Hermitcraft x Reader

Zedaph - Oneshot - Trophies

Contains: Fluff, brief vague mention of injury
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"Are you free?" Zed's voice was startling, causing you to almost hit your head on the chest lid.
"Free in what way?" You ask, turning to face the blonde.
"Any way." His face is straight, no sign of his words being a joke anywhere.

"For you, Zedaph, I'm always free." You smile.
Zed's cheeks gain a slight pink flush, lips curving into his own small smile.
"Can I interest you in helping me get an achievement?" He asks, you nod.
"Of course you can, lead the way."

The two of you make small talk the entire way to his base, Zed has always been your favourite company. 
Perhaps you're biased, a long time crush on the man causing you to enjoy his company more than others, but you're not complaining. Definitely not.

Once you arrive you're awestruck, the work Zedaph has done with the first floor of his base.
It's beautiful.

The walls are beautifully textured, leaves and vines adding a weathered look, the pop of blue a compliment to the green and a contrast to the white.

What catches your eye most are the few golden trophies, signs of Zedaph's accomplishments so far this season.
"Do you like them?" He asks, coming to stand behind you.
"I do." You feel Zed lean closer, his arm reaching past you to pick the golden cup up.

He's stood directly behind you, cup in one hand. 
You feel him lean even closer, your back pressed against him as he takes your other hand, lifting it so you're holding the trophy.
Once it's secure in your hand he does the same with the other.

The moment is wonderful, one you never want to end.
It's an embrace, unexpected but welcome.

When Zedaph steps away you have to take a step back to regain your balance. 
You hadn't realised you had been leaning into him.
Then again, you can't blame yourself.

You often neglect to think about how your crush on him has evolved into love, a hopeless devotion, too afraid to ruin your friendship rather than confess your feelings to the man.
With a sigh you place the trophy back down, turning around to relocate Zedaph.

He's off to the right, where there is an empty space clearly meant to display a brand new trophy.
There's also an area that looks like it's for the achievement itself.

"What do you need my help with?" You ask now you've snapped out of your love filled trance.
Well, mostly.

"If you could go ahead and stand on the platform for me. I hope you don't mind but I forgot to mention I may or may not need you to step in and help if things go wrong." 
"Right, okay." You say, walking over to the platform. 

Watching Zed get the achievement is quite the nerve-wracking task. 
Turns out watching someone swing between posts on vines while trying to shoot a target creates a whole lot of anxiety.

It only took six attempts for him to finally hit the target and land on the second post, he was clearly very happy with it.
But he was in quite the state.

"Did you see that?!" His excitement is contagious, causing a smile to spread on your face despite your hands being full of healing supplies.
"I did, it looked really cool from over here." Zed sits on the edge of the podium, which turned out to be the only guaranteed safe spot in the entire base.

You kneel in front of him, applying some of the healing potion to a cloth and beginning to apply it to the scrapes on his hands and arms.
His injuries could have been so much worse, you're glad they're not. 
But you're also happy to help patch him up.

Clearly full of adrenaline still Zed makes no fuss despite how his scrapes must sting.
Once you're done he stands, pulling you up with him and over to a chest. 

He opens it up and pulls out a trophy, similar to the others but the object displayed is different.
It's an arrow with a vine wrapped around it, fitting for the task.

Zed's first instinct is to hand you the trophy, which you take.
His second instinct is to pull you back over to the podium where you were standing.
"I want you to place it." The smile on his face is huge, genuine.

It's an honour that he's asking you to place the trophy for one of his achievements.
"Are you sure?" You make sure to ask him, not wanting to steal his thunder.
Zed doesn't say anything, simply nodding. 

You say nothing else, content with his reassurance that it's okay for you to place the trophy for him.
So you do.
Slowly you lower the shiny golden cup onto the white stand, careful to place it perfectly straight first time.

Once it's down and you check it's sat perfectly relief fills you.
You're happy with it, and as long as Zed is too everything is perfect.

You turn to get his approval, being caught in a hug catches you off guard.
Although it doesn't take you long at all to sink into his embrace. 

"It looks amazing, don't you think?" He asks.
You nod, not wanting to separate from the hug to look back at the trophy. 

"It does, I'm glad you like the placement."
"You placed it perfectly, although I will say I preferred it better when it was you standing there." You move back to look at Zed, much like the hug you find yourself equally as caught off guard by his words.

Noticing this Zedaph brings his hands up to cup your face, something that feels so nice despite how simple of an action it is.

"What I'm trying to say, Y/n, is you looked even more amazing being stood there than usual. I'm trying to say you're a wonderful addition to my base, to my life." His expression is serious, but still with the usual sense of joy Zed has. 
The usual sense of joy, but with none of the jokes.

You smile, unsure what to say.
"This season I want to collect as many achievements as I can. If you would, if you want to, you could stick around and help, watch, even join in. Not just as my friend, but as my partner."

When Zed finally managed to land his trick, get the achievement, you were happy then.
To see him succeed, be overjoyed with how he had done. 
You had even gotten to put the trophy in its place. 
That feeling has nothing on this one.

"I do want that Zed, I'd be happy to be here, as your partner." Zed grins, pulling you back into the hug.
"I was hoping you'd say that." You can tell by just his voice that he's as happy as you are.
There is no better feeling in the world than the one you feel right now.