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“Have you ever had a summer love?” Ranboo read from a donation and hummed. “I have yeah but it didn’t start in the summer, is a spring love a thing?” Ranboo asked with a fond smile even though chat couldn’t see him.
“It was magical, chat.” Ranboo watched as they all asked for a story time and Ranboo really couldn’t say no now that he had gotten started.
“Okay okay, so we met in the winter time of last year. We knew of each other before that and even talked starting in the fall of 2020 but we really didn’t meet then. There wasn’t a connection till one time uncanny circumstances led to us being the last two in a vc and we just talked. It was great to connect to someone so close and I was excited to have a new friend being so new to all these other groups and whatnot.”
“Then we became very close, and spring started to come around and we just talked all the time. We would ruin our sleep schedules to talk and cancel plans with other people just in case the other was free to talk since we both were busy with content creation.” Ranboo paused, “take that how you will.”
“And Yknow I was insecure the whole time, thinking my feelings were never to be reciprocated and I was making a fool of myself but I hadn’t been. It was a strange realization but one I had only come across due to a mutual friend who knew too much about us both.”
“I was way too in love, chat. And then, we met up in real life as the summer had just started and I was already so deep into it. And you know, he said he wasn’t going to hug me at the airport but he did- well he sorta jumped and wrapped his legs around me nearly knocking me over while our friend laughed at us the whole time and the whole thing was like- it was like slow motion.”
“Meeting your soulmate in person is just as magical as they all say, or maybe even more. Looking back on it I’ll say it was even more magical than people say.”
“So we went back to where we were staying and we kept it all a big secret. I even streamed that night and none of you guys knew I wasn’t even home.”
Ranboo laughed a bit, “But we got there and we ended up- we ended up sleeping in the same bed on accident and it was so weird to wake up next to someone else. But then the rest of the nights weren’t so secret anymore.”
“As the days went on I opened him up to physical touch, which actually is his love language no matter how many times he denies it.” Ranboo snickered, “and he opened me up to the idea of romance because I may be the biggest hopeless romantic you all know but I wasn’t ever really good about being in a romantic situation.”
“We went on small little outings at first, nothing too big or grand or anything we would consider dates. Just late night walks on the beach or watching the sunset from a rooftop or stargazing in his backyard. Then it turned into restaurants and picnics.”
“I was so very in love and I knew he was too. And just like spring had faded into Summer, Summer had started to fade into fall way too quickly. Far too quickly for either of our liking.” Ranboo let out a shaky sigh.
“We started fighting more and needing our friends to come around so the streams wouldn’t notice anything was wrong with all the distractions and so we could just enjoy ourselves. When our friends were there with us, we would sleep with pillows between us and our backs facing each other. When we were alone, I slept on the couch.” Ranboo paused for a few moments.
“It really wasn’t looking too great, chat. And it wasn’t just one thing we would fight over, it was everything. Nothing was going right and even on my birthday it was the worst fight of them all that morning. I had been packing when he woke up and he was irritated. I was so keen on leaving so soon after everything and I explained I had to even though it was earlier than originally planned. Because things happen, chat. And it was neither of our faults for the fights, I got irritated too, I got irrationally upset. It was a big mess.”
Ranboo picked at his nails, “but, the last stream before I left was the first time we hadn’t fought in a while and it was really nice. We both cried afterwards and that night I.. I got my 3am slow dance as promised back in the spring.”
Ranboo chuckled, “It was an emotional night filled with a lot of apologies and a lot of not wanting to be apart. But we weren’t even together, Yknow? And that’s what made leaving so much worse.”
“Then we got to see each other in December when he came to California and we were fine. We had to be fine. We had to act like we didn’t love each other because it was better for those around us if we stayed friends, even if it was hurting us. Sometimes it’s better to make sacrifices for everyone over not making the sacrifice and staying selfish. So we acted like just friends and stayed far away. Always distracted and never close. But one night I just.. got into my car and drove to him and he left his hotel room and we just went to a beach.”
Ranboo let out a fond chuckle, “it was so cliche but we went to the beach at midnight and slow danced for a while before we shared a kiss. It was like electricity was pulsing through my veins in the good way- though kissing him always feels like that -it was truly amazing despite the cliche.”
“Then I brought him back to his hotel and I went back to my house and we didn’t tell anyone of that night- till now.”
“Then soon he would go home and I would follow him weeks later and surprise him before our planned meet up for a photo shoot. We made out in his backyard when we were meant to be stargazing in the rain. But Yknow, the stars were still there afterwards.” Ranboo laughed.
“We went to our photo shoot and made sure if cameras were on we wouldn’t be too close or hold hands. But once we were alone, we did hold hands and stayed close. He even fell asleep on me at one point on our way back home.”
“I went back to America shortly after and we talked over the phone again as the winter faded out into spring. But this time it wasn’t the same as last time. We were closer now, we were in a new atmosphere and I was somehow more in love.”
When I came back shortly after I had finally confessed and I think that’s the first time he ever saw me cry as bad as I did. But then he said he loved me back and we ended up together.”
“Oh, are you finally telling them, love!?” Tubbo asked, his voice suddenly at the mic, despite chat not knowing he was anywhere near Ranboo. Ranboo adjusted Tubbo on his lap to be more comfortable and kissed his cheek.
“I am yeah, you shouldn’t have taken so long with Tommy and I would have waited but someone asked about love and we said we would tell them so I got to rambling.”
Tubbo hummed, “can’t wait to watch the vod later and hear all the good things you said about me.” Tubbo yawned. “But can we go to sleep now? I’m tired.”
Ranboo laughed, “of course, honey. Let me end the stream and we can sleep.” Ranboo’s voice was fonder than chat had ever heard it and they ate it all up.
Ranboo ended his stream and carried Tubbo to his bed, laying them down and keeping him close, peppering kisses on the brunette’s face.
Tubbo smiled at the kisses and whispered an ‘I love you’ to Ranboo.
“I love you too, Toby.” Ranboo whispered and pressed their lips together in a short kiss before letting Tubbo tuck his face into Ranboo’s chest, closing his eyes.
Ranboo hummed and Tubbo drifted off to sleep quickly, Ranboo following behind.