Tommy and Tubbo sat behind the bookstore counter laughing. Ranboo came back with coffee.

"Can you guys keep it down?" he requested. "I'm not really meant to have you back here."

"There's no customers, eh?" Tommy asked. They'd brought in office chairs from the desks and were playing music on Tubbo's laptop that he'd been singing along to.

"You're customers." Ranboo tried his best at a stern look. "And my bosses are here, and they've only agreed to let you hang out here if you don't cause trouble." he glanced anxiously at Philza from across the store, who didn't appear bothered but could be stern despite his kindness, and had made them promise to keep their friends from being a problem to him or Kristin or the customers.

The bell rang. Ranboo stood up straight, reached to pause Tubbo's music and shoved Tommy's head under the counter in one quick, startled movement. Both of them yelped their surprise and displeasure. The pink-haired regular looked only slightly fazed.

"Hey, Techno!" Tommy popped his head back up to say.

"Hi, Tommy." He sounded tired, then studied the three of them for a second. "Why are there more of you every time I come here?"

"I'm sorry, Sir, these are just friends," Ranboo said in his sparkly employee voice. "They don't have to stay if they'll be bothering you."

"It's fine," Techno said. Ranboo watched him look through shelves and sit down in one of the seats that lined the walls, and greet Philza while he cleaned up. He came in a lot and had probably been doing so longer than Ranboo had been working here; they were surprised they'd only now learned his name, or at least hadn't ever remembered it.

Tommy and Tubbo settled back into what they'd been doing, but Ranboo made them keep the music off and their voices down.

"When are you doing your next performance thing, Ranboo?" Tubbo asked out of the blue.

"I've actually done a couple," Ranboo said. "Small ones, but still, you know."

"You didn't invite us!?" Tubbo cried. He seemed playful, but it was unclear just how mocking his betrayal was.

"Sorry, I wasn't sure how interested you'd be–" Ranboo shrugged. "–and it's kind of a personal thing, I guess."

"So would it be weird for us to come next time?" Tommy asked.

"No, I don't think so. I don't know when it'll be, I've still gotta organise it 'cause I'm trying something new, but I'll let you know."

The three of them all sat behind the counter as the store became busier into the day. "You're ending up more successful than any of us, bossman," Tubbo once teased him. "Do you ever plan to try and get money off it?"

"I'm not sure. Not anytime soon, at least," Ranboo said. 'I like it here–" They gestured to the store, "and I'm fine with dancing just as a hobby for now."

...

You: Alr I got a show wednesday night at the auditorium, there's a website n you cab see details

You: [Link]

Ranboo lay on his bed and watched to see if his friends had replied until he got bored and tapped off. It was Sunday morning and the store was closed for the day, which meant they had about four days to build up courage and practice. They went over their moves with what little space his apartment allowed, and looked at the dress Tommy had made him. They were a little nervous to wear it on stage, but it would feel good, he thought, and it was what he'd wanted for the new performance. And They'd paid Tommy for it, and he'd been kind and was now their friend, he'd see it on stage — they should make use of it.

...

He'd done it enough times he shouldn't be this nervous.

They waited backstage while seats filled like any other night, stepped out behind the curtains, pulled so close they merged into each other in a fleshy mass of faux-expensive fabric, like any other night. Watched them pull apart. Unlike the other nights, Ranboo scanned the crowd hopefully for Tubbo and Tommy.

Front row. They smiled in a way that was personal, not like audience smiles, and gave silent hand gestures and mouthed shouting to get his attention. Ranboo hoped an involuntary raise in his shoulders, and perhaps a slight quirk in his lips if he hadn't suppressed his smile well enough, could tell them he saw them.

Ranboo's nerves calmed somehow. His friends were there, and smiling and watching him. They felt lighter and the initial anxiety before finding his feet and having fun was easier to get past. They could've picked out Tommy's voice from the cheering in the crowd without ever having seen him.

...

"HEY! RANBOO!" Tommy was waiting for him outside the auditorium, rainbow-striped jacket tied around his waist. Tubbo was standing beside him dressed in his usual pink.

Ranboo hurried toward the two of them, body slightly heavy with exhaustion. They'd changed into their more casual clothes backstage and carried Tommy's dress in a bag over one shoulder.

"Hey," Tubbo said brightly. "Show go well? You were awesome."

"Yeah, it did," answered Ranboo. He settled himself next to them. "You guys waited for me?"

"We were thinking we could go somewhere after this," Tommy said. "How's ice cream or something sound?"

"At night?" Tubbo asked, tilting his head.

"They wouldn't be open if there weren't customers," Tommy justified himself. Ranboo had a feeling this wasn't the beginning of the argument between them. "You got ideas, Ranboo?"

"Something I can sit down for," was all he could come up with. "Food doesn't sound bad. I've earned it, I think." they flashed a small grin.

They ended up walking to a sundae place that was, for some reason, open at this time, whose cute round tables were otherwise empty and whose yellowish light contrasted the darkness outside; it had gotten dark fast but was still a hot night, and cold desserts didn't sound inappropriate.

"You're a sweet tooth, huh?" Tubbo asked; Ranboo took a moment to realise he was speaking to them.

He looked up from eating and stirred his ice cream sundae. "Yeah, I am," They said back, only slightly sheepish. "I think most people diet for stuff like this, but I was pretty determined to get away without it. I just try to walk and move around when I can."

"Yeah, good on you," Tommy said, leaning back.

"I'd like to start working out," Tubbo added shyly. "I think having muscles could be cool."

"I mean, do you remember volleyball?" joked Ranboo. The other two both laughed.

"I wasn't that cool," Tubbo finally objected.

"You were pretty cool," said Tommy.

"Whatever," Tubbo said with his spoon half in his mouth. "Hey, we should go back to my place after this."

"I wasn't planning on this being a whole thing," Ranboo mentioned hesitantly. "And I've got work again tomorrow." His regular shift followed by the show, with a break that went by way too fast and was filled with pre-performance anxiety had tired them out, too.

"So?" Tommy challenged. "You're a teenager, do something stupid, stay up with your friends and regret it in the morning."

He made a convincing argument, and Ranboo was having fun, but he still wasn't sure. "I'll think about it." they waved a hand dismissively.

...

Ranboo got dragged into heading back to Tubbo's as easily as they did into getting ice cream. It was well past the time Ranboo would've usually been in bed when they got there.

"I've gotta figure out another song pretty soon," Tubbo said, sitting down at a cheap keyboard and pressing a few keys.

"Another song?" Ranboo asked teasingly.

"What else do I do?" Tubbo played along, leaning back in the seat and almost falling backward. "Besides, the new job sucks, so now I really have to get this thing together."

"Did you just bring us here to make us help you with music?" Tommy asked.

"No," Tubbo objected, "I only remembered I was meant to be doing that when I got here."

"You know how to play it?" Tommy sat down with him on the seat that was meant for one person, playing out some small, well-done melodies.

"A little," said Tubbo. "I'm a singer. But I've used this a bit for composing."

Tommy instructed and guided Tubbo in a lot of words Ranboo didn't understand, while they sat with their back against Tubbo's bed half-listening. After a while of messing with melodies he played through what Ranboo assumed was a section of his song in full — they clapped and imitated cheering and Tubbo gave a mock-bow in return.

"I didn't know you could play," he said to Tommy, who was just getting up. "If I ever need someone who can do this better than me, we should work together."

"Been there, done that." Tommy grinned. "I could probably use it, though, if you plan on paying me. I haven't had a customer since you lot."

"I was just gonna ask how that's going," said Ranboo.

Tommy shrugged. "I'm trying to set up a website, and hopefully getting my work out there with you guys will help. But I'm not much closer to getting out of my job."

The teens spent all but early morning sitting and talking, going on their phones, listening to Tommy and Tubbo play the keyboard in his room. They even dared ranboo to have a go at one point and he was better than he'd expected to be, though he still felt out of place playing for an actual musician and Tommy, who was surprisingly good.

Eventually Ranboo managed to haul himself up and drag his sleepy weight one door over to their apartment. Tommy may have just slept over at Tubbo's if he hadn't changed his mind and Ranboo had been very close to joining him, but would rather sleep in his bed than Tubbo's floor and needed to be up at a normal schedule for work tomorrow. They collapsed into bed and probably fell asleep on top of his blanket, without even moving since falling into it — they could hear Tommy and Tubbo talking and laughing through the wall, and for once could have listened to his sweetly irritating neighbour's muffled noise forever, could have fallen asleep to it a hundred more times.

Tommy and Tubbo sat behind the bookstore counter laughing. Ranboo came back with coffee.

"Can you guys keep it down?" he requested. "I'm not really meant to have you back here."

"There's no customers, eh?" Tommy asked. They'd brought in office chairs from the desks and were playing music on Tubbo's laptop that he'd been singing along to.

"You're customers." Ranboo tried his best at a stern look. "And my bosses are here, and they've only agreed to let you hang out here if you don't cause trouble." he glanced anxiously at Philza from across the store, who didn't appear bothered but could be stern despite his kindness, and had made them promise to keep their friends from being a problem to him or Kristin or the customers.

The bell rang. Ranboo stood up straight, reached to pause Tubbo's music and shoved Tommy's head under the counter in one quick, startled movement. Both of them yelped their surprise and displeasure. The pink-haired regular looked only slightly fazed.

"Hey, Techno!" Tommy popped his head back up to say.

"Hi, Tommy." He sounded tired, then studied the three of them for a second. "Why are there more of you every time I come here?"

"I'm sorry, Sir, these are just friends," Ranboo said in his sparkly employee voice. "They don't have to stay if they'll be bothering you."

"It's fine," Techno said. Ranboo watched him look through shelves and sit down in one of the seats that lined the walls, and greet Philza while he cleaned up. He came in a lot and had probably been doing so longer than Ranboo had been working here; they were surprised they'd only now learned his name, or at least hadn't ever remembered it.

Tommy and Tubbo settled back into what they'd been doing, but Ranboo made them keep the music off and their voices down.

"When are you doing your next performance thing, Ranboo?" Tubbo asked out of the blue.

"I've actually done a couple," Ranboo said. "Small ones, but still, you know."

"You didn't invite us!?" Tubbo cried. He seemed playful, but it was unclear just how mocking his betrayal was.

"Sorry, I wasn't sure how interested you'd be–" Ranboo shrugged. "–and it's kind of a personal thing, I guess."

"So would it be weird for us to come next time?" Tommy asked.

"No, I don't think so. I don't know when it'll be, I've still gotta organise it 'cause I'm trying something new, but I'll let you know."

The three of them all sat behind the counter as the store became busier into the day. "You're ending up more successful than any of us, bossman," Tubbo once teased him. "Do you ever plan to try and get money off it?"

"I'm not sure. Not anytime soon, at least," Ranboo said. 'I like it here–" They gestured to the store, "and I'm fine with dancing just as a hobby for now."

You: Alr I got a show wednesday night at the auditorium, there's a website n you cab see details

You: [Link]

Ranboo lay on his bed and watched to see if his friends had replied until he got bored and tapped off. It was Sunday morning and the store was closed for the day, which meant they had about four days to build up courage and practice. They went over their moves with what little space his apartment allowed, and looked at the dress Tommy had made him. They were a little nervous to wear it on stage, but it would feel good, he thought, and it was what he'd wanted for the new performance. And They'd paid Tommy for it, and he'd been kind and was now their friend, he'd see it on stage — they should make use of it.

He'd done it enough times he shouldn't be this nervous.

They waited backstage while seats filled like any other night, stepped out behind the curtains, pulled so close they merged into each other in a fleshy mass of faux-expensive fabric, like any other night. Watched them pull apart. Unlike the other nights, Ranboo scanned the crowd hopefully for Tubbo and Tommy.

Front row. They smiled in a way that was personal, not like audience smiles, and gave silent hand gestures and mouthed shouting to get his attention. Ranboo hoped an involuntary raise in his shoulders, and perhaps a slight quirk in his lips if he hadn't suppressed his smile well enough, could tell them he saw them.

Ranboo's nerves calmed somehow. His friends were there, and smiling and watching him. They felt lighter and the initial anxiety before finding his feet and having fun was easier to get past. They could've picked out Tommy's voice from the cheering in the crowd without ever having seen him.

"HEY! RANBOO!" Tommy was waiting for him outside the auditorium, rainbow-striped jacket tied around his waist. Tubbo was standing beside him dressed in his usual pink.

Ranboo hurried toward the two of them, body slightly heavy with exhaustion. They'd changed into their more casual clothes backstage and carried Tommy's dress in a bag over one shoulder.

"Hey," Tubbo said brightly. "Show go well? You were awesome."

"Yeah, it did," answered Ranboo. He settled himself next to them. "You guys waited for me?"

"We were thinking we could go somewhere after this," Tommy said. "How's ice cream or something sound?"

"At night?" Tubbo asked, tilting his head.

"They wouldn't be open if there weren't customers," Tommy justified himself. Ranboo had a feeling this wasn't the beginning of the argument between them. "You got ideas, Ranboo?"

"Something I can sit down for," was all he could come up with. "Food doesn't sound bad. I've earned it, I think." they flashed a small grin.

They ended up walking to a sundae place that was, for some reason, open at this time, whose cute round tables were otherwise empty and whose yellowish light contrasted the darkness outside; it had gotten dark fast but was still a hot night, and cold desserts didn't sound inappropriate.

"You're a sweet tooth, huh?" Tubbo asked; Ranboo took a moment to realise he was speaking to them.

He looked up from eating and stirred his ice cream sundae. "Yeah, I am," They said back, only slightly sheepish. "I think most people diet for stuff like this, but I was pretty determined to get away without it. I just try to walk and move around when I can."

"Yeah, good on you," Tommy said, leaning back.

"I'd like to start working out," Tubbo added shyly. "I think having muscles could be cool."

"I mean, do you remember volleyball?" joked Ranboo. The other two both laughed.

"I wasn't that cool," Tubbo finally objected.

"You were pretty cool," said Tommy.

"Whatever," Tubbo said with his spoon half in his mouth. "Hey, we should go back to my place after this."

"I wasn't planning on this being a whole thing," Ranboo mentioned hesitantly. "And I've got work again tomorrow." His regular shift followed by the show, with a break that went by way too fast and was filled with pre-performance anxiety had tired them out, too.

"So?" Tommy challenged. "You're a teenager, do something stupid, stay up with your friends and regret it in the morning."

He made a convincing argument, and Ranboo was having fun, but he still wasn't sure. "I'll think about it." they waved a hand dismissively.

Ranboo got dragged into heading back to Tubbo's as easily as they did into getting ice cream. It was well past the time Ranboo would've usually been in bed when they got there.

"I've gotta figure out another song pretty soon," Tubbo said, sitting down at a cheap keyboard and pressing a few keys.

"Another song?" Ranboo asked teasingly.

"What else do I do?" Tubbo played along, leaning back in the seat and almost falling backward. "Besides, the new job sucks, so now I really have to get this thing together."

"Did you just bring us here to make us help you with music?" Tommy asked.

"No," Tubbo objected, "I only remembered I was meant to be doing that when I got here."

"You know how to play it?" Tommy sat down with him on the seat that was meant for one person, playing out some small, well-done melodies.

"A little," said Tubbo. "I'm a singer. But I've used this a bit for composing."

Tommy instructed and guided Tubbo in a lot of words Ranboo didn't understand, while they sat with their back against Tubbo's bed half-listening. After a while of messing with melodies he played through what Ranboo assumed was a section of his song in full — they clapped and imitated cheering and Tubbo gave a mock-bow in return.

"I didn't know you could play," he said to Tommy, who was just getting up. "If I ever need someone who can do this better than me, we should work together."

"Been there, done that." Tommy grinned. "I could probably use it, though, if you plan on paying me. I haven't had a customer since you lot."

"I was just gonna ask how that's going," said Ranboo.

Tommy shrugged. "I'm trying to set up a website, and hopefully getting my work out there with you guys will help. But I'm not much closer to getting out of my job."

The teens spent all but early morning sitting and talking, going on their phones, listening to Tommy and Tubbo play the keyboard in his room. They even dared ranboo to have a go at one point and he was better than he'd expected to be, though he still felt out of place playing for an actual musician and Tommy, who was surprisingly good.

Eventually Ranboo managed to haul himself up and drag his sleepy weight one door over to their apartment. Tommy may have just slept over at Tubbo's if he hadn't changed his mind and Ranboo had been very close to joining him, but would rather sleep in his bed than Tubbo's floor and needed to be up at a normal schedule for work tomorrow. They collapsed into bed and probably fell asleep on top of his blanket, without even moving since falling into it — they could hear Tommy and Tubbo talking and laughing through the wall, and for once could have listened to his sweetly irritating neighbour's muffled noise forever, could have fallen asleep to it a hundred more times.