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Ren was at Box, getting the extra food he had stored before he turned red, with help from Pearl and Martyn. Or rather, the two of them were listening to him whine about Big B, and giving their input.
“Ren, it’ll be okay. You don’t need to worry about Big B, he’s… he’s gone.”
“Yeah! Exactly.” Ren hissed through his teeth. They’d become sharper than usual, Martyn noticed. “We’re one misstep from turning into a ghost, and he’s probably over there with his secret admirer, gallivanting through the crop fields.”
“You don’t know that for sure! He could just be getting close to them so he can kill them?” Pearl reasoned.
“That’s what I’m worried about Pearl! I doubt Big B could take most people here in a fight,” Ren shook his head, and his tone turned dark. “If B’s secret admirer didn’t give him that gift, we never would’ve gone down this path.”
“And… we never would’ve gotten together, silly!”
Martyn chuckled, “Yeah, what Pearl said. We appreciate you being with us. Or at least I do, I can’t speak for her.”
“I do!”
A smile started to reach Ren’s face, but soured not a moment later. “Thank you both for saying that… I just wish I could’ve been on the receiving end of one of those gifts. It would’ve been nice to partake in, before the time comes where all I can do is watch.”
Martyn looked at Pearl, and he nodded, a plan already formulating in his head. He really did love Ren, and he wished that he could’ve been soulbound with him at the start. Though, as Cleo and Scott have shown quite clearly, he could still choose. And now? He chose Ren.
“I’m sure you’ll find someone who loves you the way that Big B’s secret admirer loves him.”
Pearl was silent beside them, and Ren smiled. “Thank you, Martyn.”
As Martyn arrived at Box to drop off a gift, he noticed a suspicious chest with a note attached to the front. It definitely hadn’t been there last time they went there.
He decided that he should respect Ren’s privacy, and placed his gift down on the opposite end of the room. However, he did send a message to Ren to be cautious of a possibly trapped chest in his base, and left some of the diamonds he snagged from the ancient city for the gift.
“Martyn! Pearl! You’ll never guess what I found.”
It was day three of Ren being red, and he was doing quite well for himself. He had trapped a few bases, but avoided Grian and Scar’s residence, where Big B was staying. Thankfully, he was starting to have fun again.
“What is it, Ren?” Martyn said, smirking just slightly.
“My secret admirer left two gifts for me, here, look,” Ren pulled out the diamonds that used to belong to Martyn, and sculk sensors from… someone else? His tail whipped around quite quickly, despite Martyn’s initial confusion. “Now I can make better gear, and also trap more people!”
Pearl smiled, obviously happy for him, but something seemed… a bit off about it. “Is there one you like better?”
“No? They’re both very nice gifts.” Ren shook his head, and Martyn let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Pearl looked at him strangely, before turning her attention back to Ren. “I just… I don’t want to lose this group, just because I have a secret admirer. I still want to be allies, if that’s still alright with the both of you.”
“I’ll be right by your side ‘till the end, Ren. I’ll promise you that.”
“And I’ll stick around unless things get too dicey.” Pearl promised. “I’ll even take a hit for you if you need, unless I’m on red.”
Martyn nodded, “Same here. I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again. Just… please don’t go looking for too much trouble, yeah? We can stay as the Broken Hearts Club. Let’s just not turn into the Broken Bones Club, and all end up on red, or worse.”
Ren chuckled, “I won’t, I won’t… and thanks guys. That means a lot.”
A few nights later at Box, Martyn was organizing some chests. Pearl must’ve come in without announcing herself, since he turned around and saw her. “Hey Pearl— woah, wait, why are you holding that axe like that?”
Pearl giggled darkly, and swung the axe from side to side once she reached Martyn. “Are you Ren’s secret admirer?”
“Um…” Martyn started. “Would it make you kill me more or less if I said yes?”
“More!”
“Then uh—”
Pearl gripped the handle of the axe tightly, “You’ve already said your piece, Martyn. I thought I could trust you, but I should’ve known, huh? You’ve already helped mess up our soulbonds with Scott and Cleo.”
Martyn sucked in a breath. “Pearl, where is this coming from? ”
“A place of love and affection, thank you very much! Ren doesn’t deserve to be pranked,” Pearl frowned, and Martyn let out the breath he was holding and laughed. “What’s so funny?”
“I do! I do love him!” he said. “Why are you so riled up about this? Wait, did you give him the sculk sensors?”
“I did…?” Pearl grimaced, not liking where this was going. “So we both love him then?”
“Yeah, which is a pretty big non-issue if I’ve ever seen one. Honestly, it makes this whole ‘Broken Hearts Club’ thing easier.”
“Why?”
Martyn raised his finger, “Well, for one, if we both love him, and if he loves us both back —I guess that could be an issue, yeah, but I’m pretty sure he likes the both of us— but if he loves us both back, then we could all be soulmates, right?” Pearl just stared at him, so he continued, “And secondly, if we’re all soulmates, then the Broken Hearts Club wouldn’t have to disband at all.”
“That’s an option?” Pearl asked warily.
“Yeah, it is. Besides, I like you too… or well, when you’re not trying to kill me.”
Pearl put away her axe, “Sorry! I like you as well, when you’re not wooing my future soulmate.”
“ Our future soulmate, if everything goes right,” he countered. “And if everything goes right, hopefully there won’t have to be wooing on any side.”
Pearl nodded. “Our future soulmate. And… we’d be soulmates too?”
“I mean,” Martyn laughed, with a bit of anxiety laced in his voice. “If you want?”
“Yeah. I— I would. I just wanted to make sure that’s what was going on,” Pearl’s face scrunched up like she was holding something back. “I just don’t want to be left alone again.”
“Oh…” Martyn reached out for Pearl’s hand, who retracted it almost immediately. Once she did, he took a step back, and had to reevaluate. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s not enough.”
“I know,” he sighed. “I’m sorry I left you. I shouldn’t have done that, I was just feeling… frustrated with the whole situation, and needed to be alone.” Pearl waited for him to continue expectantly. “I shouldn’t have left you alone though. I loved hanging out with you, going to the nether was a blast, and caving too. I wish I could go back in time, and stop myself from lashing out.”
“But then we wouldn’t be where we are now.”
“Right,” Martyn said. “Right…”
Pearl reached out for Martyn this time, and held his hands in hers. “I accept your apology. Thank you. I’m sorry for lashing out too.”
He smiled, “Thanks.”
They let their hands fall to their sides, and Pearl brought up something Martyn hadn’t thought of. “Now, how do we tell Ren?”
“Well…”
Ren decided to come bursting through the door at that moment, riding on his white horse. “Tell me what?”
“Oh! Hi Ren!” Martyn laughed. “Wasn’t expecting you to be back so soon.”
Ren got off the horse, and led them to a stall. “You’re avoiding the question.”
“Well yeah, we hadn’t prepared for how to tell you this, but—”
“We’re both your secret admirers! Martyn gave the diamonds, and I gave the sculk sensors,” Pearl smiled. “Surprise!”
Ren visibly deflated. “Why… Why would you do this?”
“We both love you, so we wanted to give you something to show our affection.”
“O-oh?”
“Yeah,” Martyn agreed. “Sorry we’re dropping this on you, but you didn’t give us much of a choice.”
“Ah… sorry,” At least Ren had the sense to look sheepish. “So… this isn’t a prank? You both love me?”
“Mhm. With our whole hearts. Or at least half of them, depending on how much damage Cleo decides to inflict on me today.”
“Same with Scott… I’ve been awfully cold recently. I wonder who showed him the powdered snow trick?”
Martyn laughed, “Probably Scar.”
“Oh…”
It was a bit silent while Pearl had that revelation, so Ren decided to break it. “Well I uh… I’m not sure what to say, because I love you both? I couldn’t choose between the two of you.”
“Well, we aren’t choosing either,” Pearl explained. “Martyn and I decided we could… all be soulmates? That right?”
“Yeah. If you’re up for it that is.”
The two of them looked to Ren, who mulled it over for a moment. “I think I’d like that very much.”
Martyn smiled, and motioned for Ren and Pearl to come over. Arms wrapped around his torso, a tail whapped his leg, and a kiss was planted on the top of his forehead. It was too late for Cleo, Scott, or Big B to come crawling back, and he doubted either of his partners felt differently.
He felt loved for the first time since being broken up with by Cleo, and he couldn’t be happier in their arms.