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"You're not peeking, are you?"
A grin curled at the corners of Tommy's lips, trying in vain to stifle it. "No, Boo, I'm not peeking." Not that he wasn't tempted; but with Ranboo leading him from behind, his clawed hands curled precariously over Tommy's - which were currently covering his eyes - peeking was pretty much impossible. Even if he were to peek through his own hands, Ranboo's would surely block his sight. Even so, his temptation didn't lead him to actually attempt it. Curiosity and excitement pooled in his gut with each step they took, Ranboo's tail around his waist gently tugging him in the right directions. He knew they were still in the flower field, he could feel the grass and flowers tickling his ankles as he walked. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked somewhere in the distance, a warm breeze rustling what sounded like the leaves of trees around them. All sounds Tommy could hear from his bedroom at night, and they hadn't walked too far from the cottage…
"Here we are," Ranboo murmured, and Tommy almost tugged his hands down; Ranboo chuckled, and bent down to press his cheek against Tommy's, nuzzling his head against the blond's lightly and carefully securing both their hands back over his eyes. "Mm-mm, not just yet."
Tommy tried to fight back a huff and failed, unable to contain his excitement. "C'mon, Ranboo…"
"Patience." Ranboo grinned against his cheek and whisked his head away quickly, guiding him a few more steps forward until Tommy's feet sank into something softer than the grass that they'd been walking on. He couldn't feel it through his shoes, but it felt like some sort of fabric had been laid out across the grass; before he could dwell on it too much, Ranboo's hands lifted away from his, and Tommy could hear the grin in his voice as he spoke. "Okay, open your eyes."
Tommy did so at once, dropping his hands from his face, and he couldn't keep his eyes from widening, couldn't stifle the soft gasp that escaped his lips as he took in the sight in front of him.
As he had thought, a rather large purple picnic blanket had been laid out over the grass. Two red pillows, a fuzzy blue circular pillow and a fuzzy pink pillow shaped like a heart were scattered across the blanket; another blanket, fuzzy like the pillows with a galaxy pattern printed across it, was folded and resting on one of the corners. Two picnic baskets, a cooler and several plates rested near the center of the blanket, surrounding a vase that looked like it had been driven into the ground, home to a bouquet of alliums and dandelions. Tommy could do little more than stare, wide-eyed with shock. His mouth opened, no sound escaping, utterly stunned.
Ranboo ducked around from behind him and stopped at his side. "I know you've been busy with therapy and preoccupied with Wilbur and Puffy being back in general - we all have," the enderdragon hybrid murmured. "But I thought a night away from the cottage, out here under the stars…" He jutted his chin toward the sky, and Tommy slowly turned his head to look up at him. "Would be good for you." Ranboo turned back to him, wearing a soft smile, and offered a hand. Tommy didn't know what to say, still speechless as he reached out to take it. "So whattya think?"
Tommy huffed out a soft laugh. Ranboo never ceased to amaze him. "It's amazing…"
Ranboo coaxed him forward a few steps, smiling, unfaltering, and Tommy only needed to be guided for a few seconds before he kicked himself back into gear, carefully maneuvering around the pillows and baskets and toeing his shoes off so that he didn't track grass onto the blanket. Ranboo did the same, at his side as Tommy settled down, unable to keep the smile off his face.
"So, as is tradition for picnics, or so I've heard, we've got…" Ranboo reached out and grabbed one of the baskets, pulling it over to them and carefully pulling it open. "Some sandwiches. I made a few of your favorites but I also packed some stuff here so that you can make one yourself if you want something different." He scooted the basket toward Tommy, letting it rest between them, and Tommy felt his heart swell with warmth as he peeked inside at the sandwiches. And sure enough, carefully wrapped, several of his favorite sandwiches were stacked inside carefully, along with some plain slices of bread and other sandwich ingredients.
Ranboo wasn't done. "And in here." He tapped the other basket. "We've got some desserts. Gapple pie, of course," he continued with a grin, casting a knowing look in Tommy's direction. "Aaaand I…" The hybrid pulled a face. "Got some brownies and cookies from Fundy's bakery…"
Tommy raised his eyebrows at that, unable to stifle a giggle. "You took on Fundy for this?"
"And it was well worth it," Ranboo laughed. He smiled at Tommy then, again, as if he had ever stopped smiling, and Tommy felt his heart burst in response. "So, where would you like to start?"
Oh, where to start! He watched Ranboo pull a few beverages out of the cooler, happily accepting the bottle of coca cola that was offered to him with a smile. Truthfully, through the sound of the crickets chirping, the frogs croaking and the trees rustling, Tommy couldn't think of anything, really, except the older boy at his side. Ranboo looked content, his tail swishing idly against the ground beside him, ears flicking every so often at the sounds that surrounded them. His mismatched eyes were half-lidded, tired but content. For the first time, Tommy really noted the bags under his eyes; a familiar pang of guilt throbbed in his chest, but then Ranboo looked back up at him, smiling and warm and expectant, and Tommy was lost all over again. "The pie?"
Ranboo smirked. "Why am I not surprised?" He picked up one of the plates and pulled the other picnic basket closer to them, opening it. Tommy grinned to himself as the familiar smell of gapple pie reached his nose, breathing in slowly as Ranboo carefully lifted it up from the basket. He served Tommy a plate first, and the blond murmured his gratitude, and then helped himself to one of the sandwiches and a regular apple from the first basket, settling back beside Tommy.
And so they ate, and sat, and watched the sky… and it was mostly quiet, odd but content at the same time. Tommy couldn't stop smiling, gazing up at the sky as the first few stars started to appear. He pointed them out to Ranboo, and a soft purr began to rumble in the hybrid's chest; Tommy didn't miss the way that Ranboo's gaze seemed to be mostly for him, his eyes sparkling with warmth and love and contentment. They picked through the rest of the food, devouring sandwiches and nibbling on cookies. Tommy kept one eye on the sky, watching the stars shine.
"You wanna sleep out here tonight?" Ranboo murmured. "Supposed to be nice, clear weather."
"Really?" Tommy barely managed to tamp down his excitement, but even then, he couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his face. "I- yeah, that- I would love that, Boo. That sounds nice."
"Ghostbur's looking after Bloom." Ranboo settled back, hands propped up against the blanket behind him. He tilted his head back, gazing up at the stars with a smile lingering on his lips as he continued, "I already let them know you might want to stay out here tonight, so unless there's anything you want to get from inside…" He flicked his gaze toward Tommy, and the blond thought it over for a few moments, but ultimately shook his head. He had everything he needed. Ranboo hummed softly in acknowledgement, offering him a soft smile as he flicked his gaze across Tommy's face, and the blond just gazed back at him for a few seconds, eyes softening. Ranboo's gaze caught his own, mismatched eyes glittering, and he tilted his head. "What is it?"
"I just…" Tommy didn't know how to say it, how to put what he was feeling into words. He struggled with himself for a moment, shaking his head a few times when the words wouldn't come. Ranboo was patient, just watching him with that soft, understanding smile on his face, eyebrows furrowed slightly and ears pricked forward as he waited for him to speak. "I love you."
Ranboo's eyes gleamed at that, curling his hand over where Tommy's rested. "I love you too."
Tommy could have stayed there forever, like that, but Ranboo seemed to have other plans. The hybrid was still for a few seconds longer, gently rubbing his thumb across Tommy's knuckles as his gaze trailed around the flower field. Tommy settled back, content, and only paused briefly when Ranboo abruptly pulled his hand away and pushed himself up. His best friend offered no verbal explanation, waving a hand slightly and then pointing just ahead of them. Tommy caught a glimpse of a few fireflies fluttering by, flashing their little lights, as Ranboo moved toward them.
For a second, he was transported back to the earlier exile days. When the nights grew warmer, and the fireflies came out of hiding. Dream would clasp his hands around them, a little roughly. He'd show them off to Tommy injured; they would limp around the man's hand, sometimes too hurt to fly. Sometimes they'd fly away the second Dream opened his hands to show Tommy. Sometimes Dream would flick them away himself, pluck them into the grass carelessly. His stomach twisted at the memories, and he swallowed back the bile that rose to his throat in response, shaking his head a little at himself and forcing himself to focus. Dream wasn't here…
But Ranboo was. And Tommy watched, heart swelling further, as the enderdragon hybrid lifted a hand toward the tiny flying creatures, one finger extended, patient and still, and simply… waited.
A firefly landed on the tip of his finger, wings fluttering still, glowing and then sputtering out.
He didn't clasp his hands around it, he didn't make any move to trap it. He held still, so very still. Hardly daring to breathe as the firefly climbed up his finger, toward his hand. Unmoving and unwavering. And watching Ranboo smile at the tiny bug, still so patient and warm, mismatched eyes soft and sparkling, Tommy wondered, for a moment, if this is what it felt like to fall in love.
Not romantically, no. Tommy had never felt like that toward anyone, and he doubted he ever would. But platonically, the way Tommy cared for Ranboo was indescribable. It was nothing like the way he felt for Tubbo, or for Wilbur, or even for Dream. Not to say it was stronger, but it was… it was different. It was a different kind of feeling, a different kind of love. Wilbur and Tubbo were his brothers in all but blood, and Dream had been… Dream had been a brother to him, too. But Ranboo, Ranboo was not simply one thing. He was not simply his best friend, or his brother - Ranboo was his everything, the sun and the moon and the stars, his hero, his person.
His Ranboo. Tommy would never feel, for anyone else, what he felt for Ranboo, because nobody would ever be, to him, what Ranboo was. And that was okay, because Tommy only needed one Ranboo. One Ranboo to hold him, murmur soft reassurances in his hair when he was scared, lull him to sleep with warm hugs and soft purrs. One Ranboo to love, one Ranboo to love him. His Ranboo was perfect, and Tommy would not tolerate any form of disagreement.
Ranboo turned toward him, the firefly still perched on his finger, and held it up. "Tommy, look." Another soft glow sputtered to life, and Tommy breathed in through his teeth, his smile widening.
And Tommy did look, first at the firefly, and then Ranboo, as he felt his heart burst.
"Amazing," he murmured, gazing at his best friend.
Oh, to be platonically in love…
Tommy didn't think he'd ever stop falling, and he didn't think he'd ever want to. If that was what this was, then he would endure it, he would endure it a million times over. It was the best thing he had ever felt, the best thing he would ever do; loving Ranboo the way he did, absolutely smitten with his best friend with every fiber of his being, every inch of his heart and soul. If this was all he was, then this was all he needed to be. Ranboo's. And there was nothing wrong with that, was there? Because he wasn't just Ranboo's, was he? Ranboo was his, too. They were each other's, in every single way… and surely, this was what it felt like to fall in love, wasn't it?
Ranboo held his free hand out toward him, fireflies fluttering around him. "Care to join me?"
"Always," Tommy replied immediately, eyes sparkling as he rose to his feet and took his hand.
There was no greater feeling in the world.