Ren wakes up the next day to an empty bed. He doesn't move, still reeling back from the previous day's findings. He had some time to process what Doc told him but he still couldn't really believe it.

He didn't know what to think or do about it. A while ago, he would have immediately told Doc that he loved him back, but now? He just wasn't sure.

Ren gets up, getting ready for the day and meeting Doc downstairs.

"Good sleep?"

Ren's thoughts go back to the night before.

"No! Please no, Doc!"

"Please don't leave me, please wake up."

"Doc didn't wake up this morning."

"It's going to be okay, right X?"

"Please wake up, I miss you."

"Ren?"

Ren snaps out of his thoughts, realizing Doc was staring right at him. His voice falls short, all the emotions he felt back then rushing through him. The disbelief, the pain, how lonely he felt, all of it.

Tears welled up in his eyes. "Memories," he choked out. "Not good ones."

Doc motioned for him to sit next to him. "What happened?"

"It's when no one would wake up," Ren says, referring back to when he had told him before. "It still hurts."

"It's okay for it to hurt," Doc places his arm around him, holding him close. "Things that suck still keep sucking."

"Please never say it like that again, Doc," he said with a sniff.

"Doesn't make it wrong."

-.-

Ren didn't know who he could go to. Before, he would not hesitate to go to Iskall, but now, he's not so sure. He wanders, not knowing who to go to, feeling lost.

He doesn't know how but he ends up in front of a tree house. He doesn't recognize it at first but finds Etho there.

"Ren? Hey, man!" he greeted with a smile. "Been awhile since we've seen each other, Pamela been good?"

"Uh yeah," Ren finds himself at a loss for words.

"Something wrong?"

Etho knew Doc. Doc had said it himself, they were close. While he didn't know Etho himself, Doc knew him so he must be trustworthy enough and know something to help him out.

"I-" Ren hesitated, still a little unsure if he should tell him. "You and Doc are close, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Etho says. "He's one of my closest friends, and I've known him for quite a long time. Did something happen?"

"Doc, he-" Ren stops. Was Doc going to be upset that he told Etho about how he felt? And if he did tell him, Etho's going to want to know why Ren was so against it, and would he judge him like everyone else had? "Nevermind, it's stupid." Ren decided against it now that he was able to think about it a little more.

"It can't be stupid if it's bothering you, Ren."

Ren still looked reluctant to tell him.

"If you're worried if I'm going to tell anyone, I won't," Etho put his hand over his heart as a promise. "I wouldn't betray Doc's, or your, trust like that."

"Doc told me he loved me," Ren blurts out before he could stop himself.

Etho's eyebrows rose, the look of shock on his face. It was clear that Doc hadn't told him that. "Oh?" he says curiously, trying and failing to hide the smile on his face. "Honestly, I shouldn't be so surprised, he spends a lot of time with you and talking about you," he says the last part as an afterthought.

"And I don't-" Ren didn't know what to say.

"Okay," Etho says calmly. "So, do you like him too? Or..." he drew out the words, staring at him with a curious look.

Ren says nothing at first.

Etho's face dropped. "You don't, do you?" he sounded glum. "And you want to find a way to let him down gently."

"What, no!"

"You want to let him down harshly?!"

"No! That's not what I meant!"

"Then what do you mean, Ren?"

"I just don't know if I should be in a relationship," Ren says, guilt filling him.

"If you're not ready, then he'll understand," Etho tells him. "I just don't think it'd be fair, leading him on, you know?"

Ren nods. "I see what you mean."

"Tell him at your own pace, but don't lead him on." The pointed glare on Etho's face is enough to tell him the unsaid threat.

"I won't."

-.-

Ren doesn't tell Doc immediately. And Doc doesn't pressure him for an answer either and keeps treating him like he always did.

Ren's thoughts go back to Etho's words. He didn't want to lead Doc on, but he wasn't ready to tell him. What if the other had expectations of him? What if he told Doc his feelings but he was never ready for it?

"Hey Doc," Ren says softly, seeing if he was awake.

"Hmm?" he says, half-asleep.

Ren tried to think up a question he could ask him, must to hear him talk a little more. "Why did you hate Bdubs for so long before?" Bdubs had told him so he was curious what Doc would say.

"I wanted the entire house."

"Why?"

"Hn," Doc mumbles, sleep almost taking him. "I dunno, it was important to me."

Ren feels his breaths even out and he knows Doc had fallen asleep.

He smiled softly to himself, pushing himself further into Doc's embrace. He hadn't been expecting anything but he was glad he asked that. 'He remembers.'

Doc may have not remembered their time together, but it was clear his subconscious still did.

-.-

The next night, Ren stays with Doc again, like he did every other night.

Ren had his eyes closed, half way to sleep but still awake.

He faintly registers Doc move a hand to the back of his head, gently brushing his thumb against him. Ren is wide awake when he feels a soft pressure on the top of his head, realizing it was Doc pressing his lips against his head.

"I love you, Ren," he whispers softly. "I don't care if you never return my feelings or you end up loving someone else-"

It was clear to Ren that Doc thought he had already fallen asleep.

"-but I'll be happy as long as you're happy, even if it's not with me. I just wish you'd reach out to me when you need help."

Ren listens to Doc's breaths as it evens out. He felt warmth in his chest hearing those words from him again.

He opens his eyes and looks up at Doc's sleeping face. He smiles to himself, seeing his calm face, something he saw on a daily basis before, and something he did now. "I love you too, Doc, I never stopped loving you." He just wasn't the same person as he was before.

-.-

When Ren drops by his logging business, he sees a sign in front of his shop.

"Mumbo for Mayor," he reads it outloud.

"Oh, I'm glad you're on board!"

Ren jumps at the sudden shout. He turns to see Grian standing behind him with a big grin.

"There's a mayoral campaign?"

"There is now!" Grian beamed. "So? Does Mumbo have your support?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope!"

"Then consider me a supporter."

"Great! That makes three people on the Mumbo for Mayor train."

Ren stared at him curiously. "What made Mumbo want to be mayor? Where'd he even get the idea from?"

"Oh, the idea came from me, he doesn't even know he's being campaigned for mayor."

Ren chuckled. "Of course, why did I think of anything different?"

"Exactly," Grian says with a nod. "You understand."

-.-

"Can you believe it, Doc? I don't even know what a mayor would do."

"Hmm."

Ren looks up at Doc. He looked deep in thought. "Doc?"

"That's not a bad idea."

Ren stared at him with a flabbergasted look. "Wait, seriously?"

Doc grinned. "Imagine all the things I could do as mayor, Ren."

He stared at him. "I'm drawing a blank here."

"The GOAT would like it."

Rne stared at him with a small smile and nodded, "Yep, of course."

-.-

Ren sits back and watches as Doc works on a bit of redstone. He was expanding upon his castle in the sky that he had made for his villagers long ago. He had built a few other things but mainly focused on them. Sometimes, Ren sat around, watching him figure it out or listen as Doc tried to figure it out.

He liked that Doc didn't mind him sticking around. Occasionally, Doc would have him come over and let him help out with some redstone or taught him how each component fit together and the fundamentals of everything.

None of it ever stuck to him but he just loved hearing Doc talk passionately about his work.

"Do you get it?" Doc asks, still staring at the redstone.

Ren stared up at him with a fond smile as Doc talked about another component.

"Ren?" Doc looks up to stare at him, any eyebrow raised as he wears a curious look on his face.

Ren soon realizes that Doc was staring at him and had been calling his name. "Huh? Oh uh, yeah, yeah, I get it."

Doc doesn't look like he believes him but continues explaining everything.

-.-

"Oh, Ren! Is this your log shop?"

Ren freezes.

'No.'

"Hey," the voice is now directly next to him.

Ren feels his chest tight, recognizing that voice. It had been months since he's heard it. He hesitates but looks up at the person standing next to him. In barely a whisper, he says, "Wels?"

"You remember me!" he said with a grin. "Makes things much easier on me then."

"Of-of course I remember you!" he said, tearing up. "Why wouldn't I?"

"No one else seemed to remember me," Wels said with a pout. "It was pretty weird, honestly."

"No one else remembered you?" Ren said softly. He didn't know how Xisuma had made them all forget their memories from before but he would have thought he would have done something so it was a little less weird.

"Yeah, even Cub, who brought me here didn't remember me."

"Wait, Cub brought you here?" Ren's eyebrows furrowed out of confusion.

"Yeah," Wels explained. "I woke up, went about my day, and everyone was just gone. I thought everyone was just having a gathering after the whole "not waking up thing" that happened but-"

Ren started to cry. Wels remembered it too.

"-no one, it was just Cub. Said he time traveled," he said with a scoff. "Didn't believe him at first, thought he was just messing with me again. But nope! He was telling the- Ren, you alright?" His face turned to one of concern.

Ren sniffed, wiping the tears away. He nodded, "I'm fine. It's just, you're the second person to remember everything from before, no one else remembers anything," Ren explained. "It's as if none of it happened to them."

Wels stared at him. "None of it?"

Ren shook his head. "They didn't remember you, Python, Jessasin, or Biffa. No memories we made together, not even their relationships."

"Oh," Wels says softly. "Guess that's why Cub was confused when he saw me, huh?"

Ren nodded. He didn't know what else to tell him. He wasn't sure if he should tell him that Xisuma was the one behind it all or to not bring it up at all.

"So, Scar and Cub aren't together anymore?"

Ren shook his head, "Neither are Grian and Mumbo."

Wels hesitated. "You and Doc?"

Ren bit his lip, eyes lowering to the ground.

"I hope you two are able to figure things out."

"Thanks," Ren says. "I'd say the same about you but I've tried, nothing works on them."

Wels smiled at him, "I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless, Ren. But it'll be alright."

Ren looks up, staring at him with confusion. "You're-" he hesitated. "Not upset? All of our friends don't remember you."

"It sucks, yeah, and it hurts that my friends don't know me anymore, and I wish that I could do something about it, but there's no use moping," Wels had a hopeful look on his face. "As a knight, I don't allow myself to be hung up on stuff, I just use it to look forward and better my future."

Ren stared at him with amazement. "I wish I could think more like you, Wels."

"Maybe someday, Ren," he paused. "Now, tell me about everything that has been going on?"

Ren nodded, a small smile on his face. "I'd be happy to," he paused. "Oh and Wels?"

"Yeah?"

"Welcome back to Hermitcraft, I missed you."

"Thanks, I missed you too."

-.-

Ren, when he's back at Doc's that night, thinks over what Wels had told him that day. He had said that it was best to move on, and he knew that, but he wasn't sure if he could. He couldn't help but think about everything that had gone on back then.

They all had such good times together, it was amazing. And then the way he and Doc fell in love, how they first got together, they'd always be precious memories to him.

The more Ren thought about it, the more he realized that Wels was right. They all made good memories together, it was time that he made some more.

"Hey Doc?" he says, hoping he was still awake.

"Hmm?"

"I think I'm going to go see Xisuma in the morning," he says softly. "It'd help to talk to someone who understands everything."

Doc, instead of feeling offended, says, "I'm proud of you for taking this step, Ren." Doc rubbed his back, pressed his lips against his forehead.

"Thanks," he whispers.

-.-

"You wanted to talk to me, Ren?"

Ren nodded. "I wanted to talk about-" he hesitated. "-everything, if that's alright with you."

"Of course it is," he says. "I'm glad you came to me, in fact." Xisuma paused. "First of all, I wanted to apologize, I didn't realize how much you went through, I just assumed the situations were the same, but- it wasn't right of me, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Xisuma, I know you didn't mean anything bad from it."

"Still, I should have been more thoughtful," Xisuma stepped to the side. "Let's take a seat first."

Ren follows after him.

"So, let's start off in the other world, what happened after I fell asleep?"

"I waited at the fountain for you, like usual. But you never showed up," Ren took a deep breath. "No one did. I was on my own for a long time," Ren clutched his pants, gritting his teeth as he thought back on everything that happened.

"How long was that?"

Ren shook his head, "I don't know, I stopped counting after a week." He sticks around for a while, talking with Xisuma about things. The other doesn't fully understand his emotions like Doc had but never makes him feel bad about it. He's able to get a bit of a clearer view on things.

"Thanks Xisuma, this really helped."

"Feel free to drop by anytime you need to talk, Ren."

As Ren stands to leave, Xisuma places his hand on his arm.

"Ren, I think it'd be better if you come to me to talk about things."

Ren stares at him, "Why can't I talk to Doc about things?"

"Doc's a busy man," Xisuma explained. "He's supporting you, yes, but he also has a lot on his plate too with his mayoral campaign and everything else he has."

Ren started to feel guilty. He had been just holding him back, had he?

"You're not being a bother to him, Ren."

"You just said-"

"That's not what I meant," Xisuma explains. "I meant that he might not be able to have enough time to properly focus on you, and he doesn't fully understand everything, you know?"

"So I can't talk to him about it anymore?"

"I'm not saying you can't," Xisuma says. "I'm just saying that it's better if you talk to me about it, especially if you and Doc plan on making it official anytime soon."

Ren grows quiet.

Xisuma nodded. "If it's any consolation, you two were great together," Ren purses his lips together, listening to what Xisuma says. "And I can clearly see that he still loves you."

"I know."