Chapter Text
Saying this right now, these are characters in a story. This has nothing to do with any IRL content creators in any way, shape, or form. Any relationships: ambiguous, romantic, or platonic, are purely fictional and do not reflect how I view any of the CCs.
That being said, Beeduo's relationship in this work of fiction will be ambiguous. It will be up to your interpretation of what the relationship is, as c!Beeduo is on the DSMP.
Lastly, I want to thank EyukiLeaf for inspiring me to write this. As well as Hellenite and Generalized Screaming, without them, none of this would have happened.
Traffic was never bad around Saffron Square, the cozy little cul-de-sac nestled near the shores of L’Manburg seemed to be hidden away from the rest of the city. Only if you knew where to look would you find the real hole-in-the-wall places teeming with life. Meaning the rare car you did find around the city barely made its way down into the forgotten square.
Large roots broke up through the rocky pavement, sourcing from the giant tree tucked away behind two other buildings. The closer you got to this tree, the worse the land became, before it opened into a small meadow and the ‘Pink Tulip Cafe’ greeted you with a warm aroma.
"Caramel latte and sap cake for Callahan," Tubbo called brightly, turning around to the wall of the cafe. The Cafe breathed happily at the sight of food, walls bending and warping out to take the plate from Tubbo’s hands. It carried it gracefully above the heads of patrons and down to the far table. Callahan beamed, running his hands along the branch as it sat down his food and shrunk back into the wall.
“Thank you!” He signed to Tubbo, and while he didn’t know the regional sign language, he did know that particular sign. Tubbo responded with his own smile and nod, running his fingers along the bark walls and smiling.
The Cafe was always in a good mood, it hummed and churned happily with the smell of coffee and sweets that Niki baked every morning. The people that came in and greeted the living tree warmly only encouraged the good atmosphere of the place. Tubbo liked that, how happy everyone was, even on bad days for him walking into the shop always put a smile on his face. And being able to work there for a full-time job? That was even better.
Niki passed by behind him as he leaned against the wall, offering a sweet smile before turning to put the next batch of sap cakes into the oven. “Do you need help frosting those?” Tubbo hummed, pushing off the cafe wall and over to the register to check the online orders.
“Nope,” She hummed, popping her ‘p’ as she closed up the oven and peeled off her gloves. “Plus, your favorite Monday, five o’clock order should be in any minute now, and that dear drink requires all your focus.” Sweet sarcasm dripped off her lips, followed by a teasing hand in his hair.
“Niki,” He whined, shoving her away and smoothing out his unruly curls. “This is bullying, Cafe, I’m being bullied.” The floor underneath him rumbled, a branch growing out to also smack him on the head and then curl around Niki’s shoulders. “Hey!” The branches shook at him, then merged back into the wall.
“Aw, it’s okay, Cafe and I know. There’s no need to hide it.”
“I’m going to sob on you, leave me alone.” Tubbo bit out, turning to hide his face as he frantically refreshed the register.
Niki laughed loudly, patting his shoulder and leaning down to click on the order named ‘R.B’ that had just appeared on the screen. “What can I say? You’ve done the order every week for the past four months.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Cafe and I have a tally board in the back.”
Tubbo gasped, aghast and embarrassed. “You do not-!” He shouted, then cut himself off and shrank to the ground when heads turned in his direction. “Well, what do you expect! I always do the online orders and…and this one is always right on the dot so s‘cuse me for always remembering it! Plus, Technoblade is always the one that comes and picks it up. Technoblade! ”
Crouching down so she was at his height, hidden away from the rest of the cafe, Niki offered him her hand. “I know, I know, Technoblade is really cool. I just think it’s sweet how excited you get to do the order. Especially since you have never actually met this R.B fellow before.” Tubbo hesitated, then gladly took her hand and they both straightened themselves out. “And you always get the biggest grin on your face when you make it.”
Rolling his eyes, Tubbo stabbed his finger into her cheek. “Like you when you get to make the crystalized flower cakes on Sunday? Or, or when Puffy comes into the Cafe, or-”
“That’s enough,” Niki grinned, grabbing him, forcing his head under her arm and messing up his hair. “You have a drink to be making, don’t you?” Escape was futile, Niki was strong and Tubbo was completely compromised. He butted his head, knocking it back and forth in an attempt at freedom but to no avail.
So this is how he was going to die? At least it was in a friend's arms, in a place he loved. At least he used to love her, but now she was squeezing the air out of his lungs and “Mhp! Mi’i ‘m an’t breathe!” Eventually, Niki let go, leaving him to mess with his hair as she headed up to the second floor of the cafe to check on customers and clean tables. He glared at her as she left, then grabbed a to-go grande and turned to the espresso machine.
Most of the time, the Cafe was able to make the drinks. In fact, it was able to run the place on its own if need be, which was only a last resort considering what had happened last time it was left to its own devices. Tubbo shuddered at the thought, Never again. But the Cafe being so capable meant they could get away with only two full-time workers in a place open six days a week.
The only issue came in the form of online orders. Delivery apps like Mandash or Flyer Eats just flat-out confused the sentient tree, even the wood sprites that lived in the roots and walls couldn’t figure it all out. That’s where Tubbo came in, seeing as most days Niki was busy with handling customers or dealing with the wood sprites.
Making to-go orders was something that did make him smile, Niki wasn’t wrong about that. Pressing the grounds and putting them into the machine, letting the tree filter out pure sap to drip into it, pouring the steamed milk into the cup. it was good. It was a routine that he loved and needed to keep himself sane.
R.B’s and Techno’s order, every Monday at five was one that after three weeks Tubbo started to keep track of. Most togo orders bypassed the coffee art he could make, as the constant moving around usually messed the design up as soon as it left the cafe.
Which is why it piqued his curiosity that this person, who had never come into the cafe as far as he knew, always asked for the classic pink tulip design on the top.
It was good for Tubbo, he knew the design more than likely wouldn’t last so it gave him the opportunity to practice it. And also meant that every day at five, the Technoblade would wander into the Cafe, grab R.B’s drink and his own, tip a whole emerald bill, then leave.
After the fourth order, Tubbo started to put a bit more effort into making the ‘Peppermint Tulip.’ Making sure the ratio of grounds, sap, and peppermint extract were exact.
He carefully poured the steamed rose milk over the top, drawing out the two tulips and sprinkling chunks of peppermint around the edge. It was weird, not many people ordered peppermint until mid-November, but whoever this person was, they must really enjoy the taste. Technoblade’s order on the other hand was easy, a black coffee hotter than the surface of the sun itself. Tubbo debated more than once to use Niki’s oven mitts to hand the cup over to the man.
In fact, they had to buy better heat-resistant togo cups just for Technoblade, they could afford it because the man was loaded and loved to tip with emerald and diamond bills.
Tubbo hissed as he moved Techno’s cup over to the far wall, making sure both his and R.B’s names were clearly shown as he put them on the shelf. Pain radiated out from where he had been holding the cup, even the best heat-resistant cups only did so much. A couple of wood sprites hummed, buzzing over to examine his hand then curse out the coffee cup as if it understood their high-pitched squeals. “It’s okay guys, just hot. I’m alright,” he reassured them, holding out his hands for them to settle in.
Two of them landed in his palms to investigate the crime. He watched with a smile as they combed over the ridges in his hands, pausing on the little scars he had acquired here and there over the years to sniff. He loved these little sprites, as terrible and annoying as they were. Some days there would be hundreds flittering around the shop, and those were the days when windows were left open and Niki kept a broom on hand.
One of them circled around Tubbo’s thumb, tilting their head at a small jagged scar that ran over the back of it. Is that where I get the head-tilting thing from? He thought, glancing over to the other who was eyeing his pointer finger with a devilish gleam. “Don’t you-”
He wasn’t fast enough, the wood sprite opened their mouth and clamped down on his finger. He bleated loudly, shaking them off and threatening to get the broom. “I told you, no biting! You little pests!” Screeching loudly, the two raced up into the air and over to Niki, who was now watering each of the hundreds of planets overflowing in and out of the shop.
Niki paused watering her plants, letting the wood sprites sit on her shoulder and wooden antlers, whispering in her ear. “They’re lying!” Tubbo calls, shaking out his finger and pushing at the sliver now embedded in it. Niki ignores him, nods along to the sprites then shoots Tubbo a dark look. “No! Don’t listen to them I am innocent!”
“I dunno, I think that one’s on you,” a new voice startled Tubbo, who tripped over his own feet and face-planted. Technoblade laughed from the front of the counter, leaning over it to stare down at the fallen hybrid. “You didn’t break a horn on the way down, did ya?”
“I-I’m fine, Mr. Blade.” Tubbo stutters, turning bright red as he stands and straightens himself out. “Sorry ‘bout that.”
The Blade nodded, turning to greet Niki and the sprites as they walked over. He was dressed casually, with a nice white shirt tucked into black slacks with a red scarf hung around his hips. His hair hung down to the middle of his back, pointed ears poking out between the braided pink strands.
If you had passed him on the street, you may not even notice him. He blended into the large variety of species that inhabited L’manburg and looked like another city goer in the streets. He doesn’t stand out, not in his human form like this. But this? This was the Blade .
The Blade had the classic hero backstory, saved from the tumultuous land wars in the Nether, both him and his father, the Angel, had quickly risen up the ranks in L’manburg’s government. They fought against injustice, encouraged the Ender Exchange program, and had basically become superheroes in the city. With the Angel’s wings and long life, as well as the Blade’s superhuman abilities and shapeshifting capabilities, they really were real-life heroes. Heck, they even had their ‘work suits’ that really were just superhero outfits, and fought with multiple vigilantes that the city was bound to produce.
Tubbo always turned into a fumbling mess when Technoblade came in. Not only could he tear the Cafe apart with his bare hands, but he also brought in a lot of money to the Pink Tulip that helped them stay afloat. And he did it through tips, which guaranteed they got one hundred percent of the profit, cash tips and all.
Technoblade didn’t show emotions much, in front of the cameras or otherwise. But he was incredibly kind, especially here, where wood sprites danced on his shoulders and flowers bloomed at his feet. Tubbo tuned back into the conversation, somehow recovering from his embarrassing fall enough to help another customer that had walked up during the mess.
“Business been slow still?” Techoblade asked, picking up the still-molten hot cup and R.B’s cup with ease. Tubbo cursed internally at the man.
Nikki nodded, shooing a couple of wood sprites off the counter and lifting up a bundle of pink tulips. “Always is,” she hummed, tucking her hair behind her ear. Tubbo had never noticed before, but they both had very similar hair colors. Pink-haired besties, aw, the pink ones stick together. “With the Farmer’s Market closing down at the start of the square, people don’t have much of a reason to come down here.”
“It’s a shame,” Techno turned and pulled out his wallet, handing her two emerald bills. She would normally refuse so much money, but the man had gotten creative, and would somehow manage to slip money into the tip jar no matter the protests. “This is one of the best places in the city for coffee.”
Somewhere under Tubbo’s feet, the Cafe hummed happily.
The pair must have almost felt the humming because they both stopped for a moment and looked down at their feet. “Uh oh,” Tubbo caught Niki saying. “Don’t let it hear you say that, it goes to the Cafe’s head.”
“We can’t have that happening, now can we?” The rest of the conversation faded, and Tubbo helped his current customer then went to clean off tables. He could see Niki and Technoblade talking just outside the window, then say their goodbyes and part ways.
Just as he finished sorting the dishes in the back, Niki came back in, dying flowers in her hands and fresh ones back outside on the hooks. “Tubbo,” she called, “I have absolutely terrible news.”
“Niki, the flowers do die after a while, no matter how much you talk to them.” She walked around into the back, rolling her eyes and knocking on the wall behind her. A maw opened up for her, to which she put the dead flowers in with wood sprites racing into it as well. After her hands were safely out of the hole, it closed up, wood sprites singing loudly as they merged back into the bark. “Aw man, there goes like five of them. I thought we had something…”
“They’ll be back,” Niki pauses, listening to the singing of the wood sprites fade. “Maaaaaaybe? Anyways, the bad news,” She handed Tubbo one of Technoblade’s emerald bills and pocketed the other. “He’s not coming in next week. Terrible, I know.”
Tubbo gasped dramatically, gripping his chest in pain. “Nooooo! I am heartbroken, absolutely destroyed, who’s to blame for this terrible predicament?” He cried, gripping her shoulders and shaking her violently.
“Woooah-! Wooah! It’s-! Tubbo stop it!” Wood sprites swarm around him at her command, gnawing on his horns until he’s forced to get the broom and chase them off. Nikki had doubled over in laughter, struggling to breathe and Tubbo suffered the wrath of the terrible little monsters. “He’s got like a city meeting on the south side of the bay, something about that new vigilante.”
Tubbo shook his head, acting faint. “My heart bleeds. I’m never gonna be the same again.”
“I think you’ll recover.”
“No, never again,” He threw himself against the wall, a hand clapping over his forehead, “This is an absolute tragedy.”
“Okay well, Mr. Bleeding Heart, as fun as this is, we have a line.” She gestured to the register, and the excited group of teens that were now standing waiting to order. Tubbo’s ear twitched at the mention of Technoblade outside, then he plastered on a smile and got to work.
Niki was right, that next week the R.B order didn’t show up, and Tubbo’s heart may have bled a little. The reliable nature of the regulars was something he enjoyed, making their orders and each week knowing he was making a little bit of a difference in the constant stranger’s lives. Even if it was just for a moment.
Even his wallet noticed a difference, the bit of money Technoblade always tipped them was something Tubbo liked to have. Most of the time he put it away in a jar, he wasn’t sure what he was saving up for, maybe one day he would figure that out. But some days he used that money to splurge a bit, get a couple of new clothes, or eat out a few nights.
The money was nice, but he knew he couldn’t depend on it. Not having Technoblade come in that week was a sober reminder of that. When five o’clock rolled around, Tubbo didn’t know what to do with himself. Niki had him grabbing the old flowers from out front and giving them back to the tree, something to keep his hands busy.
It was such a dumb thing to get so worked up about.
The rush came and went, and by the time they closed for the evening and headed up to the conjoined apartment in the branches of the tree, he had pushed it out of his mind.
When Technoblade or the R.B order didn’t come in the next week, he noticed. “Tubbo, he’s a busy guy, you can’t really expect him to come in every week.” Niki assured him, bumping her shoulder against his as he stared at the empty online order page.
“I know, it’s just… I like him. He’s cool, and he has a fun order.”
“Aw,” Niki wrapped her shoulder around his. “I know, he’ll be back, don’t you worry.” Tubbo nodded, dropping his head against hers, knocking his horns against her wooden ones. “Oh, maybe he’ll propose too?”
“Niki!”
She danced away from him, laughing loudly.
They expected Technoblade to come back the next week, but when he was caught up over in Las Nevadas with some stupid dumb diplomatic BS that Monday was looking to be another less-than-ideal day.
Business had been slow, slower than normal. Tubbo didn’t think he had seen a single car around the square at all. The wood sprites were singing loudly somewhere in the walls, pink tulips were blooming under Niki’s hands, and even the Cafe was buzzing happily despite the lack of customers. Tubbo, however, sat with his head in his hands, lazily scrolling through his phone and wishing for someone, anyone to come in and end his boredom.
Technoblade certainly wasn’t, he’d texted Niki (when had they exchanged numbers?) to let her know earlier that day. He promised he’d stay for longer the next time he came in, but that wasn’t today and Tubbo was bored.
A couple of giggling Fairies wandered in at some point, he wasn’t really paying attention. They got smoothies and some of the sap-filled strawberry buns fresh out of the oven then tucked themselves into a window seat and forgot the rest of the world.
So booooored, he groaned inwardly, taking out a loose sheet of paper jammed under the register and drawing absolutely terrible abominations he proudly called ‘doodles.’ A lumpy pig chasing a stick figure, wood sprite , Niki with huge blown-out eyes and as many sparkles as he could fit shoved into them. The front of the Cafe, a two-year-old could do better, tulips and coffee here and there.
Tubbo put the finishing touches on his self-portrait, him gorging on an entire wheel of honey lavender cheesecake, and decided it was good enough to hang on the cooler. He turned, ready to march to the back and hang the thing on with so much tape it would be impossible to get off when the bell sang out happily and the Cafe thrummed under his feet.
It wasn’t hard to spot who had walked in, the Ender were a people that took up space when they entered a room. They stood out, quite literally a black sheep among the general populous. Tall, and dark frames sucked up anything that got close. With two sets of horns and glowing eyes, Endfolk sent chills down spines and children drawn into mother’s sides.
Many cities and villages around the Overworld had rules against Endfolk setting foot in the town, let alone any buildings. Up until recently, it was the same for anyone from the Nether, but Technoblade and many others had been fighting to change that. Unfortunately, no one had quite stepped up to the challenge for the Endfolks. But L’manburg was a progressive place, and Ender were always welcome within it’s walls. While property owners were still allowed to keep their rules, Niki had made it very clear on Tubbo’s first day anyone, beast, fowl, Nether, even End, was allowed inside the Pink Tulip.
It had taken him a bit to get used to the open-door policy. His Father had taught him from a young age to avoid the Netherites and Endfolk at all costs, they were dangerous and couldn’t be trusted. But one week of living and breathing the Cafe’s aura had quickly taught him otherwise.
Tubbo went from shying away from injustices to standing against them. Defending anyone in the Cafe or otherwise, that may need it. He mentally thanked Niki and the Cafe for the change that they had brought him almost every night.
He was a lot happier now because of them.
The Ender had to duck under the doorway and bell to avoid catching their upper set of horns on anything. Tubbo stared a bit longer than he meant to as the being stumbled their way in, he wasn’t anything that Tubbo had ever seen before. While most of their face was dark with a green eye (didn’t Endfolk have purple eyes?) About a third of his face was being eaten up by stark white and an opposing red eye. That was about as much as Tubbo could see, considering most of their face was tucked behind a thick woolen scarf and large round glasses.
He looked around nervously, split-toned tail flicking back and forth, matching hands running claws over the leather strap of their satchel. The Ender’s weight shifted from claw to claw, long legs shaking and debating whether or not to leave. The fairies sitting on the window seat almost decided for him, furrowing their brows and whispering to each other harshly. A kudzu-covered root to their left, once dangling lifelessly as the Cafe focused itself elsewhere, sprung to life and smacked their smoothies out the window.
The Cafe’s new patron startled at the noise, ears shooting up then tucking into the mess of hair somehow held together by a single claw clip. Tubbo figured they’d turn tail and run but was surprised when the man let out a shuddering breath and pushed themselves right up to the register.
Tubbo had been staring. Tried to pretend that he hadn’t, and threw on his customer service smile. He pulled up the menu, noting that it was exactly five o’clock, Technoblade wasn’t coming in but this new person is interesting and greeted the Ender. “Hi,” he hummed warmly, “What can I get ya?”
His heterochromatic eyes searched the menu with furtive desperation, claws digging in tighter to the strap around his shoulder. Poor dude, social situations must not be their thing. Not really my thing either.
“I-I,” the Ender fumbled out. “Um! Uh, I-I’m, mm, can I ge…get apepperminttulip!” Tubbo blinked, having absolutely no idea what they had just said but tried to process it anyways.
He quickly gave up. “Oh, uhm, could you maybe repeat that?”
“Uh..” They grunted, face turning a brilliant shade of green and red. “I-I-I don’t, um, d-don’t, I-I would…would like a P-Pepper, Peppermint, um, Tulip? A-A med…medium? No, wait, um, a grande! Yeah, yeah, um, yeah that. For here.” Tubbo’s terrible habit of head tilting reared its ugly face, and a genuine smile broke his customer service one at the cute dude’s stuttering.
He reached down and grabbed a paper from underneath the register, a pen from his apron, and pushed the tip against the sheet. “Can I get the name?” The Ender pushed their glasses up, and now that he was closer he could see that they had…scars? Running down from their eyes and disappearing into the scarf. Permanent tear tracks, but Endfolk are unable to cry water so that couldn’t be it.
It was interesting, but not something Tubbo would ever judge this stranger over (Niki would kill him if he did) so he brushed it off and moved on.
“R-R.B, no wait um, R-Ranboo Beloved. Do, uh…shit, um, d-did you, you need the uh, full name or-?” Tubbo paused, pen squiggling off to the side as he glanced at the clock. There’s no way, it’s five, but there’s no way. Tubbo hadn’t even stopped to consider that Technoblade not coming in meant that R.B wasn’t getting their order either. This had to be them, right?. “So…Sorry, uhm…”
“Do you know Technoblade?!” Tubbo shouted, leaning forwards on the counter with the paper forgotten. Ranboo startled, eyes widening and tail flicking violently at Tubbo’s lack of manners, and nearly knocked over a flower case. The fairies in the corner shot Tubbo a glare, the wood sprites racing each other down the stairs to see what the commotion was about. Even Niki peaked around the corner, an unimpressed look on her face.
“I, I-!” Ranboo choked out, very much looking like he was about to run or teleport out of the shop. “Uhm, y-yeah? How did you-”
“Monday at five, a hell-hot black coffee and a Peppermint Tulip. For R.B, and Technoblade always comes in to pick it up.”
Recognition flickered in Ranboo’s eyes, and they eased up ever so slightly. “Oh, Oh, um, ye…yeah, I got…got school so uhm, yeah..Don’t, don’t get, er, go out much.” Tubbo nodded eagerly, knowing exactly what and how to make it without the paper. “So, do I-? D-Do I just go sit or um, pay?”
Dear prime, they really didn’t get out much . Tubbo quickly typed the order into the register, “That’ll be two copper.” He smiled, watching as Ranboo processed, and then shoved his hand into his satchel and dug around. They pulled out exact change, handing over the crumpled bills then retreating into himself. “Thanks bossman, you can just take a seat and-”
The wood sprites were actually the worst things in the world, Tubbo decided. Because they were curious, and curious creatures always somehow managed to get into chaos. And that chaos included chasing each other around just above Ranboo’s head until one of them divebombed and crashed into one of their horns.
Tubbo had never seen an Ender teleport before, it was something rather startling and interesting all the same. In a flash, Ranboo was right next to Tubbo, eyes wide and staring at the sprites as the Cafe came to life. Tubbo jumped as well, not expecting them to teleport right behind the counter, then just laughed as the Cafe’s branches snapped out and shooed the sprites back into their holes.
“It’s, it’s alive?” Ranboo muttered, his eyes going wide as the wood under their hands rippled and the flowers above their heads swayed. “Tech, he- he said it w-was, like, um, ma-magic? I-I didn’t…” They trailed off, pupils dilating to the point of black saucers. Tubbo laughed, something stirring in his chest at the look on the Ender’s face.
Ranboo quickly became aware he was not, in fact, supposed to be on that side of the counter when Niki rounded the corner and raised an eyebrow at him. “I didn’t know we had a new worker.” They quickly vanished and appeared back on the other side of the counter, purple particles trailing behind him.
“I-I’m so, so sor…sorry! I can, can, can leave if, um-”
“Aw, no honey,” Niki held her hands up in a placating gesture. “I was just teasing, you’re just fine. It’s those terrible sprites, they scare the living daylights out of everyone.” Ranboo nodded, face all but disappearing into their scarf to hide his shame. Somewhere in the walls, the sprites howled. “Overheard you know Techno, let me guess, R.B?”
“R-Ranboo,” Tubbo took that as his cue to get started making the drink, offering them a smile as he turned to the machine. “We’re, we um, we’re-room…we live together?”
“You mean to tell me,” Tubbo butted in, “You’re roommates with the Blade? ” Ranboo nodded again, hair falling in his face. “Dude! That’s so cool! Okay, okay, so is his work suit really a superhero suit in disguise? Or does the Angel come over at all, oh my gosh, have you met like all of the vigilante hunters? Have-”
The Cafe walls rippled open and smacked at Tubbo, almost making him drop the cup of coffee he was working on. “Stop pestering,” Niki scolded, lightly bopping Tubbo on the head. Tubbo retaliated with a light kick to her shins, and she knocked out his knees and set him tumbling. The Cafe moved up under him, keeping him from completely hitting the ground. “Oops.” she hummed.
“Hey!”
“Wasn’t me.”
Tubbo sputtered, for a moment forgetting he was at work and not in their apartment. He went to curse her out when Ranboo shifted next to him and then turned red. “Sorry, bossman, I’ll, uh, drink. Right, drink,” He trailed off, opting to ignore the conversation Niki dove into with the Randude.
He finished up the drink and turned, stopping when the Ender was nowhere in sight. “Over there, in the corner,” Niki nodded, moving around to help a new customer who had just walked in.
Ranboo had settled in the furthest corner, back to the cafe, and his legs somehow cramped underneath the table. Their hair had all but fallen out of the clip, obstructing most of his face. His satchel was open, notebook and textbook already out and pencil moving quickly across his paper. Tubbo could have let the Cafe take the drink over, should have don’t be weird there’s no reason not to, but Tubbo was another one of the pesky, curious creatures.
Because this Ranboob fellow was weird, and weird was something that caught Tubbo’s attention. Stop staring something in his brain screamed, watching as a couple of sprites danced in front of Ranboo’s face and their eyes bunched up, hinting at a smile. Tubbo should have left the Cafe to take the drink over, but he didn’t. Instead, he quietly told Niki he‘d be back and picked the drink up to carry over.
The mug warmed his hands, nothing like Technoblade’s order but just enough that he took notice. Ranboo was still buried in his notebook as he approached, ignoring the curious sprites sitting on the branches around him. The Cafe rippled under Tubbo’s feet, curling up and over the corner table as if to say Welcome in we’ll love you again and again we promise .
The Cafe did that, it knew the good ones from the snobs, curled around them with a promise of an eternal forever, and never truly let them go. The first-day Tubbo had scampered into the shop on his father’s heels, his horns had barely even grown in.
The Pink Tulip’s floor had scampered away from them, from his father he pieced together down the line. It was a time before Niki when a kind man named Mushi ran the place. It was a time Tubbo wished to forget and never let go of all at once.
His father had left that day fuming about more nonsensical things, he did that a lot. Walked out the chipped blue door and expected Tubbo to follow. He was a good kid, did what he was told to do, and went to follow. And that was when he felt it, the Cafe surge under him, the beating of life rippling over his toes and filling up the holes in his hollow heart.
Tubbo was eight then, eight with a chest full of holes that he never thought would heal. Eight years old with a body that screamed and ached for help, and for a moment the Cafe had eased the pain. The wood sprites hummed and buzzed around his ears, and lavender and tulips grew between his feet, offering a salve of relief that he had never felt before.
He was eight years old when he met the Cafe, and it had loved him with all its heart ever since.
Ranboo’s ear flicked as Tubbo approached, face still covered by his scarf whipping around to see who was daring to get close enough to him. “O-Oh!” They choked out, relaxing his ears and grip around their notebook. “H-Hi, I don’t, is that…that mine?”
“Sure is,” Tubbo grinned, gently setting the cup down so as not to splash it around and mess up the art on top. “You want anything else to munch on? I know ya don’t normally get food but hey it’s a lot better than when a cranky old politician delivers it.”
A noise slipped out of Ranboo’s mouth, a strange mix between a laugh and warble. It echoed against Tubbo’s ribcage and sent sparks across his spine. Warmth bled through his chest as his body froze up, the words endearing and enchanting looped in his empty head.
“Um, uh, yeah,” Ranboo finally stuttered. “Yeah just, just, um. Uh, I can’t,” He gestured at his face, the scarf around it swinging slightly at the movement. Their voice dropped to just above a whisper, “I-I can’t, my face. Uh, Endfolk have, ya know…I-I don’t want to, to s-scare any…anyone.”
Just like that, Tubbo snapped out of his daze.
Fuuuuuucking prime, I’m the biggest idiot on this side of the Overworld . Most Ender didn’t care, but this guy was not like most Ender and Tubbo was an idiot for not thinking about it . The back to the Cafe made a bit more sense now, people weren’t shy about their opinions on the essential part of Ender biology and often got mean about it.
Because where a simple line acts perfectly as a mouth for most creatures, the Endfolk’s were a bit different. Lines that danced up either side of their face, ones that allowed for their jaw to fully extend as a snake would. Ligaments stretched out on the edges of a fully extended mouth, getting smaller and smaller the closer to the ears you went.
Razor-sharp teeth sat inside their mouth, perfect for their mostly meat diets in the frozen desert of the End. While a normal smile from any other being might result in one returned, the smile of the Ender was something that had children running and people turning the other way.
It wasn’t anything anyone could control, nobody except maybe the Masters themselves could change evolution. It took hold of Tubbo’s hands and shook them with anger, angry that in this day and age there was still so much hate for an entire species when only a few had done anything wrong.
His father would hate him for caring so much, hate him for the anger that coursed through his veins at the injustice. But if Tubbo had inherited anything from his no-good asshole of a father, it was his fucking rage.
“Bossman,” Tubbo choked out, suppressing the anger licking up through his insides. “You’re fine, I don’t care. If anyone has a problem with it the Cafe will haul their asses out of here in a heartbeat."
"Oh-! You don't, don't d-do that it's, it's really okay." The rage flared, screaming for a release. “Um, could-could I maybe get, uh, um a straw?”
“Yup!” Tubbo wheezed through gritted teeth, not angry at Ranboo, doesn’t know if he could be angry at this weird stranger but at whoever had made him feel otherwise. “Anything else?”
“Nuh, um, no…Sorry.” They mumble out, turning his head away from Tubbo and tucking it behind their scarf. “Jus’ a straw.”
He turned his back to the Ender, fists clenched as he avoided Niki’s look and tried not to crush the straw he stole from behind the register. Instead, he focused his internal rage on whoever the fuck made it a law that you have to have a ‘normal’ mouth in public.
Who even drinks coffee through a fuckin’ straw?? Nobody, oh except fucking Ender because everyone else in this stupid shit-hole city is a fuckin-
The Cafe, as if sensing the building rage in his bones, hummed around him. Branches stretched out, plucking the paper tube from his hands and carrying it over to the corner. Ranboo jumped at the sight, wide eyes watching with wonder as the Cafe gently set the straw down, then whipped their head around to Tubbo.
Their eyes crinkled with a hidden smile, a silent thank you, and then he turned back to the branch that was now hanging in front of their face and gently touched it. Tubbo watched the Ender’s eyes, falling away from his rage and back into that strange enchantment. “I like him,” Niki comes somewhere to Tubbo’s left, startling him and sending him about five feet into the air.
“Niki!”
“Whaaat,” She held her hands up innocently, grin widening as Tubbo tried to calm his rapid heartbeat. “It’s true, see? Even the wood sprites like them.” Sure enough, five or six of the sprites were dancing around Ranboo’s head, a couple attempting to steal a sip of his drink and one gnawing on the spiral of their notebook. The Ender reached out a claw, the tip of his nail just barely brushing over their head, and the sprite froze. They looked up at Ranboo with a pair of large, wide eyes, then reached their hands to keep his finger there.
It didn’t take long for the other sprites to notice the head scratches, and both Tubbo and Niki watched in amusement as Ranboo soon acquired a small army of them. “Probably should have warned him about that.” Tubbo spat out through his laughter, watching the army demand all ten of Ranboo’s fingers for head scratches. They stared back at the sprites with wide eyes, tail flicking back and forth as more and more sprites shoved their way onto the table.
Tubbo figured he should go over and take care of the situation, but the Cafe beat him to it. Sparing Ranboo’s drink, the rest of the table rippled and branches snapped out at the sprites. They all went scurrying in different directions, screeching at a volume only dogs should be able to hear. "Pesky little bugs," Niki tsks, shaking her head.
The creatures didn’t take long to return, and despite the Cafe swiping at them, they seem dead set on more of Ranboo’s attention. “They’re not going to leave him alone.” Tubbo pointed, the Cafe humming loudly as the sprites started dancing around Ranboo’s head again. “Niki we may need the broom.” One of the sprites landed on the Ender’s smaller set of horns and started gnawing away. “Or the vacuum.”
“It’s on the wall,” she gestures to the back part of the cafe. “I’m going to take my fifteen in a sec, you okay to handle the front?”
“Of course,” Tubbo slid around the corner, grabbed the vacuum off the hook, and turned back towards her. “Want a drink or anything?”
“I can make it, you go vacuum. Do you want one? I’ll throw in an extra strawberry bun if you hurry and get those pests off of our new customer.”
“Oh fuc-” Tubbo sputtered, “I mean-! Uh, heck, heck yeah! Woo, strawberry buns! No swearing here, nope I would never!” He winceed, the branch that had reached out to smack him on the head easing up. The Cafe did not like swearing on shift, it had made that very clear on his first day.
“Nice save-”
Tubbo’s face burned red. “Shut-! Just, agrh, go on your break? Please? You can make me food when I get back, see! Look, I’m going to vacuum.” He stalked back towards the corner of the Cafe, sprites spotting the vacuum in his hands and screaming. One of them seemingly made out its mission to be destroying the vacuum before it reached their siblings.
The sprite latched onto the nose of the machine, unhinging their jaw very much like an ender would, and screamed louder. “Aw,” Tubbo cooed, flicking his finger and sending the thing flying back. “So adorable.”
At his approach, the sprites that had claimed Ranboo as their own scattered. Some dove into his hair, others into their scarf, and a couple behind the books slowly accumulating on the table. “I-I didn’t, uh,” Ranboo stuttered. “They just kinda, huh…head scratches?”
“Head scratches are a very serious thing around here.”
“I-I didn’t, I’m so suh-sorry, Prime I-I,”
“Hey, hey. Bossman don't even worry about it.” Tubbo laughed, shooing a couple of sprites away from their drink. “They’re just clingy, we’ve tried to spray for them a couple of times but for some reason, the Cafe just doesn’t stop.”
Ranboo’s eyes flick over the vacuum. “S’ that for?” He muttered, running a claw over one of the angry sprites. Tubbo’s face split into a huge, toothy grin, and he flipped the switch.
The machine clanked to life, dust swirling around frantically inside the chamber, and the sprites immediately took notice. All of them started for the ceiling, walls, window, and anywhere that wasn’t Ranboo’s table. One of them was caught in the suction, spit out into the chamber where it sat angrily. “Does,” the Ender’s eyebrows pinched tightly together. “It-It doesn’t, doesn’t hurt them…Does it?”
He shook his head, “Nope, we let them out when they stop being shi- I mean! Stop being annoying. They’re just dramatic, oops , okay there’s one right on your horn let me just-”
Another one of those weird, laugh-warble things tumble out from behind their scarf and Tubbo screamed internally. It’s not just a one-and-done kinda deal either, it keeps going as two sprites are sucked off of Ranboo’s head, sending some of his hair flying in the process. “That’s! Is this a normal, you…you know, kinda thing?”
“The first time Technoblade stopped to give them attention he was covered head to toe in a matter of minutes. Took nearly half an hour to get them all off.”
“I-I can see it, h-he’s actually just a big softie.” The Ender muses, one of his fingers tracing over the rim of the cup. “Don’t tell ‘im I s-said that, he’d kick me o-out. Not-! Not really just, uhm, yeah, ya know?” He switched the vacuum off, holding it up for Ranboo to see the creatures all piled inside. “T-They’re kinda cute.”
Tubbo’s mouth tugged up into another, almost smug, smile, the sprites vehemently screeching from their glass prison. “Only when they want to be.” the silence that followed was, awkward , to say the least. It because very apparent very quickly that Tubbo nor Ranboo had enough social skills to keep the conversation going. Ranboo ducked their head, going back to sip on his drink and Tubbo should have turned around, shouldn’t have said anything, and just left a normal customer to his business.
But Tubbo is a dumbass and can’t ignore that strange feeling in his chest. “So-! Uh, Technoblade? He’s pretty cool!” DUMBASS!! As soon as the words left his lips, that internal screaming swung back around. Red crawled up his neck, I look like a tomato prime what is wrong with me just be a normal person please just-
“O-Oh! Yeah,” The hints of a smile shined in Ranboo’s eyes as they swallowed their drink. "He's, he's really cool. Nice and everything."
"That's good! Sorry I kinda, of shouted about him earlier. Got excited, I-I guess."
"Oh, n-no it's fine. I-I get it, he's uhm, he's kinda like a uh- a h-hero?" Tubbo nodded, opening his mouth to respond when the sprites in his hand started to scream louder, so opting to ignore them he tapped on the walls and let the cafe take the machine away. Ranboo's tail flicked back and forth as he watched it. "It's really just...alive?"
The wonder in their eyes was back, burning brighter the more the place moved around him. Tubbo knew that feeling all too well. Becoming aware that the thing you're inside of, the thing you're standing in, is something like you, it's a feeling that Tubbo couldn't explain.
The humming and pulsing of the place, the smell of coffee and life itself, he knew from the moment he walked it that the Pink Tulip was a safe place to be. That when he needed it it would always be there for him, and it really was. Even after the old owner retired, even when Niki was born from the walls as many of her kind before her were, it changed but never to a point where it hurt. It was an everlasting presence that had filled in the emptiness Tubbo had felt for so long.
A safe haven of beauty, prime did he know that. "Yeah, nobody really knows how or why. It's been around for longer than the city. We tried to like, look into it, Niki and I, but there's not much on it. Just a tree in an old part of town, I think if anyone tried to cut it though there would be a fight."
Ranboo listened, he wasn’t looking at Tubbo but they were nodding along as he talked. Their hands ran across the wall to their right, pausing here and then as the Cafe moved up into his touch. "I think Niki's lying, she's like, part of the tree, and stands by the fact that she knows nothing."
"Part of the tree, like...like one of these, the s-sprites?"
"Yup," Tubbo glanced over at the sprites huddled against a far wall, all talking to each other and pointing at Tubbo on occasion. "Once the old owner, Mushi I think, announced he was going to retire, Niki just kinda tumbled out one of the walls." His ear flicked back when the door to the cafe chimes, I'll go help them just one more sec. "I like to say she wasn't even born, she was just spawned."
Ranboo furrowed his brows, looking at where one of their claws rested on the windowsill. Tubbo followed his gaze, then past that to the city beyond. It buzzed excitedly, lights and sirens everywhere, chaos incarnate. People and machines moving faster and faster, pushing to go farther and move up in the world.
But here in the Cafe, one that lived and breathed, it stayed in the moment. Lost itself to time as a small liminal space to those that happened to stop by. Tubbo was proud to call this place home, proud of how far he’d come after life had written him off. Ranboo’s eyes followed after Tubbo, to that world outside, then moved back to the barista.
“Niki, she’s the one with the pink hair?” A nod, then another shy smile that Tubbo could only glimpse from behind the scarf. “I-I didn’t know she’s…that’s cool. Tech never r-really…Yeah, he s-said this was, it’s a good place.” Another chime of the door, just a second. “Y-Yeah…”
“Woah, he talks about this place? I mean you two get coffee here but I didn’t realize it was good enough for the Blade to go around talking about.”
“Mhm, non-nonstop. S-Says you make, make his coffee better t-than any other place in the city.” That flush that had been working its way up his neck finally consumed Tubbo’s face.
“No, nah, nope it’s not that good-”
“It is!” Ranboo held the cup that Tubbo had made a little closer to his chest. “I-It really is, it’s…it’s nothing like a-anything I-I’ve had. T-Tech’s been try…um, trying to get Toms and I to um, y-ya know swing around. Which-! We’re- Toms has school, and um, I-I got to, uh, school too.”
“It’s okay bossman, I get that. Life’s crazy sometimes, I wanted to go to college for rocket science, ya know? But life’s life and now I work in this place.” The Cafe rumbled under them, a branch stretching out to smack Tubbo on the head. “Hey! That’s not a bad thing, you know I love you! And-And maybe the free food, okay! Okay! No hitting!”
The cafe retreated at Tubbo’s frantic swatting, a peal of mirth-filled laughter echoing in the air. “Did it just-?”
“Yeah, sometimes it does that. It’s weird like it doesn’t talk or anything but sometimes, when it’s really happy, the Cafe laughs.” Tubbo was barely standing in the Cafe anymore, too lost in Ranboo’s hidden smile and wherever the conversation drifted next.
“It’s nice,” they muttered, leaning back against his chair. “I like it.”
Tubbo had never been one for stable ground, only recently had the Cafe offered a sturdy place for him to live and grow. The constant churning of a life half-filled had him looking over his shoulder more often than he’d like to admit. But for some reason, for some fucking reason standing here talking to this complete stranger had his feet more rooted in the ground than ever before.
Ranboo’s smile dropped, snapping him out of it just in time for someone to angrily grab at his shoulder. “Hey, buddy! You work here or not?” It’s instinctive to shove the person away, he doesn’t mean to react like that, knows that he doesn’t have to react like that, not anymore. But he still does, guilt churning in his stomach at the sight of the line nearly out the door.
“Oh, uhm, yeah-! Yeah, so sorry, um,” he turns back to Ranboo, giving him one last grin and trying to ignore the angry customers. “Sorry bossman, I gotta get back, let’s talk later, yeah?”
Ranboo nodded, a look of understanding crossing their eyes.“O-Oh, no I’m, I’m s-sorry. That’s, this is-”
“Don’t even apologize, sometimes my head just-” Tubbo swirls his fingers around the edges of his ears. “Yeah, it’s my bad. Let me know if you want another drink.” He hates the way people are glaring at him as he walks back to the counter, but shoves that deep down and plasters a smile on his face.
Somewhere in the blur of ten-plus orders Niki appeared, helping him out just enough that he didn’t lose his shit completely when an old lady demanded that he remake all five of her drinks because the Cafe forgot to add the sap in. Ranboo lingers in his mind, and he glimpses them every now and then between orders.
By the time the rush was over, Niki was already prepping the ingredients for tomorrow's special, and Tubbo had just about had it. “Hey Niki,” he called, untying his apron. “I’m gonna take a break, I’ll be back in a sec.”
“Okay, Bee. Take your time.”
Tubbo nodded, pulling out his phone and starting for the table in the corner. He wasn’t surprised to see that Ranboo had left, it had been a long rush and they probably needed to go do other things. He tried to ignore the swirling disappointment in his chest, knowing that may have been the only time they would meet in person.
But he smiled anyways, content. Even if Ranboob didn't come back, he got to talk with them today and that was enough. He learned to appreciate the little moments, letting them go as they passed by him. He’d tried to hold onto things meant to leave for such a long time now, no need to hold on anymore.
Tubbo jammed an earbud in and turned on his music, letting the loud song wash over him as he took a seat and the now-empty corner table. The lingering customers left over from the rush were headed out, waving goodbye to Niki and the sprites. Only an hour left and they'd close for the night, and then he'd enjoy the rest of the night before repeating the same pattern tomorrow. Tuesday would be another day, one he found himself looking forward to.
Across from him sat Ranboo’s empty cup, a couple of gold bills tucked under the coaster. Even they tip well, holy shit. Tubbo reached out and grabbed the bills, pausing as something else went rolling towards the edge of the table.
A pen, one of Ranboo’s that he must have left behind. Tubbo’s hand snapped out, catching the pen as it tipped over the edge and held it up to look at it. It was a peacock green color, shifting colors ever so slightly as he turned it around in his hand. The words ‘Expand Your Mind!’ were engraved with silver along the side of it. Tubbo turned it over and over in his hands, watching as a slight sheen of iridescent paint changed the color of the pen slightly.
It was an expensive one, he could tell by the weight of it in his hand. Tubbo scribbled it across the back of his hand and the ink bled out the same iridescent sheen as the outside of the pen. The only difference was that the ink had a purple tint to it.
I gotta give this back, He thought, letting it slip over his knuckles and spin skillfully around his hand. Tubbo knew he could just give it to Technoblade, they live together after all. But Tubbo is selfish, born and bred under a man that only knew how to take, and he doesn’t want to give it to Techno. He wants to give it to Ranboo, when or if they ever come back.
So Tubbo tucked it behind his ear, letting his hand linger there for a moment while he took a deep breath in. I’m not going to keep it, I promise. I’ll give it back whenever I see him again. Maybe they’ll even come back to grab it. He let his breath out with a smile, the weight of the pen heavy on his temple.
He’ll hold onto it, just until I see them again.