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It’s fine. It’s fine. He’s dealt with worse-- what is a little bit of snow to an enderman hybrid? Sure, endermen are allergic to water and snow is made out of water but technically it’s not liquid, so it doesn’t count, right? And the snow looks pretty against the night sky, so it’s really not all that bad.
Ranboo turns away from the window and sighs. It’s as good a plan as any to just pretend the snow isn’t there. Well, really it’s his only plan, but it’s a good plan nonetheless. If he tries hard enough, he can almost forget the chilling cold seeping through him and the slight burning sensation he can feel from leftover snow. You know, maybe they cancel out, and he’s just complaining for nothing. He closes his eyes and clutches his book tighter. He just needs to make it through tonight, and then it will probably stop snowing, and then he can build some actual walls and a roof for this place.
“What’cha doin’ there, mate?” Ranboo flinches at the interruption, quickly turning to see Phil standing outside his house.
“I um-- I’m sleeping?” Ranboo stares intently at a spot on the ground next to Phil, hoping he’ll just take the hint and leave. Not that he hates Phil, but Phil’s already done so much for him and he can’t figure out why. Why did Phil invite him to live near him and Technoblade? He hasn’t done anything to help them; just a few weeks ago he had helped drag Technoblade to his would-be execution directly in front of Phil. He just can’t figure out any logical reason Phil is being so nice to him. Maybe-- maybe it’s a trick, and Phil is trying to lull him into a false sense of security before he drops an anvil onto his head.
He’s dragged out of his thoughts when he sees Phil smile. “You can come stay with me and Techno, if you’d like.”
“What?”
Phil laughs. “You looked a little cold out here, and we have extra space. If you want to, I think it’d be a lot warmer inside the house than out here in the snow.”
Ranboo glaces up at Phil before quickly going back to staring at the spot on the ground. “I’m-- um, I’m okay. I don’t want to be a bother or anything.”
“You’re not a bother, Ranboo.” Phil’s smile falters a little, but he takes a breath and it’s back to normal. “I’d love to have you, and Techno wouldn’t mind. And anyways, it’s just for a night, it’s no big deal.”
“No big deal,” Ranboo echoes softly, and pauses for a second. “Thanks for the offer Phil, but I’m okay. You really don’t need to worry about me.” Ranboo tries to smile reassuringly at him, but it falls flat.
Phil stares at him with an unreadable expression. “No offense, mate, but you look like hell. I don’t want to push you if you’re really against it, but we’d be happy to have you stay the night. I could do with another person around, y’know?” Phil stares at him a moment longer before his expression softens. “You’re always welcome there, Ranboo.”
And with that he turns and leaves, almost as silently as he came.
It was cold. Really, really cold. He keeps shivering and he can’t stop no matter what he tries even though he can barely feel his limbs. Well, he consoles himself, at least the hypothermia he definitely has by now hasn’t progressed to the point where he starts feeling warm. That wouldn’t be very good. Although he is cold, and being warm sounds nice right about now.
Maybe-- maybe he should stay with Phil.
He can’t. He can’t. He wants to, but he can’t. Phil is already doing too much. And then there’s the Butcher Army-- he was there, he had helped. He can’t stay with Technoblade after that. And how could Technoblade let him stay in his house after that? Unless he sent Phil out here to give him the option of staying in the house, only to get his hopes up and lock him out. Or the house is a trap, and they’re waiting for him to go inside so they can kill him where no one can find him. He really finds it strange that they built a house all the way out here in a snowy tundra. Surely between the two of them they could find a nicer spot to reside in? What real reason would they have for living here other than to have a nice, convenient spot to hide bodies?
He lets out a breath. It doesn’t matter, he’s not going into the house. And anyways, isn’t that picking a side? Isn’t living with the enemies of L’Manberg choosing a side? Or does it count that they’re trying to dismantle sides? Everything is just so complicated , the wars and the grudges and the countries that rise and fall with the sun. Why is he even here in the first place? Why is he here, and not where he was before all of this, and why can’t he remember where he was before this, why is it just not there in his brain?
He really wants to stay with Phil. Technoblade wouldn’t even be that bad, as long as he doesn’t outright kill him at first sight. That wouldn’t be ideal.
He closes his eyes. If he goes to sleep now, he won’t have to deal with the cold until he wakes up. Future-Ranboo won’t be so happy, but present-Ranboo can’t bring himself to care. It’ll be fine. Probably.
“Hey, mate.” It’s Phil, again. Most likely. He can’t really tell what’s happening. “I didn’t want to have to do this, but I don’t think I have another choice. You’ll just have to forgive me later, yeah?”
And before Ranboo has the time to process what any of that means, he feels warm hands around him, and oh, he’s being carried. There’s something comforting about being near someone else, and an overwhelming feeling of safety despite his lingering fear of this whole thing being a set-up. He’s a lot warmer now. He’s also tired. He can let future-Ranboo deal with all of this. After another breath, he falls asleep.
He wakes to a murmured conversation; the words and phrases go over his head, but he can tell they’re there. What he can understand is this: warmth, softness, a slight breeze. The quiet hum of something in the background.
It’s quiet. Peaceful. And he’s tired. He drifts back to sleep.
Ranboo opens his eyes to see an unfamiliar ceiling. Well, either he’s been taken somewhere or his memory problem got just a tad bit worse. Honestly, it could go either way.
As he scans the room in an attempt to figure out where he is, he hears footsteps ring out from the hallway, but there’s something… off about them. He can’t quite tell what it is. And of course, they’re coming closer to him. Wonderful. Just what he needed. Social interaction with someone that probably kidnapped him or whose house he accidentally broke into.
Maybe he should just go back to sleep. That would take care of at least one problem. It doesn’t do anything to prevent the possibility (or inevitability?) of him being murdered but, as he reasons, death is a better option than an awkward conversation.
Unfortunately, before he has the opportunity to fall back into the comforting embrace of avoiding his problems, someone starts talking.
“I know you’re awake, Ranboo. You can stop pretendin’ now.”
Shit. Was that Technoblade? Maybe Philza’s voice had suddenly changed completely. Yeah, that was definitely it.
“Are you writin’ a novel over there? Because you’re still not succeedin’ in whatever else you’re hopin’ to accomplish.”
Alas, that voice was not sounding any different. Defeatedly, Ranboo cracks open one eye to see that yep, someone that is definitely Technoblade is standing right in the doorway. His doorway, to the room that he’s in, that is he is now very certain to be Technoblade and Phil’s tundra house. Damn. At least he had a good life. Theoretically.
“Well, now that that charade is over, I’m just here to pass on the message that you can come downstairs for food.” Technoblade shuffles around a little before continuing, “There’s also robes if you’re still cold. And, um. Sorry for kidnappin’ you.” The corners of his mouth quirked up a bit, and is that a smile? Or is he just being subtly threatened? Either way he really did not sign up for this.
Not wanting to ignore him, Ranboo speaks up, voice slightly hoarse, “Thank you, I’ll– uh, I’ll be out soon.”
Technoblade tilts his head in acknowledgement, and just like that, he leaves the room. It’s strange; before he felt an overwhelming sense of warmth, but it suddenly feels like something’s missing. There’s still the quiet hum, a slight sound of snowfall, a small breeze through the window, but it feels less complete.
It’s been two weeks since he was kidnapped. Well, not really kidnapped, but saved? Taken in? The semantics don’t really matter, he supposes. In any case he’s been here far too long. Not that he hates Technoblade, or Philza, but rather the opposite; the longer he stays, the more he feels like this is picking a side. Maybe it’s not a side if he only chooses people, but then again, people are what make up sides so maybe it is. Maybe he should think about this later.
The bright side of this all was getting to spend more time with Phil. Technoblade, in all of his unreachable glory, intimidates him a little. But Phil is down to earth and friendly and everything he could ask for in a friend. Because that’s what they are at this point, he thinks.
He really does have to get out of here. Even if it’s warm and comfortable and the most relaxed he’s been in a while, he can’t stand to bother them anymore. If he just fixes up his hut a little, he won’t have to deal with the snow as much, which is a positive in his eyes. Although, he does have to trudge around in the snow for a while to fix it up, but he supposes there can’t be any victories without sacrifices. Even if the sacrifices have to be something that’s cold and wet and he’s slightly allergic to.
Well, the ground’s not getting any less snowy, so he might as well get on his way. He takes a look around the house that he’s taken residence in recently. It’s not really somewhere he expected to be a few months back, from what he can remember, but it’s really become something akin to home for him. Ah, he’s really going to miss it, he thinks.
He takes one step towards the door before he hears those strange footsteps he’s come to associate with Technoblade.
“Leavin’ already? And here I thought we were showin’ good hospitality.” Ranboo turns around to see a wry smile on Technoblade’s face.
Ranboo freezes. Damn, he really did not think he’d get found out so easily. He takes an unsure step back to his chair, staring nervously at Technoblade. “I was just, um, going to go outside to admire the weather. It’s really nice this time of year.” He offers a small smile, hoping to alleviate some of the tension.
“Ah yes, the weather. I didn’t know you were such a fan of the snow.” Technoblade grins a bit, and wow, Ranboo has never felt more intimidated in his life.
“Yeah,” he says quietly, “Big fan.”
“Aren’t you allergic? Enderman and all.”
Ranboo shrinks back before quietly responding, “That’s water.”
Technoblade raises an eyebrow. “And snow isn’t made of water?”
He may be part enderman, and endermen might dig holes for a living, but honestly he feels like this is the biggest one yet. But he doesn’t really see a way out so he might as well keep going. “Not to my knowledge, no.”
Technoblade huffs out a laugh and says, “Well I must’ve missed that part of class. All I got were the diagrams, you know, condensation and water and ice and all that.”
“Well, um, I’ve got to go, so I’ll see you later?” And with that, Ranboo rushes out of the house, hoping that he’s confused Technoblade enough to get away.
Unfortunately, luck continues to not be on his side. He doesn’t even make it to the door before he hears those distinct footsteps following him.
He turns around to see that Technoblade’s grin is a little wide as he says, “Let’s go appreciate the weather together.”
Honestly Ranboo isn’t quite sure what to do now. His original plan was just to go and fix up his hut so he could move back in there, but he doesn’t really want to do that in front of Technoblade. He could go back to L’manberg, but he doesn’t remember how to get back there and he doesn’t want to ask Technoblade either. Technoblade doesn’t seem to be offering to do anything, so now they’re in somewhat of a stalemate, just wandering aimlessly.
Technoblade sighs, then says, “I don’t think we’re gettin’ anywhere here so I’ll just say what I wanted to say.” He continues walking, but lowers his head slightly to watch the ground. “I don’t hate you for the Butcher Army nor do I hold animosity for anything else.”
Ranboo tenses slightly at the mention, and Technoblade’s eyes flit over to him briefly before he fixes his gaze back on the ground. He continues, “You can stay with Phil and I for as long as you want. You don’t have to feel bad about it, you know.” It’s nice having you there is left unsaid.
They walk in silence for a while before Ranboo replies, quietly, simply, “Okay.”