Word Count: ~ 1.4k

Au: Permadeath

Poor Bdubs is a victim of my angst, time, and time again. (TW for mentions of blood and mild gore)

Xisuma stared at the portal in the shopping district. He paced back and forth but kept his eyes glued to the swirling purple. He wanted to jump through so badly. But the admin knew what was waiting on the other side, and the last thing the hermits needed was their admin dead due to a rigged portal.

"Why did we think a hardcore world was a good idea?" he muttered to himself.

He was so lost in thought, it wasn't until Keralis squeezed his hands that he realized he was even there.

"I know you're worried, we all are. But the only thing we can do is wait. So please, come back into the town hall," the wide-eyed hermit pleaded.

Sighing, X begrudgingly turned around and allowed his friend to lead him up the steps and into the town hall where the rest of the hermits were anxiously awaiting their friend's return. Mayor Scar was sitting in front of his throne and was doing his best to raise everyone's spirit. Xisuma sat by the entrance, still feeling extremely anxious.

While Keralis headed over to where xB was sitting, Scar noticed Xisuma's anxiety and brought over Jellie. "Petting her always made me feel better," he softly explained before heading back to the throne.

The sentiment from his friend and the purring cat in his lap made him smile. And Scar was right, petting the grey cat did make him feel better about the current situation.

Although it didn't last long, as a couple of minutes later, everyone sat up and ran out of the building at the sound of someone exiting a portal.

-

Bdubs' arm was slung over Grian's shoulder, who was muttering words of reassurance to the shorter male. Both were covered in bruises, cuts, and blood, but Bdubs seemed to have taken a harder hit. With his free hand, he was clutching his stomach. Dark red blood stained the front of his shirt and was seeping out from in between his fingers. The blonde hermit was limping, Bdub's red bandana tied around his thigh. Shuddering, the freckled hermit collapsed onto Grian. The two dropped to their knees and the short blonde clutched the builder and kissed his forehead.

"Grian what happened?" Xisuma quietly asked, kneeling. Keralis was clutching xB's arm, unable to speak at the sight of his severely wounded friends.

"Your brother," he spat, not taking his eyes off the freckled hermit. "We thought we were safe, but then he stabbed Bdubs, claiming it was a warning for you,"

"Bubbles?" the wide-eyed brunette whispered, his voice cracking as he held back a sob. Blinking, the wounded hermit turned his head and gave his best friend a weary smile.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he reassured him with a hoarse voice. Wincing, he gripped his wound, burying his face into the blonde builder's red sweater.

"Someone get me a healing potion, now," Grian demanded with a shaky voice. Keralis jumped up and ran to the other hermits, who were all frantically scanning their inventories and assortment of shulker boxes.

"Found one!" Tango exclaimed, weaving around some other hermits to hand it over.

Taking it from Keralis, Grian opened the bottle, holding it in front of a dying Bdubs.

"I need you to drink this," he said softly.

Bdubs looked up at him and frowned.

"But you're hurt too," he protested.

Grian laughed softly and pushed the hair out of the smaller male's face.

"I'll find another one. Right now you need it more than I do,"

Bdubs was shaking. Everything hurt so much.

"I just need to rest. I'm too tired to drink anyway," he murmured, nuzzling Grian's chest. He could feel the world around him grow dark as he drifted away, unsure if he would ever return.

"Bdubs? Bdubs talk to me, please," the blonde sobbed, clutching the boy in his arms.

His breaths were slowing down.

"Come on!" he cried, giving him a light shake.

"Grian, try and make Bdubs drink it before it's too late," Xisuma calmly instructed, masking away his fear. Standing up, he faced the group of horrified hermits. "We need a splash potion of healing and fast!" he announced.

Pouring the potion into Bdubs' mouth, Grian quietly pleaded that it would work. He pressed their foreheads together, trying to hold back more tears.

And nothing.

A sob broke free from his throat and tears mixed with blood as they trickled down Grian's face. He clung onto the hermit's body, crying into his shoulder.

Through his tears, he made a promise to himself and Bdubs.

EX was going to pay. And with luck, it would be with his life.

-

A warm sensation rushed through his body as he heard the sound of shattering glass near him. The splash potion's effects were quick to set in, as the pain in his leg slowly faded away. He stared at Bdubs, hoping the same would happen to him.

Keralis clung onto xB, (who gripped his shirt in return) biting back tears as he watched Grian lift his friend's shirt. They all stared at the giant wound, waiting for it to close up.

Slowly but surely, it did.

The admin squeezed xB's shoulder for comfort as Bdubs began to heal. "It's fine," he muttered to himself. "We made it in time, we made it in time," he repeated over and over in an attempt to calm himself.

Bdubs didn't move.

-

He still felt so tired.

Although, something was pulling him back, forcing the darkness around him to retreat. His body no longer ached. Am I dead? He wondered, trying to move around so he could see around him. And that voice, is Grian dead too? He keeps calling my name. He wanted to reach out to him, but the exhaustion was like a weighted blanket draped over his body. I want to sleep. He thought, his eyes slowly closing again. 

But then the voice began to fade. He found it harder to hear Grian's voice, harder to feel his presence. No, come back! 

-

"Bdubs? Bdubs, please. Bdubs this isn't funny," Grian cried.

For the first time since he returned, he looked up at the other hermits. He saw them all holding onto one another, some managing to hold back tears, others full-on sobbing. Turning back to the boy in his arms, he cupped his face, stroking his cheek with his thumb.

-

The freckled hermit turned his face into Grian's hand, kissing his palm. He still felt a little tired, but the warmth from Grian's body gave him the energy to move again. With the pain from his stomach gone, Bdubs was able to sit up in the blonde builder's lap.

Beaming, the hermit in the red sweater began to laugh, tears streaming down his face once more. If Bdubs didn't die before, he was certainly going to die of suffocation now thanks to how tight of a hug he was pulled into.

"Don't scare me like that ever again," Grian scolded. Finally pulling back from the hug, he stared into Bdubs' sparkling eyes.

"I'm sorry," he apologized with a small smile.

Shaking his head, the small blonde pulled him close once more, this time to kiss him.

Euphoria exploded in Bdubs' chest as they kissed. For someone who was just on death's doorstep, he never felt more alive. When they finally broke it off, he was still beaming, even as they stood up.

Keralis was first to tackle them with hugs, and the rest were quick to follow suit. However, the conversation began to shift and became more serious when Impulse asked if the portals were safe to use. Bdubs was only half listening as he squeezed the blonde's hand. He still felt a little lightheaded but didn't want to close his eyes

"We dismantled the trap on this one," Grian explained, gesturing to the shopping district portal. "But we have no idea how the others are,"

As Scar and Xisuma began to discuss how they should proceed with the nether, the adrenaline slipped away from the blonde boy, and he leaned against Bdubs, feeling drowsy.

"I think we could both use the rest," the brunette giggled softly, kissing his temple.

-

After a warm shower, there was nothing else Grian wanted to do except sleep. He crawled into Bdubs' bed and dragged the tan brunette in with him. The freckled builder pressed against his chest, but still felt... scared. Would it really be safe for him to close his eyes, and drift off? Maybe nothing bad would happen. Or maybe he'd be back there, stuck in that darkness with the heavyweight on him, keeping him from Grian. 

Y'all don't understand how close I was to killing Bdubs. Maybe not this time, but just you wait.

Just you fricken wait.