AU: None

WC: ~5k

Explaining the origins of this ship in my head is something I cannot do in a way that makes sense. This is what I mean by pairing so rare it's borderline crack. BDUBS AND HELS HAVE LITERALLY NEVER INTERACTED BUT I SAID FUCK THAT HERE'S BELS CONTENT FOR YOU

And hoo boy, when I say this is only the beginning; this is only the beginning

-

The spring breeze was especially refreshing atop Bdubs' monolith. His friends Tango and Impulse had stopped by, seeing as the three had yet to properly sit down and hang out since the start of their new world. As they sat talking under the early afternoon sun, they found themselves slipping into a familiar routine of poking and teasing one another.

As their laughter died down from Tango and Bdubs ganging up on Impulse, it was Bdubs' friends' turn to gang up on him.

"I gotta say," Impulse began. "I'm kinda surprised you built this monolith, especially with hardly any guardrails up here?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" He scoffed with a grin.

Tango nodded along. "I mean, you're not exactly... the bravest guy around here! Hell, you avoid going to the nether, let alone the end as much as possible!" He pointed out.

"When was the last time you stepped into the End?" Impulse added on.

"H-Hey now! I'm plenty brave! I just- just like to be... smart! Going to the End is dangerous and I don't need to risk my life for something I can easily buy later down the road," he attempted to reason, but his friends hardly seemed convinced.

"I'd like to see him conquer a bastion," Tango snorted, causing Impulse's eyes to light up.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea."

Bdubs didn't like the mischievous matching smiles forming on Tango and Impulse's faces. As he slowly shook his head, the two slowly nodded. "Prove to us that you're braver than we assume; conquer a bastion, bring back the pigstep disc as proof, and in return, I'll give you three totems," Impulse bargained.

"And I'll get you that elytra you want," Tango added.

The freckled builder scrunched his nose, recoiling slightly. "Why do I have to prove myself to you guys?"

Impulse shrugged. "I mean, you don't have to, but c'mon; totems and an elytra? Plus we'll let you keep all the treasure you get from the bastion, right Tango?"

"Right! Unless... you're too chicken?" Bdubs rolled his eyes as his friends exchanged a glance before mimicking the sound of clucking chickens.

He stood up, holding up his hands. "Okay okay stop! Fine! I accept your challenge! I'll conquer the first bastion I see and you'll two be sorry you ever doubted me," he declared, pointing a finger at them.

Grins widening, his friends stood up as well.

"Deal!" Tango and Impulse agreed.

Bdubs instantly felt regret crawling up his gut.

-

He cursed the blistering heat of the nether as he traveled through the hellish dimension. His diamond armor and golden helmet encased his sweat, leaving Bdubs feeling gross and uncomfortable. He grumbled regrets to himself about accepting such a deal, but the promise of gifts and proving his friends wrong pushed him forward.

As best as he could, Bdubs trudged through the soulsand valley, raising his shield to the skeletons around. Feeling particularly grumpy, he flipped one off before slicing it in half with his diamond sword.

Thankfully, just beyond the valley and across a small ravine with a river of lava at the bottom was a bastion.

Bdubs climbed into a window on the second floor and carefully maneuvered around piglins in search of a treasure room. He jumped over a hole in the hallway floor before turning the corner.

The good news was he found his first treasure room.

The bad news was a piglin brute had just closed one of the chests, having pulled out a golden ax. It huffed, head snapping to stare down Bdubs who swallowed hard.

"I'm not scared of you," he whispered, wielding his shield and extending his sword.

The brute charged him, knocking his shield from his hand with his ax, causing him to hastily back up down the hallway. With another swing to his head, the ax collided with his helmet, and Bdubs was kicked back, falling through the hole in the hall.

He braced himself to feel his back slam against the blackstone beneath, squeezing his eyes shut.

Instead, he was pleasantly surprised when he was met with a large arm catching him. Peeking through an eye, he found a tall man in dark armor lined with gold and shielded in a dark cloak holding him. It was hard to make out his face as he was looking up at the brute, not to mention the bastion was hardly lit at all. The man was holding a crossbow and shot the brute, the piglin collapsing on his side and the helmet he was holding clattering against the ground.

Before Bdubs could say anything, the sound of piglins snorting from down the hall and it finally set it in that it was his gold helmet the brute had gotten a hold off.

The stranger muttered a curse before sheathing his crossbow on his back. Gently he pushed Bdubs up against the wall, blocking his view with his arms on either side of him. "Sorry," the stranger muttered, his voice vaguely familiar. "They'll kill you without gold."

"I know," Bdubs mumbled. The two were unable to look at each other given the close proximity.

When the passing piglins began to sniff at the stranger, Bdubs' nerves grew and he tugged at the stranger's cloak, pulling him closer. He held his breath, tensing up, as the piglins slowly moved back and continued down the hall. The stranger watched them leave and Bdubs found himself finally able to breathe when he backed up.

"Here." The stranger pulled a pair of golden boots from his inventory which Bdubs quickly stepped into, tucking his diamond pair away. "So um, are you here just to raid the place, or do you want the bastion itself?"

Bdubs shook his head. "I'm just here to raid it. I'm um, all I really need is the Pigstep disc, although I guess some more treasure outta this would be nice," he explained.

The stranger nodded, lifting the visor of his knight's helmet. Bdubs furrowed his brows, cocking his head. "You're not Wels..." he slowly thought out loud. Although his face shared slightly similar features, the red eyes and sliver of platinum blonde hair left him confused. Not to mention the different armor. Although Wels' suit of armor was also lined with gold, he had a red plume, whereas the stranger seemed to have one made of fire. When the stranger spoke, he revealed sharp, spiky teeth.

"Ah, no um- I'm his- I'm his twin, Hels."

"Wels has a twin? He's... never mentioned you," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm um, the name's Bdubs, by the way," he awkwardly added.

Hels shrugged. "I don't blame him, I'm not the most flattering on his appearance. Plus, I live in the nether so we don't have any reason to talk much," he explained, reloading his crossbow. "Speaking of which, I came here to claim the bastion for myself, 'cause I think it'd be a good place to live."

"Then, if you let me take some loot, I'll help you clear it?" Bdubs suggested with a smile and an extended hand.

"Sure, why not," Hels agreed with a lopsided smile, shaking his hand.

-

Hels, Bdubs found, was more than generous when it came to looting the different chests. It turned out that having an ally made slaying the piglins a lot easier. They retrieved Bdubs' shield and helmet which especially came in handy when a piglin from around a corner almost shot Hels in the side. "Thanks," Hels muttered when Bdubs jumped to his rescue. 

"Anytime." He took the arrow out of his shield and they continued.

After the last room was searched, Bdubs slumped to the ground, his chest heaving from a mix of the overwhelming heat and his lack of energy. "You need water?" He asked the other as he pulled out a water bottle for himself.

"Sure."

The two sat in silence up against the chest, drinking water until Hels spoke up. "Listen, I know we couldn't find a disc here for you so..." he pulled out a flat circle from his inventory and handed it over. "You can have my copy."

"No, it's okay, I don't need need it," Bdubs insisted, but Hels wasn't having it.

"Just take it Bdubs."

He smiled. "Heh, thanks. Say, do you have a communicator?"

"I mean, yeah but I never use it," Hels admitted as he fished his out.

"Let me know if you ever want help decorating your new base, okay? I'd be more than happy to stop by," he offered, exchanging IDs.

A small, warm smile formed on Hels' face. "Thank you," he whispered. As quick as the smile came, it fell. "Wait, are you um, are you leaving already?"

Bdubs nodded. "Yeah, it'd be best if I head back sooner rather than later."

"Well ah, I guess I'll be looking forward to your next visit," Hels said as the two stood up.

"Hey, do you want me to let Wels know where you are? I know you've said you two don't exactly get along, but you're family, right? I can't imagine how worried he may be about you," Bdubs suggested, switching his boots out.

"No," Hels quickly answered before clearing his throat. "It's just ah- I'm worried he'll come down and find a reason to bother me or something. I'd rather he leave me alone."

Bdubs took one of his hands and squeezed it. "I get it, so don't worry about it! Besides, I'm sure you'll be sick of having one person constantly visit," he joked.

"You're going to visit me that much?" Hels laughed.

"Well sure! How else am I supposed to get to know my new friend?"

Hels' smile grew. "I guess you're right," he agreed, his voice dropping.

-

Bdubs had long since left the Nether, but Hels continued to stare at his hands.

An unfamiliar, disgustingly fluttery feeling tickled his stomach.

Was that what it felt like to be happy about making a friend?

He couldn't help but wonder if it was something more.

Alas, he brushed it off to the best of his abilities as he took the blackstone he had collected and began patching up his new base. A part of him wondered if he should've given so many treasures to Bdubs, but he couldn't help it. Each time he handed him something, Bdubs' eyes would light up like a little kid, and for some reason, he kept wanting to see it.

Hels wondered how long it would take before his new friend learned the truth about who he was and his intentions regarding the dimension Bdubs called home.

"It doesn't matter," he reasoned with himself as he removed his armor. "I'll just- I'll- use him to gain information about the Overworld. It'll make everything easier."

After a moment of staring at his reflection in his helmet, he swiped his hand over the plume, snuffing the flame. He placed it down with the rest of his armor in a chest in favor of continuing to fix up his base without the extra weight. However, removing the armor didn't seem to lift the heavy feeling on his chest.

-

With a smug smile, Bdubs crossed his arm as the sound of the Pigstep disc floated from the jukebox in Tango's home. His two friends were smiling as well and seemed proud of him.

"Gotta hand it to you Bdubs; pretty impressive that you pulled this off!" Tango complimented as Impulse placed the chest in front of him.

"As promised! Good job buddy, sorry we doubted you." Bdubs opened the chest, his smile growing.

He waved off the apology. "Nah don't worry about it, all in good fun! Besides, I kinda... enjoyed raiding the bastion! It was exciting!" Bdubs admitted, closing the chest in favor of sitting on the floor with Impulse and Tango.

Tango handed him a plated piece of pie as the music continued. "So, wanna try end busting next?"

Bdubs laughed. "I'm good, thanks. Since ya gave me some wings, I can just wait for the shulker farms to pop up." As he ate, he couldn't help but feel guilty for taking all the credit for the bastion raid. Hels had assured him that he didn't care about him taking the credit, but he couldn't exactly mention he got help without letting people know about Hels. Then there was the situation between the twins. Bdubs was beyond curious as to what happened to cause Hels to be so nervous about leaving the Nether. He barely knew him so he was in no position to ask, but he couldn't ask Wels without revealing he knew he had a twin.

"Say, wanna take your new wings for a test flight?" Impulse suggested.

He jumped to his feet. "Sure! I could always brush up my flying skills!" Bdubs pulled the pair of wings from the chest and slipped them on with a big smile. After storing his new music disc and ignoring the fact he had just eaten, Tango handed over some rockets and they headed outside.

Taking to the skies, they flew around each other, cheering and laughing. Bdubs attempted to land atop Scar's tree, only to crash into the leaves. Impulse quickly landed - some would argue far more graceful than Bdubs - and helped him up. "You good?" He asked through a laugh, picking the stray leaves from Bdubs' hair.

After taking a moment to catch his breath he nodded. "Yeah, that was awesome!"

Tango landed on the tree as well, only he was bent over, his hands on his knees. "I think- I think I should've waited a bit before flying after eating so much pie," he groaned, causing the other to laugh.

"You alright up there?" A familiar voice called from below. The three looked down to find a worried Mumbo with his hands cupped around his mouth.

Flashing a smile and a thumbs-up, Tango assured him with, "Peachy keen, honey!"

Bdubs patted his shoulder. "Wanna join us Mumbo? We're just flying around!"

The redstoner thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Sorry, I've got too much work today. Maybe next time!" He waved and the three waved back before the mustached man left.

"Isn't he cute," Tango sighed.

Impulse scoffed. "Sure thing bud."

Once they were sure Tango was feeling better, the three took a bird's-eye-view tour of the spawn area before flying around until they were tired.

It wasn't until they finished and went their separate ways for the rest of the day that Bdubs realized he had spent the entire time wondering in the back of his mind if Hels would enjoy such antics. He found it reasonable to think about that sort of thing, considering his lack of knowledge about Hels and curiosity to learn more about him.

-

"You've brought a lot of stuff," Hels noted when Bdubs arrived at the bastion the following day. With a big smile, Bdubs placed the stuffed chest in the entrance.

"What can I say? I love interior decorating and figured I could help you around here!" His cheerfulness seemed to tug a tiny smile out of Hels and that was enough to keep him talking. "Now, I took into account your messages and the kind of aesthetic you were going for in here, so I've brought some furniture and blocks I thought fit that!"

Hels helped him pull all that he brought up and Bdubs gave suggestions of where to put everything based on the intended use of each room. Tall, polished black marble candelabras, dark oak furniture, blue drapes to complement the soul lanterns and much more were among the items Bdubs brought along.

Since having a bed in the nether was dangerous and futile, the 'bedroom' was simply a small room with a recharge station in the center. Although Bdubs argued that Hels should at least be somewhat comfortable so with a new loveseat underneath a window, they moved the recharge station to sit next to the couch.

"Now you can actually relax and not have to worry about exploding a bed!" Bdubs cheerfully pointed out after putting throw pillows on the couch and draping a blanket over the top.

Although the base wasn't complete, that was the last of what Bdubs had brought for the day.

Except, he had one more gift.

The two sat at the small kitchen table, sharing a Giga Pie™. "Hey uh, thank you, by the way. Not- Not just for the pie but for... all of this. You don't know me but you've been really nice," Hels said as he picked at his slice.

"I mean, if I'm gonna force my friendship on you, the best way to do it is to just be kind, classic Bdubs," he joked, eating a bite of pie.

Hels shook his head, lightly laughing. "Gotta say; I think I'm already enjoying this 'forced friendship' as you call it," he teased back. Bdubs' smile grew at his comment before launching into the story of how he had spent the prior afternoon flying around. Hels noted he had never used an elytra before, and although he expressed a neutral opinion on them, he admitted what Bdubs described sounded like fun.

"Besides Wels, obviously, do you know any of the other hermits?" Bdubs dared to ask. "I just don't want you to get too lonely." He immediately worried if he should regret his words. The builder had discovered he had a habit of throwing himself onto new people and having the need to help them out in every little way in hopes they'd stick around, but every time he did so, Bdubs always worried he was constantly overstepping invisible lines no one would tell him about.

Thankfully, Hels didn't seem to mind, only laughing once more. "I appreciate the concern! However, I can assure you that it's not so lonely here. Also no, you're the first person to approach me that wasn't my brother," he explained.

Bdubs desperately wished to pry further, but he knew that would be crossing the invisible line, and he'd rather not cross the boundary of somebody, let alone a friend. "Oh! That's right, I brought a disc with me!" He suddenly remembered that he had another gift, although this wasn't one for Hels to keep.

Sitting on the chest next to the jukebox, Bdubs swung a leg, brushing the bottom of his foot against the floor as the song 'otherside' floated around him. Hels was sitting on the floor, eyes closed and arms draped over his knees. When his eyes opened, Bdubs realized Hels was staring at him and wasn't sure what to make of it.

-

It became an almost every other day routine of Bdubs finding an excuse to head to the nether to hang out with his new friend. At first, they'd spend the beginning decorating the bastion, but when they finally finished, Bdubs would show up with some food, and either they'd spend a few hours just talking, or on the rare occasion Hels would convince Bdubs to go on a small adventure.

By the time a month had passed, although Bdubs still didn't know much about how the brothers fell out of touch, he knew plenty of Hels' childhood and was quickly growing accustomed to his taste of thrill.

"This is gonna kill me!" He squawked in protest as the two crouched atop the tree-like fungus in the nearby crimson forest.

Hels patted his shoulder. "Nah you'll be great!" He assured him before standing up. "I promise riding hoglins is fun! Besides, I'll be right here doing the same thing." The plan was to hop on hoglins and see how long they could last before the mobs successfully threw them off. Apparently, Hels was an expert and found it to be a fun little game.

Sucking in a deep breath, Bdubs watched as Hels jumped down from the fungus, which thankfully wasn't too high up from the ground, and onto the back of an unsuspecting hoglin. When another came near Bdubs held back a scream as he jumped down. Just like with Hels, his hoglin immediately tried to throw him off, shaking his head and running around. He tightly gripped the hairs on the hoglin, tensing up and squeezing his eyes shut.

However, the sound of Hels' maniacal laughter eased him slightly. If he was having fun then maybe he could too, right? "You okay Bdubs?" He called.

Slowly, Bdubs relaxed his shoulders and opened his eyes. A few deep breaths later he was able to flash a smile. "Yeah! This is- this isn't so bad!" He nervously laughed.

Unfortunately, their little rodeo was interrupted when a group of three piglins walked into the clearing, immediately growing angry at the sight of the hoglins and raising their crossbows. "What do we do?" Bdubs asked, yelping when an arrow flew towards him, piercing the side of the hoglin he was on.

An arm snaked around his waist, plucking him from the beast. He looked up at Hels who had abandoned his ride and raised a shield. "And now we run," he whispered in his ear with a grin. One of the hoglins charged in their direction, but Hels blocked the initial blow. Two of the piglins shot it, gaining its attention. The moment it turned away from them, Bdubs grabbed his hand and they booked it back to the bastion.

By the time they finally made it back, Bdubs was out of breath, but his heart was racing with excitement. He let go of Hels' hands so the double doors could be shut.

"See? Fun!" Bdubs' smile grew at Hels' comment.

"Yeah, yeah it was," he agreed, still catching his breath. He checked the time on the watch clipped to his belt loop, only to remember it didn't work in the nether. His smile faltered. "I think it's getting late, I should probably head back soon."

"I mean, if- y'know if you wanted to, you could just- stay," Hels offered, scratching the back of his neck. "I know it's not the same as using a bed but- only if you wanted to, of course." Fixing his bandana, Bdubs wondered why his heart skipped a beat so easily.

He shrugged. "Sure! I wouldn't mind spending a bit more time here with you," he agreed. The warm smile that bloomed on Hels' face was addictive and Bdubs found himself matching.

-

Seeing as they were both exhausted, it wasn't long until they ate and headed into Hels' bedroom. Bdubs tapped the respawn anchor so it would register his soul before plopping down on the floor. "C'mon, sit on the couch," Hels laughed, patting the space beside him.

As Hels leaned against the armrest, Bdubs sat beside him.

"Do you die often?" He was suddenly asked.

Bdubs let out a light laugh. "Kinda? Not as much as Scar, but I guess you could say I'm not the safest." He leaned back, sinking into the couch. "What, did you assume I did?" Bdubs teasingly added.

"No, no, I was just curious. It seems so... mentally draining. I... I wouldn't know," Hels slowly explained before lowering his voice. "I'm not like you guys."

Growing concerned, Bdubs moved closer. "What?"

"I can't respawn; I don't have an immortal soul."

Seeing the sorrow filling his face, Bdubs took his hand in hopes to comfort him. "But how? A-Are you sure? I just assumed- and you're so reckless too!" He knew his words weren't helping, but it was hard to not worry.

"I don't know why I'm not, but I just... know. It's this feeling and I can't describe it. Like today, I love doing stupid, reckless things because it's like I'm proving to myself I don't need an immortal soul," he said as he squeezed Bdubs' hand.

Suppressing his yawn, Bdubs shuffled a bit closer. "Next time I visit, I'll bring you a totem," he offered.

When Hels began to decline, he shook his head. "I refuse to let you refuse," he rebutted.

Huffing, Hels gave a lopsided smile. "Alright you little worrywart," he teased as Bdubs wasn't able to hold back another yawn. His head began to drop but just when he adjusted how he was sitting so he could lean his head back, Hels slightly pulled him, shifting him so he'd be leaning against his chest. With half-lidded eyes, he hummed at the comfort, the feeling of a thumb rubbing the back of his hand almost hypnotic. "Wels used to be more worried about me too," Hels murmured. "Then we had our big fight, and suddenly, I didn't know if he actually wanted to kill me or not."

"What do you mean?" Bdubs whispered, feeling confused. Wels was a noble knight, why would he ever consider murdering his brother?

Hels quietly explained further. "I was angry because I thought I deserved... more. I was ambitious and- and aggressive and Wels saw me more as a threat than anything else. So... we fought and he won. Although he didn't kill me, he threatened if I ever left the nether he'd... hurt me. But, it's understandable. I'm not- I wasn't a- a good person." Unsure how to feel, Bdubs could only frown and squeezed his hands. As Hels took a deep breath, he was lifted with the rise of his chest.

"I want- I wanted to- take over the server."

Bdubs' heart stopped.

"Do you still want to?" He dared to ask.

Hels exhaled. "I'm not sure what I want anymore," he murmured as he squeezed his hand.

The builder refused to let himself dwell on those words, afraid of what thoughts would form from his imagination. If he weren't so tired, perhaps he'd become more self-conscious about his position, but alas energy from the respawn anchor wasn't fueling him fast enough.

All he could do was hum and nod, choosing to continue to lay in silence.

-

Hels couldn't take his eyes off Bdubs. He had expected him to recoil when he dared to pull him close. He had expected him to run when he revealed what happened between him and his brother.

Yet, Bdubs stayed.

Despite that, he knew there was still only so much time he had left with Bdubs before he inevitably did leave. Yawning himself, he leaned his head against Bdubs', zoning out with half-lidded eyes. From the first day he met him, Hels learned how naturally affectionate the builder was. In the beginning, he was unsure what to make of it, but a week after they started spending time together he was already used to it.

They relaxed in silence for a few hours, Hels feeling his energy restoring with time. If he could, Hels would stay there forever. Alas, the time came when he was fully energized and could tell Bdubs was too. His friend let go of his hand and sat up, making a small noise as he stretched his arms above his head.

"You want to eat something?" Hels offered, following him as he stood up.

Bdubs nodded. "Sure! But then I think I'm gonna head home. I'll be back whenever you want though!"

A part of Hels wanted to ask if he just wanted his own room, to give Bdubs an excuse to call the bastion his nether base. No, that's stupid don't be stupid. Don't give him hope and most certainly don't give yourself any hope. In the end, you'll show yourself to be what you are; the enemy and that's it, he scolded himself, waving off the ridiculous idea as they headed for the kitchen.

-

Bdubs couldn't leave the nether faster.

His face was burning up and not just from the heat of the dimension. Sure, he was used to being close to his friends; all of the hermits were like that. He couldn't count the number of times they would all find themselves together chilling on a field or in someone's base for a big platonic cuddle pile. So why was him being so affectionate with Hels affecting him like it was? He had only known him for about a month, surely Bdubs wasn't the kind to like someone so quickly, was he?

"Hey, Bdubs! Whatcha up to?" His head snapped up in the direction of the sound of Scar. He forced a smile and waved.

"Hi, buddy!" He responded as the elf approached him. "Not much, just heading home after some grinding in the nether," he easily lied.

Scar studied his face for a moment. "Who's got you blushing so much?" He teased.

"What? It's- no I'm not blushing. The nether is just really hot is all," Bdubs protested, trying his best to not sound too frantic.

"Sure," Scar nodded, drawing out the word. Suddenly, he stood up straight and clapped his hands. "Well! I'd love to stay and chat some more but I'm on my way for a date with my two favorite people! Don't think you're in the clear, though, I'll be around later!"

Bdubs lightly laughed. "Alright, sure Scar. Oh! Tell Stress and Joe I said hi!"

"I will!" Bdubs waved as his friend headed off to his date with his partners, and once he was out of view he took a big breath. He was not blushing over Hels.

There was simply no way.

He decided to attempt to focus on his new building ideas as he marched back to his monolith. The builder just made a new friend and he was not about to ruin it with silly feelings that most likely wouldn't even last. 

-

Part two coming eventually! I will say I personally accept the name Bels or Hedubs, but to each their own.