Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Tommy! Tubbo! Please, I know it’s the first day after winter break, not to mention a Friday, but there are still things that need to be accomplished today.”

“Sorry, Mr. Ant,” Tubbo apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. He was still smiling from Tommy’s joke.

“As I was saying,” the homeroom teacher continued, “This second semester will be unlike last semester. Since you have been doing this for half a year, your instructors expect you to know what’s going on, and will have less tolerance for things such as late and incomplete work.”

Tommy zoned out at this point, peeking out the window. The sun was beginning to ascend above the hill Tommy and Tubbo hung out on daily. The  old willow tree  that the two climbed on appeared a black silhouette, the sun rising behind it. He wished he had his camera with him. It would have been incredible to add to his album.

He had adored photography since he was little. He got his first camera, a tiny waterproof plastic one for kids when he was two years old. He captured pictures of his oldest brother, Techno, sparing; photos of his older brother, Wilbur, playing guitar and singing. He used up all the memory on that camera in a week. When he was twelve, he got a professional camera for Christmas.

He snapped back to reality when the phone rang. The teacher answered, then glanced in Tommy and Tubbo’s direction.

“Yes, I can send them down. Thanks, bye.” He hung up. “Tommy, Tubbo, Mrs. Rose down in the counselors’ office needs to see you two.”

The class let out an “ooo” as the two stood up and stepped into the hallway.

“Soooo,” Tubbo asked, setting his hands in his pockets. “Who is Mrs. Rose again-?”

“No clue,” Tommy shrugged. “Not one of the main counslers, I know that for a fact.”

They wandered in silence down the hall to the counselor hub. It was a small(ish) office with doors leading to all the counselor's rooms. Tubbo approached the receptionist.

“Hi, me and my friend were called to see Mrs. Rose?” the woman looked up and smiled.

“Yes, her room is down two doors on your right.”

Tubbo thanked her, then signaled Tommy to follow. Walking down the hall, they quickly approached a door that had “Mrs. Hannah Rose” embellished on a nametag. Tubbo knocked on the door, and a sweet “Oh, come in!” rang from inside.

The two boys stepped into the office and noticed Mrs. Rose behind her desk. She kept her brown hair in buns, and a dress embroidered with roses. Her green eyes popped against her tanned complexion.

On the other side of the desk from her, was a kid that looked the same age as them. He had messy brown hair longer in the front, a purple hoodie, leggings, tennis shoes, and a half-black-half-white mask on his face. It almost seemed as if he had one green eye and one purple. Not to mention, he was huge, probably around the same height as Tommy, so 6'0.

“Ah, Tommy, Tubbo, right? I don’t think we’ve formally met, but I’m Mrs. Rose, the new arrivals counselor. Please, have a seat.”

The kid was sitting in the left seat, so Tommy and Tubbo took the middle and right chairs. “Now, Tommy, Tubbo, this is…” she hesitated for a moment, skimming through some papers. “Ranboo, right?” She shifted to the kid, who nodded.

“So, Ranboo here is new, this is his first day. Looking over all of your schedules, there are quite a few overlapping classes. There are eight classes in the day, and he shares six with at least one of you, as well as lunch. I figured it would be best if the two of you could show Ranboo around and get to know him, seeing as how you will be spending quite a bit of time together.”

Tubbo was the most enthusiastic about this by far. “Of course!”

Tommy nodded. “Sounds fun. When do we give him his tour?”

Mrs. Rose beamed. “Well, seeing as how the two of you are excelling in your current classes, and there isn’t anything significant going on in them today, I figured you could take all your classes off and give Ranboo the tour during the school day. If you finish before the end of the day, come visit me and I’ll let you all go home prematurely. Maybe you can hang out somewhere nearby.”

Suddenly, Tommy got a lot more eager about the opportunity. "Totally!"

The counselor grinned. "Perfect! Well then, I won't stall you three any longer." She passed a piece of paper to Ranboo. "That's your schedule. I'd recommend prioritizing finding these classrooms on the tour."

He nodded, and the three left the office, Ranboo lagging.

Once they reached the main hallway, Tubbo spoke up. "Well, Ranboo! What's your first class?"

"Oh, uh, homeroom, with Mr. Ant?" His voice was much deeper than Tommy anticipated it to be.

“Oh, that’s our homeroom!” Tubbo exclaimed. "H201, right?" Ranboo nodded. "Yeah, that's not far. Follow me!"

Heading up some nearby stairs, the three entered a hall labeled with the letter H, and rotated, facing a door on their right.

“That’s our homeroom. Mr. Ant’s pretty chill,” Tubbo explained. “Most days, he gives us the whole class period to work on assignments for other classes.”

Tommy snickered. “Just don’t get him started on his cats.”

~-----~

By the end of the school day, they’d shown Ranboo the entire school, as well as helped him figure out where all his classes were. Fortunately, all but one of their teachers were okay. They managed to get the worst of them all, though. Tommy had winced when he noticed he had Mrs. Falmin for world geography. She was known for grading and teaching like a dual credit class, which counted for both college and high school credits, even though she only taught on level.

When the school day ended, they waved each other goodbye, and only after did Tommy realize he hadn’t gotten Ranboo’s phone number.

~-----~

Tommy reached his home around twenty minutes after his older siblings, Technoblade and Wilbur. He took a longer path home than they did, enjoying the more scenic route.

He unlocked the front door, and the first thing he heard was shouting coming from the kitchen. They were arguing about something, Tommy wasn't sure exactly what.

They set their bag down next to the dining room table, took a seat, and pulled out their school laptop. They had a brief video assignment for their statistics class. It shouldn’t have taken more than ten minutes.

However, it ended up taking him over half an hour. There weren’t any walls dividing the kitchen from the dining room, and Tommy had to keep rewinding the video to hear what he needed to. Even after putting on headphones, his older brother's bickering was too loud and distracting.

“Can the two of you please just shut up?!” Tommy once snapped, pausing his video. His brothers whipped their heads around and shouted at him to be quiet and to mind his own business.

Unfortunately, since it was a Friday, his dad, Phil, wouldn’t be home until late that night, around 9:00 pm usually. Tommy took a glance at the time. 3:15.

Once he finally completed the video, he rushed to his room, locking the door. He tried turning on some music and listening through headphones, but the juniors just kept getting louder and louder. Eventually, Tommy texted Tubbo and Phil.

Tommy: Hey, dad? Can I spend the night at Tubbs?

Phil: Sure thing, just make sure Schlatt is alright with it. Any particular reason as to why?

Tommy: No, just want to

Phil: Text me when you get to Tubbo’s house, alright?

Tommy: I will, thanks dad

Tommy: tubbooooo

Tubbo: Yu gud?

Tommy: can i spend the night at your place

Tommy: wilbur and tech are doing it again

Tubbo: leme chek wit dad

Tubbo: he sad you can!

Tommy: cool be over in a sec

Tommy turned his phone off and grabbed his overnight bag from inside his closet. He quickly loaded it with a change of clothes, some pajamas, his gaming laptop, and his headphones. He was about to leave his room when he glanced back at his bed. A red and white small teddy bear rested on the corner of his mattress.

Before he was adopted by Phil, the teddy bear was his only belonging. His mother died due to complications from birth, and seeing as how she had no living relatives, Tommy was put up for adoption. She’d supposedly bought that teddy bear from the hospital gift shop the day before giving birth, and it was the one thing he had to his name during the adoption process.

He packed it in his bag, hiding it under some clothes.

Running down the stairs, he was about to open the front door when Wilbur called his name from behind him. Tommy mentally cursed.

“Where are you going?” Wilbur asked, sounding irritated.

“I’m spending the night at Tubbos,” was Tommy’s reply.

“And you weren’t planning on telling me?”

“You were a bit busy, weren’t you?” Tommy murmured. Wilbur started to yell at him, but Tommy slammed the door in his face, running out of the front yard.

He slowed to a walk once he got off his street, a tear making its way down his cheek. He didn’t know what was happening. The three of them had always gotten along, especially Tommy and Wilbur. All this fighting had just started a month or two ago. Nothing triggered it either. It just happened.

He didn’t acknowledge he started crying until he turned on Tubbos street. Quickly wiping his face and hoping his eyes weren’t red, he approached the front door of Tubbo's house and knocked on the door in a rhythmic pattern that he and Tubbo created for each other.

The door swung open to reveal Tubbo's little sister, Lani. "Oh, hey, Toms!"

Tommy waved softly. "Hey, Lani. Where's Tubbo?"

"He's in his room. You staying the night?" Tommy nodded. "Sweet. Go ahead and go to his room. Dinner should be ready in a few hours."

He quickly thanked her and walked upstairs, knowing where his best friend's room was.

Opening the door, Tubbo whipped his head from where he was playing the piano. "Sup!"

~------~

Around 11 pm, Tommy and Tubbo were laying on the floor on the air mattress his mom brought up.

"Sooo," Tubbo said, breaking the silence. "Wil and Tech are fighting again?"

Tommy nodded. "Don't know why. Wilbur even snapped at me as I was leaving."

Tubbo went silent. "I'm sorry."

Tommy shrugged. "It's fine. Hopefully it'll pass through soon."

Hopefully.

Chapter Text

"RANBOO, PLEASE GET OUT!"

Ranboo woke up with a jolt, sitting up quickly, sweat dripping down his face and body.

He was shaking violently, and he lifted his hand to see how bad it was. Yeah, that was bad. Oh, dear.

He threw off his blanket, pacing around his room trying to calm himself down, however, they weren't feeling any better, probably worse. He decided to get some air, and after putting on a hoodie and shoes, he attempted to open his room door to realize it was locked from the outside. 

Well, shit. Dream must've done it.

So, now, he has two options. One, stay in the room. Two, sneak out the window since he knows how to picklock it.

Okay, pros and cons of each. Might as well write it down.

Okay, staying. Pros, he doesn't have to do much work. That's good, he was still tired. What else... oh! Dream wouldn't get mad! That's a good thing, very good. Cons, he can't get fresh air, and he would probably stay feeling like shit. The pros for leaving, getting fresh air, and going on a walk sounded awesome. But, if Dream found out... He shuddered at the thought. But he  really  didn't want to stay here...

So, he decided to leave.

He grabbed a hairpin and his backpack, then rushed to the window, swiftly picking the lock. Slipping out of the window, closing behind him, he jumped off the roof carefully to not break his legs. He decided that the nearby park would be the best place to chill, so he ran there, the feeling of the wind in his face keeping him cool. Arriving at the park, he decided to sit down on a bench.

"Nice to see someone else comes here to decompress."

Ranboo looked beside him to see Tommy walking towards Ranboo, sitting beside him on the bench. Ranboo scooted more towards the edge to give the blonde some room.

"So, Ranboob," Tommy said, "What brings you to the park at 2:30 in the morning? Also, it's like, -2 degrees, why are you wearing short sleeves?" (A/N: -2 degrees Celcius is 28 degrees Fahrenheit)

Ranboo didn't really realize how cold it was until Tommy mentioned it. He should've brought a coat, or at the very least a hoodie. "I forgot. I was in a rush."

Tommy started taking off his winter coat, but Ranboo stopped him. "No, no, no, keep it, it's fine!"

"Nah, don't worry big man," Tommy assured him. "I have a hoodie underneath, as well as long sleeves. I'll be fine." Tommy handed the red coat to Ranboo, who happily accepted it.

"So, back to my question. Why were you in a rush to get out?"

Ranboo looked down for a moment, before muttering, "Bad dream."

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, I get that. I've been coming here for years."

Tommy peeked his head over to see Ranboo was zoned out. He thought for a second before continuing to talk. "Coming her is always so much different than during the day. It's quiet, makes you apprieciate it."

Ranboo blinked. "Here, look up. I love taking pictures at night, I like photography by the way. The stars are, like, stunning here, I've got some really cool pictures if you'd wanna see them."

Ranboo finally seemed to snap out of it, and that's when Tommy realized he was crying. "Hey, shit, you okay, man?"

Ranboo wiped his face, feeling his hands now wet. "Oh, yeah, uh, sorry. Just, someone I used to know really liked photography. You actually really remind me of her."

"I'm sorry, man. Must be rough."

Ranboo just nodded. They sat in silence for around thirty minutes before he spoke. "I'd like that. Seeing the photos, I mean."

Tommy smiled. "I'd love to show you."

Ranboo smiled back.

Chapter Text

Ranboo snuck back into the window, closing it behind him. Tommy had spent the past hour showing him the pictures he took. It was really fun.

As soon as the window was closed, the lights flickered on. Ranboo's breath hitched, and he turned around to see Dream standing in the doorway.

"Now what were you doing out?"

He searched his mind trying to find a reasonable explanation while stuttering. "Save it, kid. You know Dad doesn't want you going out of your room at night."

Ranboo hung his head in shame, holding and squeezing his arms. Dream signed in disappointment, and walked towards him, putting his hands on Ranboo's shoulder, oh  god please get them off-

"Ranboo, I'm just trying to help you here," Dream said, bending slightly to get to the kid's height. He spoke in a soft tone. "I don't know what I'd do if Dad ever found out about this. You know how he gets." 

Dream shook his head, standing up and backing away a foot. "I'm sorry for this, but I can't seem to get through to you so I have to do this."

Ranboo snapped his head up just in time to see Dream's hand flying towards his face, slapping him in the cheek. He felt tears filling his eyes, it stung so fucking badly.

"You're lucky I'm tired. I'd do more otherwise."

Ranboo slowly put his hand to the stinging cheek, looking at Dream. "Why?"

"I told you, Boo, I-"

"Don't call me that!" Ranboo slapped away the blonde's hand, which has reaching out to touch his arm. "What is wrong with you?"

Dream looked taken aback. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm done with you treating me like shit!" Ranboo snapped, before gasping and covering his mouth with his hand.

Dream's face grew cold. "You... you are going to regret that."

Chapter Text

Tommy sighed, before opening the door to his house.

The first thing he saw was Wilbur pacing back and forth. "Tommy! You spent the night at Tubbo's, didn't you?"

"What's it to you?" Tommy scoffed, dropping his backpack before walking to the living room where Wilbur was.

"I'm your brother, it's my business what you're doing!" Wilbur spat back.

Tommy curled up his fists. "You only care about what I'm doing when it benefits you!"

"How on Earth does this benefit me?" Wilbur yelled. "I just want to make sure your safe!"

"Then why don't you make sure I'm safe everyday?!" Tommy screamed, taking Wilbur aback. "Most days you don't even look at me, you're too busy either wrapped in your own little world or arguing with Techno to even interact with me!"

"I'd be more willing to talk to you if you'd actually try!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Tommy put his arms up in exasperation. "I tried every day for two months! I slipped notes underneath your door, I even made you breakfast on school days, and nothing! I gave up because I was tired of getting my hopes up! What even are you arguing with Techno with, huh?"

"That's none of your fucking business, Tommy," Wilbur put his finger up.

"It's my business if it's why I lost my fucking brother!"

Wilbur physically took a step back. "W-what?"

"I lost my brother, I lost you!" Tommy screamed, tears finally threatening his eyes. "We haven't had a decent conversation in three months! Hell, the little time I got to see Techno in the first place has gone nearly entirely! When he's home from college for the weekends, I barely get to see him because he's either working or arguing with you! You've taken two birds with one stone!" By this point, Tommy was crying. "I just fucking want my brothers back."

Wilbur was even crying. "Tom, I-"

Tommy slapped away his hand. "I need a fucking break right now. Don't fucking follow me."

Tommy ran up to his room, slamming the door.

~~~~~~~~~~

Around thirty minutes later, Tommy heard a knock on his door. "Go away, Wil."

A low monotone voice responded. "Not Wil."

"Oh, come in."

Techno opened the door to see Tommy face down in his bed. "So, Wilbur told me what happened. You doing alright, kiddo?"

"Of course not."

Techno sat down next to Tommy's bed. "I think you deserve to know what Wil and I have been fighting about."

This perked Tommy's interest. "We've been arguing about him and his girlfriend, as well as me and college."

"Sally? What about her?"

"She's pregnant."

"WHAT?!" Tommy sat up.

"Yeah," Techno said. "Two months now, I think. He's been mentioning running away with her. No note or anything. I told him I wouldn't let him do that to you and Phil."

"Shiiiit. What about you and college?"

"He didn't like how I was going off to college. Worried that I would move out."

Tommy scoffed. "And he wants to run off without telling anyone."

"I think he's more worried about you being alone," Techno said, shrugging.

"But, then, why doesn't he just stay?"

"Sally's parents aren't the happiest about her wanting to keep the baby," the older explained. "It's more about her than him, I guess."

Tommy looked down. "But, kid, if you get anything from this, let it be that he still does genuinely care about you. He has a lot on his plate, what with work trying to get him working nearly double the hours, Sally, and Phil not being home."

He stood up. "I'll let you think about that."

Tommy watched him close the door on his way out.

Chapter Text

Ranboo sat on his bed, staring at his now bruised arms.

Why did this have to happen

Why couldn't I have been better

I deserved this didn't I

I didn't have to sneak out

But you did

But I did

Why don't you ever think things through

It seemed like a good idea

But it wasn't

No, it wasn't

You fucked up

I fucked up

I can't do anything right

You need to be better

I can't

You should

Maybe you're just broken

Maybe I am broken

What would  ⟊⎍⌰⟟⟒⏁  say?

~~~~~~~~~~

"Boo!" The strawberry blonde snuck up behind Ranboo, giggling like nuts. "Get it? Cause your name is Ranboo? And I scared ya? Get it, get it?"

"I get it, I get it." Ranboo chuckled, turning around to carry her. "It was very funny."

⟊⎍⌰⟟⟒⏁  looked proud of herself.

Ranboo would do anything to make her proud again.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ranboo slowly opened her door, frowning when he saw the sick, coughing girl in her bed.

He snuck in, hiding at the foot of her bed, then raised his hands, covered with sock puppets.

"Why, hello,  ⟊⎍⌰⟟⟒⏁ !" He spoke in a silly voice and heard a little gasp. "I'm Mr. Smellysock! Nice to meet you!"

He heard a small laugh.

Ranboo would do anything to make her laugh again.

~~~~~~~~~~

⟊⎍⌰⟟⟒⏁  burst through the door. "Guess whose back from their first day of kindergarden!!"

Ranboo excitedly rushed up to her, picking her up and twirling her around. Both dimples were proudly showing as she laughed. "How was it?!"

"It was awesome!!! I meet this girl, her name is Stella, she's suuuuper awesome, and funny, and-"

Ranboo listened to her speak, smiling at how cute she was in her denim jacket and bright yellow dress.

Ranboo would do anything to see her again.

Ranboo would do anything to talk to her again.

Ranboo would do anything to be with her again.

But she was gone.

Chapter Text

Tommy was shocked to see Wilbur up this early in the morning. It was Monday, he didn't work until 10. The only reason Tommy was up was that he had school. What was he doing?

He smelled eggs.

Wait.

Did he..?

He saw eggs on the counter. One was sunny side up.

The only one who ate their eggs like that in the house was Tommy...

"Wil..?"

"Oh, uh," Wilbur rubbed the back of his neck. "Morning, Tommy."

"Why did you..?"

"Look, Toms," Wilbur said, looking down. "I am so fucking sorry. I got a stern talking-to from Techno last night, and I stayed up all night thinking. I have been such a fucking asshole these past three months. I have reasons, but none of them justify what I put you through. And I know it's not worth shit, but I am seriously so sorry. I-"

He was interrupted by Tommy running up to him, hugging him. They fell to the floor embracing each other.

"Tommy I can't do anything to show you how sorry I am. You needed a brother, and I took both of them from you. I was being a self-absorbed asshole. I'm so fucking sorry you had to go through that."

"I'm just happy you're back," Tommy muttered, voice broken.

"I am, too."

~~~~~~~~~~

Tubbo was waiting for Tommy at the front of the school. "You seem in a better mood today."

"Tubbo, you won't believe what happened."

Chapter Text

Tubbo and Tommy were laughing in Mr. Ants' homeroom when Ranboo finally walked in. They were about to say hi but stopped upon seeing him.

He looked... well, to be honest, he looked like shit. He had such big bags under his eyes, a bruise on his cheek, just exhausted and beaten up.

"Hey, Boo, you doing okay?" Tubbo asked as he sat down.

Ranboo only nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~

This continued all day. He was just so off, even from what little time they spent together Tommy and Tubbo could already tell. Something was seriously wrong here.

So, what else would they do?

They followed him after school.

Chapter Text

The day turned dull, clouds obscuring the sky and sun, leaving a chilly breeze throughout the town. Scarcely anyone was outside, choosing to remain indoors during the drab weather.

Tommy and Tubbo developed more and more concern as they pursued Ranboo halfway across town, way out of the residence range for their school. So, he wasn't going home.

They followed him for five, ten, and twenty minutes before he eventually seemed to be where he wanted to be. He entered a gated field, one that gave off an eerie impression.

Tommy was about to go in when Tubbo blocked him, directing his attention to the sign on the arched gate.

"Brighton Cemetary."

Shit.

They decided to watch from the outside, peering at Ranboo through the iron fencing. They saw him sit on his knees in front of a tombstone, putting his backpack on the ground. Ranboo pulled out a small, old sock puppet, resting it on the dirt in front of the stone.

"Hey, sis," Ranboo muttered. "I'm, well, I'm sorry I wasn't able to visit again sooner. I've been busy. I had to move schools again, but   I suppose that isn't that surprising."

He cleared his throat. "I met some really cool people. I think I enjoy being around them. They're really funny and nice, and... they remind me of you, in some ways..."

Tubbo heard a sniff. "You'd, uh... you'd really enjoy them, I think."

Ranboo started shaking and clutched the ground with his fists before squeezing his arms, audibly crying.

Tubbo ignored Tommy's advice to stay put, running to Ranboo. "Boo, are you okay?"

Ranboo snapped his head around, eyes puffy. "What are you-?"

"We were worried about you," Tommy said, walking up behind Tubbo. "We wanted to make sure you were doing alright."

Ranboo nodded, turning his head back to the gravestone. Since he was closer, Tommy could finally read it.

Juliet Belovi

Age 7

20## - 20##

Shit.

"Oh, Boo," Tubbo spoke softly giving the taller a hug from behind.

Silence fell upon the three, each one having tears streaming down their face.

"It's my fault."

That's what broke the silence.

"It's all my fault."

"What?" Tommy asked, backing up slightly.

"It's my fault she's gone," Ranboo croaked, voice barely above a whisper. "If I had just been a little faster, if I had just been a little stronger she would still be here."

"Oh, no, no, Boo," Tubbo said, kneeling next to him before embracing him. "I don't know what happened to her, but whatever it was, it wasn't your fault."

"It was, though." Ranboo sobbed out. "I should've been there, but I wasn't. I wasn't, why wasn't I there?!" He was yelling by the time he finished the sentence, tears violently streaming down.

As if it wasn't dreary enough already, the rain slowly started to fall from the sky until it turned into a downpour.

"We should go home. Get out of the rain."

~~~~~~~~~~

Luckily, Techno and Wilbur weren't home yet. They didn't know how to explain them bringing in a crying teen from the pouring rain.

Tommy wrapped a blanket around Ranboo, and Tubbo was downstairs making the three hot cocoas.

"'M sorry, Tommy," Ranboo put his head on his knees.

"Don't apologize for anything, Ranboo," Tommy said quietly. "You're going through a lot."

"You shouldn't have to see me like this. I shouldn't be forcing this onto you. I should just go, I'm sorry, I-:

"Ranboo, Ranboo," Tommy said, but everything was getting hazy. Tommy sounded so far away.

He saw black.

~~~~~~~~~~

Where is she?

Ranboo coughed as he tried to make his way through the smoke. "Juliet?! Juliet?!"

He heard a scream. "JULIET?! Where are you, I can help!"

He screamed her name again and again. "JULIET? JULIET? JULIET?"

He heard people approaching him from behind. One of the firefighters picked him up, despite his struggles. "NO, STOP, I HAVE TO GET HER, PLEASE!"

The firefighter ran outside with him, setting him on the grass in front of a medic to check for injuries. He wouldn't cooperate, he needed Juliet.

"IT'S GOING TO BLOW"

All the firefighters inside the house ran out as quickly as they could.

Ranboo heard a scream.

Before the exploded.

she was in the room next door.

he was so close.

he could've saved her.

but he didn't.

but he couldn't.

She's gone because of y o u

Chapter Text

Shit.

Tubbo opened the door, nearly dropping the three hot chocolates. He quickly set them down on the ground before running to where Tommy and Ranboo were. "Oh shit, is he okay?"

"I think," Tommy said, getting him to lay back down. "He was really apologetic that we had to see him like that."

Tubbo sighed. "What happened to him..."

"What do you mean?" Tommy cocked an eyebrow, noticing how vague the brunette was being.

"Well," the older began, taking a breath before speaking. "I just don't find it completely... what's the word... normal? Okay? That sounds right. It's not okay that he feels the need to apologize for crying over his dead sister. Not to mention that his sister is dead in the first place. He seems to shut down easily. I mean, we've known him for about... I think a month? I'm pretty sure it's been three weeks since you made up with Wilbur, right?"

Tommy nodded in confirmation, and Tubbo continued with his explanation. "In the month we've known him, he's spaced out and shut down so many times! It seems like he's easy to trigger, so  something  must've happened to him. The way he acts isn't necessarily how someone would act if they haven't gone through something traumatic."

Tommy looked at the ground, taking in what Tubbo said. "The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. God, why is the dyslexic more observant than I am?"

Tubbo laughed, sitting down next to him. "It's fine, Tommy. I'm just worried. You know I'm not normally paying attention to shit. It's just when I'm worried about someone."

Tubbo looked at Tommy, trying to make eye contact even though Tommy's eyes were still firmly locked on the ground. "It's... how I realized something was up with  you ."

Tommy only nodded, opting to keep silent. It was a long time ago, but, yeah, Tommy wasn't in the best place. Tommy was adopted, having been in two foster homes before turning up with Phil when he was nine.

The first one of those homes wasn't too bad, it just didn't work out since they had to move out of the country. Tommy wasn't told why, though. He was there for two months.

The second home, on the other hand, was just shit. An alcoholic mother, an abusive father, and a jackass kid. Not to mention, he was there for a year and a half. It was the cause of all the sleepless nights, all the panic attacks, and all the trauma inflicted on the blonde.

These two had met Tommy's first day of school after he moved in with Phil. It didn't take two weeks until Tubbo knew something was up.

"I just wish I noticed something sooner," Tubbo admitted.

"Hey, hey, don't say that Tubs," Tommy finally looked up, rubbing the brunette's back. "You couldn't have known."

"But I could've!" He snapped. "I noticed you, I noticed his distance, I noticed it all, but why couldn't I connect the dots?"

"You just didn't want to think it was happening to someone else," Tommy whispered. "I know I didn't.”

The two sat on the bed in silence. “Look,” Tommy said. “We can’t change the fact we didn’t know before. It’s in the past. All we can do now is make sure he's okay.”

"And if he's not, we'll help him get there."

Chapter Text

It was 4:24 when Ranboo passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~

At 5:06, Techno got home from work. Tommy decided to go down since Techno wasn't aware that Tubbo was there, and he wanted to keep both Tubbo and Ranboo's presence a secret.

Tommy sat at his computer, pretending to do homework.

Techno sat with him, talking for around fifteen minutes before going upstairs to study for college.

Tommy ran upstairs after that.

~~~~~~~~~~

At 6:17, Wilbur arrived. Again, Tommy rushed downstairs.

Wilbur broke the news that he had gotten into a fight with Sally and wanted alone time.

Tommy was fine with that.

Tommy ran upstairs after that.

~~~~~~~~~~

At 7:31, Tommy, Wilbur, and Techno had dinner. Once again, Phil was out on a business trip.

It was spaghetti.

Ranboo loved spaghetti.

~~~~~~~~~~

At 8:47, Tommy got a call from Phil saying that he would be coming home early.

Techno and Wilbur were ecstatic.

Tommy normally would be.

But how would he hide them now?

~~~~~~~~~~

Phil arrived at 10:53.

The kids hadn't seen him in three weeks.

It was nice.

Tommy tried to enjoy it.

It was hard.

~~~~~~~~~~

11:35.

Wilbur opened the door without any warning.

"Hey, Tommy, I was wondering if you-"

Tubbo and Tommy looked at each other.

"What the fuck? How long has Tubbo been here? And who is that?!"

Tommy stood, approaching Wilbur before he could get too close. "Wil, please don't tell Tech or Phil."

"You have two minutes to explain who that is and why they look so fucked up."

"Okay, okay," Tommy said, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's Ranboo, a friend of me and Tubbo's. He transferred to our school about a month ago."

Wilbur motioned for him to keep explaining. "Ranboo... kinda had a bit of a breakdown. We don't know where he lives or anything so we're keeping him here until he wakes up. Besides, he's always been really good at avoiding talking about his home life."

Wilbur nodded. "Alright. I won't tell. But, why do you want it a secret, anyway?"

"We were worried that you would make him go." Tubbo finally spoke up, avoiding eye contact with the brunette.

"We wouldn't make him go, Tubbo," Wilbur reassured. "But, I won't tell them anyways."

Tommy smiled. "Thanks, Wilby."

~~~~~~~~~~

Ranboo woke up at 2:28.

He screamed Juliet's name as he shot out of his spot on the air mattress, covered in sweat, panting. He woke up Tommy and Tubbo in the process.

"Woah, woah," Tommy said, quickly putting his hand on Ranboo's back. "It's okay, you're okay. Try to breathe."

Tommy began exaggerating his breathing for Ranboo to copy, and after five minutes, Ranboo's breathing was back to normal, though it was clear he was still shaken up.

"Where am I?" Ranboo stuttered, voice hoarse. He put his hand on his head. "I don't know this place."

"Don't worry, you're in my room," Tommy explained. "You weren't looking too goo, so we brought you here. You passed out soon after that."

Ranboo nodded, his eyes firmly on the ground.

Tubbo rubbed the back of his neck. "So... what happened to her?"

Ranboo sighed before clearing his throat. "Our house set on fire. I was about to get her when the firemen pulled me out of the house before I could get to her."

He heard people approaching him from behind. One of the firefighters picked him up, despite his struggles. "NO, STOP, I HAVE TO GET HER, PLEASE!"

"Boo..." Tubbo tried to think of something to say.

"I'm so sorry, Ranboo."

The three sat in silence, Ranboo's head on Tommy's shoulder, silently crying.

It felt nice to get that off his chest.

Chapter Text

Tommy left the room to get some water and was met downstairs by Techno and Wilbur.

"I'm so sorry, Tommy, I had to tell him," Wilbur said quickly, and Tommy eyed Techno, getting ready to fight him.

"Don't worry, kid," Techno said, trying to calm Tommy down. "I'm not going to tell Phil. Though I wouldn't be too surprised if he already knew."

"Why?" Tommy said, getting defensive.

"I made Wilbur tell me after I woke up to your friends screaming."

Tommy's breath hitched, and Techno sighed. "Look, I just want to make sure of something. You and Tubbo are safe, right?"

The blonde cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Ranboo is the one you should be worried about."

"Yes, I know, but," Techno hesitated. "I don't want you getting involved in something that can hurt you. We don't know if this kids dad is involved in the fucking mafia or some shit! I want you to tell me and Wil if things get out of hand, okay?"

Tommy looked down, nodding.

His fingers crossed behind his back.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ranboo woke up to Tommy leaving the room.

He turned to face the ceiling, choosing to use the time to go through his thoughts. Which, admittedly, was terrifying. But, better to do it now when he wasn't alone.

What would Juliet think of me?

Well, that was uncalled for.

But the more he thought about it, the more curious he got. What  would  Juliet think of the person Ranboo was?

He'd like to think she'd be proud of him. For making it out alive, for being able to get this far. But, what if she wasn't? What if she thought he wasn't strong enough? What if-

The door opened, and Tommy came in, looking upset. He noticed Ranboo's movement. "You're awake. It's late."

Ranboo nodded. Tommy sighed, getting close to Ranboo, keeping a blanket to act as a layer in between them. Ranboo snuggled up close, appreciating the act.

He was asleep within minutes.

Chapter Text

Ranboo woke up in the middle of the night. Tommy and Tubbo were still asleep. He carefully maneuvered himself to where he could get up without waking the other teens.

Stumbling around the dark and unfamiliar halls, he finally found the bathroom. He closed the door, turned on the lights, and turned towards the mirror.

Fucking hell.

He looked like  shit .

The back of his hair looked like a rat's nest, he hadn't brushed it in a few days. There were huge bags under his eyes, and a large bruise on his cheek, and he felt terrible.

Sighing, he turned on the sink, splashing his face with the warm water. It made him feel a little better, but not much.

What's wrong with me?

Ah, yes. Exactly what he needed right now.

The more he thought about it, though, he realized no.

No, he wasn't.

He lost his bio parents at such a young age. He's been bounced around the foster system. He's being abused by his foster brother.

He needs help.

He fell to the floor, trembling.

He was scared.

That realization that you aren't okay, that you need help, that's a fucking terrifying thing.

But he felt as though he had a second chance at life.

Chapter Text

Tommy woke up at around four in the morning and was surprised to see Ranboo not there.

He heard shuffling from the bathroom, so he got up and knocked. "Ranboo? You in there?" The blonde heard a hum. "Can I come in?" Another hum.

Tommy opened the door and was greeted by the teen sitting on the floor. "How long have you been up?"

"Depends. What time is it?"

"Four in the morning."

"Two hours then."

"Shit," Tommy sat down next to him. "What happened?"

"Dunno. Just kinda woke up," Ranboo started fidgeting with his fingers. "Tommy, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"You said you're going to therapy, right?"

Tommy stared at him. "Yeah, why?"

"How is it? I mean, is it helping?"

Tommy was silent for a few moments, avoiding eye contact. Ranboo grew semi-concerned, as it wasn't like the blonde. "Yes. It is. It wasn't always, though. I remember when I first started therapy. He was awful. He was always blaming me for shit that I had no control over. I didn't stay there long, in case you couldn't tell. The second therapist was nicer but just not for me. Then I met the one I have now."

"Didn't you say her name was Puffy?"

"Yeah!" Tommy said, smiling again. It made the brunette happy to see the friendly smile.

Tommy kept talking about Puffy, but Ranboo was zoned out. He was watching the blonde's smile. He felt good.

He used to rarely feel that way. He never felt safe. He never felt comfortable. He never felt okay. Never content, never relaxed. Never at home.

Then he met Tubbo and Tommy. And, suddenly, everything was bearable. He could handle foster houses. He could handle school. He felt like he could handle anything the world threw his way.

It felt like home. It felt safe. It felt  right .

And he realized that it wasn't just when Tommy smiled. It was when Tubbo ranted about his love for bees. It was when Tommy playfully yelled at them. It was when Tubbo had to ask him for spelling help. It was when Tommy softened up.

It was when the three of them played Mario Kart. It was when the three of them sat together at lunch. It was when they got yelled at for being too loud in class. It was when they were hanging out.

They  were home. They were  his  home.

"Boo?"

Ranboo snapped out of it. "What?"

"You good? You zoned out a bit." He chuckled.

Ranboo smiled softly. "Yeah. I'm okay."

"Hey, wanna go on a walk?" Tommy asked. "It's pretty nice outside."

"Sure, why not?"

Chapter Text

Tommy was right. It was nice outside.

Only crickets and a cool breeze broke the silence that enveloped them. By this point, they were far enough from society and light pollution to see the sky clear as day. Tommy could think of only a few times the stars looked prettier than that.

"So," As much as Ranboo wanted to keep the soothing stillness between them, he had a pressing question. "How far are we going, exactly?"

"Don't worry, Ranboob," Tommy jokingly shoved his tall friend. "We only have a few more minutes."

"Yes, well, a few more minutes this direction is the woods."

The blonde spun around, giving Ranboo a playful glare. "Oh. Ooh."

"Now he gets it!" Tommy turned back, snickering at the brunette's confusion.

"Isn't the entire town advised not to go in the woods?" He asked, speeding up to keep up with the pace.

"Yeah, which makes it so much more fun!"

Tommy slowed to a stop as they quickly approached the line between the meadow and the forest. It was almost a perfect line of where the weeds stopped and mushrooms grew.

"I don't think this is a good idea. Have you ever done this before?"

Tommy turned back and saw Ran shuffling a bit, a hint of worry seeping through. "Don't worry about it, big man. I'm taking you to a spot that Tubbo and I have gone to for the past six years. I know this route like the back of my hand, we'll be fine!"

That calmed him down significantly. "Oh. Alright, if you think it's safe."

"I know it is."

Tommy took Ranboo's hand and dragged him into the forest, taking him along a path of pressed-down grass.

Oh. We're doing this now. Okay.

The forest didn't seem as scary as the mayor made it seem. It was calming. The tall trees seemed to part to make way for the moonlight as the two made their way deeper into the woods. Eventually, they came across a small clearing with a large tree in the center. Tommy let go of Ranboo's hand, ran up to it, and began scaling its branches.

Ranboo walked up to the trunk. "Having fun up there?"

Tommy rolled his eyes dramatically. "Cmon! Have you ever climbed a tree before?"

"Of course, I have, Tommy." And with that, he climbed to where Tommy was sitting with ease.

"Curse you and your long ass legs."

Ranboo sighed and stared into the distance. The view from up there was amazing, he could see for what felt like miles. The woods seemed to go on forever; if they did, he would be fine exploring them. He didn't know why the mayor didn't want anyone in...

... here?

"Hey, Tommy?" A look from the blonde told him he was listening. "What's that over there?" He pointed to a spot a few yards from the tree, where something was buried in the ground, a short piece of wood sticking out.

"I... don't know. I've never noticed that before," He admitted, voice trailing off before coming back full swing. "Let's check it out!"

Before Ran could respond, Toms was already halfway down the tree.

Welp. Can't get out of this one, can he?

Sighing, he followed him down and jogged to the buried object. The dirt was barely covering it properly. Tommy got down on his hands and knees and started digging with his hands, which, in Ranboo's opinion, was the most Tommy thing he could do. "There has to be a more efficient option, right?"

"Unless you've got a shovel, big man, I don't see any."

Rolling his eyes, he got on his knees as well. "By the way, how the hell did you see this? It's literally like, five am at this point."

"No idea," Was the only thing he could come up with, but Tommy didn't have any time to push further as the object was unearthed. The blonde scooped it up and examined it. It was a box, made of metal and had a five-digit code to unlock it.

"Is it a time capsule or something?" Tom asked. "Kinda looks like it, you know, one of the ones that you'd make in elementary school and dig up the day before you leave 5th grade?"

"Yeah," Ranboo agreed. "But why would it be here? We're miles from the nearest elementary school, and quite deep into the forest. Besides, it's straight-up metal. We used cardboard."

"Not to mention the lock seems to be military-grade."

"And, you're sure you've never noticed this before?" He had to double-check.

"If I had, it wouldn't still be here."

The brunette took a closer look. It had all sorts of intricate designs engraved into it, ranging from swirls to symbols, and a circle surrounding the middle where the lock was.

What on Earth did they just find?