Chapter Text
Ranboo’s hands were usually littered with jewelry, golden and ender in a way Phil could recognize as an implied statement of wealth and royalty (most likely a cultural thing, he’d assumed). They’d never left their cave without their precious, well-kept collection of rings ever since they’d settled down.
Phil almost didn’t notice it when, one day, Ranboo teleported into the pub with just a single golden band resting on the ring finger of their left hand and no other rings.
“Good afternoon,” Ranboo greeted, a calm, small smile resting on their lips, which were painted a dark shade of red instead of their usual black. In fact, most of the deep, elegant purples they tended to wear were replaced with rich reds. Tucked into a small, tight plaited section of their hair was a single and very familiar feather.
They sat down, completely oblivious to the confusion on Phil’s face as they pulled a book somewhere from the many layers they wore.
“Trying out a new look?” Phil asked, hesitant. He had stopped with the repairs he’d been doing and wandered closer to where Ranboo was, his damned curiosity demanding that he figure out what exactly had caused this change in them instead of allowing them time to themself.
There was a slight mischievous look in Ranboo’s eyes, one that immediately confirmed Phil’s suspicions that something specific had happened to trigger this change. They straightened their back, full of pride and grace, and Phil was fully prepared to hear them start bragging. Instead, they answered with a simple, “I guess you could say that.”
Phil blinked at them, face blank and completely unamused. “You do know you sound suspicious, right?”
“I know.” Ranboo smirked, fangs glinting in the light in a way that would’ve had Phil’s instincts screaming danger a few years ago. Now, though, it only made Phil roll his eyes and smile.
“Got any reason for being here?”
Any bit of Ranboo’s usual snark left them and they nearly melted, a small, fond smile replacing their smirk. Phil raised an eyebrow and they shrugged. “I’m waiting for Tommy,” they admitted. They tapped their finger against the cover of the book they’d yet to open, their nails painted the same shade as their lips. “He has something planned.”
“Oh?”
Ranboo flushed, cheeks practically glowing as they recognized the soft tone they’d been speaking in. They cleared their throat before speaking again. “He was very vague about what we would be doing,” they replied, their voice a practiced level tone.
Phil laughed. Yep, that sounded like Tommy. “Hopefully, it isn’t too dangerous.”
“I’d kill him if it was,” Ranboo said, completely serious, and Phil laughed again.
And, as if talking about him summoned him, Tommy was swinging the front door open with the biggest smile on his face and Phil suddenly realized something he really should’ve picked up on earlier.
Tommy was wearing a deep, elegant purple knitted cardigan and instead of his cargo shorts, he was wearing dress pants that were a light shade of purple. Clipped on the cardigan was an eye of ender pendant, similar to the one always on Ranboo’s cloak. Around his neck, hanging on a thin chain, was a single golden ring.
Oh Gods. He had been oh so blind.
“Ranboo!” Tommy exclaimed, completely ignoring Phil to barrel into Ranboo. His wings fluttered happily behind him as he pulled them into a hug they should’ve been opposed to. Ranboo hummed happily, a sound that had Tommy holding them with even more fervor.
Phil watched the exchange, completely and utterly baffled. He knew the two of them were close (Ranboo allowed Tommy into their cave without questions, let Tommy braid their hair, and listened to his ramblings whenever), but he never could’ve guessed that they were this close. No one could’ve guessed.
“Hello Tommy,” Ranboo replied, wrapping their arms gently around Tommy. In response, he chirped happily, nuzzling his head under Ranboo’s chin. His wings (with feathers that had actually been preened properly, for once) extended to their full length.
“Don’t you mean fiancé?” Tommy teased, pulling away from Ranboo to give them an over the top wink that made Ranboo giggle. Ranboo. Giggled. The day just kept getting stranger and stranger.
Finally able to get past his shock, Phil couldn’t help but blurt, “You’re engaged?”
Tommy released Ranboo from the hug to look at Phil and he sure did have the look of someone newly engaged. “As of last night,” he bragged, puffing out his chest as Ranboo laughed quietly behind him, raising their hand to their mouth.
“How long have you two been-”
“Together?” Ranboo finished and Tommy looked at them with pure love in his eyes. Gods, how had Phil missed the way they looked at each other? It was as clear as day how much affection they both held when looking at the other. How had they managed to so easily fly under the radar? “Well, officially, a year-”
“-and a half,” Tommy chimed in.
“Unofficially, two years.”
“I’d say it was a bit more than that.”
“Definitely not.”
“It definitely was.” Tommy leaned in closer towards Ranboo until there was barely any space between their faces, so close that Phil felt like he was intruding even though he had been here first. If Phil had any doubts about the validity of their relationship, it would’ve been gone with this moment.
“No, because it was spring when you first asked me out and it’s spring now,” Ranboo said definitively before pressing a gentle kiss to Tommy’s lips.
Tommy grinned, cheeks flushed. “It was autumn.”
“No, spring.”
Just slightly uncomfortable, Phil cleared his throat, successfully interrupting the moment between the two fiancés. Tommy pulled away from Ranboo without a trace of shame on his face while Ranboo at least had the dignity to look a little embarrassed at having forgotten their company. Maybe if Phil hadn’t gone through the same thing many, many years ago with Kristin, he’d find it slightly annoying. Instead, he found it to be incredibly sweet; they both were noticeably happier in each other’s presence and Phil could only be proud of them.
“Congratulations on the engagement,” Phil said genuinely. Tommy’s smile shined just the slightest bit brighter and Ranboo attempted to hide their smile in blond hair. “Just give me a heads up for the actual wedding though.”
At the same time Ranboo muttered “of course,” Tommy said “we won’t.” They looked at each other and immediately burst into quiet giggles (an uncharacteristic sound from the both of them), once again tilting closer to each other. Tommy’s wings subconsciously curled around Ranboo, cocooning the two of them in a space all their own.
Phil sighed, deciding to leave them to it and get back to fixing many of the repairs he had lined up. Oh, the wonders of young love.