Never Really Gone

Chapter 58

Hels's POV

I feel BadTimes grab my wrist, ready to run if we need to.

"No... you're... I..." The blonde mumbles, reaching for his sword as he backs away. He looks upset, and almost scared.

BadTimes stands up, still holding onto me. The stranger suddenly grabs his sword, holding it up to his chest.

"Who are you? What are you doing to him?" He asks, looking back and forward between the two of us. "And how did you get here?!"

I have no idea what's happening, but what I do know is that I don't like how close that blade is to my friend's chest. I reach for my own sword, pulling it out to defend the Vexling.

"Leave him alone!" I demand. "I don't know who you are, or who you think I am, but I'm not gonna let you hurt him."

"You... you don't remember me?"

"Look, whoever you're mistaking me for, I'm not them!" I insist. "Now let him go!"

"Not until he explains how he got here." The stranger replies, glaring at BadTimes. The Vexling gasps in pain as the sword is pushed closer to his chest, the blade starting to draw blood. 

I still don't know how I know this blonde, but he's certainly not as important to me as BadTimes is. I raise my own sword to strike the stranger, and he barely manages to block me. My friend's eyes widen, and he reaches his hand out to me.

"Hels no!"

The last thing I see is a flash of blue, before I'm knocked out.

I jump up with a scream, back in the Nether again. For a moment I'm so confused, before I remember what happened.

"BadTimes, are you-"

I stop when I turn around and see my friend. He's lying on the ground, cuts covering his body and clothes soaked in blood. The rise and fall of his chest is slow and laboured, and my shock is immediately replaced by concern.

"Oh god... Bad, can you hear me? What happened?!"

The Vexling's eyes flutter open, and he gives me a weak smile.

"You're ok, that's what matters..."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" I gasp, desperately searching for something to help him.

"Well, someone had to fend that guy off."

"You attacked him?!"

"Technically he attacked me after I knocked you out. But it's ok... it's not that ba-"

In an attempt to sit up, BadTimes hisses in pain, falling back again.

"I take it back, this sucks."

"You can't just be reckless like that!" I scold, managing to find a roll of bandages. "You could've died, and we aren't whitelisted here so it would've been permanent!"

"But it's kind of worth it to know you're still ok."

Oh god, why did he have to say that?! Trying not to blush, I clear my throat.

"Uh... You have a bad gash on your side there..."

BadTimes nods, carefully pulling his t-shirt over his head, wincing in pain. The gash is worse than it looked through the light blue cloth, but it's the worst one and he's done a pretty good job at looking after it already.

Trying to ignore the fact that he's now shirtless, I begin to clean the Vexling's wound with a cloth, well aware of how red in the face I am right now. BadTimes decides to make the situation even more embarrassing by pointing this out.

"You're blushing" He tells me, a smirk on his face as I wrap bandages around his waist.

"I- I know" I stammer, refusing to look him in the eye. "It's hot in the Nether, ok?"

"Whatever you say sweetheart"

"Don't call me that"

"What, sweetheart? I think it's cute"

The teasing tone in his voice, his smirk, how close he is to me... it's all a bit too much. Goddamnit, why does my bisexuality have to mess everything up?

One I'm done, I sigh heavily, sitting down next to BadTimes.

"That should be ok once I manage to get a healing potion."

"Thanks" he tells me, with a smile that makes me realise that he really means it.

"I should be the grateful one."

"Let's call it even"

We sit in silence for a while, before a question slips out of me.

"What's your name?"

Without context, it's a stupid question. But it's only recently that I starting thinking about how I dont actually know his name.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, there's no way your mom gave birth to you, took one look and decided to name you 'Bad Times'."

"Fair" he responds with a slight laugh, before going a little quiet.

"I... I don't really like my name."

"Why? It can't be that bad?"

"Well... it's a little embarrassing" He mumbles with a shy smile

"Oh no!" I gasp with mock surprise "It's not KINGSTON is it?!"

"No" he giggles

"Hmm... Prestley!"

"No!"

"Bartholomew?"

"No way!"

"I've got it!" I exclaim proudly "MESSIAH"

"N-no! Stop making me laugh, it hurts!" The Vexling gasps, falling backwards as he bursts into giggles once again.

Once he's calmed down, he sits up, cheeks a little pink as he pulls his knees in toward his chest.

"It-it's Vali."

I look up, a little surprised. He only smiles.

"Vali... it's actually pretty nice" I admit.

"Thanks... I don't really like it."

"I don't."

He then looks up at me, a little surprised, before smiling gratefully. At some stage his hand slips into mine as silence takes over once more, but I hardly notice.

"You know... I really do care about you Hels. A lot."

My cheeks go red again, and he laughs a little.

"Having you with me makes all of this a little bit better, even if I hate doing it."

"Well... I guess that's just how things work when you love someone." I admit.

"Love?" He repeats, raising his eyebrows with an amused smile.

"Th-That's not what I meant!" I quickly insist. "I mean when you like someone it- wait no, not 'like', but-"

"It's ok... I think I know what you mean." Vali interrupts, leaning over and kissing my cheek.