Au: None

Word Count: ~1.5k

Hurt/Comfort anyone?

There were two things that Doc regretted about last season. One of them was that he spent too much time with distractions like pulling stupid pranks on Bdubs to finish any serious work.

But this time, things would be different.

From the moment the season started Doc eagerly jumped into his work. He only got sidetracked a little with the Goatem Pole, but besides that, he was already feeling extremely productive.

-

Bdubs drummed his fingers on the windowsill in the room on the top floor. He just watched Doc, his boyfriend, come to the area to only speak with Keralis. The hybrid never even glanced in the direction of his build.

He glanced at his communicator and sure enough, all of his messages to Doc had gone unread.

"Okay," he sighed, pushing himself off the window. He headed downstairs and out of his house. I would've waited for him to say something, but if he's going to continue to ghost me, I might as well ask if he wants to break up, he bitterly thought as he climbed into a boat and headed for the direction of Doc and Ren's.

-

He found Doc standing over the 'Cursed Chunk' he spawned, only now there was a tower in it, most likely a mob farm. Cautiously, Bdubs approached him, unsure how to announce himself.

"I uh, saw you came by the area earlier," he slowly said. "You could've stopped by and said hi."

Doc looked over his shoulder at him and gave a small smile. "Oh, hey Bdubs. Sorry, I'm too busy and on a tight schedule."

"Yeah, I've noticed, " he flatly responded, crossing his arms. "Too busy to talk to me, too busy to even read my messages."

His boyfriend just hummed in acknowledgment as he looked around the chunk.

Sighing, Bdubs just looked up at the sky. "Do you remember the last time we went on a date?"

"Um, that was right after the Turf War ended, right?"

"Yeah," he bitterly mumbled. "We had a bet, remember? Whoever lost had to pay? You do realize how long it's been since then, right?"

Doc crouched, seemingly searching through his inventory. "Well, I did get pulled out of existence by the Goat Mother after that," he pointed out.

Crouching so that his chin could touch his knees, Bdubs hugged his legs. "So then I was kinda hoping you'd be a little more excited to, y'know, be able to talk to me again," he mumbled, gripping his pants.

"I'm sorry, Bee, but I'm really busy. I can't afford to get distracted again. That's why I did so poorly last season, too many distractions."

"Being neighbors with me was a distraction?" He quietly asked, praying for a no.

"Well, when we started pranking each other yeah that was too much of a distraction from what I had to get done," he explained.

Anger exploded in his chest as he picked up a random rock off the ground and threw it at him, hitting the back of his neck. "What was that for?!" Doc shouted, turning around.

"We wouldn't have started dating if it wasn't for the stupid pranks!" He snapped, standing up. "You know how much I cried when you left? Even though they never sent through I still messaged you every day, in hopes that maybe one day, you'd come back, that you'd respond! And now that I finally have you back, you don't even want anything to do with me anymore!" Tears streaked his cheeks as he gritted his teeth and just glared at Doc.

The hybrid looked slightly startled and took a small step towards him. "Ah. Um, listen, that's not- I didn't mean that-" he protested.

"Then what do you mean, huh? You may be fine with not spending a lot of time together, but I'm not! Relationships go two ways, Doc!" He wiped his eyes, but the tears kept falling down his face.

"I-I know that," he softly said. "I'm really sorry Bdubs, I should've known you were hurting."

Sniffling, a bitter smile spread across his face. "Oh quit lying, will you? Just admit you want to break up and get it over with." He buried his face in his hands, repeatedly wiping his face in hopes to make the embarrassing crying stop.

He took a deep breath and kept his eyes closed as he lifted his face. But instead of hearing those dreaded words that have been haunting him for months, he was met with arms wrapping around him, a hand holding the back of his head.

"I'm so sorry Bdubs," Doc murmured, lowering his head as he held him against his chest. "Please, let me make it up to you. I don't want to end this with you."

He sniffled, squeezing his eyes shut as more tears flooded from his eyes. It had been so long since he felt Doc's warm embrace that he had started to believe he'd never feel it again. "Stop- stop it," he grumbled. "You don't- you don't mean it, let me go." He braced his hands on his chest and tried to push against his arms, but the hybrid refused to let go.

"I love you," he whispered. "I'm sorry I don't show it enough, I'm sorry I don't say it enough, but I love you."

Bdubs stopped struggling, leaning his forehead against his chest. "It didn't bother me that you didn't always say it, 'cause I always knew you did. It's the fact that when you came back, everyone else got you back, but I didn't," he mumbled, gripping at his lab coat. His voice dropped to a whisper, cracking a little from the weight of his words; "When are you coming back to me?"

"I'm here, Bdubs," Doc assured him, followed by a soft kiss to his head. His legs trembled and they both slowly dropped to his knees. He couldn't tell if he wanted to just punch him or kiss him, so instead of choosing one he just took deep breaths to calm down.

"I was so caught up on getting ahead of everyone else..." Doc muttered as Bdubs buried his face in his shoulder. "You mean so much to me, I never should've pushed you away."

-

It was funny.

There were two things that Doc regretted, and they contradicted each other. That's because the other was the lack of time he got to spend with his boyfriend.

But when the new season began, and he and Ren discovered the strange book, he blocked off everything to focus solely on this strange mystery. He caged up everything that mattered, determined to figure this out in hopes it had the key to somehow pull him ahead.

Then Bdubs came.

Then Bdubs cried.

Seeing him in this state freed everything he had locked away, reminding him of what he so desperately missed. If he wanted to accomplish true success, Doc realized he'd have to learn to balance both of his regrets.

"I love you," Bdubs whispered, turning his head to kiss his cheek. "Listen, I'm not asking you to spend every day with me, just, at least an acknowledgment of my existence would be nice."

With a small smile, he pulled back to hold his jaw. "I'll try and find time to come stop by, and I'll text you as often as I can," he decided.

He gazed at his face for a moment before pressing kisses to different freckles on his face. Bdubs began to giggle and lightly held his forearms. "What're you doing?" He laughed, scrunching his face.

"Trying to make you smile again," he murmured before gently kissing him.

Bdubs melted against him, their lips moving in a slow yet familiar rhythm. I think I can afford to take a break, he decided when they parted, scooping up his boyfriend.

"What now?" Bdubs laughed, holding onto him.

"It's nap time."

"Are you sure?" He glanced down as Bdubs looked over their shoulders. "Aren't you really busy?"

The hybrid shrugged. "True, but a break won't hurt."

Doc carried him into the camper and let him down once inside. As per usual, he slipped off his lab coat. Bdubs also took off his sweater and tee, reminding Doc how he used to say, "Well I can't let you be the only one shirtless now can I?"

-

Bdubs closed his eyes as he snuggled against Doc's chest, a feeling he had missed so dearly. "You're not gonna fall asleep, are you?" He whispered when the blanket was pulled up.

"Mm, I'll try. But if I can't, just laying here with you works just fine." The smile on his face grew as he pressed a few lazy kisses to his jaw. Nuzzling his face in the crook of his neck while Doc held him close, he slowly drifted off.

-

Did Doc run off somewhere? Ren wondered as he looked around. He decided to step into the camper for a moment, but then he thought he heard something.

Cautiously, he opened the door and immediately smiled. Doc and Bdubs were fast asleep, for how long Ren didn't know. It occurred to him that he hadn't seen the two interact at all so far this season, and Doc never even mentioned him. Ren had honestly begun to think they had ended things, but never found the time to bring it up with anyone. But seeing the two looking so peaceful and content told him all he needed to know. He quietly closed the door to not disturb them and stepped back outside.