Tango wouldn’t be able to experience the pure delight and surprise when they entered the dungeon the first time, got their first artefact, and finished their first successful run.

Tango shook off his depressing thoughts and entwined his hand with Impulse’s who was still going on about how awesome his day was.

Together they left the big plaza at the entry building, heading in the direction of the shopping centre. The other Hermits scattered around them, leaving for their or their lovers’ places.

“You’re base or mine?”, Impulse asked, polite as always, even though they always ended up at the Dwarven Keep. Impulse’s bedroom there was just a lot more comfortable than sleeping in Tango’s storage/observation room where you could hear all the sounds of the dungeon. Awaking to the sounds of an angry Warden was not something Impulse was comfortable with. Tango didn’t even really notice the noise anymore.

“Yours, Impy. But I want to check on Decked Out before, to see if all the ravagers are still alive etc.”

Impulse squeezed Tango’s much slimmer hand in his.

“Sure thing.”

Together they took off, Impulse a bit more wobbly with his elytra than Tango. Tango had to grin. Impy’s dwarven half really didn’t like flying.

When Decked Out came into sight, Tango’s smile broadened. The massive build always made his heart flutter. Decked Out was the biggest, most thought out and most detailed structure he had ever built. It had been a pain in the ass, weeks of work and was still not where Tango wanted it to be, but the outside was exactly like Tango envisioned it. It dwarfed everything in the vicinity, looming ominously and creepily from its snowy mountain top.

“It looks like it could just get up at any second and stomp everything into the ground.”, Impulse shouted over the howling of the wind.

Using Tango’s secret entrance, they dropped down into Tango’s storage room where chaos had formed. With all the preparations in the last few weeks, he didn’t have the time or nerve to sort through his items and now random shulker boxes started to pile up.

“Don’t let Doc see this mess.”, Impulse chuckled, settling down on one of the boxes. “He’s gonna beat your ass.” He shot him a quick glance. “Not that you’d mind.”

Tango snickered.

An enraged Doc was always a sight to behold - and an onslaught to endure. And Tango did enjoy his occasional beating.

“Don’t give me ideas.”, he answered, stuffing his equipment into a random chest and filling his inventory with food and totems of undying. He threw a couple into Impulse’s direction.

“Here.”
“What am I supposed to do with them?”
Tango emerged from the chest.
“You’re coming with me.”
“I’m doing what? Nope. No. Nuh-uh. You know how much these things love me, they’ve killed me so many times in that stupid dungeon. They’re going to smell me from a mile away!”
“Aw, come on, Impy.” Tango pranced towards his boyfriend, his tail slipping from his coat and wrapping itself around Impulse’s leg. Slipping upwards.
“Together it’ll be much faster. And you can protect me if I get cornered.”
“I - uh.” Impulse was getting flustered. His gaze flicked back and forth between Tango’s tail on his thigh and Tango’s eyes.
“And with the totems you’ll be super-save. Nothing to worry about. Just a quick in and out.”
“But you know the dungeon better than me. And the ravagers like you. They just want to eat me.”, Impulse complained. But he was already taking off his armour and equipping himself with the totems.

“Thank you, my big strong protector.”, Tango joked and leaned forward to kiss him. Impulse grumbled, but one of his big hands came down on Tango’s neck, pulling him closer until he was straddling his lap. Impulse’s tongue dove deep into Tango’s mouth. He tasted sweet, like the apple he had earlier. His other arm pressed Tango against his crotch, where Tango could feel a growing bulge.

Tango moaned into Impulse’s mouth. He didn’t notice that his fingers started clinging on Impulse’s shirt or that his claws were poking holes into it. His heartbeat sped up. Greedily he returned the kiss, twisting his long tongue around Impulse’s and grinding his hard dick against him until he started panting.
Impulse’s hand on his back wandered down to his ass, his fingers gripping him hard, digging into the soft skin.
Tango moaned more, trying to press harder, get closer.

But of course, Impulse had to be the responsible one between them two.
“The dungeon.”, he said breathlessly against Tango’s lips, nipping on one of his sharp teeth. “Stupid dying ravagers.”
“Ugh.”
Tango sat back. Desire pulsed through his body. Everywhere Impulse touched, Tango went up in flames. He licked his lips. Impulse’s eyes followed the motion, the grip of his hands tightening again.

„Let’s just do this quickly.”, Tango finally said. ”And then we’ll come back to … this.” With a quick hard kiss, he jumped off Impulse’s lap. Impulse frowned but tried to straighten his clothes.
“How am I supposed to walk like this …”, he grumbled playfully. Tango’s eyes followed his hands to the prominent bulge in his pants.

He couldn’t wait to unpack his present later.

He snickered hoarsely.

“Come on, you big baby, it’ll just take a few minutes.”

After a bit more grumbling, Impulse was ready to leave. Tango distributed splash potions of healing for the ravagers – and them, probably – and then they both left Tango’s storage room, using the scaffolding to reach his secret backstage entrance near the shipwreck.
“I’ve never noticed that door!”, Impulse murmured, stroking over the smooth stones that hid the mechanism.

“That’s the intention!”, Tango said and led the way. His burning hair threw ominous shadows on the walls.

It was odd to experience the caves like this, eerily quiet, no heartbeat or card announcements going off. Only the sound of waves as Willie was moving around and the echo of their footsteps accompanied them. The pirate ship sat in perfect silence, rocking slightly in the swell.

Impulse took a moment to admire Bdubs’ craftmanship.

“He really went all out on this underground lake, didn’t he?”, he said. Tango followed his gaze. He smiled.

“He did an absolutely magnificent job here. I wouldn’t have been able to do it any better.”, he answered, praise in his voice.

Then Willie came around the ship, already aiming his trident and they both hurried to get out of sight again. A shrieker went off, but with the game being inactive, they had nothing to fear.
Still, Impulse flinched.

Tango slid his hand into Impulse’s much larger one.
“Normally when I run through here, I am so stressed I don’t even realise the hours of work that have gone into this.”, Impulse started again. “Like, I know you’ve spent months on this, but it’s so surreal. You created a sentient being. Absolutely insane, man.”
Tango grinned, showing off his many sharp teeth. He slapped the walls.
“Well, I am the Dungeon Master. Who if not me to build this thing.” The dungeon rumbled in response. Impulse shuddered.
“Please don’t eat us.”, he mumbled quietly, taking a step back from the walls. Tango just laughed.
“Alright. There’s at least one ravager in the Mushroom area, another one in the bridge room and the third one is probably camping the lava entry. Number four and five are prooobably stuck somewhere, maybe at Pearl’s room or at the chain bridge. We’ll see.”
“Who’s on level 2 again?”
“Sir Fluffykins of the Dungeon, Skadoodles, Snausages, Froomkins and my baby Nugget.”, Tango counted on his fingers.
“Did you really just call a big hairy monster a baby?”
“Well, I call you baby, too, don’t I?”
Impulse just snorted and pulled Tango closer again. Tango grinned and stuck out his tongue. Impulse gave him a little push until he could press him against the wall.

A shrieker protested loudly.

“Are you saying I am a big hairy monster?”, he murmured into Tango’s ear. The demon shivered in reply, gripping Impulse’s arms firmly. The bright-blue fire in his eyes burned.
“You are definitely my monster.”, he said before kissing him, sliding his tongue into the other’s mouth. Impulse moaned.
Soon, the narrow alley was filled with breathless panting, and the sound of clothes rustling.
“Why are you wearing so many layers!”, Impulse complained when he couldn’t get his hands on Tango’s skin fast enough.
“Hey, I may be cooled down for now but I’m still a fire demon. I do not fare well with these temperatures!”, Tango said but unbuttoned his cloak and lifted his shirt. “Here ya go.”
Both sighed when skin touched skin. Impulse nipped on Tango’s neck, his sharp teeth careful to not break skin. Tango fidgeted, trying to get closer, but Impulse had him firmly pinned against the wall, his broad frame blocking his view entirely.

Most people would call both of them monsters, abnormalities of nature. Impulse’s Dwarven ancestors might’ve determined his most prominent features, but there had been several different demon kinds bred into his bloodline, obvious in his enormous strength, his sharp canines and the two small horns on his forehead. Anybody that didn’t know him well would be afraid.
But Tango knew better. His boyfriend was the friendliest, most conflict avoidant and people pleasing person he knew. A big teddy bear, basically.
Unless someone he loved was hurt.

The polar opposite of him. His outside definitely showed the inside: Fierce, mean, and dangerous. Even his cooled down version couldn’t hide his strong magical source. And then there was his burning hair, his claws, and the creepy glowing eyes. Oh, and his tail, tipped with currently blue fire at the end.
Well, Tango definitely delivered on his fire demon side.
Some might underestimate him at first sight because of his slim frame and rather small figure. Tango usually quickly taught them better though. He didn’t mind it when other people feared him. In fact, he indulged in the feeling.

Impulse’s hands on Tango’s rib cage were warm. He still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that right now, most of the other Hermits were actually warmer than him. Normally he was burning hot, just about comfortable to touch. More delicate beings would get burned by his skin.
But right now, his body was way below its normal temperature. The process had been necessary to be able to build and live in the Frozen Crypt. It had also been long and not very pleasant. Let’s just say there was a lot of ice in and outside of Tango involved.

Nevertheless, it was an intriguing experience to be able to feel another person’s warmth like this. Tango pressed closer to Impulse, whose body was radiating more of this delicious warmth. A thick knee found its way between his legs and Tango moaned at the pressure against his hard dick.
His hands crawled below Impulse’s shirt, his claws scratching his skin on his back.
“More.”, he groaned into Impulse’s mouth, licking his tongue, entangling it with his own.

Before Impulse could answer, a very familiar sound appeared on Tango’s right. Before he had realised it, he had pushed Impulse back, grabbed him by the hand and stumbled into the opposite direction.
“Skadoodle!”, he screamed.
Froomkins roared sadly behind them, kept back by the zoning line.

“Oh for fuck’s sake.”, Impulse swore, straightening his clothes for the second time on that day.

“Froomkins! You found us! Such a good girl, I’m so proud of you!”, Tango cooed, quickly splashing the ravager before jumping out of reach again.
“That’s number one!” He beamed at Impulse.
“You - I can’t. Tango, Froomkins EATS people!”
“So does Ren. And Cleo. I had a few as well in the past.” Tango replied. Sure, they hadn’t had people for lunch for centuries, but the point still stood. Not everything was inherently bad just because of one single feature.

Impulse shook his head.
“Okay. Point taken. Then … only four more, right?”
“And five on level one.”
“Oh, yay.”

After Froomkins’ surprise visit, they both moved a lot more carefully - and way less distracted - through the dungeon.
Sir Fluffykins was busy chasing bats when they found him. Tango played the bait while Impulse came from the back and splashed the diverted ravager. They surprised Snausages and Skadoodles cuddling in the mushroom area, dozing while the dungeon was closed. Tango and Impulse tip-toed onto the top of one of the tall mushrooms and threw the healing potions at them. Tango was cackling maniacally when they sprinted away from the now very angry ravagers.
Nugget was harder to find. After searching Pearl’s room and the bridge room to no avail, Tango was starting to worry.

Nugget was one of the first ravagers he had led into the dungeon and while, yes, she definitely wanted to eat his face, he still cared about her.

“Do you think she might have died?”, Impulse asked quietly. The corridor seemed to get darker for a moment.
“I don’t think so.”, Tango replied. “I’m pretty sure the dungeon would have told me already.”
Impulse squeezed his hand and they continued searching.
Ironically, they found Nugget in the ravager room, snuggling with the little ravager statues there. Tango’s heart squeezed when they sighted her from a distance. Ravagers were not able to reproduce, being a side-product of Vindicator magic. Seeing Nugget curled around the much smaller ravager mock-up was gut-wrenching. Silently he promised her some extra tasty snacks when the dungeon was reopened. Maybe he could offer Etho a refund shard if he let Nugget nibble on him.

Tango signalled Impulse to wait and snuck closer. As quiet as he could he shattered the potion. Of course, Nugget heard him, but she only opened one of her eyes and looked at him with contempt. Apparently she was not in the mood for Tango-bites.

“Good girl.”, Tango whispered and returned to Impulse.

Impulse watched the scene with conflicting emotions. Seeing Tango act so affectionately towards his creatures, obviously caring for them deeply touched his heart and made him love him even more.

On the other hand, seeing his slim body next to this much much bigger monster who stared at him, her body ready to rip into him at any moment, was enough to nearly make him fly off the handle, grab him and just run out of here.

Of course, theoretically, he knew that Tango was the only one able to wrangle these animals. Except maybe for Etho and his ninja mind tricks. And he also knew that Tango was much stronger than he seemed and that this was nothing out of the ordinary for him. Impulse was also aware that Tango would laugh at him for being so scared. In fact, Impulse’s heart rate hadn’t normalised since they stepped foot into this god-forsaken dungeon.

But when Tango walked back to him and smiled at him so happily and softly, Impulse’s heart melted and he just wanted to squeeze his boyfriend.
“She’s the best girl.”, he agreed and wrapped an arm around Tango.
“Now let’s finish off level one and get out of here, please!”

Bad luck nearly ate their asses when they walked up to the statue room on level one. Mr Poopy head and Munchkins were chasing them across the river the souls, Impulse screeching, Tango laughing.
Laser beams was down in the crypt, running straight across the table in the middle to get to them. Impulse hid in the cabinet.
And finally, Skill Issue nearly kicked their butts right before they dropped down to the shop area.

Impulse slid down one of the pillars in the shop, breathing heavily.
“Remind me to never EVER do this again.”, he huffed, his breath still a little cloud in front of him. He started rubbing his hands which had reddened from the cold.

Tango just snickered, brushing snow and little icicles from his coat. He was so used to running from his monsters, he wasn’t even out of breath.

After checking whether all the card displays were intact and the lamps had enough fire to burn until Decked Out was reopening, he squatted in front of Impulse, who looked quite unhappy.

He picked up Impulse’s hands and put them under his coat and shirt, on his skin. He hissed a bit at the icy contact but Impulse sighed.
“Better?”
“ A bit.”
Impulse spread his legs so Tango could inch forward until he was cuddled against him.
“It’s kinda nice.”, Tango said and yawned.
“What is?”
“This. Spending time with you.”
“You mean fleeing in terror to not be eaten?” Impulse’s voice was quiet. He sounded tired. Tango spread his coat open so it could cover part of Impulse, as well.
“Fleeing in terror together.” Impulse’s chest was so warm and soft. He could hear his heartbeat, feel the soft fabric of his shirt under his cheek. Tango closed his eyes for a second. It’s been a long, exhausting day.
“Mhm.”, Impulse murmured, pulling Tango closer. He could see the flickering of Tango’s hair through his closed eyes, drawing moving shadows on his eyelids.
They’d get up in a second. And then they’d get food and sleep in a comfy bed.
Just.
In a second.

Chapter Text

Doc recovered quickly from the surprise and turned around to a grinning Ren, hands on his hips.

Doc pressed a kiss on Ren’s forehead before wrapping an arm around him and guiding them towards Scarland.

“Did you now?”

“A little birdie told me.”

For a moment Doc was confused. He hadn’t talked to Grian yet about Silver. But then it clicked.

“He always likes to brag, huh.”, Doc huffed. Ren laughed and snuggled into Doc.

“I wish I were there and could have watched you guys. I’m really surprised you didn’t get caught though.”

Doc cleared his throat. “Well …”

“No way! Doc! Who of the Hermits was it?”

Doc grimaced.

Ren’s eyes turned round. “Are you kidding me? A PLAYER? Did you tell Xisuma? Who was it? Does Grian know? We need to -”

“I’ve handled the situation, no need to panic. And we’re going to Scarland so I can talk to bird boy.”

“You handled it? Oh my god, Doc, that is a serious matter! How exactly did you handle it? Is there a traumatised player somewhere now? Are you hiding them in your base or what?”

Doc sputtered. “I’d never do that!”

Ren just lifted an eyebrow.
“Yeah, okay, well, that was only one time and it was really long ago!”

Ren tried to get more details, but Doc remained stubborn. Slowly they walked through the suddenly empty, quiet streets of their home. Here and there you could see the residue from the day, empty popcorn containers and lost tools. Soon enough, they’d despawn. And then it’ll all start over tomorrow morning.

They reached Scarland’s entrance and walked towards Scar’s townhouse. When they came closer they could hear Grian’s unmistakable laughter and Scar’s indignant voice.
“I mean it for real! They had like little feelers and all! And they kept following me! I nearly died to a creeper!”

Another wave of laughter from Grian followed when Doc opened the door without knocking and stepped aside to let Ren enter first.

“Hey guys!”, he rumbled, pulling Ren close again.

“Doc! Ren! What a lovely surprise!”, Scar exclaimed. “I was just telling Grian about the weird little critters that kept following me today!”

“Don’t listen to him, I think he ate some bad mushrooms and had hallucinations or something!”, Grian interrupted and hopped down from the counter he had been perched on. He walked over to Ren to pull him down and give him a sweet little kiss before looking up to Doc.

“Come down here, you giant, so I can give you a little kissy-kissy.”

“Kissy-kissy?”, Doc asked but obeyed and was rewarded with a warm peck on his lips.

“Didn’t get enough of Doc yet, Grian?”, Scar teased before he waved them all over to the sofa he sat on, his long legs stretched in front of him. “Forgive me if I don’t get up but my legs are a bit tired after today.”

“Don’t overdo it, Scar.”, Doc chided softly before reaching down to caress Scar’s face. He plopped down on the sofa next to Scar, making him shake. Scar rested his head against Doc’s shoulder while Grian settled with his head in Scar’s lap and Ren cuddled into Doc’s other side. Comfortable silence surrounded them, interrupted only by short anecdotes Grian or Scar told that made Doc laugh. Their day seemed to have been eventless and smooth. Good for them.

Then they talked about all and nothing for a bit, enjoying the warmth and peacefulness of Scar’s place.

After a while Ren pinched Doc’s side. He jolted.

“Uh, yeah, ah. Grian. I have to tell you something.”

“Do it fast, I’m very close to falling asleep.” Grian had closed his eyes and snuggled into Scar’s stomach while Scar’s hands wove through Grian’s locks.

“You remember our little moment in the trees today?”

“Mhhh, yes, I remember it very well.”

Scar laughed.

“So, uh, someone might have seen us. Well, definitely heard us.”

Before Grian could say anything else, Doc rumbled on.

“But don’t worry, X and I handled the situation, Silver signed an NDA and all is good. They’re pretty cool. And they seemed really uncomfortable with the fact they eavesdropped by accident. Silver promised they wouldn’t tell a soul and I believe them. So. You don’t have to worry. I just thought you’d like to know. Silver will come to the perimeter again tomorrow, in case you want to talk to them in person. They’re cool, I think you’d like them. And they seem like a decent person so … you know … all is good.”

Silence. Then Grian cackled.

“Oh my god, do you have a crush on that Silver person?”

“What? Why? No! Did you even listen to what I said?”

“Silver saw us, NDA, blablabla and you mentioned twice that they’re cool. You like them!”

“I just think they’re a really cool person!”

This time, even Ren started snickering.

“My love, there are only very few people you think are cool or even decent.”

“What? No, I think you’re cool and Grian and Scar and all the Hermits!”

“And you have sex with most of them.”

That did shut Doc up. Grian giggled again.

“I … hm. I wouldn’t say it’s a crush. Yet. They definitely wake my protective instincts. They’re bright and bubbly. And .. ah. Very pretty, with silver hair and differently coloured eyes.”, Doc mused.

“Oh I think I saw them!”, Scar said. “I used an invisibility potion to walk through Scarland in the afternoon, you know, to experience it with all the people but without the attention. Really tall with short silver hair? Very slender body?”

Doc nodded. “A bit like a dancer, I’d say.” Speaking of their body, Doc realised they reminded him of a grass blade or a weed maybe. Slim and flexible, but sturdy against external influences.

“Maybe I’ll come over to the perimeter tomorrow.”, Grian said. “Just to take a look at them. They must be really special if good ol’ Doc is this blown away after just a few hours.”

Doc said nothing. He was contemplating whether to tell his friends about Silver’s hybrid status. There weren’t too many of them and most of them tried to keep it hidden. But here on Hermitcraft, nearly all of them had some part alien in them. That was what made their group so strong. But then there was Silver’s little – fit? Panic attack? – after he had carried them out of the perimeter. He still wasn’t sure what Silver’s hybrid side could be but he was quite certain it had something to do with nature, maybe even land magic. That was a very rare gift. In the wrong hands it could be incredibly destructive. Silver seemed very peaceful though.

He’d take a look at the ring of flowers tomorrow. Trying to identify them might help him find out what Silver was. Maybe he would build something around the flowers to make sure nobody trampled on them. He should have done that right away. What if an Enderman came by and took them? Or –

“Hermitcraft to Doc, are you listening?” Ren was snapping his fingers in front of Doc. Playfully he snatched at them with his teeth before pulling Ren’s hand to his chest.

“Sorry, got lost in my thoughts.”

“Scar asked whether we wanted to spend the night. He finished his new bedroom.” That caught Doc’s attention.

“You did? Even the bed?”

Scar nodded proudly. “We’re one pillow short at the moment though. And … ah. Well, the mattress has a few rips.”

Doc grinned. “Had a little housewarming-party, huh?” Scar blushed but Grian laughed.

“It wasn’t planned, really. At least to that extent. But I wanted to give him a massage and Stress mixed some freaking strong aphrodisiac into the oil and yeah. The rest is history.”

“Aphrodisiac? That sounds interesting!”, Ren’s ears perked up.

“As if you’d need it!”, Doc said, gripping Ren’s thigh a bit tighter.

“So, should we go upstairs?”, Scar asked and moved Grian’s head from his lap to stand up.

“Oh no, mister!”, Doc growled, grabbing Scar. For the second time today, he carried someone princess-style. Scar squeaked. “Doc! I can walk!”

“But you don’t have to. You’re a light-weight and there’s a shitton of stairs to your bedroom. So shut up and enjoy the ride. I like carrying you.”

Scar closed his mouth with a click and relaxed in Doc’s arms. “Okay. Thank you.”

Doc pressed the man against his chest and purred when Scar’s long fingers tangled in his fur.
He’d never tell a soul but sometimes his pure height and strength made him feel out of place, like a brute or a giant. Too big compared to the mostly slimmer Hermits. He was often slower and less agile than them, sometimes even clumsy. His strength could be frightening, his creeper traits more than … creepy. Ha. But moments like this, when his inherent traits could actually help his friends, made him feel a lot better.
If he were smaller or weaker, Scar would have had to walk up the stairs. Silver would have had to wait down in the perimeter until he brought them a second elytra.

Nothing outrageous but it was the little things that made Doc feel like he belonged, like he was actually wanted and needed.

Carefully, he set Scar to his feet when they reached the bedroom.

“Oh Scar! It’s beautiful!”, Ren squealed, running his fingers over the intricately carved wood of the giant four-poster bed.

“Thank you. And we all can fit easily on there.”

The walls were covered in silken green tapestry. Tall windows would let in the sunshine during the day and now gave a brilliant view of lit up Scarland. The floor was covered with plush carpets and dozens of pillows in earthy colours were thrown on the bed. And there, in the middle of the mattress, long rips graced the mattress, just about the height where Scar’s hands would be located. Intriguing.

Doc might inquire about this massaging potion.

He was already shrugging off his lab coat and taking off his pants so he only wore black boxers. Grian claimed a spot in the middle of the bed, using the pillows to make a nest for them.

“I’m not up for much tonight though.”, Scar admitted.

“No worries.”, Ren answered before crawling towards Grian, only wearing his fur. “Do you need a potion?”
Sometimes Scar’s pain got so bad he wouldn’t be able to sleep without a potion of regeneration.

“I’ll take one tomorrow morning. I should be good for the night. Also, I still have the after effects of the massaging oil, I don’t want to overdo it.”

Doc quickly scanned Scar but there was nothing out of the ordinary to worry about. Just deep exhaustion and the usual joint pains. He lay down on his back next to Grian and patted his free side.
“Come here.” He knew that his body heat helped soothe Scar’s muscle cramps so he cradled the man carefully against his body, feeling some tension already leave Scar. Scar let out a breath, winding his arms around Doc and rubbed his face against his fur.

“So soft.”, he said quietly. Doc’s heart melted a bit.

“This is nice.”, Grian’s voice was muffled since he was trying to get his body as close to Ren’s as possible. Doc sighed and ran his fingers over Scar’s much cooler back. “You need a blanket?”, he asked. Scar just shuffled a bit closer and shook his head. “‘m good. Tired.”

“Then let’s sleep. Night y’all.”

“Pleasant dreams, my loves.”,  Ren added. Grian mumbled something, Scar was already asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Doc woke slowly. Pleasant sensations brought him to his senses, waking his instincts before anything else. Hot hands and mouths on him. Before he was fully awake, Scar’s cool lips covered his, his tongue slipping in and licking over Doc’s. Ren was snuggled on his side, covering his neck and chest with kisses while Grian was straddling him, licking over his abs and fondling his balls.

“Wha–” Scar dove in deeper, grabbing Doc’s horns and pulling him closer. Doc’s arms automatically came around him, pressing him close, returning the kiss and licking into Scar’s mouth. Scar moaned, his grip on Doc’s horns tightening, making Doc shiver in reply.

“We wanted to make sure you’re not totally pent up when you meet Silver again today.”, Grian said and nibbled on his skin, before biting down hard. Doc’s abs contracted in pleasure and pain. Grian had sharp teeth.

“Very nice of you indeed.”, Doc panted when Scar had to stop the kiss for oxygen.

“Right? And this time, we don’t even need to be quiet.”

“Oh?”
Grian’s weight settled on top of Doc.

“Scar, keep his mouth busy.”

Before Doc could ask what was going on, Scar shuffled up on the bed until his hard dick was in front of Doc’s face.

“You hungry, Doc?”

“For you? Always.”, Doc grinned, grabbing Scar’s hips and pulling him towards him. Even Scar’s cock was a few degrees cooler than Doc, giving him the distinct feeling of sucking on a delicious popsicle. And Doc liked a good popsicle.
Scar started moaning instantly, holding on tight to Doc’s horns again and using them to direct Doc’s movements. Doc’s eyes started to roll back into his head.
Fuck, he loved it when somebody dared to use him like that.

Then slippery fingers were on his cock, smearing thick potion on him, caressing his balls before giving him one, two, three quick pumps. Doc’s body jerked but Scar held his head firmly in position while Grian’s tight body started to surround Doc’s cock. Doc moaned around Scar’s dick, Scar’s movements speeding up, knocking against Doc’s throat. Grian’s hotness made Doc positively melt, his thoughts dissolving like cotton candy.

Ren’s fingers started teasing Doc’s nipples, his teeth following suit. Doc’s abs tensed again when Ren’s rough tongue continued to lick his body, caressing every erogenous zone with excessive dedication. The sharp edges of his canines scraped over the sensitive skin. Then Ren grabbed Doc’s hand and directed it to his own hard dick. Doc wrapped his fingers tight around the cock, pressing his thumb against the sensitive glans and started to slowly jerk Ren off. The werewolf loosened a deep breath before grabbing Scar’s face and kissing him deeply. From below them, Doc could see their tongues tangle.

‘This is my favourite way to wake up.’, Doc thought before Grian bottomed out on top of him and he didn’t think anything for a long, long time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tango awoke encased in the warmth of Impulse’s body. They were still in the Dungeon shop, curled together on the cold floor. Tango’s cheek rested on Impulse’s arm, their legs tangled. Tango’s coat was their blanket.

Impulse’s breath was deep and steady, his hear a tousled mess.

Tango smiled tenderly. The last weeks had been stressful. Impulse, ever the perfectionist, had been running around on the server like a headless chicken, trying to finish everything and help everyone at the same time.
He reached up and trailed Impulse’s face with his fingers. He had a strong nose and chin, his horns small but pointy at the tip. The sun had burned some freckles on his otherwise pale skin.
Tango marvelled at the amount of heat Impulse emitted. He held his hand a few millimetres above his skin, feeling the warmth on his own chilled skin.

Being cooled down had been a necessary condition to be able to work and live in the dungeon. In the beginning he had thought he would be able to withstand the cold in his normal fire demon body, but quickly his magic had protested, increasing his body temperature in return, melting the ice he had been carefully placing in the Frozen Crypt.

Now he could comfortably move through his dungeon, the cold not bothering him at all. Despite that, Tango was looking forward to returning to his old, burning-hot self. It was strange for him to not feel the heat of his magic inside him, to always see his breath form a cloud in front of him. He still wasn’t quite used to the bluish tint of his skin and the eery ice-blue shine of his eyes.

When Impulse had seen him the first time in his new body, he had been stunned, brushing through his hair that now didn’t burn him anymore.

“You look incredible.”, he had finally said, cupping Tango’s face in his big hands.

“Is it not too weird, all this blue? And I’m so cold!”

Impulse had shaken his head.

“It’s a change, but not a bad one. You know I always loved your eyes and this blue is very fascinating. And for the cold skin –” His hands had crawled along Tango’s body, over his rips to his ass, squeezing it.

“-- I’d say I can produce enough body heat for both of us.”

Tango had laughed and that was it.

Impulse shifted a bit in his sleep. Tango frowned. Impulse was probably uncomfortable. The floor was cold and hard and they didn’t have a proper dinner. What time was it anyway?
When he tried to get to his comm in one of the pockets of his coat, Impulse moved again, pulling Tango closer and placing one of his strong legs over Tango, effectively trapping him.
More heat surrounded Tango and he couldn’t stop a quiet purring. Impulse’s mouth twitched, his grip tightening. His eyes opened.

“Hey love.”

“Hey…”, Tango answered, wrapping one arm around Impulse’s waist.

“Did you sleep well?”

Impulse yawned.

“Better than one would expect in this room. I’m pretty tense now though.”

Impulse released him and sat up, stretching his arms and cracking his neck.

“I think I’m getting old.”

Tango laughed.

“Well, we did sleep on a stone floor. No wonder you feel like shit. I had a comfy pillow.”

He checked his comm. They had slept away most of the night, sunrise only a few hours away.

They still had a few hours …

Impulse was still stretching, leaning against one of the pillars, his shirt unbuttoned at his chest, delicious skin showing.
Tango pushed off the coat and bounced on him. His hands caught Impulse’s arms around his wrists, holding them above his head. He was kneeling between his legs, keeping them spread.
Impulse’s breath hitched.

“Are you still tired?”, Tango asked, nipping on Impulse’s neck, his sharp teeth close to breaking the skin.

“N-no?”

“Hungry?”

“Not really, but I could eat something later?”

“In the mood for a bit of playtime?”

Impulse shifted, his legs falling apart a bit more. His voice was deeper when he answered.

“What a question.”

With a quick flick of his wrists, Impulse freed his arms and wrapped one arm around Tango’s waist. While the other pulled the discarded coat closer, he laid Tango down onto the thick fabric.

“Hey.”

“I’m just having breakfast.”

Tango laughed.

“Are you serious?”

Impulse’s tongue trailed Tango’s sensitive ear, making his body go tense.

“Absolutely.”

Tango relaxed when Impulse pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his pale body. Impulse sat back to admire the buffet in front of him. Tango’s skin glowed in a bluish-white, his nipples a light pink on nice pecs. He was not overly muscular since his strengths were his brain and magic, but his body was slender and quick, trained from months of dodging ravagers, vexes and wardens.

A thin scar wrapped around his ribs, ending just above the v of his abdomen. When Impulse trailed it, goosebumps bloomed on the skin. Tango grabbed for him, trying to pull him closer. Impulse leaned back and shook his head.

“Nuh-uh. I want to enjoy that.” He rummaged in his inventory and finally took out a solid looking metal chain.

“Will you be able to break these if you need to?”, he asked, showing Tango the chain. He inspected it, his eyes glowing a bit brighter with excitement.

“Yep, no problem.”

“Alright.” Quickly Impulse attached one end on the stone floor, then wrapped it tightly around Tango’s wrists.

“Okay?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

Impulse hammered the other end into the stone as well, testing its stability. He trusted Tango’s assessment. And he would be able to rip the chain in half within seconds.

Once Impulse was satisfied with Tango’s shackles, he pressed a quick kiss on his lips.

“You know your colours?”

“Pink, green, rose-bush-red.”, Tango answered, already inpatient. He tested the chains, his arms tensing under the effort.

Impulse just looked at him.

Tango rolled his eyes.

“Green, yellow, red. Safeword gold.”

Impulse nodded.

“Good boy.”

Before Tango could even blush, Impulse’s yellow eyes darkened and his features turned sharper.

“You’ll be my breakfast now.”

Tango shivered.

Dominant Impulse was rare. He must have held back for quite a while now.

Impulse looked at the meal laid out before him. His boyfriend was always a sight to behold, no matter the body he was in. The cooler colours made his skin look nearly translucent, his glowing eyes wavering, looking greedily at him.

“Where should I touch you?”, Impulse asked, one finger sliding slowly from Tango’s neck downwards to his pants.

Tango swallowed.
He could decide?

“Kiss me please.”, he answered. He loved kissing, the feeling of someone’s lips on his own, tasting the other person for the first time.

Impulse leaned in, his hands encasing Tango’s ribcage and kissed him.
On his stomach.
Tango’s abs contracted at the warm contact.

“No, I - I meant my mouth, dumbass!”

Impulse mouth froze. Tango slowly lifted his head to look at him. Ice-blue met molten gold.

“What did you just call me?”

Uh. Oh.

Tango giggled nervously. And then, because he was stupid and never knew when to stop, he said:

“Dumbass. That’s my stomach, not my mouth.”

Impulse frowned, looking down.

“Hm. Indeed. Well, that was my mistake.”

He leaned forward again. Tango closed his eyes, waiting for the kiss. Instead, rough fabric touched his mouth. When he opened it to protest, it was shoved roughly inside.
“Can’t have you speaking to me like that, can we?”, Impulse said, his voice smooth as silk.

Tango’s body was unable to produce heat anymore otherwise he would be already standing in flames. His dick had been hard for a while, now it was pressing against his uncomfortable pants, demanding attention.
Impulse’s eyes flicked down again.
His hand came down on Tango’s crotch.

“Someone is impatient today, huh.”

Tango squirmed, his toes curling at the light pressure.
Then the hand disappeared.

“Time to teach you some patience, love.”

Impulse stood up, unbuttoning his shirt and folding it neatly. Then he took off his pants and underwear, adding that to his shirt.
Tango’s eyes followed each of his moves greedily. When Impulse was naked, his eyes were glued to his dick.

He couldn’t wait to be destroyed by him. Like most of Impulse’s body, his dick was broad and compact, curved perfectly to reach Tango’s prostate.

Heat balled in Tango’s stomach. His fists were opening and closing, the silent rattle of the chains the only sound in the room.

“You will not be able to walk when I’m done with you.”, Impulse said, kneeling down in front of Tango’s legs again, spreading them. Then he unzipped his pants, freeing his dick. He licked his lips.

“And you will enjoy it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple of hours later, Grian might have worn Scar’s shirt, Doc was still trying to fit his arms into his lab coat and Ren’s fur stood in all directions when they reached the entrance building the second the portal opened. They met a wobbly Tango and very satisfied Impulse on the way.

They shared a knowing smile before sobering up.

When the group stumbled in, trying to look as presentable as possible, Xisuma shook his head but said nothing.

They’d never learn anyway. 

Chapter Text

Silver had chosen Scarland for their lunch break again. While nibbling on the cookies they had bought they observed the crowd around them. Scarland was one of the main attractions of Hermitcraft, tons of players were visiting the attractions, carrying Jellie balloons and buying Scarland merch.

It was another bright sunny day on the server and everyone seemed in a good mood. Their entrance today had gone a bit more smoothly, the players being less pushy. Silver had also noticed that the crowds had shrunk a bit. Not very noticeable but the booths at the entrance building weren’t as stuffed as on the first day. Silver guessed that some players may have already satisfied their curiosity and weren’t as interested in the server overall.

That didn’t apply to Silver. Their list of to do’s was still quite long and they hoped they would be able to finish it by the end of the week. They wanted to see and experience everything. On the weekend more meet and greets with the Hermits would take place meaning they probably wouldn’t have the time to explore much more.

So Silver had spent the morning exploring BDubs’ post-apocalyptic slash industrial base, taking notes again for texturing and block combinations. While they themselves preferred more nature-oriented bases, there certainly was a lot to learn from the master builder. Overall, they were surprised how the different building styles and colour concepts fit together on the server.

Silver had only been on one other multiplayer server and while they had enjoyed the interactions there, they had been happy to return to their own little safe space on their private server. The multiplayer server had been loud and chaotic, the admins and mods always a bit too busy to pay attention to all of the players.

That had resulted in a messed up shopping district where neighbouring shops sold the same items, slowly devaluing the currency. That had led to price wars, hyperinflation, and many players had resorted back to just producing their own supplies, eventually decreasing player interaction and communication.

Silver’s singleplayer world was quite the opposite. They lived in the middle of the woods there, using a cluster of small buildings for storage, enchanting, sleeping and so on. The builds were always blended into the surrounding trees and foliage, interrupting the environment as little as possible so it would give a harmonic impression of the village.

Hermitcraft showed them though how much more a server could be when the inhabitants lived in a close-knit neighbourhood. Well, very close indeed, Silver smiled to themselves as they remembered their … situation in the forest.

Let’s just call it that.

Silver had also tried their luck with BDubs’ horse game but their aim was terrible, they missed every shot. Some players had better luck and more than a few were already on horses on the server, a few even used pigs, much to the delight of Silver. All the animals on the server seemed taken care of well even though most preferred to stay in the green meadows beyond the city.

They had just finished their meal and started to pack away their things when they saw some familiar faces. The group of guys who had visited the perimeter with them seemed up to something. They approached a small female player, looking barely 18 who stood at the popcorn stand.

Silver noticed the particles around them and the bluish reflection in their eyes when the sun hit just right that marked them as an allay hybrid. They usually were very softhearted, friendly and naïve beings, just as their ancestors. The hybrid looked towards the guys and smiled, revealing cute little dimples. Silver had always had a soft spot for the allays and their hybrid siblings as they were pretty much defenceless and the nicest beings around.

Not someone who could deal well with a bunch of guys who very obviously meant mischief.

Silver slowly stood up and walked towards the small group. Something was wrong about how the guys moved and whispered with each other. While probably nobody else would recognize the allay hybrid Silver would rather not bet on it. The female player was at least a foot smaller than Silver. When Silver came closer, she seemed a bit insecure about what to do with all the attention.

“… I can show you right now, if you want? It’s close and really cool!”, one of the dudes said, apparently the head of the group. The girl smiled shyly.

“I-I’m not sure? I was supposed to meet up with my friends, we wanted to watch Scar’s show and –“

“It’ll really just take a second. Don’t you want to see it?”, he pressed on. Silver looked at his player tag. MasterBoss. Creative.

“See what?”, Silver asked, positioning themselves next to the girl that flinched when she noticed them. Silver gave her a little reassuring smile.

“Apparently they found a really cool easter egg that Scar has hidden for the visitors to find.”, the girl said.

“Oh, fascinating! If you don’t mind, I’ll tag along.”

MasterBoss shrugged. “Sure.” He turned around to lead the way.

“Actually, sorry, I listened in a bit, didn’t you say you wanted to see Scar’s show?”, Silver said to the girl who still  looked up at her. “I’m pretty sure it’s about to begin on the big plaza. You don’t want to be late or all the good seats will be taken.”, they added.

“Oh really? Oh my, thank you so much for telling me! I keep losing track of time. Sorry guys, but I gotta go then. Thanks again! See you around.” And with that the little hybrid whirled away, leaving glittery particles in her wake.

“Guess it’s just me then.” Neither of the guys seemed especially happy about that.

Silver was glad the little one had left. They weren’t sure yet what exactly was going on but something definitely was.

“Lead the way.”

They’d just see what the guys had discovered and in case anything went wrong they’d just run and find the closest help centre. It was broad daylight, what could go wrong. TNT and other explosives had been banned in the districts with buildings, so Silver felt pretty safe. And they also had their sword – although, now that Silver paid attention, they noticed that all the guys were at least partly equipped with diamond armour, enchantments glinting on their swords. Someone had been busy grinding for materials.

While Silver followed the group they rearranged their inventory, checking their tools and durability. But still, this was Hermitcraft, and all the visitors had been thoroughly checked before being allowed on the server.

Silver felt safe.

“Are you into Redstone?”, the leader of the group tried to make conversation.

“Not really. I think I get the basics but I’ll never be a Redstoner, if that’s what you mean. I use it for the basics like simple farms and such but I’ll never reach Doc’s or Etho’s level of proficiency.”

“Interesting. Then why did you attend Doc’s perimeter tour?”

Did that sound a bit accusing? Silver was probably just imagining things.

“Well, first of all, I don’t need to understand Redstone to appreciate the immense work that has gone into Doc’s farms. I think it is really fascinating to see what a genius like him can create in survival. And secondly, Redstone is not all you can see there.”

“Ah, you mean those ruins, right? Never really understood why Doc didn’t get rid of them. They’re broken and boring anyway.”

Silver didn’t say anything to that. To each their own.

They walked to the back alleys of Scarland where all the tools and bigger machinery was stored. Nobody else seemed to be around, most players probably attending the big Scarland parade that would be starting soon.

After they passed a trolley they turned right into a dead end with some sort of shack in the corner.

“It’s just over there.”, MasterBoss said, speeding up his steps and grabbing Silver’s arm. Uneasiness coiled in Silver’s stomach but they told themselves they were safe. All was fine. This alley seemed a bit neglected, small clusters of weed grew in the cracks in the pavement. Still, lanterns had been installed so even though it was between two high buildings it was well-lit.

“Are you good at combat?”

Was that an odd question?

“Better in close than long-range, but overall rather average.”, Silver answered, checking their weapons again. They could probably take one of them, maybe two, but they outnumbered them. Four against one were bad odds. Silver swallowed and tried to calm their nerves. The worst that could happen was they died and respawned in the entrance area. Not fun and probably quite painful but also not the end of the world.

The leader pulled them to the shack, opened the door and walked inside. Simple wood flooring, a work bench and a bed in one corner. No torch lit the room so only the open door provided some light.

“Well, I wouldn’t call that an easter egg, really.”, Silver said. “Scar probably just needed a quick place to sleep or something.”

“Oh, that’s not all.”, MasterBoss said, releasing their arm. “Since you ran off the other girl, you can have all the fun to yourself.” He gave them a hard shove and Silver stumbled forward, outstretching their hands to stop the fall and touching the bed, effectively setting their spawn there.

“Wha—" They turned around and saw the guys quickly leave the room, shutting the door behind them. “Guys, what the hell. This is not my idea of fun.”, Silver said and walked to the door.

Outside, they heard snickering.

“As I said before, that’s not all.”, the leader’s voice came through the walls. “Now go play while the adults do their thing.” Before Silver could reach the door, they heard the distinct sound of a lever being pulled. Then the floor disappeared and Silver dropped down into darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-

It had been quite the busy day for Doc so far.

In the morning two big groups had participated in the perimeter tour and Doc had been bombarded with questions. This time, he also included information about the old murals and the ruins he had dug out.

While the interest for that hadn’t been as big, there were still numerous questions regarding the excavation process and how the world eater hadn’t destroyed the ancient buildings and decoration.

There were also some female players that were particularly interested in the lore of the goat goddess whose murals decorated the walls. Doc spent a couple delightful hours going into the fascinating history of the ancient civilization that had long since vanished.

And during all this, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Silver.

Grian was right, he did like them.

The way their face had lit up when he had promised to tell them more about the perimeter’s history didn’t leave his mind. Their eyes had sparkled, dimples showing when their mouth started smiling.

Their face shape was as delicate as the rest of their body, soft skin stretching over angular bones. Dangly silver earrings had adorned their ears that kept swinging with the way their head kept swivelling around to soak in everything in the perimeter. Up close their short hair was definitely a very bright silver, nearly pearl-white, with shiny streaks so when the sun hit them just right, it seemed like they had a halo.

Their hands and fingers were long and delicate, gripping the pencil tight when they had drawn the murals and buildings.

Doc could still see their concentrated face trying to replicate the complex interwoven reliefs. Their surprise and honest concern when he had hopped down the perimeter next to them, the analytical interest when they had circled them.

Their worry for Princess had warmed Doc’s dumb heart. Not even the Hermits had shown any true concern for the dragon’s well-being, just assuming she was content with being abducted to the overworld.

He had even asked X if there were any rules about keeping contact with visitors after the week had ended. X had looked at him knowingly, his visor not revealing anything.

“If it is based on mutual interest and respect for our community and privacy, I don’t see any problems.”, he had said. “But, Doc, you only met them a few hours ago. I don’t need to tell you of all people that not everyone is what they seem. Be careful, don’t let your heart override your immaculate brain.”

Doc had nodded and filed away X’s reservations for some time later. Of course he’d be careful. He had been betrayed countless times before and he would never put the other Hermits in danger because he kept thinking with his dick.

Because if he was being honest with himself, he had to admit that he found Silver very attractive. They had this aura of otherness that made him curious, that triggered his brain and made him want to know everything about them. Then there was their body, their unnatural stillness when they thought nobody watched them, their languid movements they weren’t aware of. Doc’s animalistic side caught all those deviations, registered and analysed them.

And then there was this aura of innocent power around Silver that completed the puzzle they posed to Doc. There was a calm confidence they exuded. Doc wasn’t sure they were even aware of how the other players looked at them. They stood out, and not only by their height. The distinct feeling of something, paired with their bursts of sweet-natured naiveté. All of this made Doc want to protect them, to cradle them to his chest and not let the big bad world touch them.

He also spent a good amount of time reliving their outburst the other day. It told him a few things about Silver.

Firstly, their hybrid sides were most probably not beings of the air.

Secondly, they had a deep connection with nature and seemed to be able to communicate with it. Doc had never thought too much about the land magic on Hermitcraft, it just had always been there. But it was passive - or so he had assumed - and didn’t seem to mind the Hermit’s intrusion. Seeing Silver so easily reaching out to it - and the land magic eagerly answering - had stunned and awed him.

Thirdly, their magic seemed to be defensive to the core. Those flowers that bloomed around them? The grass turning green and lush? That was not the side-effect of aggressive magic. If Doc had to guess, he’d say Silver was some sort of forest fairy hybrid. It would fit their body type and personality.

On top of all of that, they seemed smart and quick-witted, with a strong sense of right and wrong. He couldn’t wait to see them again, to discover more sides of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doc had spent the hours before the first perimeter tour going through his archives and collecting all the books and plans he had accumulated on the ancient civilisation.

So yeah, Doc was definitely developing a crush and he had to stop himself looking out for their silver hair when he toured the perimeter with the visitor groups.

Silver never came around though.

While frustration started nagging at him, Doc told himself that Silver didn’t owe him shit. They were probably still uncomfortable with the two awkward encounters they had already had with Doc and wanted some space.

Doc kept forgetting that they had heard him and Grian. They probably thought he was taken anyway. Afterall, nobody would assume the Hermits were poly.

Or they thought he was an exhibitionist. A pervert. Maybe they were avoiding him on purpose because of that? Maybe they had seen his body and were disgusted by his metal body parts?

Had he been too touchy? Maybe he had overshot when carrying them up the perimeter? What if they were scared of him like so many others? Had he exposed too much about his hybrid status? Had he scared them talking about their hybrid status? He hadn’t smiled too broadly and shown his teeth, had he?

Were they even on the server? Maybe they decided to just not join the other visitors today. Maybe they just needed a break after everything that had happened the day before?

What if they decided to stop visiting altogether?

Would X give him their contact details if he asked? That would probably violate a shitton of privacy regulations.

Would they even want him to contact them?

Doc’s thoughts started spiralling while he kept talking about Redstone lines, spawning rates and flying machines.

With each new arrival at the entrance of the elevator Doc got his hopes up. But Silver’s bright hair was nowhere to be seen.

The stream of visitors couldn’t run out quickly enough. Each tour ended a tad earlier, focusing only on the main points of the perimeter.

Doc was aware that he was behaving irrationally, completely atypical for him. He kept glancing at the murals of the Goatmother, praying for patience.

I want to see them again.

Around noon Doc couldn’t stand it anymore. He left the few players who were exploring his base by themselves (after making sure they knew not to touch or even breathe in the direction of the Redstone) and met up with Ren and Xisuma on top of iBuy.

Sitting on the roof of the shopping centre, dangling their feet over the edge, they watched the visitors exploring the shopping district far below them while munching away on some snacks.

“How’s it going so far for you guys?”, Xisuma asked. He had opened his visor a bit and was sipping on some light purple tea. Weak shadows of his void tendrils were creeping from the open helmet, tasting the open air before retreating.

“Really well, my dude. The record shop is a total show-stopper, I’m telling ya! My industrial district is a bit hard to reach so not as many visitors there but the shop alone is enough to keep me busy.”, Ren said. “But, man, if I need to hear the cacophony one more time my ears are going to start bleeding!” He seemed full of energy, the many new people and interactions practically recharging his extroverted showstopper nature.

Doc laughed. “Why didn’t you just seal the entry to the basement? You knew they would keep on playing it.”

Ren shrugged. “It’s cool. It’s nice to see them explore our world. It’s like seeing Hermitcraft for the first time as well. And they have all these amazing ideas and questions! It’s just really amaze-balls. I’ve had some inspiring conversations.”

“That’s true.”, Doc agreed. “While it’s exhausting to answer the same questions over and over again, it surprises me every time how much interest there even is. And the interactions may be tiring at some point, but at the end of the day I get a lot of inspiration. I have a ton of build ideas already that I want to try in the future.” He clapped a hand on Xisuma’s armoured shoulder. “Thank you Xisuma for pushing us to do that and ignoring our lame-ass excuses.”

Xisuma laughed. “Well, thank you guys too, for not cussing me out. But yeah, I gotta say, I am a bit overwhelmed myself by the enthusiasm our visitors have. I had some great conversations with aspiring scientists regarding the spreading of skulk and how it could impair our air quality on the overworld. There are some things I’ve never thought about before.”

Doc lay back on his back and watched the clouds in the blue sky. “We are really lucky, aren’t we.” Ren came down next to him and put his head on Doc’s shoulder. “So, so lucky, my dude.”

Doc pulled on X’s arm and after he had closed his visor he lay down on Doc’s other side, a hand on his chest.

“This is not very PG, Doc, you know?”

“And nobody is able to see us up here. Nobody has an elytra and even the spyglasses don’t reach this far.”, Doc said. “And I need some recharge time.”

“Anything in particular that’s grating on you?”

Doc pulled the other two men closer, closed his eyes and let the sun heat his fur.

“Have you guys seen Silver today?”

“Oh Doc.”, Ren said, nuzzling against Doc’s shoulder.

“I can’t seem to be able to stop thinking about them. I swear, it’s driving me nuts. You don’t think that she left for good? After the whole sex-debacle.”

X choked a bit.

“I’ve only talked to them for a few minutes but they didn’t seem too shaken. Honestly, I was surprised about how sensible they handled the situation.”

“They’re about our age, wouldn’t expect anything less from a grown adult.”, Ren chipped in. He yawned.

“We’ve been ‘our age’ for quite some time now, so that’s really not comparable.”, Doc said. “And age doesn’t necessarily imply a grown-up brain.”

“You’re the best example for that.”, X said to Ren, flicking his ear playfully.

“Hey!”

“But to come back to your question, no, I haven’t seen them. I can check whether they’re online though?”

For privacy purposes, there was no universal overview of the players on the server.

“It’s fine.”, Doc grumbled. “I’m just being stupid and possessive.”

“You care.”, Ren said. “That’s not necessarily bad.”

“Hm.”

Their conversation stagnated. They’d just rest for a few minutes and then they’ll return to their bases and tours and shops.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A quiet ping woke Doc.

“Wha--?” Still half asleep he registered the warm bodies next to him. The sun was a good bit lower and a cool breeze had started.

X started to move as well and pulled out his comm.

“Hm.”, he said.

“What?”, Ren mumbled, hiding his face in Doc’s shoulder. Doc pressed a kiss on one of his ears which flicked in response.

“Okay, so good news: Silver is definitely on the server. Guess they’re a bit of an explorer.”, X said.

“What do you mean by that?”

X held his comm in front of Doc’s face. Squinting against the sun, Doc read the message in chat.

>SilverWillow was blown up by creeper<

“They said yesterday they like to go into the forest to relax, maybe they found an unlit spot.”, Doc thought aloud.

“It’s not our first player death and with ‘keep inventory’ activated, they’ll be fine.”, X said. “I was just surprised to read their name. Do you want me to check on them?”

Doc contemplated X’s generous offer for a moment, but decided against it. He didn’t want to appear overbearing. He shook his head, X nodded and put the comm away.

“Scar has died a few times yesterday, right?”, Ren asked, stretching and drawing himself up. His hands started straightening Doc’s rumpled lab coat.

“He took off his elytra for his Scarland show and forgot to equip it again. Four times.”, Doc answered, shaking his head, sitting up as well. “He fell off his castle four times before he realised what was happening.”

Another quiet ping the three of them ignored as they watched the scenery below them.

“What are your plans for the afternoon?”

“The perimeter tours are done so I’ll just hang around the shopping district a bit, I think. In the evening I’ll be at the entrance booths again, answering more questions.”

“I need to restock the record shop but other than that I’m also done with my appointments today.”, Ren said. “Might hang around a bit, Doc.”

“Sure.”

“Remember, no kissing, touching, fucking, okay? I don’t want to use any more NDAs than strictly necessary.”

Ren grinned slyly, his sharp canines showing.

“No promises.”

X sighed.

Ping. Ping.

Ping.

Doc raised his eyebrow, taking out his own comm.

>SilverWillow was blown up by creeper<

>SilverWillow was shot by skeleton<

>SilverWillow was shot by skeleton<

“That’s unusual, isn’t it?” X asked, blue light appearing around his hands as he checked the server code for bugs or other anomalies.

Ren looked around Doc’s arm. “From what you told me I thought Silver was rather peaceful, not really into dangerous situations?”

“Definitely unusual.”, Doc nodded.

“Maybe they’re exploring some caves, looking for diamonds etc?”, Ren suggested.

Doc shrugged. “Maybe. But that would mean they respawn right in the middle of all these mobs? Rather unlikely, don’t you think?”

Ren looked concerned. “We could try to find them? We’re free anyway and –”

The chat rolled on.

>SilverWillow was blown up by creeper<

>SilverWillow was slain by zombie<

>SilverWillow was slain by zombie<

>SilverWillow was slain by zombie<

“What the hell.” Doc straightened, checking his elytra and weapons. Adrenaline started to spread in his system, making him ready for a fight he didn’t even know would take place.

Ren next to him pulled out his ender chest, dropping off some blocks and putting on armour.

“Just in case.”, he said.

“That’s getting dangerous.”, Doc said, worry fueling the adrenaline.

X nodded, the blue glow intensifying.

Respawning in this quick succession was not only a strain on a player’s mental health, it also affected their physical health, slowly deteriorating their regeneration until they would get locked at lower health. Ten deaths in 15 minutes was normally the max a healthy player should and could take.. Scar had pulled off more in the past but his strong hybrid status and the instant availability of help (aka Grian diving in and saving the day with tons of regen potions) had always prevented him from lasting harm.

This many respawns without preparation or a support system could lead to serious consequences.

When Doc remembered Silver’s panic attack at the perimeter, he swallowed.

Would they be able to earth themselves in a cave?

>SilverWillow was slain by zombie<

>SilverWillow was blown up by creeper<

“Xisuma!”, Doc barked, true fear spreading in his body.

“I’m looking, I’m looking. But we protected the code of the players so well it’s hard for even me to access them.”

“Let’s get a group call going, I’ll start flying around and looking for them.”

“Good idea, I’ll come with you.”, Ren said.

With a pling, the call started and Doc hopped off the building. While it was true that he wasn’t a fan of flying with an elytra, the advantages still outweighed his discomfort, especially in situations like this.

“I’m going right, you should go towards Scarland and the forest they were in yesterday.”, Ren said before swooping to the side, quickly disappearing in a spray of rockets.

>SilverWillow was blown up by creeper<

>SilverWillow was shot by skeleton<

>SilverWillow was shot by skeleton<

“Silver, what are you doing?” Doc mumbled while he sped up. 13 deaths already. Gosh, he hoped their hybrid status would help them. But if they couldn’t channel their energy, couldn’t earth themselves … This could be bad.

“Xisuma!”, he shouted again, swooping over Scarland, moving lower to the ground until he landed silently at the edge of the forest.

Players were flinching away. He noticed that ozone was concentrating around him already. For a moment, he closed his eye, focused on his breathing. He willed his heart to slow down.

No need to start a panic on the server. He forced a smile on his face, nodding to the visitors and starting searching again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silver was breathing heavily, a hand pressed to their side where an arrow protruded. Hot blood gushed between their fingers, making them slippery.

They had lost count of how many times they had died already. Complete darkness surrounded them but they could hear the treacherous sounds of the skeletons and zombies down here with them.

Wherever ‘down here’ was.

They tightened the grip on their bloodied sword, ignoring the pinch of pain in their hand. Their claws had started to emerge a few deaths ago and not even respawn had made them disappear. Their fingertips stayed bloody and torn, the obsidian claws scratching over the metal of the sword. Deep worry made their breath shallow.

If even respawn wasn’t able to stop their transformation …

Silver was scared.

They had never experienced this many respawns in a row, had no idea how that would impact them. They knew that respawning one too many times had bad effects on normal players but their hybrid sides were volatile at best, meaning anything was possible.

But they couldn’t transform.

Please.

Nothing answered their prayers.

Another arrow whirred through the air and Silver tried to dodge but they were already too weak, too slow. The arrow buried itself in Silver’s throat, blood filling their mouth, their lungs. For a terrible, terrible moment they were drowning in their own blood. They were gasping for air, but only more liquid filled their lungs. White stars started to spread before their eyes as they collapsed to the ground, gurgling and clawing at their neck. They ripped out the arrow, not even able to scream at the agony.

Pain flooded their system once more, but only for an instant before they got teleported up to the bed above them.

And for a second, all was fine, their body healed, their clothes pristine. There was no blood, no pain. Fresh air was filling their lungs.

But there was no floor next to the bed anymore, nothing to grab onto, no helping hand in sight.

Silver fell down again.

The memories of pain echoed through their body, adrenaline and fear creating a deadly mixture.

With a whimper, they landed on the ground just to be blown up by a creeper within moments.

Another drop into darkness.

This was bad.

Silver’s skin felt too tight.

Their jaw cracked when their teeth multiplied. They tasted blood. Pain seared through their back where their body started to change.

Why had they gone with those guys? Silver wanted to scream but there was not enough air in their lunges as another arrow pierced her shoulder. The impact threw them back, falling to the ground. They scrambled to get up again, growling at the pain.

They had never considered making armour, so they were completely exposed.

Goddamnit, this was supposed to be a nice happy visitation week, for fuck’s sake.

Blunt teeth bit into the soft skin of their waist, tearing their shirt and flesh. Silver swung their sword, hitting something that hissed.

Oh no. Not another creeper. Silver stumbled forward, slashing at things they couldn’t see.

Please.

Someone help me.

But only darkness answered them.

Silver hit a wall, turning their back to it, breathing hard. Their useless eyes scanned the room.

The bone rattling sounds of another skeleton came closer.

Why hadn’t they made a shield?

Because they were supposed to be safe here, that’s why.

No use ranting about that now, Silver.

Silver leaped to the side, screaming when the arrow in their shoulder moved. Blood was seeping from the wound on their waist, attracting more zombies. Where did they even spawn?

When Silver heard the unmistakable sounds of a baby zombie approaching fast, a wrangled sob left them. There was no way they could kill that in the dark, injured and slow as they already were.

For the umpteenth time they pressed a hand to the muddy, foul-smelling ground, trying to communicate with the land magic. But the dead mud ran deep, mixed with sculk and debris. The land couldn’t hear them, couldn’t answer.

Silver sobbed in frustration. Their abilities were totally useless down there, nature wouldn’t - couldn’t - help them.

When their other side broke through, maybe – Silver pushed that thought far far down. When they really went through the transformation, they could only hope to survive. Could only hope to not destroy a good chunk of Hermitcraft in the process.

They could already feel how their code was protesting against the strain, their body being split, their natures eating away on each other.

No, they had to make it out. At some point, someone would have to look for them, at the latest when they didn’t arrive at the portal in time.

They tried not to think about how many hours they had to get through until then.

Another wave of pain flashed through them, this time not from a monster. The flesh and muscles on their back started to part, making space for something else. The pain made Silver shake, nearly losing hold of the sword. They gripped it harder, eyeing the low durability anxiously. They just had to hold on, they told themselves. Hold on and someone would find them. Maybe at some point MasterBoss and his lackeys would notice that this was definitely not normal and help them. Maybe. But until then, they were on their own.

If they did come down here they would positively kill them.

Slowly.

Silver scrambled to their feet again, just to be shot in the back and fall forward on their face. Lying on the cold floor, gagging at the smell, not able to get up, they closed their eyes. Somebody needed to find them. And fast.

“Help me.”, they whispered as the zombies dug into their body.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doc was running through the forest, his cybernetic eye scanning the surrounding trees. No trace of Silver. They weren’t here.

Cursing, he took off into the air again. It would take forever to find them if they were in a cave.

He would search every fucking cave on the server if it was necessary. Crush or not, no player should go through so many deaths. They had to be absolutely wrecked. Doc was scared about what he would find when they located Silver. Sometimes the respawns messed with the players’ heads. He had witnessed terrible things, from dementia to total memory loss to personality changes.

And they were still so young. Compared to Doc, hell, compared to any of the Hermits, Silver had only experienced a sliver of time.

He shook his head, flying over Scarland’s wide expanse. The parade was close to ending, people clogged the streets. Cheerful music filled the air. Doc had the irrational desire to let lightning rain down.

To get his raging creeper side under control, he focused on studying the ground, using his cyborg eye to scan the ground down to bedrock.

“Ren?”, he asked.

“No luck here, dude. Sorry.”, came the prompt answer.

>SilverWillow was shot by skeleton<

>SilverWillow was slain by zombie<

“FUCK! Xisuma, I swear to god -”

“Found them! I found them!”, X interrupted him. “Sending you the location right now. Doc, you’re closest. Ren and I will meet you there.”

He said something else, but Doc didn’t listen anymore. Silver’s location was in the back alleys of Scarland. How did they die to all these mobs over there? They had spent hours lighting up the place.

Spamming his rockets, Doc took off.

>SilverWillow was blown up by creeper<

>SilverWillow was shot by skeleton<

>SilverWillow was shot by skeleton<

>SilverWillow was slain by zombie<

>SilverWillow was slain by zombie<

Doc didn’t even notice when his eyes turned black and electricity started to surround him like a thundercloud.

Chapter Text

When Doc reached the alley he shot towards the ground. While he was silent as always, the alley vibrated with the energy of his suppressed lighting.

More pings on his comm.

There were three guys that were vaguely familiar to him. They seemed to be scared to death as he approached without a sound, pressing themselves against the walls, paling after looking at his face.

Doc took in their armour and weapons but didn’t really pay any more attention to them. His cybernetic eye told him that Silver was a few dozen blocks below them. He ran towards the rack in the corner. One of the temporary builds Scar had never cleaned up.

“We - we didn’t know there were so many!”, one of the dudes squeaked. That stopped Doc in his tracks. The guy shrieked, having Doc’s attention on him.

Ren and X landed behind him.

“What did you just say?!”, Doc growled. Flashes hit the ground around him. The dude squeaked again, looking like he’d piss himself any second.

“We’ll deal with them.”, X said quickly. His scythe materialised in his hand, effectively blocking the way out of the alley. His void started to dip the street into darkness, shielding them from on-lookers. Ren growled.

>SilverWillow was slain by zombie<

Enough.

Doc spun around, dashing towards the shack, ripping out the door just to see Silver fall down in front of his eyes. Their eyes were wrong - deep purple had eaten away the white, the green a stark contrast.

For a brief moment they saw him, stretching their arms towards him. Something was wrong with their hands, their mouth.

Doc reached for them but too late. Without a thought, Doc dove after them into the pitch-black hole.

His cybernetic eye could see the big room clearly, four stone-walls with doorways to all cardinal points. The floor was covered with mud and sculk. Sculk veins crawled up the wall.

Mobs were swarming the place. Silver stood in the middle, grabbing their sword but clearly not seeing anything.

Their body proportions seemed all wrong, too. Doc didn’t stop to ponder on that, instead busting out his sword and axe and making short work of the mobs. The closest skeleton also got his face stuffed with electric flashes.

When Silver heard the noises of the battle, they simply collapsed, curling themselves to a small ball. They had no fight left in them.

Doc was whirling around, keeping them safe. At some point, the flood of monsters had to end, right?

It didn’t. More mobs walked and crawled in from the doorways and the dark beyond them.

Doc swore. Then he ran back to Silver, picked them up and jumped up towards the rectangle of light of the open door far above. He’d deal with the mobs later. 

When he appeared in the doorframe, X had already set up an invisible barrier around the group of players, Ren watching over them.

Both looked up when Doc got out.

“Are they okay?”

Doc cradled the shivering Silver to his chest, scanning them rapidly.

Something was very, very wrong. Their heartbeat was twice as fast, their eyes not focusing and switching between purple and white. They had claws on their bloody hands and as far as he could see, way too many teeth.

“I don’t -”

“Down.”, Silver whispered. Their voice echoed, as if consisting of many.

“I have regen potions, don’t worry, we’ll get you up and running in no time.”

“DOWN!”, Silver screamed, purple particles spreading from their lips, burning Doc’s fur and skin.

“What the–”

“Doc, set them down.”, X said. He sounded alarmed. “Ren, take those idiots and bring them into Impulse’s office over there. Close the door, soundproof the room and don’t. Let. Them. Go.”

Ren grinned, his eyes glowing red.

“Sure, boss.”

Within seconds, only X, Doc and Silver were in the alley.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silver was on the floor. Seems to be an occurring theme , the absolutely hysteric part of their brain thought.

I’m on the floor. Then I’m dead. Then I’m on the floor again.

Make it stop.

Their body was convulsing, more particles surrounding them. They could feel something moving in their back, under their skin. Something that definitely wasn’t there before.

Panic started to paralyse them.

“What do you need, Silver?”, X’s calm voice came through their haze.

What do I need?

Silver’s fingers crawled over the ground, towards the little weeds growing in the cracks. As soon as their fingertips touched them, their body jerked.

Their magic was revolting, surging up so strongly that Silver started choking, hot burning tears running down their face.

This was going to hurt really bad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doc watched Silver’s slender body convulse. There was something moving under the skin of their back, growing and stretching, seemingly close to breaking the skin. Silver’s claws were scratching over the floor, leaving deep marks.

“X, what the fuck–”

“They’re caught in a partial transformation.”, X said, code glowing around his hands once again. “I’ve never seen anything like that before. Never that - brutal. I’m guessing their two hybrid sides are competing, not complimenting each other.”

When Silver’s fingers touched the weeds, X could feel the ground shake under his feet. He didn’t tell Doc that he was pretty sure to know what exactly Silver was. It was astounding, absolutely magnificent and extremely rare.

And very, very dangerous.

Vigilantly, he watched Silver push their excess magic into the ground. The weeds grew and grew, saplings and flowers started popping up in the street. Sprouts turned into little trees turned into huge, sky-embracing sequoias within seconds. Roots tore up through the pavement.

The skin on Silver’s back started ripping, provoking a pained scream from them. Their voice echoed in the alley, loud and animalistic.

Their blood was fuming, running down their back in way too dark streaks.

“X, is that –”

“Wings.”, X simply said, watching the thin black membranes stretch and unfurl, blood dripping to the ground.

He couldn’t even imagine the pain Silver was going through right now.

“Can’t we do anything?”

X shook his head, scanning Silver’s code once again.

“They need to get rid of their excess magic or it will eat them alive. It’s like Scar’s vex magic, but way, way worse. It’s the only way to stop the transformation. After that, we can take care of them. But right now … there’s nothing we can do.”

Doc’s body was vibrating, electricity waving around him. X hadn’t thought about it earlier, but when he was carrying Silver, they had come in direct contact with his fur but they had no burns nor reacted in any way to the lightning. 

Interesting.

Doc knelt down next to Silver, pressing his hand on theirs. He hissed a bit when the particles surrounding them bit into his skin but didn’t retreat.

“It’s all good, you hear me? You are safe now. Nobody can hurt you now. It is all good. You’re safe with me.”

Silver’s eyes darted to him. Black liquid had started to drip from them but the purple had receded a bit, their green sparkling a bit more.

“Yes, look at me. No more mobs. No respawn. We have potions for you, when you are done with … whatever this is. Okay? Just concentrate on yourself now.”

Silver’s eyes closed, their forehead dropping to the ground. More grass and weeds and flowers shot up around them. The rumbling beneath them grew louder. With a loud crack, the wall in front of them split open, a finger-thick gap running up all the way to the roof. Flowers started to fill the crack. Sunflowers, daffodils, tulips and the little white flowers Doc recognized from the perimeter.

And then, slowly, the wings started to retreat. They folded into themselves, shrinking until they disappeared beneath the muscles below Silver’s shoulder blades. The skin sealed itself, only the blood and torn clothes revealing that something had happened.

The particles around them disappeared, their claws retreated.

Doc watched in horror and wonder. In all his years he had never witnessed anything like that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silver could finally breathe again. Their lungs filled with the clean scent of fresh soil and greenery. Their eyes flicked to their hands in front of them. Only claw marks in the stone remained, the tips of their fingers bloodied.

Slowly, they rose to a sitting position. Every bone in their body hurt. Every muscle seemed sore, their skin overstretched. Carefully, they rolled their shoulders. Sharp pain reminded them of their wings, now tucked away safely again.

It was the first time they had formed completely.

Silver had no clue how they had been able to transform back. How they had not lost themselves, how their other half hadn’t won. They didn’t remember the last minutes - hours? Only pain, the memory of white-hot, searing agony that flooded their body and didn’t stop, didn’t lessen, just went on and on and –

Movement to their left caught their attention. Doc crouched next to them.

He seemed pale.

Was that fear in his eyes? He blinked and it was gone.

Silver then noticed the flowers around them.

The sequoias.

The gigantic roots that had destroyed half the alley. The huge crack in one of the buildings.

The bushes and tall grass and saplings that had spread over the whole street. To the darkness beyond, where Xisuma had taken position. The darkness had to be his void. 

Was that me?

Xisuma’s visor didn’t reveal anything.

Silver’s throat was incredibly dry. They tried to swallow but gagged at the metallic, rotten taste of their own blood.

A small water bottle appeared in front of them.

Silver looked at it, at Doc who held it in his hand. Then looked down at their own hands who seemed incredibly heavy, resting in their lap. When Silver tried to move them, their arms only twitched.

They looked at Doc again.

Help me?

“Can I help you?”, Doc asked, his voice oddly even, as if he was talking to a frightened animal.

Maybe Silver was an animal.

Silver managed a slight nod.

“I might touch you, is that okay?”

Another nod. The muscles in their neck were so tight, Silver thought they might snap any moment.

With controlled movements, Doc opened the bottle. His big hand cupped the back of Silver’s head, tipping it slightly back.

After the first few sips, Silver drew back and spit out the rest of the blood in their mouth. Then they greedily gulped down the bottle until it was empty.

“Do you want another one?”

Doc’s hand fell away, their skin missing his warm touch immediately.

Silver shook their head.

“No, it’s okay.”, they said. Their voice was rough, as if they had been screaming for hours.

“Thank you.”

“How are you?”, Doc asked, inching closer, his eyes running over their body, their clothes. Silver looked down on themselves. There was blood everywhere and holes in their pants where they had apparently clawed at themselves. Their back felt exposed to the cool air, meaning it was probably ripped as well.

“I’m …” ‘Okay’ was definitely not true. “Managing.”, they answered.

Doc nodded. When footsteps approached, he looked up. His eyes were still completely black. Smoke and ember whirled lazily through the air around him.

For the first time, Silver noticed the taste of ozone on their tongue. His sword lay a few steps back, quickly discarded and smeared with black gore and blood. From the monsters. The monsters down there, in the dark room, with the bed where their respawn was still set and they could fall back down there any moment and they would tear into their body again and the arrows –

A hand grabbed theirs.

“Breathe, Silver.” Doc’s face appeared before them, looking concerned again. Silver hadn’t noticed they had started shivering.

Silver managed a shaking breath that sounded more like a teary gasp. Then another one. And another one.

Slowly, the terror retreated.

“I will take care of the others.”, Xisuma said. “Maybe take Silver to your base?” Doc nodded.

The others? Who – oh.

Within seconds, the fear was gone, pushed back by boiling hot anger that flooded Silver’s system. Furious, never-ending rage that made their fingers twitch and their teeth grind.

The others.

That had led them there, left them there to rot.

They had known.

Silver was sure of it.

They had known what they were doing.

“Where are they?”, they asked.

“I don’t think -”

“Where. Are. They.” Silver gathered their strength and stood up. Their knees were wobbly and they weren’t sure how long they could stand, but the fury was lending them strength. Silver straightened their back.

“We will take care of them, Silver. We will ban them and report them to the server council. You will never see them again.”

Silver lifted their chin.

“Let me see them.” They would not let them think they broke them. They would not let them bully them.

Xisuma seemed unsure.

“You’re still hurt. You should rest. Are you sure?”

Silver nodded.

After exchanging looks with Doc, Xisuma stepped out of the way, pointing towards a low building on the opposite side of the street. Silver started moving. Their legs held.

Doc walked right behind them. They could feel his body heat at their back, heard the sizzle of lightning as they got closer to the door.

Oh, Doc didn’t like that at all.

Silver’s hand shook only lightly when they opened the door. Ren turned around, his face growing concerned when he saw Silver. He had partly transformed, big claws and fangs had appeared and his eyes glowed in a dark red.

The three guys looked scared to death, sitting on the ground in front of Ren.

Wait.

Three?

Silver checked their tags.

MasterBoss was missing.

“There’s one missing.”, Silver said.

“WHAT.” Doc grabbed their shoulder, pushing them gently out of the way.

“There were only three when I came to the alley. Are you sure?”

“I didn’t take my eyes off them for a second, I swear!”, Ren said.

Silver looked at the players and felt their anger deflate. Those three were useless. They looked as if they would start crying any second. Hell, one of them was already sniffling. They had probably no idea what MasterBoss was planning to do, what awaited anyone in that pitch-black hole.

Typical lemmings.

“The leader. I think his tag was MasterBoss or something. He was the one that led me here - well, he first tried to get that allay girl here but I felt that something was off.”

“MasterBoss?”, Xisuma said.

“Allay girl?”, Doc asked at the same time.

Silver sighed. Without the anger, they were tired. So, so tired.

This was not worth their time.

“You should be ashamed of yourself.”, they said to the three remaining idiots and left the office. One of the guys started crying in earnest. 

Silver’s body ached, each step worse than the one before. Silver inspected their hands. Their fingertips had healed but were still reddened and sensitive, blood smeared on them.

But they were alive, they weren’t transformed, nobody got hurt.

Well, no one but them.

They wanted to go home. They wanted to go to their forest and talk to the trees there. Lie in the soft grass and watch the sun rays filter through the leaves. Listen to the birds.

There was still leftover magic coursing in their system, waiting to be released. Maybe they could add some sequoias to their forest? They had never managed that before.

Gosh, they wanted to go home.

Silver sighed again. But first, they would have to sort out this mess.

Xisuma had followed them outside. Silver could hear Doc starting to question the other three visitors.

“I know you’re probably tired and want to rest, but could you give me a quick overview of what happened?”, Xisuma asked, guiding Silver to a bench close to them. Sitting down, he offered them a golden apple that Silver accepted gratefully. Then they told Xisuma everything, starting with their lunch at Scarland.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you think?”, Doc asked Xisuma. They had called an emergency meeting in the evening after the visitors had left.

As soon as Silver had finished their report, they had asked to return to their world. Since their magic was still unstable and their body weak, Xisuma had used his admin powers and teleported Doc, Silver and himself directly to a private room in the reception building. Ren had kept watch.

Before leaving, Silver had thanked Doc, giving him a tight hug.

“Thank you so much for finding me.”, they said, a tired smile on their face.

“Don’t worry about it.” Doc wasn’t sure what else to say that wasn’t overstepping any boundaries.

I missed you in the perimeter today.

I kept looking out for you.

Personally, I don’t want you to leave. I’d rather have you right beside me for the next, say, 20 years or so, until I’m convinced you’re okay.

None of that he said.

He held onto the hug as long as he could but his arms immediately felt empty when Silver stepped back.

“Will you come back?”, Doc couldn’t stop himself asking.

Silver nodded slowly.

“I think so. But … I don’t know when. I might need a break tomorrow.”

Silver seemed to waver.

“Do you … You will probably need to tell the other Hermits about what happened today, right?”

“Yes, Silver. This is a massive security breach and we need to prepare for the consequences.”, X answered.

Silver nodded.

“I figured. Will you tell them it was me?”

X cocked his head.

“Do you want to stay anonymous? Since MasterBoss escaped, it might not be safe for you here anymore. Telling them will help keep you safe. We can keep an eye out for you.”

Doc exhaled.

“I can play bodyguard. I don’t mind.”

Silver looked at him, too tired to make that decision now.

Doc shrugged.

“I’m just glad - I’m just really glad you’re okay. And I’d be happy if we could have our perimeter tour. I found some interesting lore you would like. I can make it a private tour, if you’d rather have it quiet.”

Silver smiled again, their eyes regaining some of their glow.

“I don’t mind you telling them, X. However, it’d be great if we can just keep it as ‘hybrid’, no specifics, if that’s okay? I’m sure you’ve figured by now what I am, right?”

“Maybe.” There was a smile in X’s voice.

“And I don’t mind having a bodyguard. But I think it might be unnecessary, I was not their target, it could have literally been anyone. I’m not saying no to the private perimeter tour though.”

“We’ll see about the bodyguard then. I’ll open Doc’s DMs for you, Silver. This way you can text him directly.”, Xisuma said, typing on his comm.

“Thank you. Really, thank you so much, both of you. Please also tell Ren thank you. I’m really, really thankful. And - sorry for the mess I made in the alley. I can help get rid of the flowers and stuff.”

“Don’t worry.”, Doc dismissed that and started ushering them towards the portal. Silver was way too pale for his liking.

“Just make sure to get enough rest, alright? Everything else we can sort out later.”

When you hopefully come back , he added silently.

Moments later, Silver was gone and Xisuma informed the Hermits of the meeting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They met up in Keralis’ living room. The Hermits spread around the room, sitting on all surfaces available. Keralis provided everyone with drinks and snacks. When everyone had settled in, X cleared his throat.

The room fell silent. Everyone looked at Xisuma expectantly. They all had heard that something had happened, but nobody knew specifics.

“We had a major incident today.” X started. Movement went through the group. 

“Major?”, Scar whispered in Grian’s ear.

X looked in Scar’s direction.

“Scar, when you were lighting up Scarland and getting it ready for the visitors, you also covered the back alleys, right?”

Scar nodded. “We lit up pretty much the whole area around Scarland, just to be safe. Even inside the houses, although they are locked for everyone but us. Why?”

“Do you recall a little shack, across the street of Impulse’s office, with a bed and a crafting station?”

Scar frowned. Doc was shifting on his feet.

“I’m not sure, to be honest? Maybe? But if there was, it was definitely lit up.”

X sighed. He had assumed as much but hearing it from Scar was a nightmare. That meant that today’s incident had been planned. Nobody spontaneously decided to hack their server protection and build a huge monster trap.

“Today four visitors used that shack, somehow manipulated the area, removed the torches in there and fabricated a trap below. They then managed to spawn in several hundred mobs in an underground room, created a trapdoor and lured someone into that room –“

“WHAT.” Tango startled. “How is that possible? They would need admin rights for that! All properties are locked, nobody should be able to move as much as a weed!”

“That is correct. I still need to do an in-depth analysis but so far it looks like they at least manipulated the server code. But that’s not all. Out of the four perpetrators, one person escaped.”

Aggression started to build in the room. The Hermits were sitting up straighter, their eyes blazing, their faces serious.

Nobody touched their world and got away.

“What’s the name?”, Impulse asked. He looked grave, gripping Tango’s shoulder with one hand, the other holding his battle axe.

“Who did this?”

Xisuma looked at his Hermits. He knew the second he revealed MasterBoss’s tag, he would never again be safe on the Hermitcraft server, would never again be able to even move on the same world as a Hermit. They would internalise that name, look up his skin, would keep an eye on his skin changes and never, ever, forget him. 

“According to the victim-”, Doc moved next to him, opening his mouth to say something, but then his shoulders sagged, and he stepped back. “- the tag is ‘MasterBoss’. But, before you all scatter and go on the hunt, let me tell you this. I have checked the whitelist of the server. That name has never been on there. We have not invited a player named MasterBoss and he has never undergone our security check. That person has hacked himself into our world, so I am pretty sure that’s not his real name. I will report him to the authorities but I don’t think they’ll find him. This was very, very cleverly done.”

Xisuma could feel his own anger build up. This was his world, his Hermits. He was their administrator, he was responsible for keeping them safe, for keeping the visitors safe. That person dared to invade his own home? Dared to intrude, to change it and to make it dangerous ? If X ever saw him, MasterBoss would meet a very painful and very untimely end. 

He swallowed. Suddenly his helmet seemed too small, restricting until it felt nearly claustrophobic. But he couldn’t take it off now. He knew that his eyes, his void would betray his feelings. And this was not about him. It was not even about MasterBoss. 

The Hermits were already discussing, making plans and checking inventories for weapons. They were ready to move out, to search and hunt and execute.

It wouldn’t be their first man hunt.  

“There is more.” 

Silence fell again. Swords clattered as they were put on the ground. 

“The person that was trapped experienced 26 consecutive deaths and respawns –” Someone gasped. “ – before we could find them. On top of that, they are a hybrid. The respawns had a horrible effect on them and their hybrid sides. We promised to keep most of it secret, so I cannot give you more details. Doc managed to calm them down and we brought them back to the portal. They are fine now and back in their own world.”

“As fine as one can be after 26 respawns.”, Doc grumbled, his hands flexing. 

“I have offered them protection in case they come back to the server to complete their visit. While I think that they were randomly chosen and not specifically targeted, I’d feel better if all of you kept an eye on them, as well. You don’t have to track their every step, of course, but if you come across them, maybe check in with them and make sure they’re feeling okay. I don’t have to tell you guys about the long-term effect of a series of respawns and I trust that you handle that matter sensibly.”

“Of course.”, Ren said. “They had the worst day here today, we’ll make sure that the rest of the week will be better. In case they even want to return.”

“So, who is it then?”, Scar asked.

“It’s Silver.”, Doc answered before X could. “Of all the people they could have tortured, they chose Silver.” He didn’t care that he sounded furious, didn’t care that his voice very much betrayed his feelings.

“Oh fuck.”, Grian said. “Silver? For real? They’re a hybrid? Doc, you sucker!”

Doc flipped him off.

“X gave them access to my DMs and they promised to text me when they come back. I’ll play bodyguard then so I’d appreciate it if some of you could take over the perimeter tours.”

“I’ll do it.”, Tango offered. He shrugged. “Without Decked Out I don’t have a lot to show off and Redstone is at least something I understand.”

“Thanks, man.”

“So, wait a second.”, Scar interrupted. “You’re saying someone hacked themselves into our world, manipulated your own admin code, used one of my buildings to trap a person, the person then died 26 times in a fucking row and now you’re saying that person is Silver? Silver as in the one person that Doc has been fucking obsessed with the second he saw them? That seems like a bit more than just a coincidence, don’t you think?”

“I will run some more background checks on Silver but I honestly think it is just a coincidence, Scar.”, X answered, blue glow around his hands as he searched in the code. “I cannot find any abnormalities in their code, their entry procedure or their hybrid status. Everything feels as normal as can be.”

“I’ve spent some time with them by now and I agree with X.”, Doc confirmed. “While I knew right away that something was off about them – and no, I won’t tell you what it is – there is definitely nothing aggressive about them.”

“Love, are you sure about that? I’m not doubting you, but sometimes your heart is a tick faster than your brain.”, Ren said softly.

Doc shook his head.

“I am sure.”

And that was that.

The Hermits left shortly after that to take a look at the trap. They explored the whole cavernous system that had somehow been created below Scarland, cleaned it from the remaining mobs and lit it up. Turns out, there were eight different mob spawners hidden in the corridors, triggered to maximum output. When they found an impossible creeper spawner, they weren’t even surprised anymore.

Sculk was covering the whole floor, spread out from Silver’s numerous deaths and Doc’s carnage during the rescue mission. The eerie glow made the whole post-apocalyptic underground bunker-feeling – as Scar very aptly put it – even more ominous.

Cub took a few samples from the sculk to analyse in his laboratory.

The caves all dead-ended at some point. After destroying all the spawners and making sure all nooks and crannies had been lit up, the Hermits rebuilt the floor of the shack and double-sealed the door.

Doc would have preferred to burn down the sculk and fill up the whole cave, but he admitted that it would be better to leave the evidence as untouched as possible. Removing the spawners was already a big risk, but it would be even riskier to leave them.

What if MasterBoss came back?

Of course, it would most likely be in another skin with a different player tag. But all Hermits were aware that there was a pretty good chance that this was not the last of him.

So they made plans. Until deep into the night, they went over their bases, all the secret rooms they knew, the caves and unlit rooms, their Redstone contraptions and anything that could be used for evil.

Doc checked the tunnel bore and the Wardens thrice before finally giving in and killing the Wardens and closing the tunnel. The Wither reactor was shut off, the Wither killed.

The Warden at Scarland had to go and Xisuma even drained his skull base because he was afraid someone could drown there.

Etho and Bdubs spent hours circling around Etho’s base and lighting up the jungle, removing debris and clearing out bamboo to make the terrain more manageable.

Ren shut down the portals to his industrial area. It was too far out and too remote, if something were to happen there it would take them too long to get there. 

Then they discussed Decked Out. The risk was too big that a player would get trapped in the dungeon, similar to what Silver experienced. Tango grew quieter and quieter the longer the discussion lasted. If they decided to empty the dungeon, kill the ravagers and Wardens, he wouldn’t know what to do. Getting rid of the Wardens was something he was okay with, but the Ravagers? Nugget? He didn’t think he could bring himself to do that. Finally, Xisuma proposed to teleport all the mobs to a safe zone far away from the Hermitcraft city centre, so far out that the visitors would not be able to reach them. Of course, if MasterBoss was determined to find and use them, he probably could. But this was the only solution they could think of that wouldn’t break Tango’s heart.

In the early hours of the next day, the group cuddled together in a big spontaneous slumber party. Nobody wanted to be alone that night, too much had happened, and they needed the security of each other’s company. 

Xisuma stayed up, cuddled in between Keralis and Grian, going over the server code over and over and over again, fortifying whatever weaknesses he could find, until he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.

They had prepared themselves as well as they could. Shortly, they had debated whether to suspend the visitation week. But that felt too much like admitting defeat, too much like a win for MasterBoss – or whatever his real name was. And even though nobody said it out loud, everyone knew that since MasterBoss had been able to hack himself onto the server once, stakes were high he could and would do it again, regardless of visitation week or not. 

As the birds outside started to sing, the Hermits all fell into a deep, exhausted slumber.

That was the first night Etho dreamed of Bdubs’ death.

Chapter Text

There’s this thing with visions. They might show you something but not the when and where and how. Visions are bastards, setting you on edge without being clear in any way.. 

Etho knew it was a vision when he stared down at his lover. Bdubs was on the floor, his torso covered in blood. His eyes gazed unseeingly into the dark sky. Etho knew it was a vision when he beheld his own red-stained hands, when he heard the screeches behind him and smelled the despair in the air.

He knew it, but that didn’t help at all. He couldn’t stop the vision as it rolled over him, burying him, overwhelming him to the point where he didn’t know where the vision ended and his dreams began. 

He could only see Bdubs, his everything, dead on the dark ground, a growing puddle of blood around him. His pale face, splattered with blood, his lightless eyes. 

The flowers on his coat had wilted.

There was so much blood. 

He knew there were others. He felt their presence but whenever he tried looking around, trying to figure out what exactly had killed Bdubs, the vision simply restarted, pushing him back into despair. 

Please, let me see so I can change it. 

But of course it didn’t work that way. Etho attempted to stand up but the vision kept him on his knees, soaking his pants with his lover’s blood. Etho tried to open his inventory, but his hands were locked. 

“Bdubs…” But he didn’t look at him, his body didn’t move and Etho knew, if he were able to lay his hands on his chest, there would be no heartbeat. 

The worst thing was, Bdubs didn’t respawn. There was no ping, his body didn’t suddenly vanish. He just lay there. Dead. 

Dead.

Dead.

Once more, Etho put all his strength into his legs, trying to push up, up, move his head, and for a moment, he was able to see something monstrous, something dark and evil. But then his knees were pressed back into the ground again and a weight so heavy settled on his chest that he felt like he was crushed, and his lunges didn’t work properly and he couldn’t breathe and – 

Etho opened his eyes. Bdubs’ head lay heavily on his chest, his loud snoring filling the air. He was back. Cold sweat was covering his body, soaking his clothes. 

The Hermits were scattered around him, sleeping soundly. The first sun rays were slowly crawling through the windows and the first birds started to sing. 

Etho exhaled shakily. Vision, it was just a vision. There was no promise it would happen. It was just one of many, many possible outcomes.

It could be because of something you decide to do or not to do. Don’t change your life because of visions, it may very well be the change that brings it to life. 

He slung his arms around Bdubs’ warm, breathing body and held him close, burying his head in his coat. 

“Mmmh… Everything ‘lright?”, Bdubs asked sleepily, scooching closer.

“Yes. You can sleep a bit longer, love, I’ll wake you.”, Etho murmured and stroked his hair.

“‘Kay. Love you.”

You are everything to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the portal opened that morning, all Hermits had gathered in front of the portal building. It was only the third day but it was already noticeable that the amount of players had decreased significantly. 

128, Xisuma counted. The original number had basically halved. They had expected it, the biggest sensationalism had been sated, now only the hardcore fans and enthusiasts came back. 

Not that any of the Hermits was overly sad about it. All of them were tense and eyed the arrivals more closely, looking for hints or giveaways. But everything seemed normal, just as it had the last two days. 

The remaining 128 visitors spread easily over the world and the number of tours was reduced until it was obvious that on the next day probably none would be necessary.

They explained the new security measures with deaths of visitors and how they wanted to be able to engage more with the players without having to worry about them getting lost or injured. Nobody questioned their decision. 

Everyone went to their bases, doing their tours as scheduled. Since Ren closed his district, he spent the day with Doc. A good decision, as it turned out. Doc was broody and taciturn, giving short answers and often forgetting to smile. Ren did his best to cover for him and lighten the mood with his usual sunshine personality. Here and there, when he was sure nobody was looking, he touched Doc’s back or took his hand and squeezed it. 

After the first few tours, he took a little break from the questions and sat in Doc’s base by the pond, listening to the axolotls splashing around. His ears kept twitching, trying to stay attentive and looking out for any problems. 

He understood his lover’s unease. Doc was quick to give his heart away. Injustice always rubbed him the wrong way and with Silver being a hybrid… His protective instincts had to be going into overdrive. It reminded Ren of the time when Grian first joined Hermitcraft, coming from a badly managed world, with little to no self-esteem and still unfamiliar with his newly acquired Watcher abilities.

Doc had instantly claimed him, mothering him for weeks, feeding him whatever he thought was what Grian needed, researching Watcher powers and what the best methods for pruning feathers were. Ren had tried to help him as best as he could, adoring the little parrot hybrid nearly as much as Doc did. But Ren was no doctor and his instincts kept telling him that there was an injured prey nearby, so he stayed away and kept himself busy with gathering materials until his werewolf side had accustomed itself to the new player. 

The other Hermits had been wary of Doc’s forming obsession with Grian. They had been afraid of a possible fallout between Doc and Ren. Carefully, they had tried to set up an intervention to give Doc and Ren time to talk and sort out their feelings. Thinking back, Ren had to hide his grin and his eyes flashed red for a moment. They had used the couple of days in the mountain lodge very well. Oh, they talked, but there was also a lot of moaning and dick-sucking involved. And speaking with a full mouth is hard.

Ren never had a problem with the fact that he had to share Doc’s heart. Werewolves mostly lived in poly packs, anyway. And Doc always managed to make sure that Ren didn’t feel neglected, bringing him presents, spending time with him and thoroughly loving him during the night. 

And he and Doc went way, way back. 

When Scar’s and Grian’s relationship started to form, the four of them sat down and had ‘the talk’. Who was okay with what and what about being poly? At first, Scar had been a bit confused (“Who is Polly?”), but after a bit of explaining and careful prodding, it turned out Scar was very open to the suggestion. 

And so, it was the four of them, everything falling into place easily. Somehow, when word got around, more Hermits showed interest and a few months later there was an “open love policy” introduced. 

If consent was given, love could be shared.

Ren thought it was the best thing ever to happen to them. The Hermits had always been a close-knit society, sharing whatever they had and helping each other out. There had always been love among them, be it romantically or platonically. Who knew, without given the opportunity, they would all have stayed platonic forever. But sharing their hearts and bodies had brought them even closer together. They now understood their needs and wants, knew how to handle challenging situations better. 

When Hermits were stressed and needed  a more aggressive kind of love that their usual or primary partners couldn’t give them, they’d ask Keralis or Doc. More cuddly love was a specialty of Scar and Ren. Etho was intense but always up for a tease and a good time. Bdubs and Grian were a force in bed, easily matching their energies to their partners and wearing them out. 

Over the years everyone had found a spot in their poly community.

Of course, outside of Hermitcraft nobody even breathed a word about it. For the public they kept their world strictly PG. Alongside their abilities and powers, it was the most well-kept secret of the Hermits.

Ren snapped back into the present when shouting echoed from the walls from the perimeter. Instantly he was on his feet again, rockets in hand, and dove down into the perimeter. As the voices grew louder, Ren’s heartbeat was already pounding in his ears. He struggled to keep his claws and fangs retracted.

What was it now? 

Had someone fallen into another trap? Was MasterBoss here again? Did someone die?

Behind him, he could hear more rockets and then Xisuma overtook him. He must have been close.

Together they splashed down into the flooded perimeter, swords already in hand. Ren spun around, trying to allocate the threat. 

Doc dropped down from the sky like lightning, his eye already turning black. 

More screaming. It seemed like it came from one of the houses on the edge. The three of them whirled around and ran to the cluster of sandstone buildings. 

Another mob trap? 

Just as they got close enough to see the players, another loud shout erupted, followed by laughter. Ren frowned and slowed down a bit. 

Doc marched on but then Xisuma grabbed his coat, pulling him back.

“Doc, no!”

When Doc turned around and looked at Xisuma’s hand grabbing his coat, his eye had lost all colour and the edges of his fur were emitting embers. He growled, his clawed hands flexing. 

X quickly let go of the fabric and held up his hands. Deescalation seemed necessary to calm Doc down. 

“Ren? Would you please go check? And keep them away?”, he asked without looking in Ren’s direction.

“Sure thing.” Ren ran towards the buildings, his splashing footsteps quickly fading away.

“Doc? Can you hear me, buddy?”

More growling, odd echo in his voice. Doc’s eyes were darting around the perimeter, his clawed hands closing and opening. His mind was still searching for threats.

“Doc, I know that you are on edge and that you are worried about Silver.”

Silver’s name provoked another growl, closer to a hiss now. X nodded.

“Gotcha. But we cannot have this discussion right now, right here. We are in your perimeter and there are a dozen visitors here. If you transform, it may cause another ruckus. And we don’t want that, right? You don’t want anymore people to get hurt?”

Doc’s fur started to smooth, the embers blinking out. 

X was reaching for his face before he caught himself and just patted his chest. Doc’s heart was beating fast and strong against his palm.

“You’re doing so well. Hurting innocents is the last thing you want to do, right?”

A jerky nod. 

No, he never wanted to hurt anyone. At least no one that didn’t deserve it. 

“Come on, let’s go to your base.”

For a second, X touched Doc’s hand.

“That screaming scared me quite a bit, so I think I might need a bit of distraction to calm down. Will you help me?”

Doc’s eye started to clear, lazer-focus on Xisuma. The admin looked fine, but the helmet always hid his true emotions.

“Always.”, he answered, his voice nearly back to normal.

“Then let’s go.”

Xisuma took off towards Doc’s base where he knew his bedroom was. The bedroom Xisuma had personally locked for visitors.

During the flight he let Keralis know that he might be late and not to worry about him. 

>Everything alright?<

>Just a little Doc distraction.<

>Ohhh, have fun. Tell me if you need backup ;) Might pop over to Bdubs, have a little fun myself.<

>Don’t overdo it :-D Love you.<

>Same to you, Shashwammy. And don’t let Doc burn your beautiful skin! <3 <

A still agitated Doc in his back, Xisuma flew straight towards the concealed entrance down in the great hall of GOAT and flicked the lever. As he attempted to take a first step into Doc's dimly lit bedroom, a big hand caught him around his waist.

“Eager, aren’t we?”, Doc whispered in his ear. 

“Maybe.”, X answered, squirming free and walking backwards towards the big four poster bed. Excitement sped up his steps.

“It’s been a while.”, he said while releasing the straps on his helmet and taking it off. His admin duties always kept him busy, so he didn’t find much time for other partners than Keralis. Seeing Doc stand in the door frame, leaning on one shoulder, arms crossed and his eyes wandering appreciatively up and down his body sent shivers down his spine.

The very good kind of shivers.

Breathing out, he relaxed his body and let the void look out from his eyes.

He knew that Doc loved seeing his void.

“Oh hello there, beautiful.”, Doc promptly said, closing the door behind him and taking big steps towards X. X carefully put the helmet on a sideboard and reached up to unbutton his shirt and cloak. 

“Let me.”, Doc said, turning him towards him. 

There was still some pain in his eyes and his claws hadn’t retracted fully, but his hands were careful and gently removed his clothing.

X brushed through his fur, under the lab coat and over the broad shoulders. While X was one of the tallest Hermits, Doc still had a good couple inches on him. And he was much broader, making X feel small and vulnerable. A strange, but not unwelcome feeling. 

X’s clothes fell to the ground and he stepped out of his pants. 

“Your turn.” Carefully, he peeled the lab coat off Doc’s overheated body, avoiding the patches that had already turned into ash. X wondered if Doc had a whole wardrobe full of coats, given the amount he tended to burn. 

Doc’s fur was shorter and more sparse on his pecs and torso, more human. X stroked the soft surface, then grabbed onto Doc’s chest and squeezed it. 

“Did you change your workout? They seem a bit soft.”, he teased.

“Oh, what the–” Doc grabbed him and simply threw him on the bed. A surprised squeak escaped X. 

He knew that Doc was really strong, but throwing a 6’10 man like he was a pillow? X could feel his void already responding. 

“Soft? You think I turned soft? Imma show you how not-soft I am!” Grabbing his ankles, Doc pulled X towards the edge of the bed, and settled between his legs. 

“I think Keralis has been too nice to you lately.”

“I wouldn’t say thaaa–” the rest of the sentence ended in unintelligible gibberish as Doc’s hot mouth closed around his dick, licking the tip while his hands fondled his balls. 

“God, Doc!”

Doc looked up at him, smirking. One of his fangs was visible. X reached with his hands for him and Doc’s met his in the middle, interlacing them. X could feel his void seeping out. Doc’s mouth was relentlessly hot, his tongue pressing on all the right spots, finding just the right pressure. 

X was already close. 

“Wa-wait!” X was breathless. Doc pulled back, raising an eyebrow questioningly. 

“This was meant to distract you , not me.”

“I feel quite distracted already…”, Doc said, drawing lazy circles with his tongue on X’s skin, X’s dick twitching against his cheek. “But if you really want to distract me…”

“Yes? What? What do you want me to do?” Doc kept teasing X’s skin. He untangled their hands and grabbed X’s legs, putting them over his shoulders and kissing the sensitive skin on the inside. X’s skin pebbled.

“It’s more what I can do for you, don’t you think?”, Doc asked.

“Mhh … So, what do you want to do for me?”

“How about I fuck you so hard you see stars?” Doc bit into X’s leg, nearly breaking the skin with his sharp teeth.

X hissed. His dick twitched.

“Or I can cover your body in bite marks so you can’t even take off your helmet or everyone will know.” 

Another bite, another twitch.

“I could also suck your dick until you explode in my mouth, suck you so good until you’re completely empty and can’t think straight anymore.”

X squirmed, his hand looking for something to hold on to before grabbing on of Doc’s horns. Doc’s eye twitched, a bit of black returning. 

“Yes.”

“Yes to what?”, Doc asked, his lips caressing the reddened spot on X’s leg, his bite clearly visible. One of his hands travelled upwards X’s body and closed around his dick.

“To - to all of that.”

A sharp knock sounded on the door, then Ren popped his head in. 

“Hi, I handled - oh. Ooooh.”

“Hey babe, care to give me a hand?”

“Absofuckinglutely.” Leaving a trail of his clothes behind, Ren walked to the bed. 

“What do you want me to do?”

“I’m going to loosen up our friend here so it would be great if you kept his mouth and dick occupied.”

X’s breathing hitched, his eyes darted between Ren and Doc. Having Doc as a partner was always an experience in itself. Both of them together were an onslaught, the perfect mixture of insanity and fondness.

Doc looked at him, his gaze softening. 

“You okay with that, love?”

X’s brain turned to jelly with the pet name and he barely managed a nod. 

Oh yeah, totally. Anything. 

“Well then, bon appetit!”, Ren joked and caught X’s mouth in a deep kiss. X slung his arms around Ren’s broad shoulders and enjoyed Ren’s exploration of his mouth while Ren’s hands travelled all over his body, teasing his nipples, caressing his rips and finally closing around his dick.

X could hear the distinct sound of a potion bottle opening and then something warm and tingly touched his asshole.

“Relax.”, Doc murmured before slowly, carefully inserting a finger. 

X moaned into Ren’s mouth and grabbed him tighter. Slowly, he descended into madness.

He didn’t come up for a good while. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grian was busy sorting out his chests and shulkers for the umpteenth time when the sound of rockets announced another Hermit. Moments later, Etho’s tall figure stood in one of his storage rocks. 

“Hey there!”, Grian said and smiled, returning to his task at hand.

“Hello G.”

For a few minutes, Etho just leaned silently against the cold stone and watched Grian put stuff away. He wasn’t sure where to begin or what he even wanted to say. 

No visitors were around at the moment. Most of them were at the Scarland parade or on their way to the portal. The visitation day slowly came to an end. 

“If you’re just going to stand there, how about you grab one of those shulkers and help me sort them out?”

“Mmhh.”

But Etho obeyed and pulled out stacks of deepslate and started organising them in their respective chests. 

He was tired. The vision hadn’t let him sleep at all the night before and still now, even during broad daylight, it kept ambushing him, sneaking up on him from behind and then suddenly taking over his thoughts. 

Again and again, Bdubs’ white face, his own bloody hands appeared in front of his eyes, paralysing his body with terror. 

The worst part was that it seemed like a permanent death, like in a hardcore world. But that was impossible. Bdubs didn’t like these worlds, only participated in the Hermit’s death games because he knew he would return safely to Hermitcraft after it. 

A world without respawn? Etho was sure Bdubs had never once visited one. 

So how could he die on one?

And why was Etho there, too?

He had spent the morning at his base again, watching out for the visitors while trying to push the vision into the back of his head. With little success. 

Sitting in his tree, drinking one invisibility potion after the other, he dissected the vision piece for piece, looking for any clues that might help him prevent Bdubs’ death. But the vision was stubborn and only ever showed him Bdubs dying, no before and no after. Etho couldn’t find out how Bdubs died or even where they were.

After a few iterations, Etho was fairly sure that the floor was covered with slimy, icecold mud and that they were in some kind of strange plains biome, close to a forest. 

But that was all. He didn’t know whether they were alone or if the other Hermits were there. Didn’t know whether anyone else died. Or how, when, why, where. 

Visions were bastards.

Around noon, he couldn’t withstand the urge to see Bdubs anymore and flew over to the shopping district. Bdubs had been on the horse meadow again, but this time sitting among his horses, reading a book about ancient architecture. They had spent a good part of the early afternoon lying next to each other on Bdubs’ soft moss coat. Only a few visitors had stopped by, shortly joining in on their conversation about temple structures and typical building palettes. 

But just as Etho was nodding off, warm by the sun and Bdubs’ hand in his - hidden under the cloak - the vision came back, even more horrific that before, showing him in detail the missing muscles and flesh and bones in Bdubs’ chest, the puddle of blood seeping into the ground. 

Even though it’s been a while since the last one, Etho was used to his visions. Normally, they were about unimportant events, little anomalies. Mostly, he had them at night, in the short transition period between sleep phases. And usually, he only had them once, forgetting about them quickly after waking up. 

Most of the time, they seemed more like dejavú episodes, none of them important enough to stop and think about them.

But this one was different. It persisted, returned and grew more urgent every time. The vision seemed to try to tell him something. But Etho was sleep-deprived and at his wits’ end. 

So he went to visit the only person who might be able to help him. 

Grian was aware that Etho had something on his mind. He was even more quiet than usual and looked really tired. But he had learned that prying wouldn’t get him anything out of him, so he waited patiently. 

After emptying a few more shulkers, Etho sighed and sat down on a chest.

“Hey Grian…”

“Yes, buddy? What’s up?” Grian sat down opposite of him, pulling in his wings and wrapping his arms around his knees. 

“When … when you use your Watcher abilities, can you control who or what you see?”

Grian stopped short and turned towards Etho. For the first time he noticed that Etho was looking distraught, wringing his hands and not meeting his eyes.

“I … can, but only to a certain point. Maybe the term ‘Watcher’ gives it a false meaning. It’s not that I can pick and choose who to watch, it’s more of a ‘I see everything but if I concentrate I can focus on a single person for some time’. You could imagine it like I had a dozen surveillance monitors which are always on but I ignore them. The cameras switch to different locations randomly and if I really focus and type the correct button sequence I can see a specific scene or person. Most of the time, being a Watcher also means more code-bending power and less ‘I know what you’ve done’.” 

Etho sagged a bit.

“Etho, why do you ask? What has happened?”

When Etho didn’t answer, Grian stood up and knelt in front of him, tipping his head towards him. Etho’s eyes were covered with a thin white film, his face nearly grey. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake.”, Grian swore and hauled Etho into his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me you had visions again.” 

They had been through this shortly after Grian had joined Hermitcraft. Doc had brought his ‘friend’ Etho to one of his visits at Grian’s, saying they might have some things in common. And while Etho’s visions and Grian’s Watcher powers were quite different, it did help Grian to know that he wasn’t the only ‘weirdo’ on the server - not that any of the other Hermits was particularly ‘normal’. Together, Etho and Grian had worked through Grian’s newly developed powers, figuring out how they were triggered and how Grian would be able to control them. In return, Grian had helped Etho through some especially rough memories from his past. 

The first time Etho had had a vision in Grian’s presence, he had been pretty rattled. Over time, he had grown accustomed to it and sometimes discussed them with Etho afterwards, helping him understand and process them. 

But it had been a long, long time since Etho had a vision. Years, maybe even decades. He blamed it on his now way safer lifestyle, his more stable mental health and balanced diet. After Grian had grown accustomed to his Watcher abilities, they spoke less about powers and visions and more about plans for the future. Etho’s visions were not a topic he brought up himself, so at some point, they were not talked about at all anymore. 

Grian held limp Etho easily in his arms and contemplated what to do. Finally he shrugged and laid him down on a soft patch of moss. His sniffer curiously walked over. 

Etho had grown even paler, his eyes moving rapidly below the film, his hands scrambling for purchase. Before Grian could decide whether to call Bdubs or get a glass of water to splash him, Etho gasped and sat up. 

“Welcome back, sleeping beauty. That was a pretty long one, you good?”, Grian said, petting Snot. 

Etho rubbed over his face. His eyes were bloodshot.

“I … god. Grian, can you do me a favour?” 

Etho’s voice trembled. He pulled down his mask and took a deep breath. And another one. Beads of cold sweat ran down his temple and down towards his neck. His hands shook when he brushed his hair out of his eyes.

“Hey.”, Grian knelt down in front of him, taking one of his hands. “What’s the matter? What did you see?”

When Grian’s eyes met Etho’s, his breath caught. There was so much agony and horror. The white film hadn’t lifted completely, but his red eye was glowing eerily bright. 

“Etho, what did you see?”

“Bdubs died.”

“What?!”

While Etho told Grian about his vision, Snot decided to cheer up Etho in his own way, digging in the grass and nudging over torchflower seeds and even a pitcher pot, which Etho absentmindedly picked up and turned and turned in this hands. 

After Etho had ended, Grian let out a breath.

“A no respawn world? That’s tough. And very unusual for Bdubs. Since when are you having this vision?”

“Yesterday - no today in the morning was the first time. And it keeps returning, Grian. I’ve seen the same scene dozens of times today already, and nothing changes, nothing additional happens. It’s just Bdubs dying over and over again. I feel like I’m going crazy.” 

Etho lay on his back again, staring into the clear blue sky which started to darken. 

“Have you tried your meditations?”

Etho nodded.

“What about the exercises to calm your vegetative nervous system?”

“Tried them as well. I even took a slowness potion in the hopes of calming down.”

“Have you talked to Bdubs about it?”

Etho’s head jerked.

“I definitely can’t. It would completely wreck him. I don’t want him to live in fear. And you know how visions are. It could be now, it could be in 20 years. Or it could never happen, because someone or something chooses a different direction and then the whole future changes.”

“Then why are you so worked up about it, when you know, that there’s a good chance it’ll never happen?”

“You try seeing your lover die a dozen times a day and not be worked up about it!”

Grian petted Etho’s shoulder.

“You’re right, sorry. But … why did you come to me? How could I help you?”

Etho pushed up on his elbows. His tired gaze met Grian’s.

“Could you - maybe - have an eye on Bdubs? You know, a Watcher eye? Check in with him, when I can’t?”

“I can, but, Etho … That’s a pretty big invasion of privacy, you know. What if he’s with somebody? What if he’s, dunno, having a wank?”, Grian tried to lighten the mood. 

“It’s not funny! He could die , Grian! What if it was Scar? What would you do if you saw Scar’s death and didn’t know when or where or even how it happened?”

At the thought, Grian’s eyes blazed purple for a second. He blinked and shook his head.

“You are right. I’m sorry. I promise I’ll keep an eye on him, keep him out of dangerous situations, hardcore worlds and such.”

“Thank you.” Etho’s shoulders sagged visibly. “That means a lot to me.”

“Of course.”, Grian leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on Etho’s lips. “We won’t let anyone else die on this server.”

After that, they went over Etho’s vision again and again, trying to locate the world and the place where it could happen. But in the end, they didn’t come up with anything. Neither of them had been in a hardcore world for years.

They would just have to be careful and look out for each other.

Chapter Text

Silver stood in the entrance of a pretty cave, lit up with glow berries and hidden lighting. Moss grew on the floor and walls, little ferns and tiny white flowers covered the ground. Spore blossoms fluttered through the air and drip leaves trembled in the light breeze coming from the opening. Only the sound of wind in the trees and the chirping of birds was audible. 

Silver had been standing there rooted to the spot for a couple of minutes now. 

It was already close to noon. Each time they thought their body would finally take a step forward, phantom pain flashed through their mind and they couldn’t move. 

With a sigh, they sat down cross-legged and tipped their head back. Above them, the treetops were swaying in the wind, the light filtering in brilliant rays through the gaps between the leaves. Silver could feel the subliminal land magic below their hands but didn’t feel the urge to try and reach out. 

They had spent the previous day wandering through the forest and open fields they cultivated. They had harvested crops and restocked on firewood. Simple tasks that kept their brain and hands busy. The sun had accompanied them the whole day, giving them a slight sunburn on their noise and bleaching their hair a tad brighter. In the evening, below the brilliant stars, they had laid down in the grass and buried themselves deeply within the land magic, talking and exchanging thoughts until they felt reborn and peaceful, all bad memories erased. 

For now. 

At some point they had fallen asleep and only woken up when a curious ferret had played with their hair. The land had covered them in a soft blanket of moss and dozens of small white flowers had covered the ground around them again. A little bouquet of them now stood in a pretty glass vase in their kitchen. 

Silver smiled at the memory, their fingers lightly stroking over the grass blades. If they weren’t careful, every chunk of grass in the closer vicinity would fall prey to those flowers. They already had left some on the perimeter and Scar’s back alley.

At the thought of Scarland their smile faded and their hands clenched to fists. Silver sighed again, frustrated. They wanted to go back. They were excited to go back, see the Hermits again, finally do a proper Scarland tour and visit Cleo’s castle. Then there were the two museums they still needed to visit and the endless halls of the soup group’s megabase. 

They really wanted to go back. So why were they still sitting here? 

Groaning, they pressed their fists against their eyes. 

They were scared, simple as that. All the rationality in the world couldn’t take their fear. They had never been this close to transforming fully, and their body was still sore in spots. They had burned the clothes they had worn, they were too destroyed and too bloodied to be repairable. 

Doc would be sad if they didn’t come today…

Silver shook their hand and let themselves fall backwards. Yeah, sure, maybe. Xisuma had also seemed like he wanted Silver to come back. 

But they were just being nice. The Hermits were nice, after all. 

And Doc had Grian, so –

Silver groaned again. What were they even thinking, speculating in that direction?! Silver was a visitor, Doc a welcoming host. 

That’s all.

But then the memory of Doc’s pained eyes popped up, his adamant protectiveness and his offer for a private perimeter tour. The way he had carried them so easily. Twice. His half-transformed face, fuming and black veins crawling from his eyes, his burning gaze as he looked at them – 

“Oh my fucking gooood!”, Silver squealed. “What is wrong with me?!”

They swore they could hear the trees giggling around them. Bah. Gossipmongers, altogether. 

They would go. To Hermitcraft. They would give Scarland a wide berth (sorry Scar). They would visit the museums and go to the perimeter (maybe). They would ask Doc for a tour (maybe). And they would not fangirl over him or his broad shoulders or his arms or … Yeah. No. 

They would not let fear stop them, would not let that stupid motherfucker ruin their visit. It had always been a dream of them to visit Hermitcraft and meet the Hermits, and this incident would not stop them. 

They had already lost a whole day.

Checking their inventory again, they stood up. They had been busy. Half a stack of golden apples sparkled in the sunshine, next to a few potions of strength and regeneration. Anything more aggressive would be confiscated in the entry building, but this should be okay. Their notebook was stored there as well as some portable water colours and small presents for Doc, Xisuma and Ren. 

‘You’re safe with me.’ Doc had said.

Well, time to put that to the test, right? And if they felt even remotely threatened or unsafe in any way, they’d turn on their heel and run. No more deaths today.

Slowly, they walked into the small dim cave where their portal was located. Purple particles and the distinct otherworldly sound of the portal greeted them. With shaking hands they entered the code for Hermitcraft. When the portal settled in place, they took a deep breath. Pressed their hands one last time on the moss rock surrounding them. 

Rubbing their sweaty palms on their pants, they mumbled “Don’t let fear control your life.” and walked through the portal. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doc knew he was a grumpy bastard. Ren had made that very clear before kissing him goodbye and taking off towards the record shop. He, Xisuma and Doc had a lovely impromptu sleepover when they were done with Xisuma and it was clear that the admin wouldn’t be able to go anywhere that evening anymore. Doc smirked at the memory, but that faded quickly as he checked his DMs for the umpteenth time and there was still no message from Silver. 

It was still early, only an hour into the visitation day. But Doc’s patience grew dangerously thin. 

“Ugh.” Doc buried his face in his hands. His creeper side was very close below the surface, responding to his explosive mood. 

The numbers of visitors had dropped again, only a bit short of a 100 players had entered the world this morning. There were always a few late risers, but Xisuma didn’t expect them to meet yesterday’s number. Again, the Hermits rather welcomed the decrease. After the second day, exhaustion had set in for all of them, not just because of the weeks of work and preparation beforehand, but also because of the devastating news of their server being hacked and a visitor dying. 

All of the Hermits had spent the last evenings brainstorming and preparing. Impulse’s forge had been running non-stop, forging swords and battleaxes. Teams had formed to gather netherite to set up a backlog of armour.

Just in case. 

And Xisuma was a wrack. Even though Doc and Ren had worn them out the previous night, this morning he was the first one awake and up, already elbow deep in the servercode again. Doc nearly had to threaten him to get him to eat breakfast. 

Doc shook his head.

They were a mess. While the facade of the visitation week was still maintained, underneath everyone was running on adrenaline, twitching at the slightest noises. 

But they had to do their best to keep the visitors entertained and safe. Scarland’s parades were running all day long now since the list of visitors entering their names never seemed to grow shorter. The applications for the base tours were quickly declining though and Doc only had one tour to do.

The visitors would probably come soon. He should get prepared. 

And Silver would come when they were ready. If they were ready at all. 

There was still a very good possibility they’d change their mind and turn their back on Hermitcraft. Doc wouldn’t blame them. Hermitcraft might very well be a place of bad memories now. Hell, they had looked terrified when the wings unfolded at their back. And their eyes were incredibly empty and tired at their goodbye at the portal.

He shouldn’t have let them go. Irrational, yeah, yeah. 

The first thing he had done this morning was check the shack in Scarland again, the code lock, the torches, the newly installed floor. 

Nothing had changed.

Yet.

When he could hear voices approaching, Doc grumbled but stood up and walked out to greet them. 

He only offered one tour today, and he would do so smiling and waving. 

He was a professional after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the world was loading in and Silver’s eyes adjusted to the light, they were greeted with silence. The great hall was empty, no other players around. 

Such a contrast to the first two days. 

They were still doing the whole visitation thing, right? Silver didn’t intrude or something? But then the portal code wouldn’t have worked. 

Right?

Exhaling shakily, Silver stepped down and through the item scanner. Then they checked their inventory. Everything was still there. 

Okay. 

“Okay.”, they said aloud and startled at the sound of their voice. It always took them a bit to get used to the change.

Should they text Doc right away? 

He was probably busy with a tour right now anyway. Maybe they’d take it slow, just taking a little walk around.

Silver squinted when they left the building. It was another beautiful day on the Hermitcraft server, the sun hot and high in the sky, blinding them. 

“Oh there you are, I was looking for you all over, babe!”, a loud voice from behind them sounded and a hand grabbed theirs. Alarmed, Silver spun around and had to lower their gaze to look in equally surprised big brown eyes.

“Bdubs!”, Silver sputtered.

“You’re not Etho!”, Bdubs said at the same time.

“Ah, no, I’m not. Sorry.”, Silver said and gently released their hand. Bdubs caught himself quickly.

“I am SO sorry! But you’re like, really freaking tall and you know, the hair and all.”, he said and gesticulated wildly.

“Yeah, I see what you’re getting at.”, Silver answered and laughed. This body was a bit taller, the hair longer. 

Then Bdubs looked at their player tag and his eyes turned round. 

“Oh my gooood, you are Silver! Like, the Silver! I was told to look out for you. So, baby, how are you on this beautiful day? I gotta say, you are a handsome lad! No, person! A very handsome person, yes, yes. Did you get a good rest yesterday? I’m telling you, that was quite the commotion…!”

Bdubs grabbed Silver’s arm this time and guided them towards the shopping district, without taking a break or giving Silver time to answer. 

Etho was obviously completely forgotten as Bdubs led his new companion into the city. 

After leaving the big square in front of the entry building, they turned left, past Pearl’s dye shop, the tall tower of Doom looming over the trees on the opposite side. Soon, Impulse’s iBuy came into sight, framed by Xisuma’s camel game and the record shop. In the distance to the right, the gigantic TCG pyramid was glistening in the bright sun. 

Silver felt a good part of their anxiety evaporate in Bdubs’ presence. Broad daylight, a bubbly Hermit as company and clean, nearly empty streets, exactly what they needed right now. 

Bdubs kept pointing to the different buildings, explaining their use and who built them. While Silver already knew most of the information, they listened carefully, trying to see the builds with Bdubs’ eyes. 

When they arrived at the crossroad at the record shop, Bdubs stopped them.

“Have you listened to the cacophony yet?”

Silver nodded. 

“Yes, on the first day I visited the shopping district right away. I went to the record shop, iBuy, the Entity and of course Scarland. Oh, and I saw your industrial base. I really loved that!”, Silver counted on their fingers.

Bdubs’ eyes started sparkling.

“You liked my base?”

“Why, yes, of course! I am so impressed with the way you combine colours and textures, I’ve never seen that anywhere else before! You really set a new standard when it comes to building and guiding the onlookers’ eyes! I made some sketches and took note of your block palette, too. I still have to visit the Bdubs blob at Cub’s museum though.”

“Oh my, thank you, thank you! It’s really just try and error and a lot of experience. We have a lot of amazing builders in our world, I’m sure you’ve noticed it already!”

They started walking again and Bdubs asked Silver about their own world.

“I live in a forest.”, Silver explained. “When I first arrived there, I spawned right on top of a gigantic oak, so I made that my main base. I have a beautiful tree house there and several smaller houses in the close vicinity, on the ground and on trees which contain farms and other utilities. My world is pretty hands-on, though. A lot of farming is done by hand, and I have big fields a bit outside my forest where I cultivate everything I need.” Silver shrugged and smiled, thinking of the sun-dipped blankets of golden wheat, the swaying greens of carrots and potatoes. “It’s a simple life, but I love it there.”

“Sounds very peaceful and calm.”

“It definitely is. I prefer … nature to people. Usually, at least.”, Silver said, with a sidelong at Bdubs. “I have always had a very close relationship with nature.”

Bdubs nodded.

“I’ve heard.”

They walked a bit further, each in their own thoughts. Their footsteps echoed in the empty street, no other visitors or Hermits were in sight. 

“So, I guess your build style is rather nature-themed, too? What blocks are you using?”, Bdubs picked up again, stretching his arms over his head. 

“You can imagine it a bit like Moss-O-Menos.”, Silver answered and nodded towards the shop they just passed.  “Except I use a lot more wood than stone. But the theme is similar, I’d say. I always try to include big windows, to let in the sun. I have a lot of houseplants, so I need the light. There’s a lot of oak, spruce and birch wood involved. Since I don’t really travel by elytra, it sometimes is hard to acquire certain materials so I make-do with what I find in my surrounding biomes. The travelling merchants help a lot, though. By now, most of them know my tastes and bring me the most amazing saplings and woods from all over the world.”

Bdubs nodded.

“I guess you also don’t visit other worlds often?”

Silver shook their head. 

They took a turn and passed the armour trim shop. Silver looked at it curiously.

Silver wasn’t exaggerating when they said they didn’t like using an elytra. They did when they really couldn’t get around or it was just safer, like in the nether - which they nearly never entered anyway - but in general, it stayed in the closet and collected dust. But that also meant that they had only limited access to things like trims. By chance they had found a wild template in a jungle pyramid once, and a merchant had sold them the template of the dune. The others they had never seen.

Silver took a step closer to inspect the displayed armour stands. 

“You like one of these?”, Bdubs asked, following them.

“I think the wayfinder looks good, especially the helmet. Reminds me of a flower crown.”, Silver answered. 

“There’s more upstairs, if you want to take a look.”, Bdubs said, turning to the ordering book in the corner. 

On the second floor more armour stands were set up. Silver had a little giggle looking at the angry eyebrows of the Vex helmet. None of them drew their interest for longer though so they walked back down. 

“Ready to move on?”, Bdubs said and smiled.

Apparently he would play bodyguard for the day. Silver shook their head internally. The Hermits were good people. They were certain Xisuma had informed all of them of what had gone down and instructed them to keep an eye on Silver. They might not need a bodyguard but company was nice nonetheless.

Bdubs led the way and Silver followed. 

They didn’t get far though. As soon as they left the shop, Silver stopped short. 

On the other side of the street, the delicate statue of a horse was positioned. The black fur was shining in the sun and colourful flowers were curled around a long elegant neck. Incredibly realistic eyes seemed to follow their every step. 

“This is gorgeous!”, Silver breathed and ran a careful hand over the sun-warmed surface. 

“Cleo is a magician when it comes to armour stands.”, Bdubs explained. “If you keep an eye out, you’ll see a lot more around the city.”

“This is so so cool! It looks so real, like it could run away any second!”

Bdubs laughed. 

They continued their sightseeing, walking past the original TCG shop and arena, towards the Hotguy HQ and THE BUTTON. Someone must have pressed it recently because it had only ticked down one block. Silver was a bit disappointed, they had wanted to get one of the crowns. No surprise though, with this many people on the server, everyone wanted to get the chance to be Mumbo’s “best friend”. 

When the Greens House came into sight, Silver just needed to visit the shop. Seeing the immense selection, they decided to stock up on a few plants like mangrove propagules and glow lichen, things they normally would have no chance of acquiring. Soon, their bag was filled to the brim with greenery, small seeds and healthy saplings.

While Silver insisted on paying, Bdubs just wouldn’t let them put any diamonds into the payment barrel. 

“I think that’s the least we can give you as an apology.”

Silver sighed and shook their head, but didn’t insist. 

“Do you have anything else you need?”

Silver hesitated. They didn’t want to take advantage of the Hermit’s kindness. Getting to visit their world and meeting some of them was already more than what they had hoped for. And they didn’t want it to seem like they were just here for the goodies.

At that moment, Silver’s stomach grumbled. 

“Lunch, maybe?”, Bdubs grinned. “How about some Giga Pies?”

“Sounds very giga, yes, please.”

While Bdubs led Silver to Ren’s pumpkin shop, he eyed Silver carefully. Bumping into them at the portal had been a surprise. Etho had spent the night before at Grian’s and hadn’t answered Bdubs’ call this morning, so he went looking for him. It wasn’t unusual for Etho to simply vanish, sometimes he just needed a time out. But Bdubs felt like something was up and wanted to talk to him about it. Seeing a tall person at the entry building, with silver hair, he really thought it was him. 

Bdubs flashed Silver another glance. 

They really were very tall, definitely as tall as Etho, maybe Ren, with broad shoulders, a flat stomach and long legs. The muscles on their arms bore witness to the hard work Silver apparently did on their world, and the open collar of their breezy shirt revealed a well-defined chest. Their skin was pale, with only a slight red shadow on their nose and some golden sprinkles on their cheeks. Their hair suited their name, glistening in the sun and coming nearly to their waist. It was longer than Etho’s, more like the length he had when he had first entered Hermitcraft. Bdubs eyed it with wonder. It looked so smooth, like silk, swaying and swirling when Silver walked. 

What would it feel like to touch? 

Bdubs looked at his own sun-tanned hands, roughened up by all the material gathering he had been doing over the last few months. His hair was short and black, his arms strong but not as defined. And yes, he was missing a few inches compared to Silver. Quite concrastive to them.

Bdubs could definitely see why Doc was so attracted to them. Still … Judging from Doc’s description, they had expected someone a bit smaller and more … feminine. And while Silver was rather slender, there was defined muscle under all that pale skin. He shrugged internally. None of his business anyway.

Despite that, Silver’s similarity to Etho was cunning. The hair, the differently coloured eyes, their body build… 

Bdubs bought some pumpkins, threw the rest of the ingredients onto the workbench and produced a stack of pies. They could have gone directly to the giga pie shop, but it was quite far out and in the middle of the more frequented area of Hermitcraft. Bdubs had a feeling Silver would prefer the more lonesome corners today.

“”Here.”, Bdubs said and offered Silver a piece of pie. Silver blinked and then took the pumpkin pie. Their cool fingers shortly touched his own, their eyes watching him curiously, sparkling in the lanterns in the shop. Bdubs could feel his cheeks warming.

Jeez, get it together!

He’d better text Doc that Silver was here. He’d be so mad knowing that Bdubs stole their attention while he was waiting impatiently. Chewing the delicious pie, he pulled out his comm and started typing with one hand. 

“Do you need to be somewhere?”, Silver asked. “I’m fine walking around by myself, you know. I don’t need a bodyguard.” Bdubs just grunted and kept typing. 

>Doc, I kidnapped your crush. What do I get to bring them safely to you?<

Bdubs snickered. That would rile him.

Silver was already at their second piece of pie. They hadn’t noticed how hungry they were until they had taken their first bite. And those pies were incredibly tasty. Silver checked the price. They definitely would take some home with them. 

Curiously they watched Bdubs type clumsily, his fingers full with pie crumbs, and silently snicker to himself.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh nothing. I just love to find ways to annoy the big guy.”

“Big guy?”

But Bdubs just grinned, shoved the comm in his back pocket and grabbed another pie.  

“Alright, where to next? We still have the full afternoon ahead of us.”, Bdubs asked, still chewing.

“Doc said he would give me an in-depth tour of the perimeter, maybe we can walk in that direction?”

“Aw, already? How about I show you the rest of the shopping district? Or we take a look at the crastle?”

Bdubs linked arms with Silver to lead them out of the shop. The sun was still burning from the sky, blinding them for a moment. Thankfully, Bdubs led them into the shade of some spruce trees in front of the shop. From across, the sound of arrows bouncing in front of the Hotguy HQ wavered their way. On the right, Bdubs’ gunpowder farm rose up to the sky. Silver shuddered at the sight of the top of the building. To them, it looked like bloody rain had stained the blocks from above.

Silver shrugged. They still had a few hours left and they hadn’t seen the crastle yet. Or the king’s quest shop. It didn’t really matter when they visited Doc but – deep down, they really wanted to see him. Wanted to thank him again. Wanted to feel his electrifying presence (ha), see the clever sparkle in his eyes and hear his booming laughs. 

He had said he had found some interesting books and lore on the buildings in the perimeter. Maybe they could visit the buildings together with Doc? Explore the ruins, the frescos Silver was sure were hidden in there? What other secrets might the perimeter hold? 

Maybe he would allow them to stay a bit longer to finish their drawing of the murals? Maybe they could have dinner together, and Silver could give him the present they brought and – 

But then a memory popped up. Him. In the forest. With Grian. 

Silver swallowed, their excitement fizzling out until they felt like a deflated balloon. Suddenly, the pie was overly sweet on their tongue, their throat constricting. Carefully, they wrapped the rest in a piece of cloth and put it away. 

“Everything okay?”, Bdubs asked, sensing their mood change.

“Oh, yeah, I just remembered something.”, Silver said and averted their gaze. 

Bdubs stopped chewing and pulled on Silver’s arm. He looked at them, his eyes full of knowing worry. Silver noticed that they were not wholly brown but had honey-coloured sparkles surrounding the iris. Long lashes framed his eyes, shading them. 

“If you want to talk about it, I am here. Believe me, most of us know what it feels to have several deaths in a row. And we all are impressed by the fact that you’re already up and running again. But please don’t overdo it. Trauma tends to pop up in the worst moments and only gets worse if you don’t work through it. So. I am here, if you need someone. I can just listen, trust me, I am a great listener.”

“Thank you, Bdubs, but –”

“It doesn’t have to be me, either!”, Bdubs continued, seemingly really getting into his monologue. “All of the Hermits will listen! Xisuma, Keralis, Ren. Scar is probably the most versed in respawns, he can give you some tips for sure! And Doc!” Silver flinched, Bdubs observant eyes noticing.  

“See, I know he can be quite overwhelming and once he’s set his eyes on someone there’s like no way out but don’t worry, he is a really sweet guy and he treats people he likes really really good. Like when Grian came onto this world, Doc was really lovely, total mother hen, I’m telling you! And he and Ren have like the best relationship – I mean they’re the bestest of friends, totally tight dudes, you know and – ”

Silver’s head started spinning. 

“Bdubs, what – no –”

“You know, Doc scared me at first, too. He came off so strong and all this muscle and he is so freaking tall! But then I got to know him better and he is the sweetest dude and –”

Silver put both hands on Bdubs shoulders and shook him slightly.

“Bdubs, stop, please.”

Bdubs mouth shut with an audible click. He looked at them confused.

“Bdubs, I have no idea what you are talking about. What’s that with Doc?”

“I thought - well, you looked kinda worried, so I thought you were thinking about - about the accident and all that stuff that has happened and I thought maybe you needed someone to talk about and when I mentioned Doc you kinda flinched and I just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to be afraid of Doc because –”

“You’re afraid of me?”, Doc’s quiet voice came from behind them. 

Silver screamed and Bdubs jumped at least 3 feet into the air. 

“DOC! What the heck man, you can’t scare me like that!”, Bdubs screeched, pressing a hand to his chest and bending over. 

Silver just stared at Doc, hand braced against the spruce tree behind them and tried to get their heart beating in a normal rhythm again. Damn Doc and his fucking soundless feet. Their hybrid side stirred at the adrenaline flooding their body, but they were still earthed enough from yesterday, had exchanged enough of their energy with their own land magic that they could press it down, down until it went back to sleep. 

Not today. 

Doc just looked at them, looking somewhat defeated. 

How long had he been standing there, listening to them? Listening to Bdubs babble about Ren and Grian and relationships? Silver was pretty sure Bdubs had said way more than he was supposed to. 

Silver let out a deep breath, feeling steady again. Apparently, this day on Hermitcraft would also not go calmly or uneventful. Something about Silver and Hermitcraft apparently didn’t match. Well, the first day had been good. And this was just - well, what exactly was going on? Bdubs was still trying to get his heartbeat under control, exaggerating every breath he took. 

Doc still looked at them, searching for something in their face.

Wait. He had asked a question. What –

“No!”, Silver sputtered, taking a step toward Doc but halted when they saw his eyes. He looked truly sad. 

“We were just talking about the day before yesterday, Doc, and I explained to Silver that you’re not as intimidating as you seem and –”

“Bdubs, I am very sorry, but please – please shut up. You’re not helping in the slightest.”, Silver said firmly, their gaze still on Doc. Black veins had started crawling from Doc’s biological eye who slowly turned black, too. Interesting. 

Probably bad, though.

And a bit of an overreaction, really.

Thankfully, Bdubs stopped speaking and took his stance a few metres behind them, surveying the empty street. 

Silver huffed and took another step forward. This time, apparently they had to do the calming down. 

Putting their hands on the Doc’s shoulders, Silver ignored how the muscles under their hands felt when they squeezed once. 

Even in this body, they had to tip their head back to look at Doc. 

“I am not afraid of you. I just had a weak moment, remembered some bad stuff, and Bdubs read too much into it.” Doc squinted, so Silver took another step closer.

“Listen, I am not afraid of you. You are incredibly smart and probably a bit crazy, but I am not afraid of you. You’ve saved me twice now, how could I be afraid?”

Doc’s mouth twitched downwards when Silver mentioned the saving. Ugh. Probably bad timing. 

Rubbing his shoulders, Silver looked up at him, ignoring how their heart squeezed and how that stupid little voice in their head squealed.

Doc’s body heat warmed Silver’s whole front. His shoulders were massive, the fabric of his usual lab coat rough. As always, Doc wasn’t wearing a shirt; if Silver lowered their gaze for a moment, they could get an eyeful of his amazing abs. And those pecs … 

Silver quickly looked up again and focused their eyes on Doc’s face. The black veins had faded completely. His gaze had changed. Full of intensity it burned into their eyes, making them swallow. Heat curled in their lower body, making their breath shallow.

Silver realised just how close they had gotten to him. 

Doc would just need to lower his head a bit, and Silver would need to stand on their tip-toes and – but they were on an open street on Hermitcraft, Bdubs only a few metres away. And Doc had Grian.

Doc had Grian.

Silver’s heart squeezed again and their hands dropped from Doc’s shoulders when they took a big step back. They looked away, checking if anybody else could hear or see them.

They were still alone. 

“Bdubs.”, Doc’s deep voice said without looking away from Silver. 

“Yup?”

“Don’t you need to go find your – find Etho or something?”

Bdubs shot a few glances between Silver and Doc, confusion on his face. Then his eyes lit up and he grinned broadly.

“Yes, yes I totally do! I need to talk to him about a Redstone project I’m planning. Yes, yes. See ya guys!” And with a sputter of rockets, Bdubs was gone.

Chapter Text

Suddenly alone with Doc, Silver didn’t know what to do with their hands. The pie lay heavily in their stomach. They should have gotten some water. Their mouth felt like they had chewed sandpaper.

“Anyway, I –”

“Will you have another meltdown if I carry you back to the perimeter while I fly?”

Stupefied, Silver just stared at Doc. 

“A meltdown – excuse me?”

“Okay, let me rephrase it. Will you need to earth yourself if I pick you up right now, carry you and fly us to my base?”

“I –”

Silver hesitated. Was it a good idea to go there now? The situation was still weird. 

Silver wanted to, though. They wanted to go so badly and spend time with him. Knowing that it was only borrowed time. They would probably need to earth themselves. Only a little bit, mostly to get rid of their nervous energy that seemed to build up when they were around Doc now. 

In three days, the portal to Hermitcraft would close forever, anyway. Why not enjoy what they could now? 

But what could Doc want? Again, Grian and Doc. But something that Bdubs had said before correcting himself had stuck with Silver. Something about Ren and Doc? 

Doc’s look had turned calculating. 

“You sure you’re not afraid of me?”, he asked, only half-joking.

“Oh, fuck off.”, Silver mumbled. “Yeah, okay, fine. And yes, I will need to earth myself. A bit. But won’t it be difficult to fly with me? I’m heavier in this body. And what if someone sees us?”

Doc’s eyes widened for a second  when Silver said ‘this body’, as if only then realising they had changed. He gave them a quick once-over, his face revealing nothing. 

“First, you’re still light as a feather to me and I reinforced my elytra.”

Of course he had.

“Second, I will fly high enough that nobody will see us. Most of them are at the Scarland parade anyway.”

Scarland.

The alley.

For a moment, Silver’s memory tried to dip into the accident, showing them only darkness, making them feel pain that wasn’t there. But then Doc’s hand touched their cheek, stroking lightly over their skin. 

“No bad memories allowed today.”, he said quietly. Silver blinked a few times. Maybe they leaned a bit into Doc’s touch.

Another idea popped up.

“Do you have a second elytra I could borrow?”

Doc huffed, withdrawing his hand. 

“Yeah, sure, that works as well.”

Quickly, he put down his enderchest, pulling out a shulker and rummaging in it until he found an elytra and some rockets.

“Here ya go. Be careful though, alright? And don’t let Xisuma know I gave you these.”

Silver halted in their movement. Oh right, no elytra allowed for visitors. 

“Will he be angry?”

“Don’t think so. And anyway, what he doesn’t know …”, Doc gave them a conspiratorial wink. Silver blushed but put on the elytra.

“Alright, lead the way.”

Seeing Hermitcraft from above was a whole new experience. It really showed which buildings and shops had grown organically and when the actual road works had started. Up here, Silver realised how tall iBuy actually was compared to its surroundings and how intricately decorated even the roof of Scarland’s castle was. Doc flew a wide turn around Scarland though. Distantly, they could hear the music and cheering from the ongoing parade. A few forgotten Jellie balloons floated into the bright sky. 

Then the perimeter came in sight and Silver was again blown away by its sheer size. 

The murals on the walls gleamed with colour, the goat goddess smiling gracefully down onto the perimeter.

The odd shape of the old goat temple on the edge was glowing in the afternoon sun. Solar panels on the overgrown roof were reflecting the sunlight and bees were buzzing around the flowers and blooming bushes. 

No visitors were to be seen, the whole scenery seemed peaceful and quiet, almost sacred.

Not for the first time, Silver wondered what the former inhabitants of the ruins would think about Doc’s excavation efforts and the modern farms and buildings he had added for his own comfort. Would they welcome the change, the progress? Or would they prefer their old ways, their traditions and culture? Doc’s Redstone prowess would probably scare them. The fact alone that his tunnel bore required a bunch of Wardens to keep the area safe … They would most likely be horrified.  

Or think he was a god himself. 

Doc flew through one of the open side windows, swooping down in a tight circle and then landed gracefully inside his storage room. 

Silver followed him a bit slower, sliding to the ground of the big square in front of the storage landing carefully. Taking a big breath, they analysed themselves. Nope, they were fine, no earthing required.

Taking off the elytra, they quickly strode towards Doc, already contemplating what to do next when they walked into an invisible wall. Their head bumped painfully against something solid they couldn’t see. 

“Oh fuck. Visitor protection!”, Doc swore. “Here, take my hand, that should work.”

Silver eyed him warily, rubbing their forehead but took his hand - goddamn, even his fingers were really strong, and his palm was so warm! - and took a careful step forward. No wall pressed against them and they entered the storage room fully. They quickly let go of Doc’s hand, curling their own to a fist to preserve some of his warmth.

“Does that mean I’m trapped in here now?”, they asked.

Something in Doc’s eyes darkened but he shook his head. “Nah, exiting is always possible. Getting in is the hard part.”

“Good to know.”, Silver murmured. Handing the elytra and rockets back, they took a closer look at the storage Doc had built. Unlabelled chests piled up towards the ceiling.

“How do you know where everything is?”

Doc tapped a finger on his temple. 

“I have an excellent memory.”

Nodding, Silver inspected the rest of the room.

Ancient pipes and newer metal tubing connected the chests over their head, presumably for sorting items into the correct chests. Close to the ceiling, small windows let in the sunlight, the rays filtering through the dust and particles that were whirling in the warm air. 

Everything was overgrown and a bit shabby as the temple had not yet been fully renovated. On an armour stand in the middle of the room, Doc’s enchanted netherite armour was glinting in the low light. Carefully, Silver touched it with their finger tips. Strong magic responded, Thorns biting their fingers without doing any real harm. 

Silver only had diamond armour back home. It shared the space in the dusty closet with their elytra. They hardly ever needed it; their forest was properly lit up in all directions so even during the night Silver was safe. Even if they ventured out too far or too long, most of the time Silver brought a sleeping bag with them and slept the night away to avoid any mobs from spawning. 

Of course, the first few nights on their world had been a bit rough and they had spent a couple of nights in small caves or little dirt huts. But even then, they had been rather safe, since they had chosen a world with low spawn rates and weak mobs. Everything else would have been unsafe for their other side. 

“- that I have. Mostly, I built my Redstone lines with diamond ores which is why I have several chests of them. In the big square where you landed I am planning to integrate an automatic chest refilling system, but it’s not ready yet.”

Silver blinked. While they were lost in thought, Doc had started wandering around the room, pointing here and there, and seemingly explaining some of the interior. 

Following him to the little entrance way to the storage room, Doc pointed down. 

“Do you hear anything?”

Suddenly, the mean cackle of a witch came from below, followed by the loud splashing sound of a potion being thrown. Silver flinched but the particles erupting around them were red and the warm tingle of a healing potion travelled up their legs.

“What’s this?”, they asked curiously. 

Doc just grinned and showed them the hidden door behind a Hotguy poster. 

“Follow me.”

Once started, Doc couldn’t stop. He showed them the contraption below the entryway, explaining to what lengths he had to go to flip the pillager around and lure the witches in their assigned spots. Silver had never seen witches up close, always keeping well away from them and their deadly poison. They tried to understand the explanation Doc gave them about how they only focused on the upside down pillager between them and would ignore any other players but to be quite honest, most of the explanation went over their head. They had never been a technical player and all that theory didn’t really make much sense to them. So instead they focused on the passion in Doc’s voice and how his whole body was emanating his excitement. Pointing here and there, Doc led them back and through another hidden door into a narrow staircase. Down and down they went until they exited to a spacious room, completely excavated from the stone. An amethyst geode hovered in the middle, surrounded by complicated redstone contraptions made up from slime and honey blocks. 

“This is my amethyst farm!”, Doc proudly explained and went on with an extremely complicated instruction on how that thing worked. 

Admiring the colour, Silver let their hands wander over the smooth surfaces of the blocks. 

“Can I go inside of it?”, they asked when Doc took a moment to breathe.

“Sure.”

Climbing inside, Silver marvelled at the light reflecting from the amethyst and the magical sounds that echoed with every step. Since they didn’t go caving a lot, they hadn’t seen a whole geode yet. Some merchant had sold them a couple of small clusters they used to create dreamcatchers for their windows but this? 

“This is so beautiful!”, they said, turning back to Doc and smiling broadly at him. He halted in his sentence and stared at them.

“Very beautiful indeed.”, he said after a moment. Then he quickly looked away and pointed at the amethyst clusters. “You want some?”

“If you have some spare one’s you don’t need? I usually don’t go mining and the merchants normally don’t have them in stock.”

“Of course, no problem. I have tons of them. I can give you some whole blocks and small clusters so you can grow your own?”

“That works?” Silver jumped down from the geode and beamed at Doc. “That would be absolutely awesome!”

A slight blush crept up Doc’s neck. 

“Sure, sure … Ah - I have them right over there in that chest. Wait a second, please.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Get it together!, Doc silently swore as he walked over to his amethyst storage. Still, he could feel the heat crawling up his face.

Seeing Silver stand inside the geode, surrounded by the soft light the gem emanated, the brilliant colours of the amethyst reflecting on their beautiful silver hair … Doc shook his head about himself. 

It had been a while since he had a crush like that. A few hundred years, in fact, since Grian had joined Hermitcraft. 

Their other (new?) body was as gorgeous as the version he had met for the first time only three days ago. Throwing back a quick glance, he could see them still standing in front of the geode, their whole stance relaxed and open. Their shirt gaped at their throat, revealing a bit of deliciously pale skin and hinting at a muscled chest. Doc’s fingers flexed as he imagined what the skin would feel like. How it would taste. How he could leave red bite marks all over their body, disrupting the paleness, leaving his mark. 

Doc swore quietly when his dick started to take growing interest in his thoughts. He should really chill out. Silver was most probably still traumatised from what had happened two days ago. They were in no way interested in his filthy thoughts.

However … There had been a moment, at the giga pies store, where their eyes had darkened and their gaze had lingered on his lips. Doc could have sworn they were thinking about kissing him. But the moment had vanished and they had kept their distance ever since. 

Probably for the best. Hooking up with Silver would only mean trouble. He’d have to explain the whole polycule thing, exposing his fellow Hermits and lovers to the risk of being outed. Sure, Silver had already signed an NDA and they seemed rather cool with the whole Grian debacle… But overhearing something and actually being told how things were run on the Hermitcraft server… He’d have to get everyone’s approval first anyway. Introduce Silver to them. Inviting Silver into his bed meant all other Hermits needed to at least meet them. Get to know their health status. 

Silver probably wasn’t into polyamory anyway. It wasn’t a well-known or common practice. Most people associated it with adultery or the inability to stay loyal to someone. Doc, hell, all of the Hermits knew better, but polyamory wasn’t something you could convince people of, only educate them on the topic. They either liked it or they didn’t.

And at the end of the day, Silver wasn’t one of them. It didn’t matter whether they were into polyamory, whether they were into Doc. 

But, fuck, Doc really wanted them. Not just on a sexual level. He wanted to see them, their smile, the light in their gorgeous eyes, He wanted to make sure they were safe wherever they went. Wanted to give them all the materials Hermitcraft had in abundance that were so special to them. He wanted to shower them with the rare gems he had collected, give them golden apples and expensive armour, and feed them Ren’s delicious pies. 

And yes, Doc wanted to kiss them. His skin had started tingling whenever they were near. He had to control his hands or he would be touching them all the time. His fingers hungered to find out what their hair felt like. If it was long enough to wind it around his fist, making it a perfect anchor to pull. He wanted to put their strong legs over his shoulders and worship their body. He wanted to make them cum so hard they didn’t notice they were screaming –

Oh goddamn.

Doc took a few steadying breaths until his boner wasn’t raging anymore and his eye returned to its normal colour.

That was another thing. Silver didn’t mind in the slightest that his body was not entirely biological anymore. Hell, they had said themselves they were not scared of him at all. Doc could still feel their hands on his shoulders, could still see their face in front of them, head tipped up to look into his eyes. They had looked vulnerable and open and oh so gorgeous in this moment. He had nearly closed those last few inches to kiss them. Had thought they wanted to kiss him, too.

But then they had taken a step back and it was as if they had pulled up an invisible barrier, their feelings hidden behind a facade. 

And Doc tried to respect that. Tried to get his own raging feelings under control. But when it came to people that were important to him, he had always had miserable self control. 

On the other hand, his analytical side was screaming at him to find out how Silver altered their appearance. How they apparently grew a couple inches over night, how their body had completely changed, how their hair had grown that much. Were potions involved? Was it another one of their hybrid traits? Would it be rude to ask them directly?

Doc sighed. He wished Ren was there to help him. He wasn’t good at communicating his feelings, making him appear overbearing at best. Ren always helped him convey what he felt, helped him find the right words. 

Ren had been the first person ever to look behind his rather scary appearance and see who he really was. He had been the one that helped Doc work through losing his arm, losing one of his eyes. It was Ren that encouraged him to look into cybernetic body parts. And it was Ren that said that he looked absolutely badass and that he should make his eye red. Ren had never been scared, no, he had loved Doc as he was. Doc would never forget that, would always keep Ren in a special place in his heart. 

Ren would probably tell him to pull himself together and stop brooding. 

With one last glance over his shoulder, Doc opened his storage and looked for the biggest and prettiest amethysts clusters he had. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While Doc rummaged in one of the chests that collected the harvested clusters and blocks, Silver walked around the Redstone contraption, trying to figure out for themselves how all those slime and honey blocks made up a working machine. 

Redstone had always been quite the mystery to them. Growing up they didn’t have access to these things and even now, with limited caving resources - and let’s be honest here, limited interest in figuring it out - they had never gone beyond basic farming Redstone. Hearing Doc talk so excitedly about it made them wonder whether they were missing out on a really big thing. 

“Here you are!”, Doc interrupted their thoughts and handed them a pretty purple shulker. 

“Oh thank you! How many can I take?”

Doc looked at them weirdly. “The whole box is for you. As I said, I have way too many.”

Silver smiled again. “That is very generous of you, I appreciate it!”

Doc just nodded and scratched at his neck while Silver stuffed the shulker in their inventory.

“Well … if you don’t mind, I have a question.”, he then asked, sounding a bit nervous. 

“Sure? Shoot!”

Doc opened his mouth to continue but then he changed his mind and pointed to the staircase that led back up to the storage.

“Let’s sit in my garden for this, alright?”, Doc said and went ahead. 

Intrigued, Silver followed him. What could it be that Doc wanted to know? Maybe something about their hybrid side? They never really talked about what exactly had gone down in that back alley, Silver being secretive and Doc not wanting to intrude. Maybe his curiosity had finally gotten the best of him and he wanted to inquire them regarding their wings? Or how they grew those sequoias? Or maybe he just wanted to make sure Silver was still okay, like Xisuma had apparently instructed the Hermits to do?

Despite their weirdly instant connection, Doc and them hadn’t really spent too much time together, Silver reminded themselves. They might connect on a personal level, but they were still strangers to each other. 

But maybe they could change that , the crazy little voice in their head said.

Yeah, right.  

Silver had always had difficulty when it came to interactions with others. While their complex hybrid nature made them a loner, preferring nature and calmness over people and the loud, bustling cities they lived in, they were still a social being, loving the interactions with their forest and the animals that lived in there. They had animated discussions with the landmagic of their world and could spend hours listening to the gossip of the trees. 

Still, sometimes they got a bit lonely and felt like they were missing out on something. Seeing Hermitcraft and the amazing community they had built, their gaming district and lively shopping area, Silver got that feeling even more than ever. But then again, bad things happen when a lot of people congregate. There were always evil minds and often it was too late when their plans turned obvious. 

Like what happened in Scarland. 

Again, memories of the pitchblack pit crept in, phantom pain in their abdomen where the zombies had bitten them flashed through their body. Silver’s breath turned shallow for a moment. They reached out to the roughly hewn walls of the staircase to steady themselves, concentrating on their heartbeat, their breath. They thought they could hear the bonerattle of skeletons approaching, the silent slither of creepers just before they blew up and –

Doc’s voice cut through their terror.

“ – they should be nearly ready for harvest. I could give you some seeds so you can grow them in your world? I retrieved the seeds from some of the ruins, meaning the tomatoes are a very old kind. They taste very sweet. Did you know that in some cultures, tomatoes are called ‘apples of paradise’? I imagine it’s because of the colouring, since in the early stages of ripening they turn this really pretty colour of yellowish gold.” 

Silver concentrated on Doc’s monologue about tomatoes, taking one step at a time while willing their breath to deepen. They were safe.

You are safe with me.

That’s what Doc had said, right? They were in his base, in a staircase, a few miles away from Scarland, the pit was lit up and they were safe. 

Safe. 

After a few seconds, their heartbeat had nearly normalised and they were able to actually comprehend what Doc was saying. 

“Anyway, I thought we could sit at my axolotl pond, have some drinks and –”

“Oh, I don’t drink.”, Silver sputtered.

Doc turned around, raising an eyebrow.

“Not even water?” His mouth twitched with a surprised grin.

Silver blushed, then laughed. 

“Yeah, sure, water is fine. Sorry, I misunderstood.”

“All good, all good.”

“Sooo…”, Doc started after they had settled in his little garden in front of the temple. The garden overlooked the whole perimeter, only a small fence partitioning them from the long drop into the depths. The sky was still a brilliant blue and the silence was only disturbed by the gleeful squeals of the axolotls jumping in their little pond. 

Silver had always loved the little creatures and their simplistic approach to life: If there was water, there was joy. They had been to the ocean a few times in their life and every time they had encountered the axolotls they had fed them tropical fish and whatever else they had on hand. Their little faces were just too adorable, nibbling on fish or bread, looking at them with adoration because they brought food. 

No visitors were in sight, most of them probably already heading towards the portal since the visitation hours were coming to an end. Secretly Silver hoped Doc would forget about that and let them stay a bit longer. 

Clutching their bottle of water, Silver sat propped up against some logs, legs crossed. The campfire in the middle of the seating area was unlit since the summery afternoon was still warm enough. Doc sat across from them, one leg pulled up and his cybernetic arm resting upon it. The sun caught on the metal parts of his face and arm, making them glisten in the sun. Like this, Silver could see ancient cultures worshipping him like a god. With his strength, his physique and his brilliance that sometimes bordered on madness, many would call him godly. And that wasn’t even counting his hybrid abilities. 

Patiently waiting for Doc to continue, Silver took a sip of water. 

“This is probably a private matter and forgive me if I’m intruding or come across as rude, but … how does this work? How do you change your body? I remember the last time I saw you, you were more – well, more feminine, and shorter, with less muscles and all.”, Doc said, gesturing towards Silver’s body. “Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind either way, you’re gorgeous, but from a scientific point of view, how do you reshape your body? Do you transfer your mind and just have an empty shell sitting at home?”

He thought they were gorgeous?

“Oh yeah, she’s currently in my closet, between my winter clothes.”, Silver said, filing that thought away for later. 

Doc choked. 

“ For real ?”

“No, I’m kidding. Gosh, Doc, that would be insane!”, Silver laughed. Putting the bottle aside, they sat up a bit straighter.

“I’ll try to explain as well as I can, but honestly, it’s a very complex hybrid thing that I don’t really get either.”

Doc nodded, leaning forward a bit. An analytical spark had entered his eyes. Silver could practically hear the wheels in his brain turning. 

Silver looked towards the perimeter, trying to find the right words. It had been a long time since they had talked this in depth about their hybrid sides. They didn’t mind telling Doc, they knew their secrets would be safe with him. Still, it took some effort.

Doc noticed their hesitation.

“You don’t need to talk about it if it is too personal.”, he said. “I understand this. Being a hybrid means carrying a lot of secrets.”

Silver shook their head. 

“No, it’s fine. It’s just … it’s been a while since I talked about this. And I’ve never talked to another hybrid about this. I’m just figuring out where to start, you know.”

“Take your time.”

For a few minutes, both of them were lost in thoughts, enjoying the silence and peacefulness.

Then Silver cleared their throat. Doc’s attention was instantly back on them.

“Okay. So. I’m sure you’ve figured out that I’m part nature spirit, right?”

Doc nodded. 

“To be more specific, one of my ancestors was a weeping willow spirit.”

“Hence the name.”

“Exactly. Usually, willows are like most trees diecious, meaning there are female and male willows. But - and here comes the fun part - there are rare exemptions. Weeping willows can exhibit both female and male traits, and depending on external factors, those traits can change.”

Realisation dawned in Doc’s eyes. 

“My ancestor was one of those exemptions. They had a few children before they left the realm. Willows are by nature very short-lived, so they didn’t live long enough to see their kids grow up. Their children who are my great-great-5 time removed-something something, never bore that specific weeping willow trait, they were all male and they were all short-lived like my ancestor. All their male children didn’t bear the trait either. This continued for a few generations. Only male children and no special abilities. But then, my mother was born. She only bore the female traits, which was an anomaly in itself, making her special.” 

Silver stopped for a moment, gathering their thoughts. 

“My mother fell in love with another hybrid, a non-nature hybrid, to be specific. As you may know, nature hybrids are very preclusive. They couldn’t accept their relationship and so my mother got cast out of the tribe.” Silver smiled sadly. “She was happy, though. My parents were very much in love and very happy and then I was born. Right from the start, I was a bit different. My two hybrid sides are not – well, not very compatible, you could say. But my other half apparently triggered something in my nature hybrid genes. So, right from the beginning, I had the ability to change my appearance. To switch between male and female traits. It is very hard to explain because it is a very inherent ability that I don’t actively control.”

Doc frowned. 

“So you cannot actively decide ‘Oh, today I want to have a dick?’”

Silver laughed. 

“That would be convenient, right? But no, nothing like that. As I said before, it is a reaction to external factors. I don’t know what triggered the change for my ancestors, but for me, it is immense stress, trauma or severe injuries.”

Doc’s eyes darkened.

“I was born in my female body. However, when I get threatened and my body thinks it would be better to be bigger or stronger to be able to survive, it triggers the change. The change normally happens when I sleep. It is not painful and often I don’t even notice it until I get up and realise my body is different. When I was younger, it was really inconvenient. Growing up, my hormones messed with that ability quite a bit so the changes happened more often than I liked. My father decided that I needed a more reclusive environment for growing up so I spent a lot of my time in the forest, learning how to reconnect with nature and earthing myself.”

“Like what you did in that alley, right?”

“Yeah, right, but that was more for my other hybrid side, not for the body change. Anyway, I tried to find some information about the whole weeping willow thing, but there is very little documentation. Basically, it says that due to our willow status, our genetic code is extremely flexible. Changes on a molecular level, caused by external influences, trigger something which then causes my body to reform.”

“So your bones and skin and organs just grow and shrink?” Doc sounded incredulous.

“I know it sounds quite insane. But yeah, that’s the gist of it.”

Silver stretched their legs. 

“The only thing I really notice is that I need a lot of energy on the following days. But my body changes - as I call them - have become really infrequent over the years. Living alone in the forest has helped, but I think it’s also something that comes with ageing.”

“Do you have a preferred body, if that’s not too personal to ask?” 

“It’s fine. I love the possibilities both my bodies give me. My female body is more sensitive, the skin more delicate. My muscles are more flexible and I am faster. But this body is strong, it can endure a good amount of pain and I can lift heavy stuff. Both have their pros and cons, so no, I don’t have a preferred shape. For me, it’s more like changing clothes.” Silver paused for a minute, tapping their thigh. “I will admit, sometimes I wish I could change by will, especially in situations like what happened in Scarland. But it’s fine. Just being able to do it at all is more than most people experience.”

“And how do you change back?”

“Again, external triggers. It depends on how long my body takes to calm down, to get rid of the trauma. If it feels safe, it will change back again. Sometimes that happens from one day to the other, sometimes it takes weeks or months. I spent most of my puberty in this body because everything was changing so fast and I just couldn’t keep up. When my mother and father died, I also returned to this body. Emotional triggers are the worst for me because not only will it provoke my hybrid side but also my – the other one.”

For a moment it seemed like Doc wanted to ask what, exactly, that other side was. But then he changed his mind. 

“You said willows are short-lived. What exactly does that mean?”

“Unlike other hybrids who easily turn like 1000 years, we normally only get to a 100, maybe 120 if we’re lucky.”

Doc fell silent again, apparently deep in thought. 

Explaining to outsiders how their body change worked was always difficult because even Silver didn’t really understand it. There was very little research on that topic since it was an extremely rare occurrence. And Silver’s mother hadn’t lived long enough to explain it to them. Their mother’s side of the family still didn’t talk to them, the shame of having a non-nature spirit father too big for them, even after he had died as well.

Bigoted bunch.

Evolutionarily speaking, sex changes in species was not an abnormal thing to happen, but it usually took hundreds if not thousands of years. Silver did it overnight, with no effort on their part. 

“Are your parents still around?”, Doc finally said. 

Silver shook their head, watching the axolotls and smiling faintly. “Mom died when I was still a kid and my Dad only made it until I was just out of puberty before he followed her. Their bond was incredibly strong and I think he couldn’t wait to see her in the afterlife.”

The memories of their parents would always be a fond one for Silver. Every touch, every word they exchanged was filled with the affection they had for each other. Even though Silver was very young when they lost their mother, memories of her were filled with sunlight and laughter. 

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It was a long time ago. I know they both loved me and only ever wanted the best for me.”

Doc changed his position, leaning back on one arm, staring into the sky who had started to darken on the horizon. Silver wondered if he was aware that this position opened his lab coat, showing more of his upper body. Of his abs. His pecs stretched, muscles bunching in his shoulder and – 

“When you say a long time ago … Do you mind me asking how old you are?”

“I’m 85.”

Doc blew out a breath, closing his eyes. 

Normally, that would mean they had probably 15 years left, possibly 35 years. 

“But I’m pretty sure I inherited my father’s life span.”, Silver added, playing with the grass under their hands. Little white flowers had slowly started to sprout from the ground around them, creeping up the moss-covered log they leaned on. 

Opening his eyes, Doc looked questioningly their way. 

“His kind normally lives to about 1200 years.”, Silver said, smiling when Doc straightened again. 

“How do you know?”

“Right from the start my ageing process was extremely slowed compared to my mother’s. I didn’t hit puberty until I was 50. After that, my ageing nearly completely stopped, just like my father’s kind does. And my forest told me so.”

“Your forest told you so and you just believe it?”

Silver arched an eyebrow. “I have connected my energy to theirs often enough that I know the age of every single tree in my forest. If I can tell their health and life span, I am pretty sure they can tell mine as well.”, they said firmly.

Doc nodded slowly. 

“I apologise. I am not used to … non-scientific approaches. But yes, it seems your forest knows you well.”

“It does.”

Silence fell again. Darkness started to settle around them and the first chilly breeze blew in from the perimeter. Just as Silver contemplated asking Doc to reopen the portal for them, he asked: “If you don’t mind, would you let me take your blood sample to analyse it?”

“Analyse it for what?”

“I am intrigued by this body change, as you call it. And I wonder if it’s possible to stabilise it, maybe even control it.”

Control it? Silver tried to imagine waking up and spontaneously deciding whether they wanted to present female or male on that day. No more surprises in the morning, no size or height adjustments, no getting used to deeper or higher voices.

“You really think you could do that?”

Doc held up his hands. 

“I will not make any promises, Silver. If it is really a purely genetic thing triggered by your hybrid side, it is very much possible that you will never be able to influence it. If it’s on a molecular level, however, triggered by hormones and other biochemical neurotransmitters, well …”

“Even if we find nothing, we can extend the present literature on that topic, helping future willows that want to find out more.”, Silver added. Times were changing, and so had medicine. Their father had always been scared to expose Silver to modern technology, afraid of what the user would do with the information it would reveal. 

Silver looked at Doc, trying to judge whether they wanted to give him this last puzzle piece of their essence. They had never told anyone what exactly they were. Had never revealed the secret their father had made them swore to keep hidden. 

“If you analyse my blood, will it show you my other hybrid side?”, Silver asked.

Doc’s face turned thoughtful. 

“It may, yes. I have analysed a lot of blood samples in my life. So if it is a hybrid type I have seen before the chances are high. I don’t tend to forget things.”

Silver said nothing, chewing on their lip. 

“Will you get problems if I find out what you are?”, Doc asked gently.

Silver shrugged, looking away. Anxiety was slowly creeping in, making their hands sweat. 

This was a big decision. Maybe the biggest decision they had ever made. 

Slowly, Doc rose and walked over to them. When he sat down next to them, his legs touched theirs and he put a heavy hand on their shoulder.

“Silver, will you be unsafe if I find out what you are?”, Doc rephrased. His voice was soft but firm. 

Yes. No. Maybe. Silver didn’t know for sure. They only had the stories their father had told them, the embellished reports from their merchants. 

A finger under their chin moved their head towards Doc. His eyes burned into theirs. 

“I will not do it if it puts you in danger, Silver. Remember what I said. You are safe with me.”

Silver let out a deep shaky breath. In this moment, despite their 85 years, they felt incredibly young and insecure.

“I don’t know, Doc. I really don’t know. My father made me promise to never tell anyone. But I feel like I’ve told you way too much already anyway. And I trust you. And Xisuma, hell, I’m pretty sure he has already figured out what I am. With his skills, he could probably dissect my code until he gets to my essence.”

“He’d never do that.”, Doc responded fiercely. 

“I know that. Believe me, I know that. And if it’s a chance for me to find out more about my inheritance? If it’s a chance to leave more information for the hybrids after me? That’s a good thing, isn’t it? That’s worth the risk, right?”

Silver searched in Doc’s face for something that would help them push over the cliff towards agreeing. 

But Doc shook his head and sat back, withdrawing his hand again. Instantly, Silver missed his warmth.

“Your wellbeing should be your first priority. And as soon as you leave Hermitcraft, I cannot ensure your safety.”

“I can defend myself just well, it’ll be okay–”

“But we don’t know that for sure. Your father sure as hell had some very solid reasons for making you promise this whole secrecy.” Doc shook his head again. “That’s it. I won’t do it, until we can figure out a way to keep you safe.”

Silver’s heart squeezed at that. With relief, yes, but also with fondness for Doc’s way of looking out for them. Right from the start, when their eyes had met for the first time at that entrance building only three days ago, they had known he was a good person. That he was special to them. 

They grabbed his hand.

“And if we find a way? If we can somehow keep me safe, even if the world knows what I am? Will you then do it?”

Doc nodded. 

“Sure.”

“Promise me?”

“If I can keep you safe, I will try. I promise.”

Before Silver could think or stop themself, they flung their arms around Doc’s neck and hugged him tight, burying their face in the collar of his lab coat. 

“Thank you.”, they said. 

Strong arms settled around their back, fingers running through their hair as Doc squeezed them tight, pressing them against his body. 

“Of course. Gosh, Silver, of course.”

Complete darkness had fallen. The only light came from the lanterns in the perimeter, dipping everything in black and white. Nightly birds had started their evening concerts and from the surrounding forests they could hear crickets chirping.

None of that mattered right now.

Silver squeezed their eyes shut and inhaled Doc’s scent. 

They could only feel the body pressed against theirs, Doc’s body heat warming their own. His breath close to their ear, quickening. Could only concentrate on the way his fingers combed through their hair, how his other arm lay firmly around them, with no indication of letting go. His body was hard against theirs, broader, taller. They could feel his chest working.

A shivering breath escaped them. 

This was bad. They could already feel their body start responding. For a moment Silver wished they were in their other body which could hide those treacherous signs way better. But then Doc shifted his legs and Silver somehow ended up in-between them, their lower body pressed close to his.

There was – there was a bulge forming. Silver swallowed. Was this – did this – 

Their brain decided to short circuit. Fisting Doc’s lab coat, crunching the fabric in their hands, they slowly rocked their body against his, creating delicious friction. Doc groaned in their ear, his grip tightening. His hand pulled on their hair, the little pricks of pain hammering on Silver’s already overstimulated skin. One of Doc’s hands wandered down, pressing on their lower back, reducing whatever space there had been before. 

There was no room to move anymore, his dick pressing against theirs, pressing and pressing, until heat curled in their stomach, until their mouth started watering. 

Then there were teeth on their neck, nibbling playfully, barely scratching their skin. Silver tipped their head back, baring more vulnerable skin. They felt more than heard Doc’s growl. The hand in their hair pulled, exposing more of their neck.

Silver felt like they were melting. They were aflame. Staring sightless into the dark sky they could only concentrate on the flood emotions running through their body.

They had never felt like this before. 

Literally. 

This was their first –

But Doc had. Doc had.

Suddenly, Silver felt like someone had emptied a bucket of ice-cold water above them. They stiffened, letting go of Doc’s coat. Shame was burning away all arousal, leaving them feeling empty and dirty.

“Stop.”, they said.

Even though their voice had been quiet and shaky, Doc’s grip instantly loosened. He leaned back to look into their eyes.

“Everything alright?”, he asked. His eyes had darkened, his pupil was so dilated that Silver couldn’t tell it from the iris. 

“Yes. No. I mean. Doc. What about Grian?”

Doc stared at them, clearly no thought behind his eyes. His dick was still pressing against Silver’s. They wanted nothing more but to continue, to find out which amazing feelings Doc could elicit from their body. 

“Grian? What about him?”

For a moment, Silver was confused. Had they misunderstood something? But – well, the situation in the forest had left hardly any room for misinterpretation. 

“You two are lovers, right?”

Chapter Text

Some of the fog in Doc’s head cleared. Slowly, he let Silver slip down to the ground. 

Fuck.

Now what? 

Their hug had hit him so unprepared, he didn’t think, only reacted. And when he had felt their hand gripping his clothes, when their breathless moans had reached him – 

Fuck. 

He couldn’t talk about that without the other Hermits’ consent. Couldn’t talk about polyamory or the more adult activities in their world.

So what now? 

Silver was already retreating, smoothing their clothes and combing through their hair. The silver mass seemed to glow in the moonlight. 

Helplessly Doc watched them pull up their barrier again. 

“Damn it.”, he murmured. 

“Sorry.”, Silver said quietly.  “I think it’s better I go now.”

“No!”, Doc said a bit too loud. Silver flinched. 

“No, please stay. I just – fuck, Silver. It’s a bit complicated. I need to make a few calls, okay? I can’t decide this on my own. Could you - would you wait here for a few minutes? Please?”

Silver looked around the place. With nightfall, the area really started to look like the deserted ruins it was. Maybe they should postpone the whole thing until tomorrow. Sleep on it before they made any hasty decisions they’d regret later. 

But who knew what tomorrow would bring. The visitation was still a thing. And Silver just knew they wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight anyway. Not with the memory of Doc holding them close, him caressing their neck, his hands on their body –

“Okay.”, they choked out. “I’ll wait. But – would you mind setting up some lanterns? I’m still – I don’t really like the dark at the moment.”

“Yes, of course. No problem at all. Sorry, I didn’t think of that. I’ll be back in a second!”, Doc said, nearly stumbling over his own feet as he marched back into his base. His lab coat was a crumbled mess, Silver noticed. 

Sighing, they sat down again, taking a few deep breaths. Instinctively their hands buried into the ground, instantly connecting with the land magic. This time, it didn’t speak to them in words. Instead, it sent warm, soothing emotions, images of sunshine, of flowers blooming and birds chirping. Apparently it really wanted them to calm down, too.

“Yes, yes, sorry. I understand. Thanks.”, Silver murmured, removing their hands and cleaning them of the dirt. Doc came back in record speed, dumping a shulker next to them and then kneeling down to ignite the campfire. Then he pulled out a couple of lanterns, setting them all over the place. 

“Is this alright?”

“Yes, much better. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. There’s food in the shulker. I didn’t know what you’d like so I just chucked in a bit of everything. I’ll be right back. Please don’t run away. Okay?”

Doc’s jumbled sentences made Silver smile. Apparently he was as agitated as they were. 

“I’ll be here. No worries.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”, Silver repeated, still smiling.

After a long look, Doc turned around and grabbed his comm. Walking away, he was already furiously typing, mumbling to himself. 

Silver shook their head. What had they gotten themselves into…

Inspecting the contents of the shulker, they decided on some golden carrots and fresh bread. They also found a bottle of honey and poured a few drops into their water to sweeten it. 

Settling in for a long wait they ate their food and let their thoughts wander, firmly steering them away from Doc and his big hands and broad shoulders and – 

Silver coughed as a piece of bread got stuck in their throat, flushing it down with some water.

What did he need the other Hermits for? What couldn’t he decide on his own? 

Did Xisuma control the Hermits’ activities? Maybe partners needed to be a group decision? 

Another thought surfaced and made Silver sit up. Would Doc break up with Grian because of them? No way, right? That’s not what Silver had intended. That was not –

The sound of rockets stopped their thoughts before they could spiral. In the next moment, Etho landed next to them.

He looked frazzled, his skin greyish. He barely acknowledged Silver.

“Where’s Doc?”

“Inside, he needed to make some calls.”, Silver said, pointing towards the building.

Etho nodded, turning around before looking back at Silver. 

“Have you seen Bdubs?”

“Yeah, today around noon, I think? We were at the Giga Pies shop but then he took off. Etho, are you alright?”

Etho nodded again, looking distracted.

“Yeah, yeah. I just need to find him. Anyway, thanks –”

Then his body first stiffened before it lost all tension and crumbled to the ground. Leaping forward, Silver was barely able to catch his head before he hit it on the ground. 

“What the – Etho! Are you alright?”

He didn’t answer. 

“Doc!”

Carefully, they turned Etho’s body around, his head in their lap. Brushing his hair out of his face they searched him for injuries.

Etho’s eyes had turned sightless, a white film covering them. He was staring at something Silver couldn’t see.

Pulling him in a more stable position, Silver cradled his head and leaned down, listening for his breath. It was there, but quick and shallow. His face had paled even more.

“Doc! I need help!”, they screamed, putting two fingers on Etho’s neck, looking for his pulse. His heart was beating way too fast. 

Etho’s body stiffened again, a pained gurgle escaping him. 

“DOC!”

Moments later, Doc burst out of the building, sword in hand.

“What? What is happening? Silver, are you – my god. Etho.”

Doc fell to his knees next to them. His hand replaced Silver’s on Etho’s pulse, his cybernetic eye scanning him rapidly. 

“Fuck, babe, why didn’t you say anything.”

Silver opened their mouth to answer before realising Doc didn’t talk to them.

“Doc, what is happening? Will he be alright?”

“I think so. He’s having – well. He’s going to be alright. I’ll call Grian again. And Bdubs. Can you keep him steady for a moment? Don’t let him move or get up when he gains consciousness again, alright?”

Without waiting for an answer, Doc pulled out his comm again, pressing buttons blindly.

“Hey Grian, me again. Move your ass over to the perimeter, Etho’s here and – yeah, exactly. Oh, and do you know where Bdubs is? With you? Great, then bring him, too. Thanks. Yeah, yeah, bye.”

Doc ended the call and rubbed his face, sighing. His comm pinged with another call.

“Hey X. Mhm. Yeah, they’re still here with me. Etho’s here, too, he’s not doing so well. I think we should have the Hermit meeting tonight. Mhm…” Doc walked a few metres away, leaving Etho with Silver. 

After watching him for a few moments, Silver looked back down to Etho. 

A thin moss layer had started to grow upwards from Etho’s legs. A blanket, Silver realised. The landmagic was worried, too. Pulling up the blanket a bit higher, Silver had an idea. Landmagic and by default nature magic always had healing abilities. Maybe they could help? Pressing their hand into the soil again, reconnecting with the landmagic, they tried to funnel some of the landmagic through their hand into Etho. 

They could feel the magic, could feel the healing power, but they weren’t able to access it. Something was blocking them, like a door that just didn’t budge. When they tried to ask the landmagic directly, they got no response. 

After a few attempts, they gave up. Holding Etho close, they watched his breathing. It had become less laboured, his heartbeat more steady.

His eyes were still this milky white, unseeing despite being wide open. 

What was going on with him?

Doc didn’t seem overly worried though, rather it seemed like something that happened regularly? 

When more rocket sounds approached, Silver sighed with relief. 

Bdubs landed first. 

“Hey, babe!”, he greeted them before quickly walking over and pulling Etho from their lap. The blanket slid off but Bdubs didn’t seem to notice. He caressed Etho’s face, murmuring silently, one hand on his heart. Quietly, he started chiding him. 

“You idiot, why didn’t you tell me they had started again. Always hiding stuff, you…”

Bdubs looked with such obvious love and worry at Etho that Silver felt like they were intruding. Wanting to give them more privacy they got up and walked a few feet away, standing at the edge of the lit up area, wringing their hands. 

Grian landed next, acknowledging them with a nod before talking to Bdubs, rubbing his shoulder. After that, X landed, apparently still in a call. More Hermits followed. When Ren arrived, he quickly looked at the cluster around Etho before walking towards Doc, giving him a tight hug. 

Everybody seemed to know what was going on and while there were some worried faces, they didn’t go into crisis mode. Silver assumed that was a good thing.

Maybe it was a good time to leave now. They probably wouldn’t have time to talk in private after this anyway. And Etho’s wellbeing was more important than – whatever Doc and them had. 

Did they have something though? 

Trying to not catch anyone’s attention, they slowly walked towards Doc and Ren, intending to ask one of them to reopen the portal for them. It was already late, the portal must have closed quite a while ago. When they were only a few steps away, Ren leaned towards Doc, giving him a deep kiss. Doc pulled him closer and –

Silver stopped short and averted their gaze, their cheeks warming. Why did they always catch those intimate moments? 

Wait.

Their eyes shot over to Grian who seemed busy rummaging in some shulkers he had set up. He hadn’t noticed the kiss. Nobody else seemed to pay any attention. Looking back to Doc and Ren, they noticed Ren looking directly at them. He smiled and waved them over.

Warily, Silver crossed the last few metres. 

Remember Silver, none of your business. They are all adults, and you don’t know their agreements. 

But where did that put them? Ren, Grian, and them? 

“Hey there! Good to see you again! How are you feeling?”, Ren asked, apparently oblivious. Doc had slung an arm around his waist, typing into his comm. 

“I’m good, thank you. Oh right, I brought presents!”, Silver suddenly remembered. Pulling out two small vials, they handed one to Ren.

“This is an essential oil I produce myself. It’s made from different seeds and tree barks and helps with injuries, prevents scarring and so on. I thought – well, you guys seem pretty battle-tested so you might have use for it.”, Silver said, feeling a bit uncomfortable. 

Ren beamed at them, then elbowing Doc who finally looked up and put his comm away.

“That’s fantastic! Thank you so much! I’m sure we’ll use this a lot!”

Giving Doc the other vial, Silver smiled apologetically.

“I know it’s not a lot but I just wanted to thank you for saving me that day and taking such good care of me. I know that you are very busy and I appreciate it a lot.”

“Don’t worry about it, babe.”, Ren answered, inspecting the oily liquid. “I am just glad to have you back here. Looking gorgeous, by the way.”, he said and winked. Silver blushed.

“Old charmer, shut up.”, Doc grumbled. 

“What, I’ve always been a sucker for guys with long hair. Male-presenting, sorry.”, Ren added with a quick look at Silver. They just shrugged, their thoughts distracting them.

“Uh, I was wondering if one of you could take me to the portal? I guess at this hour it’s probably closed already and you guys seem kinda busy with Etho and all.”, Silver finished weakly, gesturing towards the other Hermits. 

Before Doc could answer, Ren said: “Of course I’ll take you to the portal. But – I think it would be a good idea for you and Doc to figure some things out? Now that most of us are here, I guess it’s the perfect time for that?”

So Ren knew? Anxiety started to creep in again. What was all that ruckus about? Surely the Hermits all came for Etho, not for them and Doc? Right? 

“I – I’m not sure. I don’t understand why we are making such a big thing of it? If it’s that complicated, maybe it’s better I just leave and you guys can talk among yourselves? I’m not – I don’t want to cause any problems, you know.”

“You’re not causing any problems.”, Doc interrupted them calmly. “It’s just the way things are handled in our world. We live here together and we make decisions together. Especially when it’s important decisions.”

Silver swallowed. They hadn’t anticipated that their crush on Doc would create such waves among his friends and family. 

“If you’re sure they’re okay with me being here? They don’t know me, I’m basically a stranger to them.”

“Doc’s vouching for you.”, Ren said. “And me and Xisuma, as well. And now they’ll get to know you anyway. Don’t worry, Silver. Things will be fine.”

“But if you’re truly uncomfortable, we can postpone this. I don’t want you to feel pressured to do anything.”, Doc chipped in. He made to caress their cheek but in the last moment decided otherwise and just patted their shoulder. 

Silver opened their mouth to answer when commotion arose at the campfire. Etho was back, from wherever his mind had gone to. 

“I’ll leave you two for a bit.”, Ren said and smiled reassuringly at Silver before joining the group.

“This is a bit much, isn’t it.”, Doc said, frowning.

Silver shrugged. 

“I don’t have a lot of experience when it comes to big communities, so maybe it’s normal? I just – look, I know about you and Grian and just now I saw you kiss Ren? And now I’m really confused about where I fit into that whole picture? I don’t want to be a weird side piece or a little adventure. That’s not – I don’t – That’s not how I work. But also, I didn’t think that my … my crush on you or whatever would be important enough to consult all the Hermits? Do they decide whether I’m good enough for you? How would they know?” 

Silver hated how insecurity had found its way into their voice. 

“Silver. The Hermits are not here to judge you. It’s quite the opposite, actually. We are about to tell you something nobody else knows, and we hope you don’t judge us .” Doc sounded as calm as ever, but they way he scratched his neck and fumbled with his coat told otherwise.

“But why would you tell me something this important? Why now? I really don’t get how it’s connected to us.”

“Well … It’ll make more sense once you know but ah … In order for you – for us to even figure out where we stand, you need some vital information that you’re currently missing. And I don’t think it’s right to act on my – to do this stuff without you being able to give informed consent.” Even Doc started to sound uncomfortable now. 

“Okay …”, Silver said. “But are you sure this is the right time? With Etho being sick and all.”

“Oh, he’s not sick.”, Grian pitched in. “Hey, big lug.”, he said to Doc, patting his stomach. “And hello Silver. You look a bit different from what I imagined.”

“Don’t ask.”, Doc said. “It’s a whole thing and I’m still trying to comprehend it.”

“Okay, wow, I love secrets. Anyway. Good ol’ Etho will be fine, B will take good care of him. Just give us five minutes to set up a nice space to sit and then we can start.”

“Start what?”

“Your hazing of course.”, Grian said with big eyes and a wide grin and then just hopped back to the others, cackling.

Silver turned to Doc.

“What the–”

“Don’t listen to bird boy. He’s just joking. It will be fine. So … do you want to stay or should I take you back?”

When Silver looked up in Doc’s eyes, he met their gaze openly. Instantly, the connection was back and memories of their hug flooded their brain. A small breath escaped them. Doc took a step towards them, his pupils blowing wide again. 

“I …” 

Sometimes you just gotta step out of your comfort zone to experience greatness, right? Wasn’t there a saying or something like that? Silver couldn’t remember. Their IQ seemed to be dwindling as they had to ball their hands to fists to not touch Doc. 

Going back home would be easy. Staying home and not returning to Hermitcraft would be easiest. The safe choice. Noone knew where they lived. They could keep their hybrid side and all the traits and abilities that came with it a secret. They’d just hide in their forest, continue to hide there. 

They loved it there, right? Silver could live their whole long life like this, hiding, not interacting with others, leaving Hermitcraft behind as a fond memory. 

Or a chance they never took. 

And imagining never seeing Doc again? Hell, they still hadn’t seen all of the perimeter! 

Maybe it was time for taking risks? For doing something they were a bit scared of?

Silver was sure their father had meant well when he hid them, when he gave them all the reasons why not to go out, meet other people, integrate into society.

But times were changing.

Silver had changed.

Ever since they had set foot on the Hermitcraft world, their heart had been flying towards the Hermits, the world they built, their creativity and their hospitality. Towards the man standing in front of them, hope and insecurity fighting in his eyes. 

Was Silver truly ready to take this risk? They looked towards the campfire where bustling activity had started. Laughter erupted here and there. They felt safe here, in this community they barely knew. Probably because all of them were some kind of hybrid, too. Or because the landmagic had only good things to say about them. 

Doc was still looking at them. 

“I’ll stay.”, they decided. “But please don’t make me do weird challenges or something.”

Doc blew out a long breath. “I promise you, everything will be fine. You’re safe with me. And don’t listen to Grian, he’s a bit unhinged.”

Together they stood in front of the perimeter, watching as the Hermits set up some more logs to sit on and additional campfires for warmth and light. They all moved like a well-oiled machine. Silver only knew cooperation and solidarity of this level from their forest where everything worked together to survive. To see an actually functioning group of very diverse people working together so well warmed something in them. 

But it also scared them. 

It felt like they were about to be introduced to something big, something nobody else knew. And Silver was just not sure whether they were ready for much more excitement. 

Slowly, Silver followed Doc towards the group. He sat on one of the trunks while Silver found a spot diagonally in front of him on a soft patch of moss. If they leaned a bit to the left, they would touch his right leg. 

If Silver would have looked back, they would have seen that Doc took on a protective stance, leaning forward on his knees, his fingers inches from touching their hair. They would have noticed the unnatural stillness in his body and the slight twitching of his fingers. Would have realised that these were signs of nervousness that he tried really hard to hide. 

Most of the Hermits had gathered around the campfire, sitting or standing close to each other. Silver knew that a few had left the server, not wanting to participate in the visitation week and taking some time off elsewhere. 

Trying hard to not let their nerves show, Silver forced their body to relax, to lean back onto the trunk, their hands resting lightly on the moss. 

Unnoticed by Silver, little white flowers started to sprout around them.  

When everybody had settled in, Xisuma clapped once. The conversations died quickly, everyone looking expectantly at the admin. 

“First of all, thank you all for coming here. It was quite spontaneous and not really as I planned, but alas. Etho, Bdubs, if you guys need to leave or rest, just tell me, alright?” Both of them nodded. They sat on the floor, Bdubs between Etho’s legs and Etho had rested his head on Bdubs’. He already looked much better, the colour had returned to his face and his eyes looked awake and observed the present Hermits intently. Bdubs was just beaming at Xisuma, apparently quite happy with his situation. 

“Good. Anyway, I’d like to welcome you back on Hermitcraft, Silver. You look well, considering what has happened a few days ago. I hope you still feel safe here but if you have any concerns, please reach out to me or Doc or any of us, alright?”

Silver nodded, nervousness bubbling up again. 

“Now, you’re probably wondering what all this ruckus is about, right?”

Silver nodded again and smiled weakly. 

“Before we dive into that, I need to ask you to sign an NDA, another one, I know. But that information is very private and could harm us if it becomes public. Especially if you decide to leave after we tell you.”

Motion ran through the group, all eyes on Silver. They all had sat up a bit straighter, their eyes turned a bit colder. 

Silver shot a quick glance up at Doc. Were they some kind of super special agents? What was going on? 

“Okay …” Quickly, a piece of paper and a pen reached Silver. The NDA was the same as for the Doc/Grian incident, indicating that all information Silver obtained on Hermitcraft was strictly confidential and not supposed to leave the world in any way. 

Silver swallowed but signed. 

The Hermits relaxed as one. 

“Man, that’s always so nerve-racking.”, Scar said, rolling his shoulders. 

“True, true ..:”, Keralis agreed. “But seems like Silver is a rather reasonable one, huh?” Keralis sat next to Xisuma, one hand possessively on X’s thigh. 

Please just tell me what the actual fuck is going on.

Xisuma scanned the document and then put it away. 

“Good, good. Now, Silver, I’ll be honest with you. Normally it takes weeks or months before we reach this point. By then we know the respective person better and can assess what the outcome might be. That’s why all of us are a bit nervous.”

They were nervous? Silver huffed internally. 

“But Doc said that things have been … progressing somewhat quicker between you guys and we don’t take risks with this matter. Which is why we are here today.”

Xisuma stopped for a moment, taking a sweeping look at the gathered Hermits.

“I don’t have to tell you that we are a very close-knit community. Decades of shared experiences, of laughter and pain and tears have welded us together. Each new citizen is handpicked and we spend considerable amounts of time deciding whether they are a good fit or not. Joining our circle is hard.”

“But I – I am not trying to join the Hermits!”, Silver interrupted him. 

Just trying to kiss one. Fuck one. They weren’t even sure anymore.

“I am aware. However, this is all vital information for what I am trying to tell you. Over the past decades our community has gotten even closer. Friends have turned to… more.”

Was Xisuma implying that the Hermits were lovers? Seeing Etho and Bdubs or even him and Keralis, it was pretty obvious. 

X seemed to wait for some kind of response.

“Okay? I mean, I can see that, I always had, you know, suspicions. But that’s not really my business, is it?”

“True, true, again, vital piece of information. Anyway, the thing is, we as a group quickly realised that with our shared pasts, we share a lot more. And that we do not want to or rather cannot draw lines between friendship and more.”

Silver kept nodding, waiting for the bomb to drop. They got more confused by the second. 

“And by that I mean that … Well. Many communities see one partner as sufficient and take big pride in being loyal to them and monogamous. We, as a community, have realised that this norm doesn’t work for us.”

Silver’s brow started to rise. Xisuma’s voice turned a tad nervous.

“You see, we have spent a lot of time together over the years, we know each other inside and out and there are no secrets between us.”

Etho started rubbing Bdubs’ shoulder.

“And so, we had an open discussion about things in our world and we educated ourselves extensively on the topic to really be able to give informed consent and –”

“We’re poly, Silver.”, Ren said. “We are a polyamorous community with primary partners and we all engage in some kind of activity with each other, be it sexual or not.”

Silence fell. The campfire crackled.

Silver was still waiting. Ren was clasping his fingers so hard his knuckles turned white. Doc was unmoving behind them, silent as he was through X’s whole speech. Etho just kept rubbing Bdubs’ shoulder, Keralis leaned towards X and whispered something Silver couldn’t hear. Impulse looked at Tango who was playing with the fake fur on his coat. 

Then Silver noticed the expectant looks on the Hermits’ faces and the penny finally dropped.

Oh.

Oh.

That was the big secret thing?

“You’re poly?”, they repeated. Nods all around. 

“So I have to be poly, too, to … engage with Doc or whatever?”

“Oh no, nonono,”, Scar said, gesturing wildly. 

“You just need to know that I engage with them. That I will be kissing other people, too.”, Doc chipped in.

And more, when Silver thought back to the forest. 

“We know that is probably quite the shock for you. It is not a socially accepted custom.”, Xisuma said, putting his hand on Keralis’, squeezing it. 

“But for you to give your consent for being with me, you need to know those things. We won’t go in any more detail, but you need to know it.”, Doc said, leaning a bit forward. 

Was Grian Doc’s primary partner? Looking at him cuddling with Scar, Silver started to doubt it. Maybe Ren? 

“Okay.”, they said, slowly starting to feel like a parrot. 

“I am aware that we dumped quite the information on you, so feel free to think about it, maybe read up on the topic or just ask us. If it’s not too private, we’re happy to share our knowledge.”, Xisuma added. 

Did they have orgies? Threesomes? Silver’s eyes landed on Ren who leaned back on one of the logs, legs spread wide, his tails swishing relaxed on the ground. He didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. Ren caught their look and threw them a lopsided grin, his sharp canines showing.

What would it be like to be sandwiched between him and Doc?

Ren’s eyes darkened as if he could read their thoughts. Quickly, Silver looked away. 

“Okay, thank you.”, Silver answered a bit late. 

And with that, the visible tension vanished. The Hermits started small conversations among themselves, not particularly ignoring Silver, but accepting their presence and not being bothered by it. Watching them, Silver was unsure how they could have ever not noticed the intimacy between all of them. The fleeting touches, the looks, the fond smiles. Hell, the way Scar beamed at Grian, there was no way in void that there was nothing going on between them. 

What would it feel like to be part of such an amazing community? Knowing that each and everyone of them would accept you for who you were and love you for it? 

“I can bring you to the portal now, if you’d like?”, Doc interrupted their thoughts. Silver looked over their shoulder at him. Doc had leaned forward on his knees, his face close to them. His dark eye sparkled in the light of the campfire. His lips looked a bit dry, Silver noticed. Would they be rough if they kissed him? Would there be any kissing anyway? They still had to decide whether to … proceed in whatever they were doing. Would they be dating? Would it be like a one-night stand? 

“Or, if you have any questions, we can start answering them now.”, Ren added. Silver hadn’t noticed he had come over, taking the spot on the other side of Doc’s legs. He looked around them and winked at Silver.

“I’m sure you have a lot of them, huh?”

Still feeling a bit overwhelmed, Silver smiled faintly. 

“Yeah, indeed. I’m just a bit worried they’re too private?”

“If you want, we can take a walk through the forest? It’s beautiful at night with all the hidden lamps and torches. And I’m guessing it would help you relax?”, Doc offered. 

Silver found themselves reluctant to leave Hermitcraft already. Which was crazy, considering it was only their third day here, with one day being an absolute catastrophe and just now they had signed their second NDA. 

But again, Silver had learned to trust their gut feeling a long time ago. 

“I’d love to take a little walk.”, they answered, getting up and offering Doc a hand. Doc’s face softened but he took their hand, let them pull him up. 

“I’ll wait here for you guys.”, Ren said and gave them a little wave. Did his tail drop a bit?

A slight press in their lower back beckoned Silver forward until they reached a little trail leading into the forest. As they got closer Silver could see the glow lichen, torches and sea lanterns that had been set up. Gleaming through the green leaves and bushes that were moving in the light breeze, the forest seemed almost alive. Shadows danced across the path and some nightly birds were giving their evening concerts.

They walked a few minutes in silence. Even though they could still hear the laughter and voices from the other Hermits, Silver was overly aware of Doc’s presence. How their hands nearly brushed each time they took a step. How their breath was unsteady but his seemed to be fine. 

Attraction doesn’t really care about the partner’s sexual preferences, huh.

“Okay, shoot.”, Doc finally said. “Don’t care about being polite or asking too personal questions. I’ll answer what I can. I know being poly can be quite the turn-off, especially when you’ve never been in contact with it before.”

“Oh, I have.”, Silver answered. 

Doc stopped short. 

“You have? Did you or your partners –”

“Oh no, nothing like that. But you know about my forest, right? Well, it’s really old and has been sentient for a while. And with the way it has grown, with its root system and the treetops, they share pretty much everything. Their thoughts, their energy, their food sources and their magic. I’m pretty sure if one tree were to be sick the whole forest would know.”, Silver explained.

Doc seemed doubtful.

“Maybe that’s kind of similar? But you know, what we Hermits have is a bit more physical? Like, I’m pretty sure your trees don’t fuck each other.”, Doc said bluntly.

Silver laughed. 

“True, true. I just meant that I get the concept. And that I don’t judge you for it. There is so much bad in this world and so little love, sharing it is a good thing. And even before I knew you guys were poly, I always felt like there was something special about this community. Something that we as outsiders would never be able to understand. And well, now I do. And I get it, I really do.”

Doc still didn’t look convinced. Sighing, he brushed his hair back behind his horns, looking towards the swaying treetops above them. 

“Okay, I am going to be very blunt here, Silver. And I’m sorry if it’s too direct but I really need you to understand. I don’t want any bad surprises for you later on. Okay?”

Silver smiled internally. When was Doc ever not blunt or direct? 

“Sure.”

Doc glanced at them, then he tucked his hands in his lab coat. His pace sped up. 

“I’m poly. I have slept with most Hermits here. And with sleep I meant fucked. I have fucked most of them and I have kissed all of them. I hug them, I kiss them, I let them suck me off and I return the favour. And I enjoy it.”

Images started spreading in Silver’s mind. Grian between Doc’s thighs, Doc’s head tipped back while – their brain helpfully provided the noises they had overheard. What would it look like with Doc on his knees? Doc in front of them on his knees? When he opened their pants and let his big hands slide over their body and –

Silver blinked and forced air to flow in and out of their chest. Breathe. Don’t get a hard-on now. 

Doc hadn’t noticed their distraction as he went on.

“I have a primary partner, Ren. Most nights, I spent with him. Often, we get a third partner to join us. We like to have fun and to experiment. We’ve been together for a long time and I love him and trust him unconditionally. If we – if you decide that you can work with this arrangement, you have to be aware that I will spend time with others and that I will sleep with other people. A lot.”

“How long have you and Ren been together?”, Silver asked.

Doc’s steps faltered for a moment. That was a question he hadn’t anticipated.

“A few hundred years.”

“What does it feel like to know and trust someone this deeply?”

Doc stopped completely, halting Silver with a hand on their shoulder. When Silver looked at him, he continued speaking.

“He is the other half of me. Where I am impatient and rude, he is chill and comforting. When I am being a dick, he helps lift the mood. And when he is indecisive and a people-pleaser, I don’t give a shit about anyone’s opinion and do what is best for him. We complete each other and he makes me better in so many aspects, I can’t even begin to list them. We are a package deal, Silver. If you take me, you’ll get him too.”

Silver’s heart had cracked a tiny bit with Doc’s confession. To be loved this wholeheartedly, to be accepted like that and to have someone who knew one’s strengths and weaknesses like that. Silver couldn’t imagine it. 

At this moment, Silver felt lonelier than they ever had in their life. 

Needing to break eye contact before Doc read their thoughts, they looked away.

Doc sighed again. 

“And just to make this clear, I have no expectations of you. If you choose to leave, I will bring you to the portal and make sure you’ll get home safely. If you don’t want to come back, I will accept that. If you decide that you need time to make a decision, I will wait. Just really give it some thought, alright?”

“Do you mean with the package deal that I need to accept Ren as my partner, too?”, Silver asked. More images popped up, Ren behind them, his sharp teeth on their neck, their shoulder. Doc in front of them, kissing Ren while caressing Silver’s skin, pulling on Silver’s hair –

“Oh no, of course not!”

The fantasy shattered.

“It is 100% your decision who you accept as a partner. If you want to have a monogamous relationship with me, then you have to be aware that the monogamy is only on your side though. We will all accept that and nobody will approach you inappropriately. No flirting, no touching, nothing. Just friends. I’ll make sure of that.”

Silver could be friends with the Hermits? Like real friends? 

“So we’d have a relationship? Shouldn’t we date first? Get to know each other better?”

Doc nodded. 

“Of course. That was just under the premise that we’d work out.”

“And if we don’t? What happens if we find out that we don’t match, that we … I don’t know, have different sexual preferences?”

Something else occurred to Silver.

“Do you even find my other body attractive? Do you like … female presenting bodies?”

A valid question they hadn’t even discussed yet. And Silver spent a lot of time in their other body. Probably more than in this one, simply because they couldn’t control the change and this was basically their panic state.

The corners of Doc’s mouth lifted. 

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. I think you look delicious in both bodies.”

“Deli–” Silver blushed. Heavily. Trying to conceal their embarrassment, they gathered their hair and tied it into a ponytail with a piece of leather. A few shorter strands escaped and tickled their jawline.

They didn’t notice the way Doc stared at their hands or how he had to swallow several times before looking away. 

Delicious, indeed.

Chapter Text

Doc was in trouble. 

Big fucking trouble. 

Hiding his hands in his coat, concealing the claws that had sprung out in the thick fabric, he forced himself to look away from Silver. 

To look away from the way the ponytail exposed their neck, their shoulders. When they had pulled back their hair, their shirt had slipped up a bit, revealing creamy looking skin and hints of a sinful v. 

Doc swallowed, willing his brain to kickstart again.

He was such a horny bastard. 

This was an important moment, crucial even, and he really needed to concentrate on giving Silver as much information as possible without scaring them away. When Xisuma had started his extensive speech about the Hermitcraft world, Doc’s palms had started sweating. It was easy to forget that there were a lot of unforgiving, intolerant people outside of Hermitcraft, people that didn’t like anything that didn’t follow their vision of life. But something about sitting there, among his friends and Silver in front of him, not being able to see their face or read their response, made him extremely uneasy. 

What if they disliked his lifestyle? Even worse, were disgusted? What if the pretty little plans that he had already started making would just shatter in an instant when they turned back to look at him with disgust and rejection in their eyes? 

Fortunately, nothing of that had happened. 

Yet , his brain helpfully provided.

Because he had seen the shadow that crossed their face when he told them about Ren, when he said he loved him and that he wouldn’t leave him. Was that pain? Envy? Would they understand that even when he had Ren as a primary partner, the time that he spent with them was just as valuable, that when they were together, it was about them and nobody else?

Did he make that clear enough? 

Had he been too crass when he talked about polyamory, about what he did with the other Hermits? He didn’t want to sugarcoat things. That wasn’t his style. 

His usual partners had never had a problem with the way he talked or how he expressed things. But all his partners had been his friends prior. Had known him for years and years, could see through his rough appearance and see the soft heart he had.

Ren would call him an overthinking coward right now, and he would be correct. 

Walking in silence, Doc threw glances at Silver. The lanterns in the trees dipped their face in brightness before casting fascinating shadows. Their hair was glowing, the pale skin illuminated from within, contrasting starkly with the dark forest surrounding them. Dressed in bright clothes, they nearly looked like an epiphany, coming down to bestow their divine judgement on him. The only colour came from their eyes, framed by equally pale lashes. Eyes that looked at him curiously right now. 

Damn. 

“Do you have any more questions?”, he asked. 

“Yeah, a lot, actually. I am getting kind of tired though. Could we walk toward the portal while we talk?”

“Sure thing. We could also use the portal back in my base though.”

“Alright, I don’t care either way.”

On the way back they discussed more detailed questions Silver had.

With each step towards his base, Doc became more and more anxious. Could this be the last time he saw them? They had given no indication that they disliked him, or the Hermits, even after all that  ruckus, after the attack on them, after the debacle with him and Grian. 

Still, Doc felt like this was moving way too fast, that he forgot something, that he could do something better .

He just couldn’t figure out what it was. And it drove him insane. 

A lot quicker than he liked they arrived back at his base. Still, they must have stayed out longer than he thought as all the Hermits had left, only one campfire remained burning, its warm shine illuminating the bright sandstone of the old temple. 

“I really like what you’ve done to the perimeter.”, Silver said, following his gaze to the temple. 

“Thank you. I still have big plans, but it takes a lot of time if I don’t want to destroy the ruins and ancient remains in the process.”

Silver nodded. Dark circles had formed on their skin and exhaustion shone in their eyes. Doc wondered how long Silver’s body change would take a toll on them before their metabolism adjusted. He really needed to do more research on the topic. He never really had contact with nature spirits, hybrid or not, as they usually ran when they saw him. 

He couldn’t blame them. His electricity and their good-natured, mostly defenceless personalities didn’t mix well. 

Hopefully Silver saw that differently.

While Silver typed in their code, Doc stood awkwardly next to them, looking for something to say. He started examining his portal room, the blank walls and cracked floor. He should invest in some decoration, maybe put in a sloped ceiling with hanging chandeliers and a chequered tile floor? Some plants wouldn’t hurt either.

“Alright.”, Silver said as the portal materialised in a rush of purple particles and the usual whooshing sounds. 

Doc found himself unsure what to do with his hands. Could he hug them? Would that be weird? 

It probably would be.

“Well, then … Thank you for your time and the information you gave me today.”, Silver said. “I really appreciate that you shared this … secret with me and I promise, I’ll keep it safe, no matter if we … you know.”

You know.

Doc nodded.

“Thank you, too, for listening. For giving it a thought, I hope?”

Now it was Silver’s turn to nod.

“I will. It’s not as shocking to me as you think it is. I just need to really work out for myself what that means for me and if that fits for the … plans I made for myself.” Silver shrugged. “I don’t know if I am able to share someone that I like, you know? But then on the other hand, I won’t always be here anyway, right? And then there’s still the possibility of us not working out.”

Doc started to develop a deep resentment against the words “us not working out”. They would make it, he felt it in his old bones. But he didn’t want to pressure Silver, didn’t want to seem overbearing or too possessive.

Yet.

So he just nodded, like his head was on hinges.

“I get that. Again, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask them tomorrow. You will come back tomorrow, won’t you?” Goddamnit it, he sounded so hopeful. 

“Yep, right when the portal opens back up.”, Silver answered.

Some of Doc’s tension disappeared. He smiled down at Silver. Their green and purple eyes reflected the light from the portal. Even in this body, their mouth was sinfully full, the upper lip slightly curved. Were those freckles on their nose? Doc revelled in the smoothness of Silver’s skin for a second, in the silkiness of their long hair. More strands had freed itself from the ponytail. Even in the sparingly lit room, their hair seemed to radiate with its own glow. Without thinking about it, Doc reached out and touched a silken strand. It felt cool and smooth under his rough fingertips. 

The tiniest breath escaped Silver.

Doc’s gaze shot up to their eyes, to their heavy lids and the faint blush that had crept into their cheeks. Their eyes met, Silver’s questioningly, beckoning but also unsure. His heart skipped a beat. 

“Your hair is beautiful.”, he said slowly, stupidly, releasing the strand.

“Thank you.”

For another moment, their eyes remained locked, before Doc coughed and took a step back. 

“Maybe we can finally do the perimeter tour tomorrow.”, he said, trying to keep his voice light and steady.

“Sure. Then … I’ll get going, I guess. Thanks again.”

“Don’t mention it. And don’t worry about the how’s and if’s too much. We’ll take it a step at a time. There’s no pressure and no expectation. We can create our own solution, alright?”

Some of the worry in Silver’s face seemed to lift.

“That sounds good. Good night, Doc.”

“Good night, Silver.”

For a split second it seemed as if Silver wanted to say something else, as if they wanted to take a step towards Doc, but then they just smiled, nodded once more and stepped through the portal.

After the portal had dissipated with a loud shattering sound, Doc felt like the silence was pressing on him from all sides. He felt itchy, too big for his body. The nervous energy he had built up throughout the whole day was starting to bubble up, eating on his nerves until he let out an exasperated sigh.

“Silver gone?”, Ren’s voice asked from the darkness. 

Doc flinched. He hadn’t even heard him approach.

“Yeah … They’ll come back tomorrow morning, though.”

“I actually thought they’d stay over, to be honest.”

Doc quirked a brow. 

“Yeah, you know, they had the vibes.” Ren waggled with his eyebrows, grinning. 

Doc shook his head and slung an arm around Ren’s waist. 

“You and your vibes. Speaking of vibes, how do you think tonight went? Do you think they’ll get it? Or was it too weird?”

“Well, it was definitely weird for me. I think we need to figure out a better way to do this. Maybe not have everyone in a circle, staring at the new one. It felt a bit like a mass therapy session or something.”

“True, that was kind of strange … But I thought it would be best if everyone was there, so that they really see who’s involved, you know?”

Ren didn’t answer, just shrugged. 

“I think Silver took it like a champ. And they didn’t immediately ran for the portal, so I’d take it as a win, if I were you.”

Doc sighed again.

“Dunno. I guess it’s good they have a lot of questions but … they seemed really unsure just now when they left.” Doc scratched his chin. Pure attraction aside, he and Silver still had a lot of things to figure out. Their whole dating process got overhauled after all.

Ren elbowed him before leaning his head against his shoulder. 

“Come on now, don’t worry so much. I’m confident it’ll all work out. And tomorrow is another day. Let’s just go to bed, okay?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning started with slow kisses, warm hands and husky voices. 

Outside, another hot summer day dawned, painting the sky in brilliant colours while nature awoke. Inside, Doc and Ren had been up for a while. Relishing Ren’s body, his hands holding him down, constricting him in the most exquisite ways, Doc’s head was perfectly empty while his heart thundered in his chest and his body drove into his lover’s. After years and years together, they knew each other blind, knew what the other wanted and needed. Sweat was dripping off their bodies and Doc’s heartbeat was so loud in his ears that he could barely hear his own laboured breathing or Ren’s delightful moans. 

Afterwards they cuddled on top of tangled sheets, holding each other tight and letting their bodies cool down. 

“Do you want me to keep away while Silver is here? Give you guys some privacy?”, Ren asked. He hadn’t moved off Doc since he had collapsed on top of him a few minutes ago. 

Doc shook his head. One of his horns tangled with the sheet and he reached up to free it. Ren mumbled at the disturbance. 

“Nah. I was contemplating it, you know. Giving them a bit more space, introducing them slowly and such. But … at the end of the day, we are a package deal. And I told them that. Sure, you don’t need to follow us around or cling to me wherever I go. But you’re usually around here somewhere. You often visit me during the day. Or night.”, Doc added, caressing Ren’s back until a deep purr came from his throat. “Getting them used to it right away is probably the best.”

“If you say so.”

After a while, Doc got up, took a shower and went to his kitchen for a cup of coffee. Yawning excessively, he stood in front of the coffee maker, waiting for the beverage of the gods - as Ren called it - to finish.

“So, Silver, huh?” 

Doc flinched, grabbing for his sword that wasn’t there. He turned around to Etho who sat on the kitchen island with crossed legs, holding a steaming mug. 

“By all that’s holy - what the fuck man.”

Etho just shrugged, sipping his coffee. He was pale, dark circles under his eyes. Doc wondered if that was still the aftermath from yesterday’s vision. Etho’s face didn’t reveal anything, so Doc shrugged, too, and returned to his own coffee.

“Yeah, Silver.”

“How well do you know them?”

Doc cocked his head. Not an unusual question per se, but Etho normally stayed out of everyone else’s business. Except Bdubs’, maybe. 

“Well enough.”, he answered. 

“Hm.” Etho took another sip. 

Uncomfortable silence spread and stayed, until Doc shook his head.

“What’s the matter, Etho?”

“Oh, nothing. I just want to make sure that nobody gets hurt.”

Doc frowned. Strange choice of words. 

“Silver is not a threat if you’re trying to imply that. They’re just a hybrid like me.”

“Nothing more?”

“Nothing that needs to concern you or me.”

“Hm.”

Doc turned around to make another cup for Ren who should finish his shower soon. Etho started to worry him. Something was definitely up. 

“I guess I’ll have to find out for myself then.”

“What do you —?”, Doc looked over his shoulder but only a half-full cup of coffee was left on the island. Etho had already left.

“What the fuck.” 

“Who are you talking to?”, Ren asked, towelling his hair. 

“Etho was here. He had some questions about Silver, I think? I don’t even know. He was extremely weird, even for his standards.”

“He’s probably just worried. You know how awkward he can be around new people.”

“Yeah, probably.”

Ren pressed a kiss on Doc’s cheek before accepting the cup and sitting down on the kitchen island, right next to Etho’s abandoned mug. 

Anxiety crept over Doc’s skin like little spider babies. He tried to shake it off but he just knew that he was missing something. Something important. 

But what?

Cracking some eggs into a pan, Doc started breakfast. Maybe he was just hungry. 

“What are your plans for today?”, Ren asked over the sizzling. 

“X thinks that the number of visitors will drop again today. Maybe 80 or so? I only have one perimeter tour planned today, I’ll see if people show up. Most of them are over at Scarland, watching the parades and stuff.”

“Oh yeah … Grian told me that Scar’s absolutely loving it. All the attention his amusement park gets.”

“He’s worked hard enough for it.”

“Mh, yeah. Grian also said that Scar’s close to his limits and still pushing. He’s tried to get him to rest, let him help out, but you know Scar. If he’s not doing it himself, it’s not good enough…”

Doc put a plate full of scrambled eggs in front of Ren. 

“Do you know whether he’s taking his meds?”

“Pretty sure Grian’s been hand feeding them to him.”

“Well, that’s something.”

“He still worries though.”

Doc nodded, thinking while chewing. The medicine kept the erosion of Scar’s bones in check, nearly nullifying the effects of the vex magic that was eating on him. But stress or trauma always seemed to cause a surge in his magic that the meds couldn’t absorb. 

Similar to Silver’s body change. 

Doc’s brain started picking at that realisation. Was there a similarity? Something he could derive from that to help either Scar or Silver? Maybe he should get another blood sample from Scar and look at his genetic code once more. Maybe he had missed something when he did his tests a few years ago? 

“I think we should all take a long vacation when this whole visitation is over.”, Ren continued. “Nobody realised just how much work it would actually be and everyone is a bit on edge lately. Especially with the whole MasterBoss thing.”

Doc nodded. He hadn’t spent too much time thinking about MasterBoss. The other Hermits were sure that it was a random attack, veiled by the visitation. Since everything had been smooth sailing since then, he tended to agree. 

They finished their breakfast in amicable silence, enjoying the peace and quiet before the visitors’ portal opened. 

Still, Doc worried whether Silver would return. And if they returned, what response they’d bring. 

Soon enough, Ren had to leave to get the record shop ready and Doc took his usual route through his contraptions to make sure everything was up and running. 

Everything was working perfectly, the perimeter stood silent, awaiting whoever would come. Doc had settled at the axolotl pond. Leaning on one of the logs that were still scattered around, he tipped his head back and stared into the bright blue sky. 

The anxiety didn’t leave him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sleepily, Bdubs reached for Etho next to him, pulling him closer. Only that Etho wasn’t there and his space in the bed had already cooled.

Suddenly wide awake, Bdubs sat up. His bedroom was empty, the sun already creeping through the closed shutters. 

Stretching and yawning, he got up, wrapping the big blanket around himself and walked down towards his kitchen. Maybe he was making coffee or something. Etho often woke up before him and got restless. 

But the kitchen was empty and there was no sign of Etho anywhere. After checking his comm - no messages there - Bdubs decided he needed to wake up properly first. When he sat at his kitchen table, cradling a hot cup of steaming coffee with loads of sugar and milk, he typed a message to Etho.

>Hey, I just woke up and you were already gone – <

No, that sounded too accusing. 

>Good morning, are you having a busy day?<

Yes, that was better. After sending it off, Bdubs sighed and rubbed his face. He was worried about Etho. He had been for a while but since discovering that he had visions again the other night, the concern had been eating at him. 

Since when did Etho have the visions?

Were they bad?

Was he sleeping properly? Eating properly?

And why didn’t he tell Bdubs?

He tried to bury the last question especially deep. Etho was secretive, that was just who he was. Bdubs had learned to accept it. That didn’t mean he liked it though. 

Maybe he should ask Grian about it. When it came to his visions, Etho was somehow more comfortable talking about them when it came to Grian. Bdubs ignored the sting of jealousy he always felt when it came to Grian and Etho. He knew that he had nothing to worry about, that Etho loved him. 

Still.

Worry kept nagging at him while he slowly drank his coffee and tried to concentrate on the list of things he needed to do before the visitors arrived.

His cup was nearly empty when the front door opened. Turning around slowly and plastering a smile on his face, Bdubs waited until Etho walked into the kitchen.

“Hey love.”, he said, straightening to receive Etho’s kiss. Etho’s lips only touched his fleetingly, his eyes absent and distant.

Bdubs’ fingers tensed. 

“Etho … Are you alright?”

“Mh.”

“Love, please look at me. I worry about you.”

When Etho met his eyes, Bdubs shrunk at the coldness.

“Did I do something wrong?”, he asked, angry at the helplessness in his voice.

That seemed to jolt Etho from his apathy. His gaze warmed and his face softened when he reached out to touch Bdubs’ hand.

“Why would you have done something wrong? Just look at you, all bundled up like a present, waiting for me to unpack.”

Bdubs’ cheeks warmed at the memories from last night, when Etho had done all that. And more. 

“I don’t know. You seem terribly absent lately. And you didn’t tell me about your visions. You know you can tell me everything. I will always listen.”

At the mention of his visions, Etho’s eyes darkened again but he gripped Bdubs’ hand harder.

“I know. But this is something I have to work through myself.”

“Okay. But when it gets too hard, please talk to me, yeah?”

“I will.”

“Okay.”

“Mh.”

Bdubs just opened his mouth to ask Etho where he went this morning, when he abruptly got up. 

“I have some things to take care of. I will see you later, yeah?”

Bdubs hardly had time to nod before Etho was out the door again. The coffee seemed to boil a hole into Bdubs’ stomach when he pulled out the comm again.

>Was Etho with you this morning?<

Grian answered instantly.

>No, I’m with Scar. Why? What’s happening? Another vision?<

>Nono. But something’s off. Etho is behaving weirdly.<

>He’s always kinda weird though.<

That provoked a small smile. But his fingers were shaking a bit when he typed again.

>I worry about him, G. Something is really, totally wrong and he won’t talk to me about it. If he comes to you, can you try? Please?<

>Sure. But in the end, he always came to you, remember? Maybe he just needs a bit more time.<

>Maybe. Thank you, G.<

>Always.<

Bdubs sighed and let his head fall forward until his cheek pressed against the cold table. This whole visitation week had gone wrong. First the attack on Silver, then Etho’s visions, now this. 

His comm pinged. Holding it sideways so he could read, he unlocked the screen.

>Is Etho with you?<, Doc had written.

Oh, the irony. 

>He was for like 5 minutes but he’s gone again. Why?<

>Something’s wrong. I think it has something to do with Silver.<

That had Bdubs’ attention. Before he knew it, he called Doc. He answered immediately.

“What do you mean, it has something to do with Silver?”

“I don’t know man, Etho scared the hell out of me this morning by suddenly appearing in my kitchen. Then he asked some weird questions about Silver and their past and whatever and then he said something like ‘He has to find it out for himself’ or something.”

“You think Etho’s interested in Silver? They’re not really his type, are they?”

Doc laughed coldly.

“Oh no, quite the opposite, actually. To me it sounded like he thought they were a threat? Did he tell you anything?”

Bdubs frowned. That didn’t sound like Etho at all. Yes, he was more careful and didn’t trust people easily, but blatantly accusing Silver of being a threat? In front of Doc who was clearly interested in them? 

Anxiety settled deep within Bdubs. 

“No. No, he didn’t tell me anything.”

Chapter Text

Etho’s eyes were burning when he flew towards the entry building. He hadn’t slept properly in days. Bdubs’ dead eyes kept him awake. Every time he started to doze off, the image of his own bloody hands appeared in front of him and a voice in his head started screaming. 

The visions had started to come more frequently, too. They felt closer, more tangible. 

Rubbing his eyes, he landed silently on one of the trees surrounding the entry area and sat down. He needed to find out where the visions were coming from. 

He needed to know how Bdubs died. When. Why.

He needed to stop it, he had to do everything in his power to prevent it. 

His hands started shaking when the throbbing in his head intensified. The pressure behind his eyes became nearly unbearable for a moment before subsiding again. 

Last night, something had changed. The visions had shown him something else, something new. Another person had been visible, only for a split-second, but Etho had recognized them immediately.

Silver.

They had only appeared on the edges of his field of vision, barely there in the corner of his eyes. They had been screaming. And then there was more blood and someone else had groaned in pain. 

After that, the visions had returned to their original form, revealing nothing else. But the memory stayed. And the more he thought about it, the more Etho was sure of it. 

Always Silver.

Everything had started with them. Etho’s visions had begun the night after Silver had been attacked. And ever since then, Silver had wormed their way into their community, their world. Had inched closer and closer, just as his visions had. 

Was it coincidence that they had caught Doc’s eye almost instantly? That they had visited his perimeter? Had asked all these questions, intriguing Doc and burying themselves more in his memory?

Or was it cold calculation, following him and Grian into the forest, setting up the trap themselves? Appearing as the victim, the hybrid with unstable powers, bargaining on Doc’s strong protective instincts?

They had never found MasterBoss. Xisuma had contacted the server council, the remaining three members had been interrogated, but their memories appeared blurry, their statements unreliable. X hadn’t been able to trace back MasterBoss’ steps, hadn’t found the loophole in the server’s protection where he had slipped in. The portal’s documentation also didn’t show any deviations. 

Maybe there hadn’t been a MasterBoss to begin with. Maybe this was all a scheme, an elaborate trap to … 

Well. Etho wasn’t sure what the purpose of it all could be. 

Hermitcraft didn’t pursue any political strategies. They kept well away from the various discourses that floated through the server universe. Having seen too much war and bloodshed, their members preferred to stay out of petty drama. 

There was good reason this visitation week had caused such an uproar. Hermitcraft was famous for being extremely privy and only selected information was disclosed. 

So what could someone gain from infiltrating them? Where was the benefit from that? What possibly could Silver want or need from them? 

Maybe it was greed for power? Being the one that brought about Hermitcraft’s downfall? A sick game to see how far they could be pushed?

Maybe they were envious of the community they had built for themselves. Doc had hinted that Silver had lived alone for a long time. Maybe their reclusiveness had twisted their mind. 

Etho knew he was overly cautious, that his behaviour bordered on madness. But the thought of losing Bdubs robbed him of all rational thoughts. 

Yesterday evening, Silver had seemed a bit insecure, maybe even scared. But he had still been caught in the cruel clutches of his last vision, his brain foggy and only concentrating on the presence of his lover. He didn’t trust his judgement from then. 

Bdubs had told him Silver had taken care of him when he fell down, probably saving him from a concussion or worse. 

Had that been calculation as well? Was it coincidence that a vision this strong had overcome him to the point he had completely lost his bearings? 

Etho was at a loss, a feeling he didn’t experience often. 

And so he sat there, motionless, his bones and muscles vibrating with that tension that hadn’t left him in days, waiting for that familiar shock of hair to leave the building.

He hadn’t really planned out what to do then. But he just knew he needed to get to know Silver alone, needed to see for himself they weren’t a threat. 

As the sun was climbing higher and the temperature was rising, Etho could feel himself starting to doze off. His skin and muscles warmed and relaxed a bit, his head becoming heavier in his hand. His vision blurred and his eyes slowly closed. After this, maybe he should talk to Bdubs. Apologise for being rude this morning. They could take out the horses and go for a ride to get away from it all. Have a little picnic in one of the flower forests surrounding the city. They could bring a blanket and lie down in the shade, and Bdubs could tell him all about his new building plans. And he could hold Bdubs in his lap, caress his face, feel the warmth of his body slowly leaving him, his bloody hands brushing his hair out of his face and Bdubs’ dead eyes staring into the sky while Etho screamed and screamed and –

Noise startled Etho, ripping him from the dream that wasn’t a dream. Laughter now filled the square as visitors poured from the building. X’s prediction would prove true, Etho realised. Only groups of two or three left the building, most heading into the direction of Scarland. The most pressing interest had definitely worn off. 

Straightening and taking a deep breath to get rid of the last haze of the vision, Etho focused again. 

When Silver appeared after a while, alone and unsuspecting, he jumped off the tree, silently approaching them from behind. When he tapped their shoulder, they flinched but turned around. Surprise made their eyes widen.

“Hello Silver.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Doc’s call, Bdubs’ desire for coffee or breakfast had vanished. Instead, he had the nagging feeling of missing something important.

Bdubs didn’t like being left out. On his best days, it made him feel unimportant and negligible. On his not so good days, he thought people found him annoying and only stuck up with him out of pity, secretly laughing about him behind his back.

Today was a very bad day. 

Staring at the cold rest of his coffee, Bdubs contemplated on what to do now. He had no base tours today and really didn’t feel like sitting at his horse booth. In fact, he didn’t feel like doing anything. Maybe he should just go back to bed, pull the blanket over his head and wait for this day to be over. 

It wasn’t like anybody would miss him anyway. 

After a while, his feet started to get numb on the chilly floor and goosebumps spread on his arms. He should probably get up, take a shower. 

Caught in a spiral of his own negative thoughts, Bdubs didn’t move. 

What was Etho hiding from him? Why didn’t he talk to him? Was Bdubs prying too much? Had Etho grown tired of him? Maybe he wanted to switch primary partners? 

Maybe he wanted to move on, leave Hermitcraft altogether? 

Etho was a true Hermit, not needing social interactions or contact. Losing himself in his Redstone plans and technical strategising, he often forgot Bdubs was sitting next to him. So maybe … maybe he had seen all those visitors from other worlds, the possibilities and opportunities and had decided that Hermitcraft had grown too small for him? That Bdubs wasn’t enough anymore? 

Maybe he was intrigued by the newer inventions the Create mod made available? Or wanted to go back to his own roots, experimenting with Redstone without the need to make it pretty or presentable? 

Maybe Decked Out had shown him that the slow and easy life they had created for themselves here bored him to death and he needed more action? Perhaps join a hardcore or anarchy world? 

Bdubs was fairly sure Etho was not much of a fighter but right now, with his brain torturing him with images of Etho just leaving him behind, finding new friends, ignoring him and the Hermits, he couldn’t get himself to think logically. 

A ping on his comm startled him out of his misery.

>U good, B<, Doc was asking.

Bdubs wanted to lie, wanted to tell him everything was super great and no need to worry at all. But he could already feel the darkness creeping in again, could practically see how the next few days would unfold if he didn’t take action right now. He needed distraction, someone to talk to. Some really, really good hugs. 

Doc gave great hugs. 

So instead, he got up, dressed himself, took a few bites from an old apple he had lying around and flew to Doc’s perimeter. 

In secret, Bdubs really admired the work Doc had done to the excavation site. The massive skull in the middle was creepy as fuck, no doubt about that, but the amount of time and obsession over detail Doc had put into the murals and ruins was admirable. As he flew closer Bdubs could see the small figures of a few visitors that followed Doc’s much taller and broader shape. Gliding the last distance, Bdubs sailed in through the roof and landed in the storage room where he pilfered some cake before sitting down at the axolotl pond. 

Remembering the past evening, a small smile tugged at his mouth. Silver’s blank face when X had launched into his speech had been quite hilarious. Speaking of Silver, Bdubs was wondering why they weren’t here yet. He got the impression that they were surprised, a bit confused even, but not disinclined. 

But you never knew. Bdubs just hoped that it wouldn’t affect Doc too much. The big man had an equally big heart, despite declaring himself a villain half of the time. The public might believe his antagonistic speeches, but on Hermitcraft everyone knew better. That man would burn down worlds to save the people he loved. If only half of the stories about him were true, Bdubs was pretty sure he already had done so. 

Speaking of Doc, the group was moving towards the elevator so Bdubs moved a bit to be out of sight. He really didn’t feel like talking to the visitors now. 

A few moments later, Doc sat down across from him. As always, Bdubs hadn’t heard him. In the beginning this specific trait of Doc had literally creeped him out but he had gotten used to it by now.

“Hey B.”

“Hey Doc.”

Doc stretched his long legs and positioned them left and right from Bdubs. Being this tall really had to be a pain in the ass.

“Coming here probably means you’re not so good, huh?”

Bdubs shrugged.

“Oh, you know. Sometimes things just rattle me. And this morning was … something.”

Doc nodded. 

“Well, I don’t have any more tours today. You wanna talk?”

“I don’t think there’s much to talk about. Etho has visions again, bad ones apparently, and he doesn’t want to talk to me about it. Or even see me much. You should have seen him this morning, he couldn’t wait to run out the door.”

“But yesterday evening everything seemed fine?”

“Dunno … he was quite clingy, very atypical for him.”

“Hm.” Doc was watching the axolotls jumping around in the pond, his face revealing nothing. 

“You don’t think he’s gonna leave us, do you?”

Doc shot him a quick look, then shook his head. 

“I think it’s something else. When he came over earlier he was really upset. Asking about Silver and all that.”

“Maybe his visions have something to do with them?”

That had Doc’s attention. He frowned, spinning the thought in this head.

“Yeah. Maybe. Could be a possibility.”

Bdubs sighed. 

“This whole week is turning into a disaster. I’m so ready for it to be over.”

“You’re having a really hard day, huh.”

Bdubs nodded. Suddenly his throat felt tight. He hadn't realised his composure had worn this thin. Apparently, the last months had really done a number on him. Doc just looked at him for a moment, then his eyes softened and he patted the spot next to him.

“Come here, babe. I think you need some cuddling.”

Slowly, like an old man, Bdubs got up before plopping down on Doc's lap, straddling him. Instantly, Doc's arms lay around him, pulling him closer and pressing his face against his solid chest. 

Listening to Doc’s steady heartbeat, Bdubs closed his eyes. Warmth surrounded him and Doc's hand caressed his back in a steady motion.

“Is your brain mean to you again?”

Bdubs nodded.

“Does it tell you Etho doesn't love you? And that we all only tolerate you?”

He nodded again. Doc's arms tightened, then his head came down to Bdubs’ ear. 

“And you know that's bullshit, right?”

Bdubs felt incredibly small in Doc's arms. He did know it was bullshit. They had told and shown him countless times. But his old wounds ran deep, and he never wanted to be dead weight again.

“Right?”

Bdubs sighed. 

“In theory, yes. It's just been a couple busy weeks and months and … I don't know. Maybe I'm more fragile at the moment than I thought.”

“Mhh.” Doc’s voice rumbled deep in his chest and Bdubs snuggled closer. 

“For the record, you're always welcome here. If you feel lonely or anxious, my door will always be open. If you're feeling great, come over anyway. I love your company. And don't get me started on Ren. As soon as someone tells him you're here, he'll turn into an insufferable mother hen.”

Bdubs smiled. 

“Thanks, Doc.”

“Always.” 

Bdubs felt the kiss Doc pressed on his head deep inside his body, where warmth had started to spread again.

Sometimes, all one needed was a damn good hug. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doc held the small bundle of sad Bdubs close to him. Fuck, even the flowers on his stupid moss coat seemed to droop. 

He wanted to smack Etho across his stupidly handsome face for neglecting Bdubs and making him feel this way. But he knew that Etho was dealing with his own shit, that something about these visions was absolutely rattling him to the bone. 

Still. 

Feeling the shiver that went through Bdubs’ body, the nearly unnoticeable way he relaxed against him made Doc's instincts roar. 

He held firmly against them. They all were worn thin after the last four days. And the months before that. And with that stupid incident with Silver, Etho’s visions returning… it seemed like work wouldn't end too soon.

So they sat there for a while, holding each other while the sun was slowly crawling across the sky. At some point, Bdubs fell asleep, his rhythmic breaths warm and moist against Doc's skin. 

Doc led his gaze wander over the perimeter, the skull that crowned his drowned farm, the wither reactor and the colourful murals that were now glistening in the sun. Then he paused and frowned. There was a dark spot on one of the Goatmother’s wing. One that he was sure was not supposed to be there. Had vines started to grow? He would need to check that out at some point. 

When the sun came around the temple and it grew too hot, Doc decided it was time to get inside. 

Carefully, he cradled the man with one hand while pushing himself off the ground with the other. When he heard rockets approaching he looked up to see Ren fly an elegant circle around the perimeter before landing in front of him. 

Doc gestured him to be quiet, nodding to the sleeping Bdubs. Ren’s face instantly softened, leaning closer to inspect him.

“What happened?”, he mouthed silently.

“Etho and anxiety.”

Ren’s eyes darkened but he nodded, opening the doors for Doc when they walked inside the temple together. 

Leading him to the bedroom, Doc put Bdubs down in the middle of his massive bed. He moved around a bit but didn't wake up. 

After pulling the blanket over him, Doc turned around to Ren who was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded. Ren’s hair was getting pretty long, Doc noticed. It would touch his shoulders by now if it wasn’t curling at the ends. 

Patting him on the shoulder, Doc left the bedroom and Ren carefully closed the door. Doc stopped in the kitchen, resting against the counter and facing Ren. 

“It’s all a bit much for him, huh?”

Doc sighed and pulled Ren in by the waist. 

“I think all of us are spread a bit thin lately.”

“True … I made a quick stop at Scarland before I came here. Grian is angry with Scar again because he refuses to take breaks or cancel some of the parades.”

“Oh man. Scar never knows when to stop and take care of himself.”

“Yeah. Apparently last night he was up until late, clearing some skulk that has popped up. Didn’t even tell Grian who went to bed early. Grian is positively furious.”

Doc laughed silently.

“Man, I wish I’d seen that.”

“Feathers everywhere, man.”

Ren’s hands came up and caressed Doc’s face before wandering higher and grabbing his horns. Doc’s grip tightened around his waist. Despite their playtime this morning, he could already feel the allure of Ren’s warm, hard body pressed against his. 

“How are you doing?”, Ren asked.

“Fine. Maybe a bit uneasy. The whole Etho-Silver-Bdubs situation is freaking me out a little.”

“But you trust Etho not to do anything rash, right?”

Doc tilted his head, thinking. 

“I do. I really do, I’m just worried that he might say something that puts Silver off, you know?”

“I don’t think they’re easily scared off. They seem pretty reasonable.”

Ren leaned forward, pressing a warm kiss on Doc’s clavicle. 

“You’re overthinking again.”

Doc groaned but didn’t answer. He was overthinking but knowing that didn’t stop his brain from working. It was already presenting him with scenario after scenario, each one worse than the last. Silver leaving, Silver being disgusted, Etho telling them about his gruesome past, Silver spilling their secrets to the public – 

“Do you want some distraction?”

Apparently Ren didn’t get enough that morning either. 

“What do you suggest?”, Doc asked quietly, his hands slipping below the hem of Ren’s shirt, caressing the strong muscles in his back, his hands digging into soft skin. 

Ren leaned closer, his hands pulling Doc’s head in by his horns. His pupils had dilated, the yellow nearly swallowed by black. 

“Let’s start with a kiss and see where it takes us, shall we?”

Then Ren’s mouth was on his, his hot tongue licking Doc’s lips, his sharp teeth nipping, biting, nearly drawing blood. 

Doc’s head emptied instantly. Ren’s scent encompassed him, the bulge in his pants pressing against his own. Doc pushed one thigh between Ren’s legs, causing delicious friction and a tiny whimper escaped Ren. He released Doc’s horns and grabbed his hair instead, pulling on the strands, making a fist and urging Doc closer. 

For a moment, Doc felt guilty. Bdubs clearly had a bad day and was sleeping in his own bed, only separated by a door. But then Ren bit his lip hard, the metallic taste of his own blood filling his mouth and his biological eye turned black. 

A snarl escaped Ren when Doc gripped his neck hard, turning them both around until Ren was pressed against the wall, Doc’s hand pushing against his carotid artery. Sharp claws scraped over Doc’s back, ripping his lab coat to shreds and leaving red trails in their wake. 

Doc bit back, pushing his tongue into Ren’s mouth, pressing and pressing until their bodies were flush against each other, until he could feel Ren’s heartbeat against his own, until Ren’s breath was filling his mouth. 

“I might be a bit rough.”, Doc said, one hand already ripping off Ren’s shirt.

“I can take it.”, Ren said, his voice breathless and a bit raspy from Doc’s handling. The first hints of red were visible in his eyes. “You know I can take everything you give.”

Growling, Doc let the control of his creeper side slip a tiny bit more until little embers were filling the kitchen and Ren’s clothes started to smoulder on the edges. 

Doc tilted Ren’s head up by pulling on his hair, biting into the sensitive skin of his neck hard enough to leave a mark. Then he licked the reddened spot, knowing that his rough tongue would give Ren another sensory shock. 

Ren’s hands were roaming his body, pulling, pushing, scratching with no clear purpose. 

They didn’t hear the quiet sound of a door opening or the naked feet on the floor. Moments later, Bdubs walked around the corner, his hair all mussed up, with an imprint of the pillow on his cheek. 

The tips of his ears turned red when he saw them, still pressed against each other but both now looking at him. 

“Sorry, sorry! I woke up and was thirsty and – ”

Bdubs’ adams apple bobbed as he swallowed. Twice. His eyes didn’t make it to either of their faces.

The red started to spread down B’s neck. With evil satisfaction Ren noticed that Bdubs’ gaze kept roaming their bodies, their position. The unmistakable tightness of their pants. He made to walk around them towards the sink but Ren’s hand caught him and pulled him in. Doc took a small step back until the smaller man was sandwiched between them. Doc’s grin was outright evil when he stared down at Bdubs. 

“Hey there, little man.”

Bdubs’ mouth opened, probably to protest loudly, but nothing came out. His eyes were glued to the spot where Doc had bitten Ren. It was already healing but the redness was still visible.

Doc leaned down until his mouth was next to Bdubs’ ear. 

“You want that, too?”

“I –”

Ren’s hand brushed through Bdubs’ hair and a shiver ran through his body. 

“You want us to make you feel good?”, Doc continued, rubbing his hard-on against Bdubs’ ass. 

A small moan escaped him and he pushed back against Doc. After exchanging a quick glance with Ren who nodded, Doc tilted his head, his mouth hovering over B’s skin. 

“Do you want it to hurt?” 

“M-Maybe?” Goosebumps were forming on his arms.

Carefully, Doc nibbled on Bdubs’ neck, teasing the skin with his sharp teeth. B started to shiver more and Doc pressed closer, letting him feel exactly what Doc had been intending to do with Ren. When Bdubs’ sweet little sounds got muffled Doc shortly looked up. Ren was exploring his mouth, his hands holding Bdubs’ head like it was fragile, making sure his claws didn’t hurt him. Doc licked a long stripe up towards B’s jaw before finally biting down a bit harder.

All the while he was reining in his creeper side hard, dulling the embers until they had nearly died down. 

“No, don’t –”

Doc retracted instantly at Bdubs’ plea. Had they misinterpreted the situation?

But then B turned around, grabbing the leftovers from Doc’s coat, pulling him in. Anger and desire shone in his eyes.

“Don’t you dare suppress your hybrid side around me! I want it all, you hear me? I want it rough! I’m not a fragile little flower that needs mmh–”

He wasn’t able to finish his sentence. Doc lifted him up, wrapping his legs around his waist while pressing him against Ren. Ren’s hands instantly started tearing up B’s shirt, scratching over his tanned skin, over the scars on his torso. Teasing his hardened nipples while nibbling and biting at his neck, at the sensitive spot where his neck and shoulders connected. No blood was drawn but red marks started to bloom on his skin. 

Doc’s mouth was ravaging B’s, his tongue diving in deep, tasting him. He ground his hips against Bdubs, making the other man moan. B’s hands instantly came around Doc’s neck, the embrace nearly suffocating. More moans escaped him when Ren moved his hips, Doc’s strong fingers digging into his thighs, keeping him up. 

Embers were flitting through the air again, the taste of ozone filling Doc’s mouth. Bdubs’ short dull nails were running over his back, scratching, digging. 

For a moment, Bdubs withdrew to take a breath and Ren took the chance, pulling Doc in for a deep kiss. Their tongues tangled and the filthy sounds of their mouths filled the room. And Bdubs moaned while watching them. Doc could feel his dick twitching against his own.

Bdubs had always had a voyeuristic streak. 

Then Ren was licking his chin, before his teeth bit his lips again. This time, blood spilt and slowly started to run down his skin. Bdubs stretched, his tongue catching the drops. Doc cocked an eyebrow but Ren was already too lost in his lust to even notice. 

“You like that?”, Doc asked, pressing Ren back to the wall with one hand. Bdubs nodded, his unfocused gaze somewhere on Doc’s face. He moved his hips against Doc again, moaning helplessly. 

“You want me to do something against that?”, Doc asked with a soft voice. Ren’s low growl was vibrating through Bdubs’ body. He demanded attention, too.

“Or do you want Ren to help you? And I get to watch you two?” Bdubs’ pupils contracted at that. Doc grinned, slowly letting go of Bdubs’ legs and letting him stand up by himself again. Ren wrapped an arm around his middle while Doc took a step back. 

“Ren, what do you think, how often can you get our little friend here close to coming?”

Ren’s eyes met his over Bdubs’ head. Red had completely taken over his iris. He was growling nonstop at this point. 

“Twice? Three times? Maybe five?”, Doc continued, taking a seat on one of the barstools, close enough to reach out and touch them. One corner of Ren’s mouth lifted, revealing sharp canines, tinted slightly red from Doc’s blood. 

“Guess we better find out, huh, love?”

Cupping Bdubs’ dick, Ren licked Bdubs’ ear. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, all strength leaving his body when the rest of his shirt landed on the floor. Ren opened his pants, sneaking in his hand.

“Come on, open your eyes again. Look at Doc. Look at how he is sitting there, his legs wide apart, as if you were standing between them. He is watching you. Watching us, how my hand is in your pants.” Bdubs’ eyes sprung open. “I am touching you, B. And I love it. I love how your skin feels. How your voice –”, he bit the tip of Bdubs’ ear and B moaned. “– how you’re responding so beautifully. Have you noticed how perfectly you fit between me and Doc? Watching you kiss him was so hot. It really got me going. Can you feel how hard I am for you? How much I want you?”

Bdubs’ eyes turned hazy as Ren kept murmuring dirty things into his ear while hands kept roaming his body. His eyes were still locked with Doc’s but didn’t really see him. The blush had crept towards his torso, dipping him in pretty pink. Then Ren’s hand returned to his dick, gripping it a bit harder, slowly pulling the skin back. Precum already covered the tip, coating Ren’s fingers until he smoothly pumped Bdubs’ dick. 

The smaller one moaned, his knees buckling but Ren’s other hand kept him up easily. Ren’s eyes were glued at Bdubs’ dick, watching it redden, as it lay hard in his hand. Bdubs’ breath sped up, his fingers twitching as he grabbed Ren’s arms. Ren’s own dick was so hard it hurt. Grinding against Bdubs’ ass only took off the worst pressure. He couldn’t wait to bury himself there. He licked at B’s neck where little pearls of sweat started to form.

Doc was hot. While his face revealed nothing, he was burning up. His hands were itching to touch Bdubs, to mark Ren again, to fuck them both until they didn’t know where they were. They looked absolutely beautiful together. Ren’s red eyes were glowing, B’s eyes kept rolling back. The little golden necklace Etho had given B and that he never took off was catching the light as his body bucked and jerked against Ren’s. 

“Close – oh god, I’m so close, Ren, fuck –”

Ren slowed down, pressing little kisses on Bdubs neck, his cheek. 

“That was number one.”

Bdubs howled as he came down from his high, as his body protested, wanting more. 

“You are doing so well.”, Doc said in a low voice, reaching out to flick Bdubs’ nipple. Bdubs jerked again. Then Doc looked at Ren. They didn’t need words as Doc’s gaze softened. Then he nodded towards the man between them.

“Go on, Ren.”

Chapter Text

Bdubs’ eyes had glazed over. Staring at the ceiling, his chest was heaving, gleaming with sweat. Ren was leaning over him, a soft cloth in hand. Wiping down the mess they had made over the last hour, he was murmuring to Bdubs, praising him.

“You’ve done so well, little B. I am so proud of you. You made me feel so good. Now let’s get you cleaned up and we’ll cuddle a bit, huh?”

Bdubs just nodded weakly, completely zoned out.

A big hand took the cloth from him. Doc squatted down next to them, his other hand coming up to caress Ren’s face.

“How are you feeling, love?”

Ren snuggled into his hand, tired and satisfied to the core. He had worn himself out, edging Bdubs until he was a crying, whimpering mess begging for more. Then he had challenged himself by coaxing one orgasm after the other from Bdubs. He hadn’t counted his own orgasms as Bdubs had twitched and spasmed against his body, moaning shamelessly. Bdubs’ body was covered in bite marks, some deeper, some superficial. He had returned Ren’s favour several times until he had collapsed after one last orgasm, Ren still deep inside him.

All the while, Doc had watched them, had held Bdubs’ gaze until the smaller hadn’t seen clearly anymore. Bdubs hadn’t noticed anymore when Doc started touching himself, when he held his own hard dick in his hand, stroking it up and down while watching the other two moving and kissing. 

Now Doc continued cleaning Bdubs, then Ren. After that, he carried both of them to his bedroom, finished wiping the floor and then brought some drinks and snacks for later back to the bed. After undressing, he slipped under the covers behind the sleeping Bdubs, spooning the other man while putting a hand on Ren’s shoulder. 

“You good?”, Ren asked, his voice sleepy. Doc knew what he meant.

“Yep, I’m totally fine, don’t worry. Watching you tease Bdubs is a pleasure I don’t get too often.”

Ren grinned tiredly. 

“True, man. We should repeat that soon.”

“Sure. Now let’s chill for a bit. There are no more tours planned today and we still have some time until noon.”

“What about Silver?”

“They won’t be able to come in here without a Hermit helping, and they said they’d text when they arrive. Don’t worry.”

“‘Kay.”

Ren closed his eyes, falling asleep within moments. Bdubs’ soft snoring filled the room while Doc lay awake, watching those two. Bdubs still had dark shadows below his eyes and Doc carefully caressed his cheek.

Maybe he should talk with Etho. He sometimes didn’t understand that his actions hurt Bdubs, that not everyone could compartmentalise and rationalise their feelings as he could. Maybe he could ask him directly what his visions were about and help him understand them better. Or prevent them, whatever they might be. 

Bdubs murmured something and snuggled closer to Doc, his hands pressed close to his body as if protecting himself. Doc tugged the blanket a bit higher.

Or maybe Doc should punch Etho. Just once, and not with all his strength. Just one tiny little sucker punch. That might make him come to his senses again.

It probably wasn’t a good idea though. Etho might be a bit smaller than him and not as broad. But that man was dangerous with a capital D when threatened. 

Doc shrugged internally. He’d probably live. 

After a while, he nodded off as well, dreaming of redstone dust and empty ruins. 

Some time later, movement and the rustling of sheets woke him. When he opened his eyes he could see Ren had sat up, running his hands through his tousled hair. Ren caught his gaze.

“Someone’s coming.”, he mouthed. Doc listened, but to him, everything was quiet. Thanks to his werewolf genes, Ren’s hearing was extremely sensitive. 

“Who is it?”

Ren shrugged. The blanket had slid down his naked torso, revealing some nearly-healed bite marks Bdubs had left. 

Bdubs stirred, murmuring in protest to the disruption. 

“The base is locked for visitors, so it can only be a Hermit.”, Doc said and laid back down, pulling Bdubs close.

Ren relaxed a bit and started stretching his long limbs. 

“Should we get up?”, he asked.

“Do you want to?”

“Not really.”

“Then we don’t.”, Doc said. “Come back here. Whoever’s coming will surely find us.”

Before Ren could answer, there was a voice outside.

“Doc? Ren?”

Etho.

“In here!”, Ren answered. Bdubs stirred again, this time waking up fully. He sat up as well, the dimmed light of the redstone lamps exposing the marks on his body. 

“Was that Etho?”

The bedroom door opened and Etho stepped in.

“Etho babe!”, Bdubs beamed, his sour mood from this morning clearly forgotten. 

Etho’s face softened as he took in the scene, then he took a step to the side and Silver popped their head in. Silver took in the scene in the bedroom within moments. They looked at the half-naked Bdubs and Ren, saw the marks on their body and Doc’s broad frame under the covers.

“Hey g– Oh my fucking god, I am SO sorry .” And they were gone. 

Now it was Doc’s turn to sit up, nearly jumping out of the bed. 

“ETHO!”

Etho just giggled. 

“Hey Bdubs, you wanna have a picnic?”

Bdubs scrambled out of bed, taking the blanket with him. 

“YES! Yes sure. Damn, where are my pants? Or my shirt? Doc, where are all my clothes?”

Silver’s small voice came from outside, their pale arm reaching through the open door, holding some fabric. 

“I found some clothes on the kitchen floor. Uhh … I think these ones are yours? I’ll bring the rest in a second.”

“Oh thanks love! Yes, perfect, that’s mine. The shirt is Ren’s, but Imma borrow it. It’s fine, Ren, right? Okay, I’m ready. Bye Doc babe, bye Ren babe!” And with that, Etho and Bdubs were out the door, giggling with each other as if there had never been a problem. 

A moment later, Silver’s arm placed a small pile of clothes inside the room next to the door.

“I got the rest of your stuff.”

For a moment, Doc stared in disbelief at the pile, the half-closed door. Then he looked at Ren. Ren’s shoulders were heaving as he was laughing silently. He got out of bed and sorted through the pile, finding his pants and shoes. His shirt had gone with Bdubs and he wouldn’t even try to fit into Bdubs’.

“What’s the matter, Doc?”, he asked, his voice still vibrating from the suppressed laughter. 

Doc buried his head in his hands for a moment. This was not how today was supposed to go. What the fuck had Etho been thinking? 

Coming to think of Etho, how had he even been with Silver? Had they spoken? What had he told them? Did he find out whatever the fuck he had wanted to find out?

Groaning, Doc finally left the bed as well, marching to his closet and pulling out fresh pants. 

“You want one of my shirts?”

“Sure, thanks.”

Doc didn’t bother with putting on one of his lab coats. Nearly tearing the door off its hinges, he strode out of the bedroom, trying to tame his unruly hair.

He found Silver in the kitchen, busying themselves with a glass of water they must have poured themselves. They looked up when he walked in, their eyes widening when they saw his exposed torso.

“Hi there.”, Doc said, suddenly unsure. Maybe he should have put a shirt on.

“Hey.”

Switching on the coffeemaker, Doc quickly checked the time. They slept maybe half an hour, so lunchtime was approaching. 

“Helloooo!”, Ren lilted as he joined them. “How are you, beautiful?”

Silver smiled. They looked better, Doc noticed. The shadows of their death loop seemed to slowly disappear. 

“I’m good, Ren, thank you. I guess I don’t have to ask you how you feel, huh?”

Ren laughed and sat down next to them. 

“Sorry for that. We didn’t know you were with Etho.”

“No worries. If anything, I need to apologise.”

Doc stared into the dark brown liquid pouring into his cup. He didn’t want to apologise. He didn’t do anything wrong. This was his life, his partners. But … the timing was just shit. 

“I guess I’ll get used to it. And I didn’t really see anything, so … all good from my side.”, Silver added.

Doc could feel their stare in his back. He pulled out a second cup and sat another in front of Ren. 

“So … does that mean you’ve made your decision?”, he asked, keeping his voice intentionally level. 

Please say yes, please say yes. 

Ren looked at him sympathetically. 

Silver nodded. They had pulled their hair into a complicated looking braid that lay heavy over their shoulder. 

“I don’t want to make a big thing out of it, so my answer is yes, I’d love to date you and see how it goes.”

Silver smiled softly at Doc, their eyes twinkling. Warmth started to bubble in his body as his brain caught up with what they said. 

“And that’s my sign to leave!”, Ren exclaimed, grabbed his cup and pressed a peck on Doc’s cheek before leaving the kitchen. “Have fun you two!”

Silver giggled. Then their face turned more serious, their eyes questioning.

“Is … is that okay? Have you changed your mind?”

“What? No! No way! It’s just – I’ve been planning this whole conversation in my head for a while now but the timing and the situation is just complete garbage and totally not how I imagined it. So I’m just taken a bit by surprise. I am happy, though, Silver. So, so happy.”

“I’m glad.”

And then they sat in silence, both at a loss for words. The silence turned awkward and Doc still didn’t know what to say. Normally, you meet someone, you have good vibes, you start dating and then you decide whether to proceed or not. With Silver though…

First eye contact and instant butterflies.

Then the sex-debacle with Grian. The NDA and their questions about the perimeter.

Silver’s death loop thanks to MasterBoss. His absolute panic.

The whole ‘secret hybrid side’ thing, their near-transformation in the alley. 

Their body change the next day.

Their confession about their willow side and childhood. 

The HUG.

The absolutely inflated revelation about the server’s polyamorous lifestyle. 

And now the decision to even start dating.

What a fucked up situationship. 

Doc sighed deeply. 

“I’m sorry, Silver. This whole situation is just so weird and awkward.”

“Oh, I know. I can’t even start to imagine the hassle you guys need to go through every time someone wants to date somebody new.”

“That doesn’t really happen often, though. The last one was Grian, and he just kinda stranded here. And that was a long time ago.”

Silver played with their glass. 

“Do you want to show me the perimeter now?”

“Oh, absolutely! Let me just get my notes and stuff, I found so much information! Did you bring your drawing utensils?”

Silver padded their bag.

“Of course!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Touring with Silver through the perimeter helped disperse the last awkwardness that was between them. Silver was like a white beam next to him as they walked from ruin to ruin, the sun high in the sky. Their hair was glowing in the bright light as they followed Doc through the large area, poking their head into the ruins and drawing up quick sketches of everything. 

Doc could feel himself relax more and more until he was comfortable walking close to them, their hands brushing against each other now and then, setting off sparks in his body. He could hear Silver’s breath get caught each time, generating another kind of tension between them. 

Shuffling through his notes, Doc pointed here and there, explaining the history of the various buildings, the meaning behind the different murals and the way the roads and waterways were connecting the tomato plantations carved into the walls. 

“And you’re really one of the descendants of this culture?”, Silver asked, pencilling the rough shape of another mural on their notepad. Doc watched how under their long fingers shapes took form and the face of the goat mother emerged. He had never had the ability to draw more than mere stick figures, so Silver’s talent intrigued him.

They had taken a short break and were now sitting on one of the roofs of the ruins, eating cake Ren had made and some sandwiches Doc had quickly thrown together. 

“Yeah … Mind you, it’s been thousands of years and my bloodline has been mixed and diluted many many times, but yes. These are my ancestors.” He opened his arms wide, encompassing the perimeter and everything within.

“It must be awesome to be so close to them.”, Silver said, something like longing in their voice.

“Your people still not talking to you?”

They shook their head. 

“I don’t think they ever will. There’s too much prejudice and superstition in the way. And by now I honestly think it’s better this way. I don’t want to know what they’d do if they knew I have the ability to change bodies.”

Doc’s body turned still. Slowly, he put his food aside. 

“So they don’t even know that?”

“As I told you, my mom was cast out of our community when she fell in love with my dad. And ever since then, contact has been cut off.”

“You don’t even know your grandparents? Cousins?”

“Nope.”

Doc touched their shoulder, a quick caress that stopped all too quickly.

“I’m sorry.”

Silver shrugged and bagged their notepad, the sketch finished. 

“Don’t be. I don’t know it any other way so I’ve never really missed it. My forest has been my companion and family for so long, there’s really nothing I’d miss. Or … well, not much I miss.”

“Oh? So there’s something you miss?”

Silver blushed slightly but held Doc’s gaze. The sun had wandered a good bit and the walls of the perimeter were already throwing longer shadows. No visitors had bothered them in the past hours and right now, only the quiet splashing of water filled the air. 

“My forest is a great listener. The trees have aeons of knowledge and very willingly share it with me. But … ever since my father died, I have been pretty much on my own. I don’t really visit other worlds much and I don’t know a lot of people. And trees can’t give hugs. Or … you know, stuff like that.”

Doc’s eyebrows raised a bit before he controlled his face.

So Silver was missing physical contact? Hugs? Maybe kisses?

By the void, if that wasn’t something he could help with. But he wanted to be sure that that was what Silver wanted, as well. That they were ready for it. So even though his body was already heating up and his mind was filled with filthy thoughts, he needed to approach this carefully.

He patted the spot next to him.

“Come here.”

Silver scooted a bit closer until Doc could put his arm around them.

“Is that okay?”

“Yes, very.”

Slowly, Silver relaxed against Doc until their head rested against his shoulder. Nervosity coiled in their stomach. Ever since their hug, Silver was unable to get rid of the memories of how it had made them feel. Doc’s body had been so hard against their own. Silver’s skin could still remember the heat of his body, the way his hands had pressed against their back.

They wanted that feeling back. 

They were overly aware of how close Doc was right now. How nobody else was there and that their spot was barely visible from the top of the perimeter. 

They were alone. Just them.

Doc seemed unfazed by it all, looking out into the perimeter. Seemingly enjoying the peace and quiet. 

Maybe the hug had been a normal thing for him? Well, thinking back to this morning, it probably was. Silver had seen the bite marks on Bdubs and Ren. Had seen the scratches and the torn clothes in the kitchen. 

Bdubs and Ren had looked so relaxed, so thoroughly satisfied.

Silver wanted that, too.

And Doc. Gosh. His broad frame under the covers, his dark eyes darkening when he had seen them. 

Slowly, trying to be inconspicuous, Silver raised their hand until they could put it on Doc’s thigh, close to his knee. Strong muscles twitched underneath the rough fabric.

“Is that okay?”, it was Silver’s turn to say. “Can I touch you?”

Something started burning in Doc’s eyes when he turned his head to look at them. His gaze flicked to their mouth. Silver tensed.

“Of course. Touch me all you like.”

Silver bit their lip. Doc’s stare intensified. They weren’t sure they were breathing properly. 

“What if –” Silver had to take a breath. They weren’t used to being this nervous. But hell, they’d never been in this situation before. 

“Yes?” Doc hadn’t moved.

Okay, Silver. Here goes nothing. 

“Can I – I mean. Would it be okay if we … if I kissed you?”, Silver asked and then rambled on. “I know we’re just barely dating or – or you know, but I’ve been thinking about it for days and – I don’t even know what’s the right order to do things in. But I just feel like I really wanna kiss you and I can’t think properly and I’m really sorry if I’m overstepping boundaries but –”

“Silver.”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.”

Doc’s hand cupped their chin, tipping it up. His other hand came down to their neck, pulling them closer. Silver’s breath caught as they stared up into Doc’s face. At the pure desire that shone in his eyes. Desire for them. 

Heat filled Silver until they felt they would explode if they couldn’t get rid of it. Find a release. 

Then Doc’s mouth was on theirs, his lips hard and demanding. He claimed their mouth, his hand in their neck keeping them in place. 

The kiss had no chance of being soft or slow. 

Silver felt like their bones were first turned into pudding before suddenly bursting into flames. Their body was on fire and the only thing other than desire they could feel was Doc’s hands on them, his mouth on theirs.

It was not enough. They wanted more. 

And then Doc’s tongue touched their lips, pushed between them, and started exploring their mouth. Silver didn’t even realise they had started moaning, hadn’t realised they had scrambled closer, nearly sitting on Doc’s lap again, their hands on his horns, the back of his head, on his shoulders while kissing him back fiercely. 

Doc was sweating. His muscles were trembling with restraint as he tried to hold back, to give Silver time to explore by themselves. But their delicious moans filled his mouth, their body was snuggling against him, their hands were wrapped around his horns, holding his head in place. Every time they yanked at them his dick jerked, pressing nearly painfully against his pants. 

When his tongue touched theirs, they moaned again and Doc's self control shattered into a million pieces. Silver was already putty in his hands so he had no problems turning them both around, despite Silver's size. 

Then Silver lay below him, their face flushed, their lips already red and a bit swollen. Their braid was in its last state of dissolving, the shiny strands framing their head. Doc's chest was heaving and he knew his eye was turning black again. 

Without blinking Silver stared at him, their breath coming quickly.

“Damn, you're so hot.”, they said. Doc ducked his head and chuckled. 

“Tell that to the cowards that run when they see me like this.”

Silver touched his face.

“They probably have a reason though, don't they.”

Doc thought back to the last confrontations he had and grinned.

“True that.”

Then their gaze flicked to his mouth and they licked their lips.

“Is it always like this?”, they asked.

“What is?”

“Kissing.”

“Well, with me, surely.”

“Mhmm…”

Doc bent down to kiss Silver again, but somewhere in the back of his head alarm bells started to ring. Something that Silver had said didn't add up.

He leaned back a bit. 

“Why do you ask?”

“Oh, that was my first kiss.”

Chapter Text

Doc stared at Silver who watched him curiously. He must have misheard. There was no way someone like Silver hadn't had their first kiss at their age. 

“What?”, Silver asked. 

Surely, he misunderstood.

“You've never kissed anyone before.”

“Nope. Should I have told you? Sorry, I didn't think it's a big deal.” The look in their eyes was open, questioning.

Doc pushed back until he was kneeling. Silver came up to their elbows, frowning.

“It is a big deal for you, isn't it?”, they said.

“Well yeah, I mean no, it doesn’t really matter that much but –”

He would have done everything so differently if he had known. Made their first kiss more memorable. Maybe a romantic evening, a fancy dinner, candle light and lots of flirting. The things you do to make it a special occasion. Make them feel safe and wanted. Give them a memory they’d think back to and smile.

Not so matter-of-fact. 

Damn, he had even let them ask him for a kiss.

I mean, he was pretty flattered that he was their first. He was quite confident in his kissing abilities. But –

Wait.

If that was their first kiss, did that mean – Were they – Doc’s body heated up even more as his thoughts broke loose and wandered off.

Something in his eyes must have betrayed his thoughts because Silver rolled their eyes.

“Yeah, I haven’t done that either. But that I would have told you before. I know that much.”

“Silver, I’m sorry, that’s really none of my business. I’m just – like, I’m genuinely surprised that – I mean, look at you!”

Silver laughed.

“I live in a forest, Doc. My best friends are trees . To most of the rest of the world I look like a really weird, reclusive person with no social skills.”

“Yeah, well …”

Doc scratched his chin, still somewhat dumbfounded. He couldn’t really remember his first kiss. Did that mean it had been bad? Would Silver be able to remember their first kiss? Was it good for them? Did he meet their expectations? Maybe he was too rough. Too fierce. Maybe they had –

“Doc, listen. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you before but I didn’t want you to treat me any different, okay? I’m just me, unkissed or not. So … Do we need to talk about it more or can we continue?”

Slowly, Doc bent down again.

“Tell me if I do something you don’t like, okay?”

Silver simply grabbed his horns and pulled him close, effectively ending that conversation. 

Doc didn’t know how much time they spent on the roof of the old ruin after that, kissing and biting and grabbing at each other until both of them were hot and bothered and gasping for air. Silver ended up on Doc’s lap again, grinding against him, while Doc’s hands were buried in their long hair, directing their kisses and keeping them close. They might have been inexperienced but they learned quickly, letting themselves go easily and reciprocating Doc’s attention with gusto. 

His dick had been protesting for a while now, restricted by his clothes and not getting the attention it demanded. 

At some point, he pulled on their hair until they bore their exposed neck to him, breathing hard. Doc stared at their quick pulse, easily visible under the pale skin before bending forward, nibbling on the skin, biting, scratching, licking until Silver was shivering and moaning. 

But while Doc was eager to do more, to undress Silver and indulge in their lithe body, he also wanted to go slow, let Silver set the pace. And so they kissed and kissed and kissed and Doc had absolutely zero complaints while Silver’s hands roamed his body, over his pecs, his shoulders, grabbing his arms or horns. 

Eventually, they laid next to each other on the roof, legs entangled, just holding each other, bathing in the afterglow. Silver’s hand was on Doc’s chest, caressing the skin there while Doc held them, enjoying the moment and watching the slowly darkening sky. Another visitation day over, only two more left. Tomorrow, all Hermits would gather at the entrance building again, answering some more questions. The last day was reserved for some minigames the visitors could join in together with the Hermits. Doc was not particularly excited about the whole ‘ask and you’ll receive an answer’-thing, thinking back to the first few days where all he got was unsolicited Redstone advice. Maybe he could find a way to weasel out of the commitment but knowing X he’d probably get his ass spanked. 

Well – 

Hm.

Doc’s comm pinged. Groaning, he untangled one hand from Silver’s hair and fished it from his pocket. 

>BBQ PARTY AT THE TREE OF WHIMSEY! DUBS SAID IT’S OKAY!<, Grian had texted in all caps.

>I DIDN’T say that! But y’all will come anyway, so Grian, you’re on drinks duty.<, Bdubs answered promptly. Doc laughed quietly. Bdubs seemed to have recovered to his old self for now. 

>See you when the lot’s gone then!<, Xisuma wrote.

>I can provide cake.< he typed. Well, he could provide the cake Ren had baked, anyway. 

More Hermits answered, everyone bringing something else. They regularly had big dinner parties together and everyone had figured out a specialty they could bring. Sometimes they experimented with new recipes but after Joe’s fish pastry they had become a bit more careful. Even Doc’s stomach had protested and he could eat basically anything. Poor Ren had carried a greenish complexion for a week. 

“What’s up?”, Silver asked, sitting up and retying their hair. 

“Just dinner plans.”, Doc answered and pocketed the comm. The visitor portal would close any moment so he should go and look for the rest of the cake. 

“Oh, right! It’s gotten pretty late, huh. I guess I’ll better get going.” Silver straightened their shirt, closing the buttons again. Somehow the one on the top of the shirt had torn off. Oops. 

“What are you talking about? You’re invited as well, of course!”, Doc said, putting an arm around their shoulders and guiding them to the ladder leading down into the perimeter again. 

“You sure that’s okay? They don’t really know me all that well.”

“And they never will if they don’t actually meet you.”

Silver frowned.

“True… Well, if you think it’s okay. Do we need to bring anything? I can make a salad or something?”

That reminded Doc.

“I gotta check if we still have enough of Ren’s cake. Speaking of food, there’s something I wanted to ask you anyway. Nature spirits are herbivores by default, correct? I didn’t think of it earlier, but do you have any dietary restrictions?”

Water splashed as they walked through the perimeter, Silver hiking up their pants, Doc just not caring. The lanterns were glowing again, activated by the daylight sensors. The murals were glowing from within, their reflection glistening on the disrupted water surface. 

No matter how often they saw the perimeter by night, Silver would always be in awe. 

Answering Doc’s question, they shook their head.

“Because of my other half I eat meat and other animal products, too. I like pretty much everything but thanks for asking.”

Doc just nodded, filing this information away for later.

This time, they used the elevator to get back up into the temple. While Doc was rummaging in the kitchen, Silver took the chance to freshen up in the bathroom. 

“I think we need to get back to your offer for salad, the cake is nearly gone.”, Doc said when Silver returned, hair in a neat braid again. 

“No problem. I just need some ingredients.”

Together, they prepared a quick salad. Silver was happy they could contribute something to the BBQ, even if Doc assured them they didn’t need to. It was a strange feeling standing in the kitchen with him, cutting carrots, washing tomatoes and other vegetables and mixing everything in a bowl. Strange, but not necessarily in a bad way. Silver had only ever shared a space with their parents before, the seldom occasions when they had left their world they had always travelled alone, staying well away from crowded places. They would have expected feeling overwhelmed staying so close with someone for so long or being annoyed by their presence. That they would run out of topics to speak about or be in each other’s way a lot. 

Being with Doc didn’t feel that way. On the contrary, it felt homely and natural, like they had known each other for a long time. The conversation flowed easily and Silver caught themselves smiling to themselves all the time. Doc’s eyes sparkled and his loud laughter filled the room. 

They moved swiftly around each other and Silver quickly learned where Doc had all his kitchenware. Turns out, Doc wasn’t much of a cook himself (surprise, surprise) and he often forgot to eat, especially when he was busy building or sketching new Redstone farms. So his kitchen only contained basic utensils and even those were thanks to Ren.

“I just don’t give food a high priority in my life.”, Doc said apologetically. 

Silver eyed him from the side, his massive frame and the muscles lining his body. Fascinating how he was able to maintain his physique then. 

“What?”, Doc asked, noticing their look. 

“Oh nothing. Just wondering how your metabolism works.”

Doc’s voice dropped an octave when he reached out with one arm to pull them close. Bending down into Silver’s face, Doc gave them a lopsided grin.

“My metabolism works great. Also gives me amazing stamina.”

Silver held eye contact, despite the heat balling in their body and the tension that was slowly rising. They could taste ozone on their tongue, a side effect when Doc loosened his control over his creeper side, they had learned.

Maybe the kitchen was too small for both of them after all.

They raised an eyebrow.

“Really? For a man your age, that’s impressive.”

Doc just laughed and let them go.

“One day …”

Silver smiled. 

One day. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The BBQ was already in full swing when they arrived. They had gotten a bit distracted when Doc took the opportunity to wear a normal shirt, a very seldom occasion. And Silver had practically drooled all over him when he had left his bedroom in a very tight black shirt. Another extensive round of smooching that involved a wall had followed. As a result, they had resorted to using elytra. Under Doc’s worried eyes Silver had landed a small distance away from Bdubs’ base to make sure they had privacy in case they needed to use land magic again. But nothing of the sort was necessary, so they walked the last metres hand in hand. Again, a new but not unwelcome experience for Silver who indulged in the feeling of Doc’s strong fingers between their own and the way Doc squeezed them reassuringly when they arrived. 

Most of the Hermits had settled on the floor, logs and campfires scattered on the ground, similar to the evening before. Delicious smell and laughter filled the air and someone had even hung fairy lights in the trees and surrounding greenery. The Tree of Whimsey towered over all of them, its crown swaying lightly in the warm evening breeze. When Silver looked at the tree, something in their heart twinged. A lot of land magic had pooled around it and Silver noticed the little ferns and saplings that surrounded it like little kids waiting for an adult to read them a story. And what stories this tree might be able to tell… 

Ren and Keralis were busy at the grill but Ren waved when he saw them. Doc excused himself to go greet his boyfriend while Silver wandered to the large table on the side which was already spilling over with food. Roasted vegetables, fruit salads, cold pasta and a few stews were already waiting. Silver added their salad bowl and then turned around, taking in the scenery. 

Bdubs was chatting with Grian while Scar was telling Etho an apparently impressive story, guessing from his gestures. Xisuma was busy with his comm, his fingers glowing blue with code again. He was wearing his helmet so Silver couldn’t see his face, but his whole body was curled into itself, shoulders sagging. They wondered how it felt to be responsible for all of this. The weight had to be overbearing. 

Tango and Impulse were just arriving, swooping from the sky. Impulse was carefully carrying a porcelain dish.

“Hi Silver!”, Tango greeted, bearing his sharp teeth in a grin. 

“Hey there. How are you guys?”

“Fine, fine. I’m currently working on a new contraption, it’s going to be a-ma-zing!”

“Oh, what is it?”

Tango just put a finger to his lips and winked. After setting the dish on the table, Impulse gave Silver a short hug.

“How are you doing, Silver? Slowly settling in?”

“Yeah, but honestly, it’s not really difficult to settle in. Everything feels so natural and this place is just super amazing and you guys are so nice, so … I like it here.”, Silver rambled, a bit nervous. They hadn’t really interacted with either of them before. Tango’s ice-blue burning hair kept stealing their attention and Impulse’s massive frame made them wonder just how strong he was. Was everyone on Hermitcraft this impressive? Suddenly Silver felt a bit inadequate. 

Impulse smiled, putting an arm around Tango.

“That’s good to hear. If you ever get bored of Doc’s mad monologues, you can come visit me anytime. I’ll show you the Dwarfen Keep. Maybe we can forge you some nice armour, too!”

“Oh, I hope I don’t need armour anytime soon! But sure, I’d love to see your base and the rest of the soup group’s bases as well!”

Turns out, having a conversation with Tango and Impulse was easy since Impulse picked up on every word Tango said and added to it, so Silver mainly had to nod and smile. The two of them were so in sync, Silver was curious how long they had been together. When Silver asked about Decked Out and where the Wardens and Ravagers were while it was closed down, Tango’s eyes lit up and he practically bubbled over with excitement and told them all about his favourite, Nugget, and the rest of the bunch. It was clear Tango loved his dungeon monsters to bits, even if they couldn’t stop nibbling on him. 

Following an instinct, Silver raised their eyes only to meet Doc’s from across the clearing. He and Ren stood close, Ren’s hand on Doc’s waist while he was debating something with Keralis, tongs in hand. Doc was too far away to read his expression, but Silver could feel the way his eyes were wandering over their face, their body, assessingly, possessively. Warmth pooled in Silver as they returned the look. Doc’s body straightened. 

I know you’re watching me.

And I’m enjoying the view as well. 

Maybe later they could cuddle a bit more. Watch the stars while Silver could explore more of Doc’s body. Could peel him out of his shirt. Find out what his pants had been hiding until now. 

“I’m guessing you two are hitting it off well then?”, Tango interrupted Silver’s thoughts before they wandered off too far. Their eyes flicked back to Tango who was grinning knowingly. 

“Uh, yeah. I guess? I’m a bit inexperienced in all that, but we have so much to talk about! His view of life is absolutely fascinating. I don’t understand a thing about Redstone but I swear, I am so close to grasping the concept of it, I just need a few more hours of his explanations. And the physical side is, well …”

“Doc knows what he’s doing, that much is sure.”, Tango said, accepting a drink from Impulse’s hands. “Redstone or not.”

“Joe made apple cider, you want some as well?”, Impulse asked, offering Silver a glass with a shiny golden liquid.

“Sure!” Carefully, Silver took a sip and closed their eyes at the sweet fruity flavour.

“So … you and Doc are together as well?”, Silver couldn’t stop themselves from asking.

“All of us with everyone, babes. My primary is Impy here and we’re both rather jealous of each other’s attention, so we don’t share as often. And I’m not really into submission, if you know what I mean. But yeah, if you want some spicy stories about Doc, we’re the ones to ask.”

“Is that so…”, Silver answered lamely. First they wanted to make their own experiences, they thought. 

“Is Xisuma always this busy?”, Silver then asked, nodding towards the lone figure. Tango frowned.

“Normally not. But this whole week - and the months beforehand - took a lot out of him and ever since your accident he’s been quite on edge.”

“It must have been hard on him. He knows I’m not blaming anyone here, right?”

Impulse shrugged. 

“He knows, but that doesn’t stop him from blaming himself. He’s a very diligent person and it’s eating on him that he apparently missed some holes in the protection of the server.” 

“Do you think it’s okay to talk to him for a bit when he’s so busy?”

“Distraction is probably a good idea. Don’t worry, he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t have time.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Standing next to Ren, encompassed by the heat and smoke of the grill, Doc watched Silver as they first talked to Tango and Impulse before making their way over to Xisuma who finally put away his comm. The poor man hadn’t stopped checking the code in days. 

Doc liked how easily Silver seemed to fit in. It was still too early to tell, but he felt like they were a good addition to the group, with their calm no-nonsense attitude and bubbly personality. 

“How is X doing?”, he asked Keralis who was turning sizzling steak and veggies. Keralis shook his head and sighed.

“Don’t know what to tell you, man. He’s been worrying his head off, barely sleeping. If I don’t remind him to eat he would simply forget. He keeps checking in on all the Hermits, reviewing our security borders and controlling player stats. He also continues to search for MasterBoss.”

That was news to Doc.

“I thought we all agreed that it was probably a random attack and that MasterBoss probably doesn’t exist anymore?”

Keralis shook his head again, frowning. He leaned on the grill and returned Doc’s assessing look.

“It seems X thinks that there’s more. He’s scanning forums and sending out search requests to other worlds. He even reached out to Smajor to make it an international issue.”

That did seem like X knew more than he had shared.

“Has anything else out of the ordinary happened since Silver?”, Ren chipped in.

Doc’s eyes wandered back to Silver who was now sitting with X and listened to him. They had crossed their legs, their pose relaxed while holding a half-full glass. Doc’s heart twitched when he saw their soft smile and the empathy in their eyes as they nodded along to X’s story. Sometimes he wondered whether his age had made him lose some of his empathy. He had never felt sorry for the lives he had taken or the damage he had dealt. 

They all had deserved it.

But Silver seemed so peaceful, so at ease with themselves and the way their life had gone so far. It made Doc want to recover his lost pieces. Become better, maybe. 

“Not that I know of. But X said he wanted to address something tonight, so maybe there’s something going on. You know him, always keeping stuff to himself so that we don’t worry.”

“Such an idiot.”, Doc said, not without fondness. 

When the food was ready, all Hermits had arrived. Gathering around the campfire, balancing plates and drinks, everyone settled in and enjoyed the meal. The conversations turned more subdued as everyone was busy eating and the crackling of the fire and the quiet sizzle of the hot coals filled the air. 

Doc had sat down next to Silver with Ren on the other side. He had heaped his plate full with meat, barely leaving any space for vegetables. While he dug in, he listened to Ren and Silver who were having a loose talk about clothing fabric and how to create the softest linen. 

After dinner, blankets and soft pillows were tossed around, so everyone could find a comfy spot to launch and digest. Sweet wines and other beverages were passed around. Silver found themselves in a circle with Doc, Ren, Tango and Impulse. Doc and Tango were deep into a very complicated sounding discussion about Redstone. A few minutes in, Ren had rolled his eyes towards Silver and Impulse had asked about Silver’s world, sparking another conversation about their beloved trees and their methods of exchange. 

It was already well after sunset when Xisuma stood up and clapped his hands. Quickly all conversations died out. Xisuma had taken off his helmet to eat and Silver curiously craned their neck to get a peek at his face. Dark curls framed a slightly too thin face. X was pale, his eyes nearly impossibly black. Silver frowned at the dark shadows that lay below them. He was clearly stressed out.

Without his mask, X’s voice was a lot clearer and the various undertones more audible. 

“Good evening everyone. I hope you all had enough to eat and are having a good time. Ah … Well. I have some things to discuss, no, rather to ask you. It’s probably nothing but I found some slight deviances in the code, nothing too alarming, really, but I’d like to check in with you so that we don’t have any more surprises, you know –” A quick glance in Silver’s direction who smiled thin-lipped. 

“Out with it!”, Bdubs said loudly from his spot between Etho’s legs. The two of them were lounging on a moss-green blanket, clearly happy with themselves. 

“Well. I’ve kept my eyes on our world code and the world generation in general to see whether we have any abnormal spawn or death rates etc. And over the last two days or so, a bit less, I noticed that more sculk than usual has been spreading. Again, not alarmingly so, but still an abnormality which I’d like to discuss with you. Did you guys build a sculk farm or something of the sorts?”

Silver looked around. Nobody was nodding.

“Okay, did you guys go to an ancient city and died there or killed mobs which could have spread the sculk?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“I don’t know if it’s related,”, Scar piped up, “but I’ve had some weird sculk formations popping up in Scarland, at the entrance and in the castle. Like, sculk in places where there definitely shouldn’t be some. But I thought I either died there and it was somewhere in the ground already and I forgot or some of you guys pranked me.”

“No pranks from my side.”, Grian said.

A few of the Hermits sat up more straight. Focus and calculation entering the faces around Silver. Doc pulled out his own comm, then looked up.

“I noticed some dark spots in my murals the other day, I haven’t checked yet what it is, but it’s definitely spreading as well. It was bigger today. I’ll go check it quickly, if you don’t mind.”

X nodded and Doc was off with a spray of rockets.

Xisuma rubbed his face and sighed. 

“Has anyone else noticed anything weird?”

Cub raised his voice. “The pit where Silver was trapped, that was full of sculk, wasn’t it?”

Silver shuddered at the memory and Ren scooted a bit closer to put an arm around them. Impulse gave them a sympathetic look. 

“True. But do you really think it would spread this far underground? Into Scar’s castle and Doc’s perimeter?”, Grian said just as Doc was returning. He looked grim.

“It’s definitely sculk.”, he said, leaning against the tree of Whimsey and crossing his arms. “And it’s spreading. Yesterday it was only a small spot, today it’s already 12 blocks. It’s also starting in the middle of the mural and there are no caves behind it. And it’s not only the veins but the whole block is turning to sculk.”

“Well, that’s concerning.”, Impulse muttered. 

Silver only nodded. Something didn’t add up. How could sculk start spreading in the middle of the wall? There had to be a starting point where the sculk could soak up the remaining xp of dead bodies to grow. The verticality would prevent that except someone flew against it and died from the impact. But even then, the xp would probably fall to the ground before the sculk could consume it. 

“I’ve also noticed something.”, Joe said. He was sitting with Cleo and Stress, the leftovers of someone’s cake forgotten in front of them. 

“One of my axolotls in the shopping district got sick. I thought Penelope was just old, you know, they don’t have a long life span and all, but her fins were turning black. I haven’t checked on her today, but yesterday she was quite lethargic so I put her into an isolated tank to keep an eye on her.”

“Her fins turned black? As in changed their colour or in terms of rotting away?”, Doc asked.

Joe looked alarmed.

“I’m not sure, I – I really didn’t think much about it, to be honest.”

“Maybe you should check right now.”, Grian suggested and Joe left quickly, nearly stumbling over his own feet in his hurry.

“What do you think, love?”, Keralis asked.

Xisuma looked at the group, his Hermits, who all returned the look warily but full of trust in him. 

“Let’s wait and see what Joe says. I have some suspicions, but I’d rather have proof.”

The next few minutes were filled with tension. Nobody talked but the looks thrown around and the stiff body postures spoke volumes. 

Doc returned to their blanket, sitting down next to Silver and putting a hand on their knee. They didn’t really notice it, too deep in their thoughts, trying to remember everything they had read about sculk. Since they were a nature spirit, sculk was theoretically able to affect them too, but thanks to their father’s side, Silver was practically immune. After the attack, they had also used the time in the forest to cleanse themselves and the trees had helped to examine their essence for any trace of sculk. Thankfully, there was none. 

Nevertheless, sculk was dangerous. It not only infested natural blocks but turned soil sour and barren and killed the animals and insects that were trapped within. Silver had never heard of aquatic animals being affected though. 

“What blocks were infected in the mural?”, they quietly asked Doc.

“Glowstone, glass and some stone variations.”

Silver frowned.

“Are you sure?” Sculk was only known to infest natural blocks like dirt, soil, sometimes leaves, seldomly trees. Stone and glass were completely out of question.

Doc nodded.

“This is very unusual. Maybe it’s a mutated form of sculk, who knows. But it is definitely strange that it also happened this week. We never had any sculk problems before.”

Worry balled in Silver’s stomach, turning the delicious food into lead. What was going on?

Rockets announced Joe’s return. He was carrying something dark in his now gloved hands.

“Guys, something is definitely wrong. Penelope –”

“That’s Penelope?”, Cleo exclaimed. “Wasn’t she white?”

Joe nodded, carefully putting the axolotl on the ground. She didn’t move. 

“She must have died some time today. I swear, yesterday it was only a fin. But when I came to her tank, the water was also kinda greenish and something dark had started growing on the walls inside.”

Cub stood up from his spot and leaned closer, carefully prodding the skin with a stick.

Joe continued. 

“But the worrying part is – guys, she’s nearly completely decayed already. And her skin, when you look at it from an angle, you can see it’s faintly glowing in some spots.”

“Like sculk.”, Cub said, looking up at Joe.  

“Exactly.”

With that said, there was no holding back anymore. Every Hermit had a look at the dead axolotl. Cub decided that it was unsafe to keep her on the ground and they all moved to his lab. Under the bright ceiling lights, Penelope’s state was even more concerning. The body of the axolotl had already started to rot, her tail was nearly gone, only the fishbones remaining. And the bones – Xisuma swore when he saw them. They were black and covered with small glowing dots. The sculk had spread to the bone.

“The rest of the axolotls is fine.”, Joe said. “I checked on them before I brought Penelope. I also couldn’t see any sculk in any of the tanks or in the vicinity, but I’ll check again tomorrow.”

“I think we all need to check our bases and the shopping centre tomorrow. At best before the visitors come in the morning, in case we need to take action.”

“What do you reckon, Doc? Have you ever seen anything like that?”, X asked.

Doc shook his head, bowing close to the dead animal but not touching it. 

“I honestly don’t know. I’ll need to do some research, but my best guess right now is a mutation. Maybe the concentration of hybrids or, more precisely, their various powers, has disrupted the balance of nature or something like that.”

That sparked an idea in Silver. Climbing the stairs out of Cub’s lab they marched to the first spot of green grass and knelt down. Etho had silently followed them, sitting down next to them.

“Are you trying to connect with the land magic?”, he asked while he watched Silver pressing their hands into the soft soil. They nodded and Etho didn’t say anything else.

Burying their fingers deeper, Silver reached out. Ignoring the little white petals that recently always seemed to pop up, they closed their eyes and concentrated their power. 

The land magic answered them happily and without restraint, but did not choose words, only emotions again. Silver gritted their teeth and sent out some questioning pictures of sculk and Penelope. Quiet rumbling started deep below. 

For some time, nothing happened. The land magic seemed to search, to investigate the land itself. When it returned, it had no answers to offer. There was something going on, yes, but nature thought it was the normal process of living and dying and didn’t worry. 

Silver thanked the land magic and slowly, carefully withdrew until they could pull their hands out of the ground.

“Anything?”, Etho asked, concern and questions in his eyes.

Silver shook their head. 

“No, sorry.”

Etho got up and offered Silver a hand. 

“Don’t worry. We have quite the accumulation of geniuses on Hermitcraft, we’ll figure something out. It’s probably just some random mutation, as Doc said.”

Silver stretched and sighed.

“But there are a bit too many coincidences this week, don’t you think?”, they asked. Etho shrugged. 

“Maybe. But so far, we’ve figured out everything that was thrown at us. I’m pretty sure we’ll manage this as well.”

Shouting from the lab startled both of them. Without another word, they both moved and sprinted down the stairs.

“What? What’s happening?”, Etho shouted. Then Silver looked at the examination table. Their eyes widened. 

The sculk had spread, turning the pristine white marble into ugly pulsating sculk.

Chapter Text

“How is that even possible?”, Silver whispered. Nobody answered them. 

Bdubs leaned closer to the table to inspect it but got pulled back by Xisuma.

“Everyone, back off.” Doc’s voice was deep and full of worry. Silver took a step back, bumping into Etho. Turning around, they wanted to apologise but the words got stuck in their throat. Etho couldn’t hear or see them. White had taken over his eyes again, his face was slack and void of any emotion. 

“Oh dear.”, Silver whispered, carefully putting an arm around Etho’s shoulders and slowly guiding him to the floor. Leaning him back against the wall, they made sure his head was in a stable position. 

“Bdubs.”, they then said, trying to keep their voice as level as possible. The others already had enough to figure out right now, Bdubs and them would be able to handle Etho. Bdubs quickly weaselled his way through the other Hermits. His face blanched when he saw Etho on the floor but quickly recovered when he felt for his pulse. 

“They're getting more frequent, aren’t they?”, Silver asked quietly. They didn’t have to explain what they meant.

Bdubs nodded, caressing Etho’s face.

“We don’t know what’s causing them. When Etho came to Hermitcraft, they were more frequent but over the last few years the intervals have gotten much bigger. I … I really don’t know what’s going on. And he doesn’t tell me what they’re about.”

Silver frowned. 

“He told me that he can’t control them but that he can sometimes feel when they’re approaching. And that lately, even that has gotten worse and they somehow just jump him out of the blue.”, Bdubs explained. 

“Yeah, he mentioned that.”, Silver murmured. At Bdubs' surprised look, they added, “We talked a bit yesterday and we somehow spoke about his visions.”

Bdubs raised an eyebrow but didn’t insist further. Silver had promised Etho not to tell anyone what they had talked about the day before. What Etho had revealed to them and what happened after that. Why Etho now felt comfortable with Silver around Bdubs.

“What do we do now?”, Silver asked. “We can’t just leave him on the floor.”

Bdubs shrugged. “The visions normally don’t last very long. We can try to bring him to our base but he would come back anyway.”

Silver sat down and leaned their head against the wall, closing their eyes for a brief moment. They felt drained, the cheerful mood from earlier had dissolved into worry and tension. A kernel of fear started to nest inside their chest. Opening their eyes again, they turned towards Bdubs. 

“Have you ever heard of sculk infecting non-natural blocks?”

Bdubs shook his head, putting his hand into Etho’s and sitting down next to him. “No. And from the looks of it, neither has anybody else here.” He nodded towards the rest of the Hermits.

Doc and Cub wore hazmat suits now - void knew where Cub got them from - and the others kept a healthy distance, either talking to each other or typing on their comms. Various levels of worry were carved into their faces. Xisuma had put on his helmet again and the blue around his hands had intensified. 

“Has the land told you anything?”, Bdubs asked. Apparently, Silver hadn’t been as unsuspicious as they had tried to be.

“Only that it’s aware that something’s going on. But it thinks it’s just the usual and it’s not concerned or anything.”

Bdubs hummed and then they both fell quiet. There was not much more to say.

Silver’s thoughts were racing. Somewhere back in their mind, something insisted that there had to be a connection between the sculk-filled hole they were trapped in and this. Adding Etho’s visions … Silver didn’t want to think any further.  

But how was the sculk able to infest stone, marble even? Marble was porous, maybe it only filled the little gaps and made it look like it was sculk while the marble was only hidden? 

Something thumbed and a soft impact followed. Apparently Doc’s thoughts had led him to the same idea and he had broken off a piece of the infested marble. Craning their neck, Silver caught a glimpse of the dark mass on the floor. The inside made Silver swallow. It had been turned into sculk through and through. No white was visible. Doc pressed onto it and the sculk gave way with a squishy sound. 

“How is that possible?”, Silver repeated, unable to keep the horror from their voice. If the sculk had mutated this far, it would be able to take over any build, any farm. 

It could take over Hermitcraft. 

Again, nobody answered them.

The discussions got louder, some Hermits even considered cancelling the rest of the visitation week. Silver tended to agree. Who knew what else could happen? Who knew how far the infestation had progressed? 

“Everyone listen!”, Xisuma suddenly raised his voice. This time, it took much longer to quiet down. He held up his comm, projecting some lines of code that Silver couldn’t read onto a wall. 

“So far, a total of 49 blocks have been infested since Silver’s accident.”

“Plus Penelope and her tank.” Joe added.

Xisuma nodded. 

“The infestations are mainly around Scarland and the pit there. I have searched the area with a radius of 2000 blocks and only came up with these 49. I think it’s safe to say that the sculk is behaving abnormally but we also don’t know anything further. I am with you that we need to investigate and get to the bottom of this. But I also think that it is too early to make any decisions regarding visitation.”

Low murmuring waved through the room.

“Tomorrow, we will all be at the entry building. The area there is clean, I ran a check on the world seed. No visitor will be able to leave that area tomorrow. So my suggestion would be to proceed as planned with the week. Get through the questions, keep the visitors busy. In the evening, we reevaluate the situation and what actions we can take. Cancelling the rest of the week will raise questions we won’t be able to answer and –”

“Who cares?”, Grian chipped in. He had tucked in one of his wings tightly, the other curled around Scar who was leaning heavily on his cane. “Who cares if the outside is curious or suspicious? We never really cared about that and I don’t think we should start now.” 

Some Hermits nodded along. 

“But it’s only 49 blocks and a dead axolotl - sorry Joe.”, Cub said. “There might very well be a scientific explanation. Maybe it’s a natural occurrence. Maybe one of our experiments had an impact we hadn’t realised. I think it would be rash to just cancel everything.”

“I made a small sculk farm a few months ago, maybe it was activated by a dying bat or something.”, Impulse added. When everyone looked at him, he shrugged. “What? I wanted to use the blocks in a build but quickly realised it’s way too slobbery. I built the machine in a cave so that it’s not an eyesore and forgot about it. I just remembered it when Cub mentioned experiments.”

“See? There are various reasons why this has happened.”

Some of the worry on the Hermits’ face lifted. 

“It doesn’t explain Penelope though. Or the marble.”, Joe said. The expression on his face was sad as he looked at her corpse. 

“That is correct.”, Cub said. He pulled out a magnifying glass and started to study the dark marble-sculk. 

“How many visitors do you reckon with tomorrow, X?”, Ren asked. 

“Max 80, but more likely between 50 and 70.”

“That’s not a lot. We could evacuate quickly, it would probably only take 5 minutes if we send them all over to one central world.”

Silence fell for a moment. Then Ren spoke up again. 

“I think we should follow Xisuma’s suggestion. With one exception, the week has gone quite well so far and I’d like to end it on a good note. With only a fraction of the original visitors coming, I think we can handle the situation, even if it turns bad. And after all, it’s still us, remember? We’ve managed to overcome a lot in our lives, what’s a little sculk gonna do?”

Grian snickered, the sound more menacing than joyous. But most of the fearful tension had vanished, replaced by something more fierce. Silver wasn’t too sure what the right decision would be. Cub’s explanation made sense. Silver also didn’t have their scientific background or any idea where the Hermits stood on the Power scale. 

Their worry didn’t dissipate though. When Etho started to stir, Silver was happy to turn their attention to him, offering him some food they had in their bag and a bottle of water. Etho didn’t seem as rattled as the last time he had a vision, but he was still pale and needed a few seconds to orient himself. 

“I really hate this.”, he then said. His voice was hoarse.

“I know, love. I wish I could help you.”, Bdubs answered, running a hand through Etho’s hair and then caressing his cheek. 

“What did I miss?”

Quietly, Silver and Bdubs filled him in. 

“Is everyone still up to date with the evacuation plans we prepared?”, X then said, looking at the group. Most of them nodded, Scar shrugged. After Grian had bent towards him and whispered something in his ear, he nodded too. 

“Good. When push comes to shove, our first priority is to protect the visitors and get them home safely. Gem and Pearl, you will guard the portal during evacuation. Ren and Impulse, you will usher the visitors out and make sure noone is left behind. The rest will take care of whatever attack we’ll face, allright?”

A strange calmness crept over the Hermits. Their faces turned solemn, their eyes sharp and their bodies ready for battle. The attention turned deadly. Silver swallowed, suddenly feeling small and vulnerable. They swore to themselves to never get on the Hermits’ bad side. 

Then Ren appeared in front of Silver, offering them a hand up. 

“Doc will be busy for a while. Let’s go home.”, he said. His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Silver looked around. Most of the Hermits were getting ready to head out as well. They caught bits of the conversations around them. Some of the Hermits were planning to go back to the trap in Scarland, others were planning to check on their bases. 

“Shouldn’t we join them?” 

Ren shook his head. 

“I think there’s enough of them to have it under control. I trust Xisuma. If he says he’s got it, he’s got it. And Doc asked me to escort you.”

Silver peered around him. Doc seemed to be deep in conversation with Cub who had pulled out a couple of vials and was taking samples. The air around him seemed changed, the madness pushed in the background while the scientist took over. He was taking notes on his comm, his fingers moving swiftly while he was talking rapidly.

It was pretty hot, despite the fucked up situation. 

“Alright.”, Silver said, pulling out their elytra and handing it to Ren. “Doc gave me an elytra to fly over here. Could you give it back to him later?”

Ren frowned. 

“I won’t need it for the walk to the portal, right?”, Silver added. They hated to just leave them all behind here. They wanted to help, even if it was just emotional support. Maybe they should consult the land once more before they left, just to be sure. 

Ren shook his head. 

“Oh babes, no. I didn’t mean to escort you to the portal. I’ll take you to Doc’s base and stay with you until he comes back. Except you’d like to return to your own world which is – totally fine, given the situation and all.”

For a moment, Silver was dumbfounded. Then they quickly equipped the elytra. 

“Well then, I’m ready for my first sleepover here. I didn’t bring any stuff though.”

Ren smiled, obviously relieved. This time, the skin around his eyes crinkled and he seemed earnestly happy. “Don’t worry about that, I’m sure we’ll find a toothbrush for you.”

After one last glance towards Doc, Silver followed Ren and together they took off into the dark night, leaving Penelope in Doc’s and Cub’s experienced hands. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you think happened?”, Silver asked Ren when they arrived at Doc’s base. Ren had helped them enter since Doc hadn’t added them to the whitelist of his protection yet. 

Ren shrugged and rummaged in the kitchen counters. 

“Stuff like that isn’t really my forte. Both Doc’s and Cub’s explanations are possible. Our world is pretty unique, as you’ve already noticed. Maybe it’s the combination of Powers we’ve accumulated here, maybe it’s the landmagic, maybe it’s a failed experiment. It could be anything, really. Out of experience, we often tend to assume the worst, that’s why everyone is so tense. But for now…”, Ren placed a cup with hot milk and honey in front of Silver. “... everything is under control. Don’t worry, babe, if Doc and Xisuma didn’t raise an alarm, we don’t need to either.”

Slowly, Silver nodded. 

“Poor Penelope.”, they then said, nipping on the drink. 

“Yeah … I hope she really died of old age and not because of the sculk. I can’t imagine being eaten by that stuff.”

Silver froze. They hadn’t even thought of that possibility. Chills ran down their spine. Being eaten alive by a parasite, not being able to get help, to be caught in that tank and just waiting for one’s end … What a horrible fate.

Ren saw their face and quickly shook his head. 

“Don’t worry, Silver. Really. As I said before, the Hermits haven’t faced a challenge yet they couldn’t take on. You’re safe with us.”

You’re safe with me. 

Silver smiled tiredly. 

“Doc always says that. ‘You’re safe with me.’”

“And that’s true for all of us. If we accept someone into our group, you’re one of us. And we take care of each other.” 

Warmth spread in Silver. They weren’t sure whether it was the milk or the look in Ren’s eyes. They smiled into their cup, not knowing what to answer.

When their cups were empty, Ren put them into the sink and turned back around to Silver. 

“Doc doesn’t have a guest room - we seldom have that kind of guests. So I can offer you either the sofa -”, he gestured towards a complicated looking piece of furniture that would hardly be able to contain Silver’s body, “- or you can take the Master Bedroom.”

Silver remembered the bedroom. The huge bed, the silken sheets and the soft light from Redstone lamps. The bodies that had laid within, the naked skin they had seen.

The love that had been shared there.

After another look at the sofa, they nodded towards the bedroom. 

“I’ll take the bed, if that’s okay.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ren gave them one of Doc’s shirts to sleep in and prepared some towels and a toothbrush for them in the adjacent bathroom. While Silver got dressed and ready for bed, he went back to the kitchen and messaged Doc, asking if they had made any progress and telling him that he took Silver back home. Doc didn’t answer, but Ren hadn’t expected it. He was probably elbow-deep in analyses and samples. 

Ren sighed. What a fucked up situation. He had told Silver the truth, he absolutely trusted the Hermits to handle the whole situation. But deep inside, his instincts were screaming at him to evacuate his friends and loved ones, to get them somewhere safe, far away from whatever danger had found its way into their world. 

He knew he was probably overreacting. That knowledge didn’t help in the slightest though. 

Ren sighed again when he eyed the sofa, his bed for the night. Doc had asked him to keep an eye on Silver, so he would stay. Just in case. Even if that thing would probably break his back. 

The sound of bare feet on the floor made him turn around. Silver had let their hair down, the bright mass now falling below their elbows. Doc’s shirt and pants were way too big on them. Their face was pale and marked by fatigue and worry. But their mouth was set and their eyes shone with stubbornness, despite their tiredness. 

They were a fighter, even though they hadn’t realised it yet. That stubbornness that he could see now would turn into fierce bravery soon, he was sure of it. He just hoped they kept their empathy, their love for others, their instinct to protect the weak and their curiosity. 

Ren would be the first to admit that he was as smitten with Silver as Doc was. But he tried really hard not to show it. Yet. He was aware that they were throwing a lot at Silver. And judging from Doc’s actions, he was taking it slow as well. Slowly introducing Silver to the perks of being a Hermit, being part of this amazing community. 

And so he’d wait. He had a lot of patience when it was necessary. And if the price was worth it. 

So he smiled at Silver and ignored the way his heart was pounding when those uneven eyes looked at him, assessed him as if they could read his thoughts.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah, but … I was wondering, where will you stay?”

Ren’s eyes wandered toward the sofa. 

Silver laughed, a short outburst of energy.

“No way! Ren, you’re as tall as me, there is no way you’ll fit on that thing.”

Ren shrugged.

“I’ve slept in worse places.”

Silver’s eyes assessed him again, something darker in them now.

“Doesn’t matter. I know the bed is big enough for at least three people. You don’t need to torture yourself.”

Ren hesitated. So much for taking it slow.

“Are you sure?”

“Don’t be a baby, come to bed, Ren!”, Silver just said over their shoulder. They had already turned around and were halfway out the kitchen. 

Ren laughed silently to himself as he shed his shirt. For Silver’s sake he’d keep on his pants. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“When do you think Doc will come back?”, Silver asked, settling under the covers.

“Hard to say. When he gets caught up in his work he sometimes forgets to sleep. But since Cub’s there as well … could be anywhere between now and dawn.”

Silver turned towards him as Ren slid under the blanket on the other side of the bed, a good arm length from Silver. A single lamp close to the door provided some light, the rest of the room was dipped in comfortable darkness. Ren could barely make out Silver’s silhouette against the darker pillows.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“How long have you and Doc been together?”

“Uff … A long time, I can tell you that. I met him when I was quite young, so a few hundred years ago, I’d say. So probably before you were born.”

Silence fell. Ren thought Silver had fallen asleep when they spoke up again.

“Is it weird? That after all this time, Doc kinda chose me to add to your … circle? That we’re running through this whole process at the speed of light?”

Ren’s answer came immediately. 

“No. Not at all. Doc has always been like that. When he likes someone, he just knows. And I can tell you that, the moment he saw you, it was over for him. He never questions his heart. It’s one of his greatest strengths. And he hates wasting time. He chose you and so now he focuses all his efforts on getting to know you, to show you his world and integrate you into it. And if you’re worried whether I’m jealous - I’m not. Honestly. Our relationship is based on trust. And I trust him with my life.”

Another long pause followed. Ren settled in deeper under the covers, fluffing up the pillows and getting ready to sleep.

Then Silver whispered, “What if … what if it doesn’t work out? If we realise we’re too different? I’m not super smart like him, or super strong. I don’t have any crazy powers like some of you. I’m just … just me, I guess? What if he gets bored with me?”

And maybe it was the dimness of the room, the anonymity it provided, because they added, “I’ve never been in a relationship before, Ren. I don’t know … I don’t know how this is supposed to work. I haven’t … you know. What if I’m not enough?” The last words were barely audible. 

Ren’s heart broke a bit when he heard the insecurity in Silver’s voice. He reached out, his fingertips barely grazing their shoulder. Silver took his hand and squeezed his fingers but said nothing else.

“Love is always scary. Nobody knows whether it will work out or not. But one thing I know for sure, Silver. Doc doesn’t give a flying fuck whether you have powers or not, whether you are a genius or can teleport or shoot lasers from your eyes. He fell for the person that saw the perimeter not for the Redstone, but the art and the people behind it. The person that got caught up in a trap because they saw something was up and took the place of another, weaker person. The person who can speak to the land magic itself, who grew up among trees and who makes flowers bloom whenever they touch the ground. Will it be enough? Who knows. Will it be forever? I don’t fucking know. But that counts for everything. The most important thing is what you want and whether you’re happy and comfortable being here. Opening up is hard, but babe, sometimes it’s so worth it.” Ren squeezed their fingers once and Silver scooted a little bit closer, not letting go. 

“As long as you want to be here, there will always be a place for you.”

When Silver didn’t answer, Ren closed his eyes and relaxed. He was close to nodding off when he heard Silver quietly whisper “Thank you.” They didn’t let go of his hand. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn was approaching when Doc silently opened the door to the bedroom. He had taken a thorough shower at Cub’s and now felt like walking rubbing alcohol. He grimaced at the stench but froze when he saw the bed. Two figures lay under the covers, their outstretched hands interlaced. 

Doc’s face softened as he tiptoed towards the bed. Ren was dreaming, his face scrunched up in concentration, his mouth slightly opened. Silver had turned their face into their pillow, laying on their stomach, one hand tightly around Ren’s fingers, the other buried below the pillows. Lifting the blanket in the middle, Doc slipped in between them. Carefully, he disentangled their hands and layed down. Ren immediately slid closer. Silver didn’t move. 

Laying on his back, he pulled Ren’s and Silver’s hands on his chest, putting his own big hand on top of them, right over his heart. 

He and Cub had spent hours dissecting Penelope. They hadn’t been able to find the point of entry or identify the first infection on her body. It was entirely possible that she had accidentally swallowed a piece of sculk and then it had spread from within her. Or she had really been sick in the beginning and the tank into which she had been transferred had already been contaminated. Due to her weakened immune system, the sculk could have easily infected her. 

They also hadn’t been able to find out how the marble had been infected. So far, all signs pointed towards a mutated kind of sculk. But the how was still completely unclear. The report from the Hermits that had once again inspected the trap hadn’t offered anything new either. No new spread was to be observed, the cave was still lit up and eerily quiet. 

Everything seemed normal. 

Except it wasn’t. 

And it drove Doc crazy that he didn’t know what was happening. That he didn’t know what the danger was, what he should focus on. In front of the group he had kept his cool, had turned off the emotional part of his brain and solely focused on the scientific enigma in front of him. The Hermits needed him to be rational, to find the root of the problem and give them reasonable information. 

But deep inside, worry was eating on him. He liked mysteries, but not when someone might end up dead. Not if his family could get hurt if he couldn’t solve it quickly enough. 

He’d give his life to protect them. He’d fight until he wouldn’t be able to stand anymore, he’d offer his body, his mind, his soul, to keep them safe. 

But he didn’t know what to fight. Didn’t know where to start. His thoughts were spinning. He kept combing through all the articles he had read on sculk, on infectious diseases, on contaminating matters. But nothing came even remotely close. 

Some bacteria were able to eat and digest certain stones. But they mostly just destroyed the material, they certainly didn’t turn it into a whole new block.  

He had never seen sculk as a living being, either. It was an abnormality of nature, born in darkness. While being able to survive by itself, it needed external input to grow. It didn’t have a brain or intelligence. There was no nervous system, no heart. 

His body was ready for a fight, but there was no enemy. 

Only a dead axolotl and weird spots of dead mass. 

Rubbing his burning eyes, Doc tried to relax, focusing on the warmth of the bodies next to him, their rhythmic breathing. 

At some point, he nodded off. 

He dreamt that sculk was crawling up from the perimeter, flooding the lands around. Sculk was swept into his base, his bedroom, creeping up his legs, eating away the skin, burning his bones. Heat melted the clothes from his body, and he couldn’t escape, couldn’t get away from the pain, couldn’t get up because he was trapped, the blanket didn’t let him go, it was pressing into him from all sides and the sculk crawled up, up until it reached his heart, until it could send its tendril deep into his chest and eat away until –

Gasping, Doc awoke. For a moment he felt paralysed and couldn’t feel his body. His mind was still trapped in the dream, telling him he had to get up, to run, to do something. 

When he fully came to, he realised he was laying on his side and Ren was curled up behind him, hugging him. Silver was in his arms, their head buried into his chest, their arms around his waist. The heat below the blanket was scorching. 

Taking a deep breath, Doc quickly scanned the room, the bodies next to him, himself. Everything was fine. No sculk in sight. Everyone was safe. 

Doc pulled Silver closer, their pliant body fitting against his, their slim legs entangling with his. Softness pressed against his chest and he murmured in pleasure as he buried his face in their short hair. 

Maybe he could go over to Cub’s before the visitors arrived, get his input on some new ideas. Perhaps Cub had found something. He’d have to participate in the whole Q&A thing, at least to make sure everything was alright, but after that he'd need to do a deep dive into his research. Maybe the history of Hermitcraft would provide him new clues, something they could test and verify. 

Breathing in Silver’s scent, Doc closed his eyes again. He should squeeze in a romantic dinner with them before locking himself in his own lab. The top of the flagpole gave a great overview of the perimeter and was cosy enough to make a lovely space for them. He could also tell them a bit more about Princess and the plans he had for the perimeter –

Wait.

Careful not to wake them, he let his hand wander upwards from Silver's back, up the graceful line of their neck. Their body was smaller, slimmer. The muscles had vanished. The hair that grazed his fingertips only came to their jaw and was way too short to put into a braid. And that softness he could clearly feel against his chest was definitely not muscle.

At some point during the night, Silver had changed back.

For a moment, Doc was frozen. What the hell? Silver had said their feminine body was their go-to and that they couldn’t control the changes. But that they needed to be safe, that their nervous system needed reassurance that no danger was approaching for the change to kick in. And the sculk situation really didn’t scream ‘safety’ right now. 

His brain instantly wanted to urge him to put Silver in armour, their smaller feminine body so much more vulnerable. So much weaker. They would need more protection now. 

Doc should probably train them in combat. Or better even, ask False to train them. And Gem. Etho had some mean tricks up his sleeve, maybe he could help too. 

Cupping the back of Silver's head, Doc tried to even his breathing. He was overreacting. Again. Silver would be fine. They had proven a few times already that they could handle whatever was thrown at them. 

“Are you okay?”, Ren's sleepy voice asked from behind him. His hand caressed Doc's tense back. He could feel him press a warm kiss against his shoulder.

Doc forced his body to relax. He nodded.

“Silver has changed back.”, he then answered quietly.

Ren was up within a moment. Peering over Doc's shoulder whose big frame now nearly swallowed Silver, he whistled quietly.

“Oh man. I didn't notice a thing.”

“Must've happened sometime after dawn. When I arrived, they were still in their other body.”

Ren was quiet for a moment, assessing the situation.

“You're totally freaking out right now, huh?”

“I'm trying really hard not to.”, Doc said through clenched teeth. Then he sighed and carefully pulled away from Silver. Even if he was up didn't mean they had to as well.

He motioned towards the door and the kitchen behind and Ren nodded. Together they padded out the bedroom, careful not to make a sound when closing the door behind them.

“It's just … my instincts are telling me that they're so much more vulnerable now. They're not a fighter, Ren. But the other body at least was strong and had endurance. And now…”

“First of all, that sounds like a load of instinctual bullshit to me.”, Ren said and placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of Doc. “They're vulnerable in either body, more muscles don’t make a difference. Is it a problem that they can’t really defend themselves? Well, yes. But that’s nothing we can change short term. We should talk to Impulse, get them some fine armour.”

“I’ve thought about that, too. Maybe get netherite right away and some good weapons. But right now, it’s probably best to get them back to their own world when shit hits the fan –”

“No.”, Silver said as they walked into the kitchen. “For one, don’t talk about discarding me like a pet or something. That’s not very nice.”

Doc opened his mouth to apologise but Silver went on. “And second, do you really expect me to leave you here, to go back to my own safe place and wait there? While you could be fighting or getting hurt or even worse, die?”

“We do respawn here, you know.”, Ren chipped in but a quick glance from Silver silenced him. 

“Silver, listen –”

“No, you listen. When I said I’d be in, I meant it. I am in , Doc. For whatever that means, for whatever that brings. I am not completely helpless. I do know how to use a sword and a shield. Probably not as well as you guys, but whatever. And I have a built-in early warning system, remember? The ground itself will fucking tell me if something’s off. None of you have that. So let me help. Let me be with you. Let me be equal to your other partners.”

Doc stared at them standing there. In the shirt that was way too big now and hung to their knees, the pants apparently already discarded somewhere. The imprint of the pillow still on their face, their hair a mess. But there was fierceness in their uneven eyes, and unrelenting will. 

“If you can’t give me that, give me equality to your other partners, I don’t think this will work.”, Silver finally said. 

Doc swallowed. He understood Silver, he really did, but there was still this overwhelming fear of losing them. All his partners were well-versed in battle, and had looked death in the eye more than once in the past. And then there was Silver, who lived in a damn forest, who talked to trees and made flowers bloom. They looked so vulnerable, as they stood in front of him, fists clenched. 

For fuck's sake.

Chapter Text

Silence fell. 

Silver’s eyes were silently urging him to give in, to say something, anything. 

I trust you. 

The words were on his tongue and he meant them, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak them out loud. The implications were just too big. 

What if the sculk spread? What if it mutated further? What if Hermitcraft was already corrupted and X’s scans were wrong? 

Silver stood still, not moving a muscle. Once more, Doc got the impression of an angel, a supernatural being, that stood pale and glowing in his fucking kitchen. Pure, helpless and oh so kind-hearted. 

Doc knew Silver wasn’t as defenceless as he made them out to be. But everything in his old bones protested against the thought of them fighting. He could see it clearly, Silver on the battlefield, their bright face splattered with gore and dark bits of sculk. Their body battered by an unknown enemy, bruises and cuts blooming. He wanted to protect them from the trauma he knew it would cause. The trauma he himself had survived countless times. 

But it wasn’t his choice. It was not his decision to make. 

Ren, bless his soul, tried to run intervention. “Silver, look – we are much more experienced in battle –”

Silver just held up a hand, not averting their eyes from Doc’s face. 

“I’m sorry Ren. But this is between Doc and me. I’m not saying I want to fight. I’m not saying I want to kill. What I want is that Doc looks me in the eye and tells me that he sees me as an equal. I don’t want to be mothered. If you want to make decisions about somebody, get yourself a pet. We can talk about things, and we can make compromises, but you will not take away my autonomy.”

Doc deflated. Rubbing his face, he groaned. 

Then he got up and walked towards Silver. Towering over them, he tipped their head back. In this body, the difference in their heights was even more obvious. But Silver’s eyes didn’t waver and he could see their jaw clenching hard. 

“I see you as an equal, Silver. You are smart. You are strong. You are so skilled in so many areas where I’m lacking. I can learn a lot from you and I hope we will have that time together.” 

Silver’s gaze softened and they reached up to put their hand over his. 

“I’m sorry that you felt like I wanted to get rid of you. That was not my intention. I’d never pressure you to do something you absolutely don’t want to do.”

Silver opened their mouth to say something, but Doc continued. “But my point still stands. Right now, at this moment, you do not know enough about a battle, about self-defence and attack, to be in a position to help us. I get that you want to help, that you want to stay. It makes me admire you even more. So let’s find a compromise to keep you safe while you still can support us who are at the front lines.”

Slowly, Silver nodded. “I can work with that. I don’t want to burden you or anything like that. Just please, don’t look at me and see a defenceless child. You are important to me and I want to protect you and your friends as much as you want to protect me.”

“Let’s make a deal then. As long as we don’t know what’s going on and there’s no imminent danger, we stay together and watch out for each other. But when the actual fight starts, you stand back and let us do the grunt work, alright? Worst case scenario, we bring you somewhere safe, could be your world or just a bunker.”

“When? Not if?”, Silver asked. Doc didn’t answer.

“You’re already sure something’s coming.”, Ren stated, pushing himself from the kitchen counter to get closer. “Doc, what do you know? What are you not telling us?”

Doc just sighed and pulled Silver close, resting his head on top of theirs and closing his eyes. “Nothing. I know nothing, but I have this feeling. Everything in my body tells me to get my things, get my friends and run, far, far away.”

“Maybe that’s just your protective instincts though?”, Silver’s muffled voice came from below. 

Doc shook his head, turning them to look at Ren. “You know me, Ren. You know I’m not one to run. But something’s coming. And it’s bad.”

Silence fell. Ren’s eyes searched Doc’s while Silver huddled closer to him. Unspoken words hung between them, a whole conversation that they didn’t dare to say aloud. 

Eventually, Ren nodded. “I’ll get our armour checked. Do you have weapons?”

Sighing, Doc straightened, releasing Silver. “I do. A whole chest full, some are Netherite, some only enchanted diamond. My armour is up to speed as well, but I’m running low on potions.”

Ren nodded along, already creating a mental list. “My armour is pretty much shit, but I’ll get that updated. I might have some smaller pieces that might fit Silver in this form.”

“I do have my own armour though.”, Silver said, sick of being talked over. “And I have weapons. No Netherite, I’ve never been to the Nether, to be honest, but it’s sturdy, well-enchanted stuff.”

“Okay. We need to get that, then. I have enough Netherite to upgrade both of you and then some. While I really hope we won’t need it, we should carry weapons and armour with us all the time now. Maybe even some healing potions.”

Silver nodded, their face a bit paler than before. Reality had caught up to them. Danger was coming to Hermitcraft and they weren’t sure they were ready for it. “I thought I’d go back home before the visitors come, get my stuff and new clothes –”, they picked at the way too big shirt, “-- and then I can return when the official visitation starts. This way, there won’t be any suspicions either.”

Ren turned around and busied himself in the kitchen. “That’s a good plan. We still have a bit of time, so we can have a nice breakfast beforehand and then –”

“Actually,” Doc interrupted him, looking apologetic, “I need to get back to Cub’s lab and test some theories, see if he had new ideas, stuff like that. Could you take Silver to the portal later?”

Ren just smiled over his shoulder, his eyes soft and a bit sad. “Sure. Don’t overdo it, love, okay?”

Doc turned back to Silver. “I know this conversation isn’t over. We probably need some time to find a good balance, and I need to find a way to get my overbearing protective instincts under control. For now, I can only apologise and ask you to bear with me. Is that okay for the moment?”

Silver smiled, reaching up with both hands to grab Doc’s horns and pull him closer. Their shirt lifted haphazardly high, but Doc concentrated on Silver’s face and the earnesty shining in their eyes. 

“We’re in our adjustment phase, and that’s okay. We both know we took a couple steps quicker than usual, but we’ll get through that. Just – I like you a lot, Doc. You are already very important to me and I don’t want to lose our chance of being together to instincts or pride.”

“Never.”, Doc breathed and bent down to kiss Silver. The kiss was light, but conveying his feelings for them. Putting his hands around their slim waist, he pulled them close once more before letting go and turning to Ren.

“Take care of them?”

“You know it.”, Ren just answered and twisted to get his own farewell kiss. “Take care, babe.”

Silver and Ren watched Doc leave before looking at each other. 

“That went better than expected.”, Silver finally said.

“That man is so head over heels for you, babe. You could have asked him for anything.”

That made Silver beam. “Really?”

“Oh, totally. But I’m with him in this whole protection thing. Both of us had friends die before because they overestimated themselves. That is not something I want to experience ever again.” Ren’s voice turned dark from heavy memories. 

Silver stepped next to him, pulling out plates and cups. “I’m sorry, Ren. It’s safe to say that I don’t want that for you or anyone else either. And I promise you, if it really gets dangerous, I’ll stay back.”

“Even evacuate if we ask you to?”

For a moment, Silver considered. “Depends. But I trust your judgement of the situation.”

Ren let out a long breath. “Thank you. That’s something we can work with.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After breakfast, Silver tried to find some pants that fit, but eventually gave up and just wore Doc’s shirt as a dress as they and Ren walked down the stairs towards Doc’s portal. Ren had given them a list of useful items to bring back if they had them. His comm had been silent the whole morning except for a message from Tango, and no new sculk had popped up. It almost seemed as if the sculk had paused, waiting for a better opportunity. Silver tried to banish those thoughts, trying to concentrate on what Ren was saying as they typed in their world code into the portal’s control panel. 

“We have enough food and golden apples, so no need to bring them. If you want, you can also bring over some clothes - for both your bodies - and we can put them in Doc’s closet. Some hygiene products, too, if you’d like.”

“I’ll see what I have.”, Silver said and straightened. 

Ren looked a bit nervous when they turned around. 

“I hope this whole situation doesn’t scare you off. It really is unfortunate timing, normally it’s pretty quiet on Hermitcraft. It’s why we made this community. We all are sick of war and fighting and just want to spend our lives in peace.”

“I know. Life is just … life, I guess.” Silver shrugged. “I still can’t believe I was chosen to visit. And now I can actually stay? I’m scared I’ll wake up and it was all a dream.”

Ren laughed. “Sometimes we all just need a little luck, huh?”

“Or a sculk-filled hole full of monsters.”, Silver mumbled. Ren’s laughter vanished. 

“Right. Sorry.”

“It’s fine, I’m just joking. That trap turned out to be the best thing that has happened to me in a while.”

Ren’s face softened. “And if there’s anything you worry about, be it about Hermitcraft or Doc or the poly thing, you can come to me, you hear? My door’s always open for you.”

“Thanks, Ren.” After a moment of hesitation, Silver leaned forward and pecked Ren on the cheek before turning around and walking through the portal. 

Now alone, Ren touched his cheek. Nobody was there to witness the blush that crept up his neck or the way his tail was swishing wildly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doc found Cub in his lab, leaning over Penelope’s remains and the infested stone. 

“Hey Doc.”, he said without looking up. 

“Any changes or new developments?”, Doc asked while putting on the hazmat suit. They were pretty sure it wasn’t needed, but better safe than sorry. At least it wasn’t airborne. 

Cub shook his head before straightening and cracking his back. For a moment, his eyes shone bright blue before he closed them. Repressing the convex in him, his eyes turned back to black. 

“Nothing. The samples didn’t show anything, no further infections happened over night and the marble-sculk only comes back positive for sculk. No residue of marble detectable.”

Doc knelt before the examination table, poking Penelope’s body with a scalpel. The decay had progressed since the day before, but since they had never dealt with something living being infected by sculk, he couldn’t say if this was a normal process or not. 

“So let me summarise. We have a dead axolotl that obviously has been consumed by sculk. But we don’t know whether that was before or after she died and if she died by old age or by the infection. We also have a piece of marble that was completely converted into sculk, triggered by the dead infected body. We cannot retrace the origin of the sculk or the way it has spread in the last few days. We also don’t know if it’s a naturally occurring mutation or if it was triggered by our own Powers. And lastly, it is unclear if further infections are to be expected or if this was just a freak accident.”, Doc listed.

Cub nodded. “Pretty much, yeah. I do have a theory for the marble though. It doesn’t answer the question how a non-natural block was turned to sculk, but maybe the why.”

“I’m all ears.”, Doc said, stripping off the rubber gloves and taking a few steps back from the table. 

“Decaying bodies give off energy. The process of decay generates warmth, sometimes even heat. Maybe the sculk has found a way to feed off energy in general, not just xp? And the remaining bit of energy in Penelope’s body was the last scrap of fuel the sculk needed to turn the marble.”

Doc rubbed his chin. He would need to shave soon or he’d scratch Silver’s chin when kissing. The skin of their current body was just a bit softer, a bit more sensitive. Ren had sent him a text that Silver had left and that he’d given them a list of things to bring. Doc hoped that Silver hadn’t exaggerated and that their armour was in good condition. If not, he’d have to ask one of his female friends to borrow some pieces. False might have a similar figure, at least width-wise. And he’d need to check his Netherite supply again. He probably didn’t have time to go to the Nether before the visitors arrived in – he checked his comm. A good hour. But he’d be damned if he didn’t get them all the protection he could come up with. He should text Ren to stuff his inventory with armour and weapons. Some potions, too. Maybe ask Impulse to fire up the forge. Just in case.

“Doc?” Cub eyed him suspiciously.

“Sorry, sorry. My mind wandered off a bit. Anyways … I like your energy theory. Well, not particularly ‘like’, but it makes sense. I think we should put Penelope in an iron box for the time being. Have a look at her tonight again. X has scheduled another meeting for tonight anyway. And if anything happens beforehand, well…” He didn’t finish his sentence. After all, the evacuation plans weren’t there for nothing. 

“Will Silver join us today again?”, Cub asked, busying himself with setting up the box and carefully transferring Penelope.

“They’re currently back home, getting some supplies but they’ll be back. I asked them to bring armour and stuff.” 

Cub quickly glanced at him. “That’s hard for you, huh?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, sorry if I poke my nose into something that’s none of my business, but I know you, Doc. Well enough to know that having Silver here while something strange is going on is probably killing you.”

Doc groaned. “But Silver is just so different from us! They haven’t fought in wars, they don’t know a whole lot about self-defence and they’re just so – so –”

“Pure? Naive? Vulnerable?”

Doc hesitated but then jiggled his head vaguely. 

“You see, Doc. All of us have been there at some point. And you and I both know that Silver is much more than just that. Their death loop? Not many of us would have been able to take that as they did. The whole shabam that was going on because of our polyamory? They accepted that like a champ.”

Doc shrugged. He knew that. Of course he did. Cub chuckled and boxed his shoulder.

“Come on, big man. Get over yourself and those ridiculous protective instincts you have. Silver is a fully functioning grown-up. They’re not as traumatised as most of us, so we’ll try our best to keep it this way. But even if something should happen – and you and I both know something is up – isn’t it better for it to happen here, with us in the background who can actually fight and defend and know how to render first aid instead of some other world where they would be all alone?”

Doc let his head hang. “I know you’re right, Cub. But – they changed back tonight. In their other body. That is smaller and weaker and just overall more vulnerable. I’m scared to lose them, man.”

Cub crossed his arms, obviously thinking. “You can fight both long-range with your lightning and close combat with your creeper skills, right? And Ren is mainly close combat?”

Doc nodded. 

“We have a few Hermits that are better for long-range combat who would need to stay a bit back from the fight. Why not position Silver with them? Give them a strong bow or crossbow, encircle them with the other Hermits and keep them close to Stress and the other healers?” Cub’s eyes searched Doc’s, trying to push some rationality into his emotion-driven brain. 

Slowly, Doc nodded. “That could actually work. They promised me to evacuate if the situation requires it. They also don’t seem like the hot-headed kind to just storm into a fight.”

“They really don’t. But look, there you have it. A Silver contingency plan. Doc, you keep forgetting you’re not alone. All of us were in Silver’s situation at one point and I for one remember that vividly. We’ll make it work, like we always do: together.”

Some of the weight fell off Doc’s shoulders as he looked into Cub’s determined face. He was right. Of course he was. And Doc knew that if he asked Ren, he would stay back with Silver. He’d hate it, but he’d do it. 

And he was not alone. 

Letting his hand fall on Cub’s shoulder, a grin started to spread on his lips. “Thanks man. You’re right. I’ll talk to Ren and Silver about that idea, but I think it could work.”

“Awesome. I also have a ton of diamonds and Netherite if we need to upgrade stuff.”

“You’re an angel, man. Thanks again!”

For a moment, blue flared in Cub’s eyes. “Not really, but I get what you mean.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before Ren left for the entrance building, he checked his messages and inventory. He had rummaged in Doc’s storage room and had put everything that could be potentially helpful in a couple shulkers. He’d also brewed a few more regen potions and even some invis, just to be safe. 

While he was walking, he was already planning on how to protect Silver when the situation became hairy. He was not 100% convinced they’d actually leave when Doc asked them to. He had seen the spark in their eyes and the way they had lifted their chin when Doc had pressured them. 

A fighter, as he had said. 

So it would be important to at least keep them out of range. At the back with the rest of the Hermits whose strengths didn’t lie in fighting but protecting. Maybe he could pair them with Stress. She knew enough about self-defence to keep both of them safe until backup arrived but usually stayed out of the fight. Stress also was their potion master, meaning if anything happened to Silver, she could help. 

They’d probably need to tell the rest about Silver’s powers though. At least the part about literally grounding themselves after an adrenaline rush. 

Hell, he could need some grounding himself. Since the day before, his instincts had been running wild. His heart rate hadn’t calmed down a damn second and his eyes were always just a hair from turning red. He really needed to calm down or he’d run the risk of scaring the visitors. Blowing out a breath, he squared his shoulders and tried to focus on the sunshine and the singing of birds. It was another beautiful day. No sculk in sight. 

They could do this. 

Most of the Hermits had already arrived, standing around the little additional booths that had been erected. There were booths for building, Redstone, mini-games, decoration, armour-stands and more. Most of the Hermits had chosen a specialisation they would present today. Ren was responsible for roleplay. He hadn’t really prepared much. Usually, he got inspired by the moment anyway and with all the drama of the last few days ….  

Secretly, he hoped Xisuma had miscalculated and that a lot less visitors than planned would arrive. That would make a lot of things easier. Especially the evacuation, if it would really be necessary. 

And something in the back of his head told him that something was coming. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Etho was awoken by the vision. By now, he had gotten used to it. Mostly, at least. He still flinched every time he saw Bdubs’ dead eyes. Almost patiently he waited for it to be over, until the screaming and crying and pain was gone. 

When only silence and Bdubs soft snoring filled his ears, he sighed. Rubbing his burning eyes, he tried to settle back into his body and focus on the now. Next to him, Bdubs stirred. Lately, he seemed to have an impeccable antenna for when Etho was in distress. Naturally, he opened his big brown eyes and looked at Etho, worry already shining in them.

A rough hand touched his and pulled it away from his eyes. 

“You okay?”

Etho sighed again, turned around and pulled Bdubs close. Pulling his head towards his chest, he at least didn’t have to look at him. 

At those eyes that weren’t dead. 

Yet. 

The strong body that wasn’t dead. 

Yet. 

“Just the usual.”, he answered, kissing Bdubs head. Bdubs grumbled, clearly not satisfied with his words.

“What time is it?”, he then asked. Etho glanced at the window. Bright light was already creeping through the gaps in the blinds. In only a few hours they’d need to be back at the entrance building. Originally, Etho hadn’t planned to participate, the thought of all those eager people with their never-ending questions causing him goosebumps. 

But ….

The visions had been getting stronger for the last two days. More frequent, more vivid. It was harder to shake them off, harder to realise he was back in the present, that there was no battlefield and no blood.

Yet.

Talking to Silver had helped a bit but Etho was notoriously sceptical. Right now, every minute he spent apart from Bdubs opened a window for accidents. And so he had been glued to his side since yesterday. No more hiding from the visitors, no more brooding over Redstone. Instead he quietly, invisibly followed Bdubs when he was giving his tours, when he showed off his meadow and talked to the visitors. Thankfully, Bdubs either didn’t seem to notice or didn’t mind at all. Etho wasn’t sure how he would explain his sudden attachment issues. 

Bdubs soft lips on his collarbone pulled him back. 

“We still have a few hours before we need to get to the entry building.”, he finally said. “We should probably check in with the others beforehand though. See if any new sculk has popped up.”

Bdubs nodded. “Wouldn’t hurt to gear up a bit either, don’t you think? I still have my chainmail armour somewhere.” His voice was muffled and still a bit sleepy. 

“Do you really think chainmail is the way to go here? I know you want to be fancy and all, but if there really is a threat, Netherite would be better.”

“Don’t have that. You know I hate the Nether.”, Bdubs sulked. 

“Good thing I have a little stash then, huh?” Etho hugged Bdubs tight and smiled wearily. Sometimes his overcautiousness paid off. 

“Okay …”

When Etho tried to flop back the blanket and get up, Bdubs held him back. “Just five more minutes?”

Etho snickered but complied, already setting up supply lists in his head.

‘Netherite ingots

Regen potions

Health potions

Sword

Axe

Bow

Check all enchantments

Shield for Bdubs

Backup gear for Bdubs

Bed for Bdubs

Bottles o’ Enchanting

…’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tango awoke slowly. Impulse’s warm body hugged him from behind, pressing his back against his chest. Thanks to Impulse’s underground base, Tango couldn’t tell the time. No light made it this deep underground. 

Groaning, he stretched his arm to reach his comm on the nightstand. Impulse’s arms tightened, but then he had it. Checking the time, he groaned again. He could have slept at least an hour longer. 

“What?”, Impulse muttered. 

“Nothing. Keep sleeping.”, Tango answered, settling back against his body and enjoying the warmth. It really was time for him to return to his hot Netherborn body. Being chilled down had its upsides, but he missed his heat, his hot burning firehair and the way the air around him always seemed to shimmer. 

But Decked Out would probably run a few more weeks. So he had to push through and endure this body for the moment. 

“Any messages from X or the others?”, Impulse asked. 

“Nope. Everything’s good for –” A quiet ping sounded. Impulse laughed into Tango’s back. Tango looked at the comm again and sighed. 

“-- now. Well. Doc’s asking if the forge is up and running. He thinks we might need armour sooner rather than later.” 

For a moment, Impulse didn’t answer. Then he groaned and released Tango. Rolling on this back, he pushed up in a sitting position. 

“This week is not going to end well, is it?”

Tango shrugged. “It’s been way too quiet for way too long anyway, don’t you think?”

Impulse threw him a sidelong grin, exposing his sharp teeth.

“Very true.”

Together they set up the forge, increasing the air supply and adding more coal to quickly heat it up. In no time, they were able to add the first few Netherite ingots, smelting them down and keeping the white-hot liquid in special containers. 

After a while, Tango had to step back, his cooled down body not dealing well with the heat. Instead, he decided to check on their own armour, polishing out dents and renewing a few of the enchantments that had worn down. 

He wasn’t particularly worried. The sculk infestation was rather interesting to him but he also understood Doc’s precautions. Some of their members were not as tough as Doc or Impulse and needed the extra protection. And if it really came to a fight? Tango would rather wear his armour than be unprotected.

So together they smelted and hammered and polished, until both their armour and weapons were in perfect shape and enough Netherite liquid was ready to glaze at least a dozen armour pieces. Wiping the sweat of his brow, Impulse looked up from the last container he had just closed. 

“Do we still have time to call in some Hermits for the Netherite glazing?”

Tango glanced at his comm. A few more messages had come in, people asking about potion supplies and diamonds for armour repairs. Some only had randomly enchanted armour from End raids. Bdubs was apparently still in chainmail. It was quite obvious the Hermits were not prepared well for a potential battle. They’d turned idle over the last few years where the only fights had been verbal and amongst themselves. 

“I’ll send out a message. We still have a bit of time left. But you gotta take a shower and eat something before we leave.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll manage.”

Only a few minutes later, the first Hermits arrived. Etho had thrown together diamond armour for Bdubs, needing Netherite for all four items. Keralis arrived alone, bringing his and X’s chestplate for a glazing. Tango set up a temporary enchanting setup with an anvil and a chest of Bottle o’ Enchanting for those who also brought their books. 

Everyone seemed relaxed and joked about their horrible preparation and setup, but Tango saw the glances that were exchanged. The rigid shoulders and Etho’s nearly frantic fussing over Bdubs, asking him to already put on the armour. Just in case. 

Tango wondered if everyone but Bdubs had started drawing their own conclusions about Etho’s visions. From his behaviour, it was pretty obvious they were about Bdubs. And not the good kind. 

Another message drew him out of his thoughts. Ren had texted.

>Could you spare four Netherite units? We’ll need them for Silver. Maybe more, for weapons.<

Right, he had nearly forgotten about them already. They didn’t really seem like the fighter type to him, so strong armour would be essential. 

Tango snickered to himself. Void, Doc had to be out of his mind right now. New lover, the Redstone questions and an impending danger he couldn’t detect? Probably not the best mix. Sighing, he got up and threw some more Netherite ingots into the forge. They’d better smelt up some more. 

Just to be safe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later, the plaza in front of the entry building was packed with Hermits and their respective booths. Looking around, Ren settled at his own, checking his inventory once more. Yep, all the armour and weapons and potions were still there. Tango had assured him that enough Netherite was smelt up to cover Silver and a couple of weapons. Apparently, most of the Hermits had skipped the Netherite glazing and the forge had been running all morning to make up for that. 

Ren noticed the subliminal tension in some of the Hermits. Many threw suspicious glances around and he could see a few switching to swords or axes for a moment before putting them away, as if testing the weight and reassuring themselves that yes, the weapons were still there. 

Doc and Cub hadn’t arrived yet but Doc had sent him a message that they had no further reports. Neither had anyone else. Everything seemed fine. Just fine. 

As the day rolled on and the first visitors arrived, Ren relaxed. And gradually, so did the others. Laughter and conversations filled the plaza and when Ren spotted Silver in the crowd, wearing summery but sturdy clothes, he had to reign himself in hard to not wave at them. 

Silver kept themselves at the edge of the groups, sometimes kneeling down and touching some grass blades or the trees. Ren knew they were talking to the land magic, trying to gather information. Everytime they bent down, something inside him knotted, but then they straightened again without looking alarmed and he could breathe again. 

Maybe everything was good.

Perhaps Penelope and the marble had really only been a freak accident.

Probably nothing would happen at all and the whole commotion would be for nothing. 

It seemed as if most of the Hermits came to the same conclusion. By afternoon, everyone was in high spirits, visitors running about with Scarland balloons that Scar gave out and snacks in hand, taking breaks at the several picnic desks and chatting with each other. Peacefulness and serenity defined the scenery and Ren felt his vigilance slip from time to time. 

Which was why nobody was prepared when the attack started.

Chapter Text

Doc’s neck was starting to hurt from the countless times he had craned it to watch out for Silver. Here and there he caught a glimpse of their hair but then they moved or the groups of visitors moved or someone had another stupid fucking question and he lost sight of them again. 

X’s assumption had proven correct, and only 58 visitors had entered through the portal, including Silver. But those 58 were the hardcore fans, the Redstone professionals, the Bob the builders, the masters of everything Minecraft.

Or so they thought at least. 

Doc wasn’t sure if he was just especially unlucky or if some higher being had fun taunting him today, but he slowly but surely was losing his patience with the bunch he was supposed to entertain. Sure, some of the questions were thoughtful, some even thought-inspiring, but a lot of them were obviously crafted to rile him, to test his already very short fuse. 

Doc was aware that from the outside, he did seem quite overbearing, sometimes even antagonistic. All members of Hermitcraft were very careful with the bits they offered the public, and Doc had chosen to present himself as the ‘bad guy’, the one that was always seeking revenge for some small (or big) incidents. And while he enjoyed that role he was playing, the questions his image caused were rather nerve-racking and annoyingly repetitive. 

“Why haven’t you blown up Grian’s base yet? He’d deserve it!”

Another oh-so-unique question. Not. Doc suppressed a sigh and the instinct to pinch his nose. They don’t know you’re fucking Grian, he reminded himself. They don’t know about the things that went on behind the scenes. They did know though that they were all friends. And they didn’t allow griefing in their world. 

So Doc reset his - hopefully - friendly face and answered with a voice that was dripping with patience and leniency. “We don’t grieve here. Everyone puts a lot of work into their homes and we don’t want to destroy things that are important to them.”

“But they destroyed your tunnel bore! And he keeps pestering you! How can you even stand him?”

“That was an accident and that’s totally different. I can take revenge in several, non-destroying ways.” Like tying the pesky bird up, blindfolding him and letting him beg for Doc’s dick. Doc nearly grinned at the memory. Good times, good times. 

The questioner seemed dissatisfied with the answer and started to sulk but already the next one pressed forward and Doc really didn’t fucking care anymore. 

“Why even build the tunnel bore? Seems like a scheme to trick Scar and Grian into doing something they’d regret later!”

Doc forced his eyebrow not to raise and begged the void for patience. A quick look towards Grian’s booth proved he had similar issues with staying calm. His wings had started to puff up and Doc’s artificial eye could already detect the first traces of his Power manifesting around him. When Grian put a hand on Scar’s shoulder and pulled him back slightly, Doc had to control himself to not bare his teeth. Seemed like people weren’t nice to Scar again.

Bastards. 

Thankfully, late afternoon was already approaching and the shadows got longer. The probing questions declined and Doc caught himself having actually pleasant conversations. A few people that had occupied Grian and Scar visited him, asking about his techniques for restoring the murals and his experience with old buildings. Thanks to Silver’s questions only a few days ago, Doc could even supply them with interesting backstories of the ruins and tips for artificial stone corrosion. 

Movement caught his eye but it was only Ren, closing down his booth for the day and joining the idle visitors wandering around the plaza, holding Jellie balloons and eating ice cream. Small groups had gathered around the picnic tables they had added the evening before and laughter filled the air. The scenery seemed so happy and peaceful, something in Doc finally started to relax. All their apprehensions had proven wrong so far, even Xisuma had put away his comm a few hours ago and engaged with the visitors. 

More time went by and the good spirits kept up.

When Xisuma jerked up from the spot he was sitting in front of Keralis’ booth, Doc didn’t mind him. He probably just had an idea how to enforce their world’s security border or another way to perfect his Enderchest shulker system. But then –

“Doc!”

Something in X’s voice made Doc’s heart stutter. Quickly excusing himself, he made his way over to him. Curious glances followed him, but he tried to keep a neutral face. Ren looked over to them as well, slowly getting up and leaving the conversation he had been engaging in. 

“What?” Doc lowered his voice. X held up his comm. 

“He’s back.”

There, in the list of players in their world, right in the middle, was a name Doc hadn’t thought he’d see again.

“But how? I thought you blocked him?”

X sounded strained, his fingers typing furiously. Doc searched the crowd for Silver again. 

There. Just a few steps away from Ren, not too far from where Doc was standing right now. They were laughing about something, Jelly ears on their head and pure joy radiating from them. For a moment, Doc got lost in their vibrancy.

Then someone moved in behind them. A dark figure, moving slowly, calculating, to not grab anyone’s attention. Something was wrong with their body. Their silhouette seemed to waver, stretching and pulling out before shrinking back to human form. 

Nobody else seemed to notice. 

Doc couldn’t read the nametag. Was it too far away? Or did the letters change randomly, like generating code? 

“What the …”, he said aloud.

X looked up. Followed his gaze. Grabbed his arm. 

Just as the figure raised their own arms, dark and pulsing and dripping, something sharp reflecting in the sunlight, coming down on Silver’s unsuspecting back, ready to slice and hack and –

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ren moved. Faster than he had ever moved, he threw himself in front of Silver’s back. He didn’t even think about it, it was purely a reflex. 

He didn’t really know what had caught his eye, what drew his attention to the person behind Silver. They seemed unsuspecting, but there was something about them, like a dark smudge on a memory, a taint that stained their figure. Something was just wrong about them. And when Ren had seen the glint of a very sharp Netherite axe, his body had moved on its own. 

When the pain came, he hissed. Overly aware that he was still among innocent visitors, he swallowed his scream. Willed his claws and red eyes to stay suppressed. The axe hit him straight on into his chest and he knew right away that he wouldn’t survive it. It cut through the muscles on his chest and hacked a good bit into his ribcage before getting stuck. Agony hit him, white-hot pain flaring from his chest, eating away his flesh,burning his lungs, stopping his heart, going deeper, deeper …

Ren’s legs buckled and he fell backwards, against Silver. For a moment, the pain in his chest increased impossibly as the axe was ripped out again. Ren tried to catch the attacker, hold them, but his arms wouldn’t move. He could barely breathe as his lungs filled with his own blood, drowning him.

He wondered why it took him so long to respawn. 

Slender arms caught him and then Silver’s pasty face appeared in front of him, their hands pressing on this chest, trying to stop the gush of blood. More faces turned towards them, murmuring rose. 

“Ren —”

Movement behind them caught his eye, Doc was plunging through the visitors, pushing them out of the way. 

Ren coughed. Blood sprayed into Silver’s face, splattering their clothes. 

Why was he still alive? 

“Sorry.”, he tried to say, but it was more like a gurgle. His next breath didn’t fill his lungs. Neither did the one after that. Stars started to dance in front of his eyes before darkness took over. The pain in his chest dimmed, as he couldn’t see or hear anymore. Couldn’t feel the hands on his body or the way Doc pulled him to his chest. 

Didn’t hear when X shouted, his voice painfully fake and happy.

“Isn’t Ren’s lore improv super amazing? Applause for Ren!”

And then the pain was gone, his body was whole, and his inventory empty. 

When he opened his eyes, he saw Doc’s bedroom ceiling. For a moment, he just lay there and stared. Then he sat up. And groaned as new pain flashed through his body. When he put a hand on his chest, it came back wet. 

Red. 

What the fuck – 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What the fuck.

When Ren disappeared in a puff of code and xp orbs, Silver’s eyes met Doc’s. Shulker boxes and weapons clattered to the ground, but both of them ignored it. Xisuma was still going on about the bit that Ren had just delivered and the extent he went to to provide the best entertainment. 

People were laughing . 

Silver’s eyes were ringing, their breath was way too fast. 

What had just happened?!

When they opened their mouth to ask, Doc shook his head. Quickly, he gathered up Ren’s inventory and rose. The crowd had turned towards X, only a few were still paying attention to them. 

Silver tried to settle their face into something neutral. They were pretty sure they failed though. 

What the fuck.

What the fuck.

Doc was observing the vicinity, probably looking for whoever had tried to attack Silver. 

What the fuck. 

What the fuck.

Silver felt something quickly cool on their face. When they wiped at it, their hand was red. Ren’s blood. A bottle of water and a tissue appeared in front of their face. Bdubs.

“Don’t worry, darling, that’s just fake blood. Basically coloured water. Come over here, I’ll help you get rid of it.”

Ushering Silver away from the visitors, Bdubs kept grinning and joking, but his eyes betrayed him. They kept wandering around, scanning every face they met. His right hand was empty, but Silver could see his fingers flex.

What the fuck.

What the fuck.

“Is Ren okay?”, they asked as soon as they entered one of the private rooms in the portal building. Bdubs closed the door and leaned against it heavily. 

Silver kept wiping at their face.

“I don’t know, babe. Let’s find –”

He got interrupted when Doc abruptly opened the door, shoving Bdubs out of the way. 

“Sorry. Silver, are you alright?”

“Yes, yes, but what about Ren?! Doc, what the fuck was that? Why did he bleed so much?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll find out. But Silver, it’s –”

Doc’s and Bdubs’ comm rang. A group call. Then Ren’s voice filled the room. 

“Guys. Something’s wrong. I’m not completely healed!”

Doc was already moving. Silver quickly looked towards Bdubs who made a shooing motion, then followed Doc. They took a hidden backdoor. When Doc thrust an elytra and rockets at them, they didn’t hesitate. Together they took off towards Doc’s base. Ren was still talking, but Silver couldn’t understand him over the wind. 

Within moments, they arrived at the temple. Doc waited just long enough to help them enter, then he stormed off. Silver had to run to keep up with him but said nothing. 

Their gut was clenching and they could feel the urge to earth themselves grow underneath their skin. But first they had to see Ren. See that he was truly back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ren was in the bathroom, just starting to bandage his chest. Drops of blood drew his path from the bedroom. Dark red tissues lay crumbled in the sink. 

Ren looked pale, but he was there. He was alive.

Doc nearly crushed him in his hug. Ren whined but let him.

Doc wasn’t sure his heart had been beating for the last few minutes. He was pretty sure he had stopped breathing at some point in the air when Ren had coughed on the phone and let out a groan of pain. He was not ready to lose anyone. When he had seen the axe in Ren’s chest, the blood gushing out — his brain had short circuited. He hadn’t been able to think. To breathe. His legs had simply carried him to his lover, to his crumbled body in Silver’s arms. He hadn’t even thought of the attacker. Hadn’t even realised he was gone until Ren had despawned. 

“You scared the fucking life out of me!”

Ren chuckled. “Well, can’t let them hurt Silver, can I?” That reminded Doc. 

“Could you see who it was?”

Ren shook his head. “The tag was all fucked up and something was wrong with their body. It didn’t seem to be able to hold one form. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

“Why did you do that?”, Silver’s small voice asked. “They were after me and you just – just – void, what did you even think?!” Their eyes reddened as they got closer, taking the bandages from Ren’s hand. They wet another tissue and carefully wiped at this chest. 

Doc sucked in a breath when he realised the state Ren was in. He hadn’t lied. The bones in his chest had reconnected and the first layer of muscles above them as well, but the gash was still deep and bleeding excessively. 

With steady hands, Silver cleaned the wound. “Do you have tissue adhesive?”

Doc stared at them for a moment. “Ah, yes. Yes, I have that. Somewhere. Give me a moment.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ren looked down at Silver, their head close to his chest, inspecting the wound. 

“Have you dressed a wound before?”

They nodded, but said nothing else. Their lower lip wobbled but they concentrated on wiping away blood. 

“I stepped in front of you because I knew that I’d be able to take the consequences. I knew I’d be hurt but I’ve been injured many times in my life. You haven’t, Silver. And you’ve already had enough trauma this week.”

“But what – why haven’t you healed? Why are you still bleeding?”

Ren shrugged and grimaced when it pulled on the skin on his chest. “I don’t know. It also took me way too long to respawn. Maybe because we’re too many people on the server right now?”

“When I had my death loop, there were far more people here. And I always respawned instantly.”

“True.” Then they fell silent as none of them had an answer.

When Doc brought the glue, Silver closed up the wound. Ren tried not to let it show how much it hurt or how unsteady he was on his feet. He had lost a lot of blood, he’d probably need a golden apple or two to recover. Just as he was about to ask for one, Doc’s comm rang again.

X’s voice was strained, and there was noise in the background.

“We need to evacuate. Now.”

Before Doc or Silver could say anything, Ren spotted something.

“Guys, look!”, he said, pointing out of the window. 

A dark cloud had formed, not too far from the shopping district. As they were watching, it kept growing, the inside switching between black and green, and ominous pulsing lights shooting through it. 

“What the —”

“Doc, we need you. Can Ren fight?”, Xisuma asked.

“Yes, I –”

“No, he absolutely can’t. His chest is currently held together with tissue glue and well wishes, he can barely stand and needs a fuckton of liquids to recover from the blood loss.”, Doc interrupted him. Ren stared at him but he just looked back deadpanning. There was no way in hell he’d let Ren go out now. 

Ren moved on to Silver, looking for support. They were pale, but shook their head. Ren glared.

“Doc’s right.”, Silver said. “You know he is.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake.”

“Doc, make sure Ren is safe and then come back to the entry building. The evacuation has already started but we need to gather and make a plan. Bring weapons.”

The connection died. 

Doc swore. Silver busied themselves finishing the bandages and checking whether it was too tight. 

“Okay, Ren, listen. You know I’d prefer you go visit Martyn or something –”

“Absolutely no freaking fucking way, babe —”

“-- but I know you won’t go. So. Promise me you’ll stay here. You have my security codes, you can increase the protection and make this a bunker. Take a few healing and regen potions. Go through my storage and look for anything useful. I might come later and pick it up. Don’t overdo it. Don’t even think of helping or fighting. I’ll knock you unconscious if I have to.”

“But –”

“No buts. We don’t have time for this. You’re injured, you’re not healing and I don’t have any fucking time right now to find out why the fuck not. So please, please , stay safe. Okay?” 

For a moment, Ren wanted to object. If there really was danger out there, they would need all hands, all help they could get. He was a good fighter, he could take a lot. He was fast, strong. 

Usually.

But then Silver started to gather the used tissues. He noticed the blood everywhere. He realised his breathing was uneven and his sight wavered. His body was urging him to lie down.

He wouldn't be able to fight. 

Instead, he’d be a burden. Useless. A danger to himself.

His body deflated. “Okay.”

Doc’s strong arms hugged him once more. “I know you want to help. I know. But I love you enough to not send you to your death. I love you, Ren.”

Ren just nodded. Silver quickly hugged him too, careful to not hurt him again. Their shirt was full of his blood, too, he noticed. And there were a few red spots on their face. Before he could say anything, they were out the door, and moments later he heard their rockets. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xisuma wasn’t sure how everything had gone to shit so quickly. From one moment to the other, Ren was on the ground, bleeding, his chest basically split open. It took way too long for him to respawn. 

And just when he thought he had saved that situation by making up some bullshit about Ren’s acting and the lore he brought to their world, this huge ass fucking cloud had appeared. 

Nobody had really paid attention to the darkness that was forming above them. Everyone’s attention was down here, on the booths, the Hermits, their foods and friends. It was Scar that pointed towards the trees, at the birds and forest animals running in a certain direction. Fleeing from something. Then Grian had taken to the skies, just to come back down in an instant, a shade paler. 

“Something’s wrong.”, he had said before making a beeline towards Scar. And then, one after the other, faces had tilted, eyes had searched the sky. And one after the other, they paled.

Xisuma didn’t understand. He hadn’t recovered from seeing MasterBoss’ name tag in his world list. And then Ren had died. And then – 

All his analyses came back normal. The scans didn’t show anything. The code was fine. NOTHING had changed. MasterBoss’ tag disappeared, as if he had never been there to begin with. 

He felt petrified. His brain wouldn’t work. He didn’t know what to do. Helplessly, he stared at his comm, his data, the code of this world, his world, their world, but it didn’t speak to him. For the first time, it didn’t speak to him , and he couldn’t figure out what was wrong. 

It was Cub that had the saving idea. 

“And this guys,” he had said loudly, catching everyone’s attention, pointing at the cloud. “is what happens if you let your experiments unsupervised for too long.” Some players laughed. “I did some testing with fireworks and sculk and as you can see – not my best idea. Xisuma, I think we need to cut this day short, this stuff could be a bit unhealthy.”

Xisuma stared and nodded, like a puppet. 

“Not like deadly unhealthy, but I’m sure none of you wants to have black snot for the next few weeks, huh?” 

More laughter. People started gathering their stuff. Unhurriedly, unworried. No panic, no fuss. The Hermits all kept their poker faces, smiling and waving and apologising for the shorter day. 

Xisuma still stared at his comm. Then someone bumped his shoulder. 

“Should I open the portal?”, Gem asked. Pearl stood next to her.

Right. 

In case of evacuation, they would guard the portal.

Right.

Slowly, Xisuma’s brain kicked in again. Ran through the plan. The lists he had made. Gem was still looking at him, her eyes worried.

Xisuma shook his head. “I’ll do it. Just take care that they form lines and have their home codes ready.”

Pearl nodded and X walked inside the building. 

It was not as bad, he tried to tell himself. It was only a bit over an hour before the actual closing time. Nobody suspected a thing.

But you suggested continuing with the visitation.

Nothing had happened, it was all under control.

Ren is hurt, and you don’t even know how badly.

Spewing a never-ending series of profanities in his head, Xisuma turned on the portal, then pulled out his comm again, intending to call Ren. But then the first visitors already entered, led by Gem who was smiling brightly. Noone seemed to notice her smile didn’t reach her eyes. 

Xisuma nodded at her, then walked outside again. In the middle of the plaza he stood, observing the situation. The booths had already been shut down, the Hermits now securing it against the wind that had started blowing. One neat line of players had already formed, slowly entering the building. A few turned to look at the growing cloud, but most were still chatting and laughing, giggling over Cub’s crazy experiments. 

Xisuma frowned at a brown leaf that caught underneath his foot, then crushed it. It made a weird, wet sound. 

Then Doc and Silver appeared, breathless. 

“How’s Ren?”

Doc shook his head. 

“Something’s not right. His wound hasn’t closed completely, he’s still bleeding. But we took care of him. Well, Silver did. He’ll stay at my base and lock it down.”

Xisuma frowned. “How is that even – you know what, nevermind. As long as he’s safe for now, we can take care of him later.” Doc nodded, his face grave. 

“Any idea what that is?”

Shaking heads all around. Xisuma looked at Silver who seemed nervous, fidgety. Their face was still smeared with Ren’s blood, their hands and shirt red. 

“Do you feel anything?”

“I already talked to the ground but – I can feel the land’s urge to do something, but nothing else. It knows something’s off but … that’s it.”

Pearl came running out of the building, distress on their face. Xisuma staled himself for the next bad news, breathing in and out slowly.

“Something’s wrong with the portal. The first few transportations worked but then it send the next ones back. We need to relight the portal every two or three transports, so it’s going to take longer.”

Okay.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Okay.”, Xisuma said out loud. “You stay here. The rest of the Hermits need to head out. We need to find out what that cloud is. Why the animals are running.”

Doc and Pearl nodded. Then X turned to Silver again.

“Silver, I am sorry, but –”

“You need me to evacuate as well. I get it. That’s not – I’ll keep connecting to the land magic until I leave and tell Pearl or Gem if anything comes up. Just – be careful, okay?” The last sentence was directed towards Doc. He nodded. They were still in sight of the visitors, so he couldn’t even kiss them. He didn’t dare to hug them or pull any attention towards them.

“Shut down your portal immediately after you’re home, alright? Find a safe place, just in case, and prepare food and weapons. Wear your armour. If you feel unsafe, visit a public world, disappear in the masses, okay?”

Silver nodded, their eyes big. Doc hated this. Hated this. How had he ever thought sending Silver away for safety would be easier than keeping them close? He was an idiot. An overbearing, overprotective, old ass.

“I’ll send you a message when it’s safe, okay? Or I’ll come to your world. If you’re not there, I’ll find you. Do not leave messages of your location, you hear me?”

“But how –”

“Don’t worry, I’ll find you. I have my ways.”

Silver nodded again. “Please be careful.” Their voice was small and watery but their face was set. 

Doc had to close his eyes for a second. Take a deep breath and steady himself. He wasn’t sure how he did it but he managed to not crush Silver in a hug. Instead, he gave them a reassuring smile. “Go on now. I’ll come get you later.”

For a moment, Doc stared at Silver’s retreating back, wondering whether this was his last time seeing them. Then he joined the rest of the Hermits who were already gearing up.