Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was Autumn when Ranboo moves into a small town in the South of England, spurred on by their mom wanting a fresh start, a clean state.. The air was a soft breeze against their oversized sweatshirt as they hauled their belongings from their mother's 2003 Toyota Corolla into their new house. Well, apartment, but their mother insisted on calling it a house. It was a small thing, only six apartments in one complex, but each room was big enough to not feel cramped.

Ranboo stands in the middle of theirs, only a bed and a dresser in an otherwise empty room. They didn't even have curtains! Those were coming in on Tuesday, three days from now, so they'd have to sleep while staring out into the forest for three nights. That was manageable, if a little creepy, but they tried not to dwell on the fact. There were still boxes in the car, and they didn't want a backlog for when more of their furniture arrived in the moving van coming tomorrow. Better to get everything unpacked best the best that they could right now to prevent that overflow. 

As they walk back outside to the car, glad stairs weren't going to be an issue since they scored an apartment on the bottom floor, they notice somebody talking to their mother. Somebody they didn't recognise - obviously, they had moved from a different country, but their was a familiarity to this stranger that made Ranboo feel uneasy. Uneasy in a way that made them instinctively pause on the apartment complex doorstep. They hoped it was just general nerves of seeing somebody unfamiliar, mentally hyping themselves up before walking over to the car.

"Oh! And who is this?" the stranger cooed, a grin plastered on her face. Ranboo cringed a little at the tone, one you'd used for a pet or small animal. It would've made them cringe more if they didn't tower over her in a near comical way, seemingly an entire foot taller than her.

"Oh, uhm. Ranboo, ma'am," they reply, overcompensating how uncomfortable they felt with politeness. It was surely showing on their face, but at the same time, they weren't even sure she was able to crane her head up high enough to meet their eyes.

"Oh, Ranboo, it is so nice to meet you, dear. I'm Agnes, I live just over the street," she points to a house just across from them, "I was just talking to your mother, welcoming her in. Warning her."

That… is concerning phrasing. Definitely not the first thing you want to hear when you move into a new town, especially one of such small size. Oh, God, did they move into a stereotypically British town with high knife crime rates, or something?

"Aha… warning about… what..?" they ask tentatively.

"Apparently," their mother chimed in, not sounding entirely convinced of whatever she was warned of, "this town is known for its anti-vampire work. Somehow missed that on the moving forms."

"We would not want to invite any vampires to come play tricks on us now, do we? No no no, we keep that part a secret!"

"Oh, uh- I see," Ranboo replies awkwardly, not exactly wanting to play into whatever delusions this elderly woman was having, but equally not sure how to disagree with her. "Well… I'm glad we keep each other safe."

"That's the spirit! Oh, I am so glad the youth are still working hard!" Agnes grins. "I hope to see you both around, I need to get back home in time for supper!"
"Oh, what a shame," Ranboo's mother replied, the sarcasm not processing to the other woman. "We hope to see you around."
"Toodles!" she calls, crossing back over the street. Ranboo gives a half-hearted wave that wasn't even seen. 

Once she was definitely out of hearing range – which, to be fair, would probably not be far at all, but they wanted to be extra sure – Ranboo's mother turns to them and sighs.

""ell… she's a weird one."
"Yep," they mutter in agreement.
"Let's just hope all the neighbours aren't… like that."
"Yeah," they repeat, shifting awkwardly before pointing to a box labelled BOO. "Uh, could I grab that?"

—

Four days later, it was Ranboo's first day of school.

They were glad their mom didn't make them attend school the day after they moved in. It gave them a little more time to settle into this new environment and not be immediately thrust into the worst place an unadjusted teen could be placed into. There was also the extra benefit of not having to be the new kid showing up to class on a Friday.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't take away the awkwardness of joining a month late into the school year, but that was pretty much unavoidable. Ranboo just hoped they'd be able to fit in easily enough.

Their uniform was a little snug on them. Somehow, the manufactures didn't make blazers in size giant, but it wasn't too uncomfortable. The only real downside was the inability to wear their mask. For whatever reason, this school had a very strict rule about no facemasks, past any sort of usual standards. The teacher that had reprimanded Ranboo at the school gates and demanded they take their mask off and open their mouth was not a great first impression, but they were so scared of authority they obliged.

They were trying to cope with the concept of people perceiving them. With their hands stuffed into their blazer pockets, fidgeting with the loose threads, they aimlessly wandered up and down the long halls, trying to find their class. A majority of the students had found their classes by now, the overwhelming crowds of teenagers culled, but Ranboo was still utterly lost.

Damnit, it should not be this hard to find their class. But equally, they should make the maps plastered around each floor of this four-story building a little easier to decipher! They sigh. Complaining won't help them find their class. If the clock in the hallway was correct – though honestly, Ranboo was doubting that it was – the bell was about to go, only a few stragglers still roaming the halls alongside themselves. Defeat had to be admitted, there was no way they were going to find their class. As they were mentally preparing themselves to go talk to the woman at the front desk, a voice cuts through their thoughts.

"Are you lost, or something?" 

They spin around, being met with a blond teenage boy in messy uniform and his slightly shorter friend, sporting overgrown brown hair and a large winter coat. Ranboo doesn't speak for a moment, stammering nonsense beneath their breath.

"We've just seen you goin' up and down the halls for, like, ten minutes," says the blond boy, the same who had asked if they were lost in the first place. Ranboo groans at the observation they were hoping nobody would make, their face reddening in embarrassment.

"Ugh- ignore that. Please, just forgot you saw that."

"So, you're not lost? Just running around?" the shorter friend asked, and Ranboo couldn't tell if he was being sincere in his questioning or not. They still answer like he is, just in case, their head shaking in a borderline pathetic way.

"No, no, I am so very lost right now!" their voice was nearing desperation, wanting this conversation to end as quickly as possible. "I'm just new, and I can barely understand the maps, and-"

"Ohhh, I thought your accent was funny!" says the coat-clad boy, it only just now clicking what was happening with this weird, new, American kid.. The blond one snorts.

"Tubbo- you can't-" he mutters through barely contained laughter, before shaking his head and sighing, trying to stop his laughter but still chuckling one last time. He coughs like he never laughed at all, "so, new kid, you're lost?"

"Uh- yeah."

"Well, lucky for you, we are experts at this school! Been here for five years, so you've come to the right guys!"

"I didn't come to you, you came to me-" Ranboo mutters, before just letting that specific phrasing go. "I have Mrs Jones? For uh… for History? If you know… where she'd be…"

A grin spreads across the blond boys face, "perfect! I have her too, though thiiis loser has Maths!"

Tubbo – Ranboo assumed that was his name, it's what the other boy called him – groaned, but smile fondly afterwards. 

Ranboo is unable to help the grateful smile spreading across their face, "woah, uh- that's awesome! Could you show me up there?"

"Of course!" he grabs Ranboo's wrist, "see ya, Tubbo! I gotta take new kid up to their class!"
Ranboo waves goodbye to Tubbo, who departs down the stairs while they're dragged up them, before looking back to their escort. "Uhm… I have a name."

"Then tell me it!" the blond boy scoffs playfully.

Ranboo swallows, "uh, Ranboo."
"That's a freaky name. Is it cause you're American?"

The two were at the top of the stairs now, and Ranboo had luckily been able to pull their wrist out of his grasp. They simply just followed behind him now.

"Hey, you- you said you tell me your name!" they call out, causing Tommy to spin around and speak to them as he walks backwards.
"Oh! Tommy! Now, is it cause you're American?"
Ranboo shrugged, "I don't know, it's just what my mom called me. Your friend was called Tubbo, wasn't he? Is he American?"

Tommy just laughs, "you're a funny one. C'mon, Mrs Jones is real nice, she won't care that we're late."

Ranboo's eyes widened, "we're late? I didn't hear the bell! Oh, my mom is gonna be so mad when-"

"Relaaax, man!" Tommy tries to throw his arm around Ranboo in playful support, but he was much too short, so he lands on just placing a hand on their shoulder, "Jones isn't gonna mark you down for it, she's chill like that."

"Really?" they mutter timidly.

"Yeah! And you'd probably get let off anyway, being your first day and all."

Ranboo just nods, following Tommy down the hall once he lets go of their shoulder. Straight head, then to the right, then into a little classroom with about fifteen students in it, a bored looking teaching at the desk. Without a single glance from her, Tommy slips in and leads Ranboo to a table with two other students.

"There you are!" one with long hair down to their shoulders exclaims, "oh, and you brought a stray!"

"Be nice, they're American!" Tommy reprimands as he sits, and Ranboo does the same besides him. He clears his throat dramatically, "this is Ranboo."

Introductions went… better than Ranboo ever expected to be, learning that long haired one was Aimsey and the one scribbling things in their notebook was Eryn. Well, they weren't immediately called names, so they're counting this interaction as a win.

The class rolled on, and despite the slight awkwardness still looking over Ranboo, Tommy was helping them not feel so out of place. It was… really nice of him, actually. Ranboo wasn't used to niceness, or friends, yet here there were, seemingly gaining three in a day just by running into an extrovert who was now acting like they'd always been friends. They're brought out of these thoughts by Mrs Jones' tired voice echoing through the classroom.

"Alright, class, this lesson brings us to the end of the Victorian era. I'm sure certain students here will be glad that's this is the case," she looks to Ranboo, causing half the class to look to them. They blush but try to act as if it isn't deeply embarrassing them – they were able to get off the hook from doing any work that lesson, seeing as they were just about to start studying a new topic, and they could tell a couple students were jealous when that news spread around the classroom.

It just meant they could spend most of their time talking to Tommy, who did have work due but was just not doing it in favour of chattering away. A mutter of feeling guilty for distracting Tommy from his work was shut down by Eryn saying he's always been like this, he just has an outlet for it now.

"Reminder that our next subject will be vampiric history. Emphasis on history, personal accounts from current-day vampire hunters does not count as studying!"

"I think that was aimed at me," Tommy murmured, causing Aimsey and Eryn to laugh.

Ranboo didn't quite get it but laughed along, mostly at the concept of learning the history of vampires, and the fact a teacher brought up vampire hunters. Maybe they just weren't picking up on the tone, and this was all one big joke. Maybe this was just similar to learning about the Salem Witch Trials, where they learn about the crazy people who tried to kill people they thought to be witches.

As the class dismisses, Ranboo continues to follow behind Tommy, relieved when he spins around and asks what their next class is. Okay, this wasn't a one-time thing where he pretended to be friends and immediately got annoyed at them for existing in his general vicinity. They were started to really like Tommy.

"It's, uh, English. With Mr. Tanner."

"Shit, not so lucky this time," Tommy dramatically sighs, looking down to the floor sadly. He shoots his head back up after a single second of his frown, a grin now plastered on his face, and meets Ranboo's eyes. "I'll still show you to him, he's a bit stricter than Jones, so we should get you there quick."

"Hey, I have that class too!" Eryn smiles at Ranboo. They hadn't talked too much, but Ranboo liked Eryn and he seemed to like them back. "I can show them there. It's just the floor above us, so not too far."

Tommy shakes his head, "I'll walk with both of you, it's all good!"
Aimsey chuckles, "dude, your class is like… on the bottom floor, right? Don't you have art?"

"You doubt my skills to run down stairs!" he grins. Ranboo was a little taken aback by his insistence. They were already on the third floor. Was he really gonna sacrifice being late to his class, and possibly risk falling down four flights of stairs due to running down them, just to spend one more minute with Ranboo? They brush away that thought – no, that's wishful thinking, simply what they want to be true. He probably just wants to spend more time with Eryn, his actual friend. The rest of the group just chuckles a little at his antics, clearly used to this by now. 

English class was considerably more boring without Tommy. Eryn was there, of course, but unlike Tommy, he was responsible enough to actually try with the work. It wasn't much of an awkward silence, and there was occasional conversations. Even if it was only about the work itself… 

Ranboo kept finding themselves missing Tommy. Maybe they shouldn't miss him this much, considering they hadn't known him for more than an hour, but logic never seemed to outweigh that creeping little voice just wanted him to just be here.

Tommy stayed in the back of Ranboo's mind for the rest of the class. They kept trying to talk themselves down from the thoughts, tell themselves that him being nice to them doesn't really mean anything in the grand scheme of things. In reality, they were probably just blindsighted by the fact this was the first person in years to show them any ounce of kindness. 

They only stop thinking these thoughts – about both Tommy and about what liking Tommy this much means – when the bell rings throughout the halls, drifting underneath the doorframe and informing the students of the news that class was other. This seemed as a shock to the teacher himself, who just called out that class was dismissed, with a reminder of the homework that Ranboo didn't even try to make out through the chattering of students excited to leave.

"So, what class do you have now?" they ask, turning to Eryn as they pack up their bag. He just chuckles.

"Class? We have a break now."

Ranboo's eyes widen, "like… like recess?" Eryn shrugs, his own backpack slung over his shoulder.

"I guess? I dunno, we didn't exactly stop getting recess after Year Six. Why, you complaining?" they grin. Ranboo grins back.

"Not at all," they chuckle, a little awkwardly, finally getting their bag on their back and following Eryn out the class.

"Where… do we go for our break?" Ranboo asks, their shoulder pressing against Eryn's. God, they were already missing being late to their class and not having to deal with the crowds. Their voice was considerably louder than their usual mumbled self, just so Eryn could hear their question

.

"Anywhere," Eryn called back, guiding Ranboo to a staircase that was considerably less busy than the main staircase that was front and centre when you entered the schools building, but still brimming with students. At least this one didn't run the risk of somebody in the overpopulated crowd knocking you just right and sending you flying down the steps. They hum, a noise barely heard by Ranboo, and add, "within reason, of course. You can't, like, go on the roof We're usually by the football field, but it's too cold for that."

We're. Ranboo mentally excused their sigh of relief hearing it wouldn't just be them and Eryn to the fact the crowd was a little less overwhelming. 

"So… everyone else is on break too? We'll see Tommy again?" they realise how it sounds singling just him out, hurriedly adding on, "and Tubbo and Aimsey too!"
Eryn chuckles, "yeah, we'll find each other in the lunch hall."

"But it's… only ten?"

"Yeah, but it's still the lunch hall," Eryn sees the confused look on Ranboo's face, so clarifies, "we're still going to have lunch, don't worry."

Ranboo nods, a small "alright" escaping them – one that wasn't heard over the jumbled noise of the crowd – as they follow Eryn down the long flights of stairs, clinging onto the banister for dear life. At least teenagers being unable to walk besides each other without shoving didn't seem to be an American-only issue.

At the bottom of the stairs, Eryn leads Ranboo into the middle of the school's building, a large auditorium type room with metal tables laid out in neat rows. They both scanned the tables, and when they're unable to find a single one of their friends, they make their way to a table where nobody sat. At least they'd be able to be easily spotted, seemingly being the two tallest people in this entire school. And, sure enough, Aimsey found them without much issue. Tommy and Tubbo joined them a little while after.

"What took you two so long? You were literally twenty feet away," Aimsey chuckles. It was an exaggeration, sure, but they were concerningly late for being on the same floor as the lunch hall.

Tubbo sighs, "Tommy made all the hand reference statues flip everyone off."

"Oh, don't sigh like you disapprove! You thought it was hilarious back there, it just stopped being funny when you got in trouble too!"

Tubbo tries not to chuckle as he sits besides Aimsey, who was opposite Eryn. To Eryn's left was Ranboo, and to Ranboo's left was an empty seat. Tommy dramatically places his backpack onto the table, shaking it a little with its weight. The thump sound it makes echoes through the halls.

Ranboo tries not to overthink him deciding to sit next to them, since a seat was free besides Tubbo as well. They swallow, trying to focus on what everyone else was focusing on, that being the noise his bag made.

"What- what is in there?" they chuckle out, hands clenched into fists on their lap, happy nobody can see their nervous fidgeting from beneath the table. Jesus, Ranboo, you've known this boy for two hours! Pull yourself together!

"Oh, don't get him started-" Eryn mumbled, but was cut off but Tommy slamming his hands onto the table. It truly was his mission to make as much noise as possible, and draw more attention to the 6'5 new kid who stood out like a sore thumb.

"I'm glad you asked!" Tommy grinned, unzipping the backpack and pulling out… a brick? "This is my personal protection against vampires!"

"We told him stakes were better, but-"
"Stakes are for nerds! This is long distance protection!" Tommy continued to cut off any of Eryn's little mutters. He proudly presents the brick to Ranboo, "I haven't been able to use it yet, but I practise in my garden on the targets my mom has!"

Wow, this was… a lot to take in. Ranboo blankly stares at the brick for a second, parts of the sides and particularly the corners chipped away. Tommy wasn't lying about practising with it. They chuckle nervously.

"Uhm- that's nice and all, but… when would you… run into a vampire?"

"It hasn't happened yet – and you can thank my mum for that – but I'm prepared for attack!"

Okay, so Tommy was crazy too. The one time they hit it off with somebody, they end up being absolutely insane… just their luck! They awkwardly glance around the table, trying to gauge their reactions, but everyone mostly just seemed bored of something they'd heard countless times rather than acting like what Tommy said wasn't complete nonsense. Ranboo clears their throat.

"You don't, uh- all believe this, right? I'm just not in on this joke?" they try timidly, their fidgeting gone from nervous due to the fact their very newly developed crush sat besides them, to nervous due to the fact they were surrounded by people who seemed to think vampires were real. They only got murmurs of vampires indeed being real in reply.

Alright, maybe the woman that warned them when they first moved in wasn't completely crazy after all, she just spoke in a way that sounded like every conspiracy theory believer ever. Or maybe something was seriously wrong with the town's water supply and everybody was crazy, but at this point, it'd be easier to just go along with it. Better safe than sorry, anyway.

—

Ranboo was even more relieved that Tommy didn't brush them away on the second day of them attending the school. With the first day of Tommy letting them hang around, they felt more like a stray cat than a friend – Tommy was just guiding them through the school out of pity, showing them their classes and not letting them sit alone at lunch because he didn't want them to be embarrassed on their first day. Ranboo was half-expecting him to react with disgust when they spotted him before school had started, standing with Tubbo. Those fears were brushed away when he was the one to call them over.

"Ran! Hey! Good morning!" he calls, obnoxiously waving. God, Ranboo really needs to get used to how Tommy seemed to demand attention from everyone at all times. They couldn't really tell if it was on purpose of if Tommy was just a little socially inept. Well, not like Ranboo would be the person capable of judging him if he was. They just smiled, trying not to think about the fact people could see their face rather than it be hidden beneath a mask, and walked over.

"Morning," they mutter back, hands stuffed into the pockets of their coat jacket. They learned quickly their school blazer would keep in the warmth during the summer, but not give any during the winter from Eryn. Good to know. It takes a second for what Tommy said to hit them, but eventually they repeat back, "Ran?"

Tommy grins at them, "yeah! Like, it's a nickname!"
Huh. Ranboo hadn't really had a nickname from anyone other than their mother  – excluding whatever names they were taunted with, but those didn't exactly fall under 'nicknames a friend gave you'. A smile creeps onto their face.

"Uh- nice, yeah. I like that," they say softly, "guess… that makes you Tom?"

"Tommy's already a nickname. It's short for Thomas," Tubbo chimes in, having just swallowed some painfully plain toast he must've gotten from the cafeteria. Free food is free food, but damn, not even some butter? It takes a second for Ranboo to process his words, maybe too focused on his food, but once it sticks in their head, their face burns up. They were so comically pale, the pinkness of their cheeks was immediately noticeable.

"Aha, yeah. Yeah, right, sorry- forgot about that," they mumbled, the fists that were stuffed into their pockets balling up. Tommy just laughs a little.

"No, no, it's fine. Make my name shorter…" he sighs dramatically. Once again, his theatrics only last a second, unable to stop himself from snorting at his own joke. Ranboo laughs with him.

"Well… we can all have shortened names, huh?" they say softly, still trying to hide their own embarrassment, "Tommy, Ran, Tubbo-"

"Oh, it's not short for anything," Tommy corrected. Ranboo's embarrassed flushed comes back stronger.

"...it's not?" Ranboo murmurs, and Tubbo shakes his head. 

"What did you think it was short for?" he asks, chuckling a little.

They pause before shrugging. The other two laugh at their mistake, but move on, not dwelling on it too hard. It was different from what they were used to, not having a mistake be held over their head, and it made them let out the metaphorical breath they were holding. This was nice. Tommy was nice. Tommy was calming.

Chapter Text

Tommy was calming until he wasn't.

As a friend? Tommy was great. Amazing, even. A month into their friendship, Ranboo was finally able to fully shake away the thought that this was all just Tommy taking pity on them. The hangouts before and after school, spending breaktimes and lunchtimes together, helping with the projects about the vampires that Ranboo still wasn't fully convinced were real… Tommy was the constant. There were other friends, of course. A boy like Tommy had many, many friends that Ranboo kept learning about, that were also becoming their friends too. 

Of course, there was always the possibility that some of Tommy's friends did not like Ranboo, and they wouldn't entirely blame them if they didn't. Ranboo was a strange one, with a weird accent and weird speech patterns and a weird mask they wore when they weren't confined to the school rules and uniform. 

But Tommy would defend them from any comments made – so far it had only been once, somebody Ranboo only hung out with once and couldn't remember the name of commenting on how it was suspicious and weird that Ranboo was wearing a facemask, threatening to rip it off. Tommy defended them so quickly and intensely that it didn't make Ranboo scared of new people. Because Tommy was there, and Tommy would make up for their social anxiety.

Ranboo feared that maybe Tommy didn't have enough social anxiety, though. Or anxiety in general. 

Of course, Ranboo wouldn't wish the comical level of anxiety they themselves had on anybody, they knew it was unhealthy to worry as much as they did. Even so, there was a healthy amount that they thought everyone should have. A baseline, to give people some guidance of self-preservation and understand consequences. Tommy seemed to lack this.

It didn't make Ranboo like Tommy any less, or make him less of a friend. In fact, Ranboo actually quite liked Tommy's overconfidence and carefree nature, it contrasted nicely with their own 'everything is going to go wrong' outlook. Even if that meant sitting at the bottom of the hill besides Tubbo, watching Aimsey and Tommy at the top of a rather steep hill. Aimsey stands with their hands on their hips next to Tommy, who sits in a shopping cart.

Ranboo really liked Tommy, but God, were they worried about 200% of the time that he was going to die at any moment. They weren't sure why they always accepted the invitations to see Tommy do stupidly dangerous shit – well, they were. It was so they could see Tommy, but they were still in denial about their crush on him. It had only gotten worse since day one, and it was bad even back then!

"Ready!?" Tubbo called up the hill, stopwatch in hand. Tommy wanted to race someone down the hill in a shopping cart, insistent he'd be faster. Somehow, Aimsey was willing to run besides a maniac in a stolen shopping cart to test his batshit theory. A vague "huh?" was called back, and neither of them could really tell who said it since they were so far up. It didn't exactly matter, though.

Tubbo raises his hand nad makes a thumbs up, and when he gets one back, he points quickly at the two, starting the stopwatch when they took the signal that the gesture meant go. Really, they should've considered the fact that they wouldn't be able to hear each other from however high up before this started–

Ranboo's broken from these thoughts when Aimsey takes the first tumble, a surprise to both spectators sitting cross-legged in the grass. They expected Tommy to be the first one to fall, to be the only one to fall for that matter! Aimsey's method of running to beat Tommy turned into some sort of constant front roll. It wouldn't be hard to roll off to the side and stop the momentum, but they were determined to beat Tommy.

Speaking of Tommy, he had briefly let go of one side of the trolly to point (and assumedly laugh) at Aimsey's demise, causing his own. The shift in weight messed with the already unstable gravity of the cart, and with the pressure on the sides of the cart now uneven, it sent Tommy tipping forwards. Ranboo flinches and looks away before they could watch Tommy hit the ground, just praying that when they looked back up, his collarbone wasn't broken. Or worse.

Ranboo stays looking away, Tubbo too engrossed in the sight in front of him to notice his friends distress, until the sound of Tommy cheering and declaring himself the winner echoes through the field. Oh, thank God, he wasn't dead.

They scramble up from where they sat, so overtaken by the outcome they expected – yet still didn't sway Tommy away from, worried about him getting mad at them – that they pulled Tommy up off the ground without a second thought, having to restrain themselves from pulling him into a full blown hug. No, that'd be weird. Even though Ranboo wasn't letting go of Tommy's hand. Even though Tommy wasn't letting go either.

"I can't tell if that was the stupidest thing you've ever done, or the coolest," they whisper, somehow more out of breath than the person who just rolled down a hill in a metal death box. It was probably the sheer amount of adrenaline coursing through him that was keeping him upright – the hand that held onto Ranboo's was shaking uncontrollably, and Ranboo's grip on it tightened a little. 

"I've done stupider, I've done cooler," Tommy whispers back, though his grin didn't match his tone. It was spread wide across his face, and Ranboo was genuinely a little surprised all his teeth were in tact.

"Well, that makes top ten, I think," Ranboo's voice stayed soft, they weren't sure were. They just hoped Tommy wasn't picking up on the blush on their face, or the fact they were still holding hands, or the correlation between those two facts.

"Definitely top ten in stupidity," Tubbo calls, and the pair finally look away from each other's eyes. They watch as Tubbo helps Aimsey up, Ranboo frowning beneath their mask at the realisation they didn't help them. Hopefully, nobody noticed that they bolted directly to Tommy.

"Yeah, but that was fun!" Aimsey adds, brushing off the dirt from their clothes, not bothering about the grass stains. White was probably not the best colour to wear for this. 

"Oh, definitely," Tommy laughs and adds, his voice finally louder than his previous whisper. Ranboo frowns deeper when Tommy pulls his hand out of their grip, glad nobody could see their expression beneath the mask, and watches as he dusts himself off. Somehow, Tommy also made the mistake of wearing white.

"Hrm… how mad do you think my mum's gonna be when she sees me come home like this?" Tommy questions, twisting his spine around to look at the damage done. Nothing seemed torn, thankfully, but it mostly just looked like somebody did a really bad dye job.

"Pretty mad, that's not getting out," Aimsey adds, grimacing at their own situation.

"Shit," Tommy sighs, the adrenaline of winning starting to run off and reality setting in. He sighs, falling to the ground. "I need a good excuse or she'll kill me."

Ranboo hums, watching as he falls. "Uh- you could borrow my jacket?" they suggest quietly, not wanting the other two to hear despite the fact they would definitely know what occurred because if he said yes, they'd see him wearing their jacket. That wasn't exactly at the front of Ranboo's mind right now. Tommy just nods, and Ranboo immediately burns up. Another positive of them wearing the mask was the fact it wasn't too noticeable when they turned that embarrassing pink colour. At least they had the extra excuse of the cold if anyone asked, taking off their hoodie and all.

In silence, Ranboo unzips their hoodie and hands it to down to Tommy, still sitting on the floor with his back presses against the bottom of the hill, his feet flat on the ground with his boney, exposed knees raised. Nobody knew why Tommy wore shorts in the winter, but at least it made Ranboo be able to assess there wasn't any damage to his legs. At least, there wasn't any damage that was so bad it was visible at a glance. 

They can't look as Tommy takes the hoodie from them, flinching a little as their fingers brush together. They were holding hands earlier, but that gentle touch just felt more… intimate, gentle. Tommy asks if they're okay, and – still not making eye contact – Ranboo mutters yes, they're just a bit colder now, but it's okay and he should take the jacket. Tommy is able to accept this quick enough and do as Ranboo says, pulling his arms through the soft, black fabric.

—

The day after their escapades in the field, Ranboo actually has to work on one of the many vampire hunter projects they were assigned for History class.

As much as they really, really liked Tommy, they were starting to regret picking him as their partner for this. With hindsight, obviously he would be a terrible person to work with for schoolwork, considering Ranboo had never seen him pick up a pen in class – excluding that one time he was using them as darts, but that doesn't really count. Which left them with the heaviest workload, being all of it. At least they were a paragraph away from being finished…

Just one more paragraph, and they can go home… just one more… and then they can go home to their mom, and have dinner, and- wait. Wait, dinner! Damnit, it was nearly 5pm, they weren't going to get home in time for dinner! Oh, gosh, their mom will be so mad if they miss their curfew again!

Thoughts buzzed through their head as they tried to log off the PC, stuff their textbooks into their bag, and pull on their blazer all at once. It eventually gets done, though they probably could've gotten it done faster if they just took it one thing at a time, and rush out of the library doors.

Damnit, damnit, damnit! Oh, who ever let them have this poor time management skills? They'll never get home in time! It was 4:53 now, and they lived thirty goddamned minutes away! Hell, they were barely out of the school gates. They were trying (and failing) to not constantly glance at their phone and watch their fate tick down right in front of them.

This was bad, they cannot be home late for a third time this week - even by fifteen minutes would land them grounded.

As they rush out the school gates, Ranboo's eyes focused on the forest in front of them, one that sits prettily across the street from the school gates. It'd been there for the last month, of course it had, but they never really processed it as a real thing they could interact with. They'd always turned right and walked that way instead.

The scenery started to become to foreground, and Ranboo realises what that meant. It finally clicks to them that this forest stood in the way, literally, of them getting home in a timely manner. Going around it, walking down long winding paths, just slowed them done. Going through it would cut down their walk home a considerable amount, maybe even enough so they wouldn't get in trouble. It would just be a straight line, after all.

It's not like they had many other options, really. The wait for a bus around here would be longer than if they just ran, and taxis weren't really a service unless you were going a considerable distance. Either way, they didn't have the money for that! So, it was walking through the kinda creepy forest, or facing their mother that was growing considerably angrier with every curfew broken. 

Ranboo chooses the forest.

One final sigh escapes them, almost as a mental "good luck" to themselves. It was sunset, so the outer world was still relatively bright, cascaded in a warm, orange glow. They knew the inside of the forest would not be granted the same light level, with trees so dense, they'd be lucky if any of that sunlight shined through the gaps between the leaves. Phone in hand, ready to turn on the built-in flashlight if things did get too dark, Ranboo unlatches the little wooden gate and starts to walk through the path laid in rocks.

This…. was fine. This was fine, actually. It was just a forest. It was just a dark, creepy forest. But hey! There was a path! Just follow the path, and it'll be fine. They'll be with their mom again soon, they'll be eating dinner, and everything will be fine. Everything will be–

Oh.

The path ended.

Ranboo pauses where they stand once their feet hit the grass of the forest floor, the rocky (in both senses of the word) path coming to an abrupt stop just behind them. They weren't sure how far into the forest they were at this point, a quick glance to where they had walked from just showed them trees and trees and trees. No gate or fences or any of the outside world in sight.

Ranboo takes a deep breath and looks back in front of them. Okay, this was fine too. They just had to walk in a straight line, and eventually they'd find the other side of the forest. They would have been walking in a straight line anyway, so the path being here wasn't an issue, really.

It was a simple task at first, almost boring in its mediocrity. Just walking. With Ranboo's headphones having no battery life left, they were forced to only listen to the surrounding sounds of nature. The crunch of leaves and dried grass beneath mud-covered school shoes, the soft tweet of birds, another set of footsteps, branches snapping when there were none beneath their shoes.

Ranboo swallowed and didn't dare look behind them.

Subconsciously, their footsteps get faster, and so does the pair that sounded not too far behind them. It wasn't subconscious anymore, they had to run – and they still didn't look behind them.

Part of them was too scared of whatever it could be, they were smart enough to know whoever (or whatever) it was would not be acting in good faith. The other part of them knew that the only thing they could do was keep running. Turning around, even for a split second to get a slight glimpse, would just slow them down.

Ranboo's legs were carried by pure anxiety. They didn't even have enough energy to berate themselves for throwing out their self-preservation to get home ten minutes earlier. The thought just vaguely rattled around in their brain every time their shaky foot hits the ground.

Ranboo was ready to give up, to accept what was inevitable, when the sun starts to peak through the gaps between the trees that were becoming more common. It was the end of the forest.

There was a gate.

Oh my God, Ranboo could see the gate! Yes, thank God, just a little further and they could get out of this stupid forest, find somebody to help them. There were rows of houses, they could shout for help if needed. Just a bit closer, just a few more steps.

Ranboo lunged their body at the gate, hands pressing against the rain-soaked wood, too much adrenaline running through them to process the way splinters dig into their hands. They reach their hand down, fumbling to find the latch to open the gate. The gate, the gate, the–

It was a fence. Shit, it was a fence. Ranboo's breathing gets heavier, trying to look either side of them to scout out a way through. Before they could even think about attempting to scramble over the wooden planks, they feel a hand cover their mouth, then an arm wrap around their stomach, pressing their arms against their sides. Their eyes widen, screaming against the hand pressed against their mouth.

The thing – whatever it was, because it definitely wasn't human  – growls from behind them, digging its fingernails into the flesh of their cheeks, their scream fizzling out into a whine alike to a kicked puppy. 

Well. They'll be late home after all.

—

On Monday, Ranboo stands in their bedroom, staring at their uniform-clad body. It was still muddy from where they fell in the forest, with the collar having a distinct bloodstain too it alongside long rips going up their sleeves from the tussle with the vampire. When their mother called through the closed bedroom door on Friday that she was doing laundry and to give her their uniform, Ranboo called back that they were old enough to wash their own clothes. They didn't touch their uniform all weekend.

Obviously, they couldn't go into school like this. Even if they had the hindsight to buy more than one plain white button-up, they would still refuse to go, for obvious reasons. They had barely left their room over the weekend, which wasn't much of a change from usual, so their mother wasn't suspicious of anything. Even on the rare occasions they did see her, any signs of being a vampire were covered up or too small to notice.

Ranboo had settled on only wearing a hoodie, able to easily get away with doing so due to the colder weather - a two in one for hiding their vampiricness, since when they wore the hood up, it covered both their necks bitemark and the slightly pointed ears they now sported. The fact they got paler was barely noticeable unless you squinted, already comically pale, now just without any sort of blush to their face.

They strip off the uniform, throwing it back into the same spot they threw it Friday night, and they slip back into the same hoodie and sweatpants they had been wearing for three days straight. As they get into bed, they pull the hood over their pointed ears, and try to go back to sleep.

Eventually, their mother knocks on the door. She opens it when they don't reply, and gasps at the sight of them half-asleep in bed.

"Ranboo! It's 8:20, you need to get ready!"
They groan, shifting around in the bed, "I… I can't go. I feel sick."

She frowns, setting the laundry basket in the hallway outside their door and walking in. She squints her eyes at them.

"You do look paler than usual," their mother frowns, pressing the back of her hand to their forehead, "but you don't feel warm. Are you sure you're sick?"
"I'm sure. I feel awful," it wasn't technically a lie.
She frowns and sighs,retracting her hand, "alright, I'll let the school know. It's your first absence of the school year, after all."

Missing one day became missing three days became missing a week. It was at this point, Ranboo had to tell their mother what was going on, what happened that day in their forest. She pulled them out of school, knowing what some of the crazy people would do if they found out. It was safer this way for both of them.

Tommy hadn't heard from Ranboo in three weeks, he had only heard the rumours that they had dropped out.

Chapter Text

Tommy can’t pinpoint exactly when the rumors first started, just that they became apparent one day when obnoxious hunters came to the school. 

Growing up with his mom, he’s always been aware of vampires and the complexity of their existence. The town believed they were monstrous creatures, only driven by violence and the need for blood. Mindless beast, parasites for all that can be described about them.

But through his mom, he learned more about the human aspects of vampires. Territorial  natures and loyal mindsets; he learned that vampires are no different to humans when it comes to their capabilities to love and protect.

This doesn’t change the glaring fact that vampires were dangerous. Advanced speed and strength, heightened senses; there’s a reason humans fear the undead creatures and call to the hunters for protection.

For weeks classes have been filled with whispers about sightings and things amidst the town, papers filled with speculation as the hunters overstay their welcome. 

And now here a group of them are— at Tommy’s school. And the worst part is, Tommy thinks, is the fact Ranboo isn’t here at all to hear him complain about it.

They just disappeared one day, not a word spoken to him or even a glance to hint that something was wrong.  And Tubbo says he’s being dramatic when he says Ranboo disappeared, but it truly does feel like it.

At first it was just delays in hang outs, simple change of plans with muttered a Sorry and Maybe later? But then it transferred to missing classes, to missing school days, to it being a week and then almost a month. 

Texts gone ignored, calls sent to voice mail. Not even Ranboo’s mom had an answer for him when Tommy showed up to their house unannounced. No explanation or excuse: just a pitiful Ranboo’s not feeling well right now. I’ll let you know when they’re feeling up for visitors next time.

And like, what the fuck?

Tommy thought they were friends! He thought…well, he thought they were at least close! He missed Ranboo, it was piteous to watch according to his friend group. He misses their quiet rambling and small smiles, the way they hunch when laughing or the way they tap their pencil against the desk when thinking. He misses passing notes and seeing how Ranboo’s eyes would soften, and the faint blushes whenever he pressed a flower to their desk.

He spent nights passing across his room, staring at the screen of his phone with his nails in his mouth, scrolling up to find Ranboo’s latest texts and wondering what happened. Did he do something wrong? Was he too annoying? Or did, and this thought always freezes him, Ranboo figure out the truth of his feelings?

Because for the life of everything, Tommy could not think of anything else that could explain Ranboo’s sudden distance. Not even Aimsey knew what was happening– and if xey didn’t know, then it was hopeless!

He flopped back on his bed, sighing as he held the phone up to his face. A picture of them together stared back, and Tommy lingered on Ranboo’s face. They looked so happy in the picture, fond gaze at Tommy as he made a funny face, and it just made his chest hurt more.

Every day alone made him feel hollow, made him feel like a ghost. He caught himself glancing at Ranboo’s seat every day at school, at the benches outside, and the fences around the park. He kept waiting for that soft chuckle that always signified a good day, for a deep voice to call out his name and apologise for leaving him like they did.

Sometimes he debated calling out their name, in the hopes that maybe they would hear him. That by calling their name like if their some mystical fae, Ranboo would appear and make everything alright again. They would come back, and wrap Tommy around their arms, and everything would be normal between them.

But that never happens. And Ranboo never shows up again.

Hunters are known for being strange. When tracking and fighting dangerous creatures, a strange personality is implied to be included. You need to either be suicidal or a adrenaline junkie to want this as a job. Or desperate enough.

Hey, Tommy knows the Hunter’s Guild pays good money! No shame in that, no shame at all!

Despite their aloofness, Tommy has never met a hunter that made him feel scared or wary to be around. Until Dream, that is.

Uncanny would be the kind way to describe the man. Obsessive and extreme seem to be his two components. Tommy swears the man watches him extra closely compared to the other students, but every time he looks, the man is never around.

But Tommy isn’t dumb, and he grew up on good instincts. He can feel someone watching him, following like an unwanted shadow. He doesn’t know why, but his instincts scream to not to trust this man. That he’s dangerous, a threat. A small part of his brain tells him to find Ranboo; to hide them from those green eyes until the danger passes.

But that’s dumb, right? Hunters are meant to protect people like him, and have never been a threat to every-day people. Maybe he’s just becoming irrational, with the vampire rumors and Ranboo’s disappearance.

Yes, that must be what it is. Irrational emotions, Tubbo would say. Tommy’s just being absurd. Maybe instead of staring at his phone, he should try to sleep more.

Dream’s presence is a lot like mold. You don’t realize it’s been growing and contaminating until it’s too late. And Tommy? He was ignorant to the signs, brushing them off until the mold showed.

In the gleam of moonlight, Dream’s teeth glinted like the fangs of a coyote. “Mr. Innit, isn’t it?” The trickster gloates. “You’re the son of Sarah Innit, correct? One of the best vampire hunters before she retired.”

Tommy glared at him from where Dream cornered him. His fingers dig into the bark of the tree behind him, the neighborhood light’s glinting in the distance, a mockery of any chance of safety.

If Tommy tried running, Dream would just kill him. Like the manic glint in those green eyes indicated as much.

“Have you even noticed?” He taunted as he crowded Tommy, a hand on his gun visible at all times. “I know Sarah would have taught you how to notice the signs of a blood sucker.”

His face was so punchable, Tommy decided. He always thought this, but now it’s obvious how punchable this man is.  “Shut up man,” he growled. “I’m just trying to get home.”

Dream chuckled, a low and apathetic sound. Tommy felt so small when Dream towered over him, as if he was an ant drowning in the sight of an oversized shoe coming down at them. 

“Oh no,” Dream shook his head, “I need you for this plan to work. And it will work,” His eyes glowed in deranged delight, as if he was a despairing scientist that found the secrets to the universe’s truths that only he alone can figure out. “For some elusive reason, they care for you. And that will be their downfall.”

Tommy regrets not taking Tubbo’s blade. Tommy, for as annoying as he is, has never had a day he felt afraid in his town. Not to take a stroll in the woods, and never to walk from school to his house. The knives aren’t even needed here, just something to brag about.

But as Tommy tried to fight off Dream, bruises and scrapes painting his skin as the hooded man tried to tie him up, the only thing he could think about was the fact he will be dying tonight. 

Rocks dug into the palm of his hands, and he wishes he took up his mom’s offers to learn hand-to-hand combat. His knee aches from landing on it after tripping on a tree root, and he wishes he stayed at home tonight. His ears ring from his head slamming into the ground, and he wishes he never caught the attention of this delusional man. A heavy weight pins him to the ground as his vision swims, and he wishes he saw Ranboo just one more time.

Tommy wakes up disoriented, head throbbing and his knee aching from when he fell. 

Tied up against a tree, he was forced to watch as Dream paced in front of him, inaudible mumbles as his grip on the gun twitched. Through the thick of the trees, moonlight barely spilled through the intersecting branches. There was a headache building behind his eyelids, and he doens’t know if it’s from straining his eyes in the hope of seeing or from a possible concussion.

“They’ll show,” came the crazed mutters. “They’ll show.”

“Who the fuck are you talking about?” Tommy groaned. God, his head was starting to kill him now. “Why am I tied to a tree like bait?”

Dream barked out a laugh, high and crackling with excess energy. His fingers twitched on the gun again, shifting closer to the edge of the trigger guard, tapping at the metal in a seamless pattern. “Ranboo of course!”

Tommy blinked at Dream, incomprehension clear in the silence that rang out.

“You didn’t know?” The man straightened up, eyes widening in realization. “Oh my—you don’t know!”

Tommy shifted away when Dream rushed to him, gritting his teeth as the man grabbed his shoulders roughly. The rambling got worse, Tommy’s head spinning as it desperately tried to piece everything together into a clear picture.

He felt like prey, sitting here as Dream waved his gun around, a hand brushing bangs back as he paced and paced. It was endless, until it wasn’t.

Dream stood in front of him, wide eyed. Tommy froze, noticing how now the fingers curled to the trigger. 

Tommy knows Hunters are fast, how quick they are to act first and think later. It was pure instinct and adrenaline that drove their actions. One second Dream was standing in front of him, the next a scream tore from Tommy’s throat as pain tore through his shoulder.

His arms twitched to cover his arm, upper body folding as tears streaked through his face. His shoulder burned, the limb tingling as piercing ringing deafened him. There was red dripping to the ground, he thinks. He could feel it, staining his hoodie, the fabric sticking to his skin. Gunsmoke made it hard to breathe, or was it the pain? 

He tried to breathe out through his nose, breath stuttering as his heart pounded in his chest. He wasn’t aware of his surroundings anymore, eyes trained on the ground as blood continued to drip down. He felt distant, detached, as if his body was hidden amidst morning fog. 

He thinks he heard the sounds of fighting, branches snapping and loud yelling. But every crack of the gun made the fog wrap tighter around him, his chest burning as panic became the protective blanket.

Oh god, the thought repeats in his head. He’s going to die. He’s going to die, he’s going to—- Dream just— he’s going to die. Dream’s going to murder him.

Darkness crept to him, and in a desperation to make sense of what was going on, he welcomed it with open arms.

The next time he opened his eyes, it was to the sight of familiar walls. FNAF and Lemon Demon posters greeted him, and his fingers curled around the soft texture of an enderman plushie.

“Ranboo?” Tommy murmured, a cough bubbling out of his throat as the words scraped out. “Wha–”

A hand nudged him back down before he even noticed he was getting up, and Tommy blinked as red, glowing eyes lingered around his face. Ranboo’s face was twisted in apprehension, fangs digging into their lips as they flickered around. 

“Hi Tommy.” Ranboo twisted their fingers, avoiding looking at the blond. Afraid to draw attention to their new features, they shrugged helplessly. “It’s been a while.”

Tommy didn't even think as he pushed the enderman away, the blankets pooling away as he pushed Ranboo away. “You asshole!” he exclaimed as tears misted his eyes. “You just—you just disappear, and then you have the nerve—-”

Ranboo stayed still as Tommy gripped their arm, saying nothing as he twisted the sleeves to bring them closer. They closed their eyes, staying placid, as if Tommy is supposed to feel anything else but the immense relief flooding his system.

Ranboo’s breath hitched as he dragged them into his arms, tall body tensing as Tommy curled around them. Curly dark hair brushed his ears as he hid into the junction between Ranboo’s neck and shoulder, the familiar smell of flowers and amber making his breath stutter. Ranboo was so cold, but the sound of a heart beating made a sob ripple through Tommy’s chest.

His shoulder twinged in pain, but that amounted to nothing as Ranboo stayed in Tommy’s arms. “I thought you were gone,” he stuttered. “I—I thought you, I thought you left or. Or got mad at me. Or, or—why? Why did you leave me?”

Ranboo froze at the words, hesitating before hugging Tommy back. “I was scared,” they replied with difficulty, tongue unfamiliar with the shape of their fangs. “I was scared you would hate me if you knew.”

Tommy laughed despite the words, punching Ranboo’s back with a pathetic hiccup. The empty ache that trapped his heart eased the longer Ranboo held him, the easier it became to breathe through his sniffles as Ranboo’s presence cloaked him with feelings of safety and protection. 

He doesn’t know what happened to Dream, and doesn't care to ask. Dream could be dead in a ditch, and Tommy wouldn’t care. 

Because Tommy knows vampires, and he knows Ranboo. Ranboo, who petted every stray cat they walked by. Ranboo, who picked flowers during lunch and read poetry during break. Ranboo, who balked at every scraped knee Tommy or Tubbo got during P.E. Ranboo, who is a dreamer and optimistic to the point of oblivion.

Ranboo, who saved Tommy. Ranboo, who must’ve hid the moment they realised they turned. Ranboo, who would rather disappear off the face of the earth than confront the reality they might hurt someone they care for.

Ranboo, who Tommy cared for deeply. Who was one of his best friends, and someone he loved and wanted to be around with.

“You’re an idiot,” He breathed out before lifting his head. He pulled back enough to look straight in Ranboo’s eyes, staring at the inhuman red, supernatural in how they glowed in response to the surrounding darkness. They were still beautiful, despite being different. They were beautiful because—

“You’re still you,” Tommy stated firmly. “No matter what, you will always be Ranboo. It doesn’t matter if you have blood on your hands or not, if you’re a monster or human. You will always have enough.”

Ranboo’s eyes widened, and Tommy could only hope it was in understanding. Tommy smiled, praying to any and all gods that Ranboo will believe him. “I love you Ranboo. I promise nothing will change that.”

Ranboo looked at him like he was something outworldly. Like Tommy was a star and Ranboo a planet pulled to his gravity. But Tommy thinks it should be the other way around. Ranboo was amazing, and it hurts to know Ranboo doubted this.

Ranboo reached out slowly, pulling Tommy’s hair behind his ears before sliding to his cheek. Tommy sighed at the coolness of their touch, eyes closing as his body crumbled forward. Ranboo didn’t falter to support his wait fully, didn’t pull away or distance himself. 

It will take time to talk, to work through Ranboo’s change and figure out compromises. But the kiss to Tommy’s head felt like a promise. Ranboo wasn’t going to hide, wasn’t going to run away again. It was a promise to try, and that was all Tommy could ask for.