Author's Note:

Hello, all, and Happy Mental Health Awareness Week!

I was looking through my drafts out of boredom, and came across this, which I finished in November- um. Oops? /lh

I don't know how I finish things and then lose them in my drafts before I get the chance to post it.
I say as I have 40+ drafts haha.. /pos

Anyway, I wanted to make sure all of you know that this does not at all encourage shipping content creators Ranboo and Tubbo. It solely represents the relationship between their canon characters in the Dream SMP.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Mikey, there's crackers in the pantry and cheese cubes in the fridge," twenty-three year old Tubbo said quickly in his phone as he rushed through the lobby of the Needle. "Tell Uncle Tommy that I said you can snack on those - after lunch - until dinner. But don't eat too much, okay?" Michael mumbled into the phone, and Tubbo sighed. "Hun, you've got to speak up."

"I don't want crackers," Michael repeated, more audibly this time.

Again, the young man let out a long breath while he weaved between busy rich folk. "I don't know what to tell you, Mike," he said exhaustedly. "What snacks do you want? I'll make a list and see if I can pick them up at the store after this interview."

There was a small pause on Michael's end, and finally, the boy replied, "Gummies."

Tubbo suppressed a chuckle. "Is that it?"

"Yeah."

"'Kay, I'll stop by L'Targay later." Tubbo slipped between two much taller, older, (and most definitely much wealthier), men and into the elevator, which surprisingly only held one other occupant. The other occupant, who's long, braided hair made it difficult to tell if they were male or female, was a tall man in a quite fashionable suit holding a single sheet of paper. They exchanged nods.

"Okay," Michael answered. Tubbo heard Tommy shout Michael's name, and then something else he couldn't quite make out.

"Looks like Uncle Tommy needs you," Tubbo said, smiling. He turned to the other man in the elevator and mouthed the words, Which floor? The man responded by whispering forty-seven.

Michael shuffled around, then said, "Mhm. Shroud and me-"

"And I," Tubbo corrected as he pressed the buttons labeled 47 and 62.

"-are gonna go play at the park."

Tubbo nodded. "Sounds fun," he said. He watched the elevator doors close, which met in the middle and formed a mirror. "I have to go now, sweetie. I'll be home around seven o'clock, alright?"

"'Kay."

"I love you, Mikey."

"Love you, Pa."

Tubbo smiled before hanging up and pocketing his phone. Leaning against the wall of the now moving elevator, he let out one extra-long, extra-exhausted, extra-pent-up breath. As much as he loved Michael, that boy was high-maintenance. Very stubborn high-maintenance. Guess he got that from me.

"Kids?" the other man said.

Tubbo turned to him. "Just one," he said with a chuckle. "He's..."

"Hard work?"

Another laugh escaped Tubbo. "Very much so." He stared at the ground, grinning slightly. "He's the best. A blessing I always asked for, but never deserved."

A moment of quiet settled between them before Tubbo got sick of the absence of sound and asked the man if he worked there.

"Me? Oh, no," he responded, holding his hands up like he'd been accused of something. "I work just outside of Las Nevadas, in a" - he paused to laugh to himself - "a burger van."

"A burger van?" He looks too wealthy to work in a burger van.

The man nodded. "Yup. It's the Wilburger Ranvan just across the lake on the other side of the state." He paused. "What about you? You work here?"

Tubbo shook his head. "No, but hopefully I will soon," he answered. "I'm here for an interview. I actually work at a restaurant."

"Really? Which chain?"

"It's not a chain, just... just some random, poor little fast food joint in a busy rich city." Tubbo glanced over at the man, who stood awkwardly facing forward. "Tubburger."

The man turned his head. "Sorry?"

Tubbo cracked a small grin. "The restaurant."

The man mouthed a silent oh, nodded, and allowed silence to fall over the two once again. Tubbo watched the small screen above the elevator doors slowly tick from 40 to 41, then 41 to 42, and 42 to 43. The brunette's brain jumped from place to place, seemingly in time with the elevator as it dinged to announce its passing of floors.

The latter's mind wandered back to reality as the man sighed and said, "This is my stop. Good luck with that interview."

Tubbo nodded. "Thanks. Good luck with your - your burger van."

The man flashed a quick, bright smile and turned to the unopened doors. "That's... weird. They should've opened when the elevator stopped." He leaned over to the side of the elevator and pressed the OPEN DOORS button, (which Tubbo noticed he had to bend over quite a bit to reach), but there was no response from the elevator.

Concerned, Tubbo lifted himself off the wall and straightened his posture. "Are the doors not opening?"

The man shook his head. "No, they're not respond-"

Suddenly, just as the man took a step closer to the panel, the elevator shook and seemed to drop down a few feet. The screen above the doors no longer read 47, but instead flickered between 47 and 46.

Involuntarily, Tubbo let out a small yelp and clung to the handlebars. "Why did it drop?" he demanded, panicking. "Why did the elevator go down?" The already anxious tone in his voice rose, along with his volume.

"I don't kn-"

Again, the elevator dropped, this time all the way down between floors 42 and 41. The two winced at the fast movement and the painful jolt of their bodies.

"I don't think this how an elevator works," Tubbo commented, quite loudly. The man gave Tubbo a look of sympathy and concern. It was a look that Tubbo didn't react well to. "What, is this not exactly what you'd expect a middle-aged father to act like?" the latter asked sarcastically.

The man shook his head. "No, no, I was just going to ask if you're okay," he answered. "You look... terrified."

Tubbo scoffed. "Sorry, should I pretend like I don't care that if this elevator falls to the bottom of the shaft, we could die?"

"No, that's not what I-"

"Stop wasting your breath talking to me," Tubbo interrupted. "Call help!"

The man looked between Tubbo and the panel next to himself. "I don't know if I can reach it without dropping the elevator more," he said calmly, greatly contrasting Tubbo's tone.

"That's just great," Tubbo muttered under his breath. He stared off to the side to avoid eye contact with the other, when he heard something snap. His head turned immediately to the man, who hadn't moved from his exact spot. "Please tell me that wasn't another cable." The silence between them didn't help settle Tubbo's nerves. "That wasn't another cable, was it?"

The man didn't respond, but instead grabbed onto the handlebars behind him. "I'd hold on real tight if I were you," he said in a warning manner before Tubbo heard another (much louder) snap, and the elevator dropped.

The last thing Tubbo remembered before he blacked-out was the sound of glass shattering and searing hot pain shooting up his leg.

''*~•○•~*''

When Tubbo opened his eyes, he was met with dust attempting to make its way through his lungs to suffocate him, and a dim and flashing broken light. It was dark, but just barely light enough - thanks to the one remaining LED that hung terrifyingly from the ceiling - that Tubbo could make out his surroundings. The walls of the ruined elevator had caved in and lay shattered on the cracked tile ground. A large piece of the elevator wall (or what he thought was the wall) rested uncomfortably on his left leg.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

The brunette attempted to lift the debris from his leg, finding that it wasn't part of the wall but a light that had fallen from the ceiling and onto him. He drew a quick breath at the heat and dropped it immediately. The glass cut further into his flesh and the blood slowly pooling under his leg became much more obvious. Clenching his teeth, he stifled a scream. It wasn't the most painful thing he'd experienced, but it very well was agonizing.

As he tried to still himself to reduce the pain, Tubbo heard a groan across from him. The man from earlier...

The man, previously laying down, sat upright and rubbed a sore spot on his head. "What... happened?" he mumbled. He looked around and spotted Tubbo. Clearly, he noticed the other was in pain, so he asked him if he was alright, which Tubbo responded to with a stiff nod.

"That doesn't seem alright to me," the man half-joked.

Tubbo, his head leaning against the wall and looking upwards, smiled. "I've been through worse, I believe," he said. "This has nothing on a fireworks display gone wrong."

"Oh."

They fell silent for a moment, until the unnamed man shuffled about to fish his shattered phone from his pocket. He turned it on and, after wincing at the bright screen, put the device up to his pointed ear.

He's probably calling security, thought Tubbo. He lowered his head to watch as the man sighed and pocketed his phone.

"No service," he complained.

Tubbo chuckled, earning a a wave of pain from his leg. He refused to react to it. "What do you expect?" he said light heartedly. "We're underground in an absolutely demolished elevator. I think the last thing we're going to get is a good reception."

The man smiled. "I guess you're right. Welp" - he stretched his arms out before placing them behind his head and crossing his legs - "I have a feeling we'll be in here a while. What's your name?"

"Tubbo."

"I'm Ranboo."

Tubbo nodded. "A pleasure to meet you, Ranboo."

"Same to you."

Ranboo's eyes fell from Tubbo's face down to where (to him) it looked like a pile of rubble. Almost as if he were a modern crimes detective inspecting a dead body, he spent a few moments staring and analyzing the debris. He came to the conclusion that Tubbo was stuck underneath it.

"Tubbo," Ranboo began.

"Yes?"

Ranboo lifted himself off the wall and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "By any chance, are you trapped under that debris?" he asked, just to confirm.

Tubbo let out an elongated sigh. "Yep," he conceded, staring at it almost sadly. "Unfortunately, it's not just debris."

Ranboo quirked a brow in question.

"It's one of the lights that fell from the ceiling."

"Oh." Ranboo paused, then his eyes widened as he did, in fact, notice glass shards sticking out from under the broken gypsum ceiling tile. "Oh."

Tubbo barked out a laugh. "Wonderful, isn't it?" he said sarcastically. He groaned, leaning his head back against the wall again. He re-adopted his serious mood. "God, it's like being stabbed by fire."

Ranboo cringed at the other man's description of the pain. "I can imagine," the former said quietly. He obviously was trying to sympathize with Tubbo, and Tubbo found it sweet.

Ranboo stood and kicked away the rubble in the middle of the area to the corner he was originally sat. After getting that out of the way, he kneeled down next to Tubbo. Now that he'd gotten up close, Ranboo realized just how much smaller Tubbo is than Ranboo.

"Do you mind if I look at it?" asked the taller of the two. "I have a friend who's good at dealing with injuries. I'm sure to have picked up a few things here and there."

Tubbo smiled, his eyes closed and head facing up. "Go ahead, big man. Knock yourself out."

Ranboo nodded seriously and moved to get a closer look. He swept away pieces of glass that managed to avoid Tubbo's leg so neither of them would get hurt further.

It was difficult for Ranboo to see the injuries very well, due to the ceiling tile being in the way. "Is it okay if I try to lift it?"

Sighing, the brunette nodded. "Just give me a heads-up," he said.

"Got it." Placing his hands on opposite ends of the gypsum surface, Ranboo gave Tubbo a warning, "When I count to three, I want you to take a deep breath and try your best hold it until I'm finished. It'll help."

Tubbo laughed, "D'you get that from your doctor friend?"

Ranboo smiled, but didn't answer and instead began slowly counting. "One... two... three!" As soon as Ranboo reached the last number, Tubbo filled his lungs with as much oxygen (and a bit of dust and fiberglass that lingered in the air) as he could get and puffed his cheeks as he held the air inside his chest.

Ranboo wanted to make it quick as to not cause Tubbo the agony of a slow removal, so he lugged the crumbling plate of gypsum and fiberglass away as fast as he could. However, it was a lot heavier than he had anticipated.

The air trapped in Tubbo's lungs immediately forced an escape in the form of a somewhat stifled scream.

Ranboo whispered several 'sorry's as he lifted the board and set it aside in a pile of miscellaneous debris.

"Fucking hell," Tubbo breathed. He groaned and leaned his head against the wall. "Oh, god dammit."

Wincing at the profanity, Ranboo knelt next to Tubbo's leg. The sight was horrific. The most dangerous part of the light had fortunately gone with the ceiling tile, but a large portion of the glass still remained.

"It looks like it shattered before it fell," Ranboo noted aloud. "Like it combusted when the cable snapped, or maybe when the elevator hit the floor."

Tubbo chuckled. "Look at you, you two-toned detective."

Ranboo couldn't help but smile at the comment. "It's just that, if it didn't break before it fell, it wouldn't be in such a scattered mess like this," he explain, motioning to the randomly dotted around glass shards that stuck out from the brunette's leg. "It would still be in pretty much one piece, or in the same general shape of the light. Instead, it's pretty much everywhere in no shape at all."

"Again, two-toned Sherlock over here."

This time, Ranboo laughed. "I'm not too sure about Sherlock," he managed between chuckles. He went quiet as he took another moment to look at the wounds. "I don't think..." He sighed, and stayed quiet.

Tubbo pushed himself back up against the wall after realizing he'd slid a bit. "What?" he asked, worried.

The taller of the two sighed again. "I don't think it's safe to just leave those in there," he said, not looking at Tubbo as he unbuttoned his suit jacket. "They look pretty embedded in the skin, so there probably will be quite a bit of blood." He pulled his arms out of the sleeves and, holding it upside down in front of himself, ripped it right down the middle.

Tubbo gasped, sitting further upright. "That's a perfectly good suit!"

"I think you'd rather not pass out from blood loss," replied Ranboo, which made Tubbo hesitantly relax. He set one side of the torn jacket down next to him and ripped the other piece again, creating a strip of polyester fabric. "I'm going to tear a few bits of my coat to wrap over the wounds once I remove the glass. It'll act like a temporary bandage until help arrives, and I'll save the rest of it in case we'll have to change it." He reached over Tubbo's thigh, lifting it a bit to pull the fabric under.

"What's that one for?" Tubbo asked while Ranboo knotted the band tightly.

"It should distract you from some of the pain. My brother taught me that one."

Tubbo smiled. "Your brother a doctor, too?"

"Nope, but he knows how to pierce ears."

Ranboo ripped a few more bits off the suit and positioned them under Tubbo's leg after figuring out how to maneuver around the other's squirming before he readied himself to remove the glass.

The latter took a deep breath. "This is going to hurt. A lot."

Nodding, Tubbo responded, "I don't have my doubts that it will."

Ranboo nodded as well. "And I want you to hold your breath again. It'll probably be worse than when I moved the tile, so I wouldn't blame you if you screamed." He quickly scanned over Tubbo's leg. "There's about ten in there."

"Got it. Just gimme the signal, boss man."

"Alright." Placing his hand on the first piece of glass, he began to count. "One, two, three!" He ripped the glass out and Tubbo flinched, but didn't make any noise. Ranboo went for the next one almost immediately. "One, two, three!" Once again, he tore the shard from the brunette's leg. Tubbo whimpered this time.

"Shit," Tubbo muttered as Ranboo wrapped the fabric tightly around the now open wounds. "God, that hurts like a bitch."

Ranboo hummed a sympathetic sound. "Sorry, Tubbo." He finished the knot and went for the next piece of glass, counting down before tearing it out. He removed three this time before wrapping the temporary gauze around it, then did the same to two more that nested just above Tubbo's knee.

"Agh, why do you do a few at a time before you wrap it?" Tubbo whined, pulling his leg closer to him when Ranboo moved past his knee.

Ranboo yanked another shard away. "It's better to have more extra bandages than to use more at first," he explained, readying to pull out another piece of glass. "You never know what could happen before help arrives."

Sighing, Tubbo rolled his eyes. "I guess you're right," he mumbled. His breath hitched when Ranboo pulled another shard out. "Must you pull so hard?"

"Would you rather I pulled it out slowly?"

Tubbo fell silent, which Ranboo chuckled at.

"And.. done," the two-toned man said finally, wrapping the last strip of fabric around Tubbo's shin. "It doesn't seem to be bleeding too badly. You should be okay for a while."

The brunette groaned. "And how long's a while?"

Ranboo sighed. "I wish I could tell you." He crawled over next to Tubbo and slumped down on the floor, his back against the wall. "I hope it's short and help arrives soon."

Tubbo nodded. "I could not agree more," he breathed, laughing. "It's all stuffy and dusty down here."

The other nodded as well, and silence settled between them as they stared at the broken mirror elevator doors.

"So," Ranboo began, slowly drawing the word out.

"So?"

"You have a son?"

Tubbo's eyes lit up, then widened in a terrified way. "Oh my god," he murmured so quick it was nearly inaudible, "Michael." He shifted painfully, digging in his pant pocket for his phone. Doubting it would work, he turned it on anyway. The mangled screen flashed a variety of colors before turning black again. Tubbo pushed off of the wall, now leaning forward as he tapped his phone screen. "Shit, shit, shit-"

Ranboo's brows knit together in concern as he watched Tubbo panic. "Um, are you-"

"What time is it?" Tubbo cut him off.

Blinking rapidly, Ranboo looked down at his watch. Surprisingly enough, it still worked. "Uh, about three o'clock," he answered. "Are you okay?"

Tubbo muttered another, "Oh my god," before ripping a hand through his hair and leaning back again. "It's been four hours?" And it's only been maybe half an hour to forty-five minutes since we came to...

"Tubbo?"

"By the time anyone gets here, it'll be too late for me to run to the store, and-"

Ranboo put a hand on the rambling other's shoulder. "By the time anyone gets here," he said, "you'll be put on a stretcher and taken to the hospital to get that leg checked out." He paused when Tubbo turned to him. "You said you needed to stop by L'Targay earlier, right?"

Hesitantly, Tubbo nodded. "Yeah... why?"

"While you're being taken to the hospital, I'll try to stop by and get whatever you need," Ranboo offered. He smiled. "And I'll pick up a little something extra for you and that son of yours."

Tubbo's eyes lit up again, and Ranboo was sure he saw his eyes begin to water. "Oh, you don't need to do that," Tubbo said with a sad smile. He turned away. "I can always ask my brother Tommy to-"

"I'll get something for him, too," Ranboo said before he could stop himself. "What kinds of things does he like? Does he have kids?"

"Stop. You don't need to-"

"I want to."

They both went silent. Ranboo sighed and opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he heard Tubbo sniffle.

"Tommy owns a car shop," the brunette said quietly, "and he's been wanting to get some new boots but doesn't have the money. He has a son named Shroud, and he likes superheroes. There's this Iron Man figurine he's been wanting for a while. And my son, Michael, he-" Tubbo's voice cracked. "He's been asking for earmuffs for the longest time because his ears get cold, and-" He choked out a small sob. "And every time I start to save up some money to buy him a pair, he tells me to use it on bills instead."

Ranboo's heart shattered in his chest as Tubbo buried his face in his hands and broke down.

"I'm sorry," Tubbo mumbled, though his words were muffled by his hands. "I didn't mean to start crying, I-"

"No, it's okay," Ranboo said softly. He pulled Tubbo closer to sort of half-hug him. "I get it."

They sat like that for a while. Tubbo had calmed down pretty quickly, much to Ranboo's surprise, and the latter was almost certain the other had fallen asleep until Tubbo laughed at himself.

"It's so pathetic, isn't it?" he said. "I own a semi-successful restaurant and I don't have the money to but my kid fucking earmuffs."

Ranboo shook his head. "I don't think it's pathetic," he said. "You said it's a small diner. Do you not get many customers?"

Tubbo paused before shaking his head. "No, um, our advertisements aren't as flashy as most things are here," he admitted almost shamefully.

"Exactly!" Ranboo exclaimed, probably a little too loud. "Besides, Las Nevadas is a hotspot for gambling and love hotels and what have you. You can't help if what this state is built off of is more popular than your restaurant."

It took Ranboo a moment to understand the look of absolute disorientatuon and affront on Tubbo's face. The two-toned man gasped.

"I am so sorry," he began. "I swear, I didn't mean it like that, I just-" He stopped when Tubbo smiled.

"It's okay, boss man. I know what you mean."

Uncomfortable quiet filled the dusty air. Tubbo stared at their reflections in the shattered mirror door, and Ranboo faced the floor, looking like he was trying to think of something.

"Okay," Ranboo said slowly and began counting on his fingers as he spoke, "so, boots for Tommy, an Iron Man figurine for Shroud, earmuffs for Michael..." He quirked a brow and looked up from his hands at Tubbo, who didn't bat an eye. "You never told me what you wanted."

The brunette stayed quiet.

"Tubbo?"

This time, he mumbled something, but it was completely incoherent to Ranboo. Tubbo cleared his throat. "There's, um, this-" He laughed at himself. "There's this- this book," he said. "Well, it's a series, but it's called Tales of the SMP. I've been wanting a copy for a while. Just volume one is fine."

"Something else."

"What?" Tubbo looked back up at the other like he head three heads.

Ranboo chuckled to himself. "I have the entire series at home," he explained. "Paperback, hard copy, and leatherback. I've been meaning to free some room on my shelves anyway, so you can have an entire set."

Tubbo's eyes lit up like glitter under sunlight. "Really?!" He cleared his throat. "I-I mean... really?" He switched to a serious demeanor, but the excitement still surfaced as he repeated himself.

Laughing again, Ranboo nodded. "Yes, really. Now, what else do you want?"

"Oh, I couldn't ask for something else, too," Tubbo said, shaking his head.

"I'm not going to stop bothering you until you tell me," Ranboo drawled out. He grinned wickedly at Tubbo, and the latter groaned.

"Fine, fine," he caved, holding his hands up as if surrendering. "Um..." He looked up at the broken ceiling. A single space where the light used to be was completely caved in, and suddenly Tubbo remembered the pain in his leg. He winced before talking to distract himself. "Oh, I don't know. I never usually think about things I want..."

Ranboo hummed, adjusting himself so he was on his knees. "Well, what kind of things do you like?" he asked.

The brunette kept quiet for a moment, then groaned, throwing his head back to lean against the wall. "I can't think of anything."

"Nothing at all?" Ranboo asked, but Tubbo didn't answer as he was back to thinking again.

"I like science," Tubbo said finally. "And explosives."

Ranboo laughed nervously. "That's... not concerning at all," he commented sarcastically.

Tubbo laughed as well. "I don't play with fire," he reassured and sighed. "I'd love to go to school to study chemistry, but college is so expensive." He let out another huff, though it didn't sound as exhausted and sad as the previous one. "I'm content where I am, though. I enjoy my job, and I like being able to hang out with Mike. School could get in the way of that."

Nodding, the taller hummed. "Okay, then. Final thing, what did you need to pick up from the store in the first place?" asked Ranboo.

"Gummies," Tubbo breathed, smiling. "For Michael. I was going to get some crackers and lunch meat, as well, though. He thinks he can live off of sweets."

Ranboo smiled. "Didn't we all?"

They exchanged smiles, and in the moment they stared into each other's eyes, Tubbo realized just how beautiful Ranboo's eyes were.

"Hello?" a voice called from above them. They both looked up to see a blonde man in a harness carefully climbing down the ladder. The man looked up and shouted, "I can see one person! A brown-haired middle-aged male, looks injured!" before turning back toward the broken elevator. "Are there any more of you down here?"

Tubbo nodded, his eyes lighting up with relief and hope. "Yes, there's two of us!" he answered.

"We're coming to get you!"

Ranboo let out a long breath of relief. "Thank God."

It wasn't long before the man in the harness reached the elevator, and Ranboo stood to greet him.

"Hello," the man said as he hovered just over the opening in the elevator roof. "My name is Luke. I'm here with my co-worker, Nick. We're going to get you out of here." Luke and Ranboo exchanged smiles before the blonde turned to look at Tubbo, eyeing the dried pool of blood beneath the brunette's leg. "We're gonna get you out first. What's your name?"

"Tubbo."

Luke nodded and reached over to the side of his belt. "Help Tubbo to his feet while I get this harness ready for him," he told Ranboo.

"Got it." The two-toned male knelt down next to Tubbo and wrapped an arm around the latter's torso, pulling Tubbo's own arm over his shoulders. "I'm going to count to three." Tubbo nodded. "One... two... three!" He pulled Tubbo up, and Tubbo pushed himself up with his right leg.

Tubbo groaned and slumped into Ranboo's side, resting his weight on the other completely. "Dammit," he grumbled.

Ranboo muttered an apology while the elevator ceiling creaked under Luke's weight as he sat down and swung his legs over the edge.

"Alright," Luke said, hopping down and handing Ranboo a harness. "Try and put this on him, then we'll clip him up to the rope and get him outta here."

Saying that putting the harness on was a struggle would be an understatement. They tried at least ten times before finally being able to put his right leg through, and Ranboo apologized about a million times for unintentionally hurting Tubbo. The brunette couldn't bend his left knee, so the next difficulty was getting his other leg through. Altogether, putting his legs through the harness took about twenty minutes or so. The rest of it was done quickly and Tubbo was hooked up to the rope before long.

It hurt being pulled up the shaft, as the harness had dug into Tubbo's legs under his weight, but he was glad to be out of there finally. He was greeted by a slightly taller man with black hair, who introduced himself as Nick. Fortunately, there had been an ambulance waiting outside, so Tubbo didn't have to wait long to be taken out of the harness and put on a stretcher.

Just before the first responders were going to roll him out to the ambulance, Tubbo stopped them.

"Wait!" he said, grabbing onto one of the rescuers' arms. "I want to make to see that Ranboo's okay before you take me to the hospital." Though the pain was near excruciating after being lifted out of the elevator shaft, Tubbo cared too much for his new friend.

It took some persistence for the rescuers to agree, but it wasn't long before Tubbo could see the tall man's head peep above the edge of the floor anyway. Relief filled the injured brunette, and he was taken away into the emergency vehicle after exchanging a smile and a wave with Ranboo.

Turns out the harness had reopened some already scabbing wounds, and Tubbo had blacked out from the haziness of blood loss before they reached the hospital.

He'd woken up from the feeling of a needle in his arm.

"Woah, there," the nurse giggled. Tubbo must have jerked awake. "Glad to see you conscious. I'm just setting up this IV," she continued, not looking up from her work.

Tubbo felt nauseous looking in the direction of the needle, so he looked away and noticed two familiar men - one with short, blonde hair and one with long, black and white hair - talking to the receptionist at the counter. Tommy and Ranboo.

Tubbo smiled at the sight of them, forgetting completely about the nurse and the tube being inserted in his arm. Tubbo noticed Ranboo had a bandage wrapped underneath his hair and around his head, and a few Band-Aids on his face and neck. Otherwise, he looked fine. The two men held several bags, which Tubbo had no reason not to assume they were what Ranboo had bought for them.

Shortly after the nurse finished the IV and excused herself from the room, Ranboo caught Tubbo's eye and leaned down to say something to someone before little Michael emerged from behind the counter and came running toward Tubbo.

The brown-haired boy jumped up onto the bed, tossing himself into his father's arms.

Tubbo laughed, his eyes burning with joyful tears. "Hey, Mikey," he said hoarsely. He pulled Michael away for a second to kiss the side of his head, when he noticed Michael was wearing earmuffs. "Look at you!"

Michael giggled. "Mr. Boo got them for me," he said, taking them off to show Tubbo. "And he got me gloves, too!"

"He... he got you gloves?" Tubbo asked, so incredibly close to crying that he might as well have already been doing so.

"Yeah! He got you-"

"Now, now, don't go spoiling my surprises," laughed Ranboo from the doorway as he walked into the room. He smiled at Tubbo, sitting down on a chair on the opposite side of the bed from Michael. "How are you feeling?" he asked, setting down his bags on the chair next to him.

Tubbo smiled back. "I'm doing alright," he answered. "Frankly, I haven't been awake long enough to really know." He chuckled, and Ranboo joined him. "I see you ended up a little beaten up, too, huh?"

Ranboo nodded, sighing. "Yep, 'got a minor concussion from the fall and pulled a muscle in my neck." He moved his hair and shirt collar out of the way to reveal a large bandage patch on his shoulder. "Nothing too terrible. I'm surprised I didn't end up in worse condition."

"I'm glad you're alright," Tubbo said before his eyes were drawn to the doorway, where a tall (but not quite as tall as Ranboo) and slim figure stood. Tubbo's face lit up even more. "Tommy!"

The blonde in question dropped everything in his hands and rushed over to Tubbo, sliding onto his knees and wrapping his arms around Tubbo. "Oh my god, Tubs, don't do that," he breathed. He squeezed the brunette tighter before pulling away and keeping Tubbo at arms' length. "You'll be taking the stairs from now on."

Laughing, Tubbo nodded. "If you say so," he said, smiling. He felt a couple tears roll down his cheeks and wiped at them but they kept coming. "I-" He huffed an embarrassed laugh. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Shh," Tommy hushed him and went back in for another hug. Michael joined them, leaning onto Tubbo's shoulder.

"Don't cry, Pa," the boy mumbled, and Tubbo wrenched out a painful sob.

The brunette let go of Tommy to embrace Michael, holding him so closely to his chest hat the boy might disappear if he let go. After a moment of quiet, Tubbo pulled away and pressed little kisses all over Michael's face, causing the latter to giggle.

"I love you so much, Mikey," Tubbo said. He smiled at Michael before turning to Ranboo, wiping his eyes once more. "Now, let's see what's in those bags of yours."

Ranboo laughed. "Okay, antsy."

"Hey! You never said what you were getting me."

"Fair, fair." The two-toned man reached over into one of the plastic shopping bags next to him and pulled out a pair of black moc toe boots. "This one's for Tommy."

Tommy stared, speechless, at Ranboo, his mouth wide open in surprise. "For- for me?" he asked.

Ranboo smiled. "Yes, for you." He handed them over and Tommy practically ripped then from Ranboo's hands. "I wasn't sure what size to get, so if they're too small or too big, I put the receipt in one of the shoes so you can just exchange them."

The blonde stared at the boots, eyes sparkling and grinning widely. "I- Thank you," he said, looking up now. "Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome." Ranboo turned to Tubbo, handing him one of the bigger shopping bags. "Michael's snacks." He leaned closer. "I snuck a little something in there for you, too."

Tubbo laughed and looked through the bag, listing off things he saw. "Crackers, Cheez-Its, gummies, granola bars, and-" He threw his head back in a laugh. "And Valentine's Day chocolates." He pulled the heart-shaped box from the bag. "To Tubbo, from Ranboo." He smiled at Ranboo. "Oh, you."

Ranboo chuckled. "Those were the only things on the shelf," he explained.

"Valentine's Day is well over a month away, though," Tommy said, pulling his worn shoes off to try on the boots.

Ranboo shrugged. "I got a smaller one for Michael."

Upon hearing his name, Michael beamed at Ranboo, then at Tubbo in hopes of his father letting him have the chocolate now.

Tubbo smiled as he dug through the bag some more, eventually coming upon a heart-shaped chocolate box and opening it. There were only seven pieces, but they were big. "You can have one," he said, handing the box to Michael. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow to have another."

Michael nodded and took one, happily shoving it in his mouth.

Tubbo heard shuffling and turned back to Ranboo, who was carrying the bags Tommy dropped in the doorway over to where they sat.

"As promised," Ranboo said, pulling out eight leatherback books bound together by ribbons. "Here are your copies of-"

"The Tales of the SMP!" Tubbo exclaimed, taking the heavy load of books from Ranboo. "Oh my god, they're leather-" He tore apart the ribbon and carefully examined each and every part of the book on top. "The Village of Greed and Anger," he breathed, running his fingers over the black text. He turned it over to look at the binding, which looked like it was enfused with gold. Smiling, he flipped it open, and on the inside of the cover, was the signature of Karl Jacobs, the infamous author of the series.

Tubbo's eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he turned his head to Ranboo. "You can't give me this!" He shoved the books back into Ranboo's lap. "That's- that's signed!"

Ranboo smiled. "They're yours. I have no need for them, and I've already read each one at least nineteen times." He handed them back to Tubbo and the brunette took them reluctantly.

"Thank you," Tubbo said.

"There's more," Ranboo sang.

Tubbo gaped at him. "Wha- more?!"

The taller laughed. "Yes," he said. "I told you I was getting something else." He reached into the bag again, but before he could present another gift, Tommy barked out a laugh.

"Look!" he said excitedly. "Tubbo, look!" He lifted his foot to show off his new boots.

Tubbo smiled. "They look great on you."

Tommy danced around in a circle before rushing over to hug Ranboo, causing the latter drop the small, rectangular paper he'd pulled out of the bag.

Michael rushed over and picked it up. "You dropped this," he said, handing it to Ranboo when Tommy released him.

Ranboo took the paper, ruffling Michael's hair. "Thanks, bud." He turned to Tubbo and adopted a very serious demeanor. "I know you said that you can't afford school, and it might get in the way of spending time with Michael," he started, and Tubbo narrowed his eyes skeptically at him as Ranboo handed over the slip of paper.

It was a check.

Tubbo's head shot up after he read the amount and opened his mouth to protest but didn't have the chance to get a word in before Ranboo continued.

"It's only enough for a single semester, but the chemist internship at the Old L'Manburgian Tech University is only six weeks," Ranboo said. "For the first three weeks, they offer a night school program, as well, so you don't have to worry about work or taking care of Michael."

Tubbo stared for a moment. "I can't-" He huffed a humorless laugh. "I can't take this, I-"

"I have more money than I need," Ranboo cut his off. "And I am so much more than happy to help."

"Why are you even helping?" Tubbo asked, his voice quivering more than he'd like it to. "You... we met in a broken elevator, and now you're giving me thousands of dollars so I can go to school."

Ranboo fell silent for a second. "Because I know how it feels to not be able to provide for a family," he answered, staring at Michael. "I had a son once, but I had been evicted and had to hand him over to CPS." He smiled and knelt in front of the boy. "He had brown eyes, too."

The room was quiet until Michael hugged Ranboo and whispered, "Thank you for helping my Pa," and both Ranboo and Tubbo began to cry.

It wasn't long before they'd calmed and stopped crying.

Ranboo had gotten some things for Shroud, but Tommy said he had taken Shroud over to Puffy's when Tommy heard about the accident in the elevator.

"I'll just take these to him when I get home," Tommy said. He looked into the bag, smiling. There were two Iron Man figurines, a Superman Lego playset, and a pair of Spiderman slippers. "You're too nice." The comment was somewhat venomous, but Ranboo knew the blonde meant well when he said it.

"Like I told Tubbo, I'm more than willing to make others happy," replied Ranboo.

Tommy turned to Tubbo to give one last hug. "Let me know if you find out when you're being discharged," he said. Tubbo nodded, and Tommy knelt down to hug Michael goodbye. "See you, fire ball."

"Bye, Uncle Tommy," Michael said.

"Bye," Tommy waved before walking out the door.

Tubbo sighed, turning to Ranboo. "Are you sure you're okay taking care of Michael?" he asked.

Ranboo had offered to take Michael under his wing while Tubbo was in the hospital since Tommy was already busy with work and Shroud.

"Yes, I'm sure." Ranboo leaned down to ruffle Michael's hair, which made the boy giggle. "I think we'll get along."

Tubbo smiled at the two. "I just feel bad forcing someone I just met to take care of my son for me," he admitted.

"I'll be offended if you're calling me a stranger," the taller man joked. "Pretty sure almost dying together makes us a little bit more than acquainted." He winked at the end of the sentence, making Tubbo laugh. "We'll be alright, don't worry. Right, Mike?"

Michael nodded. "Mhm! We're gonna stay up all night and drink soda and watch The Greatest Showman until our eyes pop out!"

The brunette chuckled. "As long as you brush your teeth and take naps during the day," he said, cupping a hand over his son's cheek. He leaned a little closer to give Michael an awkward hug. "Be good for Ranboo, okay?" Michael nodded as best he could being in such a strange hold. "I love you, Mikey." Tubbo pulled away to kiss the boy's cheek. "Listen to Ranboo. Anything he says goes."

"Okay," Michael said, nodding again. "I love you, Pa."

Tubbo smiled before hugging his son again. "Love you, too, sweetie."

"Are we ready to go?" Ranboo asked once Michael pulled away from Tubbo.

"Yeah! I get to ride in the cool mustang again!" Michael exclaimed happily, skipping toward the door.

Tubbo laughed. "Mustang?"

Ranboo shook his head, smiling. "No, it's just a Honda Accord," he said. "I never told him it was a mustang, he just... assumed."

"And you didn't correct him?"

"What? Of course, not! You think I want to ruin the chances of him thinking I'm as cool and rich as Elon Musk?" Ranboo joked, drawing another laugh from Tubbo. "I'm kidding, I did tell him it's just an Accord. He refuses to believe me."

Tubbo sighed in a happy manner. "That... sounds like Michael." He stared at the boy, who was putting on his brand new gloves. "You'll love him. He's a good listener, never really acts up. He's good about brushing his teeth and going to bed on time, too."

Ranboo smiled and Tubbo looked back up at him. "It's near midnight, so we should probably leave," Ranboo said. He leaned down to hug Tubbo, which shocked the latter. "Take care. I assume you'll be out within the week." He pulled away. "Give me a call when they tell you when you're getting discharged so I can come pick you up."

Tubbo nodded. "Will do. Goodnight."

"Night."

After waving goodbye, Ranboo led Michael out of the room, through the lobby, and out of Tubbo's sight.

It was a week before Tubbo was discharged. He'd found out the day before, and called Ranboo like the latter asked. When he picked Tubbo up from the hospital, Ranboo had taken the brunette to his house before taking Tubbo and Michael to their own home, and Tubbo was absolutely in awe of the sheer size of Ranboo's abode. Despite his jokes, Ranboo might as well have been a millionaire in the first place.

"Burger van worker, my ass," Tubbo had spat in coltish bitterness, "you probably own the country!"

Ranboo had claimed that the president of Las Nevadas (along with a few others, though there really were only a few other people who could've possibly been richer) had at least two times the wealth he did, if not more. Although it was more than likely true, Tubbo refused to accept it.

It wasn't long before Tubbo's leg made its full recovery. He spent about a month or two in a cast with crutches before only needing a single crutch then not needing any assistance walking at all.

And the two kept in touch after then. Tubbo would more than occasionally ask Ranboo to watch Michael for him, as well as ask him out to lunch on their breaks. As it turns out, their workplaces weren't too terribly far from each other, Ranboo's burger van being just over the hill. They would hang out frequently (much to the dismay of Ranboo's employer), and Tommy would join them, as well, every once in a blue moon.

Tubbo had gone back to schedule another interview with the president of Las Nevadas, this time in the court yard of The Needle. He'd gotten the OK from the mayor of Las Nevadas to expand his restaurant. Within the week, he was planning the remodeling of Tubburger (which he rebranded as The Tubburger Diner).

After the diner was completely renovated, a little over sixty people had come to apply for a job there. It took a total of seven months to rebuild the diner, and the grand re-opening was the month after construction was finished.

Tubbo invited Ranboo and Tommy to stand next to him as he cut the ribbon. It had been the happiest day of Tubbo's life already, and Ranboo made it even better.

There had been a band playing as people ate their lunches that day. Those who weren't eating when the band finished clapped.

Tubbo was coming out of the kitchen to deliver an order of BLTs, but stopped and shot Ranboo a confused look when the latter took the mic from one of band members. Tubbo quickly gave the table their food and, tucking the tray under his arm, made his way over to Ranboo.

"What are you doing?" Tubbo asked, almost laughing.

Ranboo smiled and took Tubbo's free hand in his, then turned to the people eating. "Hello, everyone," he said into the microphone, sounding a little awkward. Everyone went quiet. "My name is Ranboo, and I'm a friend of Tubbo's." He lifted Tubbo's hand to show everyone, and Tubbo smiled awkwardly. Ranboo turned back to the brunette. "We've known each other for a little over a year now."

Tubbo gave Ranboo a strange look. "Where are you going with this?"

Ranboo chuckled and murmured, "Maybe I shouldn't play the long game." He sighed, though it wasn't an exhausted or aggravated sound. "Tubbo Underscore," he said finally, letting go of the shorter's hand and kneeling down in front of him.

"What are you-"

Ranboo reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a black velvet box. "Will you make me the happiest man in the world-"

"Oh my god."

"-and marry me?" Ranboo snapped the box open to reveal, not a large, expensive diamond, but a gold band with words engraved on it that Tubbo couldn't quite make out from that angle.

Tubbo clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyes burning. "I-" He laughed and his hand fell to his side. "Sure, why not?" He laughed again. "Yes."

Ranboo stood up and threw his hands into the air, shouting, "He said yes!"

Nearly everyone cheered as Ranboo took the ring out of the case and held it out to Tubbo, who took it and read the words engraved on the inside.

Bee and Boo

Tubbo smiled and slipped it onto his finger. "That's so corny," he commented, still smiling. "I love it."

"I thought of it myself," Ranboo said proudly. He chuckled when Tubbo rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around the brunette's shoulders.

"Guess I'm stuck with you now," Tubbo said. He leaned into Ranboo.

Ranboo gave Tubbo a gentle squeeze. "Guess you are."