Hermitcraft, Empires Smp & Life Series One-shots

Safety is Important [HC 7] (Fluff) {Team Zit}

Slow blinks of the eyes, the small goat hybrids came into consciousness. His head was in immense pain. The light above him was bright, glaring in his eyes. That definitely wasn't his room. He normally awoke to the very dim lighted cave, a split blue and red ceiling above him. That was very different to the bright light, white ceiling room he now awoke in. No sound of machines whirring, no Stridaph (Strider with Zed's texture pack) making noses, no zombie plinko, no redstone clocks going off in the background. It was basically silent.

Zed blinked rapidly, squinting at the bright light. He tried to move one of his arms, his right arm, to cover his eyes from the light, but he could hardly lift it. Were there weights tied to his arm? He tried to use his left arm to do what he planned, covering his eyes from the light, and he managed it. That arm also felt a bit weak, but he could fully lift it and use it. With a quiet groan, he tried to sit up, hardly able to.

"Zed's awake!"

"Oh, thank goodness."

Zed twisted his head to the side, to where the second voice was coming from, seeing a relieved looking Impulse. "I-Impy..? What happened...?" Zed tiredly mumbled. Impulse took a step closer, hand falling onto Zed's cheek. "We don't exactly know." Impulse told him, adding, "I believe you did something stupid with one of your contractions."

"Is that why I can't lift my right arm?"

"Well, it's broken so, yeah." A different voice responded. He didn't even have to turn his head to know it was the snarky phoenix boy, Tango. Zed rolled his eyes slightly, "I'm sure I'm fine. I can't work on contraptions if I can use my arm."

"I'm going to get Xisuma." Tango muttered, Zed finally turning to him, "Uh, that's not necessary." "I think it is." Impulse pointed out. Zedaph knew that the admin would scold him again, for not following safe protocols, and for other reasons.

"Yeah, I'm going to get X." Tango stated. Being the stubborn boy that he was, Zedaph reached an arm up to Tango, blinking his eyes tiredly, giving puppy eyes. "Zed... Please..." Tango mumbled, a pink spreading over his cheeks.

"I'll go get him." Impulse mentioned, Zed turning his head, an offended look on his face, "Impy!!! Noooo~" "Is it that you don't want us to leave?"

"Well... Yeah, as well as the fact that I don't want Xisuma to scold me..." Zedaph muttered. Impulse and Tango both took seats on the bed, Tango wrapping his around Zed's waist, his face going slightly pink. He buried his head into Tango's shirt, hiding his flustered expression caused by such a simple gesture.

Soon, there were footsteps, Zed's head raising, looking to the doorway. Xisuma. "Impulse... Did you message him..?" "Yes, I did. It's important for him to know that you are awake."

"Zed, you feeling fine?" Xisuma pulled a chair to the side of the bed. "Physically, slightly stinging. Mentally, upset." Zedaph told him. "Why are you upset?" "Well, I won't be able to work on my contraptions, or any redstone! I can't even build!" Zedaph huffed, glancing away.

With a sigh, Xisuma went onto another question, "What were you even doing that caused this? Those two told me that they found you laying on the ground, arm clearly broken, with a bunch of pistons around you."

Zedaph paused. "Oh. That." He had totally forgotten about that. He had been playing around with pistons, experimenting with timings, seeing how fast and slow this could go, and things like that. Being the person he is, when one of the pistons wasn't working, he stood in front of it to take a look at it. "I- Um... I was testing things... And.. I, well I saw that one of the pistons wasn't working, and naturally I needed to take a look at it... So..." Zedaph trailed off, it clear by the hermit's reactions that they understood.

"Zedaph! You should know better!" Xisuma scolded, raising his voice slightly. Zedaph looked down, "I know, I know." Xisuma went on a short rant, explaining why Zedaph needed to be careful, and actually follow safety precautions. After a bit, Xisuma finally shut up. "I'm sorry, X. I know I was being stupid."

"It... it's fine. I just don't want hermits getting hurt." Xisuma mentioned, before adding, "Stay with Tango or Impulse most of the time till your arm heals." "What!? Why?" "I know you are going to be stubborn, and try to work with a broken arm. It'll make it take way longer! It should only take a week if you take some healing potions."

With a sigh, Zedaph agreed, Tango soon helping him to his feet. And with that, they were off to Toon Towers for the moment being.

"Tannggoooooo... Come here!" Zed called out loudly. Soon the phoenix hybrid entered the room, raising an eyebrow to the hurt boy. "Everything alright?" He asked. With no words, Zed reached out his left arm, making grabby hands. "Zed, I have things to do." Zedaph continued, looking to Tango with a pouty lip, and puppy eyes. Tango gave a sigh, glancing to the side, "Zed, I really need to get work done." "B-but..." Zedaph mumbled out, looking very sad. With a grumpy sigh, Tango walked over, taking a seat on the couch next him. "I take it, you wanna be the little spoon?" "Mhmmm..." Tango pulled his arms around Zedaph, Zed happily cuddling into his chest.

"You know what you did."

"It worked, didn't it? I got my cuddles."

"I am going to need to actually get back to work soon, y'know that right?"

That in fact didn't happen. Despite Tango constantly reminding Zed that he would need to get back to work soon, he never ended up leaving. They ended up cuddling until they fell asleep.

"Can't we do something more interesting?" Zed raised an eyebrow. "Well, I needed to go get materials, and you have been instructed to stay with me, soooooo..." Impulse smirked slightly, "You have to join me." Zed followed Impulse around the shopping district for the next while, confused when they began through Aquatown. He just followed, soon coming upon a building that Zed had never entered before, though remembered that it was one of Xisuma's. Impulse headed in, Zed slowly following. He looked to see Impulse close in front of him, a lily of the valley in his hands. A pink crept over Zed's cheeks quickly.

"I thought I should get you something, since I forced you along with me." Impulse mentioned, "And if I remembered correctly, lilies of the valley are your favourite flower?"

"Y-yeah, that is... T-thank you, Impy!" Impulse handed the flower to the goat hybrid, Zed's face turning completely red. Impulse gently grabbed Zed's right wrist, walking out of the flower shop with him.

They walked along the street of aquatown, Zed smiling to himself. Up ahead he noticed someone else, and because of his extremely red face, he didn't exactly want to be seen. He hated when other hermits saw him flustered, it was so humiliating. Zed buried his forehead into Impulse's shoulder, standing a bit behind him. "Oh, hey Impulse!"
"Hm? Oh, hello Bdubs." Impulse waved lightly. Bdubs looked to the Imp's shoulder, before asking, "Is Zed trying to hide?"

"I... I actually don't know." Impulse turned his head slightly, "Zed, what are you doing?" Zedaph didn't respond. "Zed. Is something wrong?" Impulse saw the pink that sat on the tips of Zed's ears, "Embarrassed?"

"Duh..." Zedaph muttered, Bdubs not able to hear it. "Bdubs, don't worry, Zed's fine. He's just a bit flustered." Impulse mentioned, getting a nod from Bdubs. After a bit more chatting, Bdubs walked off.

"Zed, he's gone." Impulse lifted Zedaph's chin slightly, "You alright? You're really red. Just flustered, or are you getting sick?" "Flustered..." Impulse laughed, getting an annoyed look from Zed.

"You are so stupid, y'know that, right?" Tango muttered, running a hand through Zed's hair. "I may be stupid, but I have gotten lots of affection." Zed bragged, smiling at the sleeping Impulse who was cuddling Zedaph, while Zed had his head on Tango's lap. "You're lucky I love you." "I love you too." Zed smiled, before closing his eyes. He may have broken his arm, but he was able to get a lot of cuddles, and affection. A win in Zedaph's books.

(1378 words)