wow oh boy I sort of forgot about updating this-

this one is almost sickly sweet, just saying

WARNING! This oneshot contains mild swearing! If this topic makes you uncomfortable or causes you panic, I'd advise not to read this one shot, but it's your personal decision.

WC: 2.8k

The night bustled with sounds and lights. The hermits were holding a New Year's party, and everyone on the server was present. The water off the coast of the shopping district was sparkling with reflections from all of the lights that Scar had strung through the trees. In Doc's opinion, it was bright enough to be daytime. He looked around from where he was standing against a mushroom at the edge of the party, smiling slightly as he watched his fellow hermits be the chaotic people that they were. Tango was stuffing his face with cupcakes, and Impulse and Zedaph were egging him on as the red-eyed hermit wiped pink frosting off his face with a huge smile. Mumbo was swooning over the little mushrooms that Scar had put around the shore; Doc had a feeling that Scar had put those there just to make Mumbo happy. Grian, who was making an unholy amount of racket, was pelting Keralis with Cheetos as the wide-eyed hermit chased his boyfriend around the food tables.

And then there was Bdubs.

Doc laughed to himself as Bdubs stuck his tongue out in concentration. He was trying to make a house of cards, which was an unusually calm activity for the feisty hermit to be taking part in. Joe was sitting beside him, probably saying some poetry nonsense. Doc found himself staring at Bdubs, blushing at the way that Bdubs' caramel eyes lit up as he placed another card on the top of his structure.

"My god, you look like a lovesick puppy."

Doc jumped and tore his eyes away from Bdubs. He wasn't surprised to see Etho walking towards him with a smug smile planted on his face. Doc couldn't see it, but he could tell it was there. He blushed and narrowed his eyes at the ninja. "Shut up," he hissed. "Not so loud." Etho shrugged. "It's not too much of a secret. Your crush on Bdubs is pretty obvious." Doc tensed, flushing even more red. "It is not," he growled, and Etho chuckled.

"Just kiss him already!" Etho exclaimed, though he did lower his voice. Doc's eyes widened and flickered over to Bdubs for a split second. Of course Etho noticed this, and he grinned. "No way!" Doc said, meeting Etho's heterochromatic eyes. "If anyone is going to be doing any kissing, it should be you and a certain someone." Doc pointedly looked at Beef, and Etho turned to see who the hybrid was looking at. He blushed a bit, and Doc smirked. "You go kiss Beef," Doc murmured, "and then maybe I'll consider your offer." To the hybrid's surprise, Etho looked back at Doc with a winning smile.

"Who's to say I haven't already?"

With that last comment that left Doc shocked speechless, Etho spun on his heel and walked away again. Doc stood in shocked silence for a moment, his eyes wide. And then he laughed. He covered his mouth and looked over at Beef, who was sitting at the shore. He chuckled as Etho walked over to sit beside Beef. Well then. Very smooth, Etho. He looked back at Bdubs.

Maybe I should take his advice to heart?

He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair, looking up at the moon. He heard a particularly loud screech from Grian, who was still running from Keralis. He watched the shorter hermit just escape Keralis' grasp, only to crash into a mushroom and fall right into his boyfriend's arms. Doc bit his lip as they laughed. They make it look so easy. Is it easy?

Will it all work out? Do I tell him?

Or do I wait?

Is it seamless? Or does it take time?

But more importantly...

Does he love me too?

Doc shook his head, putting a hand on his forehead. I should just go talk to him. Human contact might be a good place to start.

He walked over to Bdubs and Joe, steeling over his nerves. Bdubs looked up as he approached, and the shorter hermit's bright smile as he spotted Doc made the hybrid's heart skip a beat. "Hey, DoubleO, Joe," he greeted, trying to sound natural. "Hi, Doc!" Bdubs said cheerfully as Joe looked up. "Hello there, Docm77," the poet said, smiling. Doc chuckled. "Do you like my tower?" Bdubs asked, addressing his tower proudly. Doc studied the tower, sitting down. "Yeah, that's impressive," he complimented, and Bdubs grinned.

Joe looked back and forth at the two, and then smiled knowingly. "I believe it should be in my best interest to leave you two to your business," he announced, getting up. He winked at Doc, who tried not to turn into a tomato. Am I that easy to figure out?! Bdubs waved to Joe as the poet walked over to Cleo, who was messing about with some armour stands over by the shore.

Doc looked back at Bdubs, who was working on his house of cards again. He was glad that the shorter hermit wasn't looking at him; he was sure that he was blushing.

BANG!

The sound seemed to scare everyone, especially Bdubs. The feisty hermit yelped and scrambled into Doc's arms, not noticing that he knocked down his house of cards in the process. Doc blinked as Bdubs held tight to him. The hybrid could feel Bdubs' fast heartbeat, and he was sure his was just as fast as his face heated up. As another bang echoed through his ears, he realized that the loud noises were fireworks.

Doc felt Bdubs tense, and the shorter hermit looked up at Doc, his face red. "S-Sorry," he stammered, scrambling off of Doc. The hybrid immediately missed the feeling of Bdubs' arms around him. "It's okay," Doc managed to sputter. Bdubs smiled shyly and Doc swore that the short hermit was going to kill him with cuteness.

Bdubs looked back out at the sky, and Doc followed suit. The darkness was penetrated by bright bursts of colour, rockets set off by Mumbo and Scar (Mumbo had the paper because of his sugarcane farm, and Scar had the gunpowder due to the creeper farm). The party went quiet as everyone turned to the skies, watching the firework show. Doc noticed the other couples pulling each other close, and he flushed red at the thought of pulling Bdubs close like that. I would like to do that. But-

He flinched as he felt a soft hand slip into his. His heart nearly stopped when he realized who's hand it was. He blinked at Bdubs, who smiled lightly at him. The hybrid blushed furiously and managed to smile back, his heart pounding like a caged beast. He tried to turn his attention back to the fireworks show, but his mind was buzzing over him and Bdubs holding hands.

It only got worse near the end of the fireworks show, when Bdubs leaned over and pecked the hybrid's cheek. Doc's face heated up to the point where he was convinced his circuitry was going to melt all over the grass. He gawked at Bdubs, and the shorter hermit grinned. That grin faded as Doc shifted to get up. "I- I'm going to get something to- to eat," the hybrid stammered, panicking. Bdubs nodded slowly, and Doc stood up. He walked swiftly towards the place where Beef and Etho were still sitting. "Etho! Beef!" he hissed, and they both turned around. Etho's eyes sparkled with mischief as soon as the ninja saw how flustered and panicked Doc was. "How are things going with Bdubs?" Etho asked slyly, and Beef snorted. "He kissed me on the cheek!" Doc whisper-shouted. "What do I say in response to that?!" Beef chuckled, and Etho put a hand on his forehead, sighing jokingly. "Well," Beef chuckled, raising an eyebrow at Doc, "you say that you love him and then you kiss him and-" Doc had gone full-on tomato at this point. "You shush!" he hissed, looking over to Bdubs. His movements slowed when he saw how dejected the shorter hermit looked. Bdubs wasn't looking at the fireworks; he was looking at the ground, muttering to himself and drawing in the dirt. Doc's heart swam with guilt, and his face fell.

"You-hoo! Doc!" Etho laughed, snapping Doc's attention back to the two NHO members in front of him. Doc blinked and shook his head at his friends. "You two are no help," he grumbled. Beef shrugged. "I gave you advice, very helpful advice," he said jokingly, and Etho snorted. Doc looked back and forth at the two, his eyes eventually landing on Beef. "If it's that easy, then why aren't you two together yet?" he asked, and felt a spark of satisfaction as the other two hermits reddened. When they didn't say anything, Doc shrugged lightly and left the two to their obliviousness.

He was about to head back to Bdubs when he remembered that he'd told the shorter hermit that he was getting something to eat. Dodging the Cheetos that were still being thrown across the table, he got two of the cupcakes Stress had made and walked back to Bdubs. The shortest NHO member looked up at Doc as the hybrid sat beside him. "H-hey, DoubleO," he said, smiling nervously. He hated how unsure he sounded, but he couldn't exactly change that. "Hey, Doc," Bdubs replied, a small smile on his face. He eyed the cupcakes in Doc's hands. "You gonna eat both of those, or is one for me?" he asked jokingly, lifting an eyebrow. Doc chuckled and handed Bdubs the cupcake, which the short hermit promptly ate.

The two fell into a silence after that, one that wasn't tense, but not exactly comfortable either. A final barrage of fireworks lit up the night sky, before all went quiet. The hermits began to cheer and whistle, and Scar and Mumbo held hands and bowed from their spot by the water. The buzzing of conversation started up again, and Bdubs looked over at Doc. The hybrid's heart jumped as Bdubs' caramel eyes met his. Bdubs frowned slightly. "Doc, I'm- I'm sorry...for what I did," he murmured, looking down. "It was foolish of me. You know me, I'm kind of impulsive." He laughed, but Doc could tell it was forced. Doc's face fell and he felt immensely bad. "Bdubs...I-" the hybrid looked around nervously. "Could you...come with me?" Bdubs hesitated, but then nodded. Doc slowly got to his feet, leaving his uneaten cupcake on the grass where they had been sitting. Bdubs got up as well, holding a hand out to Doc. The hybrid smiled, his cheeks growing red. He slipped his robotic hand into Bdubs', and Doc led Bdubs away from all the other hermits. Before the party was out of sight, the hybrid looked back and spotted Etho grinning at him. The ninja flashed Doc a pair of thumbs up with a huge knowing grin on his face, and Doc rolled his eyes jokingly.

Doc led Bdubs to a spot on the beach further from the party, where the yells and chatter of the hermits became background noise and the calm sound of the waves took its place. The moon lit up the water, rippling like fragments of silver. Doc sat on the beach, and Bdubs did the same. There was silence for a moment, before Doc spoke. "You don't have to apologize for what you did earlier," he said, rubbing his thumb over Bdubs' knuckles. "I- didn't mind it, actually." He laughed nervously, and Bdubs' caramel eyes widened. "I just- panicked. I don't have very much experience with...stuff like that." He felt like facepalming as he said that. Very smooth, Doc.

To his surprise, Bdubs smiled. "Romance stuff?" he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice. Doc blinked as his face heated up. "Uhm- yeah, that," he stammered, looking out at the ocean instead of Bdubs. The shorter hermit grinned. "Well, if you didn't mind it, can I do it again?" he murmured, his cheeks pink. Doc felt his robotic eye flicker on and off in surprise, and he opened his mouth several times, but couldn't bring himself to say anything. Bdubs snickered.

Doc smiled lightly, before leaning forward and kissing Bdubs' cheek lightly. He grinned in satisfaction as Bdubs blushed as vibrantly as a sweet berry. "You- I- wh-" the short builder stammered, blinking. Doc covered his mouth with his hand, letting out a stifled chuckle. Bdubs narrowed his eyes competitively, and before Doc knew what was happening, Bdubs grabbed the hybrid by the collar and pulled him down. Doc nearly jumped out of his skin as Bdubs pressed their lips together.

Stars danced in Doc's heart as he melted into it, feeling Bdubs' hand drift through his hair with feather-light movements. He felt like this moment should never end, like he'd be happy if this was the last moment of his life. They pulled apart after a long moment, and Doc realized that Bdubs was crying softly. "Hey," Doc murmured, his face falling. "What's wrong?"

Bdubs laughed a bit and shook his head, wiping away his tears. "How could anything be wrong?" he asked, his eyes sparkling. It was then that Doc realized that Bdubs was crying out of joy. A grin yet again spread across his face, and he put his arms around Bdubs, hugging him tightly. The shorter hermit returned the gesture, and their heartbeat intertwined for a moment. "I love you, Bdubs," the hybrid whispered. "I'm sorry if I ever made you think otherwise. I'm not too good at romance." Bdubs chuckled, pulling back. "But you sure are good at being hot," he teased, and Doc blushed furiously. He buried his face in his hands, groaning. Bdubs laughed, and pried Doc's hands off his face. "Stoppit, Doc!" he giggled as Doc just covered his face again. "Look at me, you crazy person!" Doc tentatively removed his hands from his face to look at Bdubs, who was still laughing. "I love you too," he chuckled, taking Doc's hand. Doc's ears pricked up, and he grinned widely. He'd been waiting to hear those two words for the longest time, and now that he'd heard them from the person he loved most, his heart felt complete. It was as if Bdubs' love was the last piece of the puzzle.

Bdubs was about to say something when cheering erupted from the bushes. Both Doc and Bdubs whipped towards the sound, startled. Beef and Etho burst out from behind a thicket, their faces lit up with huge grins. Doc blushed brightly as he realized...

Shit.

They saw the whole thing.

"YES!" Etho cheered, pumping a fist in the air as the two other NHO members made their way down the shore to Bdubs and Doc. "FINALLY! You two oblivious idiots have confessed to each other!" Beef exclaimed, his tone affectionate. This time, Bdubs was the one to hide his face with his hands. "You two were in the bushes that whole time?!" Doc squeaked, too flustered to sound angry. Beef and Etho nodded, though they didn't look the least bit sorry. Doc shook his head, laughing breathlessly. "Gosh, I can't with you two," he sighed, and Bdubs began to laugh. All eyes turned to him as he sputtered, "You say we're oblivious? What about you two? Practically the whole server has been waiting for you guys to get together!" Beef's blush could have rivaled the red of a strawberry, with Etho's not far behind. "R-really?" Etho stammered, looking over at Beef. Doc nearly burst into laughter when he realized that Bdubs was whisper-chanting, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Etho and Beef just stared at each other for what felt like forever. "Argh!" Doc exclaimed, snapping. "I can't take it! Just kiss already!" Bdubs burst into laughter, rolling onto his back and curling in on himself. Etho smirked challengingly at Doc, before looking back at Beef and closing the distance between the two. "Ha! Yes!" Doc cried, pumping his fists in the air. "YES!" Bdubs exclaimed, before leaning towards Doc and whispering in the hybrid's ear, "Now we wait for marriage." Doc sputtered and burst into laughter, and Bdubs started to laugh as well. Beef and Etho broke apart, both red-faced. Doc smiled knowingly at Bdubs, and they both got up. "We'll leave you guys to it," Doc said, winking at the pair. Etho grinned brightly, and Beef just stood there with a shocked look on his face. Doc chuckled and took Bdubs' hand, and they set off to get back to the party.

"I bet everyone will know about us by tomorrow," Bdubs giggled, rocking their joined hands back and forth. Doc nodded. "Yeah, probably. I don't really care though, honestly," he remarked. Bdubs smiled softly, turning to Doc and stopping. Doc stopped as well and looked back at Bdubs. Silence spread between them, louder than the thoughts in Doc's head but quieter than the swish of the waves. "Doc, would you...be my boyfriend?" Bdubs asked, his eyes bright with stars and hopefulness. Doc's eyes widened, and he smiled. "I'd like nothing more than that," he replied, squeezing Bdubs' hands. Bdubs' face lit up, and he excitedly closed the distance between them. Doc let out a muffled chuckle and returned the gesture.

Sun and moon.

Light and dark.

Player and creeper.

Bdubs and Doc.

Perfect.

the ending is rushed and eh but I dont want to change it bc it's 4am and I have literally no idea how to end it seeing as it was written a year ago

remember to drink your water and that'll be all from me!