#c!5up

As soon as he did so, he felt his insides twist ever so slightly. They were in front of a giant restaurant which, if he could trust the sign in front of it, had a built-in cinema. That would be quite a great surprise, if not the memory of a place just like that in the back of his mind. A nice restaurant with a small movie room, where he could watch anything he wanted, a place where he- no, no, he wouldn’t let it ruin the night. He couldn’t. It wasn’t even the same place, what was he thinking about?

He smiled before 5up could notice his face falling.

“Wow, this looks good!” he gasped. His boyfriend turned to him with a smile that could melt his heart.

“I’m glad you think so! Come on, let’s go inside, I heard that the food here is amazing!” he explained, gently pulling Fundy forward. With a more honest smile, Fundy followed. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad?

Sitting inside by a small table, waiting for the food, Fundy managed to almost forget about his worries. Talking with 5up was certainly distracting, and he would much rather focus on whatever his boyfriend was saying than on his sadder memories. So he did, he pushed the upsetting thoughts to the back of his mind and pretended they weren’t there. And it worked well, until the topic of their conversation came back to the date itself.

“So, are we doing anything after dinner?” Fundy asked. 5up seemed to wonder for a bit.

“Well, I don’t want to spoil everything… but how does a movie sound?” he answered finally. Fundy couldn’t help but tense, the memories quickly resurfacing in his mind.

“O-oh. Oh yeah, totally, let’s do that!” he nodded, forcing a smile. He couldn’t let those memories destroy the night. This time, 5up seemed to notice that something was wrong.

“...Is everything alright?” he asked after a moment. Fundy nodded again.

“Yeah, of course!” he assured. His date didn’t look too convinced. “I’m just kind of nervous, I mean, I’m on a date with the most handsome man to ever walk this earth! How can I go the whole night without stuttering?”

“I see,” 5up chuckled quietly at Fundy’s explanation, letting his suspicions slide. “So, do you have a favorite movie?”

“No, not really,” Fundy shrugged. “I’m sure whatever you pick will be fine.”

They continued their conversation as if nothing happened, and Fundy was very grateful for that. This date was supposed to be fun, and he wouldn’t allow himself to ruin it. After the topic of their talk shifted from the date itself, he allowed himself to relax again. Despite the memories in the back of his mind, he was having a good time for the most part. Eventually, they got their food, so their conversation slowed down a bit as they ate.

“So, what do you think about the food?” 5up asked casually.

“It’s really great!” Fundy answered with a smile.

“I’m glad. Do you want some more water?” his boyfriend offered, noticing that the fox hybrid’s glass was empty.

“Yeah, actually,” he nodded, and 5up was quick to grab the jug of water left on their table and pour some into the glass. “Wow, I’ve never felt so cared for before,” he joked, reaching for the glass.

Then, he froze. What he said seemed… weirdly familiar. Too familiar. Upsettingly familiar. Why did he say that? Did he do that on purpose? If he was trying to forget the upsetting memories for the night, then why would he say that? Why would he say the exact thing he heard all this time before, on a date that led to-

“Fundy?” 5up’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he was met with a very concerned look on his date’s face. “Fundy, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” he assured, putting his hand back down without taking the glass of water in the end. This time 5up didn’t seem convinced at all.

“It doesn’t look like nothing,” he pointed out. Fundy looked down, was he that bad at hiding the feelings he was dealing with? “You can tell me, it’s okay,” 5up added.

“Look, it’s just something stupid, can we move past this and-”

“I bet it’s not stupid,” he assured before Fundy could dismiss the topic fully. Still, he was hesitant to speak about it.

“...Okay, it’s just… it’s really nothing, I just… ages ago, I had a date similar to this one and, well…” he muttered nervously, and couldn’t tell if 5up could even understand what he was saying.

“Oh. Did it go badly?” the man asked when Fundy paused. With a bitter look on his face, the fox hybrid shook his head.

“That’s the thing, it… it went okay. Things were nice back then. But it led to… some not nice things in the end, and… I’m just a bit on edge. But like I said, it’s… nothing really important, just…” he explained, but before he could force himself to once again claim that things were fine, he felt a hand over his own. He paused and looked at 5up again.

“We can leave if you want to,” he offered. Fundy opened his mouth to answer, but struggled to find a good reply. “It’s okay, I won’t mind. Do you want to leave?”

“A-are you sure?” he finally stuttered out. While he wanted to, he also didn’t want to ruin the night…

“I am. If you’re not comfortable here, we can just go,” 5up assured him again. Fundy couldn’t help but hesitate… yet eventually, he found it in himself to answer.

“...Let’s leave, then,” he decided. 5up nodded and removed his hand from over Fundy’s.

“Okay. You can go wait outside, I’ll just pay and join you,” he decided, and the fox hybrid nodded. Yeah, outside. Some fresh air should do him good.

He stood in front of the restaurant and waited for 5up to come outside. He couldn’t help but feel bad, his boyfriend probably put a lot of effort into picking the best restaurant he could find and planning the entire date, but yet it had to be cut short. Maybe the next time they go out together, it would be better? Fundy hoped so, ruining one night was more than enough already. Finally, he heard the door to the restaurant open and his boyfriend joined him outside, spotting him almost immediately.

“How much money do I owe you?” Fundy asked once 5up approached him.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, we barely ate before leaving, it wasn’t too expensive,” he assured. The fox hybrid nodded, of course they barely ate. “Come on, let’s just leave, okay?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, and 5up took his hand again, leading them both away from the restaurant. “Hey, uh… I’m really sorry for ruining the night. I- I don’t do that often, I promise,” he apologized as they walked.

“Don’t even worry about it,” 5up answered, turning to look at him and stopping. “You didn’t ruin anything.”

“...But… We left because of me,” Fundy pointed out, guilt building up in his chest. If he managed to ignore his memories for just one night, things could be different.

“I don’t mind,” his boyfriend assured before pausing, thinking about something. “Hm… what do you want to do now?” he asked finally. The fox hybrid shrugged.

“I mean, what is there to do?” he sighed. He couldn’t see how they’d manage to save this date, but 5up seemed to have an idea.

“Well… I can just walk you back home and let you rest, but… I also have a different date idea, if you want to give that a try?” he offered. Fundy felt a bit of hope, maybe the night wasn't fully ruined yet?

“...You know what, sure. Where are we going?” he asked finally. 5up's face lit up with a smile, and it was enough to convince him that he made the right choice.

“Not far from here,” he answered, still making it at least somewhat of a mystery date. Then, his gaze came across a shop they happened to stop by. “Hm. I think I'll need to buy some things real quick, though.”

“Do you want me to wait outside? I can do that,” Fundy offered almost immediately. 5up seemed hesitant to agree, but eventually nodded.

“I'll be right back, it won't take longer than 5 minutes,” he assured before slowly letting go of Fundy's hand to walk inside.

The fox hybrid waited outside, and just as his boyfriend promised, he was back with him within minutes. 5up now had a bag by his side, carrying whatever he bought and making it impossible to see what it was. Fundy stopped himself from trying to peek inside and instead allowed his date to take his hand again and lead him further down the path they were walking. He'd find out what it was soon enough, after all.

After a couple of minutes of walking, they entered a park. It wasn't officially closed, but there was no one else there, and everything was dark already. This change of scenery in comparison to the fancy restaurant they just left certainly caught Fundy's eye, and he kept curiously looking around while following 5up off the park path and up a small hill. There, they finally came to a stop and his boyfriend set the bag on the ground. Fundy looked around once again and found himself smiling.

“This place is nice,” he commented, looking back at 5up just to see him smiling back.

“I had a feeling you'd like it,” the man answered before leaning down and reaching into the bag, pulling out a... blanket?

“A picnic?” Fundy asked with a chuckle. 5up hummed in wonder as he set it on the ground.

“I guess you could say that?” he answered finally, sitting down and patting the spot next to him. Without hesitation, Fundy sat down at his side. Despite probably being the 1st one 5up could find, the blanket had a nice texture, but before the fox hybrid could comment on that, his date spoke again. “Look up.”

Fundy followed his suggestion and was instantly amazed. Stars, millions of them, all hanging over their heads and shining brightly. He gasped quietly, and couldn't seem to look away once he noticed them. They were better than any "romantic candles" or fancy lights they could find in any restaurant. He eventually felt 5up putting a hand over his, getting his attention. Yet when he looked at his boyfriend, he was looking up as well, the stars' light dancing in his eyes.

“So, what do you think?” he asked finally. Fundy struggled to put his amazement into words for a bit, but eventually managed to express it.

“I think it's almost as beautiful as you,” he answered with a grin and watched as 5up's head snapped towards him. Even if the plant hybrid would try to pretend to be upset, it would be easy to see through, and the small smile on his face didn't make it easier for him. Eventually, he shook his head and reached for the bag again.

“Alright, now...” he hummed before pulling out a bag or two of cheap snacks. “They're not exactly restaurant food, but I think they're edible?”

“I bet they're better than restaurant food,” Fundy answered, and his boyfriend rolled his eyes in response.

“Of course,” he sighed, placing the food next to them. “Let me know if you get cold or something, I can give you my coat then.”

“Me? Cold?” Fundy questioned, looking down at himself. Then, he put his arm over 5up's shoulder, as if to show off the warm fur covering it. “I don't think so.”

“You're saying that like you don't always ask for my scarf,” 5up teased. Fundy laughed quietly.

“Maybe I just like your scarf?” he pointed out. With a dramatic gasp, 5up put a hand over his own chest.

“Is that why? Oh, I feel so betrayed right now,” he joked, and Fundy barely stifled a chuckle.

“Oh no!” he exclaimed, falling back and pulling 5up down with him. “Will you ever forgive me?”

“Not if you keep doing that!” his boyfriend laughed, struggling to sit back up. Fundy attempted that too, but they kept accidentally knocking each other out of balance. That was, until Fundy eventually relaxed, staring up at the sky again. 5up seemed to give up on getting up too, so they just both laid on the blanket and watched the stars.

It was there, in his boyfriend's arms, that Fundy felt happy and safe. The date was still far from ending, but he could already tell that he'd be calling it his best one for a long, long time. With their hands still together, he glanced to his side and looked at 5up again.

“...I love you,” he said eventually. 5up's smile seemed to soften.

“I love you, too.”

“...Thank you. For everything.”

“Of course.”

This was a better date than any fancy restaurant could offer to them.

***

The battle wasn’t too easy, but at least he was still standing. Sure, he was slightly injured already, but not enough to stop him just yet. He wished he took some better gear with him, and wished the vault wouldn’t be locked… but nothing could be done about it anymore, and he had enough time to accept it. At least he managed to prove that he could, in fact, do something everyone else claimed to be impossible, he got to those chests "You can't get without the keys". And now he would die here, and probably take ages to respawn, but he wouldn’t go down without a fight.

The boss he was fighting with suddenly let out a sound it hadn’t before, making Fundy stumble back in shock. He was hurt and tired, if this was a new attack, this would be the end of him- Just then, the boss bent over before disappearing completely, leaving behind just a crate. For a moment, he stood frozen in shock, but when zombies in the room got dangerously close to his back, he rushed forward and grabbed it before blocking himself off and waiting to go back to his base.

He… he did it.

He was still stiff when his surroundings changed rapidly, and he was suddenly sitting on his own bed in his base. The armour was still uncomfortable to wear, and the sword was still heavy at his side, but as he looked down at the boss crate, he felt a wave of relief washing over him. He really did it. Not only did he do the impossible, but he also got out alive. He survived. He lived to tell the tale.

“I have to admit that what you’ve managed to achieve was… quite impressive,” a voice spoke up by his side. He quickly looked up and saw one of the Vault Gods right there. In his house.

“T-thanks?” he answered hesitantly. He suddenly couldn’t even remember the God’s name.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you keep all of your newfound riches, hunter. You may be left with some, but many are too advanced and should not fall into anyone’s hands yet,” they explained, stepping towards him. He nodded quickly and set all of the boxes filled with loot in front of him, he didn’t feel like fighting a God today, the boss was more than enough.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s fine!” he answered, and watched as the God looked through his new possessions. They carefully took out some of the rarer items and each time they did, they simply disappeared into thin air. Eventually, the God stepped back.

“You may keep the rest. And do keep in mind, the same trick won’t work twice. This was the only time what you did was possible, hunter,” they warned him.

“I know,” he answered. They simply nodded before disappearing in front of his eyes. He slowly shifted and looked into the boxes, a lot of rare loot was still waiting there for him. He found a smile on his face as his body finally relaxed. “Holy shit.”

He took off his unfitted armour, and set his new, heavy sword aside. He was lucky to find them, he probably wouldn’t get out without using them. He then got up and stumbled out of his “bedroom”, climbing the stairs to get to the open part of his house. The fresh air never seemed so soothing before, but now each breath brought him comfort. He was alive, he did it. The sun was shining brightly, he felt a small breeze hit against his skin, and could hear the cows from his farm mooing from a distance. Oh, wasn’t it great to be alive? He heard something flying through the air somewhere near, and managed to turn just in time to see Iskall landing nearby.

“Fundy!” the man called out, shaking his head in disbelief as he made his way over. “Did you actually do it?” he asked, and Fundy felt a sheepish grin appear on his face.

“I sure did!” he confirmed, nodding swiftly. “Do you want to see what I got?”

“Sure!” Iskall agreed, and the fox hybrid immediately ran back down the stairs to get the boxes of loot. He proudly brought them back upstairs and put them all down side-by-side.

“Take a look!” he encouraged, and the man followed the advice, gasping quietly each time he opened one.

“That is absolutely amazing!” he admitted once he looked through the things. Fundy nodded swiftly in agreement. “How did you even get that without triggering the traps?”

“Oh, that was the easy part! Do you know how hard it was to get out with all this stuff? The vault was locked and I had iron armour!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

“Oh, yeah- How did you make it out?” Iskall asked, just now remembering the announcement that Fundy’s Vault would be closed off.

“With a lot of luck! I found myself some gear inside the vault, and used that to fight the boss! I barely managed to take it down, I thought-” he tried to explain, but as his thoughts went back to the fight, his voice faded. He was so sure he would die.

“Fundy?” the man asked with concern, stepping closer to him. The fox hybrid stayed still for a moment before his expression softened again and his smile returned.

“I- I made it!” he exclaimed with excitement, and without a second thought pulled Iskall into a hug. He wouldn’t be able to do that if he died.

“You sure did,” the man nodded, returning the gesture. They stayed like that for just a moment before Fundy pulled away.

“Oh wait, I have to give this back to 5up!” he remembered, pulling a magnet out from his pocket. “Oh no, where’s my elytra?” he asked himself.

“Did you lose it in the vault? I can give you one for a moment if you need that,” Iskall offered while Fundy ran over to one of his chests and opened it.

“No, thanks, I still have like 7,” he answered, and sure enough pulled out an elytra.

“...You have how many?” the man asked while Fundy attached the wings to his back.

“I’m not counting that now,” he shrugged, returning to his previous place and picking up all the boxes. “I want to show these off while I can,” he explained, and Iskall nodded.

“Yeah, better do that before the Gods take these away,” he joked.

“Oh, no, they already took some of the loot, I can keep all these things,” Fundy explained as he secured the boxes. “I just want to show them before someone can get this stuff how we’re supposed to.”

“...You spoke to one of the Gods? In-person?” Iskall asked, a confused frown on his face. Fundy simply chuckled at that.

“Yeah! Look, I’ll explain it some other day, now I have to get this to 5up before he decides that I scammed him too,” he explained. For a moment, it looked like Iskall was going to ask more questions, but he gave up on that.

“Alright, good luck,” he said before checking his own elytra to make sure he could fly home safely.

“Thanks! Bye!” Fundy called out before using one of his abilities to set himself into motion.

The wind that ruffled his hair and danced in his clothes put a smile on his face, he loved flying. The ground under him passed him by swiftly as he glided through the sky and felt free. This was so much better than the Vault’s dark corridors and ominous rooms, so much better than being stuck in a maze encased in blocks he could never break, he could go wherever he wanted to go now. It was such a refreshing feeling to travel this way, he felt as though he didn’t appreciate it nearly enough before.

It didn’t take him long to make it over to the portal leading into The End, the dimension 5up settled in, and he was ready to dive into it without landing. Just before he did, though, he spotted a familiar silhouette in the treeline, simply chopping wood, and managed to get back into the air. This was more than perfect, really.

“5up!” he called out as he changed the direction he was flying in and tried to slow himself down. The plant hybrid turned towards him and left his axe on the ground.

“Fundy-?” was all he managed to say before the fox hybrid crushed into him and send them both to the ground, trapping him in a hug.

“Oh, I’m so happy to see you!” he exclaimed with a grin before shifting to make sure he wasn’t crushing 5up.

“It’s good to see you too…?” the plant hybrid answered before relaxing and hugging Fundy back, giving him all the time in the world. “So, what happened?” he asked eventually, after staying on the ground for a concerning amount of time.

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe it!” he answered, finally letting go of his boyfriend and sitting back up. “But first, I bring you… this!” he explained, handing him the magnet he borrowed.

“Great, I was wondering if I’d get it back,” 5up joked before putting the item away. “What did you need it for, anyway?”

“A very big project. I couldn’t tell you what it was because you’d try to stop me, but now that it’s already done…” Fundy started, watching 5up’s reaction. The plant hybrid raised his eyebrows and sighed quietly, but a small smile stayed on his lips.

“Oh boy. What did you do?” he asked. Fundy looked for the best possible way to word it for a moment before answering.

“I scammed the Gods?” he said finally. 5up’s expression changed into one showing shock and surprise.

“You- You did what?” he asked in disbelief.

“What I said. Scammed the Gods,” Fundy repeated, and 5up quickly shook his head.

“Using my magnet?”

“Yep!”

“...Okay, are they mad at you?” 5up asked, and just then Fundy realized how bad it could’ve sounded like when his boyfriend didn’t have the whole context.

“No, no, it’s fine! They said it was impressive and took away the overpowered things I got, I’m not getting smited yet!” he assured. Hearing that, the plant hybrid relaxed.

“Good. So, what exactly did you do?” he asked, concern quickly replaced with curiosity.

“So, you know those rooms in Vaults that require keys and stuff?” he asked, pulling out his boxes of loot. 5up nodded, waiting for him to continue. “Okay, so I basically got all the things from them without a key. Like 3 or 4 times.”

“...You’re kidding, right?” 5up asked, and Fundy set down all the boxes.

“Take a look for yourself!” he answered, and 5up followed the suggestion. “I had to use the things I found to survive fighting the boss because the vault was locked, and that was stressful, but I made it out!” he explained while the plant hybrid looked through the boxes.

“That’s great. Good job,” he said, closing the crates.

“Thanks! Oh, I was so sure I was dead the moment the portal broke behind me,” Fundy sighed. For a brief moment, there was silence, and then he was pulled into another hug.

“You did really well,” 5up assured while Fundy practically melted in his arms.

“...Thanks,” he answered quietly. For a moment, they just stayed like that, but eventually, Fundy shifted back into a sitting position. “By the way, do you happen to have any food? I’m starving,” he asked, and 5up chuckled before getting up to his feet.

“I have some in my base, follow me,” he answered, picking his axe up from the ground and heading towards the portal. Fundy followed him close behind.

“Alright!”

The food was great. Sure, Fundy had it millions of times before, but this time it just seemed to taste better. All the flavors were magical, and he felt grateful for each bite he got to take. He wouldn’t be eating it if he died. Well, he was being a bit dramatic, he’d respawn by the morning and would get to eat all his favorite foods then, but… it just felt special. And what was the harm of appreciating what he usually took for granted? All it gave him was another reason to smile.

He stayed with 5up for quite a while, telling him in detail how he got through the Vault, looking through his new possessions together, and enjoying his time there. But eventually, he knew he had to go back home and properly sort his loot, and the plant hybrid still needed to collect some more wood for the Vault Crystal he was working on. They both walked to the portal back to the overworld hand-in-hand, but once they jumped in, 5up reappeared in the bed he set up by the main portal, and Fundy back at his house.

The fox hybrid set down the boxes he carried with himself by the chests and stepped back. For a moment, he just wanted to get this over with, but stopped himself from approaching them again. There was one more thing he wanted to do before getting to work. He quickly examined his elytra before taking off, flying away and not heading to anyone’s base this time. Not heading anywhere, really, simply enjoying his flight.

This was incredible. The wind carrying him safely through the sky was incredible. The sunlight gently shining over his head was incredible. He closed his eyes and spread his hands, allowing himself to relax in the air and enjoying the flight more than he ever thought he would. This was amazing. This was fulfilling. This was comforting. This was refreshing. This was all he ever wanted.

Suddenly, he came into contact with the ground, and just then remembered to watch where he was flying. The fall felt surprisingly soft, he rolled through some grass for a moment before coming to a full stop and opening his eyes. The first thing he did was check his elytra, if it got damaged he could have some issues getting back home- Luckily, it was okay.

He looked around, he was in the middle of a giant plane, there were some flowers growing near him, animals slowly moving around and living their lives… Now, this was nice. He reached up to his face to brush off all the dirt he picked up while rolling through the grass and found himself… snickering quietly. Laughing at his own silliness, and at how once again, luck was on his side. With a careless grin, he lied back down on the grass and looked up at the clear, blue sky.