icing those hurt

Part 4

"If you board like that for the rest of these games, it'll be just like Australia, Boo," Tubbo remarks, pulling Ranboo's hoodie over his head and yawning.

"Stop bringing up Australia, Tubbo," Ranboo says. His voice is muffled because he's in the room's bathroom and he's brushing his teeth, but Tubbo knows him well enough to hear that note of pleased embarrassment in his tone. "You only bring it up when you want something."

"Well, yeah, I want us to have matching gold medals." Tubbo flops down on his bed. He looks over at Tommy's empty side in consideration. "Friendship necklaces, you know?"

Ranboo mumbles something Tubbo can't parse, but it doesn't matter because their room door is opening and Tommy is coming through. It's almost comical how quickly the silence descends between the two of them. If it was Tubbo, he'd immediately need to know what they were saying, but it isn't, it's Tommy, so he drifts through the room like he's ice.

He's like a glacier, Tubbo observes. Every move is slow and careful and graceful and contained. It's like he's watching himself walk, keeping himself in check. It's fascinating. Tubbo wonders if he's ever been wild in his life. If he's ever been free.

Ranboo pops his head out of the bathroom, toothpaste on his chin. "Hello!"

Tommy full on startles, clearly not expecting the greeting. "Oh. Um, hello," he says back, quiet and nervous. "You've got-" his blue eyes flicker to Tubbo and then back to Ranboo. "There's some-"

Tommy gestures vaguely and Ranboo blinks at him, confused.

"Toothpaste." He finishes. "Sorry. There's just-"

Ranboo turns pink. Swipes a hand across his chin. Then he smiles, all big and goofy like nothing happened. It makes Tubbo snort fondly- his stupid, friendly, lovable best friend. Too nice for his own good, truly.

"It's pretty late- we didn't see you at dinner. Did you go out?" Ranboo asks. Tommy doesn't respond immediately and Ranboo winces a little. "I mean, not that we're keeping tabs on you or anything, we'd never- and you're your own person so if you wanted to stay out, we wouldn't say anything about it-"

"Shut up, Ranboo." Tubbo sighs. Ranboo shuts up.

Tommy's gaze flickers between the two of them again, cautious. "Out? As in, out of the village?" Ranboo nods. "Oh. Oh no. No, it's just that no one uses the rink during meals, so I just- I wanted some extra practice, you know?"

"Ah," Ranboo nods.

There's a quiet pause.

Tommy, if it was even possible, tenses even further. Ranboo begins to shift with nervous energy and Tubbo suddenly has the bizarre realization that he is the most emotionally qualified person in the room to have a normal conversation.

Fuck.

"Hey," he blurts. Tommy meets his eyes, and then his gaze slides to the left. Tubbo doesn't bother chasing it. "You know what? You should come to breakfast with us tomorrow. You can sit with us. We're not as boring as we look, trust me. We even made friends with these ice hockey players- they're alright, I guess."

Tommy blinks. "What?"

"Yeah, one of them is kind of a pain in the ass, but that's ice hockey for you," Tubbo continues, noting but not lingering on the surprise in Tommy's face. Surprise. Surprise at what? Ice hockey players? The two of them not being boring? What could he be surprised about? "And they've got these really great waffles. I like 'em a lot. Of course, I'm a boarder, and I bet you've never had breakfast with a boarder before. We eat like we're dying. Feasts before we face the mountain."

"Wait," Tommy says. "Wait, you're- oh, you're inviting me to breakfast with you."

Tubbo stops. He looks over at Ranboo. So does Tommy. Ranboo nods, so Tubbo nods.

"Oh," Tommy goes. "Oh."

Ah. All of a sudden a lot is starting to make sense. Tommy was surprised by being invited. Jesus.

Tommy seems to process Tubbo's invitation better than Tubbo is processing this new found knowledge of his roommate, because he gives- not really a smile- but something very, very close. A hum of surprised amusement. A yes.

When Tubbo looks at Ranboo again, he's giving a proud little thumbs up.

"Tomorrow then," Tubbo confirms, nodding. "Breakfast."

Tommy nods, then gathers his stuff and slips past Ranboo into the bathroom to change. Glacier in motion.

Tubbo squints. He decides that he wants to see Tommy all thawed out. And Tubbo always gets what he wants.

(word count - 723)