Helo

I lov them <3

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RECAP

"Brine?"

"Hmm," the dual-toned voice answered.

"Did you give me a health potion earlier?"

"...I suppose. I am not familiar with potions."

Steven chuckled, "Neither am I... but I did purchase one before I came here."

He shifted, glancing up to receive a scowl from the god, "You had healing things with you this whole time? Why did you not drink."

"I... forgot. And I was saving it for something worse... what if you needed it more?"

Herobrine huffed at him, folding his arms as he shook his head, "Steven, if the world is to survive, you need to do your d#mn best to keep yourself alive. That includes being selfish and using every item at your disposal for your own benefit."

"Well, now I can heal your hands!"

"Steven-"

The roar of the portal interrupted the god, as did an awful, grating  noise. Before Steven could even jerk back from the flaring magic, an  arm was flung around his waist, and he was dragged away into the magenta  swirls.

END RECAP

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The Overworld

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     The first sensation Steven registered was cold.

     Biting and stinging his skin, rushing up into his lungs and making them seize.  The abrupt change in temperature almost had him dazed.

     The second sensation; pain. This one kept him from becoming dazed.

      Third; a surrounding, deafening  roar drowning out any sensible thought.

     Steven gasped, jerking up to stagger back as he wrapped his arms around himself, squinting. His eyes stung, like tiny shards of ice were being driven-

      The soldier blinked. Oh... snow, it was snow.

      They were in a blizzard.

    And he was still shirtless.

      "H-Herobrine?" His voice was cast back to him by the howling wind, muffled by driven snow, "Hero, where are-?"

      A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, and he flinched, nearly jerking away.

      Instead, he was roughly dragged against a warm body, and Herobrine's voice was yelling into his ear, "I sense no guards! This place is mountainous, it is a good entry point–"

      His voice abruptly cut off as he felt Steven tucking himself closer, face turning into his chest to avoid the fierce wind.

      "What, pray tell, are you doing??"

      Steven blinked, lifting his head from the warmth as he struggled to open his eyes, "S-sorry Brine, I can't see a-and 'm cold–" Indeed, his own voice became hardly understandable, trembling as his body began to shudder and succumb to the fierce cold.

      Herobrine's huff was stolen by the wind, and Steven grimaced as both his upper arms were grasped. He bit his tongue to avoid complaining of his wound, now pulsing due to his tensed shivers. the health potion had done wonders, yes, but it had not mended everything, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to–"

     He was dragged into a teleportation warp, cutting him off mid-sentence.

      Steven gasped as Herobrine dragged them both behind a large stone, shielding him somewhat from the cutting winds. He stumbled back a little, arms again lifting to rub fruitlessly at his body, unable to generate warmth. Shuddering, he exhaled shakily, grimacing as he lifted numbing hands to breathe on them, which was when he noticed glowing eyes on him.

      "You are cold, hm?"

      Steven couldn't get his chattering teeth to work, so he simply nodded.

      Herobrine hummed, closing his eyes as his brows lowered into a frown, "I will try to feel for shelter within these mountains... but it may take a while."

      He did not need to voice his doubt that Steven would last that long, Steven knew it well enough.

       Warm hands again seized Steven's upper arms, and he squawked as he was tugged suddenly against Herobrine's chest, wrapped in the god's bare arms. At first, the ex-soldier stiffened, frozen with uncertainty, but the warmth was too much to withstand.

      He leaned in, tucking his frozen arms between his body and Heorbrine's, shuffling his boots to all but stand upon his creator's toes. His instincts told him it was dangerous being so near his crazed god, that the last time he was in these hands, he'd been thrown against rocks and beaten half to death–

      Steven shuddered, squeezed his eyes shut, and listened to the dual heartbeat of his creator.

     Wait... two...?

      "Y-you have.... two h-hearts?"

     The god did not answer, his eyes were closed as he sought shelter for his creation, and Steven went silent. It was probably best not to annoy him if it helped to keep the demon at bay...

    It was indeed a long while before Herobrine even shifted, and Steven dazedly realized he would have easily frozen to death if not for the god's forethought.

     It was even longer before Herobrine's eyes opened, "I sense humans nearby... a mountain village."

     Steven didn't answer, and his creator unwrapped his arms, shaking the soldier, "Steven."

      The man jolted, eyes flying open, "N-Notch–"

     "Wrong brother. Did you not hear me? I sense a human village nearby."

     "I-is that s-safe? Are you g-gonna... gonna kill?"

      Herobrine growled softly, and Steven winced, "I... do not know. The voice has been silent since we exited the portal..."

     He therefore had two choices. This mountain, unfortunately, was void of closed-off caverns... the only warm enough place for Steven would be the human village. He could leave Steven there and try to stay nearby but... could he risk being even a few chunks away from his creation? If he decided to take Steven away from these frozen peaks, he would be robbed of the magic-honing corruption the surrounding hills gifted.

     And the soldier was running out of time. Already, the god could sense his creation wilting, his legs growing weak as his shivers overpowered him and warmth fled his body.

      He needed to make a decision... fast.

      Reaching around Steven, he tore the man's pack from his shoulders, ripping off a leather strap to wind about his head, covering his eyes.

      If any human saw his eyes, they would surely flee straight to Notch. Tales of his bloodshed had reached even the farthest villages – something Notch had taken extreme care in doing. Many times in his rampages, he'd found villages emptied of people and cattle, evident that they had left in a hurry still strewn about their towns.

     Notch had done everything he could to draw his precious humans away... but only the weakest. The ones who could fight were thrown upon him instead.

     Herobrine scowled as he knotted the rope tightly, pushing it up to rest upon his forehead until he needed to hide his eyes. Sacrificing the strong for the weak... a concept he had never understood.

      Steven faltered before him, and the god's arms shot out to catch the soldier before he hit the snow.

     Less than a minute...

     He teleported, appearing just before a wooden structure covered in snow. Gentle lamplight shone from the windows of surrounding houses, scattered throughout a forest of spruce. Herobrine placed a hand on the wood before him, noting the distinct lack of human presence, and blipped within.

     Instantly, the roar and howl of the wind was cut off, muffled behind thick, wooden walls. Herobrine's eyes illuminated bales of hay stacked to the roof, and revealed divided stalls, where sheep blinked at him, and horses snorted and stamped. The smell was... unpleasant, but the warmth was worthwhile.

     In his arms, Steven shuddered hard, and Herobrine huffed, beginning to drag him over to a collection of hay bales, laying his unresponsive body upon them. The soldier's lips and fingers were tinged blue, undoubtedly his feet were nearly frozen as well. With a muted sigh, the god knelt beside the man, taking off his boots, gathering up his frozen hands, and pressing them to his own, warm chest. Being a god had its perks... and eternal warmth was one of them.

     Soon enough, Steven was shivering again. It took a long while for him to stop, his body finally arming to a proper temperature. Part of this feat was due to Herobrine being used as a giant hot water bottle – Steven's entire body was draped over his, and the god could feel his creation's skin and blood gleefully stealing warmth for itself.

      Before long, even Herobrine felt the beckon of sleep, weariness pressed down upon him. Being in the Nether, starved of his own mind for so long, he hadn't realized how much it had truly affected him. Now that the voice was silent and his thoughts were clear and level...

      He almost felt... grateful to his creation.

     A soft sigh passed through his lips, making Steven shift, and Herobrine's hand rose to press against his lifting head, stilling the soldier's movement, ensuring he remained asleep, resting.

     Yes... this feeling was akin to gratefulness, even guilt. Perhaps he could one day express it to Steven...

     Herobine finally tugged the strap over his own eyes, letting his body fall into a trance, healing.

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wAaaahhh I love a good fluff concept and a redeemed whumper uwu

Also - pls do not scream "Herosteve" from the rooftops, that ship is an abomination to me lol. I simply wish to see cuddly bruvvers fr

PLATONIC OR ATOMIC, ALL YE WHO SHIP 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥