Hermitcraft oneshots

Midnight snack (Fluff)

Gress fluff! Requested by Ghostluigi97 I'm so sorry for the wait :)

You may be asking me "Ves, what is this sudden twice in a row pattern with baking??" And that is an excellent question.

Warnings
-Mentioned nightmare (Very inexplicit and not described in detail)

Let me know if I missed something!

Wordcount 1030

~3rd POV~

A pleasant scent wafted around the jungle. Stress couldn't quite pin what it was, all she knew was that she liked it. It danced from tree to tree, infusing itself into the late night air and finding its way to Stress.

She didn't know why she was awake. She would honestly rather be sleeping, dreaming of far off lands or maybe even just laying down and peacefully thinking of what tomorrow might bring. But she couldn't. Something just felt off. Maybe it was just thoughts of her most recent grind to finish an entire mansion before Halloween that left her feeling empty now that no work was left to be done. One thing was for sure; Stress' mind just couldn't rest.

The scent was recognizable, one she knew but just couldn't name. It was on the tip of her tongue, tossing and turning as much as she was. No matter how much she tried to leave it in efforts to turn over and hit the hay, her mind kept wandering back. Eventually it was too much. Stress sat up in bed, reaching over the edge of her warm magenta covers to find her boots she had stored away earlier. An early morning walk in pajamas sounded nice, even if she couldn't manage to find the source of the sweet smell. She was up in moments, boots laced and elytra strapped on her back.

Stress let the moonlight guide her with it's light, feet crunching on fallen leaves and almost tripping into the shallow lake. It was peaceful this time of night, most hermits busy dreaming away or maybe getting in a couple more hours of grind. No fireworks echoed across the horizon, but if Stress listened close, she could hear the faint sound of someone singing. She almost missed it. Either way, Stress smiled and stepped lightly, making her way towards the sound. She came upon the front steps of a certain ostentatious mansion, that sweet smell much more concentrated than before. Stress listened to the hermit quietly humming as she let herself in through the doorless hallway, finally pinning the scent of fresh baked goods.

"Lovely morning Grian, baking up a storm I see?" Stress giggled, watching with kind eyes as Grian slightly jumped, melody of song derailing with a surprised noise.

"Oh Stress, I didn't see you there. What are you doing up?" Grian wiped his messy hands on the front of a frilly apron that hung loose on his figure.

"I could ask the same thing to you," Stress retorted with a giggle. "I just can't sleep. What are you making?"

The dirty blonde paused a moment, laughing a bit as he thought a reasoning. "I'm making brownies," he said after a short while, slightly forlorn expression crossing his face before he wiped it away and offered Stress a batter covered spoon. "I bake when I can't sleep. Want some?"

Stress took the spoon happily, licking it clean as she snagged a seat on a stool. lf she had to guess, Grian had only just installed this kitchen, maybe even for this purpose. It hovered in the back corner of the room and took up very little space. If Grian took one wrong step, he would fall right into his villager hall. The brownies made Stress feel calm, as well as watching Grian mix and prepare them for the oven. Normally she would have asked to help, but he really looked like he needed this.

The two enjoyed each other's company, albeit silently. There was no need to speak, no need to fill the quiet, but it did seem slightly strained. Like there were words remaining unspoken that shouldn't be. It stayed like that for a long while, only broken in parts by metal clanging and reverberating as batter was mixed, as well as the oven which beeped to signal the first batch done. Grian took the pan out, that fresh and scrumptious chocolaty smell gathering in a mass that engulfed both of them.

"It's because I had a nightmare." Grian said, turning away from Stress to load another pan in to bake. "I can't get back to sleep."

"Oh," Stress started. She honestly had no idea how to respond to that. Sure, he had seemed a little quiet, but she had thought that was just because of the late hour. "...Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

Stress tried again. If he didn't want to talk, that was his business. "Do you want me to stay with you so you can sleep?"

The dirty blonde paused at that one, dedication to immediate disregard dying on his lips as he processed what Stress actually said. "Don't you need to sleep as well?"

"I mean, we can both go to sleep. Just together. Like a not alone slumber party!" Stress laughed a little bit at that, urging Grian to turn the oven off for now and leave the mess to clean up at a later time. "Come on, you look like you need it. Plus if we don't go now we might be sleeping past noon."

The two moved together, Stress kicking her shoes off as Grian hauled his bed from outside the mansion to inside. It was a tight squeeze, but they both managed to lay down side by side with the blanket flung haphazardly over their legs.

"See? It's not all bad," Stress shifted, brushing her hair out of her face as she lay on her side facing her friend. "And it doesn't have to be weird at all, are you going to sleep okay?"

Grian smiled, eyes meeting Stress' as he intertwined their fingers over the covers between them. "Yeah. Thank you, Stress."

"Don't mention it," Stress yawned, stretching forward and pecking Grian on the cheek. "We are having brownies for breakfast though, smelling them all night have given me a craving," She giggled, closing her eyes.

Then there was silence again, but this time more natural. Less tense. Grian was out like a light, Stress right beside him. Worries forgotten, they both managed to get a good rest in that night.

~~~