After the Storm

Ranboo visits Technoblade on Thursday, as he always does, except this time he's dressed far more casually than usual as he enters the warrior's house. Tommy's still got his suit, after all, and the only clothes that the enderman has are the clothes he borrowed from his younger friend. It should be fine. Only-

Only Technoblade has gone deathly still, and deathly pale, and his hand is fisted around his mug so tightly that Ranboo can hear the ceramic creaking. The piglin's reddish gaze is fixed firmly on the borrowed sweatshirt. "Where did you get that?" he demands.

Ranboo frowns. The sweatshirt is pretty ordinary, actually - a soft baby-blue material, the sleeves pushed up towards Ranboo's elbows because the fabric is just a tad too short for his lanky frame. The only thing special about it is the logo embroidered in gold thread that sits directly above Ranboo's heart. "Tommy lent it to me."

It's like someone pulled the rug out from under the blood god's feet; he sits down on the floor, mug forgotten, and his gaze grows distant as he whispers a barely-audible, "Oh."

"Um, are you okay? Because you kind of look like you're going to pass out-"

Elsewhere in the house, footsteps sound - Philza descending from upstairs, no doubt, since he was helping his eldest reorganize his enchanting space. A few moments later proves Ranboo's assumption correct. The avian appears in the doorway and freezes the instant he takes in Techno's current state. "What's going on?"

Techno turns glassy eyes towards him, swallows, jerks his head towards Ranboo as if that alone explains why he's huddled on the kitchen floor, looking for all the world like someone just murdered his entire family in front of him. Phil turns a concerned gaze towards the enderman hybrid. A beat passes, then two, and then the blood drains from Phil's face. "Oh my gods. Where did- how-"

"Tommy," Techno manages.

Ranboo shifts in place, more than a little freaked out at this point. "Is this a bad time to ask what's happening, or...?"

A strangled laugh escapes Phil's mouth and he shakes his head. Ranboo pretends not to notice the way his hands are shaking, too. "Those are Tommy's clothes."

"Why is everyone surprised by that? I mean, I was surprised that he had different colors in his closet, too, but you're both acting like it's the end of the world."

"No, it's- those are Tommy's clothes. From before the Dream SMP."

The teen frowns and does some calculating. "That would've been...his Business Bay days?"

Philza's voice is quiet, somber. "Those are from the Antarctic Empire, mate."

And now it makes sense. Because Ranboo has had conversations with Tommy about the Antarctic Empire. Has held him together on nights where all the blond could think about was the fact that his own family finally abandoned him for the once-glorious kingdom and left him in the less-than-capable hands of a mentally unstable older brother. Has sat for hours on the couch with Tommy curled up against him because he needed to feel loved, to feel wanted.

"I didn't realize he kept the outfits," Techno murmurs. "I thought that after he left, he would've gotten rid of everything."

"After you left, you mean." And Ranboo suddenly realizes, as the two warriors flinch and stare at him with guilt-ridden expressions, that he said that out loud. He clears his throat and stands a little straighter, knowing that there's no backing down now.

And maybe, just maybe, he doesn't want to back down - because Tommy is, has been, and always will be worth fighting for. He deserves so much more than he actually gets on this messed-up server. He deserves the world. And Ranboo is more than willing to give it to him.

"You two abandoned him, left him in Wilbur's hands when you knew that he wasn't even capable of taking care of himself, much less the two of them. You went off to play in a castle while Tommy sat there wondering why his family didn't love him enough to stay. He kept the clothes in hopes that maybe you'd come back, that you'd see he still needed you. And you didn't. And then everything collapsed like a godsdamned house of cards, and Tommy was left to pick up the pieces of your mess. So don't act like you didn't have a hand in all of this. Don't act innocent. You aren't."

Phil is speechless. Techno looks pained. "Ranboo-"

Oh my gods oh my gods why did I do that- "I-I should go." His heart is pounding and he can't tell if the temperature in the room has risen or dropped, and he's pretty sure he may pass out if he doesn't move, and-

-and suddenly he's standing in his own living room, and he's never been more grateful for his enderman traits in his entire life. Tommy and Tubbo, meanwhile, just look Very Concerned, for some reason. It couldn't possibly be concern for him, but he can't make out what Tubbo is saying over the roaring in his ears. He sways on his feet, but before he can fall, there are hands on his back, helping him sit, and- oh, that's Tommy's forehead pressed against his, and his hand is being held to Tommy's chest directly over his heart. The steady rise and fall of the blond's chest is soothing. Grounding.

It's a long four minutes before Ranboo's breathing evens out and he can sit upright again. "Sorry," he says weakly.

"Boo, what was that about?" Tubbo asks after a moment's hesitation.

Ranboo bites his lip and glances to his right, where Tommy still hovers anxiously. "I...I may have gone off on Phil and Techno."

"What? Why?"

"Because some things are worth fighting for," is all Ranboo says, but his gaze locks with Tommy's and holds, and despite no words passing between them, Ranboo knows that his friend understands. Tommy swallows and reaches over to grab his hand, squeezing it as he chokes out an, "I love you."

"I love you too, Toms."