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Judelow was undoubtedly and irrevocably in love with Sharpness Conexion, and it fucking sucks.
Teaming with Sharpness for the first time was something Jude agreed with relatively out of desperation, with Parker on whatever side quests he picked up and pretty much everyone else having a level of distrust towards him, Jude lacked options. Not that Sharpness was a bad option, mind you, just not one Jude would have initially picked with other options. Sharpness was balanced in the pros and cons of teaming and Jude didn't exactly have many others lining up to be his teammate so he just had to take Sharpness for all his many vast faults. Jude weighed him up in his head whilst considering what to do with him, and so trust him when he says Sharpness comes with so many drawbacks. Sure, Sharpness was one of the best PvPers on the server, but this man could not put two thoughts together for the life of him and Jude did NOT want to be responsible for that. First he'd win a two vs one fight, odds stacked against him, then he'd fall face first into a trap Jude hasn't even finished yet. Suffice to say, when first thinking of potentially working with Sharpness to be the strongest players on the server, Jude was only really swayed by his skill at fighting. But now...
Jude wasn't stupid, okay, he's literally like the smartest person ever in the world, totally do not fact check that, Jude's always right. The point is, he's man enough to admit that his distaste for Sharpness in anything other than PvP has definitely gone now, replaced by a personal level of adoration. He really wishes he could say it's adoration for how dumb Sharpness is sometimes, but that just wouldn't be true. He's in love with Sharpness, he knew that before he tested him and he knew that after he tested him. Sharpness, lo and behold, had worked some kinda miracle and made Jude genuinely care about him, only to immediately try to betray him. Jude wasn't salty in the slightest.
Jude was totally salty. How could Sharpness even do that? Worm his way into Jude's heart, give Jude the best teammate he's ever had, and then just casually pull Jude's own trap on him?? Jude was pissed; pissed at Sharpness for betraying him, pissed at Parker for leaving him long enough to need a different teammate, pissed at Tai for inviting him onto this stupid server with stupid Sharpness on it, and yet pissed at himself for knowing that this alliance with Sharp was temporary, and yet still letting himself care about Sharpness.
So Jude vowed to never ever talk to Sharpness again. He was done with him, end of story and no complaints. Sharp was going to get ignored until he either cried, begged, agreed that Jude was better than him, and gave him a whole ton of gifts or until death. Those were Jude's terms and that was that.
---
On the day after the 'Incident', Sharpness came crawling back to Jude. Or more specifically, walked into where Jude was building a new trap (that he may or may not have been secretly hoping to use on Sharpness that backstabbing little-) and just started poking at the redstone around it. Jude, not about to backdown on his own internal terms of surrender that Sharpness needs to do in order to be forgiven, only turned to level him with a death stare before turning around and climbing straight out of the trapping room. He heard Sharpness scramble up behind him as he walked as quickly as he physically could away. He could distantly hear Sharpness calling his name, whilst trying to catch up to him. Jude simply turned to walk behind a tree and wait for Sharpness to leave. That wasn't hiding, that was, like, a strategic camouflage strat. Jude would never hide from anyone ever, he's just playing a psychological battle against Sharpness that requires him to duck behind a tree, thats all. Sharpness did eventually give up looking for him, upon realising Jude wasn't directly infront of him. He turned around, sad puppy eyes Jude had become accustomed to seeing hidden behind the loose, blonde hair from his bun. Sharpness slowly trudged away from the forest back towards the clearing with the trap, seemingly looking in one more time to see if Jude had magically appeared there before walking away, still sporting his kicked puppy look. Jude did not feel bad at all, he totally definitely didn't. Not at all.
---
The next time Sharpness appeared was in Jude's base. Jude was locked in on a trap design, after having gotten a message from Parker saying he was finally coming back. Jude made sure to situate himself near the entrance, wanting to debrief Parker on the new enemies within Strength to look out for, only to be greeted with Sharpness coming down the stairs instead.
"Judey..." Sharpness started, stood near the bottom of the steps shuffling from one foot to the other, thumbs twiddling like he was nervous about something. Jude would give him something to be nervous about. Before Sharpness could even say one more word, Jude had flicked a lever on his desk effectively dropping Sharpness into a dripstone trap, before returning back to his design to patiently wait for Parker to return. Jude didn't even bother to look at the death message, or the sad face emoji Sharpness sent to him after.
---
"So you teamed up with Sharpness, fought Tai and Noob, fought like 10 other people, got betrayed by Sharpness and you're now ignoring him. Did I get that all right?" Jude thinks Parker might just be a little disappointed in him.
"I mean yeah, you missed out me winning a tournament though" Jude added. Him and Parker were sat opposite each other in the turtle farm; Parker sat with his legs stretched forward, resting on his hands as Jude sat cross legged playing with a turtle; or like attempting to, since turtles are a bit too slow to properly play with. Parker was looking at Jude with the blankest, yet most disappointed stare Jude had ever seen from him, as if he was both upset and not surprised at Jude's actions whilst he was gone.
"You don't deserve the mention of winning a tournament if you made yourself server enemy number one again." Yeah, okay, Parker was definitely disappointed.
"Well technically I always was server enemy number one, or whatever, like we're on a server with sweats and i just drop them into death traps, duh they don't like that very much." Jude was not about to hear this slander from Parker, he may have made some interesting choices whilst Parker's been gone, but he's pretty chill with everyone despite that. Hell, he helped Tai figure out how to build a trap not too long back. So maybe Jude had fought a crazy amount of people, but if Jude was chill with them then those people usually weren't about to pull up and attempt to slime him out.
"I don't even know what to say to that." Was Parkers only response. Jude tilted his head in consideration, before perking up again.
"Oh yeah, by the way if you see Sharpness please just ignore him, I don't wanna talk to him right now... or like ever again," Jude said, "He tried to come into out base a few days ago and I just wanted to make sure you didn't think he was chill."
"I mean sure, you literally just said you got betrayed by him so I guessed that he wasn't exactly welcome here, but thanks for the warning I guess"
---
"Sharpness is pouting, you know" is all Tai said when flying down next to Jude. Jude was back to working on the trap he'd initially abandoned to avoid Sharpness, kneeling over the hole he'd dug to place the observers and pistons in.
"I'm aware he's pouting, why are you telling me that though? Not exactly my problem." Jude responded. It was the truth, Sharpness' pouting may have been because Jude was ignoring him but Sharpness pulled the first trap, not Jude, so he only had himself to blame for the consequences.
"I'm telling you that 'cause he just tried to interrogate me on why you aren't talking to him, and I'm not trying to get involved in matchmaking or whatever." Jude glanced over at Tai from his trap, Tai's sword shining in the sun held in his hand. Jude looked up to stare Tai directly in the eyes, "and what exactly did you tell him?"
"I told him that he betrayed you, and thats why you're not talking to him," Tai shrugged, fastening his sword back to his belt before turning his head towards Jude's trap, "is that for him?" Tai asked, nodding his head in the direction of the work-in-progress trap.
"Maybe," Jude looked back to his work, "Was that all you said?" He pushed further. Jude could see from Tai's general shiftiness that there was something else he wasn't saying, and Jude needed to know what Sharpness knew and what he had learnt from Tai.
"Well he seemed confused as to why you've forgiven me and not him." Tai muttered, looking away from Jude's trap to the forest Jude had hidden in days prior.
"And how did you respond to his confusion?" Jude pried coldly. He didn't have the time nor the patience for Tai's sheepishness, he needed to finish the trap and he needed to know what exactly Tai had said. He also needed to not think about the fact that Sharpness had cared enough about having Jude forgive him that he had asked Tai about it.
"Well I just said we were on different levels with you, and that Sharpness' betraying you meant more than me trying to trap you." Jude flipped around to face Tai, taking his hands out of the redstone machinery, "You told him that? Are you kidding me?" Jude stood up to properly face Tai. This was disastrous, he didn't want Sharpness to know he held any sort of affection for him! Did Tai even realise the power Sharpness could hold over Jude if used that information right? He would know Jude ignoring him was entirely superficial and based only on his unwillingness to admit how much he missed Sharpness, and that his own inability to properly face that fact was linked to his own inability to admit his lack of power in this situation and his complicated feelings towards caring about another person when his whole persona is built on being an unfeeling monster who traps and kills anyone!
Woah, okay maybe Sharpness wouldn't be able to put that together from Tai just saying Sharpness' betrayal meant more to Jude, and maybe Jude needed to do some soul searching between his trap building because that came pouring out of his deepest unthinkable thoughts more easily than he'd like to admit. Nevertheless, Tai still sucked for telling Sharpness anything about how Jude was feeling.
"It's literally the most obvious thing ever bro. Plus if he came to me to ask what to do about you, then don't you think its pretty damn likely he's just as- I don't know- grossly smitten as you are?" Tai questioned, quietly and amusedly watching as Jude unintentionally started pacing up and down, hands on his head like this was the worst thing to ever happen to him.
"That doesn't matter at all! Sharpness can't know anything about that! Oh god why would you tell him that?" Jude's pacing increased in speed, as he starting quickly muttering plans of action to avoid Sharpness.
"Have you ever considered therapy?" Tai asked. Jude stopped his pacing and muttering to stare at him, frustration obvious in his glare. Tai smirked at the pause before adding, "if you love him so much, and he loves you, why are you stressing yourself out about him knowing that? He clearly cares enough to keep trying after you clearly ignored him, so maybe him knowing you also care isn't such a bad thing?".
Tai equipped his elytra and flew away before Jude could respond, leaving Jude to stare at where he was just standing blankly. He felt like Tai and ripped all of his plans to avoid Sharpness forever out of his head with that last question. Was it such a bad thing for Sharpness to know Jude is in love with him if Sharpness loved him back? He thought it was, thought Sharpness would use that against him, holding it over his head to get Jude to do what he wants; maybe Jude holds as much power over Sharpness as Sharpness does over him. If Jude loves Sharpness, and Sharpness loves Jude, then maybe they could just exist without a power imbalance between them. Maybe they could just exist in each other's circle without worrying about what the other's secret plan was. Maybe Jude was allowed to have that someone to care for, maybe Jude could admit he wanted Sharpness around more than anything in the world.
Jude slowly started walking back to his base. He wasn't very far, but he had a lot to think about so he took his time walking. His thoughts drifted back to his previous partnership with Sharpness, one that felt balanced, one that encouraged Jude's feelings towards Sharpness. He remembered multiple times that Sharpness would linger as Jude put together a trap, resting his head on Jude's shoulder or his hand on Jude's head, petting his ears softly as Jude carefully explained the traps mechanics. He remembered the times he'd trap Sharpness while they were teamed. He didn't feel that maniacal rush of dopamine, the need to gloat over his victim as he killed them. He just felt increasing affection for Sharpness, laughing softly at him whilst helping him out of the trap, his own laughter egged on by Sharp's mumbles about the trap and Jude. If that's what a relationship with no strings held over each looked like, Jude can't help but long for it.
He was met with Sharpness once again in his base as he slowly walked down the stairs. Sharpness was sat down at Jude's desk across from the stairs with his head in his hands. Jude glanced to the entrance, considering leaving before spotting Parker at the top. He'd somehow not seen him on the way in, so caught up in his own thoughts he hadn't really looked around before descending down the stairs. Parker gave him a shooing motion, beckoning him into talking to Sharpness, before pulling some paper with a barely visible trap design on out of his pocket and throwing Jude a thumbs up. Parker immediately turned and walked away, giving Jude and Sharpness privacy within the base. Jude, looked down at the stairs where the trap was, composing himself before shifting his view back to Sharpness, who hadn't moved once through that whole interaction. Jude quietly huffed, before walking foward, being sure to step on the one floorboard he knew had a creak to it.
Sharpness immediately glanced up to the noise, before shooting out of his seat at the sight of Jude. He took a small step forwards towards Jude, causing Jude to tense slightly. Sure he may be 'smitten' or whatever Tai said but he was still cautious, Sharpness was dangerous!
"Jude..." Sharpness started, and nope. Jude was not doing this, at least not right now. He took a windcharge out of his inventory and aimed it at a lever hidden in the corner of the ceiling and fired, and a few seconds later the trap opened up and swallowed Sharpness into the hole. Jude leaned over to watch Sharpness descend and- shit. He never finished this trap. The only view he was met with was Sharpness sprawled out on the ground in the deep hole, a sight he would have laughed at if this was literally any other situation. Okay so plan a) trap him and dip, didn't work, thats fine, whatever, Jude's prepared. He'll just use plan B) aurafarm and hope intimidation scares him off.
"I thought you would have gotten the memo that I don't want to talk to you by now." Jude leered, trying to replicate the mocking tone he used for literally anyone else who fell into his traps. He really hoped Sharpness didn't look too closely though, even when trying to scare him off, Jude couldn't help the fondness he felt for Sharpness slip through. Sharpness sat up to face him as Jude loomed over the trap, hopefully ominously but Jude genuinely can't lock in on scaring Sharpness right now, when this is the first time they're talking since the betrayal, and now that he know Sharpness can't attack him, he's quietly swooning at getting to talk to him again. Not swooning actually, Jude's too cool to swoon.
"Maybe i just wanted to talk to you, am I not allowed to do that?" Was Sharpness' response, and touché, despite having asked Tai pretty much the second Sharpness had betrayed him, there was no rule prohibiting Sharpness from talking to Jude. He sat down, legs dangling over the sides of the hole as he remembered his immediate spam of messages to Tai about how horrible Sharpness is and that there should be a permanent ban threatened if he ever dares to approach Jude again. Okay wait, Jude needs to lock in again and be scary.
"You betrayed me Sharp, why would I allow you to talk to me?". Damn, he's so tuff... if you ignore the affectionate nickname that slipped through there. He tuff apart from that. Sharpness slowly crept towards the sides of the pit, and wow Jude did not realise he'd stood up yet, he was just so caught up in aurafarming. Sharpness slowly starting building up to where Jude was sitting, stopping just below where his legs hung over the side. He looked up from placing the final block and thats when Jude saw his expression, a lovestruck little smile reserved only for Jude as he kept himself below Jude's level. Jude felt his heart melt at that, it wasn't exactly a secret he had ego issues and here Sharp was, not building any higher to keep himself below Jude despite being able to win in a fight. He distantly remembered other conversations with Sharpness, where Sharpness would refuse to be even a block below him, insisting on being level or higher, and yet here he was, below Jude.
"I'm sorry Jude." Sharpness says, holding eye contact with him as Jude leans over the hole to see him. He's not surprised, his conversation with Tai made it known that Sharpness was looking for forgiveness, and even Sharpness knew an apology was necessary for that. Now he couldn't help but have a fonder gaze towards him though, even if he knew and apology was coming. That being said, he made sure to keep some level of anger in his expression, Sharpness may have melted his heart slightly but he was definitely still very extremely angry at him and an apology didn't change that (it totally did but Jude was not ready to admit that, Sharpness was also not yet crying, begging, giving Jude stuff or calling him the best, and those were Jude's internal Sharp surrender terms after all).
Sharpness kept staring at him, seemingly observing his response and waiting for some kind of cue, so Jude gave him one. Jude sighed and pulled his legs out of the hole, crossing them but still looking down into the trap at Sharpness. Sharp seemed to take this cue and run with it, as he finally built himself out of the pit before situating himself next to Jude, ironically with his legs dangling as Jude's had been just a moment before.
"You're sorry, is that it? Nothing else to say for yourself other than you're sorry?" Jude asked, he was prying sure, but he wanted to know. Sharpness was an anomaly, sometimes Jude could read him and sometimes he couldn't. Jude desperately wanted to know what was going through his head right now, whether he'd pull excuses out or try and reason with Jude for another chance at being teamed. Jude stared at Sharpness as he glanced down at his hands in his lap, he opened his mouth a few times as if to start talking, but quickly closed it each time. Finally, Sharpness seemingly decided on what he wanted to say, looking back up at Jude sat next to him.
"I love you Jude." Jude's heart stopped. He turned back towards the trap to take a breath, before turning back to Sharpness, no longer able to keep up the illusion of anger he'd somehow held throughout. Jude smiled softly at Sharpness confession, affection blooming vibrantly in his chest.
"I love you too Sharp" is all that he needed to say. Sharpness only stared at him in adoration, the kind that no one's ever looked at him with before. Sharpness took his hand, and squeezed around it, before tugging Jude closer to him. Jude rested his head on Sharp's shoulder, now sat directly against him, and closed his eyes to the feeling of Sharp's arm encircling him.
Jude loved Sharp, and maybe that doesn't suck as much as he thought it did.