VERSAILLES // Ranboo X Reader

16

Throughout your travels, you had watched the landscape roll from the sparse forest that surrounded the palace, to thicker patches filled with oak trees. There had been a moment where you had traveled nearby to a swamp, and you had seen mountains in the distance once of twice. 

Now though, was the first time you were beginning to see a real change in environment. 

It wasn't too noticeable at first, just the occasional blip in the forest. But as you continued on the path, the trees thinned and changed type, going from oak to acacia. The grass underneath your feet began to get more like straw - thin and dry. Eventually, the lush green forest was behind you, and Brigand kept wiping sweat from his brow. 

"Are you sure this is the right way?" He asked. 

Arlow dug one of the eyes out of their bag, tossing it up into the air. The thing hovered for a moment, looking forward - deeper into the acacia. "Yup." They said, catching the eye as it fell back down and tucking it back into their bag. 

Brigand grumbled to himself. "I don't understand why it has to be so goddamn hot-"

"Mountain man can't handle the heat." Arlow teased. Where Brigand had to keep wiping his sweat away, Arlow was perfectly dry and had taken the gradual change in temperature in stride. "What happens if you have to go to the Nether at some point?"

Of course, this set Brigand off, and Arlow tipped their head back in a laugh. You smiled to yourself as they began to bicker - Brigand arguing that it was more important to be accustomed to the cold, while Arlow poked and teased and waxed poetic about the heat.

Your attention shifted when Ranboo rested his head on your shoulder. 

He sighed, breath tickling your ear. "They argue a lot."

"Not seriously though." You said, leaning back so that he was supporting your weight. Ranboo settled into the touch, and you smiled - he had gotten more used to shared touches over the course of the trip so far. This morning, when you had been packing up camp, Ranboo had even leaned into the touch as Brigand ruffled his hair. 

Thinking about it now, the farther you had gotten away from the palace, the more he had began to open up. Even so, you hadn't been expecting what he had told you last night in the tent. It was one thing for you to have doubts about Ranboo's involvement in the stealing of the egg, but for him to tell you that he had no idea how he'd even gotten to the palace was another. 

Still, the more you thought about it, the more you were convincing yourself of his innocence. 

You really had to stop doing that - there was no solid proof.

It was hard not to think about him though, as he was the crux of this entire journey in the first place. That, and that you were literally chained to him. You didn't mind too much though - you had grown fond of him and his too long limbs. Being chained to him made you notice things - like the way he curled up to sit down or go to sleep, or the way he was very touch oriented (you would often find him just absently trailing his long fingers over things), or the way he had kept that emerald necklace you had draped over him and he would play with the chain. 

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, drawing you back into the present.

You hummed idly, "You've gotten more comfortable with everyone since we left the palace." 

"Well," Ranboo said, a bashful sort of smile coming over face. "You're comfortable to be around."

Your heart fluttered slightly at his words - it was nice that he thought so highly of you. "I'm glad that you think so." 

"How could I not?" Ranboo mumbled. "You're just so gosh darn nice."

You laughed at that, and you could feel Ranboo smile over your shoulder. You settled more comfortably into his shoulder - having something to lean on while you were riding was nice. Ranboo didn't seem to mind that much either - he just adjusted so that he was more comfortable against you, moving his head from your shoulder to your top of your head. It worked better that way, since he was so tall.

"To be fair, I think you're really nice too." You said. "Nicest criminal I've met by far."

You could feel him laugh against the top of your head and you smiled. There was a certain easiness to this - Arlow and Brigand a few paces ahead, still bickering about the weather, and you and Ranboo, just enjoying the sunlight and the sound of the wind through the trees as you rode. 

The chain at your side caught the light, and you found yourself jangling the cuff on your wrist absently. You didn't mind it so much anymore - at first the constant weight on your arm was annoying, but now there was a sort of comfort to it. 

"I kind of forget that you're a criminal sometimes." You said.

Ranboo shifted against your back. "Well... I might not actually be."

You hummed. "I suppose." You were trying to hold out your decision on that one thought - the back of your mind had a nasty way of reminding you that this friendship could all be a ruse to gain your trust. 

You tried not to think about it to much.

You had become... maybe too fond of Ranboo.

Either way, your concentration was broken when Arlow turned around to call out to you. "Y/N!"

You hummed, refocusing your attention in front of you, where they were riding ahead of you. Arlow's eyes darted up to where Ranboo was leaning on you and smiled before speaking, "Who do you think is right?" 

"About?" You asked.

"Well, I think warm weather is better for training since most adventurers wind up in the Nether at some point, but our esteemed captain," Arlow mockingly leered and Brigand rolled his eyes, "Thinks cold is better because of some absurd reason."

Brigand turned to face Arlow slightly, brow pinched. "It's not absurd..."

Their argument continued on and you just grinned, riding on as they bickered. Maybe when you had compared it to a family, you had been a little too accurate.