(Yeah we are a little unsure abt this chapter but like this is for you guys not for us🤷♀️) - Aug 3 2022
EDIT: very sorry for not updating the guys and I kinda forgot abt this tbh until now - Mar 31 2023
"I just...I guess I can't just believe that out of all the places you could have been...you're here," Ranboo repeated with bewilderment, sucking in a heavy breath. The man beside him, Tubbo, was silent for a few seconds.
The two had found themselves sitting on a scabrous, wooden park bench, one of the many that lined the newly paved , cobblestone pathways of the park. An splintered oak bench, often left unoccupied for it seemed as if no one could ever find the time in their day to sit down...to take a deep breath and collect their thoughts. Tubbo and Ranboo, of course, had all the time in the world. They were living on free time.
It had been two hours, just the two of them sitting beside each other, a broken conversation slipping from their lips. It had been difficult, Ranboo had to admit, having to talk to the brunette in front of him.
Maybe difficult was the wrong word.
Different.
Foreign...yet so painfully familiar. The sound of his voice rung like a long-forgotten melody in his ear. It had deepened over the years, yes, but there were hints of the former boy that Ranboo had once loved. It was so odd, listening to him speak. It was something that Ranboo never thought he would be able to do again, a moment that would be lost to time.
They had shared small stories of their past, filling in the pieces of their separate lives like a puzzle, attempting to make sense of the years that had passed. Tales of college days and the graduation ceremony....living with a dorm mate and finding new friends, the majors they had taken and the careers they planned on pursuing.
Adult conversations.
They might have even mentioned the weather.
Ranboo was painfully drawn to the conversation, however, regardless of where it winded. Every second he prayed that the other man would not suddenly stand up and declare their conversation over with, only to walk away and trail back to his friend's townhouse. For the time being...Ranboo liked talking to Tubbo. It brought back memories, a wave of nostalgia.
"I mean, what a small world, right?" He continued, an awkward chuckle following. "You'd think that the city was so big and the people are so busy that....well, you know, that the two of us could never run into each other, especially after all of these years. You would think at least, but I guess not."
"I guess not," Tubbo repeated softly, a mumble.
"You mentioned staying with a friend?" Ranboo questioned.
"Yeah, Tommy," he confirmed.
"Tommy?"
"Mhm," the brunette repeated, giving a hesitant nod of his head.
Ranboo had slipped out of touch with his former friend over the years. It had seemed as if Tubbo and Tommy were a sort of package duo, not being able to have one without the other. As his ex-boyfriend had slipped out of his life, so had Tommy. Regardless, the blonde gave a small nod, forcing a smile.
"He's just letting me sleep on his couch for the time being," he continued in explanation, giving a loose shrug of his shoulders. "I told him I could have found a hotel, but he insisted. It's nice. I mean, it's been a while since I've seen him. We keep in touch and stuff, but we rarely got to see each other since I was living in California."
"How long do you plan on staying in the city?" Ranboo asked curiously.
"Not longer than I need to, I don't think," Tubbo answered, pursing his lips together tightly in thought. "I don't know. I have to have that interview for the publication deal, and maybe I'll stay a bit longer just to get everything sorted out. I'll probably move back to California as long as I'm capable."
