Safeguarded Heart

Occupied Mind

"Alex, is everything okay?" Steve asks with furrowed brows and a look of concern as an upset and flustered-looking gingerette makes her way through the stables, moving slowly and barely hanging onto her own chest pack as she drags it behind her. He blinks as she stops a few feet away, her expression lightens up in response to his, she lets the strap of her bag drop to the ground as Steve steps forward and wraps her up into a comforting hug. He then pulls back a bit and plants a swift and chaste kiss on her forehead before folding an arm around her head and rubbing smooth circles into her back.

"Thanks." She says quietly into his shirt with a soft sigh of relief. "I needed that."

The miner loosens in the embrace and gives her a kind and reassuring smile. "Hey, it's going to be alright. I know you two bump heads on the occasion but I'm always here for the both of you, being the mediator and all. You can always count on me to pick up the pieces."

She put on a smile for him, though it was only a brief one. "Well good luck fixing the issue this time, I really dug into him today; pretty deep and more than usual. Might have said some really harsh things while so riled up, I slapped him too."

Steve gaped. "You hit him?" His tone of voice sounded with disbelief. "Wow, he really had to infuriate you enough to get you to go that far. You did apologize, right?"

Alex's eyes move off of the miner as she pulled away and folded her arms loosely, she turned her back to him. "Kind of, but I can't say it was all that genuine though." She said softly. "I'll have to go back and give him a proper apology, after the trip though, I need some time to clear my head and I'm sure he needs to cool down some too.

He too said some pretty horrible things himself, even enough to offend me, and especially 'her'," She nodded to the exit of the stables where the two could see the brunette brushing the coat of her horse. "If she had been there to hear it anyway."

Steve tilted his head to the side a bit and gave a questioning look as he placed his hands on his hips. "Let me guess, it's about my sis isn't it?" He briefly gestured, he easily got the answer from the emerald eyes staring at him from a side glance. "She didn't do something too reckless again... did she?"

Alex lightly shrugged. "Well I wouldn't say too impulsive and there was no danger this time, but I kind of convinced her to go into his room and she touched something of his and he got onto her for it; saying he's going to take something of hers for 'stealing'. Not that Steph had any intent to do that but he's being harsh over something silly, then when I confronted him over the matter we argued and then got into... other things; topics I'm sure you could guess regarding 'Miss Hands' over there. Herobrine's little 'azalea'."

She glanced back over at the lady and quietly sighed as Steve nodded in acknowledgment. "It's a long story so I'll save it for another time, but basically he continues to reject the idea of love; just throwing more excuses no matter how much I try to convince him to at least try because Steph would without hesitation. It's very frustrating, even more, when he's being extremely cautious."

"It is. But that's just how Herobrine is, plus he really cares even if he doesn't speak of it much." Steve admitted with a frown. "For a long time, I thought he was oblivious to her charms, 'that' kind of affection and attraction isn't something he ever talks about or even expresses; though I know he likes her a lot. I mean, they spent nearly the whole night together during the return ceremony and he went out of his way to get Steph's-... uh, never mind." He sighs nervously with a fake grin.

Alex rolls her eyes. "I know the compass. I'm the one who practically gave it to him."

Steve's expression fell into one of relief, she doesn't yet know about the dress then. "Yeah, ... that." He agreed. "Anyway, he just wants her to be safe. Same with us, I still don't think he should isolate himself to do it though."