Cold Coffee (Xephmadia)

Late

Late:

When he returned, Minecraftia was different.

The buildings were taller, technology faster, and magic more precise.

But his friends were gone; worn by time they sunk into the ground to finally rest their tired eyes.

He didn't sign up for this! It had only been three years! He had counted the days, he swears! He thought that returning to his home planet for a few years when the offer had come up, would be a great opportunity! A chance to close doors and come back prepared to live the rest of his life here with his friends and truly start anew.

But space and time are fickle things, and he had been screwed over with no chance of a refund.

And that was why he was in a medical wing set up for the old and dying, blinking at the sight of the woman he loved, aged and wrinkled in a way he thought they would one day do together.

He sat by her bedside, mouth agape, trying to find words. But Lomadia just chuckled, and grasped his hand in her's, and said with a sad smile

“You're late, spaceman.”

Xephos squeezed her hand back and felt his eyes sting. Lips quivering, he apologized

“I-I never planned on this happening. I didn't realize-”

Lomadia gently shushes him

“I understand, Xephos, I understand.”

They were both quiet for a few moments, lost in the years of could-of-been's, separated by time itself. Lomadia sighed and looked him in the eyes

“We don't have much time left,” he gulped “Would you like to hear the story of our friends?”

Xephos nods wordlessly and she smiles tiredly

“Honeydew went out fighting, I can assure you. Blood pumped full of that dwarven fury when an enderman had claimed the life of one of his sons.” She chuckled “The bloody man didn't even stop to think before charging into that cave, didn't have the proper equipment. There were just too many monsters for even a dwarf of his skill to handle.”

She went on to tell the rest of their friend's fates; Duncan and an experiment gone wrong, an old Sjin in a build too high to fall from, Rythian and Zoeya who traveled around the world until they were both too old to brave it, and all of the others. Sips was the only one left with her, he was in the wing too, they played cards every tuesday but she insisted he was an old cheat.

With every tale, Xephos shrunk into himself. He felt as if bits and pieces of himself were being lost with every word she spoke and it was a terrible feeling, losing yourself.

“And what about you? What is your story, Lom?”

She smiles and the wrinkles around the eyes pull to show years of experience.

“You're awfully hard to forget, Xephos, but I did my best to move on. I traveled, I took care of the owls, I taught young and eager apprentices, and... I waited.”

Xephos takes a sharp intake of breath and was about to apologize again, but Lomadia rests her hands on both his cheeks and says

“But you are not to blame, never forget that.”

He just sits there, hot tears traveling down his face onto her hands with a wordless speech of sorrow and regret. He places his hands on top of her's and says a simple

“I love you, I'm so sorry.”

**

It's a few days later, in that same room, when he holds her hand for the last time. But when he looks at her, she looks so peaceful and his heart hurts as he kisses her forehead one last time.

He cries into his hands for hours, his friends, his love, his life he was so prepared for...

They were all gone.

On his way out, a nurse with a kind smile full of sympathy hands him a letter. It's from her. With nothing more than the words shakily scrawled out

'Promise me you'll live your life to the fullest. I love you, Spaceman.

~Lomadia'

with instructions on where to find Honeydew's kids and grandkids, as well as a few others.

And although he walks out of the hospital with tears still flowing down his cheeks, he does so with his chin up, and a promise to keep.

AN: The feels I experienced when I wrote this...wowza ;-;