Chapter Text
It was a painfully uneventful workday for Tubbo. The rain poured heavily outside, and aside from him, Ranboo and Tommy were the only ones in the shop. Tommy mainly because the WiFi that was offered was free, Ranboo seemed to only care about distracting poor Tubbo from doing his job. Thankfully, it was cold and rainy outside. Not a single customer had come inside in the last thirty minutes. Any smart person would know to stay home in this kind of weather.
Both Tubbo and Ranboo had been mid-conversation when a blinding flash of white light, followed by possibly the deepest rumble of thunder Tubbo had ever heard erupted from what seemed like nowhere. It had only been slightly cloudy up until a couple of minutes ago, the weather had shown no signs of incoming storms, especially not one of this size.
All of the lights inside of the coffee house flickered momentarily, before dying out completely.
“Well, that’s not the best.”
“No shit. How the hell am I supposed to do my job now?”
Ranboo laughed. “You don’t. Here, unplug everything that’s connected to some sort of outlet. It’s dangerous to keep that kind of stuff in when there’s a thunderstorm this big.”
Tubbo frowned. “But what about-”
“The weather outside is dangerous, I don’t think you’ll be getting any more customers today. Just close up shop early, unplug anything hazardous, and we can all walk back to my and Tommy’s apartment. It’s just across the street, and I don’t want you walking all the way down to your house in this kind of weather.”
But what if his boss - nope, Tubbo knew it was the safest option, and agreed. He began to unplug all of the appliances while Ranboo told Tommy (who had had his headphones in the entire time and barely noticed a thing) that they were all going to be headed back to the apartment. It was only then that Tommy realized the power had gone out.
“Woah, what the fuck.”
“How the hell do you manage to not notice something like that?”
Tommy laughed. “I don’t know, I was focused! I need to get this paper in by tomorrow-”
“Which is entirely your fault, might I add.” Ranboo punched him on the shoulder playfully. “We had all of the last two weeks to complete it, I even offered to help you-”
“I had other assignments!”
“Suuure.”
Soon enough, everyone was packed and ready to go. Tubbo had made his way to the door when he realized.
“Um, does anyone have an umbrella?”
Both Tommy and Ranboo shook their heads.
“It’s only just across the street,” Tommy pointed out. “We shouldn’t get too wet.”
Tubbo shrugged, not looking fully convinced but agreed nonetheless. “Alright, we run on the count of three?”
“Make sure no cars are coming first.”
Tubbo chuckled. “Yeah, that too.”
They looked for cars from inside the glass doors of the shop. When they were sure that all the nearby cars had been stopped at red lights, they booked it out and into the street. Tommy screamed some kind of broken war cry, his voice cracking with laughter.
“Tommy, what the hell,” Ranboo wheezed. “you’re so freaking weird.”
By the time they made it to the other side, they were all a giggling, drenched mess.
Well, maybe not Tubbo. Tubbo groaned when he noticed the state his clothes were in.
“What the hell am I supposed to change into? These are the only clothes I’ve got with me, I’m just gonna track water all over your guys’ place.”
Tommy shrugged. “Y’know, Ranboo probably has something you could borrow.”
To which he gave Tommy the I’m-gonna-fucking-kill-you-later look.
“Er- yeah. I’ve got a couple of spare hoodies you can pick from. They’re probably bigger than you though, so-”
“It’s fine, I don’t mind.” Tubbo felt his face heating up. He obviously couldn’t see his reflection, but if he were to guess, his face was bright red. If Tommy or Ranboo noticed, they certainly didn’t say anything.
“Let’s keep going,” Ranboo suggested, the tension only easing up slightly.
Their apartment was only a couple of buildings down the line. Tubbo was still amazed that both Tommy and Ranboo’s parents had allowed them to get their own place, despite the fact that they were both still 17. From what he’d heard, it had something to do with the private school the two of them attended.
Ranboo and Tommy never talked about their school life, at least not while Tubbo was around. Why they kept it so private was anybody’s guess, but Tubbo respected them and their personal lives, he never pushed either of them for answers.
He’d only ever visited their apartment on a couple of occasions and never stayed for longer than necessary. Sometimes when the two were up late studying, and Tubbo would finish working some excruciatingly late shift, he’d sometimes visit them and bring over some much-needed caffeine. They’d let Tubbo sleep on the couch, knowing it was far too late for him to be walking home alone. The couch wasn’t comfortable in the slightest, but he appreciated the gesture enough to stay.
There were only a couple of times when he’d been invited over simply for the purpose of hanging out. Ranboo admitted that their school didn’t leave them much room for free time. Tubbo had known him almost all his life, and it saddened him to know that as time went on they were spending less and less time with each other as they both grew older. Tubbo was certain it upset Ranboo too, which is probably why most days he came over to the coffee lab simply to be around him, even if the two rarely did speak.
The moment they stepped into Ranboo’s dry, warm apartment, he immediately rushed to his room to retrieve dry clothes for both him and Tubbo.
“Wow, you’re helping Tubbo out and not me? Shows how much you care about our friendship,” Tommy teased.
“Go get your own clothes, dickhead,” Ranboo retorted, tossing Tubbo a green sweater, black sweatpants, and a pair of clean socks. “Just hand me your wet clothes once you’ve changed and I’ll dry them overnight,” he added, nodding to Tubbo.
“Can’t believe you’d help your boyfriend over me,” Tommy muttered, quiet enough that only Ranboo could hear.
“He’s not- whatever you say, dude.”
-
About an hour passed, and the three of them were eating deeply mediocre frozen pizza while watching equally mediocre Netflix films. Even though he was spending the night watching movies with his two best friends, Tubbo still felt a little guilty about being there. He felt as though he were intruding on something private, though he didn’t know exactly why. Nothing about Tommy and Ranboo’s apartment felt particularly closeted, it was a casual, maybe somewhat trashed looking space with homey figurines and photographs scattered across the area. There was some inexplicable energy that made him feel like he just wasn’t supposed to be there. It’s uncomfortable, to say the least.
“Tubbo, are you okay? You look pale.”
Tubbo realizes his name’s been called, and Ranboo’s looking down at him with this worried look on his face.
“What? I’m always pale.”
“No dude, you’re like, ghostly pale,” Tommy chimed in. “Are you gonna throw up?”
“No, I’m fi-” He was most certainly not fine. At that moment, Tubbo felt as though something sharp was jabbing him in the stomach. Oh, god. He did feel like throwing up.
“Do you want anything to drink? I’m pretty sure we’ve got ginger ale somewhere at the back of the pantry-”
Tubbo shook his head. “It’s alright, I think I just need to sleep off-” he winced again. “-whatever this is.”
“Maybe we should go to bed early then,” Ranboo suggested. “Tubbo, you take my bed. I don’t want you sleeping on the couch when you’re like this.”
There was a slight snigger from Tommy, Ranboo hoped that Tubbo hadn’t heard it.
He hesitated. That feeling of intrusion- it was stronger than ever. “Are you sure? I don’t want to steal your bed-”
“Tubbo, just take the bed. I’m sorry, but- look at you! I can’t let you sleep on the couch.”
“I’m really that pathetic?”
“Yeah. Just go, I’ll be fine.”
Tubbo looked unsure but agreed nonetheless. Some mixture of exhaustion and knowing Ranboo was too stubborn a bastard gave him little to no energy to fight back.
“Just text my mum that she might need to pick me up tomorrow morning? I don’t think I’ll feel like walking all the way back.”
“Of course. Now go and get some sleep, don’t want to wake up looking like that tomorrow morning.” Ranboo ruffled the shorter boy’s hair, to which he scrunched his nose up in response.
“You’re too kind.”
-
Ranboo couldn’t sleep.
For one, he was worried about Tubbo. The sickness seemed to come out of nowhere.
Had he gotten sick in the rain? No, his symptoms weren’t anywhere close to that of a cold. Nausea and stomach pains were more flu-like than anything.
“You’re still up?”
Tommy’s voice surprised him. “Yeah. This couch sucks, man.”
His roommate raised an eyebrow, not believing that was the only reason for his lack of sleep. Ranboo gave him a warning look in response. Tommy had a way of getting information out of him.
“I’m worried for Tubbo,” he finally admitted. “The illness? It seemed to come out of nowhere.”
“Well, yeah. That’s not surprising. I’m surprised this is the first time it’s happened- he’s been here many times before.”
Ranboo glanced up at Tommy, a look of confusion on his face. “Um, what? I don’t follow.”
“Humans aren’t supposed to enter magic areas. They get overwhelmed by all the energies and confusing vibes.”
Wait.
“But this isn’t a ‘magic area’. This is our apartment.”
Tommy laughed in disbelief. “Dude. This whole apartment building is full of people who practice magic. That alone is enough to make an area dangerous for humans to be around.” He paused. “Surely you must’ve realized that?”
“Well- yes. I mean, no. That sounds vaguely familiar, so I guess it slipped my mind. Like you said- Tubbo has never been affected- at least not this severely- ever in his life.”
“You need to be more careful. You don’t want to end up hurting him, and you definitely don’t want him finding out about your magic abilities on accident.”
“But- I’m a human. How come I’m not affected by the energy, but he is?”
“Probably because you grew up surrounded by it? I dunno, man. Why do you think Tubbo looks so afraid every time he comes into our apartment? Some part of him knows he’s not supposed to be here. It’s all part of the spell-workings.”
“But I’m not-”
Tommy sighed. “Look man, this is a you problem, not a me problem. If you’re so worried, just stop inviting Tubbo over.”
“I just don’t understand.”
Tommy shrugged, already making his way back to his bedroom.
“You will.”
-
Ranboo hated Tommy.
Okay, not really . But some days their friendship felt more tedious than others.
The two of them had grown up together. Both of them had come from separate magic families and had so far done all of their schoolings together. When he was 4 years old, Tommy discovered that just by looking at a person, he instantly saw and understood their entire future. All of it, in full detail from start to finish.
And from what he’d gathered, there was nothing he could do to change any of the outcomes he saw. He was terrified as a child, realizing how much power he held. He was still terrified, he never liked the flashes of visions and waves of emotion he received every time he made eye contact with a stranger.
The only person whose future he couldn’t read was his own.
As a child, Tommy felt guilty every time he read someone something about their future. Why? It wasn’t his place to tell them those things. They hadn’t happened yet, what was the point in living if you already knew what was going to happen?
After a while of this, he made a promise to himself that he’d never spoil someone’s future for them ever again, no matter how many times they asked.
Ranboo asked a lot when they were kids. He’d ask if he really did have powers, or if maybe the quiet kid from their class would ever mind being friends with him. If the girl he ended up marrying was pretty, et cetera et cetera. Tommy was wise beyond his years having filled his mind with other people’s life stories and experiences. He never once let a detail slip or let Ranboo’s begging get the best of him. Eventually, he stopped, both out of acceptance that he’d never get an answer plus the realization that he didn’t even want an answer.
Years had passed, and Ranboo still hadn’t found out what his powers were. It was at this point that he simply accepted that he had none, he was the black sheep of his family. He was still required to attend magic school, as his teachers still had their hopes up and would refer to him as a “late bloomer.”
Yeah, right.
The only thing Ranboo found he was impressively good at was his ability to lucid dream. He’d learned how to at the young age of six, and he’d never had a regular dream since. It was fun, a way for him to escape the harsh reality that was his magic life and find peace in whatever fantasies he decided to indulge himself in that night.
His teachers, however, weren’t so convinced that his ability to lucid dream was all that natural. Nobody learned skills like that so quickly, let alone at six years old. Whether it truly was his power or the gateway to obtaining it, they were determined to observe his dreaming abilities. Ranboo found it absolutely obnoxious.
So what if he could lucid dream? Humans could lucid dream. The ability most certainly didn’t make him magical. The only reason he never denied the possibility was that he knew what happened to humans who've been discovered attending school meant for magic folk. They were required to have all of their memories relating to magic wiped clean of their mind, and Ranboo most certainly didn’t want to forget about Tommy, magic, or his family.
Ranboo often found himself lost in between the magic and human worlds, not entirely sure which one he fit into better.
He wasn’t entirely sure when or if he’d ever find an answer to that question.
-
Tubbo’s mom picked him up early the next morning, promising that he’d be taken care of and given the day off. Ranboo still felt guilty knowing the whole situation was his fault, and that he’d probably feel a hundred times better the minute he left.
“It’s alright, you didn’t know.” Tommy read his thoughts.
You know, just psychic things.
“You didn’t sound so sympathetic last night,” Ranboo teased in reply.
“Yeah, that’s cause it was past midnight and I’m already behind on sleep. I think I’m allowed to be a little crabby-”
“Hey man, you’re the one that came out to check up on me!”
“I was going to the kitchen to get water, but your stupidity distracted me.”
“My stupidity-!”
-
Magic school was the fucking worst.
For the most part, it was the exact same as any other public school (which he’d attended all the way up until his freshman year of high school, which is when he and every other “gifted kid” made the switch). The main difference between the two was that they were forced to learn practically double the usual subjects. Everyone was given at least one class period to work with a personal trainer on mastering their own magic ability. Other classes included the history of magic, reading magic texts, and the study of how magic and science were “related” (they really weren’t, literally nothing in the class made sense to him). All of that plus the regularly required classes to graduate meant that school days were long and tedious.
There were days when that alone was almost enough for Ranboo to request having his memory wiped and to be sent to a regular, less stressful schooling experience.
But that meant losing practically everything, so of course, he didn’t.
Magic training, in Ranboo’s book, was singlehandedly the worst subject to possibly exist (thank god it was his last for the day). For the most part, their sessions were just his trainer Mrs. Reynolds, an old woman whose voice sounded about three cigarettes away from death, telling him to meditate for forty minutes a day. Something about unlocking his true potential, strengthening his ability to lucid dream, or something along those lines. None of it made sense. Not to mention Ranboo was scared to tell her that none of her training actually worked, he was afraid that she might-
The bell rang. Ranboo was ready to get the hell out of Mrs. Reynolds’ classroom, but her hand on his shoulder stopped him from leaving.
“I know you’re doubtful in your abilities,” she began in her low, gravelly voice. “But I promise you, there is nothing ordinary about you. We will get there together, you and me, and figure out what’s stopping you from using your powers.”
And for a moment, he wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that he was special, that maybe he was just a late bloomer like everyone said.
He faked a smile and thanked her for today’s “lesson.” He was ready to get the hell out of both the classroom and school in general.
Ranboo was quick to pick Tommy out from the crowd. He waved, trying to get the younger guy’s attention. No such luck. Oh well, Ranboo had no real better option than to startle him from behind (he most definitely had better options).
Springing upon him with a scream, Tommy didn’t react in the slightest. He laughed at his friend’s attempt to startle him, before shoving him off.
“Dumbass. I knew you were gonna do that. Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah, I just-” he paused. The idea of making another stop at the coffee shop was enticing, he wanted to check and make sure that Tubbo was well again. “Do you think Tubbo is feeling any better? Maybe he’ll be at work today.”
Tommy shrugged. “I doubt it. But if you’re so worried you could just visit him yourself. I’m sure he’d appreciate it, coming from you .”
Ranboo snorted. “Shut up, you’re making it sound as though he’s my boyfriend or something.”
-
Being a psychic wasn’t all it was hyped up to be.
Sometimes Tommy answered Ranboo’s questions before he even voiced them out loud because he already knew what he was going to say, causing him to huff in annoyance anytime he got cut off.
Whenever they watched movies together, Tommy looked bored and uninterested. He’d already seen the ending play in someone else’s head beforehand.
Sure, Tommy couldn’t see his own future. That was the main limitation of his powers. But as long as he was a part of somebody else’s future, it didn’t really matter. Tommy had already figured out most of his future anyway, right up to the date that he died.
Tommy wished so, so badly that he didn’t have the powers that he did. That he could just swap them out for somebody else’s. They didn’t make him feel strong, or important in any way. They just made him feel scared.
Every time Ranboo whined to him about his lack of powers. Every time he complained about Tubbo probably not liking him back. Holding back the urge to scream “He does like you, you idiot!” or “You do have powers, you just haven’t experienced them fully!” just felt impossible some days.
His friend was an idiot, and there was nothing he could do about it.
-
Ranboo
Hey dude, are you feeling any better? :(
Tubbo
yeah, a lot better tbh. my mum’s worried that it’s the flu tho, and she doesn’t want me seeing anyone over the weekend
Ranboo’s heart sunk. There went any plans he might have made to visit Tubbo over the next couple of days.
Ranboo
Oh, that sucks. Why’s she keeping you in if you’re already feeling better?
Tubbo
probably scared that it’s gonna come back?
or that i’m asymptomatic and could end up spreading it without realizing it
Ranboo
Damn, I was planning on stopping by with some get-well-soon snacks lmao.
Tubbo
snacks?
i would literally do anything for a bag of monster munch rn, you have no idea
what if i let you sneak in at some point tonight in an attempt to deliver me some much-needed junk food
and to visit ofc, i’m lonely up here
Ranboo’s heart did a flip when he thought about meeting up with Tubbo in secret. Tubbo was not a rebellious kid, so this kind of idea coming from him was an entirely new concept to Ranboo.
Ranboo
Lmao hell yeah, what time do you want me to come over? I wanna get there sometime when we have at least a little bit of time to hang out before one of your parents get up
Tubbo:
wait ur actually down? i was joking but that actually sounds awesome
maybe head over at 12 so you’ll be here by 1 at the latest?
Ranboo
Okay cool. So besides monster much, what kinds of snacks do you like?
-
By the time he was done shopping, he’d picked out a decent assortment of snacks and drinks that seemed as if they’d be good on a sensitive stomach. A couple of bottles of Gatorade, a can of iced herbal tea, some instant noodle cups (nothing spicy of course), the previously mentioned bag of chips ( they were chips , not crisps, he thought to himself.), and a thing of peppermints to hopefully calm down any remaining nausea of Tubbo’s.
It was just after 10 at the time Ranboo had finished shopping. He still had another two hours before he was to visit Tubbo. He made his way back home, texting Tubbo for the time being.
Ranboo
Snacks have been secured
Tubbo
oo what’d you get?
Ranboo
It’s a surprise :) made sure that everything was safe to eat on an upset stomach too, in case your nausea comes back
Tubbo
what did i do to deserve u :(
Ranboo’s chest somersaulted.
-
A continuous thump came from outside Tubbo’s window. He jumped at the sudden noise, only to remember that it was most likely Ranboo here to drop off snacks.
“You know,” Tubbo started, unlocking and opening the latch for Ranboo to come inside, “you could've just texted me.”
“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?”
“My parents could have heard you, I don’t want you getting in trouble for all of this.”
“But I wasn’t caught. And I don’t hear them getting up, do you?”
Tubbo rolled his eyes. “You’re too impulsive for your own good, you know that?”
“Oh, Tommy tells me all the time.” Ranboo laughed. “You’d think he had better things to do than just lecture me all day long.”
They’re laughing for a moment when Ranboo stopped abruptly, looking down at Tubbo. He noticed that he’s staring at his shirt…?
Oh.
Oh.
He was still wearing the same hoodie that Ranboo had let him borrow the night before.
Ranboo still hadn’t given him his clothes back yet.
“I’m sorry, if you want, I can give it back to you now, I’ve got clean stuff over there in my-”
“No, keep it on.” he hesitated momentarily before adding, “It looks cute on you.”
Both Tubbo and Ranboo went red. Tubbo felt as though his cheeks were on fire, how could Ranboo say such things without meaning them like that?
Ranboo.
Had just called him cute . What was Tubbo supposed to do in that situation? Call him cute in return? Should he laugh it off? Or should he lean in and kiss him, like he’d imagined doing so many times before?
Instead, Tubbo remained quiet, feeling as though his jaw was glued shut.
Ranboo broke the silence. “So tell me, what bullshit went down in public school this week? I want all the details, Bee.”
-
An hour passed, and the two of them had gotten through the big bag of monster munch and two Gatorades. It was nearing two o’clock, and the tension from earlier had long passed. While they were both a cheery, giggling mess, Tubbo looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion, as Ranboo busily cleaned up any food wrappers they’d left out in the open. He noticed his friend’s continuous jerky movements as he struggled to stay sitting upward.
“You know, you can go to sleep if you’re so tired. I should be leaving soon anyway.”
“Boo, can’t you stay a little longer? My mum’s not letting me see anyone this weekend, think of how lonely I’ll be,” he whined, though only half-jokingly. “Please? Just stay?”
And with a pleading voice like that, how could Ranboo say no?
“Fine. But no more than an hour. I can’t risk your mom walking in and catching me in here.”
“You say that as if we’re doing something bad.”
“Oh, so breaking into your room at one in the morning to smuggle in snacks isn’t bad enough for you? Sorry, sorry, I’ll make sure to go for something illegal next time. What kind of drugs do you want me to bring?”
Tubbo snorted with laughter, but it quickly got consumed by a heavy yawn.
“Not tired my ass. Come on, let’s get your sleepy butt to bed.”
“But Ranboo-”
“No buts. You need your sleep, even if there isn’t any school tomorrow.”
“I just-” Tubbo froze mid-sentence. “I don’t think I can.”
Ranboo only then noticed how nervous his friend looked. His eyes refused to meet his own, and he shuffled with his hands in anxiety.
“Hey there, Tubbo, is there something going on? Why don’t you want to-”
“Fuck.”
Tubbo looked small. Scared. Of what, Ranboo wasn’t certain until-
“I just can’t sleep, Ranboo.”
Silence.
...
And then, it all came spilling out. While Tubbo was a relatively introverted person, he rarely cried. So for him to burst into tears and shaky breathing, Ranboo was taken for a surprise.
“I’ve been having these night terrors for- for I don’t know how many months now. They- they’re awful. The reason my schedule’s been so fucked up is that I’m scared to sleep. It’s nearly impossible for me to rest unless I’m literally on the verge of passing out. Please, Ranboo, I don’t want to fall asleep just yet.”
This was completely new information. No wonder Tubbo always looked so exhausted or drank literal cups of straight espresso every evening before his shifts. Or sent all of his texts and gaming invites at ungodly hours of the night.
“Nightmares?”
Tubbo only nodded in reply.
“That’s… okay. Do you mind telling me what they’re about?”
Ranboo hadn't personally dealt with nightmares in over a decade. Ever since he discovered he could lucid dream, he never had to deal with one again.
“They’re about people that I care about. Getting hurt. Leaving me. Sometimes dying.” Tubbo’s voice cracked as tears streamed down his cheeks, broken cries choked in between his words.
“Woah- shit dude, do you need a hug?”
He didn’t get a verbal response. Instead, Tubbo practically threw himself at Ranboo, burying his face into the man’s sweater, dampening it with his tears.
Ranboo felt his own breathing hitch momentarily. He wrapped his arms around his friend tightly, rubbing comforting circles into his back as he cried.
“It’s alright, it’s alright. I’m right here next to you, okay?”
And he knew he was running out of time. He had to leave soon- staying out this late was a bad idea for multiple reasons. But it didn’t feel right to leave his friend in the middle of- yeah. Leaving now would be an asshole move. He couldn’t just abandon his friend now, not when he had just opened up to him about something so personal. An idea struck Ranboo at that moment, hoping that maybe it would be enough to help Tubbo get through whatever it was exactly he was going through.
“Well, listen. It’s risky, but I can sleepover tonight. I’ll set an alarm on my phone for 5:30 AM, that way I can still get out of here before your parents wake up, and I’ll be here for you if any nightmares disturb you through the night.”
Tubbo swallowed. He looked doubtful at Ranboo’s plan. “That’s- I don’t want you to get in trouble, Ranboo. not for something dumb like this. And even if you did stay, where would you sleep?”
“Um,” Ranboo had really been hoping that what he’d originally been thinking had already been implied, but apparently it hadn’t.
“I just- I thought that maybe I could sleep with you? Since well- I don’t know. Sleeping next to a warm body can be kind of comforting?”
Thank god it was dark in Tubbo’s room because Ranboo had gone beet red. God , the words sounded even stupider coming out of his mouth. It was only silent for a couple of seconds, but to Ranboo, those seconds felt like literal hours.
Sucking in a shaky breath, Tubbo replied.
“Okay.”
Ranboo paused. “Wait, you’re okay with it?”
Tubbo nodded. “I can’t sleep. Maybe your strategy will work. I mean, it’s worth a try, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. I get that.” Ranboo hadn’t been expecting Tubbo to be so on board with the idea. Surely cuddling up with his best friend wouldn’t trigger any sort of emotional response inside of him. Not at all.
This is fine, he thought. Completely fine.
-
One minute, he’s warm. He wasn’t asleep, but he could feel the heat that came from Tubbo sleeping next to him.
It’s warm and comforting, Ranboo wished that he could stay next to him forever.
Of course, all good things come to an end. Because not even a second passed and he felt as though his whole body’s been frozen solid.
He was lying down on something hard. Was it the floor? His body was so, so cold, and he couldn’t move or breathe .
Oh, and it was dark.
Very, very dark.
How did I get here?
He could hear movement coming from all around him. People talking in hushed tones, which annoyed him. Ranboo didn’t understand a word that any of them are saying.
“I’m sorry.”
He couldn’t see his face, but Ranboo instantly recognized the voice belonging to Tubbo.
For what? He wanted to ask. But his voice was dead. Any questions he attempted to voice only hurt the back of this throat. There wasn’t anything he could do but lie and listen.
“You know, this whole thing could have easily been prevented. If only you’d been a little bit quicker.”
Tommy? What was he doing here?
Where were they? And more specifically, where was Ranboo ? Whatever had happened, it wasn’t good. Tommy sounded angry while Tubbo sounded two seconds away from breaking down.
“Ranboo’s gone, and your reluctance to do anything ended up costing his life.” Tommy’s voice was cold. He sounded as though he was holding back tears.
Tommy never cried.
“I tried, I really did-”
“Yeah? Well, your attempt sure as hell wasn’t enough.”
Was he dead? Why were they talking about him as though he weren’t… alive anymore? The darkness-
Was he in a coffin ?
The deathly cold. The inability to move. The sad, hushed voices from all around him.
This was a funeral.
His funeral
Alarmed at the fact that somehow, he’d caught himself in the middle of a nightmare, he attempted to lucid dream his way out of it.
But his body was so still. So cold . Any attempt he made at an escape felt hopeless. Ranboo realized as a terrifying chill ran down his back, that he couldn’t lucid dream.
Oh god, he couldn’t get out. He was completely stuck, lying dead at what he presumed to be his own funeral, listening to Tubbo’s insistent cries that whatever had happened wasn’t his fault.
All that talk about nightmares. It must have triggered Ranboo into having one himself. The real question was, why?
Why now, after eleven whole years completely nightmare-free, was this the turning point?
“I just- I don’t know how it happened. One minute we were fine, the next-”
“Look. You wanna make excuses? Make excuses to your heart’s content. But don’t deny the fact that his death is on your hands.”
Ranboo wanted to scream. Scream that it wasn’t Tubbo’s fault, that it was all just a-
...all just a dream.
Wait.
Tubbo had told him that his nightmares usually consisted of people he loved dying. Leaving him for inexplicable reasons. This scenario seemed a little too-
Ranboo’s heart skipped a beat as he realized couldn’t lucid dream because this wasn’t his own dream.
It was Tubbo’s .
Alarmed at the realization, his mind raced as he desperately tried to think up a way to get them out.
It’s okay, Tubbo, this isn’t real.
Please, wake up.
He wanted to scream. He wanted to reassure Tubbo that none of this was happening, that if he just woke up everything would be alright.
But he couldn’t, Ranboo was completely mute. He’d have to wait out the nightmare with Tubbo.
He hadn’t felt this powerless in years.
-
I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so-
Tubbo woke up with a jump, his breathing ragged and his skin damp with sweat. It was just a dream.
Thank god.
His shuffling around must have woken Ranboo. He looked up through a mess of scruffy hair and squinted eyes, locking his gaze with Tubbo’s.
“Shit, did I wake you?”
“No, no, you’re fine.” He paused, then added, “Did you have a nightmare?”
Tubbo nodded.
“Do you want to talk about it? It might help you feel better.”
He hesitated. He did, but he also didn’t. He didn’t like reliving those thoughts, but it simultaneously helped get them out of his mind.
“Okay. Just- give me a minute. I’m still trying to process… yeah.”
“It’s okay, take your time.”
“You died , Ranboo. I was at your funeral, and…”
He swore that for a very, very brief second, Ranboo’s expression looked almost shocked. But it was back to normal by the time Tubbo blinked, so he was almost certain that he’d simply imagined it.
“Tommy blamed me for your death. It was terrifying, Ranboo-”
“Hey, hey, look, I’m here right now, and I’m perfectly okay.”
“I thought you were gone, Ranboo.”
“But I’m not. Here-” he pulled Tubbo into his arms, burying his face in the shorter man’s fluffy brunet hair. Tubbo hugged back instantaneously, wrapping his arms around him so tightly Ranboo looked as though he might suffocate.
Oh.
Then came Tubbo’s question, so quiet that he was almost certain Ranboo hadn’t heard it.
“Can we cuddle tonight?”
He had. “Of course. But not for too long, my alarm’s supposed to go off in an hour or two.”
Tubbo wasn’t listening. He buried his face into Ranboo’s chest, clinging to him as though he might slip out of grasp and disappear at any moment.
This man was gonna be the death of him.
Tubbo must’ve fallen asleep quickly because he swore that only a couple of seconds had passed when he looked up again, but when he did it was light outside, and Ranboo was nowhere to be seen.
-
Tubbo
did you make it home safe???
Ranboo
I’m still walking, I’m almost home. Are you feeling any better?
Tubbo
still pretty freaking exhausted. i slept well for the time u were there tho, so thank u for that
Ranboo
Of course, maybe I’ll just have to start sleeping over regularly again :)
Ranboo made it home right at the same moment that Tommy had just woken up. They stumbled into each other when Ranboo entered the kitchen, a determined look on his face.
“Tommy, you’re not gonna believe what happened last night.”
“Actually, I’ve got a pretty good hunch,” Tommy joked. “But go on, tell me anyway.”
“So I’m 99% sure that I do have powers, because last night when I was over at Tubbo’s, I-”
“You projected yourself into his dream, congratulations.” Tommy finished the sentence for him, which Ranboo then glared at him for. “Thank god you finally figured it out, you’ve got no idea how long that’s been killing me for. Yes, Ranboo, you do have powers, and your teachers weren’t entirely wrong for thinking that lucid dreaming had something to do with-”
“Okay, okay, I get it. I’m oblivious to literally everything.” Ranboo laughed.
“I’m just messing with you. Really, man. I’m proud of you.”
“I can’t believe you just knew this whole time. How the hell do you keep a secret like that in for so long?”
Tommy shrugged. “I promised I wouldn’t tell you anything about your future. And believe me, there were times I wanted to smack you across the face and tell you that you had powers, you stupid, stubborn bastard-”
“Okay, okay, I get it. We have established the fact that I’m a literal dumbass.”
“Nah, you’re not a dumbass. You’re just not a psychic.”
-
The weekend went by fast. All of a sudden it was Monday, meaning time for Ranboo to reveal the big news to his teachers.
He was nervous. What would they say? Would they laugh and tell him “I told you so”? Or would nothing change? His teachers’ assumptions about his powers hadn’t been that far off.
Turns out, he had nothing to be nervous about. Most of his teachers were excited for him and suggested he take extra class periods with Mrs. Reynolds to really train his abilities.
At that point, he was absolutely sure he wasn’t ordinary like he originally thought, so the offer didn’t sound half bad. He agreed to take the history of magic off tomorrow in exchange for extra one on one training.
When he got outside, Tommy was already waiting for him.
“How’d it go?”
“I think you already know.”
Tommy shoved his friend playfully. They were sitting on the stairs leading outside of the school building. They weren’t in a hurry to move anywhere, so they took the time to reflect on their school days.
“Well, yeah, but I wanna hear it anyway.”
“It went good, then” Ranboo smiled. “All my teachers were supportive, and told me I could skip a class every now and then for extra practice time.”
“Yeah? That’s great, dude!”
“Yeah, yeah.” He paused. “It’s just… now that I know for sure that I have powers, I’m gonna have to stay away from Tubbo, aren’t I?”
Tommy frowned. “What makes you say that?”
“If I’m practicing magic regularly, wouldn’t my magic energy just make him sick to be around? I don’t want to hurt him, and-”
“Ranboo. You’ve already been practicing magic regularly for years now. Your ability to lucid dream? It’s not normal. People without magic spend years trying to master that, you just ‘figured it out’ when you were s child? That’s magic.”
“But aren’t we supposed to distance ourselves from the human world as much as possible?”
Tommy shrugged. “You never let that ‘rule’ stop you before. What’s so different about it now that you know you have powers?”
“I-” Ranboo paused, trying to find the right words to describe whatever the hell it was he was feeling.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re nervous, and that’s perfectly okay. Finding out you have supernatural powers is scary, I would know. But you have to remember that Tubbo is my friend too, and I’ve known about my abilities for about as long as I can remember. You can’t let this come in between you and Tubbo’s relationship. He’s your friend, you’re supposed to-”
“Tommy, no spoilers!”
Tommy grinned. “Oops. Guess that bit just slipped.”