A/N: I love Bdubs. That is all.
TW: N/A
——
As fun as MCC was, you couldn't help but look forward to the aftermath.
That rush of cheer following the end of Dodgebolt, with the contestants spending their adrenaline on joyful banter and catching up on what's happened in the past month. Living on a mostly solitary experimental server, the energy and warmth of just talking with your teammates about menial things was a welcome change. There was always a casualness to it which warmed your heart and made you feel all fuzzy inside; it was the sense of community that couldn't be found anywhere else.
And then there was Bdubs.
Somehow, the short, energetic man had become as much of a constant as the event itself, popping over to talk to you as you hopped around the map even on the case that you two were on separate teams. You'd compare building tips, he'd tell you about this month's Hermit shenanigans, and you'd get slushies from the Noxcrew stand before he went to join the other Hermits to head back home.
It'd gotten to a point where the other contestants just knew to expect Bdubs to pop in at some point if you were on their team. He'd wave goodbye to his teammates, come find you, and parkour around as he boasted about his new best score or gushed about how well you did in one of the rounds.
It was no different this time. You'd gotten 7th overall, your highest score yet, and Bdubs couldn't wait to congratulate you on your milestone. As soon as he finished celebrating with his teammates, he bid them goodbye and searched for you.
You were congratulating Pearl on reaching the top 5 overall when he tackles you from behind, laughing.
"Hey, that was an amazing round!"
"Bdubs!" You cheer, turning your head to face him.
"You did great, and our team won! Didya see me? Goodness' sakes, that last Dodgebolt round took a year off of me."
You smile, looping an arm over Bdubs's shoulders. He grins, adjusting his hug so it's just one arm around your waist.
"Yeah! Congrats, by the way. How many wins does that make, 4? 5?" You remark. Pearl laughs fondly from the side.
"6! It's my MCC prowWESSSS," he sings, grinning ear to ear and leaning into you.
"Congrats, mate!" Pearl says, rubbing Bdubs's hair. "And congrats to you too, by the way," she adds, addressing you. You blush, always nervous around the Hermits.
You're not all that used to praise, and you get even more flustered when Bdubs jumps up excitedly.
"You were fanTASTIC! 7th overall, that's the Y/N I know!" he yells, looking more proud of your achievements than of his.
"The feared Etho-killer," Pearl adds, "Rivalled only by GeminiSlay herself! Y/N, the first-place player in Sands of Time!"
Bdubs frowns when Pearl mentioned your murders of Etho, but continues in his praise. "Y/N, the wonderful-"
You smile. "Stoppp," you plead, burying your hands in your head. "Pearl got 4th, why're you picking on little ol' me?"
Bdubs shrugs, his face coloring a bit. "I- well, can't I appreciate a friend?"
Pearl nods. "We only really see you once a month; beyond that, you're always on your single-player world. Oh! Speaking of which, how's your farm going?"
You happily accept the chance to change topics, and soon you're promising them photos of your new cows, and describing your idea for a windmill as the three of you parkour around. Bdubs and Pearl both give their two dollars-worth of advice, which you appreciate.
