also this might be a good time for me to mention to any unsuspecting shippers, hey, this isn't a ship fic

Blood Bound part 5. Rated T for minor peril and references to child neglect/abuse

"See?" Herobrine strolled along beside him, a reusable bag in each hand as they transported their groceries home. "Isn't taking a walk so much more pleasant when you're not on the verge of collapse?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, but I did not spend my entire life before I met you on the verge of collapse." Steve snipped back. "You simply had very good timing when running into me."

"Suuuure." Herobrine eyed the single bag that hung at Steve's side, and the latter rolled his eyes.

"And no, this isn't too heavy for me."

"You sure?" Brine cocked a brow. "You got hit pretty hard…"

"Ah, the lump's almost gone." Steve shrugged nonchalantly. "And if I don't do something I'm going to go soft."

"You're already soft."

"Thanks, Brine, that's encouraging." It had been a week and a half now since Steve had been attacked on the street, Herobrine having stuck around to help to nurse him back to health. Brine's pre-made meals had nearly run out, and Steven had decided to make his first foray out of his apartment to go grocery shopping. Of course Brine wouldn't let him go alone.

"Who's Brine?" Herobrine shifted to tug his hood over his head. "In public, I'm your good friend, Jeff."

Steve snorted. "You couldn't pick any other name than Jeff?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Well, nothing, but you don't look like a Jeff." Steven gestured at him. "Maybe… I don't know, a Henry, maybe an Aiden, but not a Jeff."

"Too late, it's set in stone." Herobrine adjusted his sunglasses with a nudge from his shoulder. "Pick up your feet, Steven, we're almost there."

"I thought I was supposed to take it easy."

"Not when it inconveniences me."

"Got it." Steven looked ahead to where the door of his apartment was coming into view. It was a short walk to and from the grocery store, which was one reason he picked this place. Another was the price, which was very reasonable, and the size, just enough space for one man living on his own. And, fortunately, for an uninvited guest.

The two chatted amiably as they made their way down the sidewalk, Steven fumbling for his keys as he climbed the single step up to his apartment door. When he slid it into the lock, however, his face shifted into a frown.

"Brine, didn't-"

"Jeff."

"Shh, I'm serious. Didn't we lock the door?" His concerned tone gave Herobrine pause, and the vigilante stepped up beside him.

"We did. Is it not locked?"

"No." Steven removed the key from the lock, leaning down to take a closer look, and found scrapes around the keyhole. "It… looks like it's been forced."

"Behind me." Herobrine nudged him aside, abandoning his groceries on the step and placing a hand on the knob. "Now." Steven obeyed without argument.

Turning the knob, Brine slowly pushed the door open. Steven could feel his heartbeat quickening, breaths too shallow and causing him to gulp for more air. Had his attackers from the previous week come back for him? Were they lying in wait inside his apartment? They'd had guns, Brine was strong but he wasn't bulletproof!

When the entryway came into view, it was dark.

Brine stepped into the dim hallway, footsteps almost soundless on the carpet. He motioned for Steven to stay put, which he did with no small amount of anxiety. Trying not to hyperventilate, Steven watched as Brine made his way down the hall and turned the corner into the living room.

After a few, tense moments, Herobrine called out to him.

"You can come in, Steven, whoever did this is already gone."

Steven exhaled, grabbing the groceries and hurrying inside. He shut and locked the door, hesitating before slipping out of his shoes and going to join his roommate.

Someone had been here, that much was clear. The house hadn't been ransacked, but it had clearly been searched - books on the shelf were pushed aside, furniture moved and not returned to its' original place. The only damage was a vase, which lay shattered on the kitchen floor.

Herobrine was scowling when Steven joined him in the kitchen, quietly setting the groceries on the kitchen table. "Seems a petty thief took advantage of our absence." He grumbled. "Did you have cash anywhere in the house?"

"A little." Steve glanced out into the living room. "It's not very well-hidden, they probably found it."

"In your room?" Brine guessed. Steven nodded.

"I'm going to check, if you can put the groceries away." Leaving the chore to Brine, Steven headed for his room, willing his hands to stop shaking as he pushed his door open.

His room was in much the same state as the rest of the house, to Steven's disappointment. Leaving the door open, he headed for his bed and knelt down, reaching under to where a piece of carpet had come loose and feeling around for the envelope he had hidden underneath. To his surprise, his fingers soon brushed paper, and he pulled the envelope free. The thief hadn't found his stash after all.

The point of a knife pressed into his back. "Don't move."

It took everything Steven had to not move, not to jerk back and impale himself on the blade. Slowly, he raised his hands above his head, heart hammering out of his chest.

"What do you want." He managed. In response, the envelope was snatched from his hand.

"Get up," the voice ordered. "Turn towards the door. Keep your hands on your head." Steven obeyed, shakily getting to his feet. Could he not have one week where his life wasn't threatened by some lowlife?! "Good," the intruder was saying. "Walk. Out to the front door." Steven forced his legs to move, putting one in front of the other as he prayed that Brine wouldn't do anything stupid.

The moment he had stepped out into the living room, Brine yanked him to the left and lunged at the intruder.

The man cried out as Brine slammed him into the wall, Steven stumbling and catching his balance on his easy chair. Spinning around, he found Brine pinning his wannabe assailant against a wall, gripping his wrist and twisting it until his knife clattered to the ground.

"You picked the wrong place to break into." Brine growled. The intruder, a young man who couldn't be older than 18, gasped and jerked at his hand.

"I-I'm sorry! Let me go, please!"

"Do you know what I do to people who threaten innocents?" Brine hissed. "Worse than anything you could do with that knife."

"Brine," Steven interjected, straightening up and hurrying closer to snatch up the knife. "I think he gets it." The boy nodded, chest heaving.

"I-I didn't- I thought I'd get out before you came back, I never wanted t' hurt anyone." He pleaded. "I saw you leave an' thought-" He was cut off by an exceptionally loud growl from his stomach, and his cheeks flushed. Steven frowned, and he and Brine seemed to notice at the same time how alarmingly thin this youth was. He was dressed in jeans and a faded t-shirt, despite autumn being in full swing.

Brine sighed, relaxing his hold just slightly. "Start over. What are you doing here?" The young man's gaze dropped to the ground.

"I-I saw you leave." He began again, struggling to keep his voice steady. "So I thought I'd look around-"

"-break in." Brine interrupted.

"-thought I'd break in," The young man corrected himself. "and see if I could find some money… so I could eat something." His voice trailed off into a mumble. Steve and Herobrine exchanged a glance.

"Well…" Steven shrugged. "We can't exactly call the police." Brine sighed, releasing the boy and letting him stumble to find his footing.

"Right." He shoved his hands in his pockets, ambling towards the kitchen again. "I'll make dinner."

"Better eat up, Steven, kid's giving you a run for your money."

"Oh be quiet." Steven rolled his eyes, spooning up another bite of stew. "You're embarrassing him."

"He broke into your apartment and threatened to stab you," Brine pointed out. "I feel I'm justified in embarrassing him." The intruder in question flushed deeply and busied himself eating his stew.

The teen had, as Herobrine had cooked dinner, introduced himself as Caden, a 16-year old runaway from a neighborhood a few blocks to the west. He hadn't given them many details, only that he hadn't been able to stay at home anymore, and had been struggling to find food for the past couple of days. The kindness of strangers had kept him upright, but he was beginning to get desperate, which had led him to try to rob Steven's apartment. All things considered, it had gotten him fed, so on some level the endeavor had been a success.

He was dressed in one of Steven's hoodies, now, and eating like he thought his bowl was going to run away from him. Steven didn't know exactly what his situation was, but the longer he watched him the more he knew he wouldn't have the heart to send him back out on the street.

Brine was a little bit more wary - understandably so. He had encountered far more of the criminal element than Steven had, and was as such more reluctant to trust. But it was Steve's apartment, not his, so he was going to have to suck it up.

"Mister, um…" Caden's voice broke Steven out of his thoughts, and he looked up to find the teen's grey eyes on him. "Can I… keep this?" He tugged at the sleeve of the hoodie, and Steven blinked.

"Oh, sure, if you like." Steven smiled at him. "Doesn't really fit me anymore anyway." Caden mumbled his thanks, averting his gaze and continuing to eat. Steven's smile faded. Poor kid.

His apartment was a bit cramped for three… he could probably get an air mattress and blow it up on the living room floor for a third bed. Until then, the easy chair could recline and would make a decent sleeping space. Steven might have to fall back on his money reserves for once, to get the kid some clothes. He didn't seem to have anything at all other than the clothes on his back - and the pocket knife he had threatened Steven with.

"Caden." He caught the boy's attention. "Did you really run away with just the knife?" Caden flushed again.

"Ah, well…" he shrugged. "I brought some money I'd saved up, but I was stupid enough to let someone see it… and they stole it."

"Oh."

"Have you been on the streets since then?" Brine interjected. Caden nodded. "Never thought to try a homeless shelter?"

"No." Caden pushed his dark hair out of his face. "Didn't want my dad tracking me there." The two men exchanged a glance.

"Are people looking for you?" Brine asked after a moment.

"Maybe, I don't know." Caden shrugged again. "I don't know if he'd care to report me missing. Though, my school probably noticed when I stopped showing up."

"Right." Brine caught Steve's eye. "Steven, we need to talk." Steven quirked a brow, but obeyed, standing and following his self-appointed bodyguard out of the room.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Brine spoke, his voice low. "Steven, I know you feel sorry for him, but he cannot be here."

"It's my apartment, Brine." Steven folded his arms. "You're a freeloader, you don't get to tell me what to do."

"I'm serious." Brine insisted, "He's a minor, and a runaway. If you're found harboring him, you could be charged with kidnapping. If he's facing troubles at home, it's best to let law enforcement do their job."

"Surely you see the irony of telling me not to harbor a runaway?" Steven shot back. "And that of you telling me to let law enforcement work?"

"I deal with murderers and terrorists, not social cases." Brine protested. "There are programs in place for kids like him."

"Aren't you in this life because your friend was killed by his father?" Steven hissed. Brine blinked, his eyes narrowing into slits at having the painful memory used against him. "Look, Brine, I consider myself a good judge of character." Steve pressed on. "It's why I trust you. So believe me when I say that Caden did not run away for frivolous reasons. He's scared, whatever he's facing at home has him braving cold and starvation, avoiding the very places that could help him the most because he's afraid he might be taken back." Brine's jaw worked slightly, and Steven sighed. "Look, if law enforcement shows up here I'm screwed already." He elbowed his roommate gently. "Serial killer, remember?" Brine scoffed.

"I thought we agreed that I would say I threatened you."

"Well, you can be the one who kidnapped Caden, too." Steven thumbed over his shoulder. Brine rolled his eyes.

"Steven…" He sighed, glancing at the window. "…he may be a kid, but that doesn't mean he can't hurt you." Steven blinked, stunned.

"Why would he?"

"I mean, if he is in the situation you think he is, many like him tend to react violently." Brine mimed holding a knife, then driving it into his gut. "Lashing out." Steven frowned.

"He had the chance to hurt me when he caught me by surprise, and he didn't. He just wanted out with the money."

"That too," Hero agreed. "A desire for money can be dangerous as well."

"Brine, you didn't let a couple of armed thugs hurt me," Steven crossed his arms. "I'm certain you won't let a kid take me down."

Brine snorted. "I won't be around forever."

"Well, neither will he." Steven countered. "But, for now, it's cold outside and he has nowhere else to go. If he wants to stay, he can stay." He held Brine's gaze for a few, long moments, before the vigilante sighed and gave a grudging nod.

"Very well." He gestured dismissively. "He stays." Steven's shoulders slumped, grateful to not have to continue arguing this with him.

"Good." He turned, starting to head for the kitchen again, then paused. "We may have to buy more groceries." Brine just sighed.

Stepping into the kitchen, Steven headed for his seat, sliding into it and facing his new guest. "Caden."

"Mm?" The boy looked up from his bowl, fidgeting with his spoon.

"Do you want to stay here a while?" Steven offered. "I wouldn't mind the company." Caden blinked, wariness creeping over his face.

"I- I can't pay-"

"I know that," Steven interrupted. "For free. No strings attached." Caden's uneasy gaze shifted to Brine, who now stood in the doorway, then back to the man before him.

"None?" His voice was small, and Steven nodded. Looking a little stunned, Caden pushed the stew around in his bowl, then voiced quietly, "I- yeah, I'd like that."

a family doesn't have to be a mom, a dad, and two kids. it can be a blood donor, a serial killer whose life he saved, and a random kid that broke into their apartment