Chapter Text
~~ Derek ~~
I froze as he heard a voice outside his door. I didn't need infinite knowledge to recognise it. Avery. He couldn't know that it was me in here. I couldn't fight the urge to look at the door, but when I did.. my head didn't hurt.
“You're welcome. Having some of the knowledge I granted you removed can lessen the pressure of reality.”
I rolled my eyes and spoke into the microphone quietly.
“I'll be back, Wifies. Spiral quietly please.”
Wifies let out a noise of protest but Derek took his headphones off and grabbed a pen and paper. He wrote a note to Avery.
“Hello downstairs neighbour. Apologies for the noise, my roommate is playing games and he gets a bit loud at times.”
He then slipped the note under the door and wished upon a star.
“Oh okay.. Uhm. Are you willing to open the door?”
Derek froze before writing a simple response.
~~ Avery ~~
‘No.’ I read on the page.
“Oh alright, may I ask why? I'm quite concerned..” I waited, tapping my fingers against my leg as faint scribbling came from the other side of the door. Eventually, a note slid under the door.
‘He's quite antisocial. I'll ask him to keep it down for you.’
I sighed in annoyance.
“Could I at least talk to him myself?”
I asked, getting slightly pissed off. More scribbling.
‘He would kill me.’
I rolled my eyes. Another note.
‘Why are you so determined to talk?’ The note said.
I didn’t know actually, why was I so determined? Just because the voice sounded like Derek? It’s been 8 fucking months and I’m still not over him. It’s pathetic really.
“.. I'll just go back to my room. Sorry. Stay quiet please.”
I turned around to leave, but then..
~~ Derek ~~
“Derek? Where did you go, we have stuff to talk about man! You can't just claim to be D3rlord and then disappear!”
My headphones had unplugged. Shit. I heard Avery go quiet.
“.. Avery I can explain.”
More silence.
“.. How do you know my name.. Why do you sound like..”
I froze. Had he not heard Wifies? Had I just exposed myself? None of us spoke for a few long moments.
“Derek..?”
I heard obnoxious laughter in my mind.
‘Oh you fool.. Now the vessel is right in my grasp.’
“Avery, go back to your apartment.”
I said, panic rising in me.
“Derek. I just found out that you're alive.. and you want me to leave you?? Again!?”
Avery sounded angry. There was no way I could get him to go back a second time. This wasn't minecraft.
“Avery you don't understand. It's for your safety. Please just let me figure this out alone! I can come find you after.”
I said.
“Are you actually kidding me? You pretended you were dead for.. 8 months! I mourned you! You were one of the only people who cared about me and I thought you died! And now what? You want me to leave you so you can pretend you're dead for another 8 months?!”
I heard the tremble in his voice as he yelled at me, and I couldn't help the guilt raising in my chest.
“You don't understand! If you stay then the king can get to you!”
I heard heavy breathing from Avery.
“I'd let him. I would give up my mind if it meant I could see you in person, Derek.”
‘Maybe you should let him in..’
I stayed quiet, letting his words sink in. He sighed.
“Whatever. Sorry for bothering you, Derek.”
I heard footsteps slowly getting further away from my door. I felt a sudden stab of longing in my chest. I had to protect Avery, my Avery.. but.. he's also a grown man..
…
I threw open my door, stumbling out into the hallway. I leaned against a wall for support and called out for him.
“AVERY!”
I called out, voice desperate and longing.
~~ Avery ~~
I looked back after hearing my name get called, and saw Him, or at least I think it was Derek. I don't know what I was expecting him to look like, but he caught me by surprise.
He had dark, messy hair kept in a loose, low ponytail that had a dark red stripe in it. He had extremely tanned skin and was wearing baggy clothes. He was staring at me with wide, shining eyes. One was brown and one.. yellow. I ran towards him. Trying to help him stand straight. “Need some help…” I said smiling. He stared at me for a few moments before a small, tired smile appeared on his face.
“Yeah.. it's been a while since I got out of that chair.”
He chuckled and I looped my arm under his, steadying him as we walked back into his apartment. Derek winced as I closed the door behind us, and I looked at him worriedly.
“This is not how I planned to meet you..”
he said, and I gave him an awkward grin.
“Well, I wasn't even planning to meet you.. since, y'know, you 'died.'”
I said, and he gave me a sheepish look.
“I was waiting to see you.. I had to deal with something. Well, I still have to actually..”
He glanced at his computer and winced again.
“Wifies can you shut up for a second??”
Derek spoke, glaring at the screen. I watched with a blank look as he rolled his eyes before turning back to me.
“Ignore him.”
He said, giving me another awkward smile.
“Derek.. there's nobody in that world other than you.”
He gave me a weird look before shaking his head.
“Whatever you say Avery.”
Timeskip !!
2:21 AM
~~Derek~~
I look back at Avery peacefully sleeping on my bed. I gotta get this done soon, I texted Wifies and luckily he was awake.. How late even was it? 2 AM or something? I turned on my computer and immediately opened Minecraft and loaded in on the world where I met Wifies. He was already there, luckily. This time I’m not using my British voice changer but using my real voice.
“Hey,” I said. Wifies, who was looking at the water, quickly turned around facing me.
“Wow, dude you startled me. Is this how you sound without the voice changer” He said crouching a couple times.
“Yeah. I thought you knew that? Didn't you make a whole video about me and Avery?”
I asked, finding his reaction funny.
“Well, yeah, but I voiced your messages. Why do you sound like me??”
I laughed.
“I'm not sure. Crazy coincidence, right?”
‘It's not a coincidence, Derek. You know this.’
“So. I realised that we can get back into that server if we make alt accounts, or use different people's accounts. Do you have anything you can use?”
I asked, glancing over at the still sleeping Avery.
‘You know.. I can reward you with knowledge for once. You got me closer to the vessel after all..’
Before I knew what he said, I was logged into Avery’s account, though my head hurt like hell. Me and Wifies on his alt account logged back into the server.
“Wifies, I'll get the materials this time. Spare you another $75.”
I said, laughing quietly at the memory.
“Yeah. That's probably best.”
Wifies responded, so I broke back into the Minecraft house and stole more materials without being caught. I went back to Wifies and dropped him all the materials.
“After you, Wifies.”
I said, letting Wifies enter first. We didn't speak on our way to 20000, 20000, apart from me making sure Wifies didn't have any potions on him this time. Finally, we reached the ocean and got out of the machine, standing in our previous places. I heard some rustling from behind me, but I thought it was just Avery moving around in his sleep.
~~ Avery ~~
I woke up to a bright blue light and saw Derek sitting behind his desktop.. “…Derek… it’s fucking 3AM .. why are you awake…”
I sat up and looked at his screen. He turned to me
”Avery…! You weren’t supposed to be awake!”
I frowned.
“Why?”
I paused.
“Are you hiding something from me again??”
Derek looked back at his computer screen, guiltily.
“What the hell!? Do you just not trust me??”
I was glaring at him, and he looked torn, both frustrated and guilty.
“It isn't about trust, it's the fact I know you would try and stop me! I know you, Avery! I don't need a God in my head to tell me that!”
I scoffed.
“Well, I'm glad I finally know what you think of me.”
I said, pushing myself up and grabbing my bag.
“Since I'm such a hindrance to your plans, I guess I'll just go back to my apartment!”
I took a few steps towards the door before I felt Derek grab my arm.
“Avery! Don't leave..”
He said, looking up at me pleadingly.
“Why shouldn't I!? All you do is lie to me and hide things from me! It's obvious that you either don't trust me, or you know thanks to your magic demon all knowing powers that I'm just too stupid and untrustworthy to be around!”
I yelled at him, tears forming in my eyes as I glared at him.
“Avery, what?? I'm doing this so that I can actually be around you! The whole reason I'm keeping it from you is so that you can be safe-”
“I am a grown man, Derek, I don't need to be guarded!”
I was breathing heavily, trying to shake Derek's grip off of me.
“Please, Avery, just don't leave! I- I'll explain it all to you, just stay here!”
Derek was pleading, holding on to me as hard as he could. I was crying now, hot tears rolling down my face as my cheeks burn with embarrassment and anger.
“Derek, just let go of me! I don't care about what you're doing anymore, I know you don't trust me. You probably think I'm too dumb to be told anything, right? I don't blame you. Just let me leave..”
Derek took in a deep breath as his minecraft character started taking damage.
“I'm looking for the Leviathan. I'm pretty sure it's a deity in Minecraft.. I think he could help me get rid of.. him.”
My breath hitched. My anger flared again.
“Are you kidding me Derek!? Another one!? Are you- Are you trying to get yourself killed?? I just- I can't deal with this! For a person who has infinite knowledge, you act like a goddamn idio-”
~~ '3rd Person' ~~ ‘they disgust me.’
Derek pulled Avery into a hug, holding him tightly as he started to speak.
“Avery, listen to me.. I care about you. A lot, way more than I should…I don’t want you to be in danger with whatever this..”
Avery was staring at him, shoulders sagging slightly as the anger left him, replaced with confusion.
“What are you saying, Derek..?”
He was pretty sure he knew, but he wanted to be certain. Derek took a breath, unable to look in Avery's eyes.
“Avery. Knowing everything about someone can make you feel.. a certain way about them. I know what you like, what you hate. I know you're a smart, considerate, wonderful person who would spend 15 hours looking for someone you don't even know, just because they warned you about something. I know you're insecure, and think badly about yourself because of a rough childhood, but you don't let it affect how you treat people. I know more about you than I know about myself. But I do know one thing that infinite knowledge can't tell me. I know that I love you, that you're real and special, and the person I care about most.”