Deteriorating (Herobrine X Reader, but you're an old married couple)

Part 1

You sat there at the table. The small one in the kitchen overlooking the front yard. Beyond your front yard was the beautiful view of endless trees and hills jutting up from them. Thinking of the trees quietly to yourself, you can't wait for Autumn to come in full term. It is absolutely beautiful, the array of leaves from yellow to red. An absolutely stunning sight. As of now, however, the leaves are only just beginning to fade into their true colors. Not just yet...but soon. 

Your back door, not all too far away from the front one, opens with a complaint. The man pushing through huffed, setting a little iron spade of his to the side on a shelf. In walked the wrinkley old man, with tanned skin, grey hair, and two set, plain glowing eyes; no pupils to center them. Had they not been glowing he might appear dead, like some creepy reincarnated husk only found in distant tales of old, when zombies were present in every day life. Ahhh, good ol' times... Good thing those rotted ages ago. Your back might not be able to handle another pursuit of theirs. Ahh yes. Even the skeletons of old have hidden away, only spotted on rare occasions near undiscovered caves and temples now. You are rather used to these eyes of his, however. So used to it, in fact, thst sometimes it is a bit uncanny seeing your own two pupils staring back in the mirror. 

Your hubby falls into the other chair across from yours at the table, doing thst same old man sigh you hear every day after a hard day's work. He sits there quietly, reclining in the hard wooden piece of furniture with half a smile having crept onto his face. The sides of your own mouth rise as well, and you take another sip of your grape flavored vitamin water. 

"Got any coffee?" Hero's chin rises. You look up from the drink you self proclaimed as tea and answer from it. 

"We ran out yesterday. I haven't been to the store in a week now since Deller hasn't returned yet." 

"Oh. Really? Do you think he's alright?" 

"I'm sure he is. You know how cautious the young lad is." You chuckle, and so does your hubby. A moment passes, but, glancing over your mug again, you still see a look of concern on Hero's wrinkled face. "I'll let you know when he returns, first thing." 

"Thanks.." 

Contentment in both of you again, you listen to the sounds of the soft wind and birds cheerfully chirping just outside the cracked window. Quietly, you both enjoy the peace of it all. 

"So, how is the garden coming along?" You finally ask. 

"Oh, you know. Same as usual. The carrots are growing real well. Can't say the same about the potatoes, though. Just don't think they took too well to the soil this year." 

"Mm. At least we can sell some carrots this year.. How about the wheat?" 

"I gave up on the wheat two years ago." Hero grumbled a little bit, though not directed towards you. "It was just too much on my back. Cutting the field in half just wasn't enough." He added. Sad as it was, you both knew it would come to this eventually. Your gardens, once able to feed a small town for neaely a whole year, now are only sustainable for yourself, Hero, and maybe a few more out in the towns. Luckily you two had been smart with your money in the past, because now it was hard to imagine any way you two could earn money from the crops, now less than 1/15th the size they used to be. It especially didn't help when Steve left. That was when Hero had to cut the crops in half, all those years ago. 

A few more quiet minutes passed before you felt the need to speak again. "I'm going to get the mail real quick. You rest your feet." 

"No no. That path is getting steeper by the day..." Hero said, pushing himself up from the chair. "I'm coming with you." 

"Bring your cane then if you must." You chuckled, knowing how stubborn he was. Agreeing to do that, Hero grabbed his beautifully crafted, rich brown cane, with a gold plated handle and engravings of pretty vines and flowers wrapping around the wooden bit. Crafted by Steve not long before he left. 

He then followed you to the front door where you slid off your slippers and slid on your normal pair of shoes. And out you went, on a little hike of the day, to retrieve your mail. Since you and Hero lived so far from anything else, it was usually Deller who brought you mail, but since your past self had been so insistent in getting your daily steps in, you set the mailbox up a lot further from the house than it needed to be, and since then you just haven't cared to move it any closer. 

Out you two walked along the trail, every crevasse and every large rock a threat to your ankles. Funny how the same journey after 50 years just gets more and more dangerous over time, though you would usually think it would have the opposite effect. After a couple near-trips, each time either being caught or helping catch the other, you and Hero reach the part of the beaten path where you pass Steve and Alex's old house. 

You two, previously talking casually as you walked, fell silent suddenly. The appearance of the long abandoned house was ghostly, carrying a haunted aura around it. Having been lived in for so long, it was more than eerie now seeing it empty. No longer were there any well kept flowers decorating the front porch, and no loner would a tired Steve, just rocking in his rocking chair, wave to you every time you passed, and no longer would their 2 kids and 7 grand kids play up front in the little sand box, which was now more mud and sticks than sand. 

Quietly, you and Hero passed that house, only talking again when it was no longer in sight.

When you two reached the mail box, you found only a couple letters in there. One was from Alex and the other was from Deller. You could see the small sigh of relief on your hubby's face when he saw the letter from the young lad. The letter from his sister in law could wait. 

"Dear Perssons, I am in good health, do not worry. However, I regret to inform you that I won't be able to visit as often as I used to, since my father has resumed custody of me and wants to catch up. He's a nice guy, so you don't have to worry about that, but I am still a little worried since I haven't talked to him in so long. Sincerely, Deller." Hero read aloud. 

"Aww, I do hope he has a good time." You sigh, but Hero on the other hand looks a lot more, hesitant, about this. This, meaning he grasped the paper firmly, some part of him angry for a reason you could only guess. Likely that of a sense of competition now, since for the past 10 or so years you and Hero have somewhat raised little Deller since he was but a young lad at the age of only 7. Knowing how much Hero wished to be there for Deller, you rubbed his back and added, "It's okay, Hero. Deller will be back. He is a respectable young man, who will remember all those years we cared for him. He just needs some time to venture out on his own path now, being almost 18 and all that." 

A pained sigh fell from Hero, but in the end he agreed. It was probably best, as you saw it, that the young man bond with his father, so that if you and Hero were to die earlier than expected, he would have his father at least to be with. 

Next, you read Alex's long letter aloud to Hero. It was mostly about her time with the grand kids, their new city life, and just generally how things were going. It was good to be caught up on, but it would have been infinite times better if she was able to come over in person and talk face to face. 

Now it was your turn to sigh. As fun as Hero was, it got awfully lonely on those mountains, so far from everything else. But, of course, there was no way you and Hero could move any closer. You just wished that maybe your family and some old friends of yours might consider moving in near you, rather than merely visiting or sending letters. 

The sun was already beginning to set, you two noticed, and you held hands again as the two of you returned the way you came, this time at a slight incline, all the way back home. And after a long hour of getting ready for bed, you two fell asleep in your little side by side twin beds, which made it so that one wouldn't wake the other were you to roll in your sleep, and, as if a brick hit you on the noggin, you were both out by 8 PM. 

What an eventful day...