Neutrality Order (TomBoo)

L.R. - Chapter 8

He had to at least admit that Ranboo had a decent collection of games; it was grudgingly admitted, but he made up for it by going over save files with his own in a rebellious act of spite.

Tommy knew it had been at least a full two days, but it didn't make things much easier. Wilbur was here and being held somewhere else while Tommy was stuck in this short narrow hallway that contained nothing more than this room and a bathroom, meals were brought to him, and the door that led to what he assumed to be the bar being closed and locked at all times. He could definitely Smash his way through at any given time, but for one, he didn't know how many villains were on the other side; two, he didn't know their abilities; and three, if it turned out Wilbur WAS on the other side, he might get the wrong idea, especially if Ranboo went good on his threat.

Either that or Wilbur might brain him entirely for coming to 'rescue' him. He honestly didn't know which was worse.

Regardless, Tommy took the time to really think about things. Heroes were no slackers, especially since this involved UA students. The heroes and the police had to be looking for them, and it was only a matter of time before they were saved. If he could hold out, keep Ranboo distracted and happy, then maybe...

He felt his cheeks heat up and a momentary lapse in concentration had him miss a button press and fall into a pit; a perfect metaphor for his life right now, come to think. He was in deeper than he ever meant to be, especially with a villain. Ranboo was generous with his time with him, taking every moment to put his hands on him just to touch and hold and kiss.

And Tommy let him.

God, was Recovery Girl right in saying he was crushing hard, having a rebellious fling? He certainly wasn't doing it just to please Ranboo, that was for damn sure, not when he was actually liking it.

He couldn't help but think of the bad logical side to it, that his mother, his teachers, his classmates, CROW FATHER, would be horrified to know where his tastes apparently lay, how much he'd shared with Ranboo so far. But those thoughts went out the window every time Ranboo pulled him close, touched over his face and hair, kissed him with a skill they were both becoming equally adept with.

He recalled Wilbur saying once that romance was stupid that made everyone more stupid than they already were, and right now, he couldn't help but agree.

Tommy got bored with one of the games, setting it down and sighing before sitting himself down at Ranboo's desk to rummage around a drawer for some paper and a pen. Ranboo might have his notebook, but that wasn't going to stop him from doing some writing anyway. It was the only way to get his kilometer-a-second thoughts to slow down and help him think rationally.

He wrote down everything he knew about Ranboo, even the most mundane of details such as level of excoriation depending on mood levels, the deceptive strength in his hands and fingers, the number of disembodied hands he had on him at any given time. He partnered the observations with light sketches, gnawing on his lip as he tried to get the size and shape of 'Father's' hand just right-

"Not a bad likeness, Tommy."

Tommy was spared leaping out of the chair in a panic by arms curling around him, familiar hands splaying and flexing over his front and Ranboo's chin resting on his shoulder. He blushed, feeling the same rush of embarrassment at having his work seen by other people as he always had, the tip of the pen pressing into the paper. Ranboo made a thoughtful hum, reaching over and tracing his image with a lazy fingertip.

"Father's fingers are thicker," he said. "And my hair is longer. But it's good for being from memory." Tommy could see Ranboo's grin in his peripheral vision. "You must really like looking at me so much to get my likeness so close."

"...well...I just have decent memory recollection is all..." Tommy muttered any tangent habit he was about to go on being interrupted when Ranboo lifted him from the chair and had him pinned back on the bed in one smooth motion, staring down at him from behind Father's with red eyes that almost seemed to glow.

Ranboo reached into his pocket and took out his finger-sleeve gloves, putting them on slowly. "You should become more familiar with me then, to get my likeness right," he said. "I have enough of the media and general populace forgetting me so easily. I won't have you doing the same, Tommy."

He curled his hands around the curvature of Tommy's face, pressing his thumbs to cheekbones hidden under soft baby fat. He could actually count some golden flecks in Tommy's eyes, he realized with a thrill of some odd emotion in his chest that Techno so rudely pointed out as finding something cute before laughing in his face. Fucker was damn lucky Niki warped his hand away, shouting about not wanting to clean another half-decayed corpse pile off of his floors for the second time in a week.

It was good that Tommy was letting him do this and enjoying it even. He could forgive the saved-over games in return for close touches and kisses, feeling bitter only for the fact that he hadn't been allowed to do this before. Maybe nobody was willing to touch him before. Maybe it coincided with the thrill of his partner also being his enemy, the chosen golden boy to his own master's nemesis. It was a challenge, either way, come to find. Tommy gave as good as he got, confident -and annoyingly accurately so- that Ranboo wouldn't risk losing such close contact over some attitude.

Attitude, Ranboo could handle it. It was different from the verbal spars he and Techno had, which was more akin to having an absolutely annoying older brother lording wisdom and social smarts over him; Tommy wasn't afraid to touch him, and now wasn't afraid of being touched by him. He had saved over Ranboo's games, reorganized his room (while stating that Ranboo being an absolute NEET slob was SOOOOO unbecoming of a villain mastermind, the audacity of the brat), and didn't sugarcoat how pointless trying to convert Wilbur was.

Techno had reservations about it too, but at least Tommy was giving him REASONS for it instead of just being an ass about it.

"You should really join me," he found himself saying for the dozenth time. "You're wasted as another cog in that government-tainted machine. Heroes claiming to be 'for the people' but stupidly clamoring over one another for a cozy spot in the Top Ten..."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Careful, Boo," he muttered, "you're starting to sound like Stain there."

"....you take that back."

"Make me. And just because you have a point doesn't mean you're RIGHT." Tommy shuddered, seeing Ranboo's eyes dilate slightly behind Father's fingers, one of the villain's own hands reaching up to lightly pluck Father from his face, showing Tommy his unobscured visage that looked a combination of affronted and excited.

"My point IS right, Tommy," he hissed, leaning in closer. "You're a smart boy, and you know I'm right. From the UA sports festival, they train you fools to fight each other first and foremost, all of the attention being given to the flashiest and the loudest and the ones with good breeding rather than the ones who could actually do something useful. Do you even know how many dropouts there are in UA by third year? How many graduate but are unable to find work because no one will give them a decent start?" He grinned, soft hissed giggling echoing in his chest that Tommy could almost feel. "You have a noble soul, Tommy, but it's being struck stupid by your blind admiration for heroes because you don't know how REAL hero politics work."

He watched Tommy's expression drop, eyes hardening with defiance. "Then I'll change it," he growled back boldly. "I don't care about placement. I can be number one WITHOUT the stupid ranking. Everything I have now is because of someone else, and I'll never forget that. EVER."

Ranboo blinked slowly, his smile receding into something softer. "....you're so fucking stupid," he said, voice thick with adoration and eyes on the cusp of amusement and sadness. "It's going to actually pain me to see that bold spirit shatter from the reality of this world." He pressed his thumb to Tommy's lips to keep him from speaking again. "But I'll tell you what..." He leaned in closer, pressing his lips to Tommy's ear.

"When they break you, I promise I'll pick up your pieces. You will always have a spot here with me at my side."

Ranboo felt Tommy's chest quiver with a short gasp and turned his head to replace his thumb with his lips.

He considered it a personal win when Tommy's arms curled around his back and thought he could definitely be happy with repairing Tommy when the time came.