奔跑後的落葉- Wither x Skeleton Fanfic

平凡的一天、直到⋯

**二十七 (Chapter twenty-seven)
eng: A normal day, until...

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Wither

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"Skeleton, we're going the wrong way. We somehow ended up in a desert! Maybe I should just teleport us back home? I'll be fine!" Skeleton kept insisting that we were going the right way. What's up with him? I feel like he's intentionally going the wrong way... Though, Skeleton's usually very pragmatic. He isn't the type to play a practical joke on me.

I notice him starting to sweat. Even during the night, deserts were generally hot but not unbearable. Skeleton was a stray, a mob that is used to freezing cold weather. He was sweating bullets, his cloak not helping his situation either.

"Skeleton, you look like you're able to pass out from heatstroke," I comment, "Don't you miss the ac in our house?" I was trying to tempt him. He shakes his head stubbornly. "No way! A little hot weather isn't going to stop me!"

Persistent, I'll give him that. "Skeleton, at least take off that heavy cloak of yours. You aren't fooling anyone with how much you're sweating."

"I'm not taking it off, Wither. We're almost out of the desert!"

"..." I squint, trying to locate a different biome. "There's literally just miles of sand ahead of us."

"So? Maybe we'll find something interesting along the way!" I didn't understand the source of Skeleton's enthusiasm. At this point, Skeleton had to know we were going the wrong way. I study him for a moment, watching his movements closely.

"Skeleton, be real with me... You know we're lost, don't you?"

"Wither, quit complaining! If you're scared some mob is going to jump us, you have me to protect you!" He says cheekily. I scoff in response. "Oh, please. I'm the last mob that needs protection."

"I didn't mean it like that! You're more vulnerable than ever and I don't want you exhausting yourself!"There was genuine concern in his eyes. I felt my (nonexistent) heart skip a beat. I knew Skeleton cared in his own way about me but I didn't expect him to be so... So openly caring.

We continue walking through the desert in comfortable silence. Every once in a while I'd look fondly in his direction. His cloak completely covered most parts of his body. Only the bottom half of his legs were visible along with some parts of his face. The pale-blue hue of his bones glimmered beneath the moonlight. I could feel myself staring helplessly at him, unable to turn away.

"...Wither?"

I blink, snapping out of my little trance. Skeleton has stopped walking. I notice the terrain has changed and that we're back on the grassland.

"Uh... Yes?" What is happening to me? I've never felt such weird things for anyone!

He clears his throat, averting his gaze. "I said we're on the right track. We've successfully exited the desert."

"Skeleton, at this point you're just fooling around... Admit it, you don't have any destination in mind. You're just dragging me around for whatever reason... And seriously, stop changing topics every time I bring this up!" Truthfully, I wasn't frustrated with him. I was just incredibly confused.

"Alright, alright! You're right, I have no destination in mind..."

"Then what was the point of this?"

"..."

"...Skeleton, I swear to Notch."

"I just... I just wanted to hangout with you, okay? We've been friends for a while and I just feel like... We're either at each other's throats or doing our own things." A bit stunned by his confession, I do a double take.