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Something shifted. Sharpness long knew something was wrong since the betrayal happened. He wasn't particularly surprised, no. The bitterness was more than expected; he longed for it. Maybe he was a coward, for hoping Jude would despise him with all of his heart if he betrayed him. In a way, his expectancy was met. Jude, although subtly, was acting cold and distant towards him. Even if it was hidden beneath a thin veil of bickering, of mocking and joking.
Sharpness quickly realized that the range of the consequences was far wider and greater than he initially thought. During their brief yet impactful alliance, Jude had shown Sharpness the location of many, many traps. Around spawn, around the farther bases and structures, even around remote areas. However, since the betrayal, Sharp noticed that most, if not all, the traps had changed. They were either gone, or they had been “upgraded”, in a way Sharp no longer knew how to operate nor grief. It was a form of passive-aggression, a quiet notice from Jude not to interfere with his life anymore. But, despite it all, Jude would still look at him, exchange words with him. Jude still acknowledged Sharpness’ existence.
Things got noticeably worse after Sharpness griefed Jude's base [twice]. At server events, Jude hardly ever glanced at the swordsman. The bickering was rarer, harsher and more spiteful, the ironic undertone it once held nowhere to be found. Sharpness wasn't the only one to notice the avoidance. Tai, N00B, Parker, HD, Twirps, Cow… Fuck, even Dol9hin noticed the tension between the two. Sharpness thought that, if he betrayed Jude first, he'd only feel relief. The relief of not being the one betrayed, but rather the one doing it. The relief of not having any strings to Jude anymore. But he was wrong. Oh, how wrong he was. The swordsman felt nothing but emptiness. The dull, numb feeling of boredom. No one, as gay as it might sound, no one could rival Sharpness as spectacularly as Jude could. And that simple realization brought a wave of heat to Sharpness’ pretty boy face, painting his cheeks, ears, and neck a lovely shade of red. The sound of his heart thumping dangerously fast and loud against his ribcage.
The concept of falling for one in such a short period of time was a joke. Sharpness was a joke. Why on earth would he like Jude anything more than as a rival? Was it his cute bunny ears? Was it his cheeky smirk and maniacal laughter whenever he trapped people? Maybe it was his glowing eyes, with a magenta so fierce it was almost red. Perhaps it was something deeper than just the way he looked. Yes, Jude was an attractive man, but Sharpness supposed he had to be more than that to catch his eye… Right?
The more he thought about it, the more he fell into this rabbit hole (heh, get it?). Jude was objectively everything Sharpness could wish in a rival, in a friend, and in a lover. He was practical, handsome, strategic, easygoing, intelligent, cunning, funny… The list went on and on. Sharpness really didn't have the words to describe everything he found enticing about JudeLow. He could probably go on for hours ranting about how much admiration he felt for Jude. The adrenaline running in his bones whenever they played their cat-and-mouse game. He loved and yearned for just another sight of Jude in action, when Sharp wasn't the target. It was so fulfilling to watch another “innocent” player fall to their demise as Jude's eyes shone brighter than ever with excitement.
Sharpness still remembered that during their alliance, there were days where they wouldn't bicker or piss off each other. They had their little moments of peace, of intimacy. Sometimes, they’d both be on the floor, Jude brushing Sharpness’ hair while he sharpened his sword. Or nights embracing each other on the one narrow bed they had, because Sharpness “couldn't bother crafting another one”. Dawns where they would lay on the grass after a sparring session, all sweat and fatigue, and just laugh at whatever stupid conversation they were having. Sharpness, admittedly, misses those moments. The coziness, the feeling of home.
… Home.
Huh, that was weird. Since when did Jude's base — undoubtedly the most dangerous base in Strength SMP — feel like home? Sharp wasn't sure. But, the simple, main point is, Sharpness missed Jude. He missed holding Jude. Holding him a tad too intimately for whatever they were, but still.
Those days almost felt domestic… to Sharpness, at least. Waking up to a messy bundle of indigo hair, lying close enough for him to be able to smell the redstone dust, the faint scent of the soap that actually belonged to Sharp, but Jude used it anyway. Sharpness would stare at the unusual sight of vulnerability from an asleep Jude, relishing in the feeling of being the only one to see him that way. The soft snores as Jude’s ears twitched, the one unintentional hand around Sharp’s waist, that grounded him so well. It was a mystery who most liked to be the tiny spoon, as they switched basically every night.
In those days, too, Sharp would watch as Jude lazily arranged his hair in two little buns, to then just hide those and his ears under his oversized hood. Sharpness always thought it was a shame that Jude rarely let his bunny ears free from the fabric of his hoodie. But there was a reason for that: Strength SMP members didn’t mind playing dirty. They would grab and they have grabbed his long ears as leverage, pulling Jude harshly just so they could get a hit on the poor guy. Sharpness would've bet that shit hurt like hell.
Safe to say, Sharpness knew more than he should about Jude’s routine. However, the feeling was mutual. Jude could point in order which hair products Sharpness used during his morning shower. That’s another thing; Sharp and Jude had showered together one too many times. Mostly because their routines would collide with one another, but they got used to it rather quickly. Now that he thinks about it, Jude seemed to trust Sharp a bit too much. Yeah, so did Sharp, still though.
That fickle trust of theirs expanded to outside their shared base. During fights, they always had each other’s back. During server events, Sharp would not leave Jude’s side, and Jude wouldn’t complain. Even during their expeditions for resources, they’d share whatever gear they had for mining.
That arrangement had never been discussed out loud. There had been no dramatic speeches about loyalty, no promises exchanged under the moonlight or after close fights. It had simply happened, quietly and stubbornly, settling into place between them like it had always belonged there. Sharp stopped checking whether Jude was following him into dangerous areas because he always was. Jude stopped questioning when Sharpness would show up beside him during events because, somehow, he always did. Somewhere between battles, stupid arguments and shared pickaxes, trust had disguised itself as a shared routine.
Talking about routine, Sharp used to see Jude every other day, even after the betrayal. Only now has he realized that he hasn't seen Jude in roughly two weeks. Of course, it wasn't the most unexpected thing in the world for JudeLow to randomly evaporate from time to time. However, he usually did so to build his little traps, and for little time. Usually three or four days at max. But two weeks? Anxiety slowly crept its way up Sharpness’ guts. He really shouldn't care; Jude has been nothing short of rude to him for the past month. The thing is, not even Jude's own teammates knew where he was. So that was at the very least concerning.
---
Making his way unannounced inside the damn minefield that was Jude's base, Sharpness still recalled every trap in those stairs, avoiding them with expert precision. At least those were still there, untouched, unlike all the others. Once he steps in the entrance of the newly renovated base, Sharp already feels something's off. Usually, there'd be at least some sound. Be it the tapping of a bunch of pistons, the dripping water of the stalactite around, or the scribbling of a mechanical pencil in Jude's hand. However, today there was none. Sharpness warily made his way to Jude's bedroom, standing before the door for a short while.
He had a little discussion inside his own mind about either he should or shouldn’t knock. Sharpness eventually decides to just barge in, despite the danger of the action. The air inside the bedroom was more damp and warm than the rest of the base, as it had no windows and its walls were made out of stone and packed, humid dirt. Sharp’s eyes scan around; the table where Jude would spend days hunched over, designing new torture machines that he so belovedly called traps; the armour stand with a spare set of diamond gear, that Jude never once needed; the unholy amount of blueprints rolled into scrolls on the old shelf; and Jude’s bed. The very one narrow bed Sharpness had slept in for so many nights, right by Jude‘s side. Sharp soon realized the bunny was nowhere inside the bedroom. Or at least he didn’t look like he was there.
However, Sharpness wasn’t as dumb as everyone made him sound like. JudeLow had a hidden, tiny little door inside the room; right beside the shelf. Jude, despite everything they had done, never actually allowed Sharp to enter the suspicious little door. But Sharpness already knew what was there, he’d secretly enter it once while Jude was gone. It wasn’t anything crazy, really. All that was behind the tiny door was a small nook, a burrow of sorts, made by and only for JudeLow himself. Sharp knew why the trapper would do such; it was an instinct of a prey animal that burrows. A little place where Jude would feel unimaginably safe. That’s the only place the swordsman imagined Jude could be, it was his last lead.
So, reuniting all the courage and hope that he won’t just die if he enters the nook, Sharpness stalks to the door, crouches down and opens. The hinges creak in retaliation, and Sharp sighs as he crawls inside the small place.
Inside the burrow was a single room, roughly the size of an average village house. You could probably fit an elephant in there. The air felt thin, hot and humid — likely ideal to Jude, but Sharp was already feeling claustrophobic. Only two lanterns illuminated the place, along with a large, plush oval mattress pressed against the wall. Sharpness was quick to spot the rise and fall of a silhouette beneath the thick hides piled over it. In the opposite corner, a pile of familiar clothes lay abandoned. Sharp straightened up, stretching his back before slowly approaching the mattress. After a brief moment of hesitation, he sat beside it and rested a shaking hand on what he assumed was a shoulder.
"Jude?" He called softly.
No verbal answer came — only a tired growl, and the silhouette curled further into itself.
“... Jude, you okay, dude?” Sharp gently (as gently as his body allowed) shakes the hidden figure.
That earns him a very annoyed sounding grumble, and finally a sight of Jude. He’d only shown his face, keeping the rest of his body cooking under those covers.
“The fuck are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be, like, goofing around with Flowtives or somethin’?” Jude hisses, attempting to remove the other’s hand from his shoulder (and failing).
“Bro, where have you been? You look like shit. There’s no way you’ve been here for the last two weeks.” Sharpness retorts, trying to mask the concern with a look of annoyance.
Jude was visibly distressed; for one, he was paler than usual, he was so weak he couldn’t remove Sharp’s hand from him, and his body was burning. It was quite obvious he had somehow gotten a fever. The trapper just huffs at the question, going back to hiding under the hides. Sharpness sighs, frowning upon the sight.
“Jude. You’ll overheat. And then have a heatstroke.” he comments, trying to pull the hides from the other’s body.
The rabbit can but continue to whine in complaint, shrinking into himself as Sharp manages to pull the covers down to his hips. The sudden “cold” air wrapping Jude in shivers. He continues to whinge, staring pathetically at Sharpness through squinted eyes, his ears pressed flat against his tangled hair.
“Sharpness, dude, go away. I don’t need your ass to take care of me. I’m completely fine.”
“Sure, man. I’m sure you are. You’re clearly fine with the way you’re shivering.”
“Bro, you fucking broke into my bedroom. I need nothing from you.”
“Uh, one, this is not exactly a bedroom. Two, you look like you’re gonna collapse at any moment. So, I’d say it was good I ‘broke into’ your bedroom.”
“There is no way I’m letting you play nurse. You’ll kill me. Actually, yes, why don’t you death reset me? That’d be easier than… whatever the hell you’re trying to do here.”
Jude’s voice was low, hoarse. He wasn’t in the best condition to bicker, clearly. Sharpness made the executive decision to promptly get Jude out of that suffocating burrow of his, and actually try and take care of him. Sure, he could earn a strength if he killed Jude, but Sharp was already at +5, so it’s not like he needed it. It’s not like he wanted to do so, either.
“I don’t want a strength from a poor, sick bunny. Come on, you’ll die under there.”
“Okay, so- First of all, don’t fucking call me bunny, you bitch.”
Sharpness just scoffs, pulling the rest of the covers off of Jude. The rabbit complains loudly, but he doesn’t have the energy to actually move a lot. Sharp hooks his arms under Jude’s knees and back, effortlessly lifting him up, receiving a squeal of surprise as he does so. Despite the protest, Jude begrudgingly wraps one arm around the swordsman’s neck, the other resting on his chest. He looks down, muttering something unintelligible under his breath; likely another complaint. Sharpness manages to leave that burrow with great difficulty, due to the size of the entrance, and holding another human being. But once out, he focuses again. He softly lays Jude down on his proper bed, rather than a mattress on the floor.
The trapper remains nonverbal, just frowning at Sharpness occasionally and avoiding eye contact. Sharp does not approve of this behaviour.
“Would you mind telling me how the fuck you managed to get a fever? I’ve never seen you this sick. You never get sick, Jude. How.”
“Why do you even care? We’re not allies, Sharp. The fact you’re even doing this is utterly ridiculous.”
“Maybe it is. But I don’t give a shit, just tell me what happened. I’m not gonna laugh, I promise. I’m curious.”
“Huh. How the tables have turned, hm…” Jude whispers to himself, before sighing, “What do I even gain from opening up to you? Another betrayal? No, thank you.”
“Bro, I can’t betray you if we’re not even allies in the first place. Besides, I’ve already gone this far, why would I throw it out the window like that?”
Jude quiets down for a moment, refusing to acknowledge the warmth in his chest at the mere thought of Sharpness actually caring. He decides to blame it on the fever. Yes, that’s why he felt warm inside. The fever. Riight.
Sharp rolls his eyes at the silence, using the moment to properly look at Jude. His hair was completely tangled, his bunny ears limp lying on the pillow. He was using nothing but a loose undershirt and shorts. His skin was paler, drier, and his body hair bristling. His usual eyebags were deeper. He also seemed skinnier, and obviously trembling. Sharpness just accepts that he won’t be getting an answer anytime soon, so he just crosses his arms and tilts his head.
“Okay. So. Uhhh, I’m not entirely sure how to take care of a feverish person.”
Jude glares, his eyebrows knit together.
“You’re so useful, Sharp. What would I do without you, huh?” he ironizes, barely moving so as not to touch the cold parts of the sheets. “Just- Just get a warm, damp cloth. And water.”
“Right.”
He obeys, swiftly leaving the room. He eventually comes back with the requested items; a bowl of warm water, a cloth, and a cup of water. Sets the small bowl and the cup on the bedside table, and drowns the cloth in the bowl. Sharp twists the excess water out of the cloth, folds it in a rectangle. Sharp sets the damp cloth aside for a moment. He helps Jude sit up, so he can hand the water to Jude, aiding him as he slowly drinks. The trapper hums, suddenly unsure of what to do with his arms as Sharp retrieves the cup. Jude lays back down on his back, ignoring the slightly awkward silence. He closes his eyes and focuses on the feeling of the cloth being laid on his forehead. Sharpness grabs a thin blanket, setting it over Jude. As he tucks him in a bit excessively, Sharp declares,
“I’m gonna make soup for you.”
Jude’s eyes widen, before squinting again.
“Holy shit, don’t. I don’t wanna eat your goop.”
“Fuck you?? I’m good at making soup.”
“Bro, if your soup is as good as your banana bread, I might as well just throw up right now.”
“Hey, my banana bread was good. Tai is just a picky eater. Stay here, I’ll make something good for you, Judey.”
Sharpness grabs the empty cup, turns on his heel and presses onward, leaving Jude alone again.
“Judey.” That nickname was equivalent to a knife directly to Jude’s heart. It had been so long since he’d heard it. And, honestly, Jude kind of missed being called stupid shit by Sharpness. He also missed calling Sharp stupid names. He’ll never forget the look on Sharpness’ face the first time Jude called him “princess”; that night Sharp refused to sleep on the same bed as him, sleeping on the floor instead.
To be fair, Jude was pondering whether he would or wouldn’t tell Sharpness why he was sick to begin with. It was a bit of a pathetic reason, in the trapper’s eyes.
Jude sighs as he recalls the occasion.
---
It was three weeks after the betrayal. The day was gray, literally; it was severely cloudly. Jude wasn’t in his best mental state, and had been reflecting about the betrayal for a while up to that point. He decided to leave his base (big mistake) so he could unwind everything happening in his head. He wanders through spawn, and eventually reaches a lake roughly 4000 blocks away from his house. The sky only grew darker with every passing hour. He sat on a fallen log by the lake, trying to enjoy the quiet while it lasted. A violent crack of thunder announced the inevitable, and moments later the sky opened above him. Rain drenched his hair almost instantly, but Jude barely reacted. He had been fucked from the moment he'd decided to leave the house, so he might as well just aura farm in the rain. Also a big mistake, he quickly found out. The very next day, he felt sluggish, his head pounding, his body unbearably cold and hot at the same time.
---
Jude rarely got sick. In Strength SMP, no one had ever seen him sick. So, the moment the trapper realized he was as healthy as a Victorian child, he hid himself in the burrow in his base. He wasn’t stupid, obviously, so he did bring food, water, and regeneration potions with him. He did not get better though. He supposed that, because the server was on Hard Mode, sickness took way longer to heal. He could death resest, sure, but he wasn’t completely sure that that would fix his problem. He also didn’t have any great excuse in case his teammates asked why he randomly died, and there was no way in hell he’d say “it’s because I was sick”. Because one thing led to another, and he’d end up having to explain his confused feelings for his ex-teammate. And that’s a path he will never walk on. Emotional maturity? I’d rather not. Jude is and has always been seen as smug, annoying and very emotionally reserved. He will not change that.
So now, as he lays on his narrow bed that once held another’s scent, he wonders why Sharpness is helping him. It makes absolutely no sense, Sharp gains a whole lot of nothing from this. Could it be that Sharp was trying to earn Jude’s trust again just to break it later as revenge? Nah, Sharpness is not that smart. Jude was getting dangerously close to the ringing thought in the back of his mind. “Maybe he likes me.”
His thoughts are interrupted as a domestic-looking Sharpness enters the bedroom again. Not only was he holding the said soup he’d make, but he had also removed his armour, now just in his inner clothes. He also had his long, silky blond hair down.
“Can you sit up?”
He places the soup near the bowl of water. Sharp sounded a bit too happy with himself. Jude would normally chuckle, but he barely had the energy to speak properly. He sits up, momentarily forgetting about the cloth on head. The cloth falls on his lap, and he reaches out to grab it, but so does Sharp. Their fingers brush one another, but Jude is quick to retreat. Sharpness clears his throat, taking the damp cloth and putting it inside the bowl to rest. The rabbit looks at the man in front of him, waiting.
Sharpness grabs the soup, and sits beside Jude, with a concentrated expression on his face. He takes the spoon, dips in the soup and holds it over the bowl.
“You’re not going to spoon-feed me, nuh uh. No way.”
“Yes I am, say ‘aaa’.”
Jude stares bewildered for some seconds, before sighing and accepting his fate. He proceeds to be spoon-fed by a very satisfied Sharpness.
Eventually, the bowl is empty, and Jude is surprised that the soup didn’t taste like cement. It tasted like a mix of golden apple juice, regeneration and healing potions, and… chicken. Jude is not sure where the chicken came from, but he ain’t complaining. It was good, so he doesn’t care. He lays back down, feeling like an overfed kitten. Sharp giggles at the sight, putting the newly damp and warm cloth over his forehead. He takes the empty soup bowl to the kitchen, humming a random tune. Jude soon feels fatigued, but chooses to stay awake for a while just to see what Sharpness was planning to do.
The swordsman returns, and tries to convince Jude to go to sleep. He fails. So he settles for simply lying by his side and playing with his hair. Jude grumbles, but doesn’t ask for him to stop. Jude soons finds himself unintentionally staring at Sharp’s eyes, mesmerized by the softness it holds. He wasn’t used to it. Sharpness eyes always hold that feeling of danger, absolute superiority. He always looks at people like he knows he’s better than them. But now they cradle nothing but coziness. Jude could spend hours just looking at his beautiful eyes. Ah, that olive gaze. The rabbit felt his cheeks reddening as he fumbled under the sight of Sharpness’ stupidly pretty face. Said pretty-face was deeply distracted by a rebellious curl that would not follow the others.
“... I’m surprised no knight in shining armour has come to your rescue, princess.”
“... What? Where did that come from?”
“You know what I mean.”
Sharpness tilts his head to look at Jude, a bit confused. Jude only lets a soft laugh at the reaction, a smile plastered on his face.
“I still don’t understand why you’d help me. You’re as confusing as you are predictable.”
‘That’s contradictory.“
“I know.”
Sharp falls silent, thoughtful as his fingers gently run and try to untangle Jude’s hair. He is uncertain of the motive himself. Why did he help Jude? They’re no longer allies, and it’s not like he’ll use this occasion as blackmail in the future. So, really, why did he?
“...”
“Sharp?”
“... I don’t know. I just… I…”
He stutters to answer. He’s searching for the answer as badly as Jude is.
“You were gone for so long. And- And even your own teammates didn’t know where you went! So… So I… I just got worried, I guess…”
“... What could have potentially gone through your dense head to make you worry about me out of all people?”
“I don’t know, okay?! I know you’re capable and not by any means weak, I just… I thought you, like, I don’t know, were kidnapped? Or something…”
“Pffft. You’re so endearingly stupid.”
“Bro, shut up… I was worried about you and that’s what you have to say to me? You didn’t even tell me how you got sick!”
Jude giggles, turning to the side, not caring if the cloth would fall with the movement. He looks at Sharp’s pouty, embarrassed face. That smile of his still hadn’t died down. Sharpness looks back at him, his pout softening as he glances into Jude’s glowing eyes.
“I was just worried. I know we’re enemies and all, but, like, I still.. care about you… I think…”
Jude leans in closer, his smile growing as he teases,
“That’s so sweet of you, princess.”
Sharpness, too, inches closer. He could feel the warmth emanating from Jude’s feverish body. His breath hitches, as his eyes glance from his eyes to his lips. Sharp didn’t have the resolution to retort with a snarky comment. Jude’s hand leaves the blanket, settling on Sharpness’ waist, just resting there. Sharpness shakily places his hand on the back of Jude’s head, feeling the damp warmth of his hair. Sharp leans in first, connecting their lips with uncertainty. Jude meets with yearning, tilting his head to properly kiss him. Sharpness presses them flush, sighing in content as he feels Jude’s tongue entering his mouth. The rabbit takes notice of the golden apple taste in Sharp’s mouth. The room is silent, safe for clothes rustling, breathless pants and the obscene sounds of making out. Jude’s grip on the swordsman's waist tightens, earning a low moan from the man whose throat he's currently trying to lick. The intensity is dizzying, and Sharpness finds himself wanting more of it. They pull back to breathe, only to then drown in each other’s mouths once again. Jude boldly bites on his bottom lip, drinking in all the sounds Sharp makes as the metallic taste of blood touches his taste buds. Jude leans away, Sharpness’ hand still on his hair. They stare at each other for a while, both breathless and lip-swollen. Sharp breaks the silence first.
“Uh… So… This happened.”
“... Yeah. I didn’t think it’d be so easy.”
“Wait, ‘easy’? You- Wait, you like me?”
“... Dude, I could ask the same thing.”
“... Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.”
“...”
“... That was fun.”
“It was. You’ll probably be sick tomorrow, but… Yeah.”
“...”
“...”
“Jude, bro, since when do you like me?”
“I dunno. At least since before our alliance started [and ended], that’s for sure.”
“Holy shit, same.”
“...”
“... Soooooo, we’re together now or what?”
“Fuck yeah, man.”
“Oh. Okay, yeah.”
Jude casually nuzzles his head into Sharp’s neck, ignoring his own illness. Sharpness cuddles him, his heart beating so loudly Jude could definitely hear. They were both so incredibly flushed, the two of them not believing what had just happened. Eventually Sharpness’ heart calms down, and he begins to gently caress Jude’s back, not minding the fact he will probably be sick the next day. Thinking the mood was a bit too unserious, Jude mutters, shyly but hopeful,
“... I love you, Sharp.”
Sharpness tilts his head down, only to be met with a pair of twitching bunny ears pressed flat. He giggles, returning,
“I love you too, Jude.”
They would need to have a proper conversation once they wake up, but now they just relish in each other’s hold, dozing off as they cuddle through the night.