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Tai and Park decided to hold a fun and friendly duo parkour challenge was what Jude had been told. The prize: One strength per person; the challenge: have both you and your partner finish a parkour puzzle in under 20 minutes.
Jude was pretty good at parkour if he did say so himself, only issue was he didn't have anyone to team up with. All his teammates and allies either were already teamed up with someone else or didn't want to participate.
He was going to accept he wouldn't be able to participate until an unlikely person showed up and asked if he'd like to duo for the event.
Sharpness had proposed it. Jude and Sharpness were not on the best terms, especially since the betrayal was still tugging on Jude's mind. However, he really wanted to participate and Sharpness was really good at parkour. It's just a temporary thing, both players would be benefitted by it. What's the worst that could happen?
Jude agreed, and so the duo set up a time to attempt the parkour.
«—–—–—–—–—»
They both showed up on time and the rules were explained to them. The challenge was simply really, both men had to help eachother to complete the parkour and, as long as they beat it in under 20 minutes, they would get one strength eachother. Afterwards, they could both go their separate ways.
The two began, flying through the parkour and puzzles with plenty of time still available. They got to the final section. Two triple neos stood between them and the finish line.
They counted down, deciding to try it at the same time. They knew it would be hard but they had plenty of time to try it again if they failed. 3, 2, 1. They jumped... and they both failed, neither cared though for they would just respawn at the checkpoint and try again. At least that's what they thought.
In unison, they hit the dripstone. They respawned, but as soon as they did—before they could even react—they were both laying down and being pushed by pistons. The opening they had been pushed through was quickly covered by a block of obsidian. They were stuck—Sharp currently laying ontop the other—in a two by one by one obsidian box.
They scrambled as far apart as they could manage and then Jude starting thrashing and yelling.
"Jude! Judey! Calm the fuck down. Stop it your just hitting me you fucking dumbass," Sharpness yelled, pinning the trapped trapper against the wall behind him.
"This is bullshit! First, Tai and Parker let us out you motherfuckers! And secondly Sharpness let me go!" Jude was furious, boiling with angry.
Jude could only hear a muffled 'no' in response to his yelling. The voice was easily recognizable as Tai's. After that he heard Sharpness say, "I will only let you go if you stop kicking and hitting me you bitch."
"Fine. Whatever," Sharp let him go and Jude crossed his arms and pouted.
"Well, you two have fun! We will probably be back later!" Parker yelled, though it was muffled by the thick obsidian, and to top it all off, mining fatigue.
"Stupid bitch ass hoe ass Tai and dumbass motherfucking Parker," Jude mumbled feebly, aggressively thumping his foot against the obsidian.
The box was stupidly small and gave neither of them any room to move or even breathe without them both feeling it. Even the smallest movements were felt by the other. Jude being 5'9 and Sharp being 6'2 was not helping the situation.
"You kicking the obsidian is really helping ya know," Sharpness said dryly.
"Oh shut the fuck up."
"Did you know if you break your foot we are still stuck in this box?"
Jude rolled his eyes but stopped anyways.
"This is stupid and there is no point to this," Judelow said trying to convince himself more than Sharpness, his ears flattened.
"It seems like their might be some purpose to this," the fighter looked at the bunny's eyes then at his ears then back to his eyes.
"This means nothing and stop looking at me like that."
Sharp raised a very skeptical eyebrow.
"Don't," Judelow was trying to sound threatening but the way his ears flattened further made him look a lot more like prey than predator. Sharp had seen Jude angry many times before. This, however, was not angry Judelow. This was embarrassed Judelow desperately pretending he was angry.
"It seems like the box isn't the only thing making you upset," Sharpness pressed.
"Oh my fucking god Sharpness quit it," Jude wasn't a fan of where this was headed.
"Why? Because I'm right and you don't like that?" he pressed further.
"No, you are very wrong and about to get beat up."
"Really? 'Cause your ears—"
"Finish that sentence and you are fucking dead."
"Come on, tell me Jude. You can trust me," Sharpness was attempting to be more stubborn than Jude... and it was working.
"Stop doing that," Jude yelped he was going for tough but his voice instead gave soft desperate plea.
"Stop doing what exactly?" Sharp knew he was almost there.
"Leading me on you fucker," it was again more pathetic sounding than Jude liked. So much so that he turned his back to Sharp to try and stop his prying eyes. His tail twitched and brushed against Sharpness.
There was silence after that, not another repetitive push. Just uncomfortable silence, and that was even more pressure for both of them than the questioning had been.
Jude was overwhelmed by the questions, and the fact everytime his tail twitched it brushed against Sharp, but what bothered him most was the fact the fighter was trying to lead him on.
Jude knew he couldn't trust him, he had proof. He gave Sharpness a test and he failed it. But why did he want to trust Sharpness? Why did he want to give him another chance? He really didn't like how he was feeling, to the point where he started to cry from being overwhelmed.
He didn't like to cry around others but this was just too much for him right now. He stayed quiet but his silent cries still made him shake, he just hoped Sharp wouldn't notice or just didn't say anything if he did.
He did notice and at first he did nothing. That was true until he grabbed Judelow—by the waist might I add—and pulled him into a close and endearing hug.
Jude was, admittedly, not a fan of this "term of endearment." So, instead of accepting the comfort, he orginally went stiff then, he flailed and yelled.
"Sharpness Conexion let go of me you bitch!" his voice cracking and his sniffling did not infact make him sound serious.
"Why? You were shivering? Aren't you cold?" he sounded genuinely confused.
Jude stopped his flailing just yelling now, "I'm not cold you brain-dead fuck!"
"But you're shivering—"
"I'm crying dumbass! I'm shaking you fucking dumbass!"
"Oh," he paused, "Well you didn't have to be a bitch about it."
The silence was so very loud after that. Sharp didn't let go and Jude stopped moving, he went stiff instead.
The silence stretched on, heavy and hot. The temperature in the tiny box was only rising, or maybe that was just the blood rushing to Jude's cheeks. He hated how small and vulnerable he felt. He hated how he was pinned against the very man who had ruined everything.
Sharp spoke out, "I wasn't meaning to lead you on, you know..."
Jude snapped back but the fury in his reply was gone replaced with genuine sadness, "Which time?"
"Both times," the taller man's voice was small and true, but Jude wasn't buying it.
"Bullshit!" and he was back to being frustrated, his ears picking up along with it "If that's true then why did you betray me? You were so close, it was your final test to see if you cared and you failed. All you had to do was not press that damn button, but you did of course you fucking had to do," his ears lowered again.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Sharpness said voice tentative.
"Of course I want to know! That's all I fucking want!"
The fighter turned the smaller man so he could face him but still held onto him with his arms and now his legs like a lifeline.
"I was scared that you were going to betray me, so I decided I was going to do it before you had the chance because I didn't want to get hurt..." Sharpness was now extremely interested in his boots that were barely even visible in the dark.
Jude stared at him, the breath catching in his throat. The words hung in the oppressive heat between them, heavier than the obsidian walls.
"You... You what?" Jude's voice was barely a whisper. His ears twitched, processing the confession. Of all the things he had expected—greed, malice, boredom—he hadn't expected fear.
"I thought you were seconds away from betraying me, so when I saw the chance to do it first. I took it," Sharpness muttered, still refusing to make eye contact. His grip on Jude's waist tightened, not out of agression, but like a man holding onto a ledge—like his life depended on it.
"You're smart. You're good at this. Everyone always talks about how clever you are. I thought us teaming was too good to be true. I thought that eventually and probably soon, you would have no use for me and discard me while my guard was down."
"I wasn't planning to do that," Jude choked out. A fresh stream of tears threatening to still; not from anger or confusion or overwhelm, but from the sheer, tragic stupidity of it all.
"I stayed up all night thinking about how to prove to you that I was on your side. I literally handed you my safety on a silver platter, Sharp!"
"I know!" Sharpness finally snapped his head up, his jade eyes locking onto Jude's magenta in the dim space. For the first time, the fighter looked completely unraveled. "I know that now. But back then? I was terrified of how much I wanted to believe you. So I ruined it first. Because if I broke it, at least I was the one in control."
Jude looked at him, searching his face for any sign of a lie, any hint of the old, mocking Sharpness. But there was nothing but raw, pathetic regret. The chest pressing against Jude's front was heaving with heavy anxious breaths.
"You're a fucking idiot," Jude whispered, his forehead dropping forward against Sharpness's shoulder because looking at him was suddenly too much to bear.
Sharpness let out a weak, breathless sound that might have been a laugh. "Yeah. I know."
"I hated you so much," Jude mumbled into the fabric of Sharp's armor.
His tail gave a small, hesitant twitch against the fighter's leg. "I don't hate you anymore. But I also don't trust you, yet."
"Are you still shivering?" Sharpness asked softly, his voice dropping its defensive edge entirely as he rested his chin against Jude's hair.
"Shut up," Jude complained feebly, but he didn't pull away. For the first time since the obsidian blocks trapped, the box didn't feel quite as small.
"I know you don't forgive me yet," Sharpness murmured into the quiet space between them. His voice was low, vibrating against Jude's chest. "And I don't expect you to. Not today. But I'm going to work for it. However long it takes, I'll prove it to you Slowly but surely."
Jude didn't answer. He couldn't. The sheer weight of the confession left him drained, his body still trembling slightly from the leftover adrenaline and tears. Seeing how exhausted the smaller man was, the fighter shifted his weight. Carefully, almost tentatively, he reached up and let his fingers brush against the base of Jude's long bunny ears. Jude gave an involuntary, tiny flinch, but he didn't pull away.
Slowly, Sharpness began to stroke Jude's bunny ear, running his fingers gently up the soft fur from base to tip. He quickly twitched his tail for a moment in pure bliss. The repetitive, soothing motion worked like magic. Jude felt the tension drain right out frim his muscles. His breathing slowed down, his heavy eyelids fluttering shut as the arduous heat of the box finally turned into a cozy, exhausting warmth. He gently and rapidly grinded his teeth together, and within minutes, Jude was fast asleep.
«—–—–—–—–—»
Click.
Flash.
"Oh my god, move your shoulder, you're blocking the light."
"Shut up, Tai, you're going to wake them up before I get a good angle!"
A muffled snicker echoed from somewhere above. Jude groaned softly, the irritatingly familiar voices dragging him out of a deep, dreamless sleep. His consciousness slowly returned, and with it, a sudden realization of his surroundings.
The mining fatigue was gone. The top of the obsidian box had been completely mined away, letting the bright light of the sun flood over them.
Jude blinked against the glare, squinting up to see Tai and Parker hovering over the edge of the opening, both of them taking pictures like their lives depended on it while grinning like absolute idiots.
"Look at the little lovebirds," Parker cooed, aggressively capturing another screenshot.
Jude's ears instantly shot straight up in a panic. He went to jump backwards, but as he tried to move, he realized his physical situation was much than he thought. During the night, they had completely shifted. Sharpness had somehow managed to lay completely flat on his back on the obsidian floor—and Jude was sprawled directly on top of him, tucked perfectly against the fighter's chest like a living blanket.
Sharpness stirred beneath him, his arms still instinctively wrapped tight around Jude's waist and their legs tangled together, anchoring him down.
"Tai! Parker! Delete those right now or I will literally end you both!" Jude shrieked, his face exploding into a bright furious crimson as he scrambled to untangle his legs from the also flushed, embarrassed fighter.
<_Tai> SHARPLOWSHARPLOWSHAR PLOWSHARPLOWSHARPLOW SHARPLOW IS REAL
[Photos Attached]
<ParkerGameBrain> YES SHARPLOW!
[Photos Attached]
<Judelow> You guys fucking suck
<conexion> ....
<_Tai> They can't deny it anymore :>
<Flowtives> You guys are the goat, thank you Tai and Parker.
<Sword4000> Never EVER beating the allegations
<Judelow> Fuck all of you I'm going back to my base
<Flankeee> I LOVE SHARPLOW!!!