Chapter Text
The crunch of the grass beneath his boots, the soft whispers of the wind through the trees as he crept through the woods, keeping a careful, rabbit’s ear out for players nearby, every sense alert. After all, you could never be too careful on a server like Strength smp, carelessness can get you killed fast.
Its a deceptively peaceful day in the forest, the sunlight filtered through the tree canopy left streaks of sunlight like glitter streaked across the mossy forest floor and Judelow moved moved between the trees, occasionally crouching down to dig through patches of grass or dirt patches of grass or dirt with gloved hands, searching for useful materials. Every now and then, he’ll fiddle with the item’s in his inventory, before shoving the blocks back in their place when he realised he still didn’t have enough. He needed to get some materials for a trap of his, recently one of them had gotten griefed unexpectedly by an unsuspecting player while he was offline, and was now turned to basically nothing. Rebuilding it would be a pain in his ass, but he needed something to keep his mind busy, he started off by grinding for materials.
Jude muttered complaints as he worked, occasionally brushing twigs and kicking them angrily aside when the undergrowth didn’t reveal anything useful or interesting.
Days like this were often on the server, quiet ones where all the unseen ambushes and explosions seemed to fade into background noise just for a little. But the quiet hum of tension was always there, just in the background, like the string of a bow pulled tight, just about to snap. Judelow moved carefully within the undergrowth, every sense sharpened, he needed to get some redstone, and he needed it fast.
As he stalked through the woods on silent feet, the snapping of a branch behind him made him whip around, Sword at the ready.
“Who’s there?” He snapped, scanning the trees. “Show yourself. Now, or I’ll hack you to bits.”
Silence.
His eyes narrowed, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword.
“I’m not playing.” He warned, “I’m going to attack if you don’t appear in three…”
He slid out his sword from the sheath.
“Two…”
The diamond blade rose high above his head, ready to descend in a sweeping forward arc.
“One!-”
“Wait-wait, Jude, it’s me Sharp, stop!”
Jude lowered his sword slightly, lips curled and eyes narrowed.
Sharpness stood there in all his glory, blade held up high enough to intercept his blow, blond hair shifting behind him like strands of silk.
Jude narrowed his eyes. “What the hell, why are you here?” Realization flickered across his face. “…did Tai send you to trail me? Sneaky bitch.”
“What, Tai?” Sharpness’s brows furrowed, “No, Jude, that’s not what I’m here for.”
Jude gave Sharpness an incredulous look and let out a sharp laugh, his stance shifting as he readied himself for something, anything to happen. “I don’t believe you. You’re here to kill me, aren’t you?”
“No! Jude-”
“I just knew it!” Jude threw his hands up dramatically. “God, that insufferable prick is so annoying-”
“Jude-”
“-not even my fault! maybe he should just-”
“God, Jude just listen to me.” Sharpness snapped, finally seeming exasperated. He dragged a hand through his hair. “I don’t know jack shit about all these stupid things you’ve got going on with Tai. I need…your help with something.”
“What.” Jude frowned.
The weight of what Sharpness was really asking him sank in, a deep crease formed between his brows. The last time they teamed together still stung badly somewhere in Judelow’s chest. In no way was Sharpness ever asking him for help going to end up well, it was definitely, if not certainly, some sort of ploy to get him killed.
“No way that isn’t some sort of trap, dude.” He let out a laugh and turned, stalking away towards the treeline, still listening for sounds of Sharpness behind him. He hoped that maybe he would just leave him alone after that, maybe go off and find someone else to help him with his stupid issues. Someone who wasn’t him.
Let me be, Judelow thought bitterly. Just this once, don’t piss me off.
But of course, Sharpness just couldn’t help himself from speed running being the most annoying piece of shit to ever exist on this server.
“I’m not leaving until you hear me out, Jude.” Sharpness demanded frowning. “It’s something serious for me, you’d want to help me out on this.”
“There’s nothing to be heard out on about anything.” Jude groaned, rolling his eyes. “I’ve got…uh, things to do now, so if you’d excuse me and stop following me around like a GODDAMN freak, that’d be greatly appreciated.”
Fuck you.
“I’m not following you around like anything.” Sharpness shot back at him, “Dude, it’s not like I want to come to you for help or anything, it’s just that… you’re just, kind of my last hope at this.”
“Owie.” Jude frowned, not even entirely sure if Sharpness could see his face from his angle. “That kinda just hit me in my fragile little minecraft ego.”
There was a beat of silence.
“It’s…I’m trying to trap Jepex… and I don’t think it’s going well right now.”
“Trapping Jepex?” Judelow let out a sharp laugh that practically echoed through out the entire woods, he turned around and gave Sharpness a kind of look that he knew made him want to punch him. “Oh god..don’t tell me that you of all people can’t kill someone like Jepex. That’s just straight embarrassing man. Total chud behavior, someone sound the chud alarm.”
Sharpness’s eye twitched.
“Fuck you Jude, genuinely, fuck you.”
Judelow’s grin widened.
Sharp pointed an accusing finger at him, words tumbling over another in his frustration. “You are just, so—so annoying! you act like a bitch! No wonder nobody can stand your annoying ass.”
“This is the funniest thing I’ve heard all week.”
At some point in this argument, whatever was remaining of Sharpness’s patience ran out. “Whatever.” He grumbled under his breath, his voice clipped with irritation. “I’ll just do this by myself.” And quickly turned around to leave before Judelow could throw another snarky comment at him, not wanting to get any further involved and end up with either of them drawing their swords.
Judelow watched as Sharpness stalked away, his eyes tracing that familiar silhouette of his back as the sunlight glinted off the rows of metal that lines his back and shoulders, casting brief flashes of silver light into the woods.
Something in him faltered at the sight.
After all, maybe it wasn’t that bad of a thing to take up Sharpness’s offer. Jepex has fucked him over a few times in the past, and as much as Judelow hated to admit it, having someone who was good at pvp have his back at times wasn’t a terrible arrangement.
They had some sort of stupid spark that neither of the could deny, Jude realized. Even if most of it was fake, they had something together, something amazing, that for a while, felt real. And if Judelow had to be honest with himself, had been one of the best things he’d ever felt.
But was this really worth the risk?
He hesitated, then shouted. “Sharpness!”
Sharp turned around, and just for a second—maybe.
Was there maybe just a glint of hope he caught in those emerald eyes of his?
“…Let’s go see that trap of yours.”