hermitcraft oneshots :]

[A Hermitcraft Family Christmas]

(edit from two days after this was published: wtf you guys are crazy this has 80 comments lmao)

see what I did there with the title

it's finally here! this was supposed to be a Christmas oneshot :') I apologize for the long gap between chapters, I have been battling some nasty writer's block like forever

set in season 7 because of my inability to write in any other season

this is for all my hex-deprived friends out there /lh

CW/TW!! swearing, sexual references/suggestions (there is no smut dw just some jokes), mentions of cuts, swords, fire, burns, and scars 

WC: 6.1k

(also quick note this is a new oneshot, not an old one)

Sparks crackle around Hels' unguarded hands as the Nether knight swings his pickaxe at the magma blocks, huffing as the splintered, superheated rock scatters at his feet. He wipes a bead of sweat from under his fringe; the stone down here radiated heat better than a Netherborn could. Obsessed with the sheen of his armour, the second he had seen a splinter in his chestplate, he'd gone down into his mines to find the netherrite to repair it. He knew it was unhealthy to strive for perfection to such lengths as he was, risking his health, but he couldn't help it. The young Netherborn still living in his heart, who never had a piece of iron to his name, was living off of the shininess the netherrite provided.

He hisses as a large chunk of magma lands on his tail, quickly flicking it off. He flicks a glance over his back, nervous to see what kinds of damage he'd caused to himself this time. His tail was looking a little more hot than usual, and his skin and the spines running down his back were speckled with tiny spots of red skin, no doubt going to be stinging and itchy later on. He heaves a sigh; Netherborn or not, no one is fully protected from the dangers the Nether can produce.

He turns back to the rock in front of him, and almost immediately upon doing so, is startled into yelping from a whistle behind him. He whips around, bristling, to see none other than Xenica, leaning on his sword as his slitted yellow eyes rake up and down Hels' body. "I'd say I found something prettier than netherrite down here," he purrs, smirking at Hels as the Nether knight becomes alertly aware of the fact that he is not wearing a shirt at the moment. Hels flushes bright red, scowling through his embarrassment. "For god's sake, don't scare me like that," he says, sliding his pickaxe into the loop on his belt. Ex shrugs, walking towards Hels in that stupid, cocky way that makes Hels' heart skitter every time. "I guess your armour needed a shine," he chuckles, eyes flitting down to Hels' chest. Hels scoffs and quickly smacks his tail over Ex's eyes, earning a satisfying "Ow!" from the ex-admin. "Eyes to yourself, asshole," he snarks affectionately. "And yes, my chest plate is broken." Ex removes Hels' tail from his face, lifting an eyebrow. "Broken? You would never let your chestplate break. Let me guess, just a scratch?" Hels looks away, face heating up as Ex laughs. "God, Hels," the ex-admin chuckles, putting a hand on the side of Hels' face. The Netherborn instinctively leans into Ex's cool hand, a smile lifting his lips. "You really should be more careful," Ex says, a rare spark of soft concern in his voice as he studies Hels' burns. Hels shrugs as he skims a hand over his chest, saying, "Ah, they heal fast. I'll be fine." Ex scoffs, giving Hels an unimpressed face. "You said that when you came limping home with a broken ankle," he retorts, and Hels rolls his eyes. "But I was fine!" he protests, flexing his ankle to show how "fine" it was. "Yeah, after three months of crutches and a cast," Ex shoots back. "My point is, don't go causing irreparable damage to yourself, got it?"

To anyone else but Hels, that would have sounded like blatant threatening, but the Nether knight knew that for Ex, that was his way of showing he cared. "Yeah, yeah, mom," Hels says with a grin, pressing a kiss to Ex's cheek. Ex's face flushes a light shade of pink as he smiles back.