itch (DreamSMP)

Ranboo's interval

"Michael is in bed-" Tubbo begins loudly as he jumps from the latter, and Ranboo shushes him harshly. Jeez, so much for not waking Tommy up.

Tubbo whips around to tell him off, but staggers considerably at the sight of Tommy slumped against him. "Oh." He whispers loudly, and Ranboo rolls his eyes. "Asleep again?" Tubbo complains, and Ranboo nods.

"He must be tired from all the emotional turmoil." Ranboo tells him quietly, petting the soft mess of Tommy's hair. He still can't believe Tommy gave in so easily. It was great. "Is he?" Tubbo mutters, walking over to lean over the arm of the chair.

"How's Michael?" Ranboo inquires, steering away the topic even thought they were both staring at said topic. "Asleep. Or, I think. If he's not he'll just climb down here eventually. Your problem now."

Very helpful. Ranboo thinks drily, and shifts his knees together. "Thank you, thank you."

They reside in silence for a moment, where Ranboo can see Tubbo's face change fleetingly. "How you feeling, boss man?" Tubbo questions, quietly but enthusiastically as he brushes back hair from his husband's forehead and kisses his temple. Ranboo leans into the brief touch while he hums.

"Tired. Nervous. But good." Ranboo says, tucking his arms more comfortably around Tommy. Tubbo shrugs, grinning lopsidedly. "I bet man, Tommy is a good pillow."

Ranboo nods curtly, eyes shooting down to Tommy's sleeping face. Tubbo sighs again, ruffling Ranboo's hair. Ranboo knows he must love it, since he never gets to touch it since he is so down on the ground. "You can take a nap with Tommy, I'll check around on things okay? My boys. Gettin' along."

He is most definitely not going to sleep, but Ranboo raises an eyebrow, smile loopy. Ranboo ignores his last comment. "You sure? Usually you would take the first opportunity to hang around all night."

Tubbo shrugs again. "I've been doing that all week. You all need a break."

Ranboo softens, because truly, he knows how Tubbo works and how he thinks. "You deserve one too, you know that, right? As much as we want Tommy to know we're here to help give him a life, that means he wants you to be in it too."

Tubbo strains a smile. "I know. I'm having a bit of a hard time realizing Tommy even has another chance at life myself." He admits, and Ranboo barely ever sees him this somber. Ranboo aches for him, because he knows how much Tubbo had pushed away to avoid processing Tommy's death, to reach out to the only thing he knew to suppress the grief.

They were still working on that one.

Ranboo blinks drowsily, and reaches out slowly to take Tubbos wrist in his fingers. Tubbo tenses, but lets him. Ranboo took his hand, and jostles Tommy as he presses Tubbo's hand against his heartbeat. Tommy murmurs something wordless, curling his face into Ranboo's neck.

Tubbo stills, and Ranboo closes his eyes. "He's alive. You're alive. That's all that matters."

Tubbo exhales, and pulls his hand away limply. His shoulders sag, "Thanks Boo. Love you." He mumbles, and Ranboo smiles wide at the words. "Love you too."

"You're alive too." Tubbo tells him, and the enderman hybrid quirks his head. "It's not just me and Tommy. It's you too." Ranboo looks away, and is overcome with a burst of emotion. He releases it in smile. "Yeah I know."

Tubbo shakes his head like a wet dog, adjusting his coat. "Ugh, god, emotions. I'm tired of it." He shivers, and Ranboo laughs lightly.

"Let's go somewhere soon, okay? Talk and stuff." Ranboo requests, and Tubbo pauses in the doorway to nod. Ranboo let's his gaze drop back to Tommy as the door shuts, pondering silently.

Ranboo loves them. All of them, so much. He knows Tubbo is angry, and desperately avoiding his feelings, just as Tommy does the same. Maybe Ranboo's like that too, ignoring the voice lurking in the back of his mind and the book digging into his side. Thing is, he's realized how much that needs to change.

Over the minutes, spent in the pleasant, but terrifying presence of Tommy, he's learned that they don't need to change alone. However hard that was for Ranboo to admit to himself, and however difficult it'd be for Ranboo to make Tubbo go to therapy, (he needs it, bad) it didn't matter.

There was a certain constant that came into his life recently. A constant that made Ranboo want to make sure the world is ready for him, and he is ready for the world. Michael deserves it, he deserves a happy family, a stable relationship, everything.

Ranboo would do anything to make it that way for him, and finding the people he cares about truly in his family along the way made it even more worth it.

Ranboo hears a soft plunk of little feet climbing down wood, and he closes his eyes as he hears the toddler creep across the floor. Ranboo let's his lip quirk up as Michael's small footsteps sound nearer, a snort resonating in the quiet room. Ranboo opens his eyes, Michael's wide ones meet his own from the floor.

"Papa." Michael whispers, and Ranboo smiles sweetly. "Hi, baby."

Tommy grumbles incomprehensibly, nuzzling into his neck. Michael gasps, and presses his index finger to his snout and throwing a look at his papa. Ranboo wordlessly lifts his own finger to his lips in agreement, and lowers a hand to help Michael climb up between him and the couch.

"Dada said you went to sleep." Ranboo tells Michael, who plops in the tiny space where Ranboo is squished against Tommy.

"I play pretend." Michael admits proudly, snuggling into his side. "I trick Dada." Ranboo snickers, reaching over the side of the recliner to slowly protrude the footrest. Ranboo sighs and leans back, patting both his companions idly.

"Cunning little man. You sure got him good." Ranboo yawns as quietly as he can, and Michael giggles in the same manner. Ranboo's heart melts at the noise.

"I love you, Papa." Michael says, curling into his stomach. Ranboo feels warm, trapped between his son and his friend, the house filled with gentle nightlight and the whir of electricity. "I love you too, Michael." He doesn't attempt to stop the fierce vibration of a purr echoing in his chest and throat, just let's the sound lull his son to a dreamful sleep.

He doesn't go to sleep, no, not until Tubbo comes home, but he lies in wait. Acting as a solid pillar for the people who need one, knowing they act as his support in turn. He keeps his eyes open, this time not in fear of waking up outside, or dread of not remembering tomorrow, just a simple thought he knows to be true.

Yeah. It'll be okay.