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Tommy slowly walked through the hallways of the mansion, his footsteps muffled by his socks. He clutched his arms around his torso in a self hug, his hair stuck up in cowlicks, and his eyes lidded and his sight blurry as he made his way. He finally reached the room he was searching for, and he slowly opened the door. The door creaked, and he cringed at the sound. He glanced inside, seeing Ranboo awake.
Tommy was about to turn around, not expecting either one of them to be awake, when he noticed something interesting. Ranboo’s eyes were purple. They were sitting up, running his hand through their husband’s hair gently. Tubbo’s head was in Ranboo’s lap, and he appeared to be asleep.
“‘anboo?” Tommy whispered, getting the enderman’s attention.
“⏁⍜⋔⋔⊬? ⏃⍀⟒ ⊬⍜⎍ ⏃⌰⍀⟟☌⊑⏁?” (Tommy, are you alright?)Ranboo’s voice was heavy with an accent that Tommy didn’t recognize, nor a language he could understand.
“Hey...can I come in? Can you even understand me?” Tommy asked.
“⊬⟒⌇,⟟ ☊⏃⋏ ⎍⋏⎅⟒⍀⌇⏁⏃⋏⎅ ⊬⍜⎍. ☊⍜⋔⟒ ⟟⋏...⍜⊑ ⍙⏃⟟⏁-” (Yes, I can understand you. Come in...oh wait-) Ranboo said, before nodding and motioning for him to come in. Tommy slowly walked in. Tommy shut the door, stepping closer.
Tubbo lifted his head, “Tom’s what’s wrong?” He mumbled sleepy, rubbing his eye as Ranboo’s hand fell from his head.
“I just...I didn’t want to be alone. I can-I can go-”
“⌇⏁⏃⊬,” Ranboo said, and Tubbo looked up at him.
“He means stay,” Tubbo said, patting the empty spot next to Ranboo. Tommy sat down, pulling the blankets over him as Ranboo scooted to give him room.
“You can understand him?” Tommy asked.
“Vaguely, I can read his body language and translate a little bit. He’s ‘enderwalking’ right now. You remember me telling you that?” Tubbo asked, his voice thick with sleep.
“Yeah, he basically goes full enderman right?” Tommy asked, and Tubbo shrugged.
“Kinda, a more moderate version. If you make eye contact with him, he won’t try and kill you,” Tubbo said, “But they’ll probably look away immediately.” Tubbo pushed himself against Ranboo’s sturdy frame, cuddling into their chest. Ranboo’s arm wrapped around him.
Tommy glanced up at them, Ranboo focused on Tubbo’s frame, “So, he won’t remember any of this?” Tommy asked.
“Probably not. And I would use this time to mess with them relentlessly, but he’s also very vulnerable in this...kind of headspace,” Tubbo yawned, curling up, “So usually I just sleep through it or cuddle him with Michael.”
“What do you mean vulnerable?” Tommy asked.
“I tried to prank him once, and while his awake state didn’t remember, this one did. They feared me when he fell back into the enderwalk, so much so that they teleported away from me and it took me all night to find him. And even more time to coax them back home,” Tubbo explained. “They’re just...more fearful I guess?”
Tommy hummed, “Does he not realize we’re talking about them?” He asked.
“Oh, they know. He just doesn’t care, do you?” Tubbo asked, looking up at Ranboo. Ranboo shrugged in response, running a claw-like hand through Tubbo’s hair gently, and Tubbo hummed. “If they cared, he’d say something.”
“Interesting,” Tommy said, he slowly leaned on Ranboo’s arm, the warmth from Ranboo warming his body immediately. “They’re warm,” Tommy mumbled.
“My own personal heater,” Tubbo chuckled tiredly, “To be fair, he is quite tall.”
“Fair enough,” Tommy mumbled, curling more into Ranboo, who didn’t seem to mind the attention. “You’re not usually this cuddly, Tubbo,” Tommy whispered.
“I’ve started to...become more open to physical touch I guess. Especially with Ranboo and Michael, and most likely you, but since I know you aren’t too keen on touch anymore, I haven’t really tried to force you to do any sappy shit like I do this one,” Tubbo mumbled tiredly. “I figured that if he could trust me enough to look me in the eyes, I could offer some physical affection sometimes.”
“You two have really gotten close, huh?” Tommy asked, looking up at Ranboo again, who was still staring at Tubbo, gently rubbing his long claw-like fingers through his hair.
“I mean, we are married, Tommy. We were bound to be close,” Tubbo mumbled, “But, he isn’t your replacement.”
Tommy glanced over at Tubbo again, eyebrows pressed together, “You told me-”
“I lied, Toms. I couldn’t handle that I lost you, so I tried to make them your replacement, but...they just fell into a different place. No one could ever replace you, or him. You’re my best friend, my brother, Toms,” Tubbo whispered, reaching a hand out to Tommy, who accepted it and held it firmly.
“Whether or not you like Ranboo, that’s up to you. Trust me, he likes you, but I can’t make you like them. But, they’re not your replacement, they’re an addition to my found family,” Tubbo mumbled.
“I don’t hate Ranboo, Tubbo. I might not...well, actually…they’re alright I guess. He’s proved to be good for you, obviously. I just, sometimes, wish he wasn’t so likable.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I want to hate him,” Tommy looked up at Ranboo again, whose chest was now vibrating like a cat’s purr, they were content. “You hear me, Ranboob? I want to hate you,” Tommy nudged him, and Ranboo looked down at Tommy, but looked at their touching shoulders and not Tommy’s eyes.
“Mhm, mhm,” Ranboo hummed, nodding before looking back at Tubbo.
“But, I can’t. He’s done so much, they’re too...kind.”
“It’s really hard to stay mad at him, huh?” Tubbo chuckled, “You should see when we get into fights. Even when he’s right, I’m stubborn, and they end up apologizing first. Usually in the form of breakfast in bed with Michael, and cleaning everything the whole day. Sometimes it pisses me off. Because they were the right one, and he’s apologizing to me .” Tubbo chuckled, his free hand picking at the blankets.
“Sounds like him, honestly,” Tommy agreed, “He just...takes everything. He doesn’t try to defend himself.”
“Not around us, anyway. When it comes to others, they will sometimes,” Tubbo said.
“Are you scared to stand up to us, boss man?” Tommy asked, looking up at Ranboo, who shook his head. “You’re confusing, you know.”
“I think...I think he just doesn’t find the need to prove themself around us,” Tubbo said. “I mean, why would they? I married him, you’re my best friend who pretends to hate him, and I think even they see through your bullshit.”
“Yeah, probably,” Tommy mumbled.
“So, why feel the need to defend himself? He’s got nothing to prove around us, we already know how they are and who they are as a person,” Tubbo said.
“Fair enough,” Tommy said, curling into Ranboo’s side.
“I feel like you’re trying to avoid how you are by talking about Ranboo,” Tubbo mumbled, “Are you okay? You don’t look okay.”
“I’m fine, Tubbo. Just couldn’t get my mind to calm down. I was hoping you both were already asleep,” Tommy whispered.
“Why’s that?” Tubbo asked, “What were you going to do to us in our sleep?”
“Nothing, you fucking weirdo,” Tommy said, scoffing with no real heat behind it, “I was probably just gonna curl up in that chair or on the floor and sleep and slip out before you two got up.”
“Oh, have fun getting up before Ranboo, they get up at sunrise basically,” Tubbo grumbled. “He’s a really early bird.”
“⋏⍜⏁ ⌇⎍⋏⍀⟟⌇⟒, ⊬⍜⎍ ⟊⎍⌇⏁ ⌇⌰⟒⟒⌿ ⎍⋏⏁⟟⌰ ⋔⟟⎅-⎅⏃⊬,” (Not sunrise, you just sleep until mid-day) Ranboo said, and Tubbo elbowed him gently.
“What did they say?” Tommy said.
“I know it was about me sleeping late. I understood ‘sleep’ and ‘mid-day’,” Tubbo mumbled. “I don’t sleep that long,” he whined. Ranboo nodded, a small smile on their lips. “You’re a jerk,” Tubbo teased, and Ranboo shrugged.
“You do sleep kinda late, Tubbo,” Tommy said.
“You both are dicks,” Tubbo mumbled. “You both are teaming up against me,”
“We’re just telling the truth, Tubbo,” Tommy said, and Ranboo hummed gently, and Tubbo curled up, but never released Tommy’s hand.
“Fuck you both, I’m going back to sleep,” Tubbo mumbled.
“Mhm, goodnight, Tubbo,” Tommy said, and Tubbo smiled.
“Night Tommy, Night Boo,” Tubbo grumbled.
“Night,” Ranboo grumbled deeply, his voice thick.
Tommy looked up at Ranboo, who glanced over at him, making eye contact with Tommy, who looked away out of respect. He felt Ranboo chuckle and then felt a hand in his hair, it was gentle and relaxing.
“Goodnight, Ranboo,” Tommy whispered.
“Goodnight, Tommy,” Ranboo whispered back, and Tommy missed how the accent faded from Ranboo’s voice, and how Ranboo’s eyes shifted from their purple to their usual green and red. Tubbo and Tommy fell asleep, while Ranboo held them throughout the night, smiling to themself.