Chapter Text
Tubbo was a hardworking 15-year-old in the village of the enderling. His father had moved him and his two brothers to the town when they were young, none of them being old enough to be able to remember their previous home. His eldest brother, Dream, had left the house the day he turned 18. He visited Tubbo once in a while to make sure he was okay, and their dad wasn't being too hard on him and would take Tubbo out to walk or go do something fun. Then Schlatt Is in and out of the house. For Dream and him were a part of the royal guard and were never in the house for long for their hours were never the same everyday. He wished his siblings would stay longer and be a part of his life, it sucked to be the scapegoat of their father's rage and disappointment.
Tubbo sat behind the bakery's counter, waiting for the next customer to come in and order. He stared at the shop's cabinets and tables scattered around, many regular customers sat around the shop with computers in their faces or listening to music while doing another activity. It made the 15-year-old smile at the people who enjoy his shop enough to sit here and buy his products.
He admired people's freedom, something he didn't have of his own, he loved chatting with customers about jobs, family, and friends they had. He would smile and laugh at people's joy and happiness that came when he talked to them. He wiped his hand on his skirt and took a deep breath as the last batch of customers came in ordered, then left. The customers who were sitting and working packed up and said their last goodbyes.
Tubbo was counting money for the day and was about to close up when the bell attached to the door handle jingled, causing him to look up and see who entered after hours. It only took a glance for Tubbo to see who it was. Tubbo's goat tail started wagging like crazy as he sprinted towards the two people at the front of his shop. Almost tripping on his skirt, he flung his arms around the two hooded figures and happy tears fell down his face.
"Hey Tubbs, it's nice to see you too bubs" The first figure giggled, pulling back his hood to reveal a clean-shaven face with scars all over them.
The second figure pulled down their hood as well, revealing a face full of hair and a smirk on his face. "Seems that little tubbs missed us"
"Shut up Schlatt" Tubbo snapped in a joking manner. "What are you two doing here at the same time let alone this time of the night?! You should be at work!"
The eldest brothers looked at each other, their goat ears twitching as the communicated in silence. "To see you of course!" Dream sputtered out; his ears slightly pinned behind him. Tubbo stared at the two for a while. Tubbo studied his brothers faces and body language. They seemed tense like they were about to ask a hard question. It took Tubbo a second to put two and two together then it hit him.
"No. I can't! What about the shop and da-"
"HE IS NOT OUR FATHER!" Dream roared, making the younger flinch and take a step back. "He will never. Deserve that title."
"Please Tubbo."
"No."
Tubbo turned around and went to the kitchen area, leaving the two young adults alone.
"I shouldn't have lost my temper." Dream groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed. Tubbo returned a few moments later with a basket full of bread and a tiny plastic container full of sweets. He quickly shoved them in Dreams hands then backed up.
"It was nice seeing you two, but I have cleaning and trash I have to pick up. Tell George I said hi and that he needs to come and keep me company sometime." And with that, Tubbo turned around and went to the storage room, leaving the two older brothers alone in the darkness of the shop.
He closed up and started cleaning up the cafe wiping counters and cleaning tables. He took the trays of old pastries and threw them in the trashcan, grabbing the bags that built up throughout the day and went out the back door to the ally way to take then to the bin.
Ranboo sat at his window, boredly watching the birds and other woodland creature run around the courtyard of the castle. He looked past the courtyard, seeing the village of his people. Oh, how he wished to be out there with them, buying their goods or helping with moving. It made him angry and upset at his parents, they were his adoptive parents but they were still as strict as ever with leaving the castles dark walls. It made him depressed and angry.
His depressive mood was interrupted to his brother bursting into his room and throwing himself on the bed
"Boob man I am bored. Entertain meeee"
Ranboo scowled at the name and turned around
"Entertain yourself Tommy I'm not in the mood" He grumbled.
"Being depressed over not leaving again?" Tommy asked, resting his hands on his chin and kicking with legs back and forth behind him.
Ranboo of course did not answer, only staring out the window once more.
"If you want, I will cover for you. I do it for Wilbur all the time "
Ranboo became quiet as he thought. It would be rebellious to leave without his father and mothers permission. On the other hand, he NEEDED to get out of the palace, or he was going to go crazy.
"Fine. But you need to make sure mom and dad don't figure out" He mumbled, half terrified of leaving and half enthusiastic to leave. He turned around to face the strawberry blond, whose smile beamed with pride.
"What?" Ranboo spat, offended by the look.
"Perfect Prince Ranboo is being naughtyyyy" Tommy cooed, a shit eating grin on his face. Ranboo glared at him and pushed Tommy over so he could sit on the bed instead.
"Shut."
The small watch on Ranboos wrist told him it was 9 oclock. Perfect. Ranboo took off his crown and jewelry and shoved them under his bed. He placed on a white dress shirt with a pair of jeans, something he didn't wear often. For it was inappropriate to wear such clothing in public where the villagers could see you underdressed.
Tommy gave him the okay to go, and off Ranboo went, climbing through his window and carefully climbing down the siding of the stone walls.
Once he made it, he looked of an exit point. Somewhere he could get out of the tall walls that were meant to keep him in and threats out.
He found a tree and made his way up it like a cat. Careful not to trip or fall off, that would lead to disaster and in his parents finding him. After using the tree to escape he quickly made his way to town, hopefully before nothing closed.
Time was not in Ranboos favor. All lights and candles were off and not a sound filled the air. The streets were empty and bare. The occasional stray cat or dog would cross the brick road or hide behind an item as the young prince walked. The prince studied ever corner and wall of the small village, enjoying his night walk where no one could bother him with stupid questions. The village was a cozy place, a place you could go and feel right at home almost instantly. He was growing curious to see the streets flooded with people and food stands, how marvelous it would be to see his people at their finest. He eventually stopped in the front of a bakery that was lovely looking and sat down, groaning at the thought he wasted his precious time for nothing.
He just stayed there regretting leaving and sneaking out from the warmth of the castle walls, when two drunk men who seemed to be stumbling around passed him.
Or atleast Ranboo thought they passed him.
Before he knew it, he was getting pulled up onto his feet forcefully in the blink of an eye and thrown into the disgusting alleyway where he hit the littered ground harshly. The two men closed in on him and stood over him with horrid grins, grins of two twisted people. Ranboos heart was in his throat as he looked back and forth at the two, scared out of his ever-living mind what they were going to do to him. His sweat started pouring down his face as be backed up the most he could against the bins.
"Now look what we have here. A helpless boy not in bed under the covers. Can you not find mommy?" The first man who had a clean-shaven face said with fake concern, leaving the two gross drunks to their laughing fits.
The second put a foot on Ranboos chest and started pushing down. Ranboo panicked and attempted to fightback, thrashing and kicking. He even tried punching. But nothing worked, his weak frame did nothing against the men twice his weight. Ranboo could feel his breath being stolen away from him. he gasped and wheezed, searching for any air that could fill his lungs quickly. God this was a bad idea he should have never left the castle; he should have stayed in his bedroom bored out of his mind. He wouldn't be in the middle of dying if he had. He was going to die from a drunk and disappoint his parents and siblings.
His vision started going fuzzy in the corner of his eyes, as he wasn't able to breath. He felt the life draining from him as fighting back became harder and harder to manage. He accepted defeat and lay there helpless, just waiting to die at that point
The back door to the lovely bakery was thrown open and a little person stared at the three for a split second, trying to grasp the situation, a bag of trash in their hands. From what Ranboo could make out it was a woman, for they had a long skirt on. The woman started shouting as she grabbed a broom from inside and ran towards the drunks, who got frightened by her and scurried away from the poor dying prince.
The woman threw the trash in the bin and rushed over to Ranboo who still was on the ground.
"Sir are you alright?" She asked in a concerned tone. Ranboo didn't answer but he did start getting oxygen back in his lungs and his vision was returning to its normal sight.
Before the Prince realized it, he was being carefully picked up. Not harshly, but gently. Like he was a piece of china cracked and about to break.
He was sat at a table with a piece of bread and water as the woman checked him for any serious breaks or bruises.
"Well, you're lucky to have not broken anything" She giggled, after she lit a candle and sat down across him, Ranboo soon came to realization she wasn't a girl, she was man and a pretty one too.
Ranboo shook his head in the stupid thought of calling a man pretty. "Thank you for saving me." came quietly out of the prince's mouth. He knew the only reason he was saved his because he was a prince, he was on the television every day for goodness sake. He was a royal and he could never change that.
"Us villagers have to help each other out you know. Plus no one treats people horridly at MY bakery" The man joking stated, sweeping the bangs out of his face.
"Where are you from?" The man asked quickly, trying to get the question out as fast as possible. Ranboo panicked and made up a lie faster than you can say Royal Rebels Retrieves Rabbits "I'm from up town! More towards the west, my family is rich!" He blurted out louder then how he usually spoke, sweating with a panicked look on his face. The boy giggled a bit more at Ranboos panic.
"You're a funny one. I should keep ya around to do my trash pickup around here for me!"
The two sat together for a bit and talked, finding our they had mutual interests and hobbies. Ranboo never had a conversation with someone who treated him equally, like he wasn't a Prince or a Royal, but like he was friend and a human being.
Ranboo couldn't help but look the boy up and down, a few things disturbed Ranboo greatly. The boy had dark black and purple bruises littering his arms and legs, he seemed to have cuts on his face across his cheek. Small cuts on his arm and neck and scars just about everywhere. It made Ranboo almost worried about him, has the boy been in bad homes or is he bullied at school? Does the boy even go to school?
Ranboo was thrown out of his thoughts when the boy started giggling and laughing at his own joke, causing Ranboo to grin a bit.
"Just as a question, do you know who I am?" Ranboo asked cautiously to the boy, who he earlier found out his name was Tubbo.
"Silly your Ran, like you told me. Now you best be out of my bakery before the sunrises." Tubbo stood up and held out his hand, which Ranboo shakily took, and walked Ranboo to the door, the boys old torn up skirt gliding with him as he walked. Tubbo seemed to have a basket in his hand that he picked up from a table. He gently put it in Ranboos hand and smiled.
Tubbo leaned on the doorway as he waved Ranboo good-bye "I best see you around this place Ran! Safe travels back home!"
Ranboos heart fluttered as he absent mindedly made his long way back to the castle and into his room. He couldn't get his thoughts off the boy, how his eyes curved when he smiled and laughed, or how when he asked a question, he messed with the bracelet on his wrist.
Ranboo found himself on his bed in a blink of an eye, he didn't even realize he was home until he jumped at the knock on the door. The person who knocked waited a second before entering and throwing himself on the bed, revealing the strawberry blond teenager.
"So how was it~" Tommy fluttered, a wicked grin on his face.
Ranboo told Tommy about the glorious walk, the two drunks, then the pretty boy. Thats when Tommy interrupted Ranboo laughing.
"Does Ranboo have the crushies?!" Tommy snickers, getting punched in the gut by a red and embarrassed Ranboo.