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"Are you seriously not hot?" Lukas asked, looking at Jesse's long sleeves under his shining armor, matching gloves, and helmet.
The sun was boiling them, and the truth was never something Jesse would admit. So he didn't.
"Hey, I'm just protected if any mobs try to attack us! You, on the other hand…" Jesse nudged Lukas, pointing to his everyday attire.
"Yeah, yeah, okay, good thing I can just use you as a human shield!" Lukas grinned. The men erupted into laughter.
Truth be told, the laughter hurt Jesse's sides, his whole body hurt. After contact with the inside of the storm, his body hadn't been the same. At first, it started small, his skin got greyer like Petra's did. But it just got worse from there.
After weeks, purple veins spread down his arms and legs, and it became harder to breathe. It became harder to do anything. He would never tell his friends though, everyone was so happy after the Wither Storm's defeat. Jesse never wanted to stop their fun.
"Hey Jesse?" Lukas said, bringing him back to the real world, there was an overtone of concern, as if Lukas knew his secret.
Jesse turned his head to the man and went for something simple in reply, hoping Lukas hadn't found out. What's up?"
"Oh, you were just... staring into space, I dunno, you good?" Jesse could feel his sharp blue eyes observing him, trying to make out his face. He hoped the shadow of his helmet was enough to hide his expression.
"You always worry so much, it's all sunshine and rainbows over here," Jesse said, smiling.
Lukas gave a playful eye roll. "Oh yeah, I'm sure it is. The ‘sunshine’ is probably eating you alive in all those layers. We should go inside."
Jesse nodded, and they walked to his house. Jesse was a bit worried. What would Lukas think if he kept his armor on indoors? He suddenly regretted this decision.
Jesse opened the door and took a deep breath, but it came out shaky. He stepped inside and went into his kitchen. Lukas sat on the couch, making himself at home.
"You want anything?" Jesse shouts.
Lukas chuckles, "I'll pass on literally dying. Your cooking is worse than being eaten alive by silverfish."
To that, Jesse laughed back. "The second one hasn’t even happened to you!”
"Well, I'm sure it couldn't be as bad." Lukas rebutted.
"I think I know what to get you for Christmas!" Jesse said in a sing-song voice, leading the two of them to burst out laughing. Jesse winced in pain at the movement, causing Lukas to snap his head over to his direction.
"Are you.. okay?? What the hell was that?" He looked concerned, and Jesse panicked.
"I... hit my hand on the counter too hard, it hurt."
To that, he got a deadpan stare. "That wasn't convincing, Jesse. Are you hurt? Let me see. I can help." He got up and went to the kitchen.
Jesse shook his head, backing away. "I'm fine, Lukas, really."
He could feel his own pulse in his head, and he felt like he could fall at any moment. He needed to sit down so he wouldn't.
"I'm gonna go sit down," Jesse said, starting to walk to the couch, but Lukas blocked him.
"Not until you tell me what's wrong, Jesse."
Jesse wanted to scream, but all he could mutter was a small whispering plea. "Please...."
Shock filled Lukas as Jesse fell into his arms, unconscious.
Lukas pov
He couldn't believe his eyes as he held Jesse in his arms, he felt heavy with sleep. He suddenly felt guilt for blocking his path, but mostly he felt severe concern. He dragged Jesse to his bed, taking off his helmet to make him more comfortable.
When he took it off, he noticed the paleness, the dark circles under his eyes, sunken into his skin. He had never noticed from under his helmet. He wondered what else Jesse was hiding.
He slowly took off his gloves, and the sight made every bone in his body weak. Jesse's fingertips were black like charcoal.
"What the hell... what the hell..." Lukas mumbled, over and over again. He could feel his hands trembling as he took off Jesse's chest plate, ready to uncover whatever the fuck was going on. He reached for his shirt next, but then Jesse's eyes snapped open. His breathing became loud and unsteady.
"Hey... it's okay... it's okay..." Lukas tried to soothe him, although he himself knew that whatever was happening to Jesse wasn't okay.
Lukas looked into Jesse's eyes, which were welling up with tears, ready to escape his eyes and fall down his face, and Lukas felt his own tears dripping down his face as well. He could see Jesse's lips part, and he waited for him to say something, but nothing came out, only jagged breathing. Then Jesse's hands came closer to Lukas. Was he going to push him? He understood if so. He started to stand up, but Jesse pulled him onto the bed and encased him in a hug, sobbing. Lukas was shocked, but he wrapped his arms around Jesse's back, repeating soothing circles with his fingers.
"P..please... d-don't go..." Jesse whispered. Lukas shivered. "I won't, Jesse, I won't." He held the vulnerable man tighter in his arms, and after a couple of minutes, Jesse fell asleep, pulling Lukas down onto the bed with him.
Lukas could hear his own heart beating throughout his whole body. He blamed it on adrenaline, but his heart ached, and he knew deep down, it wasn't because of that. His every thought was consumed by Jesse.
The arms wrapped around his chest made Lukas feel safe. He knew he shouldn't have been thinking like this after Jesse was so vulnerable. He didn't hug him back. It would have been wrong.
He woke up to Jesse lying on top of him, his head nuzzled into his chest. He could swear he almost had a heart attack. Lukas pinched himself to make sure it was real. Considering the sharp pain, he knew it was. His heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, Jesse looked up at him, his arms still wrapped around Lukas's waist.
"Are you okay??" Jesse asked, his big brown eyes looking up at Lukas, practically sending him into cardiac arrest.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Lukas asked nervously.
"Well, your heart just started beating like... you ran from a wither storm or something. Did you have a nightmare?" He looked up at him, concerned. His puppy dog eyes could kill Lukas, along with his obliviousness.
"Yeah... I did.. but it's all good, don't worry!" Lukas put on a small smile.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Jesse looks up at him, worried.
"Hey, don't think I forgot... about... whatever is going on with you.." Lukas said with the same worried look.
Jesse avoided his eyes.
"You make a better pillow when you're sleeping," Jesse said, with a small smile.
"I'm so offended," Lukas said, laughing. He wondered why Jesse still had his arms around him, but he didn't want to bring it up. He wanted them to stay like this as long as possible. But something told him he needed to stop.
"Let me see your chest." He said abruptly, making Jesse pause.
"Wowww, you wanna see my chest sooo bad." Jesse laughed, but Lukas could feel him start to shake.
"I already saw whatever the hell was going on with your fingers. I don't think it can get much worse than that." Lukas sighed.
Jesse shook his head. "It's not bad at all, which is why you don't need to see it."
"I just want to help Jesse... please," he said, tearing up.
Jesse let out a sigh and agreed. He sat up on the bed, lifting up his own shirt, revealing purple veins and black bruises all over.
Lukas gasped. "How... how long have you been hiding that? Is that from the Wither Storm?"
Jesse nodded, glancing away as he pulled his shirt back on.
Lukas could feel the tears streaming down his face.
"Why d-did you go through t-this alone, Jesse?" He cried, sniffling through his words.
"Everyone was so happy, I didn't want anyone to be worried. Especially you.. You were the last person I wanted to see me like... this."
Lukas felt his head spinning. "Why me?" Did Jesse think he couldn't handle it? Was he too sensitive? Lukas wondered why, and it hurt not knowing.
"I... just.." Jesse paused, choosing his words, which scared Lukas even more.
"I care about you, and your happiness... a lot."
Lukas swore he could see a touch of red on Jesse's cheeks before he looked away. But maybe that's just what he wanted to see.
"Thank you for worrying about me... I understand why you didn't tell anyone. I'm just glad I know now." Lukas said, smiling, and wiping the tears off his own face.
"Ivor will know what to do. Let's go find him, together." Lukas said softly.
Jesse put his armor back on, and they headed out the door.
Ivor is at his new secret base, the most hidden location in the whole world. At least he thought so before he heard a knock on the hidden trapdoor. He grabbed his potion of invisibility, drinking it up and investigating the scene. It was his good pals Jesse and Lukas. He grinned as a brilliant idea struck him. He snuck up behind them and shouted "BOO!!!" Sending Lukas jumping. His face went red, and he glared at where he assumed Ivor was hiding.
"Well, aren't you a scaredy cat!" He chuckled, his potion wearing off. "Come inside, you two, I just made spider eye stew!"
Jesse noticed the horrified look on Lukas and said, "Oh well, that is very kind, but we wouldn't want to take any from you, we just came because we need your wise brain."
This made Ivor smile. "Thanks for the compliment, Jesse. Flattery is an excellent way of getting what you want."
"What is it you want anyway?" Ivor looked up at them, then took a bite of the most foul stew known to man. Lukas shivered in fear when he heard a crunch.
Jesse started taking off his armor, then revealed the disgusting sight of purple and black on his chest and arms.
Ivors' eyes widened, and he almost spat out his stew. Luckily, he kept it in his mouth.
"Holy Mother of potions... that is unbelievable.. like nothing I've ever seen before!! I must know, does it hurt? How long have you had it? Can I touch it? Has it started to spread to anyone else?" Ivor practically jumped out of his seat to walk back and forth, asking about 100 questions, which Jesse tried his best to answer.
"This is extremely fascinating, no normal potion would cure this. I have something that may do the trick. It's extremely valuable and... I definitely shouldn't have it."
Ivor giggled like a schoolgirl and started typing in a code to a secret room, inside there was an ender chest. He opens it, and a glimmering golden glow shines out of it, flooding the room with its color.
Lukas and Jesse looked at each other, eyes wide.
Ivor pulled out the most beautiful golden apple from the chest. It sparkled like nothing the men had ever seen before.
"What the... that's not a regular golden apple.." Lukas said in disbelief, and Jesse stood there, stunned.
Ivor grinned, holding the apple in his hand. "Well, of course not, it's an enchanted golden apple!"
"An enchanted golden apple?? I've only heard of those in storybooks! I thought our ancestors long ago ate them all for sure!" Jesse exclaimed.
Ivor chuckled, "I have my ways."
He tossed Jesse the apple. Jesse held it in his hands, admiring it.
"What are you waiting for, Jesse? Eat it!" Ivor tapped his foot impatiently.
Jesse took a small bite of the apple. As he chewed, he felt his pain ease. He took a few more bites, and the wither sickness started to fade away until his skin was back to its normal color. Ivor went back into the hidden room to close up the chest, and Jesse glanced at Lukas
"Would you like a bite? It's really good."
Lukas was surprised at the offer. "W-what? It's yours! You should probably eat it all, just in case." He shook his head, refusing the offer.
"I feel all better, really!" Jesse smiled, holding the apple up to Lukas. He hesitantly took a bite, and Jesse could see the immediate sparkle that filled his eyes. It was beautiful, really.
Jesse caught himself staring and quickly turned away, his ears burning. Lukas smiled, unaware. "That was delicious, thank you for sharing with me, Jesse. It means a lot to me."
Jesse grinned sheepishly, his fingers fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "Oh, it's no problem, really. I was getting full anyway."
Ivor came out of the hidden room, locking the door behind him. "You two better get going, I’m sure you have some big adventures! Thanks for stopping by."
Jesse smiled. "Thank you, Ivor, you probably uhh.. saved my life, and you spent your valuable apple on me. I will find a way to repay you, I swear."
Ivor stuck out his tongue in mock disgust. "No need to get all sappy on me! Go out there and have fun!" He waved them away, hiding the smile creeping up on his face. He thought to himself, I'm glad Jesse is okay.
Jesse and Lukas climbed out of the trapdoor. The ease of climbing was something Jesse had missed. He felt very appreciative of his legs and, really, the world around him. He didn’t want to think about it, but if Ivor hadn't given him that enchanted golden apple, if Lukas hadn't been so damn observant… he probably would have died. His heart felt like it was trying to jump out of his chest, and he gripped his chest with his hand. Lukas glanced over. “Are you okay?” he looked concerned, which just made it hurt more. “Yeah, I'm good. I think… I'm just so happy it hurts.” Jesse smiled, and to that, Lukas smiled bigger. “Me too, Jesse, I'm really glad you’re okay.
Jesse stepped closer to Lukas, wrapping his arms around the small of his back, resting his head in his chest. Lukas held his hands out into the air for a moment, unsure where to put them, then he rested them on Jesse's waist. He wondered if Jesse could feel his heart rapidly beating. Suddenly, Lukas felt moisture on his shirt. Looking down at Jesse, he realized he was crying. “Hey… It's okay, Jesse!” Lukas panicked, releasing his grip on Jesse.
Jesse looked up at him, letting go of Lukas to wipe the tears off his own face. “Sorry, I'm really not sure why I'm crying… I'm not even sad or anything,” Jesse said, embarrassed at his own unexpected tears.
“Oh, it's all good, it's okay to cry. Sorry if I caused it by my terrible hugging skills or something.” Lukas said and laughed awkwardly, looking past Jesse to avoid eye contact.
Jesse burst into a fit of laughter, causing Lukas to send a playful glare. “What's so funny?” Lukas crossed his arms and waited expectantly for an answer.
“If anything, I started crying because the hug was so good. It made me feel safe, I dunno…” Jesse looked down at the gravel floor under them, kicking a small pebble with his foot. Lukas felt his face heat up, and he knew his heart was done for. After a few seconds of silence, Jesse looked up at Lukas, wondering why he wasn't replying. He expected to see a face trying to contain laughter, but instead, he saw a blushing mess in front of him. This made Jesse blush, too. “If you thought that was weird, just err.. forget it..” Jesse put his hands in his pockets, glancing back down at the floor. Lukas mumbled to himself. “I thought it was cute,”
Jesse snapped his head up. Did he hear that right?
“What?” he said, looking up at Lukas, examining his face, which was pretty red.
“Nothing, just talking to myself,” Lukas said, smiling nervously.
Jesse grew a smug grin, and Lukas knew he had made a mistake. “Cute, hm? Well, I'm honored, Lukie Wukie,” he said, grinning widely.
“Oh, so you did hear me.” Lukas rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. Jesse took a step closer. “I think everything about you is cute, Lukas.” he looked up at him, a teasing expression. Lukas grew red in the face, swallowing hard as he looked down at Jesse's sly expression. His eyebrows wiggled around, and Lukas couldn't help but laugh.
“So you think I'm cute.. Like for real? This isn't some stupid joke?” Lukas asked, nervously.
“I'd be some asshole to make a joke like that, Lukas,” Jesse replied, reaching his hands out and holding Lukas’s. He could see Lukas’s eyes sparkling, like the most perfect diamond block.
“You are so amazing, Lukas, and I’m really glad I get to spend more of my life with you. I can't even begin to think of a way to thank you enough for always looking out for me, but maybe I can start by kissing you?” Lukas couldn't believe it. He smiled and said, “That would be the perfect way to thank me, Jesse.”
And so they kissed. Slow at first, careful. Lukas felt Jesse's hands glide under his shirt, across the bare skin of his chest, which sent shivers down his whole body. Lukas put his hands on Jesse's hips, and the two started kissing more passionately, and it was like all the fireworks in Beacontown lit up in their hearts, like the two didn't know true happiness until this moment.
Then they heard a loud cough, the two quickly jolted away from each other, and turned their heads to the source of the sound. They were met with Ivor standing there, crossing his arms.
“Get a room, you two! You are making out RIGHT outside my base, you know?! I didn't spend all this time strategically building a base in the middle of NOWHERE just for people to get all smoochey smoochey next to! Scram!”
“Sorry, Ivor, won’t happen again! Thanks again for the golden apple!” Jesse said, grabbing Lukas’s hand, and walking away.
“You look like you saw a ghost, Lukas!” Jesse laughed.
“I may not have, but now I definitely want to become one.” Lukas sighed, completely mortified from the experience.
“Hey! If you were a ghost, you could never kiss me again!” Jesse frowned.
“You make a good point, Jesse. I suppose I can be brave like you and accept the fact that Ivor will probably tell everyone.”
“Hey, they’ll find out eventually, we’re both terrible liars apparently.” Jesse grinned.
Lukas chuckled. And the two held hands until they returned to Beacon Town.
They went a good two days before all their friends found out, although most already knew about Lukas’s fat crush on Jesse.