Archive of Our Own

Rumours had been circulating since the festival. Ever since the rift had activated fully, everything had just seemed off. Jimmy couldn’t place it; although being confined to Tumble town for the last few weeks meant he was very deprived of information.

Over the past few weeks he’d just kept to himself, home, work, saloon, home. A routine. It was easy enough and meant that he could mull things over, as a lot had changed in his life recently and he needed time away from the other rulers teasing.

He, like normal, started the day by checking up on his animals. The sheriff had developed a small ranch in the back corner of town once he had returned home from his latest adventure, another life SMP, another one of Grian’s stupid games. He only had vague memories of what happened but that was normal. He usually returned with new affiliations for certain things and the bonds he formed during these adventures, while forgotten by his consciousness, were remembered by his body.

After the first time, he had felt a longing towards Scott of Chromia. That had been rather embarrassing for the two rulers to explain.

The second had left him rather empty, but a feeling of loneliness persisted in his bones. He had filled this gap with a short term relationship with Fwhip of Gobland which, while he enjoyed their time together, it could not fill the aching chasm that Grian’s games had left behind. This caused tensions and ultimately the end of their relationship.

This time however he had been left with a longing for something else. No one that he had seen so far seemed to fill that space. It was stronger than whatever he felt for Scott all those months ago but he put this down to the phrase “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

As he trekked through the train tunnel that joined the two sections of Tumble town, he heard voices. Not voices he immediately recognised, but one struck a chord through his heart. Everything felt lighter momentarily, it was as if an arrow had been shot into his chest, he gasped for air and turned, searching for the source of the voice. He was overcome with desperation and desire. It was as if all was right in the world for just a second.

A small group of people emerged from the darkness, the very recognisable small avian in a red jumper, an elven man in a wheelchair and a wizard. The wizard’s eyes were a piercing teal colour and when they met Jimmy’s brown eyes his pupils dilated. His mind was filled with all the memories he had shared with his rancher while they were soulbound. Oreo the horse, the warden, their first meeting, the fire, the enderman…

Everything overcame him at once as if being hit by a train passing through the tunnel. Everything came to a standstill and they just looked at each other. This was what he’d been missing. He’d never understood why people would call someone their other half until this moment. He hadn’t realised just how incomplete he’d actually been until this reunion. It was as if the world was infused with colour once again and he was experiencing life fully for the first time.

Except this wasn’t the first time. They’d met before and this was what he had been longing for when he had moped around the saloon and sat at his desk zoned out instead of filling out the paperwork. This was his calling. His rancher.

“Tango…” The name felt familiar on his tongue, pleasant. He could repeat it for life if Tango so wished. His brain was stuck in a loop repeating Tango’s name like a mantra that would bring him good luck and he wholeheartedly believed it would.

They’d met in another life, forgotten it and still found their way back to each other. If this wasn’t a sign from the universe, Jimmy would never believe in the universe ever again, but right now all he wanted was his rancher to say his name back. To call for him in the same way he’d done all that time ago.

“We’ll give you guys some privacy.” The small avian ushered away his friend, sensing that this was a private moment and Tango silently thanked him. Grian was always better at reading signs than Scar was.

But this left Tango and Jimmy alone for the first time since Tango had spoken those final words to him, telling him to go home. There was a tension in the air but it wasn’t awkward. Words hung there, months worth of phrases left unsaid and sentiments not shared. Both parties felt it impossible to say anything, no words would do their reunion justice and so the silence remained, heavy. They maintained eye contact until something snapped in Jimmy and he ran forward, embracing his rancher in a soul crushing hug that communicated a thousand words.

They both remained there for longer than any hug should last, basking in each other's presence for the first time in ages. Jimmy’s wings surrounded the pair of them and Tango thought they were magnificent. He had never seen them at their full size due to the rules of the games but their slightly golden hue was beautiful.

Tango couldn’t bear to let go, for fear that he would lose Jimmy all over again and he couldn’t deal with that empty space in his heart after it had been filled so perfectly.

“I-I’ve missed you Tango, I didn’t even remember you but I missed you” Jimmy broke down into tears. His body shook, a shake that consumed him from deep within his soul. These heart-wrenching sobs coming from Jimmy activated something within Tango. He felt an obligation to jump to the sheriff’s aid and fix whatever was causing him to cry but Tango knew that all he could do in this moment was hold the man. Prove to him that this moment brought as much relief to him as it did Jimmy.

“Shhh, it's ok” Tango rubbed his slightly rugged hands over Jimmy’s back to calm him.
“How about we go somewhere more comfortable? Can you take me somewhere?” Tango lent back to look at Jimmy who lifted his head slightly, eyes filled with hope.
“The ranch!”
“What? Jimmy, the ranch isn’t here” Tango gently broke the news to Jimmy, assuming the man was so overcome with emotion that he wasn’t thinking rationally. What Tango didn’t take into account is that Jimmy had built a ranch of his own in Tumble town after they had returned home. “No! Silly, I-I built one”
“You did?”
“Yeah.. I loved our ranch so much I wasn’t ready to let go just yet”
Tango smiled at this sentiment. The tears started to form under his eyes but they weren’t ready to fall. The abrupt way they were pulled from their ranch left a lasting impact on Tango and it appeared it did Jimmy too.

He reached out to hold Jimmy’s hand. It was bigger than Tango’s and more calloused from working on the farm. Tango’s hands weren’t perfectly manicured either; he had redstone dust pressed under the nails and a series of increasingly bad looking cuts across his hands. But the two hands fit into each other perfectly, the same way they did before. It was a subtle confirmation that they were meant to be together. And a confirmation that both of them were thankful for.

Jimmy took one last look at Tango before pulling him in the direction he had just come from. They reached the end of the tunnel and the light of the sun blinded them momentarily. They had spent so long in the tunnel that both of their eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness and neither was prepared for just how bright the 10 am sun would be.

Both of them squinted and slowed down momentarily to adjust, before noticing that the other had done the same and they broke out into giggles. This was the kind of light-hearted moment Tango lived for, where they were both being a bit stupid and could just laugh it off rather than being embarrassed. They both knew the faces they had just pulled were comedic and unattractive but didn't mind, because Tango would find Jimmy to be the most attractive man no matter what and he knew Jimmy would feel the same.

The ranch was much better built than their previous one, although it also hadn’t been set alight in blindsighted rage. Tango would describe it as quaint. Like somewhere he would go when he retired to live out the rest of his days. “Jimmy, this is…” He was speechless. Jimmy just smiled at him bashfully, he brought one arm up to scratch the back of his neck. This was a nervous tic he had developed at some point before meeting Tango, he was very easily flustered and this was a sure fire way to see when he was. Well, that and the way his face flushed a bright pink tone. It was cute.

Because Tango was a netherborn his face never blushed in the same way and so it meant he found it even more attractive, especially on someone as manly looking as Jimmy. He loved the contrast. Jimmy could feel the blush spread from his ears and it made him embarrassed which consequently led to him blushing more, thus creating an endless loop of blush.

He felt stupid at how easily Tango could make him blush but he trusted his rancher and so didn’t try to hide it. Tango had reassured him time and time again that he loved all the qualities Jimmy had been told were stupid or naive which led to Jimmy trusting him fully.

Jimmy was always the butt of jokes and while he knew they weren’t serious it still reinforced the insecurities he had about his incapabilities and shortcomings.

In their short time together Tango had seen this side of himself. In fact it was one of the first things he had confessed to Tango. Their first night together consisted of Jimmy confessing his curse to Tango and telling him of his reputation and how people perceived him. Tango spoke of his struggles with being a hermit who can’t build, although Jimmy soon found this insecurity to be based in lies when Tango rebuilt their ranch after the fire.

The longer Jimmy thought about Tango, the more he remembered of their time together, it almost felt as if it all happened in this lifetime, but he knew that wasn’t true. Grian always made sure of that because the events of those SMPs could leave lasting traumas. The atrocities committed towards your friends weren’t really something you wanted to remember fully.

Luckily, the memories were linked to his feelings and what he was feeling right now was safety, admiration and contempt. Thus he wasn’t being haunted by the feelings of dread and worry.

They walked in gentle silence, both being absorbed in their own thoughts of each other. A cow met them at the gate and Tango reached out his hand to stroke it. The way he stood between Jimmy and the sun meant his blonde hair caught the light in a way that made the netherborn look almost angelic, ironic. Although Jimmy would have said Tango was an angel anyway, his angel.

Tango’s eyes shone a scarlett red in the light and when he opened his mouth into a grin his sharp fangs glistened slightly. It was as if he were a painting, picture perfect. Jimmy could barely comprehend the sheer beauty of Tango in this moment and he was in awe.

His rancher had come to him like a guardian angel at his time of need and granted him a subtle piece of happiness that would carry him for days. The memories of Tango that he made in these few days would last him a lifetime and he hoped with all his might that he’d never lose them like he did before

Jimmy watched as Tango ruffled the top of the cow’s head. He was always so gentle with the animals and if he were honest, it made Jimmy feel a bit weak in the knees. He’d almost forgot he was staring until Tango turned to him and flashed him one of his signature smiles. It was as if Tango had read his mind and was just allowing himself to be admired. “Whatcha thinking about rancher?” Tango questions.
“How absolutely angelic you look right now” Now that Jimmy wasn’t quite as overwhelmed at the presence of Tango, they sunk back into their casual back and forth teasing. Tango had gotten bold during his time back on his home server and just continued to look Jimmy in his eyes. “Well if you wanted to see an angel, you could have just looked in the mirror” It was cheesy but it worked. Jimmy’s facade started to give way but he maintained stability pretty well. “Unfortunately for me Tango, my mirror can’t see onto the hermitcraft server like yours can.”

Jimmy was not smooth. As much as he tried to be smooth, his very obvious nervous physicality gave him away immediately. He awkwardly stumbled through words and fidgeted with his hands and although it definitely had a charm to it, it was an awkward charm that makes him more cute than charismatic.

Lucky for him however, this awkward charm worked wonders on Tango. Within minutes, Tango was resisting the urge to kiss Jimmy. They still needed to properly talk so instead he suggested they go inside the ranch building.

Jimmy led them inside and motioned to a small bench pressed against the back wall. “I sit here sometimes to think, it seems a fitting location for this conversation”
“It's cute…”
“Yeah, I’ve always felt more connected to you here, even though I didn’t actually have any memories of you”
“It's strange, there was somewhere on hermitcraft where I felt the exact same… It’s stupid because obviously I was no closer to you there than anywhere else but it just felt different.” Jimmy chuckled.
“No, Tango it's not stupid.” He looked up, meeting Tango’s eyes “I get it”
“But i guess now there’s no point in it, we’re together after all”
“But for how long?”

There it was. Jimmy had asked the question that had hung heavy in the air since the hermits arrived. A deep rooted discomfort settled over the pair. They both knew this wouldn’t be permanent, Tango had his builds back home and Jimmy had a whole life here that Tango wasn’t a part of. They couldn’t just uproot everyone to be together although Tango knew they would if it weren’t for the impact it would have on their friends.

“Jimmy…”
“I know I know, I didn’t want to bring it up, but Tango” He turned to the man and took his hands in his own.
“I don’t want to avoid it. If we talk about it now then we can savour each and every moment we have together until the end. I don’t want to lose you like that again…”

Jimmy had a point. The sooner they faced the truth that Tango wouldn’t be here forever, the sooner they could get on with making each moment they had together the absolute best it could be. “Jim, I’ll let you know as soon as I do” Tango brought the sheriff’s hands up to his mouth and pressed his lips against the backs of them as a sign of trust and reassurance.

They both sat there, in the ranch, for a few more minutes, savouring the seconds. The subtle nature of their company, even just when sitting in silence, brought a sense of comfort that settled in their bones and left a warmth in its wake.

Time moved on and the pair continued to sit peacefully in the ranch. Their silence however was shortly disturbed by a goat horn sounding from just beyond the ranch's entrance. The only two people Jimmy knew to have goat horns were Fwhip and Lizzie… It didn't take long to find out who the visitor was as the King of Gobland then appeared at the entrance and it seemed like he was looking for Tango because when he met eyes with the netherborn he exclaimed. “Ah! There you are! Was wondering where my newest worker had wandered off to when you never came home. The sun’s setting, you know?”

This came as a shock to Jimmy who up until this point was under the impression that Tango would work and live here, with him, as they had before. “Fwhip what are you on about?” He said as his wings puffed up slightly, demonstrating his discomfort. “Jimmy wait, I-I never got to say anything because there was so much we had to talk about but before I came here” Tango paused. “We passed through Gobland and Fwhip kind of offered me a job.” Jimmy was struck with the realisation that Tango was no longer his.
“Oh, yeah ok” he held his head low.

The thought of the man he loved working for his ex was not something he could fully comprehend. “I’ll see you around then, yeah?” He muttered. Even though his body screamed out for Tango in every way it could Jimmy kept still. He didn’t want to hold Tango back the same way he had done in the Life SMP. He knew his presence was a burden to people, he’d been told it time after time but he never felt that way around Tango. Until now.

It suddenly hit him just how selfish he had been. His feelings for the netherborn didn’t make him entitled to his attention. Of course he wasn’t the first one Tango had seen on the server, they didn’t even remember each other. I mean Tango was wearing Shelby’s hat for void’s sake. It was stupid and naive of him to believe even for a second that Tango had been drawn to him in the same way he was drawn to Tango.

Jimmy shook the thoughts from his head and started to get on. “‘Scuse me. Sorry, I just need to feed the cows.” He forced a smile onto his face, pushed past Fwhip who stood in the doorway and walked away from Tango.

Tango was left alone in the ranch. A place he would have once felt safest, now he just felt alone. Maybe Jimmy didn’t care about him in the way he thought. He saw that Jimmy was upset but the way he had just left left a bitter taste in Tango’s mouth.

He would have spent every day here with Jimmy living out a domestic life with him if the man had just stayed. If Jimmy was still here by his side, he could explain. Tell him about how when he’d taken Fwhip up on this offer he was still searching for the part of him he felt was missing. Tell him how he doesn’t want to go back on his word and should probably work for Fwhip as offered but would be happy to commute everyday as far as it took if Jimmy would let him set up residence here.

“So? Tango? Shall we go?” Fwhip’s cheery tone shook Tango from his thoughts and he made eye contact with the small goblin. “No”
“What? But man we made a deal?”
“No, I mean, sorry but I need to sort this first. I’ll be in Gobland first thing tomorrow to start work I promise.”

Tango wasn’t going to let this rift between him and Jimmy grow any bigger. It was mere moments ago when they were sat in each other's arms and the world didn’t seem to even exist. Now there was a whole universe between them.

Fwhip simply nodded. He knew that although he and Jimmy didn’t work out, Jimmy was a man worth fighting for. He trusted Tango to keep his word and so bid farewell to Tumble Town and started the journey back home.

Tango rushed after the Sheriff to catch up with him, his mind racing. He couldn’t lose his rancher again, it would be so cruel of the universe to allow it. She was kinder than this, he hoped. She knew the wounds that would be ripped at the seams, left exposed and open, pouring out of him. She knew the days when he’d stand at the top of his tallest build and look out over the land feeling nothing but emptiness, craving a glimpse at another life. The life he was missing. And now she had provided it just to pull it out from under him.

He now understood how truly cruel the universe could be. How villainous and malicious she could be. Despite her beauty, she held power. And it corrupted her, left her with duties far within her jurisdiction and Tango felt that one of those was to target him with stab after stab to his fragile heart.

He reached the back of the paddock where Jimmy held a small piece of wheat out to one of his cows, he was obviously deep in thought. “Jimmy…” Tango uttered softly. Jimmy snapped from his thoughts and turned to Tango, the once melancholy expression now infected with anger and rage.

Tango’s thoughts turned to the universe once again, this time in a plea for mercy. A plea for her to take pity on him and allow him one slither of joy, or at least to allow Jimmy to emerge unhurt from the events that were about to unfold. She could torture him all she like but to do the same to Jimmy would not only be cruel but just plain evil and Tango couldn’t bare that thought.

“Tango please leave” He was blunt with his words and it only hurt Tango more.
“No, Jimmy we need to talk” But Jimmy didn’t want to talk, he wanted to wallow. He wanted time to absorb what had just been revealed. He wanted space, away from the man who betrayed him. Jimmy remained silent.
“At least let me explain to you what happened” Jimmy waved his hand indicating for Tango to continue, still not uttering a single word.
“When I arrived here, I was desperate. The feeling that had been hanging over me became stronger and stronger and I had a longing for something, anything, that would fix it. So I explored. I travelled all over these lands but nothing felt right. I saw the lands of the Gods and talking animals and real life witches and still my feelings weren’t satisfied. These wondrous spectacles and people were all so brilliant and all my friends were so happy I felt I had to be. And so I put on a facade but the longing only grew stronger. Until I found Gobland. The community spirit and culture was so intense those feelings that had been consuming me dissipated and although it didn’t feel right, it did feel easier. And that’s all I was looking for. When Fwhip offered me a life there I took it, desperate to fix whatever was going on inside my heart.” Tango paused and looked up to meet eyes with Jimmy. “Then I came here. Tumble town, and our eyes met in the train tunnel and everything felt easier. Not only easier but right. Like this was what I was searching for and now I didn’t have to grasp at anything and everything that made me feel lighter because there were no longer weights holding me down. I meant to tell you, I did but well… we had more important things to talk about. So Jimmy I leave this to you, I understand if my lies felt like a betrayal and you want to never see me again, I can leave. All I want is for you to be ok."

Jimmy remained silent. He didn’t trust his voice to hide the emotions he was feeling for the netherborn. His heart wanted him to run into Tango’s arms and apologise for the misunderstanding and for everything to be alright but his brain knew that if he didn’t resolve this himself, internally, it would hang over the rest of their relationship together and he couldn’t do that to Tango.

And so he spoke.
“Go”
Only one word. He knew that when the time was right he could head to Gobland and find him. He could remedy this rift that had been drawn between them, but he needed Tango to think he wanted him gone to allow Jimmy to truly be alone.

Tango’s heart broke. No. It shattered. He nodded, gave one final look into the Sheriff’s brown eyes and turned on his heel to begin the journey down to the caves of Gobland.
“I’m sorry” Jimmy said, just slightly too quiet to make any difference.

Tango made it to Gobland 6 hours later. The walk had left him with plenty of time to think and overthink. Tango had at one point convinced himself that there was regret in Jimmy’s eyes but had decided that to convince himself of that would be too cruel and that he was just searching for a glimmer of hope like a needle in a haystack.

He had betrayed Jimmy’s trust. He was the bad guy here and he needed to take responsibility for that and let Jimmy live out his life the way he wanted; without Tango. Tango had made a beeline for Fwhip’s house, he needed the Goblin’s comfort as someone who had also once been in the sheriff’s heart.

Fwhip opened the door to a weary Tango with soulless eyes and tear stains on his cheeks. He simply gave a gentle smile and stepped out of the way allowing the netherborn to walk into his home. The two remained in silence for a short while as Fwhip made Tango a chamomile tea to act as comfort. He also collected a small box from beneath his bed. It had sat there for months at this point, untouched and had collected a thin layer of dust over its lid. He brought it into the living room.

Tango noticed how Fwhip had pointedly decided to sit in the chair opposite him instead of on the sofa beside him, giving a silent thanks. He also noticed how Fwhip looked at the box in his hands. He recognised that look as it was the very same one he had given the ranch as he left Tumble town.

“It's a box of all the things from Jimmy.'' The goblin explained. In goblin culture it was common to show interest in a potential mate through gifts and by the appearance of the box it seemed Jimmy had indulged this part of Fwhip’s culture. Tango felt for Fwhip. He too had experienced Jimmy’s constant gifts and services but he had lost them all. All tangible evidence of Jimmy's love was gone.

Tango was starting to think he’d made it all up in the same way he’d gaslit himself into thinking Jimmy regretted sending him away. Fwhip silently handed him a piece of paper. As Tango took it he saw it was a photo strip of Fwhip and Jimmy. They looked so happy, and in love. “You’re not making it up. He looked at you like that too.” it was as if Fwhip had read his mind. Tango wasn’t sure if this helped, maybe this whole thing would be easier if it wasn’t real. It’d be a heck of a lot more miserable, however.

Fwhip continued to hand Tango various things from the box and the two sat reminiscing over their times as Jimmy’s lovers well into the night. “That was the first bit of gold he ever gave me” Fwhip said, referring to the deputy badge that Tango was turning over in his hands. “He didn’t realise it at the time but gold is kind of…”
“A sign of courtship?”
“Yeah, when I eventually got the courage to tell him he just smiled at me, said he didn’t realise but then brought me this.” He held up a small gold chain.

Fwhip looked hurt. Like all of these stories were digging up bad memories but he also looked nostalgic. Like he didn’t miss Jimmy but he missed what they had. Tango hoped that one day he’d feel like that and the weight that sat in his chest would ease. It seemed unlikely but he could still hope. He handed the badge back to Fwhip assuming it was probably quite precious to the goblin. “Didn’t he ever want it back? You know after you got fired…”
“He did, I just couldn’t bring myself to give it back so I hid. Quite a cowardly move I’ll admit.”
“It's ok… I was pretty cowardly today”
“I guess we're both two idiots who fell for a dumb blonde”
“Yeah… I just wish I could stop falling” Tango felt this summed everything up quite nicely. Loving Jimmy really did feel like falling. It was scary and unpredictable but the feeling of the air rushing past your body became comforting and to live without it felt disorienting. It’s like Jimmy was his compass and how he’s lost his way. He had spent so many days searching for Jimmy, admittedly he didn’t know it was Jimmy but still. He’d been left with no direction in life and he was confused and hurt and he missed his rancher.

“Thank you Fwhip, for all of this. The hospitality, the conversation, the tea. It’s really helped” Tango felt a lot less alone now and finally saw his time in Gobland as being the genuine break that he needed.

Jimmy had spent his time that evening in the cow paddock. Alone. This was how it needed to be, or at least that’s what he would tell himself. Every time he thought of running to Tango and fixing this together he’d ping the hair elastic that sat around his wrist, eventually he’d stop thinking about it and he’d be able to let Tango go until he wasn’t so unstable. It was unfair to make Tango stick around while he was so erratic and miserable. Even if it made things worse for him…

He finished herding the cows inside for the evening and headed over to his bedroom. It was strange. It felt so long ago when he and Tango were sitting together and Jimmy had truly believed he would go to bed that night in Tango’s arms. But here he was, in his single bed.

It felt emptier than the last time he was here and his heart felt weaker. He had genuinely thought that the ache that he had felt whilst searching for Tango would be the worst he’d ever feel. But to love and to lose was definitely worse. He knew deep down that he was the reason he’d lost Tango. He knew that if he’d asked, they could have worked it out together. He knew all too well that this was his fault. All of this was his fault. He was the one to force Tango to talk to him and live with him and love him. Love him. Tango had loved him. He wouldn’t anymore. Jimmy knew that. Jimmy had told him to go.

He curled into himself further, feeling the nails of his fingers press into his shins. He felt the gentle touch of a tear running down his face. He felt a sob rise in his throat. But he didn’t stop it, allowing the sensation to overcome his body in its totality. Allowing his body to convulse over and over again as he shook with each cry. He felt something rise in his throat. Fuck.

He peeled himself from the sheets and swung his feet over the edge of the bed before trying to stand. His knees gave way, however, and he broke down again, tears streaming from his eyes landing with a soft tap against the wooden floor. He retched once, twice, before emptying his guts onto the floor of his bedroom but still he continued to cry. He missed Tango and he’d ruined his chances of ever fixing anything. He was stupid and brash as always. People were right when they said all he does is cause problems. He acts like an idiotic child and brings everyone down with him.

Tango’s words flooded his ears. His comforts and affirmations that Jimmy’s insecurities weren’t true. He didn’t want to think Tango had lied but in this moment he felt more useless than ever. Tango wasn’t lying, he was just… misguided. Jimmy had tricked him into thinking he was useful and competent and not a complete idiot.

Yet again Jimmy had caused problems for Tango, the man he supposedly loved. What he inflicted on Tango could not be quantified under the name of love, however. He brought Tango too much misfortune for this to be love. Lovers were gentle and kind. They were a beacon of comfort and of joy. True lovers were the kind of people who could settle down and live in peace together, not the kind who were followed by trouble.

He and Tango had lived far too different lives to ever be considered lovers and Jimmy had just made sure of that.

These ideas continued to circulate in his head again and again drilling themselves further into his consciousness until he collapsed. He fell into a temperamental sleep on the floor of his bedroom plagued by his thoughts. That is where he remained until the early hours of the morning where he awoke to the sound of a rooster on a nearby rooftop and the smell of vomit in his nose.

When the sheriff came to he was greeted by the sight of sun streaming in through his blinds. His whole body ached from the uncomfortable sleeping position and his eyes were puffy and red from tears. This was the worst shape he’d been in in years and reminded him of how he had acted after his favourite horse had been slain by bandits on a journey to… Gobland. He was wracked with grief then and he was wracked with grief now. However, this time he didn’t deserve to feel grief. He shouldn’t be mourning something that he had killed.

He threw his head back onto the bed behind him and groaned. He hoped Tango was in better shape than he was. At this thought he pinged the hair tie again, he needed to stop thinking of the netherborn or he would keep wallowing forever. Instead he decided to busy himself with his work. He may not be in the best shape after yesterday but he could work through the pain. There were things to be done and he would be the one to do them!

He picked himself up, threw his hair in a messy ponytail and started cleaning. Once everything was to an acceptable standard he took a quick shower. He then got dressed and brought his sheets and nightclothes to the laundry room for later.

Everything was going well so far and he was starting to feel more like a real capable human being. He headed out to the ranch just as the sun emerged fully from the horizon. Just because he was feeling like death didn’t mean his animals had to suffer. He opened the gates of the paddock and apologised to the cows as they walked past for being late. Just because they didn't speak English didnt mean they didn’t understand him; some even stopping slightly and brushing their faces up against him. They were probably just hungry but it felt like a sign of comfort to Jimmy and his mood increased further.

The next thing on his agenda was to do some paperwork in his office. This was normally much too boring and monotonous for Jimmy to enjoy but the regularity and the flow of the ink on paper relaxed him and he fell into a rhythm, losing several hours of the day.

The next time he stepped outside, the sun was at its peak and his cat Norman was requesting food. The sun was harsh on his skin but it felt good to finally be outside so that is where he spent the remainder of the afternoon.

As the evening approached Jimmy knew he would want to spend tonight in one of the Tumble town mines gathering more iron with some of his workers for the railroad. He went back to his house to gather up the tools and food he would need for his expedition and that is where he found Tango, sitting on his doorstep, mumbling to himself. “Tango?” Even his name now left a bad taste in his mouth. Tango’s head flicked up at this “Oh, I thought you were inside..” He looked panicked as if Jimmy had caught him off guard despite the fact that it was his doorstep that he had been ambushed on.

“Why are you..” As Jimmy began, Tango cut him off. "I'm sorry, I know you told me to leave and I was going to keep to it but well i found this” He held out a feather. His feather. If he looked closely he could see that it was the very same canary feather that Jimmy had given Tango on the life SMP. It must have been in his pocket when they died… “Oh, yeah sorry, I’ll get rid of it for you” Jimmy had grossly misinterpreted the situation and so Tango panicked. “What? No? I mean if you want to? Wait, no! Don't!”
“Tango what are you on about?”
Now Tango was face to face with the man he loved, he lost all courage.

Jimmy looked so put together compared to him. Where Tango’s night had left him with dark circles and greasy hair, Jimmy was glowing. Of course tango had failed to consider the possibility that Jimmy had had such a rough night that he needed to turn to concealer and a shower when he woke up.

Tango studied the man further; his hair was up in a messy ponytail which accentuated the sharp angles of his face and the sun being low in the sky meant it shone into Jimmy’s eyes making them a golden brown colour. His freckles had appeared from where he had been out in the sun and they dusted his face lightly. Tango wanted to touch them and draw constellations on the avian’s face. He wanted to kill every inch of Jimmy’s skin and tell him how beautiful he was. But he couldn’t.

Jimmy reached out to take the feather from Tango and the way their fingertips brushed made both parties freeze. It was as if they could feel the love running between them and Tango’s facade broke.

Tears started to roll down his cheeks and all Jimmy felt he could do was watch. The instinct he had to hold Tango’s face and brush them away was squandered. Tango was no longer his to hold, he had no right to feel this way, but he still did. He couldn’t restrain himself for that long. The sight of Tango in pain hurt him and so he reached out. Slowly. Allowing Tango to brush him off, shout at him or leave if he so wished. But he didn't; he just stayed there and waited for Jimmy’s calloused palms to make contact. He lent into the touch slightly and smiled up at his rancher.

They could get through this. After all, they were meant to be together. They were home.