Chapter Text
That was fucking weird.
If Tommy has to describe what that was, it was fucking weird. For one, it got stuffy to stay in the toilet for too long, it felt too warm and shit. He had to zip down his jumpsuit for a second, let the air cool him down beneath his undershirt. Secondly, that guy—Ranboo, has wormed his way into his head in a short amount of time, he’s just… He’s a strange fellow.
Tommy was rude to him in every way, and yet, he didn’t walk away. Instead, he stayed to ask for his name? Like, who does that?
Apparently, Ranboo.
He groans out loud.
Ugh. Whatever. It’s not like he’d see him again nor is he interested. That weird thing that happened when they shook each other’s hands is just a moment of weakness. He’s fucking exhausted and hungry and he badly needed a smoke before he heads back to his dorm.
That was it.
Easily finding his resolve, he heads back to work, finishing the last room that needed cleaning before sluggishly walking back to the staff room. As expected, Tubbo is already there, fresh from the shower in a bright yellow hoodie and a pair of casual jeans.
“You’re back!”
“Yeah…” He barely has the energy left to talk in full sentences.
Tommy unzips his jumpsuit, letting the sleeves hang over his hips as he throws away the excess bucket water down the drain. He’ll probably pass out as soon as his head hits the pillow, he’s absolutely so tired.
“So…? Are we just going to ignore what I walked into earlier?” Tubbo immediately started off.
He tries to maintain a straight face. Otherwise, any sort of reaction would be given some meaning and he didn’t have the patience to recall the events in the toilet. He simply shrugged his shoulders before gathering his change of clothes from their locker room.
“What are you on about, Toby?”
“Don’t play daft with me,” Tubbo narrows his eyes at him. “You were holding hands with some guy a while ago.”
“Shaking hands, Toby. Shaking hands. That’s a thing you do when you meet someone for the first time.” He doesn’t have time for his interrogation. He badly needs a shower and drives back home. When in a rush, Tommy tends to be a bit passive aggressive with claws out.
“And don’t pull that sass on me, you dick. I know what I saw and there’s a difference between shaking someone’s hand and holding it.” Tubbo demonstrated his own, holding his own fingers tightly. “I don’t know about you but he was clearly holding your hand like this.”
Tommy doesn’t bother sparing a glance at his best friend’s demonstration.
“That’s absurd, Toby. And you know it.”
“Maybe. But that guy clearly likes you. I could tell.”
Okay. Now Tubbo is just being ridiculous. He rolled his eyes once more. Tommy had no words to describe how fucking stupid that is.
Ranboo wakes up and the first thing he remembers is the heartbreak he’s nursing.
Ugh. Right.
Bill broke up with him.
Two years down the drain just like that. The ache is obviously still there, only made dull by alcohol. But he’s sober now, which means there’s no escape from the way that the dawn of realization hits him like a physical blow to the face.
He’s single now, all devotion and commitment to that asshole is suddenly such a huge waste of his time and that only leaves him angry.
He curses underneath his breath before shaking himself more awake.
No time like the present to ignore it. Bill doesn’t deserve to be cried over. Fuck that guy.
So Ranboo forced himself to get ready, which only consisted of taking a brisk shower and changing into some plain white tee and dark washed jeans. He has until tomorrow to check out and head back home. For now though, today should give him some ample amount of time to get his bearings, and he can’t do that by locking himself in his room.
It’s 9:12 in the morning. He should get something to eat first.
With that in mind, he leaves his phone to charge by the nightstand before exiting his room. Breakfast buffet should still be available for another hour, he has plenty of time. The hotel doesn’t seem packed compared to last night, not many choose to stay for the morning but Ranboo always enjoyed the simple pleasure of having breakfast on the ready. Because god forbid he doesn’t eat a bowl of cereal every morning when he lives by himself…
He was just weighing his options as the elevator took him to the upper ground floor where the breakfast hall is located—when he spots someone quite familiar wiping the glass partition dividers at the lobby.
The brunet jumpsuit guy. Tommy calls him Tubbo.
Tommy!
The sudden reminder of the blond abruptly stops him as soon as he steps out of the elevator. How could he forget about Tommy?! He preferred his company than having to stay at the after party until it was acceptable to leave. Yet, there’s no sign of him anywhere…
‘I should have asked for his number.’ He mentally kicked himself over for missing his chance. He wanted them to keep talking, to continue where they left off with their hands connected in a lingering handshake. He isn’t stupid. He knew the cute blond was warming up to him… To a certain degree, at least. They were having a bit of a moment before this short guy unintentionally interrupted.
It’s not his fault but the guy—Toby must have sensed his creepy leering because he turns around to meet his eyes in an accommodating smile, perfect for the staff of the hotel. It’s the only reason why Ranboo mustered enough courage to walk up to him with newfound purpose.
He clears his throat first.
“Um, excuse me. You’re Tommy’s friend, right?”
Something tells him that he already knows where this conversation is going from the way his green, almond-like eyes brightened when he nodded his head. “Yes. Why do you ask?”
At the prompt to continue, Ranboo feels himself get flustered under his gaze. He feels his heart skip a little beat at what he’s about to say—he’s going for it.
“Uh, is he around? I need to talk to him.”
“… Oh, I’m sorry but he’s not here right now.” Toby smiles at him apologetically while he tries not to show his disappointment. It’s not the brunet’s fault.
“Do you know what time he’ll come in?”
“I’m afraid to tell you that I have no idea since Tommy has a pretty irregular schedule like I do. We only clock in whenever we’re available since we’re both still at uni…”
Ranboo could feel his chances slipping away from his fingertips, especially since he has to get home soon because he still has work to do after all.
“It’s against company policy to give the staff’s number to guests but would you like me to relay him a message for you?”
Well, that’s better than nothing…
“Uh, could you tell him that I was looking for him—that Ranboo was looking for him? I—uh, forgot to ask him something… I’d still be here until tomorrow morning.”
He doesn’t even know why he’s trying to hide the fact that he wants the blond’s phone number, Toby already beat him from asking. But, he’s just so embarrassed, he hasn’t done this in the last two years since he was still in a relationship. He admittedly has no idea what he’s doing.
He is helpless and the blond’s friend could most definitely tell, even with the picture perfect plastered smile on.
“I’ll be sure to tell him as soon as he gets here, boss man!” His friend reassured positively.
“Um, thank you! Bye!” Ranboo briskly walks away from him, not even bothering to look behind him by how quickly he wanted to get out of the situation he made for himself.
Seriously. Has it always been this hard when you’re interested in someone?
It has been a while.
Tommy chewed on his pen harshly while trying to listen to his programming language professor. He could feel his phone vibrating insistently through the inside pocket of his jacket every two seconds. Blowing up with messages like there’s no tomorrow.
And there’s only one person who would annoy him while he’s still in class.
It gets a bit much at one point and then Tommy had to take this outside.
He immediately called Tubbo. He doesn’t even read the bothersome spammed messages.
“Oi dickhead! Cut it out! I’m in class!” He exclaimed as soon as his best friend picked up. Tubbo may have a free day today, but that doesn’t mean he could just bother him when he’s not.
“But Tommy! The most amazing thing happened! You’re gonna do your shift tonight, right? Please tell me you are!”
He sighed tiredly, only reminding himself that he needs to if he wanted to cover both the groceries and the change oil for his car this week. “Yeah. Why?”
“The guy at the toilet. He was asking for you. He was asking for you, dude! I told you he likes you!”
Wait, what?
“He was?” Tommy couldn’t even hide the giddy tone in his voice. This comes as nothing but a shock to him, a welcomed one, but a shock nonetheless.
“Yes! He really wanted your number, but you know I can’t do anything about that,”
He bit his lip, ignoring the irrational disappointment churning sickly in his stomach. It’s something Tubbo can’t risk, he’s not the son of the hotel manager like he is.
“It’s fine… I’ll find him later.” He brushes off.
He’ll think of a way.
Somehow, his response only made his best friend squeal loudly right into his ears that he had to momentarily pull away. Tubbo’s enthusiasm does get a bit much, even over the phone when something incredible excites him.
“Okay, okay! Keep me updated! You can get back to your class now, bye!”
It’s hardly fair to do this when he needs most of his brain to understand programming for the next two hours. Because right now, telling him that Ranboo wanted his number, asking Tubbo for it, just made anticipation sit thickly in the pit of his stomach.
As much as he keeps brushing it aside, a large part of him is really looking forward to his shift at the hotel tonight. He’s anxious and buzzing with barely concealed energy for the right reasons.
As his leg bounces erratically beneath his desk, Tommy spends the rest of his day failing to listen in class, his scattered thoughts converting into everything about streamer man—Ranboo.
Tommy proceeded as normal.
He pretends like this is just like any other boring shift at the hotel. Nothing more. No, he doesn’t keep looking over his shoulder and no, he’s not expecting anything as he clocked in with his time card and fixed his cuffed sleeves. Yes, he ignores Tubbo’s doting and the way his hands have turned clammy and how red his face probably looks right now because it feels like it’s in flames.
He gets his mop and bucket. He does his job and he does it well.
But Tommy could only take so much of this anticipation before it bothers him, quickly burning into his impatience which in turn, only pisses him off. Because what’s fucking taking him so long?
He has been around the most public areas he could think of, lingering at the lobby for far too long because that’s where he imagined he’d be.
If Ranboo thinks he can take over his entire head, then he’s absolutely wrong. He’s sacrificing way too much of his pride and dignity on the line. He never waits for anyone—he never gets close to showing interest because he’s busy, busy, always so busy. He can’t stay in one place for too long, and he has broken every strict rule he made for himself so far just because he finds Ranboo’s intrigue flattering, and this is getting bloody annoying!
Tommy opens the door to the men’s room, and doesn't think about how he isn’t alone until he sees who it is standing right across from him.
It’s funny how he almost didn’t recognize him just because he isn’t wearing his fancy tuxedo anymore. He disliked the way he felt self-satisfied at seeing him in casual clothes.
Tommy scoffed once their eyes met.
“Did your ex break up with you twice? What are you doing here?” He asked even though they both know why. He didn’t even think that the toilet they met in would be an option.
Ranboo barely gives him any room to breathe or talk when he saunters up over to him in five long strides. His gaze is really intense for some reason that Tommy almost considered backing up.
But he’s not a pussy. He’s not a pussy!
“I’m here because I forgot something.”
“What is it?” Tommy crossed his arms over his chest, meeting his eyes dead on. “Don’t tell me you forgot your award trophy or something because anyone who found it would have sold it on Amazon by now. I know I would—
“Your number, Tommy.” Ranboo interjected, then his expression softened out of nowhere. It’s really fucked up that the blond could feel himself shiver despite the insulating heat of his jumpsuit.
Still, he keeps acting clueless.
“My number? For what?”
“For wha—I’m literally asking you out!” Ranboo exclaimed as if he couldn't believe he had to explain himself.
Before Tommy could tell him off and his nasty tone because no one should yell at him, a random guy walks in and then they suddenly both remember that they’re doing this in a public toilet.
Ranboo turned his head away, clearing his throat to accompany the silence while Tommy grabbed his mop and started wiping the floor aggressively. He feels a blush creep up on his cheeks as they both try to act normal while guy takes the longest piss of his life.
It’s only when the coast is clear did Tommy stop his cleaning – sore arms and all – to turn around and say, “I can’t.”
He watches in mild amusement as Ranboo immediately deflated like a balloon, thinking he took everything the wrong way.
“O-Oh. That’s alright. I’m so sorry for—“
“No, dumbass! I don’t have a pen!” He almost wanted to laugh.
Different emotions flicker over Ranboo’s face before he settles on taking it on him. Again. “Well, why didn’t you just say so?!”
He narrowed his eyes back. “Why do you assume I have one on me? Are you that bloody narcissistic?!”
“I was actually going to give you my phone so you could save it…”
Okay. That’s an option that didn’t cross his mind at all and he shrugged his shoulders. “You should have just said so.”
“I—but you, I was—“ Ranboo takes a deep breath before he could pass out from gaping at how much he’s reeling over asking for someone’s number. “Look, do you wanna have dinner with me or not?”
And finally, at the question, Tommy spares him with an easygoing grin, grabbing his phone that was already in contacts, just asking for him itself as he put his number in.
“The shitter’s not the ideal place to ask someone out.” He retorted as he returned the device.
Ranboo could tell that this is taking much longer than necessary and he’s not having it anymore. Without a warning, he grabs Tommy by the wrist, pulling them out of the men’s room and taking them to somewhere more isolated.
It’s just behind the huge pillar and partition wall, but that was acceptable enough.
“Tommy, would you want to partake in a dinner date with me?” Ranboo batted his lashes in exaggeration, a half bitten smile splayed on his lips.
“I could go without the sarcasm but that’s good enough,” He nods his head lightly, his hair bouncing into place. “Fine. I’ll go on that date with you.”
Tommy barely registered what was going on until he felt something soft on his knuckles.
His eyes widened ever so slightly when he realized Ranboo had pressed a kiss on his hand like a prince would to a princess, and his whole body turned a bit more red.
“I can’t wait.” He says with his dimples showing, letting go of his hand.
What the fuck?
“Y-You do know that my hand isn’t exactly at its cleanest right now, right?”
“I know,” Ranboo smirked like he had won a battle Tommy didn’t know they were partaking. “But it’s worth it shutting you up for once.”
Ranboo flusters him a second time in a row as he makes his exit with a cheeky fucking wink, and Tommy could only watch his retreating figure before he hollered a weak retort back.
“Kiss me somewhere else next time, you fuckin’ idiot!”