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“I’m home!” Tubbo stomps the snow off his boots as he steps through the door, and he hangs his coat up on the rack beside it. He made the coat rack himself out of leftover spruce from a tree that fell last year. It’s screwed to the wall and so stuffed with coats that he has to push some out of the way to hang his up.
“Dad!” Michael runs into the foyer, sliding on the rug and falling on his butt as he tries to get to Tubbo. He grins up at his father as Tubbo laughs. Ranboo walks into the room behind Michael; much more hesitant, as usual.
“Hey, Tubbo! How was your day?” Ranboo asks.
“The usual. Meetings and testing.” Tubbo reaches down a hand and hoists Michael up. He’s only eight, but he’s growing like crazy. Tubbo remembers when he was only up to his knees. When they rescued him from the Nether, both understanding the loneliness he felt from being an orphan and an outcast.
“Dad, did you set off any explosives today?”
“Did you hear a blast that makes your ears ache?”
“No.”
“Then you have your answer.” He grins at Michael, the smile not fully reaching his fake eye, and lopsided from the scars, and ruffles his hair as he walks past. Michael and Ranboo trail behind as he makes his way to the kitchen.
Ranboo already has the pot boiling and grabs two mugs.
“D’you want a cuppa, Michael?” Tubbo asks. Michael nods and Ranboo reaches back toward the open shelving to grab another mug.
“I was thinking-“ Ranboo starts, pouring hot water in a Star Trek mug, “we should go out tomorrow to cut down a tree. For Christmas. We can bring Michael along, too.”
Tubbo is struck with a chord of anxiety, but shakes it off. He’s not out there anymore. Michael will be safe. He twists his face back into a smile and nods his head, long hair shaking with the movement.
“Yeah, I think that would be nice.” Ranboo sits a mug in front of Tubbo and smiles quietly. He’s proud of himself for coming up with an idea on his own.
Ranboo is hesitant with everything. Slow to trust, and slow to love. He will repeat his order twenty times to himself before he’s ready to tell the waitress, making sure he knows exactly what he wants, knows exactly how he’s going to say it. He never voices ideas aloud, either, always afraid they’re not his own, or that they’re not good enough to even consider.
Tubbo knows all this, and knows that Ranboo is smarter than he lets on.
“Good idea, Ranboo. Tomorrow morning we’ll go out and find a tree.”
The next morning they wake up to light snow flurrying down to the ground in glittering swirls. It’s always snowy in Snowchester, Tubbo chose the name for a reason. Ranboo helps Michael get wrapped up in a coat and boots, scarf wrapped around his neck and a hat pressed down on his head. Tubbo throws on his usual coat, an old bomber covered in patches and matted wool around the neck. When Ranboo’s finished with Michael he wraps a cloak around himself and grabs his axe. Then, they’re ready to head out.
The walk out to the evergreen forest is short, but enjoyable. The three are cozy in their layers and make easy small talk; Tubbo sharing too much information about his job and making them pinky promise not to tell anyone else, Michael talking animatedly about the most recent book him and Ranboo took turns reading from. Ranboo is content to stay silent, watching his boys with dark, shining eyes.
After finding and cutting down the perfect tree, Ranboo lets Michael ride on his shoulders on the way back to the house while Tubbo drags the evergreen behind them. It cuts a perfect path through the snow and Tubbo’s survival instinct tells him this is leaving a noticeable trail straight to their home. The practical part of his brain reminds him they’re safe now.
When they get home and set the tree up in the living room in front of the window, Ranboo declares they should string popcorn and gets to work pulling out kernels. As he sets the pan on the stove top and the symphony of popcorn popping crescendos, Tubbo and Michael begin wrapping the tree in lights and tinsel.
The tinsel glitters in the firelight, and though Michael is old enough now to have seen it once or twice before, he still stares like it’s magic. He runs the silver through his hands and watches as the light stains them, too.
When the popcorn is done Ranboo grabs a needle and thread and places himself in the rocking chair in the corner where one would usually find him journaling. Michael sits at his feet stealing popcorn when he thinks neither of his parents are looking. Ranboo smiles quietly and Tubbo smirks at Michael’s back as he sits by the fireplace sharpening Ranboo’s axe.
The rest of the evening is relaxed and Ranboo ends up popping another batch of popcorn just to snack on.
The next day is Christmas Eve and Tubbo travels to Spawn to trade for and collect Christmas presents. When he gets back, looking like a war rugged version of Santa he walks in to Michael running laps around the house.
“IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE! IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE!” Michael chants over and over while he runs in circles. When Ranboo hears the door open he walks into the foyer, barely stepping out of the way of Michael in time, with a look of exasperation written across his face.
“He’s been like this since you left this morning.” Ranboo takes the sack from Tubbo while he hangs his coat up at the door and slips his boots off.
Tubbo laughs and grabs the sack back from Ranboo. He sits beside the tree and starts unpacking gifts. Among the things he picked out for Ranboo and Michael himself are presents from Tommy, Puffy, and Niki. Tommy’s are packaged roughly in brown paper and ties haphazardly in twine, names marked large across the tops. Puffy’s and Niki’s are both wrapped perfectly in warm colors and shiny bows.
It’s almost impossible to get Michael to sleep that night, he’s so wired. Ranboo sits with him for a good two hours reading from a book over plant life. When Tubbo finally crawls out of bed to see if Ranboo is going to join him, he sees them both passed out in Michael’s bed and decides to leave him for the night. He takes the book from Ranboo’s lap and pulls the blankets up to his chin. He places a kiss on Michael’s forehead and smiles as he watches Michael’s lips quirk up in his sleep.
Christmas morning is caressed by even heavier snow than the previous days. It piles up by their front door and Tubbo has to press to get the door to open when Techno arrives carrying a bag full of gifts and a pan of bread from Phil.
“Uncle Techno!” Michael screams when he notices who is at the door. “Did you bring Steve?”
“Of course! Steve loves the snow. He’s just out front.” Techno pats Michael’s head as Michael runs past to gape out the window, begging his dad to let him go out and see the polar bear up close. Ranboo concedes and the two run out into the freezing wind to quickly pet the polar bear and share cookies.
Tubbo turns to Techno. “I’m glad you could make it, Techno. Michael really looks up to you. I think you make him feel less alone. You know as well as I how important that is.”
Techno smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes, as if the scars around his mouth are restricting it. Tubbo understands that feeling as he returns with his own lopsided grin.
Techno releases his cloak and Tubbo makes space on the coat rack to hang it up. Techno makes his way toward the fireplace, sitting down his gifts by the tree, and leaning down to warm his hands on the light.
When Ranboo and Michael finally make their way back inside they find Tubbo and Techno enjoying each other’s silence near the fireplace.
“W-well. How about we open presents?” Ranboo suggests and it doesn’t take even that much to get Michael on board.
Techno laughs and hands his gifts over first. Enchanting books for the duo and a polar bear plushie for Michael.
“I’ll name him Steve!” Michael pronounces and dives into the rest of his gifts. A sweater from Niki, a wooden sword from Puffy, and a wooden figurine of himself from Tommy.
Tubbo hands Ranboo a small box and Ranboo gasps as he opens it.
“Ender pearl earrings. I thought they matched your eyes.” Tubbo smiles hesitantly and Ranboo looks up with a gracious smile.
“They’re beautiful. Now my gift feels silly.” He looks sheepish and Tubbo frowns.
“No! No, let me see.”
Ranboo hands him a small journal marked ‘Tubbo’. The book is bound with leather and string and when he opens it to the first page he finds a short message and a sketch of their family.
‘Tubbo, You’re always there for me, even when I’m not. You know how to handle my episodes and you know that it takes time for me to open up. I see the confidence you have in me and I hope someday to be as confident in myself. I’m no good with words, and I don’t know how to show it, but I am forever grateful we met, as horrible as the situation was back then. We got through it together, and I believe we will continue to make it through. Love, Your Beloved’
The room is silent as Tubbo looks down at the picture of him, Ranboo, and Michael staring up at him, all with graceful smiles on their faces.
“Dad, are you okay?” Michael asks concerned, and that’s when Tubbo realizes he’s crying, tears rolling down his cheek. He reaches his hand up, wiping his tears as his gaze meets Ranboo’s horrified expression. He puts a watery smile on his face and puts one of his hands over Ranboo’s.
He glances back at Michael. “Yeah, buddy. I’m just-“ he takes a shaky breath in. “I’m just happy.”
His gaze meets Techno’s next and understanding shines in his eyes and that look makes Tubbo bawl harder and suddenly arms are wrapped around him. Ranboo’s around his shoulders, Michael’s around his waist. Though Ranboo doesn’t cry, Tubbo can feel the weight lifting from Ranboo’s shoulders and he sobs.
“I love you. I love you guys.”
Merry Christmas.