Hermitcraft Oneshots

Nightmares

Tw: implied abuse, nightmares, ptsd, all that.

Beetho hurt/comfort for the soul

Explanation for this one, because I could not be bothered with exposition: Etho communicates (mostly) through taps. One tap: yes, two taps: no, three taps: don't know/don't want to say, four taps: I love you. Not a direct sequel to my other one on this or anything, but same premise re visited.

"Shh.. Etho.. it's okay, its okay.." Beef let out a small sigh, arms held strongly around the man that lay broken in his arms.

Another nightmare, he thought, nose buried in the gentle fluff of Etho's silver hair. His fingers drew small shapes into Etho's shoulder blades, sweet nothings passing from his lips to help calm his boyfriend down.

Once Etho's gentle sobs had turned into bubbly hiccoughs, Beef asked a question, as he always did on nights like this.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The elder asked, his voice tender as he nuzzled Etho's hair.

Beef felt two taps against his chest, and he hummed in recognition. If Etho was tapping, rather then speaking, the nightmare had to have been a bad one.

"Mm, okay.." Beef smiled gently, feeling Etho's shaking dying down in his arms.

Beef knew it was none of his business, but he began to speculate about what in the world Etho could have been dreaming of. Maybe something about his eye or one of the many, many scars that littered his body. Something about his past? All Beef knew of it was that it was.. messy, to say the least.

When Beef first met him, Etho was shaking like a leaf on his doorstep- similarly to how he was now. Except then, he was covered in blood, and by the scrapes that decorated his skin, the blood was his own.

Beef still remembered that night, how he took the frightened man into his home. He didn't know why he didn't instantly call 911- why he didn't turn the man away, why he let the man stay the night on his couch.

Beef had always been a.. tender soul, too compassionate for his own good. Maybe thats why, when the next morning he found the man curled up on the carpet- as if the couch was too lavish for him, as if merely touching it was too good for him- he decided to make him breakfast, to talk it out.

Maybe thats why Beef decided to let him stay. Pity, compassion, sympathy- maybe. Even he couldn't truly say.

It was only after a week that he discovered just how smart Etho was, not only with machines but emotionally as well.

Even with limited speech, Etho was able to tell Beef exactly what he was thinking- it was as if he could read minds. It might not have been the smartest thing, but Beef decided to trust Etho, and their friendship blossomed.

Then Beef noticed the nightmares, noticed how after them Etho would end up curled on the floor. He noticed how Etho would flinch whenever Beef rose his hands above his head, how whenever he saw someone besides Beef, he would freeze up.

Beef later learned that a simple glance to the eyes was all Etho needed to see to understand someone completely- its why he trusted Beef so much on impulse, a glance in his eyes told Etho his intentions.