Chapter Text
Under the darkened night sky, a scabiosa bloomed, its petals unfurling under the twinkling stars.
In the valley of flowers, two voices echoed in the air from afar.
One had blond hair the colour of sand that twinkled in the sun, some strands pale like winter snow. The other has deep purple hair, which remained mostly concealed by a lavender hood. They made quite the contrast, clashing against each other like a battle of light and dark.
Both of their hair whipped through the air under the steady breeze and gentleness of the night as they swung at one another, taking turns in exchanging blows with wooden swords.
"Sharp! You're just toying with me at this point!" The purple haired man exclaimed, swinging clumsily at the other, his aim messy from hours of endurance.
The blond dissolved back into a fit of laughter, his face wearing a smile of entertainment as he barked back, "I'm just helping you train, Jude! Isn't this what you wanted?"
"Bro, we've been here since the sun set! Sparring with wooden swords got boring after the first hour!" He said with a long groan, swinging again with little force and little effort.
"Aw, come on! Don't give up so easily. What if it's a real fight? You're just gonna run like a pussy?" He questioned tauntingly.
Jude's face wrinkled in annoyance, "Do you not run in fights? Look, if it's one strength, I can afford that. Running is—" He yelped, his words cut short as Sharp suddenly swept his sword across Jude's knees, sending him tumbling off balance.
"Dumb. Cowardly." The fighter finished smugly.
Jude hit the soft grass with a soft thud, glaring up at Sharpness. "Efficient. You're just being a bitch." He bit back, rubbing the spot Sharp had just hit tenderly.
"Maybe." He said simply, letting out a low, yet very audible laugh as he settled down beside Jude, crisscrossed and still as smug as ever.
"Maybe? Bro, you're just always being a fucking bitch! I'm not getting better at PvP from doing this." He grumbled, flopping onto his back.
"I think you're getting better! I've already taught you so much just from the past few days. You improved really quick, you know? You're a fast learner." Sharp said.
Jude blinks, "Are you, like— actually serious or-?" He questioned blankly, unsure of whether this was sarcasm or a genuine compliment.
"I'm serious! We're gonna be the strongest duo on strength, dude!" Sharp huffed, extending his leg and kicking the other lightly.
His lips curled into a gentle smile, one filled with a mix of both sincerity and a small hint of adoration. Honestly, even though Sharp was annoying and proved to be lacking every now and then, Jude liked having him around.
He liked the guarantee of safety knowing Sharp was there for him. He liked the reckless nonsense Sharp suggested, or the idle commentary and casual questions that turned into deep conversations that the two could go on for hours about.
Everything Sharp did, even if done with calculation and a guarantee of benefit for nobody but himself, Jude couldn't help but admire. The way he handled himself so flawlessly and moved with such agility honestly left him in awe. The way he smooth talked his way out of everything and lied so smoothly—
It ticked off something in his brain, and maybe his heart too. The thought had always lingered in the back of his mind, but Jude didn't dare disturb it. It was a dumb thought, one that shouldn't even exist to begin with.
He didn't love Sharpness. They were teammates. The only thing teammates were meant to do was help each other. Love was an unnecessary distraction that Jude knew he most definitely didn't need.
So, that was that. He'd leave it like that. He'd bury that thought and take it to his grave, because they were just teammates. Only teammates.
"Yeah," Jude replied after a brief moment of silence. His eyes met the others, and he was met with startling, bold emerald that seemed to glow under the blanket of the night sky.
He blinked again, then laughed softly, turning to face away from the other. "Yeah." Jude repeated with more conviction in his voice. "We're gonna be the strongest."
"That's the spirit!" Sharp cheered.
Then, unexpectedly— the fighter reached for Jude's hand, cupping it so carefully, like it was the greatest thing he had ever held. Sharps gloved hands were warm against his, bringing a sense of comforting warmth that Jude didn't realize he had wanted so badly.
He laughed again, and then tried to hide the way his cheeks flushed when Sharp flashed him another smile from the corner of his eye.
Only teammates. That was all it should be.
His head hurt like hell.
His throat was burning, dry like it had been lined with paper. He had downed a warm cup of water before heading out, but it hadn't seem to have done anything.
It felt like something, though Jude wasn't sure what, had been shoved down his throat and it didn't seem to be letting up.
..Whatever.
Maybe another member had gotten him sick. Maybe it was the seasonal changes, or some unknown allergy. Maybe it was the flower field Sharp had brought him to for training.
Sharp. The name lingered in his mind longer than it should. It repeated itself over and over relentlessly, making him memorize the syllables on his tongue. Ever since that night, he had been feeling off.
He wasn't sure what it was, but every time he approached Sharpness, it felt like he was suffocating. His voice strained and he had to excuse himself and run off before the other could notice.
He must've gotten sick at some point. Perhaps Sharp was the root of his sickness, but he digressed. He'd brew a strong healing potion later, and maybe that would do the trick.
"Jude!" A voice shouted, snapping him out of his train of thought.
His gaze snapped upwards, squinting under the light of the blazing, relentless sun. He, fortunately, was shaded under a tree and spared from this. The other two that were fighting, however, were not so fortunate.
"What?" He asked, dragging the word with exasperation as Sharp's axe met the reinforced wood of Dolphin's shield. The blond was being beyond cocky, and Jude could see the annoyance lingering from his opponent.
"Are you watching? You're watching the PvP masters right now, bro!" He grinned, and Jude swore his heart did a flip from that alone.
He carefully masked his reaction with a matching smile, collected and slightly teasing as it always was. Sharp could not find out about his emerging symptoms, no matter what.
"PvP masters, huh? I don't know who this Sharpness guy is, but me personally, I hope Dolphin wins." Jude replied lightly, his voice holding that playful tone that he had grown used to using with Sharp.
Well, the one he used when breathing and functioning like a normal person had still felt possible near Sharp. That was growing apparently harder, and he still had no clue as to why.
"That's flattering." Dolphin replied in amusement, slashing a clean hit across Sharp's shoulder. The blade creaked against the netherite armour, leaving small, yet visible cracks as she unhooked her sword, going for another swing while the other remained distracted.
"What?! Bro, I could beat both of you in a 2v1!" He huffed, maneuvering his sword to block Dolphin's swing before countering, sending his blade colliding against her chestplate. He moved swiftly, slamming his sword down again before the other had time to react.
The burning, itching feeling in his throat resurfaced, lingering like a plague. He swallowed, forcing out a low laugh. "I dunno, dude. I've got a mace too, you know. I think we could drop you pretty easily."
"Yo, you should just give me your mace, dude. I'm the mace goddess after all. I'd wipe this guy." Dolphin laughed in agreement. She recovered from the fighters previous swings quickly, slamming her own axe against his shield before going for a ruthless combo of clean strikes that completely caught Sharp off guard.
Sharp brushed stray, blond strands back from his face, glaring daggers at Jude before refocusing his attention on his opponent. "Nah, bro. You aren't getting anything. I'm gonna win this fight, and the next one, and the next one. Just you wait, bro." He said.
Jude's breath hitched, eyes widened as he watched the two continue going back and forth. The agreement was first to break a piece of their armour, and from the looks of it— it was close. Really close.
Sharp moved gracefully, with practiced strategy and technique. He played aggressively, swinging at most open spots he could find with fluidity. Dolphin was quite good, admittedly, however she lacked the clean movement that Sharp seemed to possess.
Dolphin was both well at adapting and extremely skilled when it came to macing, but currently, she lacked a mace. Her swings were still on point, though Jude didn't think that her acting more aggressive would be enough to win against Sharp. Despite the fact she played well, Sharpness seemed to have the upper hand in more ways than one.
A loud clang rumbled through the fields, sharpened diamond blades scraping achingly loud against each other. Dolphin pulled back and swung, but Sharpness was quicker. He parried the attack, propelling himself into the air with a powerful windcharge before lowering his mace onto Dolphin.
The other barely managed to block in time, her shield raising just quick enough.
"Bro, this is fucking bullshit.." She muttered under her breath, her feathered wings flexing in the air as she launched a windcharge at Sharp's chest, pushing him back. "Bitchass maces, what am I even supposed to do, bro?"
"Is this you giving up?" Sharpness chirped mockingly, picking up on the others words.
Her expression hardened, determination and deep frustration glinting in her eyes. "'Course not, bro. How about I change the deal?" She offered, tilting her head.
"What, 2v2?" He asked curiously, his glance shifting over to Jude. "You and Nufuli?"
"Something like that," Dolphin hummed, "Maybe just like, my whole team against yours? Sound good?"
That was absurd. She better be joking, because that was something close to a 5v1, if he had to guess.
Jude sat up straighter, jaw dropping. "Wh- Let's not do that? Dolphin, we had a clear agreement that this was just a friendly duel, bro—"
The self-proclaimed goddess simply smiled in response, swiping open her communicator while dodging a sweep from Sharp.
"Dolphin, I swear to god, if you're calling your team over—" Sharp warned with more fear in his voice than actual intimidation.
"My bad. My finger slipped, bro." She said, the corner of her lips trying to hold back the ever growing smile on her face.
< Dol9hin > -1200 -3000 jude and sharp
< Dol9hin > -1200 -3000 jude and sharp
< Dol9hin > -1200 -3000 jude and sharp
< conexion > BRO WHAT THE FUCK [3]
"Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me right now.." Jude muttered, hastily rising to his feet.
They were fucked. Beyond fucked, in fact. There was no way there were making it out of here.
Well, if they completely disregarded the fact that he was a trapper, that was.
< You whisper to conexion > trap 1k blocks out in the desert
< You whisper to conexion > the one i showed u yesterday ok?
< conexion whispers to you > k got it
The duo exchanged knowing looks, Sharp giving a quick nod before turning back towards the other.
"Should we take this?" Jude asked, feigning uneasiness as he watched figures approach in the distance. "Tai and Noob are pulling up with Nufuli."
"Uh, we might be able to drop someone. If we can't then we can just go." Sharpness replied quickly. Flawless. The lie played out perfectly, and Jude had to bite back a giggle as Dolphin's swings became swifter, clearly trying to take advantage of Sharps 'distress'.
"We might have to dip like, now. I don't think we can drop anyone with all four of them on us."
The footsteps drew closer and closer. Jude was about to put on an Oscar worthy performance. All he and Sharp had to do was stall out long enough for the opposing team to see them as bait worth pursuing once they did run.
"Nah, don't dip. We're finishing this fight." Dolphin said with newfound, fiery confidence. She swung and narrowly missed Sharps helmet, making the other yelp.
"Jude, Jude, Jude— do you have any, uh, turtle? I only have strength pots." Sharpness asked hastily.
Jude rummaged his inventory, executing a perfectly pitched noise of disappointment as he looked back up at Sharp, "Dude, I don't have any turtle. I didn't think we'd be fighting, I—"
"Come here Jude!" A newer voice yelled, recognizable as Nufuli. Tai and Noob followed closely behind him, weapons drawn and glowing with effects.
"Shit, uh— What's the plan, Sharp?" He questioned, splashing a strength potion onto himself.
Sharp's response came back strained, stressed under the pressure of a 4v2. "I'm getting really low, I think we have to run, Jude. I can't take that many, my pant dura is—" He cut himself off, purposely stopping so that the bluff would be much more believable.
Oh my god, Sharp might just be the worlds best teammate and worlds best bluffer.
"Target Sharp, guys. Jude is a weaker target so he'll probably run, but we can chase since there's so many of us." Tai said, talking as if the person who he was talking about wasn't right in front of him.
"Okay, yeah. This is our cue to—" Jude coughed, gasping as the words dissolved on his tongue. The cough came out of nowhere, leaving his throat dry and wrecked, along with a dull burning after it had passed.
He snuck a glance at Sharpness, breathing a soft sigh of relief upon seeing that he was still caught up holding Dolphin, Noob and Nufuli back.
"Go?" Sharp finished his thoughts.
"Go." He confirmed, knocking Noob out of the way to grab Sharp, his hand wrapping firmly around the fighters wrist. For a split second, he felt Sharp tense up at the touch, however he visibly relaxed when his eyes met Jude's, a small smile tugging at his lips.
It's a commonly known fact that water made for one of the better methods of a getaway, making it unbelievably easy to escape from your enemies even during unbalanced fights.
That being said, the choice of how they escape should've been more than obvious.
"Water, Sharp! Water."
Jude ducked an arrow that whizzed past his head, grimacing as Sharp crashed against him. He heard the sound of a sword clash against netherite, denting the sturdy material ever so slightly.
"I can't, bro! Dolphin won't stop chasing me—" He hissed back, glancing behind him to ensure that the rest of her team were still following.
Jude's hand around his wrist tightened, and he practically yanked the other into the lukewarm waters. "Don't care. We're going, just hold onto me." He said firmly, thrusting a windcharge at Dolphin to push her back. This gave the duo an opportunity to make their 'escape', diving headfirst into the shallow water before resurfacing near the edge of the desert dunes.
Less than a thousand blocks away. They could do this.
"Jude—" Sharp tried, hacking on the saltwater as the trapper stumbled back into his feet. "Slow done, bro!"
"Not my fault you can't keep up! Bro, it cannot be that hard to climb outta the water." Jude groaned, yanking Sharp up from the shoreline.
Another swing, and the fighter was knocked right back into Jude. "Just— give me a second to get them off. I don't want to lose you." He said, his voice soft yet audible as he lowered his hand from Judes.
Lose him.
Sharp didn't want to lose him. What?
"Sure." Jude forced out, but those simple words were enough to make him feel like he was suffocating.
Why was Sharp talking like this?
Why was he feeling like this?
Sharpness nodded and slid a windcharge in their opponents direction, knocking them back before launching himself into the air, landing a clean mace hit on Noob.
Judelow could only watch, his heartbeat audible in his head as Sharp slashed at the group. Watching it felt like watching a movie in a different language without subtitles.
He had no clue how Sharp did it, or what Sharp was even doing that kept the team at bay, but it seemed to be easier with them in the water and him on the shore.
Sharp maced, crit, and repeated over and over until they finally backed away into the water, muttering something about coordination.
"Okay, let's go." Sharpness smiled giddily, catching up with Jude. "I'm a pretty good actor, right?"
"..Uh-huh. Whatever you wanna believe, dude." He giggled back, racing through the sandy hills with Sharp trailing directly behind him. Their feet fell into a steady, yet frantic rhythm, encrusted boots trimmed with lapis and redstone glimmering in the persisting sun.
"Careful of traps!" Nufuli called out in the distance, the sounds of windcharges audible in the air. They were catching up quicker than expected.
Maybe letting them actually coordinate was a bad idea.
Tai scoffed, "Bro, we're not in Jude's territory anymore. Plus, he's with Sharp. I bet he expected him to protect him." He said mockingly.
Okay, yeah. He took it back.
"Yeah, Jude! Stop being so reliant on me." Sharp agreed smugly, elbowing the other's shoulder lightly as the duo kept running.
Jude's heart did another flip. This was so stupid. He could already feel the heat creeping up his cheeks.
"You're relying on me! You were the one who was begging me to spare you! How is that me being reliant?" Jude asked with a laugh of disbelief, the waypoint growing closer and closer while they all continued to bicker.
"Because I'm better than you! I could've killed you, I just— uh, decided to spare you!"
Dolphin called out from much closer than anticipated, "Don't worry, bro. We aren't gonna spare either of you guys."
"Yo, Dolphin, do you hear how they're talking? They're starting to sound like you and Shaun, bro. This is the new dependence duo. Sharp and Jude are the new meta." Nufuli giggled, finally nearing the two.
He windcharged into the air, landing a crit on Sharp. Tai followed suite, firing an arrow square at the back of Sharp's chestplate. This wasn't good.
"Bruh, they wish! I give them like, two weeks at best." She retorted.
"Me and Jude are better than both of you guys! We're gonna beat all of your asses." Sharp said triumphantly, winking at Jude.
Wasn't good if he didn't have a trap, he meant.
God, Sharp was so awfully petty he was honestly glad that he was now teamed with him instead of against him.
"Whatever you say, bro." Tai said, voice laced with sarcasm.
The constant bickering and unserious mess that the situation has devolved into had made the other team practically forget about how Jude was literally the servers best trapper, and therefore— possibly the servers best manipulator.
They were like a pack of hungry animals, charging at the duo without further consideration or planning. All they saw were the glistening maces and promises of strength, and that alone was enough to convince them that the reward much outweighed the risk.
"Sharp!"
Jude foot hesitated over the marked sand, hovering over it as he glanced towards his teammate.
"Shit—" Sharp swung, pushing Nufuli back. In return, both Dolphin and Noob got a handful of hits of their own in, managing to sync them until the fighter finally windcharged into the air.
His eyes widened in panic, watching as the four surrounded Sharp, weapons all drawn. "Jude! Come get your teammate!" Nufuli grinned, waving him over teasingly.
"Sharp, are you good?" Jude questioned worriedly as he kept fighting them off.
"I—"
The words were cut off with a loud crack. Everyone turned to the source, which happened to be Sharp. Sharp, who had just broken his netherite leggings.
"I thought you lied about that!"
"Why would I lie about that?!"
"Uh, I don't know, maybe because there's four people trying to kill you? Maybe because lying would be good?"
"You're the one who didn't have any turtle, bro! Oh, shit— Tai, stop breathing in my fucking face! Jude, I can't get them off."
Jude felt his whole body itching, burning, begging for him to do something. He couldn't just stand stand there uselessly. Sharp's emerald eyes met his, and for just a split second, Jude could see it.
Fear. Genuine, honest fear. Not of death, but rather disappointment.
His jaw tightened, and his legs started moving before he could even stop himself. Sharpness's training advice rung through his head, words dancing through his mind as he ran in with his sword drawn.
"Sharp!" He yelled desperately, the blade of his sword immediately colliding with Dolphins upon trying to reach his teammate.
Sparks flew, and potions splashed against the sand. His throat felt tight, but he persisted. Jude couldn't let his only teammate die.
All he could think was Sharp, Sharp, Sharp. His best and worst decision yet.
He hated how much he already cared. He hated how his tongue had become far too familiar with the name. He hated the rush of warmth against his hands, and especially—
"Jude! I'm here, I'm here! Go!"
Him.
Everything about him.
Sharp reached for his hand, their fingertips brushing briefly before Jude was knocked out of the way by Nufuli, relentless and determined.
He didn't give up. Jude maneuvered his way through them all, extending his hand to Sharp. When his fingers curled around the fighters wrist for a second time, he didn't tense and didn't try to pull away.
In fact, he adjusted his grip, moving his own wrist downwards until their fingers entwined. Warmth against freezing cold.
"Go, Jude!" He repeated, his worry now replaced with a grin.
God, he hated the way he was like a ray of pure sunshine. With golden hair like sparkling sand and eyes that shimmered like sharpened emeralds, he was so perfect.
Good at PvP, smooth talking with the skill to back up his cockiness. It was unbearable. Jude hated how often his gaze lingered on the other, the way the sun perfectly shone over him and the way his features seemed to glow even more in the darkness.
Jude squeezed Sharp's hand, dragging him along until the traps waypoint came back into view.
He couldn't let all of that slip from his hands so quickly.
An arrow flew past his head, then another went barreling towards Sharpness. He heard a small hiss of pain from behind him, but he didn't stop running. The marked sand was right in front of him.
He needed to this. For him, and for Sharp.
"Sharp, I'm activating it! Stay close to me." He commanded, holding the other closely as he slid the pressure plate under his feet.
A click, and the mechanism went off.
Their opponents yelled, scrambling for anything that could catch their fall. Their cries drifted out of proximity as the sand came crumbling down from under them, and in just a split second, the whole team was gone.
A satisfying chain of crunches echoed from under them. It was over.
TaiMC was impaled on a stalagmite.
Dol9hin was impaled on a stalagmite.
Nufuli was impaled on a stalagmite.
ItsN00B was impaled on a stalagmite.
A surprised laugh escaped him. Jude hadn't realized he had been holding his breath the whole time.
Usually, he never got nervous when trapping people. Traps failed all the time, and he just had to accept that. But this, this felt different. Weirdly... fulfilling.
"Sharp, Sharp, we did it! Bro, we killed them!" Jude exclaimed, bursting into a fit of genuine, unfiltered laughter.
He didn't realize how happy he really felt. Just having Sharp, fighting to stay by his side and keeping him alive, that was more than enough for him. Jude would be lying if he said he wasn't delighted to have fought alongside the fighter.
That joy lasted for about two seconds before he blinked, now hyper aware of two things.
First, Sharp was literally pressed against him, his head against his chest. Second of all—
His laughter fell flat, "Your leg."
"Whatever. Don't care. We won." Sharp mumbled back, his fingers still entwined with Jude's. "Loot up before everything despawns."
"Dude, I can literally see where the arrow went in. It's gross." Jude said, his voice a mix of worry and frustration. He shifted onto his knees slowly, lowering Sharp down with him until the fighter leaned against him, curled into a fetal position.
His cheeks flamed, and it clearly wasn't the heat of the sun that was causing this reaction. "You okay?"
Obviously, Sharp was anything but okay. But— it couldn't hurt to ask.
"Yeah, just— gonna fucking kill Noob when I see him again." He managed through gritted teeth, "Fucking bitch. He shot me in the leg."
"Idiot," He said with a soft laugh. Gentle, but still teasing. "You have any healing?"
"I would've already used it if I did."
Sharp watched with tired eyes as Jude rummaged through his inventory, pulling out a vivid, pink potion. "You're not gonna betray me?" He smirked.
Jude paused. Really paused.
He looked down at Sharp, with his head propped up against his chest and an arrow in his leg. Blood was slowly leaking down from where the tip of the arrow met flesh, tearing straight through the fabric and implanting itself into his skin.
Running would hurt like shit. Hell, even moving it would be horrible. Jude could just kill him if he wanted.
He could get his revenge, for all the countless times that Sharp had hunted him down, and for all the things he had taken that didn't belong to him.
It'd be so, so easy.
But...
"Why would I ever do that, bro? In what world?" He chuckled, shaking his head lightly as he pressed the glass bottle against the others lips.
"I don't know, maybe 'cause— you're a fucking— bitch!" Sharp said through shallow gasps, struggling to down the bittersweet liquid.
"Well, sorry I don't want you to die, dude." Jude huffed, "If I wanted to kill you I would've already done it when I set off the trap."
The fighter hummed in acknowledgment, pushing the bottle away from his lips once he had finished. "Can you, uh— pull the arrow out..?"
"Oh, right. Yeah. How deep is it? It doesn't look too bad." He commented, briefly examining the arrow before digging into his inventory for some gauze.
"Not deep, it just hurts like hell whenever I try to move." Sharp muttered back, his hand reaching for the fabric of Jude's sleeve. "I shouldn't have let him get me."
"What? Did you do it on purpose?"
"No—! Bro, I just meant, like—"
Jude gripped the arrow, yanking it out in one swift motion before Sharpness could finish.
A loud hiss and a frantic tug of Jude's sleeve followed. Sharp held onto the material like a lifeline, eyes squeezed shut as he muttered a string of curses under his breath.
Sharp exhaled shakily before cracking one eye open, glaring at Jude with murderous intent.
"Fuck— why didn't you warn me?!" He demanded, still wincing as Jude tore off a piece of gauze.
"Because you would've made a big, annoying fuss over it." He replied matter-of-factly, saying it as if it were the most obvious thing ever.
"... Mm-nm." Sharp made a sound that sounded like disagreement.
"Mhm." He replied back flatly. His hands moved with precision, fingers careful yet calculated as they wrapped the gauze tightly around the bloody wound.
"How bad does it look?" The fighter asked quietly, trying to tilt his head over to inspect the damage.
"Stop moving, dude! It's not even that bad. It should heal fine as long as you don't move it too much or anything." Jude said with a drawn out sigh, wrapping the last of the gauze around his leg.
Sharp let out a huff, sinking his head back against Jude's chest. "Okay. Thanks, Jude.."
"For what? Patching you up like any other teammate would?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
Sharp went quiet for a moment, his eyes searching Jude's for any kind of answer.
A question so simple, yet the other couldn't seem to respond. Jude knew why, but he didn't point it out. Didn't make it bigger than it had to be.
It was a lingering feeling of distrust built up from all the teammates who Sharp had thought he could rely on.
He understood. Jude simply stared back and gave the fighter a moment, letting a comfortable silence wash over the two.
His hands moved upwards to Sharps hair, and he ran one hand through the blond strands experimentally.
The other didn't twitch, or even shift away from his touch. He visibly relaxed, staying silent for another minute before he finally spoke.
"Thanks," Sharp said quietly, "For not.. leaving."
The fingers threading through his hair paused.
"...Why would I?"
"I don't know." He replied, the usual confidence in his voice faltering. "But I don't want to lose you."
An itching feeling creeped up his throat. His mouth tasted bitter, metallic, in-fact— but he tried his best to reply.
"I don't wanna lose you either."
The sentence felt foreign. Sharp shouldn't have meant as much to him as he did.
What was wrong with him?
As soon as those words had been spoken, a violent cough ripped from his throat. He managed to catch it quick enough, covering his mouth with his hand.
Muffled with the palm of his hand, the rattling cough dwindled into more of a cough that had been used to clear his throat. Sharpness didn't even look up, his head remaining comfortably tucked against the trappers.
When Jude lowered his hand from his mouth, he tried not to scream. Tried not to panic, especially with Sharp practically laying on him.
But splattered against his hand, unmistakably and undeniably there—
Blood.