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The moon shone its soft light down onto the trees and grass below. A certain hermit gazed up at the sky watching a set of clouds slowly float by. He sat on a hill overlooking the shopping district, the grass around him swaying in the cool breeze. The picnic mat underneath him protected him from the damp grass. A few torches were lit up around the area, far enough away to give a small orange glow where he sat but not near enough to ruin the night mood. Keralis hummed a little tune as he waited.
A set of footsteps approached from behind him. Keralis turned around to see Xisuma walking towards him with a shulker box in hand. Neither of them were wearing diamond armour, instead opting to be in warm pajamas instead. Xisuma was wearing a green, fluffy onesie that mimicked a turtle. He was still wearing his helmet to be able to breathe the overworld air, but most of it was covered by the onesie's hood which showed a turtle face. Keralis was wearing a set of blue, woolly long-sleeved top and bottom pants with small hearts adorned throughout.
"Shashwammi! Hi!" Keralis greeted as Xisuma sat down next to him on the picnic mat. He held an arm out and embraced Xisuma from the side.
"It's good to see you man!" Xisuma said, the smile evident in his voice as he embraced back. "Everything’s been so hectic lately. It's so nice to relax from all the shenanigans."
"Mmhmm," Keralis hummed in agreement. "Being Doc and Captain Angry Eyes's inmate was fun, but it was a lot more intense than I thought it was going to be."
Xisuma chuckled in response as he placed the shulker box down in front of them. He opened it and pulled out a large cake along with some apples, melon slices and a bottle of wine with two glasses.
"A special treat for a special occasion," Xisuma said in response to Keralis's amazed expression. He cut a slice of cake and gave it to Keralis who happily started taking large bites out of it.
Xisuma cut a small slice before taking off his helmet and placing it into his inventory for safe keeping. A cool breeze brushed against his face and hair. A heavy weight squeezed in his chest, the thick overworld air being difficult to breathe for him, but he can manage easily for a couple of minutes before it becomes a problem.
He took a small bite out of his slice, savouring the soft sweetness that melted on his tongue. It was a far cry from the crunchy, slightly savoury taste of golden carrots, which were great but eating something different for a change was a welcoming treat.
"Did you make this?" Keralis asked, mouth now filled with cake. "It's really good!"
"I did," Xisuma said with pride. "Made it a few hours ago so that it would still be fresh."
As they sat under the stars, dining on the sweets happily, Keralis and Xisuma chatted and properly caught up.
When Keralis was away from Hermitcraft adventuring to different worlds, both of them had been sending letters to each other a couple times a year. It was always exciting whenever one of them received a letter, but it would never be enough to replace hearing the other's voice and having proper conversations.
Keralis listened and watched with an amused grin as Xisuma got a little more bouncier and animated as he told his little derpy stories. He felt his heart flutter with joy each time he heard Xisuma's little giggles.
As Keralis narrated his daring adventures, Xisuma watched with adoring eyes and bated breath as Keralis purposely paused several times for dramatic effect before continuing on with flair. Seeing the excitement radiating out of Keralis warmed Xisuma's heart.
The moon rose higher as time passed. When their stomachs were full from the food and drinks, they packed the left overs back into the shulker box. Xisuma placed his helmet back on and then his turtle hood back over his head. He took a couple of deep breaths of the filtered air, feeling relief fill his chest.
Keralis stored away the picnic mat and brought out two sleeping bags to lay on the grass. Both of them snuggled inside feeling warm and cozy from the cool atmosphere. Keralis giggled as Xisuma's turtle hood poked out from the sleeping bag just like the real reptile. As the clouds floated by and the stars twinkled, they made a game out of guessing what the other thought the clouds looked like, and what constellations they can name.
"Did I ever tell you how much I missed all of you?" Keralis asked as he traced the stars with his finger.
"Countless times," Xisuma giggled, rolling over to face Keralis whose big, bright eyes sparkled with the reflections of the twinkling stars above. "If you didn't say that for one day, I would be very suspicious."
Keralis turned his head to look at his dear Shashwammi. Even with his helmet on, Keralis could sense his kind smile under those soft and gentle eyes. Keralis rolled over and returned a smile of his own.
"We missed you Keralis," Xisuma said before averting his gaze. Keralis watched as the sparkle in his eyes faded and were replaced with somberness.
"I really missed you," Xisuma added quietly, his voice cracking, before covering himself with his sleeping bag.
"Aww Shashwammi," Keralis said, scooting himself closer like a worm. He couldn't help but find the sight adorable still as he watched Xisuma shrink into the sleeping bag like an actual turtle. The turtle eyes and head were the only thing poking out from the sleeping bag.
"Sorry," Xisuma whispered, the sound slightly muffled from the sleeping bag. A few sniffles and hiccups escaped. "I'm getting a bit emotional."
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Shashwam," Keralis said, pulling his hand out of the sleeping bag to rub Xisuma's shoulder. "It's okay."
Xisuma slowly peeked his head out from the sleeping bag. His eyes were watery and a few tears stained his cheeks. Keralis gave him a kind smile, before gently pulling him into a hug, which was more like a one arm embrace as they were both cocooned like caterpillars. Xisuma froze in surprise before leaning into the hug and burying his head underneath Keralis's chin.
They stayed like that for a few minutes as Xisuma felt himself relax in Keralis's warm embrace.
"I'm very happy to be here with you star-gazing," Keralis spoke softly to Xisuma as he rubbed fond circles on his back. "Sometimes I would look at the stars in the sky and wonder if you're looking at them too. It was silly of course because I was in a different world, but it was nice to think about. Kind of like those scenes where the lovers stare lovingly at the moon."
"That's cute and also a bit cheesy," Xisuma chuckled, cuddling closer to Keralis. "Tell me more."
"It is cheesy and that's the point," Keralis chuckled back and told Xisuma about his adventures of trying to be as cheesy as possible. His soft voice washed over Xisuma like calming waves, beckoning him to give in to a peaceful sleep.
"We should do this more often." Xisuma quietly replied, closing his heavy eyes. "It's quite nice."
"The star-gazing or the hugs?" Keralis asked, joking around. He heard a mumble that sounded close to "both" before there was slow, soft breathing. He waited a bit before gently pushing Xisuma back a bit to see his eyes closed and his face fully relaxed and content. Keralis smiled fondly, continuing to hug Xisuma while softly singing a lullaby.