Enchanted and Hexed: A HEX Oneshot Collection

Dysphoria (hurt/comfort, fluff)

HELLO YES HI

THIS WAS REQUESTED BY Ghostbott !!

THIS ALSO TOOK ME FOREVER SO I GREATLY APOLOGIZE FOR THAT-

OKAY

HERE WE GO

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT TRANS. I AM CISGENDER. NORMALLY, I WOULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BUT I DECIDED TO JUST ASK SOME TRANS PEOPLE FOR SOME ADVICE AND JUST FLY WITH IT.

IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT MAKES YOU GO "hey that's not quite right-" OR "hey that's not very nice-" TELL ME PLEASE-

I WILL CHANGE THINGS THAT AREN'T ACCURATE OR AREN'T VERY NICE

ONWARDS!!

Warnings are for gender dysphoria and mentions of swords, though there isn't actually any combat.

WC: Embarrassingly... ~800

Enjoy!

Hels never considered himself to be someone who's good at reading others, but the moment Xay came into his view, he knew something was up.

"Alright," Hels sighed, causing the soldier to look up. "What's up?"

"Nothing," came Xay's reply. "Why do you ask?"

"Number one," Hels said, sheathing his sword and coming closer. "You look tired. Exhausted, really. Number two, you didn't make a sarcastic comment the moment you came here. And number three, you looked at the ground, not at me."

"Jerk," Xay grumbled, sheathing his own sword and folding his arms across his chest.

"Are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess?" Hels snapped. Xay narrowed his eyes at the knight.

"Are you going to stop talking, or do I have to suffer through this?" he taunted back.

"Guessing it is," Hels said flatly. "You had a bad dream or something?" Xay sighed.

"Sort of," he grumbled. "Bad night in general."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"...Yes."

Hels blinked. That wasn't what he was expecting, and based on Xay's face, it wasn't what he was expecting to say either.

"Go on," Hels said. Xay sighed again and broke eye contact, looking away. It was strange to see him so clearly nervous, Hels was more used to the whole 'I'll put all my emotions right here, and then one day, I'll die-' Xay.

"I just- ugh, I hate talking about this- do you know what dysphoria is?" he finally tried. Hels arched an eyebrow and nodded.

"I've heard the term tossed around," came the reply. "Dissatisfaction with life?"

"Not exactly," Xay mumbled, kicking the netherrack beneath them. "Try gender dysphoria."

"So you're experiencing gender dysphoria?" Hels clarified, waiting for Xay's nod to continue. "Well, I'm no expert, but if you're not comfortable with being male then I'd be more than willing to either talk it out with you myself or to point you in the direction of someone else who knows better. For example, True was born male, but she decided she wasn't happy with it. I'm sure she'd be okay with talking to you about it."

Xay stared at him in shock for a couple of seconds, then finally just... laughed.

It was a small giggle, nothing more, but it carried an undertone of shock, causing Hels to raise an eyebrow.

"I think you're misunderstanding," Xay finally chuckled.

"How so?"

"I've already transitioned," he explained. "But the feeling of not passing and walking in the wrong body doesn't really go away, plus the fear of coming out- none of it just leaves"

"I can't do much for the second one," Hels finally said. "But I will say that by all means, you pass. I'd have never known."

Hels didn't think of the words as a compliment, it was simply stating his thoughts, but the way Xay visibly brightened as the words left his mouth showed a lot.

"And as for the third thing you said," Hels continued. "You have absolutely nothing to be afraid of."

"I guess you're right," Xay sighed. "I didn't know True was trans, figured I might be the only Helsmit that was. Thought you guys might, I don't know, react poorly?"

"Then have it known that no one gives a crap about how you were born," Hels said firmly, gripping Xay's shoulders for emphasis. "Started as a guy, girl, or a moonblasted carrot stick, no one will judge you."

It was only as he finished speaking that he realized that the words might have been a little bit harsh, considering their position. Just as he was about to open his mouth to apologize, Xay hugged him.

By the Nether roof, Hels thought as he stared at his friend. What is he doing.

And then he started crying.

Well crap, went Hels's brain. I made him cry. Uh. Now what.

And as Hels continued to panic internally, Xay started talking.

"Thank you," he breathed out. "I- I needed to hear that." Though the words 'thank you' were rather unfamiliar coming from Xay, Hels still smiled and, admittedly rather awkwardly, hugged him back.

Xay pulled back and wiped his eyes, cheeks flushed and an embarrassed smile on his face. The interaction was oddly sweet and for once, Hels couldn't complain. The entirety of his time spent with Xay today was far from normal or familiar, but it certainly wasn't unpleasant.

"Sorry," he mumbled, eyes flickering away, though the smile stayed on his face.

"I'm sorry that you had to carry this for so long," Hels hummed. "Now come on, you're here to train, aren't you?" Xay nodded.

"Here to beat you, more like," Xay snickered. Hels rolled his eyes.

"Sure you are," he snorted. "Don't get too cocky, kitten."

It was Xay's turn to roll his eyes.

But Hels certainly didn't miss the fact that the smile in his eyes never vanished.

this turned out to be more platonic but shhhhh it felt weird to shove a confession in there or to make them kiss or smthin'-

-Storm