Chapter Text
jumper arrives at their spot first. not unexpectedly, minute had sent her a message warning that he might be late since the foundation's meeting seemed to be going overtime. she figures she may as well make herself comfortable while she waits.
her helmet is the first to come off and she lets the cool breeze carry her hair off her neck for some time before returning to discarding the rest of her armor. their shulker box platform is a well needed contrast from the damp underground that the abyss calls home.
it's not long before jumper hears the distant sound of rockets signaling minute's arrival. it shouldn't make her heart flutter as much as it does but seeing minute in any capacity has quickly become the only thing getting her through this war. even catching a glance of him during a battle is enough to give her the strength to keep the lie up, for his sake. she tells herself it's for the foundation's sake but something deep in her gut fights to remind her it's really just for his.
when minute lands, he's quick to greet jumper with a weary smile. it seems the war has begun taking it's toll on him as well. nonetheless, he meets jumper with every ounce of enthusiasm he can muster. jumper, of course, is not convinced in the slightest by his facade but she's polite enough to pretend she is.
jumper watches as minute works at removing his heavy armor as well before collapsing into his seat. it's hard not to admire him as he fiddles with the armor pieces. even with the weight of war strewn plainly across his face, jumper still feels compelled to use words like "beautiful" to describe him.
the pair look equally exhausted as they begin to fill each other in on the events of the day. jumper goes first, updating minute on fresh traps built. it makes her sick to know she'd be apart of the reason a foundation member might fall into the void if they're not careful. minute follows with reassurance of their progress, even if it's slower than either of them would like.
when the discussion is seemingly over, they linger in silence broken only by a burst of wind through their now exposed clothes. minute's not looking forward to having to send jumper back to the abyss's base when their meeting is officially over. even with nothing more to say, he'd like to find an reason to prolong her break from them.
with excuses finally all worn out, minute readies himself for their separation, "i have a heart for you before you go, you know since you lost one today" he says while standing.
it's no secret jumper is the weaker fighter between the two and minute's finding it hard to let go of the sense of duty to protect her in battles when she gets low. it would do no good for either of them to be caught aiding one another on the battlefield. the most he can get away with now is taking his fights close to hers. objectively there's no use in trying to keep himself by her side, it's not like he could allow himself to jump into her fights like he used to. it really only serves as a distraction if anything, but minute's confident enough in his abilities that he wouldn't mind sacrificing some of his focus to jumper. she's never verbally acknowledged how he makes it a point to stay within her vicinity, but he's certain she's noticed early on.
minute starts to make his way around the table as jumper rises to meet him with a soft smile. she's infinitely grateful that he still thinks to provide for her when they only really see each other for about an hour at a time.
"minute, two hearts?" she questions with wide eyes, "i only lost one today"
"yeah but i killed mapicc and bacon today so you get two." minute says like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"are you sure? you wouldn't earn anything at all from your success." jumper hesitates
"i'm not arguing with you about this jumper, just take them." he pushes his hands further out to her.
jumper sighs with feigned exasperation as she accepts but minute can't help but notice her smile as she does so. as jumper equips the new hearts, he turns his attention to getting his armor and elytra back on.
when he looks back up after securing the last piece, jumper's begun doing the same. she lets out a small frustrated noise when the wind catches her hair in her helmet for the third time.
"you want some help with that?" minute laughs
jumper shoots him a glare with no real fight behind it "this is no laughing matter minute." she challenges before adding a beat later, "but yes i would like some help"
minute laughs again, this time a little softer jumper notices, as he makes his way closer to her. she hands over the helmet then pulls her hands up to hold back her hair. minute's heart rushes slightly despite himself when his hands make brief contact with hers during the transfer. he just hopes jumper's too occupied to catch the moment his face flushes for a second.
she looks up at him expectantly, signaling she's ready for him. minute steps even closer than imaginable and jumper starts to regret accepting his help. he's never dared to be this close to her and suddenly she's terrified he will finally be able to see right through her. her breath goes short when he carefully draws his face closer to concentrate on her armor piece. and jumper swears she feels his breathing patterns beginning to match hers. a hand brushes her jawline and jumper has to desperately fight back a winded exhale.
minute finishes assisting her all too quickly and finally has no choice but to acknowledge his racing heart. jumper looks up to meet his gaze that he can't pull off her, and this does no good to help the situation. he can't stop his eyes from flickering to her lips for a moment, and he knows there's no world where jumper doesn't notice that. despite the tension they both feel setting in, neither one retreats. they linger in breathless silence before jumper finally breaks it.
"so um anything else?" her voice is thin and drawn out as she tries to mask her unease
minute clears his throat before stepping back, "oh uh no that's all" he looks to the table sheepishly.
jumper stares at him curiously before stepping closer to the edge, "ok well i'm just gonna head back down underground then... see you tomorrow?" she says a little too awkwardly for her liking.
minute's gaze returns to her, "yeah tomorrow.." he says unsuccessfully regaining himself.