[Chapter XIX]

[Deeper Desires Pt. II]

Shivering tremendously as his clothes became soaked completely through to his skin from the snow as it began melting, Steve pushed his way through the thick layers, holding the bag of wood up high to keep it away from the snow so it stays dry.

Feeling his body growing more and more numb, and no longer being able to feel his feet, Steve sighed heavily before watching his breath rise up and fade into the darkening sky.

The snow was once again beginning to fall steadily towards the ground. The weather in this biome was as unpredictable as always.

"I-I think I've got enough w-wood to at least l-last the night. It's getting too d-dark and cold to stay out here m-much longer." he reasoned with himself, shivering violently while turning to head back towards the cabin where he had left the recovering Herobrine.

As he slowly began making his way back, he couldn't help his mind as it subconsciously started thinking about the rather jagged scar the demon had on his chest and in the same spot on his back. He had noticed it while undressing the man out of his wet clothes.

'It's strange but… the way it looks on both his chest and back, it's almost like he was completely stabbed by something. Maybe when he's feeling better I can ask him about it? Though knowing him, he'll want to hear something about me in return.' he chuckled lightly to himself while also at the same time trying to think of something else he could tell in return.

Upon entering the small home, he was quick to pick up on the rather impressive difference in the temperature.

It was undoubtedly warmer than what it should be considering the fire was beginning to die down when he had left. He also took note of it being much brighter. Shutting the door to prevent any more snow from entering, as well as cutting off the cold air draft, Steve sat the bag of wood down and took off his wet coat.

Kicking off his shoes, he turned towards the bed, head tilting to one side upon seeing a lump underneath the blanket.

Quietly approaching the bedside, Steve blinked as he found Herobrine on his side facing the wall, his back towards Steve. Watching the steady rise and fall of the comforter informed the miner that the Nether ruler had apparently dozed off; his blank, white and empty eyes gently closed as he slept.

Steve couldn't prevent the small smile that spread across his face, unable to figure out why seeing this man resting helped him calm down and relax. It was also so fascinating to see Herobrine like this. He looked so… vulnerable and nearly weak.

'He looks almost human…' Steve chuckled to himself with a shake of his head. 'Listen to me… Brine would kill me if he knew I thought that just now.'

He kept his gaze upon the other, just watching him resting. It was strange… The longer he stared at him the warmer he was becoming despite his clothes being damp from the snow. Staring at Herobrine, was making Steve begin to realize that-whether he wanted to admit it or not-a sort of bond was beginning to form between them.

It was certainly a form of friendship he never in a million years thought he would have.

There was almost something more to it though… Something Steve was not only having a hard time trying to decipher; but also accepting what he has figured out.

He was beginning to get the same kind of feelings and sensations from being around or even thinking about Herobrine like he was when he was with Telzaah before he lost interest in her… romantically.

Shaking his head to clear it of such random thoughts, he quickly brought his coat over towards the fire to drape it over the iron fence when he noticed it was dripping icy cold water on the floor right next to the bed.

'I'll have to clean that before he wakes up… Don't want him to step in that.' He told himself while carefully putting his coat up.

And it was then he noticed the difference with the fire. It was burning strongly! Like it were freshly lit with fuel! The heat coming from it was intense but not enough to burn him as long as he kept away from the iron.

He quickly took his coat back as the iron fence was way too hot now to safely drape his wet clothing over it. Looking over to the right and spotting Herobrine's shirt piled on the table in the corner next to the caldron along with the rest of his belongings, he took note of the man's pants missing. He thought nothing of it and just figured the demon simply no longer wished to remain completely nude and so put them on.

As he held his coat, Steve suddenly blinked and looked down at it. Lifting it up high, he studied it with a look of disbelief across his face. "It's… it's completely dry?" he gasped softly.

"Well of course it is. The fire from a piece of Netherrack is about ten times hotter than the fires that burn here. And about twenty times hotter than the puny little spark you had going." came the fully awake sounding sarcastic remark, muffled from the thick blanket as Herobrine had covered his head before speaking.

Steve jumped slightly while dropping his arm holding the now dry coat, wide violet eyes looking towards the bed where Herobrine was laying in. He was still so shocked from his coat that he didn't really care he was just practically insulted by the demon. "Netherrack?"

"Yeah. It's the stone that literally makes up like… eighty-five percent of the Nether. Ten percent being lava. And I guess the last five percent is that terrible soul sand garbage that is utterly useless. Though it is amusing to watch the zombie Pigmen get stuck in it." Herobrine explained nonchalantly while rolling over onto his back before pushing himself up on his elbows, the blanket falling to bunch up around his lower stomach and exposing his rather impressively toned abs, as well as the scar that had Steve's curiosity churning.

Steve stared at him for a few seconds, words evading him as he soon tossed his coat to join the heap of clothes on the table. He never thought such a thing could exist. A fire that burned strong enough to completely dry a heavy jacket that was soaking wet with melted snow within mere moments?

Herobrine watched him in silence and with a raised brow as Steve then brought the chair back over closer to him. He placed the chair the wrong way, having the back facing Herobrine as he straddled it, folding his arms over the back of the chair and giving the Nether ruler his full attention.

"Tell me, Herobrine. What is the Nether exactly? No one seems to know what it truly is anymore. Or if they even have the slightest idea, they won't talk about it." the human at last asked.

Herobrine scoffed while lying back down, white eyes staring up at the wooden ceiling. He wasn't so sure why he felt slightly annoyed at the thought of Steve only getting this close to him to begin a Q and A. But he did. "Put simply? It's hell." Steve scrunched his nose up, about ready to retort until the demon continued, never giving the younger a chance; "But I'm not surprised no one knows it in detail anymore, or wants to even talk about it. Before I was banished there, humans used to risk their lives by traveling there all the time. I myself actually being one of them. There used to be a Nether portal in practically every town and city. In fact, the remains of a small town that people once built there so there were safe places to rest still stands. Though it's mainly destroyed ruins now actually..." His last sentence was spoken with him looking off to the side, almost as if ashamed of something.

Steve raised a brow at this, and was about to inquiry about if Herobrine had apparently something to do with the town supposedly being in ruins, but decided not to interrupt him just yet and allowed him to continue on his own.

"The Nether is home to a few Mobs that otherwise don't exist. When slain, they drop valuable items and ingredients. Remember me telling you about the Blazes? And the Ghast; A single tear from one is potent enough to cure even the deadliest disease. It is how I saved you, remember?" he paused, tilting his head towards Steve and giving him a wink and smirk before continuing, missing how his quick expression caused a light pink hue to dust over Steve's cheeks briefly. "But that was all nearly six hundred years ago. People no longer remember what their ancestors did. After I lost against Him, Notch threw my broken and bleeding body through the last remaining portal… before closing it off and destroying it to leave me locked away to die." he explained, his enthusiasm leaving him as his tone faded into a monotone drawl, eyes slowly half lidding as his past was brought up.

But when he mentioned Notch, loathing was very evident in his tone.

Steve caught this drastic change in the demon, catching his attention and giving him an itch to urge the Nether ruler to continue. Taking a deep breath, he tried; "Brine. What… what happened exactly… to you? Back then? Between Notch a-and everything? And how did you… survive?"

Expecting the demon to close up and refuse to speak any more of it, Steve was needless to say surprised as Herobrine grinned while pushing himself back up, not bothering to cover his chest as it was once again exposed, only fully this time as the blanket fell in his lap. Turning his head to face the young human, Herobrine tilted his head slightly to the left as his grin remained in place as he chuckled, his tone holding a little playful flare to it as he spoke after tutting at the man, "Now, now, Steve… those kind of questions aren't fair to ask since you have yet to tell me more about your past. Don't you think?"

Steve in turn surprised Herobrine but letting a small chuckle of his own pass his lips, "You're right. It… isn't fair of me to ask you when I won't tell you my own back story."

Surprised that Steve actually agreed with him, Herobrine hummed quietly to himself before clearing his throat, unsure of what possessed him to even tell him this; "But… I do know more about you than you do about me. So I guess I can at least try and even it out." He then chuckled at Steve's confused expression, mentally making a note of how even more attractive the bright glow from the fire burning off the Netherrack made him.

"Remember me telling you about the tear from a Ghast? Normally, Ghasts are very aggressive and simply want to kill anything that doesn't belong in the Nether. Though I was badly wounded, I had heard the distressed cries of one of them. I was able to drag myself towards a cliff and saw down below a group of zombie Pigmen attacking one they had managed to ground. They were attacking it for fun, torturing it relentlessly and without showing any signs of actual intent to kill it.

"I… don't know what made me do it. I don't know if the reality of my situation made my… human side… come out enough to show compassion towards that creature. Or if I saw myself in it. Regardless of what it was, I managed to gather enough of what remained of my strength and jumped over the ledge, killing two of the Pigmen with a pair of daggers I had. Gaining the attention of the remaining four, I drew my sword and began taking them out. Just as I struck the last one, my energy gave out and I fell to my knees right before the bleeding Ghast. I looked it straight in the eyes, becoming lost within its gaze as it continued crying.

"Just as I felt I was about to black out, a searing pain ripped through my chest. The Ghast flinched and for a moment, ceased its crying as it stared at me. I looked down to see the golden blade of the last Pigman's sword sticking through my chest… coated in my blood." he paused, lifting his right hand up to gently place it over the nasty jagged scar in the middle of his chest.

Steve's eyes opened wide in shock. Shock from the fact Herobrine was sharing yet another intimate memory of his dark and painful past with him. And shock at hearing just what had happened to him. Though at least he now knew the answer to his burning question of how Herobrine had received the scars.

"I don't really remember how I did it, but I had somehow managed to get the zombie Pigman to let go of his weapon before I turned around to finish him off. I then collapsed right before the large Ghast. I was dying. And honestly, I wasn't scared. I watched as the Ghast slowly moved one of its massive arms towards me and weakly took me in its grasp. It brought me closer before using another arm to push the sword from my chest. I remember screaming from the pain… while watching as I began to heavily bleed out. But just before I died, it shed one last tear that fell straight into my open wound, the blinding white light that came from the contact causing me to lose my site just before passing out."

He paused for a second, swallowing to dampen his throat as it dried out before continuing. "When I awoke, I was in a dark cave. The Ghast had recovered and carried me there until I, myself recovered. All my injuries were healed. My entire body felt amazing! I hadn't felt that great in the longest time ever since becoming the next chosen Hero. I was always so fatigued and rarely stayed injury free. My sight had returned too, but… that's when I noticed that my eyes had… changed."

Steve looked down and to the left, frowning as he knew exactly what Herobrine had meant by that.

"That particular Ghast never tried to harm me. It even stopped the others from trying to hurt me. As time went on, all the Ghasts in the Nether began showing the same sort of… fondness I guess you can say towards me. The Ghasts were the first of the Nether Mobs to start following me. Then the Zombie Pigmen were the next and after them the Magma Cubes. The Blazes took some time and real effort. They actually didn't really show me any sort of respect until after I overtook the Nether Fortress."

Upon hearing about a fortress, Steve blinked and looked back up at the demon, "Wait. A fortress? There's a fortress in the Nether and you overtook it?"

"Haha! Sorry, Steve! But I think I've told you more than enough to say we're even now!" he laughed while turning away.

"But you can't just tell me something like that and then leave me hanging!" he whined, soon narrowing his eyes into a glare as the other remained silent.

"Well then? Why don't we make a sort of exchange arrangement? I told you something new about myself. So now you have to tell me something about yourself before I tell you anything else." Herobrine grinned while folding his hands together behind his head just before lying back down on the bed, never once taking his lidded white glowing eyes off the still narrowed violet. "It's only fair."

Snorting while leaning back at arm's length after unfolding his arms and gripping the back of the chair, Steve waited for a moment while clawing through his brain; trying to think of something of at least equal value to tell in exchange.

Finally letting out a soft sigh, Steve smiled while relaxing slightly. "I guess… I can finish telling you… what had happened and why I was on that ship."

Herobrine's smirk completely fell from his face as he pushed himself up onto his elbows. He hadn't thought Steve would be so willing to continue on with his side …

Taking a deep and steady breath, Steve's gaze fell from Herobrine's face to his scarred chest for only a brief second, before it fell fully towards the floor; "I was… really young when I lost both my parents during the beginnings of a massive war. Ever since they had been killed I… wanted to stop the wars that always broke out in our land. But I was never given the chance."

"Meaning…?"

Steve seemed to hesitate for a moment before sighing quietly to himself. "Well… just days after losing my parents, the war had continued on throughout the land. So many lives were lost. I struggled just to stay out of the sites of our enemies."

Herobrine couldn't understand the strange sensation that came over him at hearing this news. One feeling he recognized yet couldn't figure out why he was, was the bubbling anger heating up his body.

"As I've told you before, I'm from Valerrencia… and sadly to my understanding, it no longer exists anymore. The years of war wore down its walls until at last… they crumbled." He explained with a frown. "I, along with just a small handful of others who managed to survive, evacuated to a large ship that had somehow escaped damage."

Herobrine noticed Steve's body beginning to tremble the further he went deeper into his story. His words were sounding forced and choked out, as if the human was suddenly having a difficult time speaking.

"Steve? What happened?"

However, Steve said nothing. Not for a long time. Taking the time to recollect himself apparently, Steve finally sighed while turning his gaze towards the fire, the orange and red glow reflecting off his half lidded eyes beautifully. "As we were sailing away, we watched our homeland burn down. The further we moved out… the softer everyone's screams became. We all just told ourselves it was due to the distance we were putting between us and the land. But deep down, we all really knew it was because more and more people were being slaughtered.

"I had wanted to grow up and join the Knighthood. To help protect what was left of our dying kingdom, and to prevent anyone else losing those they love. But in the end, I fled like the others who were on that ship that night. One person in particular, was a young girl that I had grown up with. She and I were close… almost like siblings. I saw Genevieve as my sister, and she saw me as her brother. We had both lost our parents in the same war, and I promised I would keep her safe."

"So you don't have any real family left?" the demon asked in an oddly soft tone.

Steve shook his head with a sad chuckle; "No, not biologically anyways. In fact, not even anyone close enough to me that I considered family. They all died on that ship. Including Genevieve, despite my promising her I would protect her and keep her safe. I had failed and broke that promise. And now as punishment, I'm left alone. I was somehow the only one who survived the attack and shipwreck with barely any injuries." He finished his story in a soft whisper while dropping his eyes to the floor, unable to bring his gaze to look up at the other.

Herobrine looked away, thinking about how strange it seems that an entire ship full of people were brutally slaughtered… and yet Steve had apparently survived with hardly a scratch. It seemed odd and dare he say it, almost suspicious. Like it were staged.

It was now or never; "Steve. Who had attacked your ship? Was it the people who were attacking the kingdom?"

"…"

"Steve?"

"No. They weren't people. They weren't even human." he whispered.

"What were they?" Herobrine urged but in a soft tone.

"Before? I would have just told you monsters. But being on this island for as long as I have, I can correctly identify them as Mobs. They were skeletons that raided our ship. The storm that night was horrible and we couldn't really see where we were going. We actually had no clue we were so close to land. I'm sure if we had been aware, we would have stopped by due to the weather."

Herobrine sighed as Steve at last told him Mobs were the blame. "The skeletons must've picked up on your crew and managed to reach the ship."

"Hmm." Steve hummed in agreement.

It was quiet between them for a while after that, Herobrine feeling himself relaxing more now that he had finally gotten the answer to that nagging question out of the way.

That was until Steve began speaking again; "They weren't normal skeletons though…"

"What… do you mean by that?"

"They weren't white."

Herobrine couldn't believe he was about to admit it, but he literally felt his heart skip a beat. "What color were they then?"

"They were black."

"Steve. Are you certain they were black?" Herobrine eagerly asked with great seriousness to his tone.

The miner looked up with fleeting concern before confusion took over, "I'm almost positive. White and black are kind of different from each other, you know." He cocked a brow at the demon, his last sentence being said with a hint of venom as Steve felt slightly offended.

"You don't understand how important it is for you to be right about their color." he pressed on.

Steve blinked while leaning back. Now he was feeling the concern returning as he thought back to the night of the attack. "It was dark… but with the way the fire was reflecting… they were black, Brine. I'm positive those skeletons were black. And they were wielding swords. None were armed with bows like the white ones. And I also think they were slightly bigger than the white ones."

Herobrine fell silent after that, turning to look away from Steve as he stared at nothing in particular. 'How can this be? The only other plausible scenario I can think of is there must have been some stranded here on the Overworld just as the Nether was cut off! There just can't be any other way!'

"Brine? What's wrong? You're freaking me out…"

Steve's worried voice brought Herobrine out from his thoughts. Turning to see Steve staring at him with great worry shining in his eyes, he chose to drop the subject. It was best Steve only worry about one thing at a time. Nibbling on his lower lip for a few seconds before deciding to try and test his luck with being comforting, he quickly cleared his throat; "Steve, you—! There's nothing to worry about, but… You didn't have to tell me something so… painful. I can—? What I'm trying to say I guess, is that I—?"

"Don't worry, Brine. I have a pretty good idea of what you're trying to spit out and… I appreciate it. Thank you." Steve interrupted the Nether ruler with a kind smile and a chuckle, relief evident in his expression.

Swallowing while shifting under the blanket as the heat the other's smile seemed to have sparked began moving from his face down lower and still feeling uncomfortable about the situation, Herobrine tried to think up something else to talk about to take his mind off of the strange feelings swirling around within him. It was then a sudden thought happened to cross his mind.

If he had been passed out for nearly three entire days… and he was in the only bed within the small cabin… then— "Steve? Where exactly… have you been sleeping, while I've been unconscious in this bed?"

Steve jumped slightly at the topic, hesitating to lift his violet gaze into the whiteness of the demon's questioning stare. Swallowing the lump that had apparently formed in his throat, Steve cleared it before speaking; "Um… well, you see. That's the only bed here. And since you were ill and needed your rest, I wasn't going to disturb you or anything. So I… just slept while sitting up in this chair." he whispered quietly while motioning down to the wooden chair he was still sitting in.

Herobrine narrowed his eyes in mild annoyance. "You mean to tell me that you put yourself into an uncomfortable position just so I could rest? Steve, clearly this bed is big enough to—?"

"I knew you would've been disgusted. So I just… thought I would stay over there and rest. You know, give you some space." he quickly interrupted him.

That had Herobrine cocking a brow upwards, "What makes you think I would've been disgusted? By what… sharing a bed with you?"

Steve pushed himself to his feet, keeping his head hung low to avoid letting the other see the red tint to his cheeks brought on by embarrassment as he pulled the chair away from the bedside and back over towards the table.

Watching Steve practically moping now, Herobrine huffed with a shake of his head, "Oh come on, Steve. It's not like I'm asking you to get naked or anything! Look, tomorrow we go back and turn all the pearls into Eyes. I collected the two and you got the third. We're so close! You need your energy just as much as I do. And with you slouched over on that wooden chair the way you have been, isn't going to give you the proper rest you need for when we go out searching for the entrance. So just shut up, suck up your pride, get in this bed and just go to sleep already!" the demon scolded.

Steve was left speechless as Herobrine's words surprisingly made sense to him. The tidbit about getting naked caused the human's cheeks to heat up again as a weak yet almost nauseating surge of emotions shot through his body at the fleeting thought.

Sighing to himself as he felt he had lost the fight, the miner nodded while making sure all the windows and the door were securely locked out of habit, despite knowing no Mobs would be foolish enough to enter whilst Herobrine was within.

Making sure his own clothes were dry enough from the intense fire, Steve walked up to the bed and watched Herobrine push the blanket down enough to expose the sheeted mattress for him to lie on.

Seeing the man topless yet with his jeans on caused another weak surge to travel through him while he forced himself to sit down on the edge of the mattress. He felt Herobrine shifting and rolling over onto his side with his back towards him, opting to mimic the demon and keep his back towards him.

Managing to shift around until he was in a somewhat comfortable position, Steve swallowed thickly while using every ounce of his control to keep his body as still as possible. He couldn't understand or even begin to question why he was feeling the way he was. But he just couldn't help it.

His face heated up tenfold upon Herobrine, rather deliberately in Steve's opinion, pushed himself back enough to where their backs were pressed flush up against one another, causing the young human's body to grow rigid as he could feel the natural heat radiating from Herobrine's body.

"Steve, you need to seriously calm down. You're over reacting. It's not like I'm looking to have sex with you or anything." Herobrine sighed while wiggling himself into a more comfortable spot, not helping ease Steve's nervousness.

"I-I know that! Jeeze. It's just that… I'm not really… used to having someone else… i-in bed with me is all." he forced himself to explain. His face began burning as well as his whole body upon the other's remark, once again completely floored by his choice words. It may have just been him, but it seemed like ever since the night they had spent drinking… Herobrine has become more joking with him… mainly sexual related jokes.

All of which were either towards him directly or in one way or another involving both of them together.

His breath caught in his throat as Herobrine began moving again, pushing himself even more against Steve's back. 'I know this bastard is fully aware that he's pressing into me! It's almost like he's doing this shit all on purpose! But why?!'

Almost as if reading his thoughts, Herobrine whispered softly; "Hope you don't mind me pushing into you like this. It's… it's been a little while since I last experienced what it felt like… to truly not be alone."

Those softly spoken words surprisingly had Steve's nerves calming down greatly, his body no longer rigid as it relaxed more into the mattress AND against Herobrine. Nothing else being said from either male for a long few moments, Steve finally cleared his throat with a roll of his shoulder; "I, uh… I can imagine. And sorry for… acting weird. I, umm… never really shared a bed with anyone before so…"

Herobrine seemed to have hesitated for a second before a weak chuckle shook his body slightly, "Guess we're making this uncomfortable for one another, hunh?"

Steve in turn chuckled nervously in response before falling silent once again. He certainly didn't feel tired anymore as his heart began pounding nearly painfully against his ribcage due to his nerves.

His stomach also felt like it was doing flips over and over again. He just couldn't understand what was making him so on edge and nervous. Especially since these were all the same kind of feelings and sensations his body would get whenever he was too close to someone he found really attractive—!

Violet eyes snapped open wide as Steve felt like he was just thrown off a speeding horse and into a stone brick wall.

Could it be possible? No. There was no way! He was a man! Not that he was saying he thought anything ill of that minority. He was just saying he wasn't a part of it. He has never found another male to be even remotely cute. So to say he was finding one attractive was almost absurd!

But at the same time he couldn't just lie about what it was his body was feeling while being in the Nether ruler's presence.

Deciding he really wasn't going to be getting some sleep anytime soon, he thought maybe some small talk with the demon could help ease up on the tension between them. As well as try to rule out the newest and easily craziest idea to come to him. "Actually… I can't imagine. I can't imagine what it could possibly feel like… to be alone for over six hundred years." he whispered softly.

Herobrine blinked, staring blankly at the wooden wall right in front of him as he allowed what Steve just said to sink in. Narrowing his eyes and pushing himself more against the human, subconsciously this time, Herobrine equally whispered softly while pulling his share of the blanket closer around himself; "It sucks…"

"When were you… last with someone?"

"What do you mean?"

Steve nibbled his lower lip for a second as he pieced together the question in his mind first before verbalizing it. "How long ago, not including the time you spent in the Nether since I know that was about six hundred years, but how long ago since you were last with someone? Romantically?"

Once again, Herobrine blinked, only this time out of bafflement.

That was a good question.

Thinking it over for a few long seconds, he finally gave a small roll of his left shoulder before verbally answering the miner; "Well… it was shortly before becoming too engulfed with the whole Great Hero crap. So, about… two years I think."

Steve frowned. He truly felt bad for the guy. He couldn't understand or even remotely relate to the pain he had to have been going through. He has never had someone close enough to him on a romantic level. But for Herobrine to have had that level of intimacy before and then lose it, for hundreds of years had to be hard to live with.

The thought that Herobrine had been with someone before… burned him.

With his heart weighing heavily not only for the other but also from mounting denial to his own feelings, Steve let out an exhausted sigh while pulling the blanket tighter around himself, slowly shutting his eyes and whispering quietly before attempting to just force himself to sleep; "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Herobrine asked before turning half way and tilting his head to give Steve's back a sideways glance. "Steve?"

The human ignored him now, remaining silent as he no longer wished to talk to him or about anything anymore.

A soft groan vibrated the back of Steve's throat as he squeezed his already closed eyes tightly, trying to block out the brightly shimmering light as the sun's beams reflected off the snow outside the windows. He hadn't moved in his sleep it felt to him, slowly taking notice that he was still lying on his left side with his back towards Herobrine.

Reluctantly, his eyelids slowly fluttered open as he was no longer able to fight against the brightness. The warmth in the room was no different from last night, despite not having added anymore wood to the fire. Remaining still, violet orbs flickered down to glance at the fire, the strongly burning flames causing him to remember the events that happened the previous day.

'Neatherrack… A material that actually exists that can burn forever without the threat of ever going out. Could be very useful for those living throughout the entire Overworld. Maybe I could convince Herobrine to bring more of it once this little adventure of ours is over with?'

His stomach did a weak flip the instant the man's name floated across his mind, causing the miner's brows to furrow together as the thoughts and feelings he was able to escape from last night by falling asleep returned with a vengeance and assaulted his tired mind, continuing to rage the war within.

Hearing and feeling as the man in thought began shifting behind him, Steve swallowed audibly before slowly trying to sit up so he could get out of the bed and give the other more room.

That's when he felt it; eyes opening wide in a combination of shock and slight fear as his face felt like it was being pressed against the hot iron bars in front of the fire.

A deceivingly lean arm was draped over his waist; the hand attached to the end fisting the material of Steve's shirt with such strength, the miner was for sure it would rip should he even try to slip from the grasp.

'Holy shit! H-how long has he been…? H-how come I didn't feel it before!?' he asked himself as panic now mixed in with the vat along with all of his other hopeless emotions. 'H-how is he going to react if he wakes up to find himself holding me like this!?'

The slightest movement from Herobrine caused Steve to completely lock up, not daring to move even to breathe as he held his breath. He bit down hard on his bottom lip the instant he began feeling Herobrine's hot breath steadily warming the back of his neck, nearly pulling a whimper from his throat at the pain as the tangy taste of copper coated his taste buds when he slid his tongue between his lips to lick at the small wounds his sharp canines had caused.

Not only had Herobrine had at some point during the night rolled over to be facing Steve, but the bastard now had his arm wrapped around him allowing him to have a possessive death grip on the front of his shirt and was pressed up basically flush against his back, breathing on the back of his neck!

He had to get out of the other's hold and out of the bed right now before he woke up, not wanting to find out how the demon would react to waking up and finding himself practically spooning the human!

Almost as if picking up on the growing anxiety just radiating off of the now trembling body he was holding onto, Herobrine's fingers suddenly released their grip on the cotton of his light blue shirt before his arm slowly dragged over Steve's hip, retracting to be by his own side.

Sighing a little too loudly, Steve pushed himself up into a sitting position before chancing a glance down at his companion, heart skipping a beat upon seeing white eyes gazing up at him. "G-good morning. How're you feeling?"

Herobrine remained silent for a moment as he watched Steve closely before mimicking the human and sitting up, appearing not bothered by the fact that the blanket fell to pool in his lap and expose his toned chest. "Better. My body temperature seems to have returned to normal… and my powers are fully recovered." He spoke while looking to his right hand after lifting it up. He flexed his fingers slightly and suddenly a small ball of fire now filled his palm briefly before he formed a fist; extinguishing the flame.

Steve watched the trick with wide eyes, still fearful of the man's powers and yet at the same time was awed and almost captivated by his inhuman abilities. Shaking his head to regain his thoughts, he cleared his throat. "That's good. Then again, seeing the fire you have going, it's really no surprised you were able to reach full recovery basically overnight." He then smiled sadly while pushing himself to his bare feet.

Once again, Herobrine had to stand up to the task at hand. He did everything he could think of to not only keep the fire burning strong enough to keep the small home warm, but to also bring back the demon's normal body temperature. Which that alone was a difficult task seeing how the man's temperature appeared to be much hotter than his own. In the end, he wasn't even able to do that. He tched to himself; 'I'm certainly useful, aren't I? Telzaah was right...'

Herobrine noticed Steve's change in attitude as the human stood rather far from the bed, unnatural colored eyes staring into the brightly burning flames with an expression void of any emotion as he seemed to have become almost lost to the beauty of the Nether's fire. "Steve."

The young miner did not respond. He didn't even turn to look at him. He simply kept his unblinking gaze towards the fire and appearing to have not heard the other's voice.

Narrowing his eyes in mild annoyance at not gaining the man's attention immediately, Herobrine repeated the human's name only louder.

Jumping upon at last hearing his name being called out, Steve blinked before turning away from the dancing flames. Staring widely at the other, Herobrine continued sitting up in bed but now with his arms across his chest and holding an impatient look on his face. Chuckling sheepishly, Steve scratched the back of his neck; "S-sorry… I guess I just got lost in thought."

Cocking a brow at the miner's strange behavior, Herobrine soon chuckled as he thought he figured out what was troubling the younger male; "Steve…" he began in a soft, sing-song voice. "You're really interested in the Nether… aren't you?"

Steve stared at him, remaining silent as the demon chuckled deeply in the back of his throat with a wide grin spreading across his face.

He leaned over slightly after bending his right knee enough so his foot was flat against the mattress, resting his elbow against his covered knee while placing his cheek against his fist, staring at the flustered human through half lidded glowing white eyes; "I would even say your interest and curiosity about my world is almost… dangerous."

"Please. It's just simple curiosity! And you can't blame me for being so about something no one alive today even seems to remember!"

"So what about The End? And it's dragon? You saying you're no longer interested in them?" Herobrine asked with a raised brow.

"What? I never said that! I'm merely implying that I can have multiple interests." he snapped almost defensively.

"So… you're still interested in The End? On top of The Nether?" he grinned as he continued to probe deeper.

"Yes." came Steve's reply almost hesitantly.

"By default then you're interested in me… am I correct?"

Steve opened his mouth to retort, but immediately closed it again as he felt his face heat up. Interested… in Herobrine…? Well, in a sense he was right? Herobrine was a crucial part of the Nether. He's the ruler of that world!

Picking up on the human's inner turmoil, Herobrine was about to continue on until a rather audible growl caused him to place his hands to his stomach and Steve to turn to face the other with surprise on his face, "Brine! Why didn't you tell me you were hungry!?" he scolded.

Herobrine scoffed loudly while crossing his arms over his chest while falling back to lie in the bed. "I'm not… normally this hungry…" he admitted quietly.

Steve sighed while putting his shoes on, speaking while pulling the thick jacket back on; "I'll be back in a little bit. Since you took all the fish back, I'll have to go catch some more. I won't be gone long."

"Steve, I'm recovered enough to join you—"

"Just because you've regained your strength doesn't mean you should be outside. I won't be long, Brine. Just stay inside where it's warm. If you're that worried about me, just look out that window." He paused and pointed to the window over the stove before adding; "The pond I'll be fishing at is just out the window. You'll be able to see me and call out to me if you need something."

He didn't give the demon a chance to speak up as while he was finishing his explanation he had gathered his fishing equipment and headed out the door after quickly saying good-bye.

Being left alone and shocked, Herobrine soon snorted while throwing himself down against the bed, "Stupid human… how dare he talk like a fucking mother to me. It's embarrassing!"

He remained silent for a long while, just looking around the cabin before sighing while pushing himself to his feet. Standing up with a lengthy stretch, Herobrine walked over towards the window Steve had pointed and peered outside.

Sure enough, he saw the man prepping his line with bait before casting out.

He couldn't explain it, but watching Steve was bringing a great calming sensation over the demon. He was unaware of his posture becoming more relaxed while his eyes became lidded. He wasn't aware of the condition watching the young man was putting him into.

That wasn't until he shifted his weight and felt his length rub against the rough material of his jeans between his thighs. "Ahh—!" he hissed while pulling himself away from the window.

Casting a glance down, Herobrine groaned upon seeing the bulge beginning to tent the front of his pants. 'Fantastic! This shit again!'

No longer in the mood to watch Steve fishing for a potential meal for them, Herobrine moved back over towards the bed and threw himself down against it. Sighing once more while wiggling to get even deeper into the bed's warmth after pulling the blanket back over himself, his stomach growled lightly that only earned a glare from the demon at the annoyance his hunger brought on. As well as the gradually growing erection in his pants.

'I'm not drunk. And I haven't been around or even thinking about a woman! I was only watching Steve fishing! How can I…?' Giving a fleeting glance at the door, Herobrine quickly came to terms with his situation and making the decision that there was really only one way to fix it. His little self-session quickie back at the Inn not only left him rather tired for the first time since he could remember, but it also left him extremely frustrated and confused.

But the worst thing it did was remind both his mind and his body how much they've enjoyed and missed the overwhelming and numbing pleasure his climax brought upon him.

Taking a deep breath through his nose, he settled himself flat on his back with his head propped up on the pillow. He had time to pleasure himself. And he was going to once again to thoughts of Steve.

If he got off this time like he had back at the Inn… he would have to admit to his growing suspicions that in a strange and cruel twist of fate… he was attracted to Steve.

Gently closing his eye while slowly dragging his hands across his bare chest and abdomen, Herobrine allowed his mind to imagine it was Steve's hands upon him. It was easy to do considering he had perfectly mirrored the man's body nearly down to every hidden freckle. It made the feeling even more realistic.

"Fuck…" Bending his knees to allow the blanket to tent over his forming erection, Herobrine quickly reached underneath it and for the front of his pants, fingers working with accurate haste to undo his jeans and free himself.

Sighing with relief upon feeling the tight pressure of his clothing no longer constricting his erection, Herobrine grinned to himself while in his mind he grinned at Steve, putting the human into position before him on this very bed.

Herobrine sucked in a sharp intake of air while gripping himself suddenly and tightly, his mind envisioning the warmth encasing his cock was Steve's willing being as he began writhing beneath him, groaning deeply in the back of his throat as once again the miner's cries of pleasure and pleas for more filled his mind's ears. "Shit…"

He struggled to remain silent, choosing more to focus on the images his mind created versus being vocal from the feelings. It was so easy to picture Steve moving against him, becoming lost in the raw pleasure Herobrine knew he could drive into the human's body.

Low moans and quick gasps were all the sounds he allowed himself to make. Even as his pace picked up and the images became more explicit, he refused to be vocal this time.

He rolled his palm over the tip before gripping it firmly while slowly dragging his thumb through the slit. Feeling his beginning beads of his impending climax coating the head of his shaft pulled a throaty moan from the Nether ruler before he allowed his hand to resume its motions.

Feeling the hot coil building to its breaking point within his abdomen, Herobrine groaned deeply in the back of his throat as he felt his body seizing up as the beautiful euphoric pleasure of his climax flow through him, leaving his body perfectly numb in its strong wake.

The demon took deep and steady breaths to try and calm himself while waiting for his body to recover. He stared up at the ceiling blankly, allowing his thoughts to take over and roam on their own, his mind and body both agreeing firmly with his conclusion once he was able to climb out of the haze his finish left him lost in.

Steve made him feel wanted. He made him felt needed. Like he had a place other than deep in the hellish nightmare of the Nether's fire. He wasn't sure how the human felt in return. For all he knew, the feelings were unrequited.

And that had him thinking…

If he was attracted to Steve, but Steve wasn't attracted to him… well then it's a shame that he was Herobrine.

Because regardless how far he's come with his redemption… one thing still stands true to him and will never change;

Herobrine always gets what he wants.

They had the pearls to make the Eyes. They would be finding the entrance into The End soon. And as Herobrine began cleaning up the evidence once again, he made his final decision; dark grin spreading wide across his face as a possessive chuckle left him as he thought about what he wanted next—

Steve.

To Be Continued…

A/N - Again, had to break this chapter up into two parts. But at least if gave everyone a decent amount to read until I can update again! Seems like Herobrine has at last come to terms with himself and has realized he's overly protective of Steve for a different reason! ;) But what about Steve? Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter's two segments! I love all my readers! Thank you for all the reviews and criticisms! I apologize if I don't respond to everyone. I'm greatly scatter brained... I'll see I have a new message or review and tell myself that I'll respond to it later... then weeks go by and I feel like a douche. ;A;

Please forgive me!

*Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!*