Heart of Glass (A Minecraft EndermanXReader)

Chapter 17: Final Fitting

Elianore was holding his breath, trying not to flinch as Big Mama worked around his waist. "It's a good thing we waited until last minute to do the final fitting, you've gained a good bit of weight."

"It's only been a month." Elianore let his breath out as she stood up.

She smiled. "I know some people who can chunk up like that in two weeks." She gently patted his stomach and moved up to work on the shawl."

"It looks so nice on you!" Emila was watching, enthralled by Big Mama's work.

"Thanks." Elianore turned sheepish, the tips of his ears flushing slightly. "Do you think (y/n) will like it?"

"I think they'd like it if you were nude." Elan remarked.

Elianore's whole face flushed at that. "Elan!"

Elan snorted. "Sorry, that came out wrong. They like you, Elianore. What you're wearing won't change that."

Big Mama chuckled. "I can't say I don't see what they see in you. You are quite an attractive young man." She clasped the cupid's heart pin closed and stepped back to admire her work. "I feel like it's missing something."

Elianore spun around. "I think that's everything I asked for."

"No, you're right, it just. Hm." She thumbed her chin a bit. "It seems unbalanced. I can't figure out why though."

"Well, there's not a part of this outfit that's symmetrical, so it's hard to say." Elan shrugged.

Big Mama finally set her hands on her hips and smiled. "Well, we'll figure it out eventually. You know, these ceremonial outfits are meant to be symbolic of the wearer, and they say if there's something missing, it's something the wearer hasn't learned about themself yet."

"Huh." Elianore looked down at himself, and then laughed. "What does this say about me?"

Big Mama laughed too. "For starters, your right side is meant to represent the platonic or familial, your left represents the romantic, and your center is yourself."

"That doesn't help at all." Elan tilted his head. "Again, his outfit is completely asymmetrical."

Big Mama gently took Elianore's hands. "You see how he has chosen to cover his scars with this outfit?"

"Oh!" Emila gasped. "I did notice that!"

"It wasn't on purpose." Elianore mumbled. "I like the look of long gloves, but can't stand the feeling, so I figured having one on my numb arm would work. And I just like to have my chest and face covered."

"You hide your deepest vulnerabilities, but leave the rest of you exposed. You want to show yourself, and be intimate with others, but there are some things that still hurt too much to leave bare." She gently held up his fingers. "You keep your right palm covered, but allow your fingers to breathe. You're willing to make platonic and familial connections, but they are still kept at arm's length. But on your left hand..."

"It's completely covered." Elan pointed out.

"Not quite." Elianore turned his hand. The glove fit in such a way that it really only covered his fingers and palm, the back of his hand and wrist were bare.

"You are hesitant in romance, especially to make the first connection, but you are much more willing to expose your vulnerabilities to your partner. On top of that, most of our villagers choose to wear a glove on their left hand to show they don't want to talk about their romantic status."

"Wow." Elianore grimaced.

"What's your take on that scandalous leg?" Elan pointed with a teasing grin.

"Probably that I'm a--" Elianore cut himself off, "sorry."

Big Mama chuckled. "Well, I think it ruins all the fun if I tell you everything, doesn't it? Those are just my guesses based on the people I've met and made clothes for. Only you know what it all means."

"It was irritatingly accurate though." Elianore fingered the edge of the shawl.

"I've been doing this for a long time." Big Mama started packing up her things. "Let me know if you need anything changed for the next festival, but you should be all set for this one."

"Thanks for all this." Elianore smiled.

Big Mama smiled back. "You're always welcome. And let me know when your friends here decide they'd like to join the festivities, it made a great challenge for my apprentices." She hefted her bag onto her shoulder and walked out.

"She does know there's no chance I'm ever joining, right?" Elan folded his arms.

Elianore chuckled. "The villagers don't really understand the concept of not liking people."

Emila smiled. "Well, maybe I'll join someday. I just...need some time right now."

Elianore knelt down next to her. "Take all the time you need. We'll be waiting for you when you're ready."

"You should be careful while you're wearing that." Elan said pointedly. "And you should probably go change before you ruin it."

"Jeez, she just finished fitting me." Elianore groaned as he stood up and stepped into the back room to change.

He was gentle as he took the ceremonial outfit off. He hadn't even been paying attention to what "represented him." He'd just been picking out things he liked, things that spoke to him. He turned the Cupid's arrow pin over in his hands a few times. Well, that he had picked out for a specific reason. Most days it felt like he had an arrow through his heart.

He wasn't sure why he'd decided to go barefoot, or to wear gold lacing around his left ankle. Neither of those things were something he'd normally do. But maybe, like Big Mama had said, there were things he didn't know about himself yet.

He looked up, seeing his face in a mirror. His scars were bare now. His face. His hands. His arms. His legs. He'd never really been comfortable looking at his own body. It had gotten worse since coming to the Overworld.

He'd always thought he looked too soft. Not like the monster he was supposed to be. But then, somehow, when he looked like a monster, he hated it more.

Now, his ribs weren't jutting out anymore. His cheeks had filled out again. His fingers and hands had grown tender. His stomach was starting, just starting, to hang over the waist of his pants. The scar on his ribs, a lasting memorial of the day he'd met you, was about half the size it had been back then. The scales on his arm had regrown all the way down to the middle of his forearm. Scars he'd thought would be eternal were starting to fade.

And for once, he didn't hate the man in the mirror.

~~~

A/n: yeehaw bitches. Happy summer! I'm gonna be honest I had no idea where I wanted to go with this chapter and was struggling to write it because of that. Decided I'm gonna write about the English teacher overanalysis I did of the ceremonial outfit I designed for Eli.

I drew that probably a couple years ago now tbh. Could draw Eli actually wearing it. Don't wanna. If y'all do wanna, I've got a discord server where you can send it! I'm not sure how to get the link to people anymore since Wattpad got rid of PMs, but feel free to reach out to me via comments or my message board and I'll figure it out!

And as always, thanks for reading, please remember to vote, comment, and share, and I'll see y'all soon!