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*
It had been going on for a while now.
The sharp stares, muttered words, blatant ignorance.
Ranboo didn’t know what to do anymore. He had tried talking to Tommy, giving gifts, even going as far as leaving netherite armor in his chests.
Nothing worked.
And that was how Ranboo found himself in his panic room, the one he hadn’t touched since the appropriately titled Doomsday, sobbing until his skin went red.
“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry—“ He whimpered, clawed hands tugging at bicolored hair.
“I’m sorry I’m sorry—“
His head shot up at the sound of splashing water, out of place in the eerily calm day. Ranboo curled into himself, rocking back and forth in the damp corners of his panic room. Panic box would have been a more accurate name for the dark rectangle he had gotten so familiar with.
Ranboo snapped his teeth down on his bottom lip as a shadow passed over the entrance of his room, trembling in fear as a flash of green entered his vision.
Please don’t be—he’s gone he’s gone he’s gone—can’t hurt you anymore—you’re FINE—
Ranboo exhaled sharply as the same face he had been stressing over for weeks popped into view. The darker thoughts he had been pushing away came flooding in all at once, bringing more tears to his reddened eyes.
“Please don’t hurt me—I’m sorry—“ He said, lowering his hands from his hair to cover his black and white face.
“Fuckin’—what?”
**
Tommy stepped down into the obsidian room, shivering as a wave of damp air rushed over his skin.
He had been collecting sugarcane when an enderman-esque screech had broken through his thoughts, leading him to where he stood now.
“Please don’t hurt me—I’m sorry—“ Someone said.
“Fuckin’—what?” Tommy said, looking down at the person cowering in the corner. As he looked at them, the person started to look like a certain enderman-hybrid he had been ignoring for the past fuck knows how long.
“Ranboob? The fuck are you on about?” He spat, staring at the quivering teen sat in front of him.
“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry—“ Ranboo babbled, rubbing at his scarred face. Tommy asked him why he was sorry, with some more colorful additions, but the enderman-hybrid couldn’t force out any more words.
“I’m gonna need to to calm down, big man, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say!” Tommy exclaimed, close to tears himself.
Ranboo grabbed at Tommy’s pants, moving his hand in a writing-like gesture.
“You want to write something?” He asked, confused. Ranboo nodded vigorously, choking on his tears.
Tommy searched through his bag, pulling out a slightly soggy book he had been planning on making a schedule in. He handed the limp book over to Ranboo, who wrote in slanted handwriting:
Why do you hate me?
He froze.
Ranboo—
Ranboo thought Tommy hated him?
He knows he acted like it, but only because he was a bit annoyed with the enderman-hybrid, nobody could truly hate the sweet teen.
But he thought so.
Shit.
“Ranboo! No, no, I don’t hate you big man, fuck me—I don’t hate you!” Tommy scrambled to find an answer for the hybrid, who was looking up at him through wet eyelashes.
“I thought—“ Ranboo started, “But you—”
Tommy decided, fuck this, and wrapped his arms around the trembling hybrid. Ranboo tensed, but didn’t pull away, gradually leaning into Tommy’s arms.
“M’sorry I made you think I hated you, big man.”
Ranboo whimpered, wrapping his lanky arms around Tommy.
“I forgive you, Tommy.”
Tommy sniffed back at his own tears, rubbing his face against the rough fabric of Ranboo’s suit.
“Thank you, boob boy.”
Ranboo laughed wetly, untangling himself from the hug even though he desperately wanted to lean back into Tommy’s comforting arms.
“Why do I associate myself with you again?”
“Because I’m a big man.”
“Sure.”
***