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The mines were absolute hell. This stupid challenge was hell. Grox could go to hell, for all Froggydude cared. The other was from hell anyway—it wouldn't do anything. But you can't blame a frog for dreaming. His limbs were on fire; he could feel his biceps throb in sync with his rapid heartbeat. His vision blurred around the edges, but if he failed to give the 'lord' exactly what he wanted, Froggydude was as good as dead. It was only day 34 of this challenge; he didn't exactly want to see Ultimate Froggy's disappointed look quite yet. He knew he would never truly impress the other, but that was still no reason to give up this early.
His body disagreed.
It had been days of this. Froggy was slowing down. His pickaxe became heavier as his arms shook wildly. His shoulders burned, he could barely breathe—sniffling at every chance he got. His eyes were unfocused, glazed over as iron struck emerald. He should rest—his body was begging him to stop, but the frog had always been determined. Determined for what exactly? Approval? Acceptance? Praise? That didn't matter at the moment; what did matter was making sure he collected all of the ores he needed to. The mines were hot and humid. He normally thrives in humidity, as it does wonders for his skin, but now? It was his downfall. Froggydude was overambitious, often times risking his well-being to prove himself. The villagers around him passed through the mines—a sign it was about time to turn in their earnings to the king. Froggy hadn't collected as much as he wanted this time around; the 'lord' was just going to have to deal. 1/4th of the king's daily income had been mined by the frog's own hands. If Grox got a little bit less today than the day before, he could just suck it up. Froggy didn't feel like dealing with him at all today—he was already quite irritable, and the skeleton was incredibly irritating.
The walk over to the castle was somehow worse than being in the mines. Froggydude wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole somewhere and cool off. He was burning up, but he wouldn't let something as small as a cold stop him. As the line moved forward, Froggy began to sway side to side, his hands weakly grasping the burlap sack that held the precious ores. Froggydude wasn't thinking clearly anymore, coughing loudly as he moved up. He was heaving—his lungs burned, and his throat ached. Still, he continued on. The frog's body wouldn't fail him; He wouldn't allow it. He'd push it until he fell apart—to some, it may seem like devotion. Devotion to Grox—he couldn't deny how it looked, and he wasn't quite sure how he should feel about it. It hurt his brain to think right now, so he wouldn't. Instead choosing to focus on the line in front of him; it was almost his turn.
Grox watched as his frog approached the throne, stumbling slightly. That was…abnormal. He filed it away for later, smirking as the other held out the burlap sack. He watched the way his frog's hands shook, the labored breathing, and the silence. The skeleton frowned, ever so slightly—barely perceptible. The silence bothered him most. Froggydude hadn't uttered a single word to him. Unacceptable. This level of disobedience would not be tolerated. Honestly, he preferred the other villagers not to speak; they were below him. But for Froggy, it was strictly necessary.
The frog struggled to hold the sack up. Why wasn't Grox taking the money? Given how greedy the king was, you would think he'd rush to swipe the money in a flash. Instead, the skeleton was looking down at the frog, as if he were expecting something. What could he possibly want? Froggy wondered. He sniffled slightly, extending his arm just a bit more towards the king. Practically insisting he take the money. Grox paused for a moment; despite desperately wanting to hear Froggydude speak, who was he to deny his frog anything? He grabbed the bag, his clawed hands lingering on the other's for a moment too long. Neither said anything about it; to be honest, Froggy didn't even realize—too exhausted to process the touch.
Grox quickly noticed a few things were off. The bag had been considerably lighter than yesterday. Still—it was a lot heavier than any other he had gotten today, but this was strange. He'd also realized that Froggy's hands had been warm, concerningly so. The wither skeleton himself ran warm, being from the nether and all. So if the cold-blooded hybrid was noticeably warm to him…He watched as the other swayed slightly, the constantly sniffling, as well as the faraway look in the hybrid's eyes. The king decided to try one last thing,
"Ayo frogman! Ain't got anything to say to me? Nahhh, you gave me less than yesterday! What's up with that?" He teased. Froggy took a few moments to process the words before letting out a weak croak. Grox blinked once, then again.
"Okay… uh..you can go." The wither skeleton waved him off. The other slowly turned and stumbled his way out of the castle. Grox sighed, bringing a hand to his face, pondering. Clearly something was wrong, but it would set a bad precedent if he went and checked up on the frog himself. He couldn't stress his frog out with that much attention. He read somewhere that frogs were pretty solitary. Suddenly being bombarded by the villagers could distress his frog even more; he didn't want to risk that. The villagers stressed him out, truth be told, and he was their god. He could only imagine what Froggy would do—probably run. Grox scowled at the thought; he couldn't have that. He'd done so much to prevent that, even publicly embarrassing the other just to ensure the dimwitted villagers remained uninterested. It was harsh, but it was needed. He wouldn't let the other leave him; things would be so much easier if the frog chose him. He never does. The thought hurts, but he couldn't blame the frog. He'd never blame him, he knew he wasn't the easiest to love. Despite that, he still hoped the other would eventually love him, or at least care for him like he did his frog. He always meant it when he said Froggydude was his favorite villager.
The guards ran to kneel before their lord. The king in question had called them before him.
"Guards, I need you to watch Froggydude. Just…keep an eye on him. Something's up." Grox commands. The four guards stand up and salute their king. Moving to carry on their task, Bernard speaks first.
"Lord Grox told us to watch Froggydude, so be on the lookout for anything suspicious. The frog could be plotting something. However," He paused, looking at the two junior guards. "As a word of advice, let the boss choose how to handle this situation. He's always been…Different towards the frog. I don't really get paid enough to look into it; I just do what he says. Nothing less, nothing more. It's kept me alive." Bernard shrugs. The two junior villagers roll their eyes, not taking the words seriously.
They monitor Froggydude's home overnight, taking shifts sleeping to ensure they wouldn't miss any suspicious activity. It's almost noon when Froggy finally leaves his home. He slowly and shakily makes his way to the mines. The guards follow behind him, being rather obvious. It's honestly a miracle Froggy didn't notice. Upon entering the mines, the hybrid equipped his pickaxe, nearly dropping it and falling over. Froggydude dragged it behind him, setting his eyes on the gold. It was valuable, and it was considerably easier to mine, at least easier than the other ores.
The guards watched as Froggy paused—his rhythm had been slowing down, but he hadn't stopped before. He swayed side to side a few times before falling backward, hitting his head harshly on an emerald ore, rendering him completely unconscious. The guards looked at each other, watching the display in front of them. Clearly, this was all a ploy so that Froggydude could betray lord Grox. Bernard and his friend knew better; their job was simply to watch the frog, nothing more. The junior guards, however, saw this as an opportunity. If they rat out the frog, maybe they could get a raise or even better: a promotion.
The two giddily ran to Grox's castle, smiling as they approached the lord on his throne. Kneeling in front of their king.
"Lord Grox! Froggydude is carrying out an evil plan in the tax mines right now!" The one on the right shouts. Grox frowns at his guards; of course, he shouldn't be surprised by this, but it was still disappointing to hear. His frog never chooses him, always opting to betray him whenever he can. He sighed, not bothering to mask his disappointment.
"Nahhh, Froggydude thinks he can get away with that? Bring me to him!" Grox demands. The two stood up and saluted their lord before leading him out of the castle and towards the mines. They beamed up at him, expecting praise—honestly, anything other than the reaction they received.
Grox glared harshly at the junior guards before his gaze returned to his frog's unresponsive body. He watched as a villager stepped over his body, kicking him in the head in the process. That only confirmed his suspicions. He knew his frog was prideful—too prideful to let that slide. Even if it was for an 'evil plan' He knew the other wouldn't tolerate that amount of disrespect, and yet he just lay there, hardly even breathing. The wither felt himself snap. He quickly unholstered his gun and aimed it directly at his guards.
"Nahhh, you brought me here for this? He's not plotting anything, you idiots! He's sick, and you left him here on the ground. That's just disrespectful," he sighed while shaking his head. At least his frog hadn't betrayed him; that realization comforted him more than it should've.
"L-Lord Gro-" Two shots rang out in the mine. The surrounding villagers jumped at the noise before peering over at their lord. Someone came to drag the bodies out, but Grox held up a hand to stop them.
"Nah, leave em there. Let them see how they like it," He grumbled out while kicking one of them. He then shot the villager who had kicked his frog. It made him feel better, and he was sure Froggy would appreciate it. Bernard went to grab the hybrid before cold metal pressed against his temple. He knew the king could be touchy about the frog, and it was best to leave it alone. Bernard put his hands up before backing away slowly, exiting the mine. Grox carried the hybrid to the castle himself; clearly, his citizens were too incompetent to handle what was his. Froggydude unconsciously leaned into his chest as the skeleton held him. Leaning into his warmth. If Grox's face warmed up at that, that was between him and the frog.
Upon entering his castle, he quickly hurried to his room, ignoring his staff. They couldn't be trusted with his hybrid either. It had become abundantly clear that if he wanted something done correctly, he had to take matters into his own hands. 'Nahh, what do I even pay them for?' Grox wondered. Wordlessly, he opened the door to his bedroom, setting the frog down on the lavish bed before returning to shut the door behind them. He didn't want to risk anyone bothering him and the frog. Froggydude let out croaks in protest, his body complaining at the loss of warmth from the skeleton's body. Grox tilted his head at the other's reaction, a soft smile on his lips. His frog was so endearing sometimes. Assuming that since he fell backwards, He had hit his head, he knew Froggydude would be in pain whenever he awoke. He didn't exactly want to leave the other; he'd much rather stay and watch over the hybrid. However, he couldn't trust his staff right now, not with something so precious. He begrudgingly left the room, knowing it was for the best.
His eyes opened to the sight of an unfamiliar room. Froggydude squinted as he looked around; this place looked vaguely familiar. He'd definitely been here before. His head was killing him. Looking at the nightstand, He saw a glass of water with what looked like painkillers. He took them without thinking. It wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever done, but his head was pounding, and he wanted relief—sue him. He snuggled back into the warm covers of the bed he was lying on. It smelled so incredibly familiar; he tried to get closer to it, grumbling when he couldn't. Despite his best efforts, he ended up drifting off again as his headache slowly faded into the background.
Grox had walked back into the room, his gaze sweeping over the nightstand, wondering if his frog had trusted him enough to take the medicine; He had. Froggydude snored gently in his bed. The skeleton ignored the possessive feeling he got watching the other completely relaxed within his own sheets. Right now he had to focus on taking care of his ill frog. He carefully brought over the chicken noodle soup he'd spent 2 hours preparing. Normally, he'd have his chefs make it, but he didn't want to take the risk of the villagers doing something dumb. Which, honestly, was a pretty high risk. Grox was worried Froggy didn't actually like chicken noodle soup, but considering the other's eating habits, he was probably in the clear. Besides, he was still the king, so the frog wouldn't have a choice. He set the tray on the nightstand and looked over at Froggydude.
This felt incredibly domestic. The king wasn't used to this feeling; He never allowed himself to feel like this—never allowed anyone to get this close. But the frog was just…different. So incredibly different. Froggy had somehow managed to tear down the walls the king didn't even know he kept up. He wormed his way into the king's heart, and for some reason Grox had let him. He wasn't even sure if the other knew; He tried to keep it from the frog. How couldn't he? It was embarrassing, and he had a reputation to uphold. But this was pleasant. So pleasant he almost regretted not saying anything. Still, he was scared of the change it could cause, good or bad. What if his frog left? He'd been trying so hard to keep him.
In the midst of his thinking, Grox had failed to notice the panicked dark eyes peering over at him. It was dark out already. He hadn't mined nearly enough taxes today, all because his stupid body wasn't able to keep up. After a moment, Grox's eyes met Froggy's. 'I'm so fucked.' Froggydude thought. He began praying to whatever god would listen. Thankfully, the one in front of him was feeling quite merciful. Wordlessly, Grox had brought the tray of soup over to the sick frog. Froggydude slowly blinked up at the lord. Was this a fever dream? Why is Grox, of all people, trying to feed him soup? He opened his mouth to question what was happening. The skeleton had other ideas—he shoved a spoonful of the warm soup into his frog's mouth. It was one of the better things Froggy had eaten within the empire, despite it being something as simple as chicken noodle soup.
His compliments to the chef; that villager probably doesn't get paid enough. He goes to take the spoon from the skeleton's hand. He's an adult and more than capable of feeding himself, thank you. Grox lets him, only for Froggy's shaky hands to drop the spoon and spill its contents onto the king's expensive bedding. They both freeze, looking at the offending liquid.
"Dud-Lord Grox, I-I'm soo sorry I didn't-" Froggy stammered out before collapsing into a fit of coughs. Grox quickly set down the tray of soup and put his hands on Froggy's shoulders.
"Ayo, chill out Frogman! You good?" Grox said, clutching the other's shoulder. His brows furrowed in concern gazing at his frog. The other heaved slightly, struggling to catch his breath.
"I'm good, I'm good," Froggy said, his throat straining to get the words out. Grox patted his back gently. Froggy accepted that this was some weird fever dream. Grox was being too nice. He blamed his subconscious; Clearly they weren't in agreement as to what the dictator meant to him. But he felt too sick to fight it, and this version of the skeleton was incredibly nice. He leaned into the other's warm touch, allowing Grox to spoon-feed him. The king was surprisingly gentle, smiling warmly at him. Froggydude felt himself relaxing completely, almost enough to sleep—Grox kept him awake, though. Eventually he finished the bowl of soup; it settled nicely in his stomach. The frog looked back up at Grox, blurry eyes scanning the other's face for any hint of aggression. There wasn't any. Instead, he found nothing but adoration in his features. Yeah, he's dreaming. Grox never looks at him like that. Even if he secretly hoped the other would.
"What's up, Froggs?" Grox whispered, trying his hardest not to disturb the other.
"I didn't give you taxes today…" Froggydude slurred while pouting. He began to sit up to try and find the bag containing his taxes. He didn't have much to offer, but perhaps he could get away with it, just this once? It was a dream after all. Grox chuckled lightly as he pushed the other back down on his bed.
"I'll get you some more soup, you liked it, right?" Grox asked, anxiously awaiting the other's response. Froggydude nodded as he allowed himself to be lightly forced back down. Grox leaned in a bit before hesitating. His face seemed to heat up before he scurried out of the room. It's not the strangest thing he'd seen the other do, and Froggy honestly couldn't say he realized it had even happened.
Grox hurried down the halls of his castle. 'What was that???' he shook his head. Trying to clear his racing thoughts. Grox found his way back into the kitchen, where he had left the soup simmering. He quickly made up a bowl; In his hurry, he had forgotten to grab the tray he already had in his room. Grox grabbed another tray and set the warm soup down, gazing into his own reflection. He didn't have time to worry about his feelings. His frog needed him. No matter how badly he wanted to be selfish. Walking back into the room, the frog in question was sitting up, waiting for him. It almost warmed his heart to see, but he doubted the other was really aware of what it looked like.
"You're back," Froggydude said groggily. Grox raised a brow at that,
"I did say I was grabbing soup, Froggs." The wither stated. They just looked at each other for a few moments before Froggy shrugged. He was pretty out of it. Grox chuckled a bit; the other's antics never ceased to amuse him.
"Do you think you're gonna be able to feed yourself this time?" The skeleton teased—Despite this, he still selfishly hoped the other would say no; Maybe he could allow himself at least that.
"I think I'll be fine, thank you, Grox." Froggy sighed; he rubbed at his throat with a frown. Grox walked over with the tray, setting it down in front of the frog. Grox sat next to the other in silence as Froggy ate, the chicken making him drowsy. He leaned his head on Grox's shoulder, allowing his eyes to fall closed. The emperor stiffened, scared to make any sudden movements. A worrying thought crossed his mind.
What if they poisoned him?
He tapped froggydude on the shoulder only to get no response. He turned to look at the other, watching the slow rise and fall of his frog's chest for around 3 minutes. Making sure his breathing never faltered. When he confirmed his frog was not actively dying, he carefully laid the other down and tucked him in. He noticed his frog was shivering, so he put a hand to the other man's forehead. He was burning up. Grox went to remove his hand from Froggydude's head before being stopped. The hybrid let out a small, angry squeak, holding the dictator's arm unconsciously. Well, it seemed his frog was still full of surprises. The other would choose him, if only in his sleep; Still, it was more than the dictator had ever received, and he'd be lying if he said it didn't fill him with hope. The other felt safe enough to hold onto him in his most vulnerable state. It was something the wither skeleton wouldn't take for granted. However, this position was uncomfortable. That wouldn't do.
Despite Froggydude's protests, Grox pulled his arm away to get under the covers with the other man. Maybe it was selfish, and sure; earlier he did say he had to prioritize his frog over his feelings. But how could he resist this? Besides, he was still technically helping the frog out! The other was cold and shivering despite how feverish his body was. Grox ran incredibly warm, and it was more than likely comforting to his frog. It's a win-win scenario; who are you to judge? Froggydude instantly latched onto the skeleton, leeching off the warmth he naturally provided. If Grox snuggled into the touch slightly that was between him and the other man. They spent the rest of the night holding each other, their breathing synced up as they snored softly, tangled within each other's limbs.
When morning came, Grox sat up with a yawn—or at least he tried to. The frog next to him growled, displeased. The grip around his waist wound tighter, suffocatingly so. Grox laughed as the other whined.
"I gotta get ready for tax season, Frogs..." He said fondly, running a hand through the other's hair. The frog grumbled at that, leaning into the other's side even more.
"You're already rich. Stay." Froggydude demanded, albeit quite weakly. He began to nod off again, the comforting presence of the dictator lulling him back to sleep. Grox shook his head at that; his heart soared, and he debated being merciful to the villagers for once. Only because his frog had requested he'd stay with him, and gods, that was surprisingly tempting.
"Froggy…"He nudged the other. "I have to get up. Who else is gonna keep the villagers in check?" Froggydude squeaked angrily at that, refusing to let the other leave. Grox weighed his options: Go deal with his citizens or sleep in with his frog and cuddle all day. Okay yeah, that was a really easy choice. Grox called one of his advisors up to his room before the villager could even question what he was witnessing. The king put a hand up,
"Tax season is canceled for the day! Make an announcement," Grox dismissed while waving a hand at the advisor. The villager stared at the two figures sharing a bed. Maybe the rumors did have some merit…Grox glared harshly at the worker.
"I don't pay you to stand there! Go make the announcement!" Grox whisper-yelled; still, his fury got the point across. The offending villager scurried out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him. They didn't want to imagine what would've happened had they stayed any longer. The skeleton turned back over to the frog, slotting his head into the nape of the other's neck. This was better than money, though; he'd never admit that aloud. Froggydude just meant more to him than the ores ever could. Grox doubted Froggy felt the same, but he would take whatever crumbs of affection he could get. He allowed his eyes to close again, relaxing completely into his frog as he slept.
It was the most well-rested Froggydude had ever felt, despite that fact that; he still felt like shit. He croaked a bit, his blankets feeling warmer than usual. His body ached, and yet it was still the most comfortable he'd been in a month. When he eventually opened his eyes, they met the eyes of the dictator beside him. Well fuck. It wasn't a dream, was it? Based on the fact that he wasn't dead or being kicked out of bed, Grox probably wasn't that mad at him? Nonetheless, he should still head to the mines to scrape together whatever he could. Just because Grox was being nice now didn't mean he would stay this kind.
"Sleep well?" Grox questioned, giving a teasing smile to the frog. Froggy just grumbled. Of course he was going to hold this over his head; he should expect nothing less. It was a pleasant surprise, however, that the wither was still holding onto him. Froggydude sat up, stretching his aching limbs.
"Thank you, Grox. I'll get out of your hair now, sorry if I, uh…" He paused a moment. "Caused any trouble for you. I wasn't feeling great, but I'm okay now." Froggy said, sniffling. Honestly, he didn't feel much better than he did yesterday, but there was no way the other would allow him to stay a moment longer. Overstaying your welcome with the dictator was not something people often survived. Grox frowned at that, brows furrowed. When the other man moved to get up, Grox grabbed his wrist,
"What are you talking about?" the skeleton quizzed while tilting his head. Froggydude blinked at him in utter confusion. Had he gotten the skeleton sick? Maybe the other had hit his head?
"What are you talking about, Grox? I know I've been slacking with the taxes but-"
The skeleton pulled him back into the bed, shushing him.
"Tax season's canceled for the day. Just lie back down," Grox said as he wrapped his arms around his frog yet again. It felt as if they belonged there, like they always should've been there. Froggy didn't comment on it; instead, he was staring, utterly bewildered, at his lord. Grox met his gaze with a smile, silently insisting that the other lay back against the sheets. Froggydude allowed himself this comfort, even if he wasn't exactly sure what the skeleton was getting at. He'd been working hard for 35 days now—he deserved a small break. Froggy wrapped his arms around the other's torso and began to nod off yet again. Grox chuckled quietly as he heard soft snores slip from his frog's mouth. He kissed him gently on the cheek before nuzzling into the frog's neck. He felt himself being lulled back to sleep, with one final thought crossing his mind before he dozed off.
This was definitely better than money.