Chapter Text
“Your eyes are weird, why are they like that?” A child-like voice squealed to a child Ranboo, who pouted in response.
“You should cover them, no one wants to look at weird eyes,” They said, and while Ranboo knew it was mindless teasing, it affected them.
They started wearing sunglasses at the age of 12.
—
“Why is your mouth like that? I know you’re an Enderman freak, but damn,” A teenage boy's voice scoffed, and Ranboo covered their mouth with their hands. For a while, he didn’t speak, their mouth basically being non-existent if he didn’t open it.
Ranboo started wearing the mask at 15.
—
Ranboo stared at himself in the mirror, his duo-colored eyes stared back at him, tear streak burns making fun and taunting them. He slipped the sunglasses on, sighing gently. The tint of the glasses barely affected his vision at this point.
They look at their mouth, opening it. Their mouth looked like an enderman’s, wide and skin connected together in some areas. They closed it again, slowly putting the mask on. Finally, they left their bathroom to go downstairs to his family.
Tubbo, his husband that started platonically, and now…now they had no clue what was going on. Michael, his son who they adopted from the hell realm, and Tommy, his best friend who pretends to hate him for stealing his best friend, even though everyone knows he’s full of shit.
None of them have seen Ranboo’s real face. Not even Tubbo. They didn’t even sleep in the same room. Granted, Tubbo never pushed and Ranboo never tried, but still, some thought it was weird. Ranboo made it down into the living room, picking up his son, who gave them a big hug when picked up.
“Hello, Michael. Glad to see you’re doing well,” Ranboo chuckled, nuzzling their clothes cheek against his sons. “You too, Tubbo, Tommy,” Ranboo greeted.
“Hey, Ranboo,” Tubbo smiled at him, “How did you sleep?” Tubbo asked.
“I slept fine, how did you sleep?” Ranboo asked.
“I slept quite alright. Tommy?”
Tommy glanced up from the fabrics he was sewing together, a hobby he’d continued when Ranboo and Tubbo both gave him tremendous support for it.
“I slept fucking great,” Tommy said.
“Language in front of Michael, please,” Ranboo said, tapping Michael’s nose, and Tommy hummed in response before going back to what he was doing.
The four spent their day together, Ranboo teaching Michael common, Tommy sewing, and Tubbo crocheting, a hobby he’d picked up a while back. And by the time dinner came around, Ranboo made steak and potatoes. Tubbo placed Michael in his highchair by the time Ranboo had finished cooking.
Tommy had helped set the table and portion food before they all sat down to eat. Ranboo focused on feeding Michael, as they usually did at dinner(they ate later when Tubbo put Michael down for the night and he’s alone). Tubbo and Tommy made good conversation as Ranboo focused on Michael.
“Ranboo?” Tubbo asked, catching his husband's attention.
“Yes, Tubbo,” Ranboo responded, wiping Michael's mouth clean from mashed potatoes.
“I don’t mean to be intrusive, but will you ever feel comfortable taking your mask and glasses off around us?” Tubbo asked, “You know that I don’t mind, I just don’t want you to feel like you can’t at least eat dinner with us is all.”
Ranboo hummed, “I mean, probably. I don’t mind focusing on Michael during dinner, though. Someone has to,” he said.
“You know I can handle feeding our son,” Tubbo mumbled, and Ranboo chuckled.
“I know, Bee, that’s not what I was saying,” Ranboo reassured. “I don’t mind focusing on Michael while you relax and eat, Tubbo. As for my mask…” Ranboo trailed off.
“Ranboo, you know he would never force you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. Neither of us would,” Tommy said, and they nodded.
“I know. I’ve...just been called a freak for my face for as long as I can remember. Rather not hear it from either one of you, honestly. Don’t know how I’d handle that,” Ranboo said honestly, and Tubbo frowned.
“Ranboo, we’d never call you that, even if half of your face was melted off...is half of your face melted off?” Tubbo said, and Ranboo chuckled.
“No, Tubbo, my face is not half melted off,” They chuckled, “But I do have scars on my face. Specifically under my eyes and down my cheeks,” Ranboo mumbled.
“Why?” Tubbo asked, “If I may ask.”
“Crying,” Ranboo said simply.
“Huh?” Tubbo asked.
“Water burns my face, Tubbo,” Ranboo said, waiting for Tubbo to get it.
“Wait, your face burns when you cry?” Tommy asked, before putting a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth as Ranboo fed Michael a piece of meat.
“Yep, unfortunately,” Ranboo chuckled, “One of the reasons I wear the mask.”
“Well, whenever you’re ready, Boo. But, no rush,” Tubbo said, giving Ranboo a small smile, to which Ranboo nodded in response before Michael yelped and started to jump around in his seat.
“I think someone’s all done eating,” Ranboo chuckled, and Tubbo smiled. “I’m going to give him a lava bath, he needs one. You two finish eating,” Ranboo said, and the two nodded.
“We’ll get the kitchen cleaned as well, Ranboo,” Tubbo promised.
“Well you might, I’ve not doin’ a fuckin thing,” Tommy mumbled, taking another bite of steak.
“Stop swearing in front of Michael,” Ranboo said, deepening his voice just enough for Tommy to nod in slight fear, as Ranboo lifted Michael from his seat. “Don’t kill each other while I’m gone,” Ranboo said, their voice back to normal.
“Yeah, yeah, have fun with the toddler. Don’t set anything on fire,” Tubbo called, and Ranboo chuckled as they left the living room and walked to the stairway of the basement. The lava baths happened downstairs around a bunch of stone so no wood risked catching on fire.
As Ranboo bathed Michael, Tommy and Tubbo cleaned the kitchen and dining room as Tubbo said they would, honestly surprising Ranboo when they returned. By that time, it was Michael’s bedtime, and Ranboo had a chance to eat as Tommy and Tubbo went to put Michael to bed.
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A couple of weeks later, it was late into the night, and everyone had gone to bed. Well, except Ranboo. Ranboo was finding it hard to sleep. Alone in the room, they assigned for themselves, he stared out of the window. Watching as the snow fell, his room felt cold, and no amount of blankets could warm him.
Ranboo slipped his mask and glasses on, before slipping out of bed and leaving his room. His feet gently tapped against the carpet as they walked to Tubbo’s room. He slowly opened the door, finding Tubbo peacefully asleep in the large bed in the room meant to be the both of theirs. Ranboo slowly closed the door after walking in, maybe he couldn’t sleep in here, but this room was warmer than their own so he could stay for now.
He made his way over to a rocking chair, carefully sitting in it and enjoying the heat of the room, staring out of the window the chair was in front of, subconsciously, they started rocking gently, watching the snowfall again. He didn’t know how long they’d been in here until he heard their name called.
“R’nboo?” Tubbo’s voice whispered tiredly, and Ranboo’s head snapped over. “What’s wrong, big man?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” Ranboo said simply, “I was too cold, and this room is quite warm. I can leave, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“No, no. C’mere,” Tubbo said, patting the bed, “You may not sleep in here, but it’s still just as much your room as it is mine.”
Ranboo chuckled, standing up and sitting down on the bed. Tubbo sat up, scooting over to make more room for Ranboo. They pulled the blankets over them, and Tubbo laid his head on their shoulder, lacing their hand together.
“You’ll always be beautiful to me, Ranboo. Whether or not you take the mask off. I just want you to know that” Tubbo whispered, obviously tired, but Ranboo smiled anyway.
“Thank you, Tubbo. You’re quite beautiful as well,” Ranboo chuckled, and Tubbo smiled, curling up against them. “Get some more sleep, ‘Bo.”
“Mhm,” Tubbo whispered before his breathing deepened as he slipped back into unconsciousness.
||||||||||
When Tubbo woke up again, it was a bright morning, the sun reflecting the snow into the room. He felt another body sitting beside him, and he jumped away before realizing who it was. Ranboo had fallen asleep sitting straight up, mask and glasses unbothered. Tubbo smiled, sitting up and kissing the side of Ranboo's head, right in the hair, before slipping out of the bed.
Tubbo heard Michael snorting and walking around in his room, so he walked in and smiled as Michael looked up at him and snorted happily, reaching up for his Dada.
“Hey, Michael. How long have you been up, buddy?” Tubbo asked, being able to tell it hadn’t been a while since Michael still looked very tired. “Are you hungry, bud?” Tubbo asked, and Michael shook his head no. “No? Then do you wanna go see Papa?”
“Mhm! Mhm!” Michael hummed, having picked up on Ranboo’s humming habit. Tubbo smiled, taking Michael out of the room, checking on Tommy, who was still peacefully sleeping, before going back upstairs to his room.
Ranboo was awake at this point, mask, and glasses still on, rubbing the side of their head as the two walked in.
“Looks like Papa’s awake,” Tubbo said, setting Michael down on the bed.
“Hey, Michael,” Ranboo greeted, his voice not as tired as Tubbo expected. “How did you sleep, bud?”
“Mhm! Mhm!” Michael said, getting a chuckle from Ranboo.
“I knew you’d picked up on that, that’s good. Very good,” Ranboo said, pulling Micheal into their lap.
Tubbo hopped onto the bed, making it bounce gently, “How’s your back and neck, you slept in a weird position,” Tubbo asked.
“I’m a little sore at the moment, but it was worth it. We’ve never slept in the room before,” Ranboo said, almost a little sad about it.
“Yeah, you’re much warmer than I thought you’d be,” Tubbo chuckled, getting a small chuckle from Ranboo as well.
For a while, they sat in calm silence, before Ranboo readjusted on the bed, gently moving Michael as he did. They reached their hands up and hesitated as they grabbed their glasses.
“Ranboo, you don’t-” Tubbo said.
“Just, promise you won’t run away?” Ranboo cut him off, sounding small and genuine, a voice Tubbo had never heard from the Enderman-hybrid.
“I would never run from you,” Tubbo promised, and Ranboo nodded. Their hands started to tremble as they pulled the glasses off. He instinctively closed his eyes, just so they could take a moment to adjust to the real light of the world and not the tinted glasses before opening them again.
The red and green eyes were finally visible, but Ranboo wouldn’t look at Tubbo as he grabbed the earloops of his mask, hesitating with that as well. Tubbo grabbed
Ranboo’s arm, making Ranboo freeze, even though the hand was gentle.
“Don’t force it,” Tubbo whispered, sounding distant as he looked into Ranboo's eyes. “Holy Prime, you’re eyes are gorgeous, why would you hide them?” Tubbo whispered. Ranboo paused again, but not from fear this time as he made eye contact with Tubbo, ignoring the Enderman side of him twisting their stomach.
“What?” Ranboo whispered.
“They’re gorgeous, Boo. I didn’t expect them to be different colors. To be fair, I thought they were purple, like other enderman…” Tubbo whispered. “But this is so much better.
“I’ve…never been complimented on my eyes before. Least, not that I can remember,” Ranboo whispered.
“Then I’ll tell you every day. Isn’t Papa’s eyes beautiful, Mikey?” Tubbo asked, looking down at their son, who was entranced with Ranboo currently, never seeing this much of Ranboo before.
“The scars…”
“The scars only add to you, Ranboo, they don’t make you scary,” Tubbo promised, and Ranboo nodded.
Ranboo raised his arms again, looping his fingers through the earloops of the mask, “My mouth is a bit freakier, just warning you now,” Ranboo whispered.
“You don’t have to-”
“If I don’t know, I don’t know when I’ll do it,” Ranboo whispered, pulling the mask off. Their full face on display now. They felt Tubbo’s eyes on him, “Now you see it all,” Ranboo whispered.
“And I was right. You’re gorgeous,” Tubbo whispered, gently placing a hand on Ranboo’s cheek, rubbing his thumb against the tear scars. “Your face is who you are, Ranboo. As an enderman, and whatever else you might be, of course, you’re going to have traits of them. It doesn’t make you a freak. It makes you...you. And I wouldn’t trade you for anything.”
Ranboo looked over at him, a smile on his mouth, though it was a thin line because Enderman mouths were practically non-existent when closed, Tubbo could see it in his eyes. Finally.
“You’re not gonna scare me away with being who you are, Ranboo,” Tubbo promised, and Ranboo’s eyes welled up with tears. “Oh, no! No, don’t cry. I’m sorry!”
“Tubbo, happy tears. Granted, they may hurt, but they’re good,” Ranboo chuckled as Tubbo wiped their eyes as soon as they could to prevent them from getting hurt. “Thank you.”
Tubbo smiled, gently kissing Ranboo’s cheek, surprising the half-enderman, though he smiled again when Tubbo pulled back.
“I’m assuming you’re still going to wear the mask around Tommy,” Tubbo said, and Ranboo nodded, “But, you can finally sleep in here with me now, if you’re comfortable, of course.”
“You know. I just might do that,” Ranboo chuckled, slipping his mask and glasses back on. “I think we should go make breakfast, yeah?”
“Let’s go!” Tubbo chuckled, hopping off the bed and pulling Ranboo up with him.