AvM Fanfic - House for Two [Chapter 1 - A Start]
This story takes place after AvM Ep 30, and tells a slow-burn found family story. This story will cover topics such as family death, grief, trauma, low self-esteem, emotional abuse, s*icidal thinking, panic attacks, anxiety (and anxiety attacks), emotional anger issues, and depression. If some of these topics make you uncomfortable, I don't recommend reading them.
The story is about Purple and Orange learning to be a family and dealing with their own traumas and mental health issues, it's a story of angst and comfort with found family fluff.
If i were to give an age range, I would say 17+.
[TW: This chapter contained a scene with an anxiety/panic attack]
[you are allowed to point out spelling errors]
After everything that happened, it still seems unreal that this was happening to them. Purple, who had been looking for validation from their father since they were a child, found themself involved with a man whose past they didn't fully know, only that he wanted to destroy Minecraft,a game, and that to do that he needed information about five specific individuals.
Five stick figures known to Purple, they had what this man wanted, and they would give Purple whatever they wanted. And all Purple wanted was validation. Validation that they weren't useless.
That... went wrong. Not only did the five manage to escape the trap they had planned, but this man denied them the power he had promised to share, and abandoned them when they asked him for help.
If it weren't for Green, Purple would never have forgiven themselves for causing so much trouble to their friends.
Motivated by Green, they flew back to the nether to the battlefield to stop that man. With every attempt, every blow and fall, Purple would fix what they caused, no matter how much their conscience told them they were weak, pathetic and useless.
That's why their father abandoned them with their mother, that's why they couldn't help her, that's why she was…
But they didn't listen, even with Green trying to stop them, unable to move due to the hardships of the battle, even if this could be the end for them, they had to fix this.
They ran, using their elytra to go faster, running against the direction of the crowned man, who pointed his staff at the act charged with the fusion of two game icons, a white vortex consuming every block of the game from the ceiling of the nether, the young stick didn't stop, they continued to get closer.
Noticing their approach, the king quickly pointed his staff in their direction, the white lightning propelling them back, but they kept strength on their feet to keep themselves standing.
"I'm not going to give up..."
They said to themselves, covering their faces with their arms in front of their body, they continued to walk forward, their insect wings disintegrating with each step until they completely disappeared in the white glare.
They felt a nausea in their stomach, a weakness in their legs, but they didn't stop, they didn’t flinch, they would catch up to the man even if it was the last thing they did.
"I won't give up, King!!"
They shout at the king's direction, a glare meeting their eyes. With a growl he just fortified the power in the staff, causing Purple to be driven backwards once again, their feet dragging against the reddish floor.
The stick figure continued, they weakly raised their hand towards the king, tears evaporating as they approached the man.
The man was staring at them, his hands seemed to be shaking, his eyes were wide open, he was panting and sweating, this reaction, his expression. His lips moved but Purple couldn't hear him.
One step forward and their legs weaken.
They are carried away by the white lightning like a current, floating past their friends who watch in terror.
There was a loud clang of metal. And from what little Purple could see before disappearing in the white flash, there was the man, running towards them with a horrified look.
Purple woke up in an empty and dark environment, they were alone, every place they looked looked the same, but then, a path began to show itself.
A circle of light with pink petals on the ground begins to appear in front of them. Without knowing what this was, they began to follow the enlightened path.
Little by little photographs began to appear around them, some from when they were a baby, others from when they were a child, and then that of their parents.
They try to ignore the photos of their father training them, his frustrated growls escalating into angry complaints, the constant negative comments.
"Weak. Pathetic. Useless."
They felt tears fall from their eyes remembering those words, they covered their ears begging them to stop.
They fall to their knees on the floor, staring at the ground for a few seconds before lifting their heads to find their mother's grave. Their father stared at them from behind the grave before turning his back and disappearing into the darkness.
"D-Dad..." with a weak voice Purple extends their hand towards him, but soon they look down and kneel down on the cold floor.
The tombstone disappears, leaving young Purple alone again. Allowing themselves to be carried away by tears, they hug their legs, bringing them closer to their chests, placing their forehead on their knees, crying quietly.
"I AM pathetic..."
It seemed like everything was over, without family, without friends, without anything. Purple only had themselves.
"Purple!"
Alarmed, Purple tilted their head towards the voice, distant but getting closer, they certainly couldn't see it, only hear the footsteps.
Soon, they could see a figure running towards them, for a second they thought it was their father and started to get up.
"D-Dad..?" Their hopes grew but any doubts he had would be confirmed.
But It wasn't their father.
"I'm sorry!!" Within seconds Purple is almost knocked off balance by the hug he never expected. King, he came back for them, he hugged them, he was apologizing, Purple was stunned, they didn't know how to react.
"I'm sorry, I-I didn't want that, I was blind with hate and I didn't mean for you to get hurt!" He hugged them tightly, his tone not cold or serious, he was tearful, his voice cracking with each sentence. He was almost a different person, more emotional, more open.
"I'm sorry..." he cried, weakening the hug, but Purple, sniffling, hugs him back, welcoming this change in the man. Burying their faces in his shoulder, trying not to think about whether this was a dream or not.
Whatever it was, they didn't want to wake up.
A few minutes in that void seemed like an eternity, but it didn't take long for the gang to stop the icons and save the entire game, including the two of them. King and Purple were knocked back to the ground together, the older one protecting the younger one from the impact.
Green looks at them, and takes a second to be relieved that his friend was safe and well. Second Coming, the hollow head, was back with the icons and the staff panting with all the adrenaline running through them. They were also happy that Purple was okay.
After a while, after saying goodbye, this is how these two, Purple and King started to live together.
What bizarre conditions. They came looking for validation and ended up with a new guardian.
But even after the storm passed, there were still complications. King-or, Orange's house was small, and almost a year of working on the staff resulted in a cold and disorganized environment.
Orange's house was a mess, failing staffs thrown against the floor, a wall filled with scribbles and plans, an unfurnished bed, empty and cold, a refrigerator with little food, and almost no furniture, all sold so he could get the money for the command block.
Seeing these conditions Purple felt awkward. They didn't know what to do in situations like this, for the last ten years they lived with their mother in a small but cozy apartment, they didn't have much food and they lived by selling flowers that almost no one bought.
Purple found herself in a new home but at the same time it didn't feel like one. Orange seemed indifferent and tired, seeing the scribbles and staffs filled with self-resentment and remorse, the memories it was all based on makes him uncomfortable, that much Purple could see.
Within hours Orange prepared the staffs to be sold online, and the scribbles would be covered by a curtain. Now what they needed to do was take care of the rest, the dirt accumulating in the corners, the mold staining the walls, the rats and spiders crawling around the house, it was all a precarious situation.
Orange lived in a poorer neighborhood, he didn't have much to do locally, he would have to go to the city after a year of being a hermit. Orange could see Purple's discomfort and how out of place they feel. They're a city kid after all, they probably didn't know how to adapt to a situation like this.
How did he know they were from the city? Chic clothes. Ever since he met them Purple had manners, they just dressed elegantly, it's clear that they have a taste for fashion, and Orange had never met a teenager from the surrounding area who dressed like them.
This doesn't seem important, but Orange snorts awkwardly when in the same room as Purple. In comparison, he dresses simply and maturely, how does this child dress more mature than him? It was as if they were from different worlds.
Little did they know that they had much more in common than they thought.
Just one day that they now live together and there is already a complication, beds. There was only one bed, and Orange felt uncomfortable at the mere idea of having to share it with a minor, Purple even more as they turned towards him and lowered their head towards him.
"Sorry, I-I'll find another way to sleep." They say in an apologetic tone, grabbing part of their blouse and pulling it down nervously. Their lips trembled, a lack of eye contact.
They weren't just awkward, Purple was even more uncomfortable. Orange looks at them lamenting the state of the situation, he didn't want them to be cold, there were no mattresses and he wouldn't let them sleep on the floor, so with a deep breath he looks at Purple maturely.
"It would be wrong for me to let you sleep in the cold. You can use my bed for now." he says with a vague expression, eyes focusing on the stick teen in front of him, closing a hand on their shoulder, but he stops, he thought it would only make them more uncomfortable and just refused to touch them.
After everything he's done, he was afraid of approaching Purple like that, but the kid didn't even have anywhere else to go at the moment, and all he knows is that they don't even have a relative with them. They didn't say anything more than that.
A fifteen-year-old teenager, alone in a big city living with a hermit with anger issues who has also hurt them before? Yeah, that's a recipe for disaster.
How Purple can forgive him so easily still leaves him confused, all he did was be hostile and make him betray the only ones they considered friends, if anything, they should hate him!
"What..?" the young stick looks up at him with a confused look, "B-but, it's your home, your bed! You deserve the comfort, I-I'm just a visitor!" he waves his hands above his shoulders in rejection.
Orange raises a straight hand, shushing Purple, "No, you're right, you're my visitor, and views have to be treated well." a salty and emotionless tone came out of the man, not out of rudeness, but just a lack of enthusiasm or motivation, he just wanted to stop thinking about everything that had happened.
Pinching the middle of his eyes he turns to Purple, "Let's do it like this, you sleep on one side, I sleep on the other, like, you sleep on one end and I sleep on the other." he sighs, "does this make sense to you?" he asks with his hands on his hips and a tired look.
"And I guess so..?" Purple responds nervously, hand on one arm with his head down. "I'm just going to put my things away..." they lower their tone, Orange expressing discomfort at them by bowing to him before leaving. They only did this when he acted like the "king".
Shaking that thought out of his head, he sits down on the mattress, smoothing the covers with one hand, feeling the softness of the bed. He had a tired expression, dark circles under his eyes, he still felt a lot of back pain from the battle. Those kids know how to kick some ass.
He touched his chin, he remembers the red kid hitting him with a golden block right there. It still hurts, so he just stops before he dislocates his jaw. He stares at the ground, resting his arms on his legs, lost in thought.
Purple was generous in coming to this shack of a house, they even went out for a few hours, for a while Orange thought they were gone, and came back with a luggage full of belongings.
Clothes, toiletries, personal items, they were actually moving with him. He couldn't believe it when they came back with that heavy suitcase and backpack.
He could still see the backpack from the corner of his eye, sitting thrown on the floor half open, between the emptiness and some belongings still inside he could see what looked like a gleam of glass.
Raising a curious eyebrow he stood up and went to the bag, getting down on one knee he opened it to get a better look.
A photo. It was Purple, a little younger, and a pinkish woman next to them. Further above the photo there was a hole in the glass, a part of the outside seemed to have been ripped out, hiding a third figure in the photo, a hand on the woman's shoulder.
Purple seemed happy, a little shy or nervous from the expression, but it wasn't like he had more time.
Purple will quickly get a photo of Orange's hand looking at them in surprise. They were now wearing a light pink sweater, looking at him with a shocked and uncomfortable look.
"S-sorry, you were taking a while and found this in the backpack and..." Purple lets him speak, taking the backpack and putting the photo inside, in no time at all they look at Orange.
"It's nothing..." they keep staring at the backpack in their hands, not even wanting to look at the man. "Just forget what you saw..."
Orange crestfallen feels bad about it, he remembers the day they met and he got defensive when they touched his photo with-
"Ouche..!"
Orange looked towards Purple at the sound of the backpack falling to the ground, they were holding their hand tightly, and worried Orange approached to see what it was.
Apparently Purple had touched the broken glass, cutting their fingers in the process. They tried to hide the cut from Orange but it was too late, he had already seen the blood dripping from the wound.
"If you don't treat it, it will get infected." Orange offers his hand, "let me see?" he asks in a soft tone. Purple looks at him cautiously before shaking his hand and looking to the side.
Orange starts to look at the cut more closely, two of his fingers had small cuts, they weren't big so they would be easily treated.
"I have a first aid kit in the bathroom." he says holding Purple's hand and leading them to the bathroom. There he opens the pharmacy and takes out a box with a medical symbol on it, opening it and taking out a wound medicine.
"This might sting a little."
"I can handle it."
Purple responds quickly, surprising Orange a little, but it's true that they lasted a lot in that fight back there, they're stronger than he expected.
Placing the medicine on some cotton wool, he applies a little to the cuts. Purple, feeling the medicine entering the wound, groans in pain a little, trying not to make it too obvious that it hurts.
Orange had seen this many times in the past, and as he stopped breathing, threw the dirty cotton away, and began to put bandages on their fingers.
The bandages were orange with a smiley face in it, which made Purple laugh softly. Seeing Purple smile, even for something silly like a children's bandage, made Orange smile slightly.
"I'll see if I can make something to eat." He starts to put the kit back when Purple stops him, putting a hand on his.
"You can go, I'll clean it for you, Mr. Orange." Purple smiles politely at him, Orange looks at them for a few seconds before sighing and leaving the kit with them, leaving the bathroom and heading to the kitchen.
Purple packs everything back into the kit and puts it inside the pharmacy, seeing a pair of toothbrushes, a brown toothbrush and a yellow children's toothbrush.
While the adult one seemed well used, the child one looked like it had been abandoned, this leaves a morbid feeling in Purple's chest, but who were they to question these things, they shouldn't meddle in other people's lives.
Purple closes the pharmacy looking at the sink in front of them, placing his hands delicately on the corners of the sink thoughtfully. Orange has been very generous with them.
They betrayed him, they confronted his authority. If anything, they should be the last person to trust.
Shaking their head, they push that thought to the back of their mind. It wasn't time to question themselves, they were going to make themself useful to Orange.
Leaving the bathroom, they go to where the only table was located, next to a window just in front of the scribbled wall now covered by long, old curtains.
Sitting down, Purple looks towards where the kitchen was located, in the right part of the house, a part they hadn't seen yet.
They could hear sounds of cutlery and stove, and could still feel a delicious smell coming from there. Whatever it is, they must be polite.
After, not long, Orange comes to the table with two dishes, a healthy smoke rising from the meal of well-made veggie garlic noodles.
"I had some pasta and vegetables saved, I hope this turns out well." he gently places Purple's plate in front of them and sits down with his, "we're running out of lots to eat, I'm going to have to go to the store tomorrow." He starts to pick up the utensils when he looks at Purple and their shocked and admiring gaze.
Orange is taken back a bit, he didn't expect them to be so impressed with his basic cooking skills. This gave him a slight reddening on his cheeks.
"Better eat it before it gets cold." This seems to wake Purple up from their trance, leaving them embarrassed, picking up their fork to start eating. When they put a small portion in their mouth, Purple pauses to admire the flavor.
they have already eaten good food before, but this is even more good for them. They didn't feel worthy of something as good as this. But being faced by Orange's intimidating but serene gazes, they just continued to eat the dish.
"Did you..." the older man pauses, taking a dose of his meal, "Did you like it...?"
Purple pauses to chew and swallow what was already in their mouth, looking at Orange in confusion.
"Oh yes, it's very good!" They continue, "You're a great cook." they say with a gentle smile.
This relieves Orange, having thought for a moment that Purple didn't like the food. He was happy to have done something that pleased the youngest.
The two remained silent for the rest of the meal. When they finished, Orange got up, taking the dishes to wash, but Purple followed him into the kitchen.
"I can help." they say with their hands behind their backs and a pleading smile. Orange just looks at them and sighs, allowing them to give them a sponge and leaving them a space next to him.
Purple smiles widely, joining him in cleaning not only today's dishes, but some other dishes and utensils that had been dirty, apparently for a while now.
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Orange raises an eyebrow, looking at them from the corner with a smirk. Purple smiles back at him and extends the sleeves of their sweater getting ready to start washing without any problems.
It wasn't a competition, just Purple proving he could do it. This gives Orange a fatherly smile, a feeling he must have forgotten a long time ago.
It didn't last long until most of the dishes were already clean and set out to dry. Orange could see fatigue and tiredness in Purple's eyes, but they continued to clean.
"I think I've had it for you, kid." he says, taking the plate from their hands who look at him confused. "You look tired, go take a shower and sleep, I'll take care of it." he says in a sincere and calm tone.
Purple tries to protest but the older man just raises a hand in front of their face and points to the exit of the kitchen in silence, focused on the dishes to be washed.
Purple sighs and starts to leave the kitchen without complaint. Orange laughs softly, shaking his head lightly, never has he seen a child so dedicated to washing the dishes.
He remembers washing the dishes like this, hearing a sweet young voice calling him to play, getting frustrated when he was told "not now", but in a friendly and patient tone.
This memory makes him stop for a moment. He felt a pain in his heart, an emptiness. Even with his hand wet and soapy, he holds the fabric of his shirt to his chest, the urge to cry coming to him.
He holds himself back, he didn't want Purple to see him like this. He just went back to finishing the dishes until they were all clean.
Turning off the water in the sink, he cleans his hands with a cloth. Seeing his wet shirt, he leaves the kitchen, removing the item of clothing and throwing it against the headboard of the bed, going to a closet and finding a turtle neck shirt to wear. That one was more comfortable for him to sleep with.
He takes the wet shirt and puts it in a laundry basket full of other clothes to be washed, sighing at the amount still dirty. He sits on the bed, staring at the ceiling thoughtfully.
After a while Purple comes out of the bathroom wearing a butterfly sleeve t-shirt, Orange looks at them, starting to wonder if they only had elegant clothes or if it was just him who didn't know anything about stylish clothes. For him, even clothes with different details were chic.
Purple sighed, scratching their eyes with one hand. They sit on the bed next to Orange in silence.
"If you're still uncomfortable, I can still find another place to sleep." Purple looks at him dumbfounded.
"Your house, your bed, you sleep here!" Purple points to the bed they were both sitting on, Orange laughs under the breath of the younger's reaction.
"Okay, okay." he says, arranging the pillows and putting one in one corner of the bed and another on the other side, which he lays his head on.
Purple smiling leaves his head on their pillow. Orange gets up a little, remembering that he forgot about the sheets. He gets out of bed and opens the closet, taking out two blankets that were inside.
Returning to bed he could see that Purple was already asleep, bringing him a soft smile. He places one of the blankets over Purple, tucking them in gently before laying down on his side of the bed, and covering himself up as well.
He closes his eyes, but he can't seem to fall asleep. His old age kept him awake, and for the most part he just couldn't keep himself comfortable.
In the middle of the night he got up and walked out the front door, sitting on the steps at the entrance.
He begins to look at the sky thoughtfully, letting his gaze just get lost in the stars and his skin be touched by the cold wind. He had closed the door so that the cold wouldn't bother Purple, who were still sleeping peacefully. Good for them, they need more than Orange.
His foot moved, he intertwined his fingers, trying to focus on the desire to sleep, but nothing came. Neither sleep nor tiredness, the cold didn't even bother him.
Slowly he begins to feel tension in his chest, his breathing begins to accelerate little by little. He quickly put his hands around his head, headache? Perhaps? He didn't even know anymore.
He was getting lost in his rapid breathing, his chest trying to keep up but failing. He clutches the chest of his shirt, feeling his breathing get worse, more uncontrolled, and then...
Tears.
Tears began to fall uncontrollably from her face. Orange couldn't control it, he couldn't hold it in any longer. And so, he just let himself go.
Crying softly, not wanting to wake Purple up. He felt a pain in his chest that didn't stop, and at the same time he couldn't control his breathing, just pulling his legs closer to his chest and covering his mouth with one hand.
Eyes blurred with tears, he just couldn't forget the pain of having lost the most important thing to him.
Taking the photo of him with Gold, he couldn't stop craving his son's affection, the hugs, affection, moments when the little one would wipe away his tears when he cried like that.
Losing his little ray of sunshine was a dagger in the heart, no, multiple ones. A heart that had been pierced before, and healed by the love of his son, a heart broken, crushed and cursed to have everything he loves taken from him.
So why should he care about himself? He failed as a father, he couldn't protect what was most precious to him.
He can't understand why he continues...
"Mr. Orange."
Purple. Purple was alone, they didn't seem to have a family or a place to live, and they also seemed broken if that void they found themselves in meant anything.
Purple was a child. He couldn't leave them alone, they needed him right now. He cannot leave them without help.
Wiping away the tears, and slowly taking control of his breathing again, even if with difficulty, he stands firm, taking deep breaths and looking at the stars above him.
He may have failed before, but he wouldn't fail Purple. He may not be their father, but he will make sure Purple is happy, protected and comfortable.
He doesn't care what happens to him, only Purple. They are the priority, not him. They matter, not him.
Taking a deep breath he opens the door of the house and enters, seeing the youngest still sleeping he just sits next to the bed, lightly laying his head on the mattress looking at the ceiling.
His eyes close lightly until he falls asleep.
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