𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄. ranboo (complete)

𝐋. AWKWARD

❝ PRETTY FACE ❞
October 4th, 2021

REAL LIFE — THEO!

THE RIDE BACK TO BRIGHTON was quiet. Tommy was messaging Tubbo, coordinating when the four of them — Tubbo, Ranboo, Tommy, and Theo — would meet up and where, while Theo's phone had died yesterday afternoon and he had been too awkward to ask for a charger despite him and Tommy having the same type of phone. So Theo stared out the window and tried to pretend like his heart wasn't racing at the thought of seeing Ranboo again.

Theo wasn't wearing Ranboo's hoodie anymore, having gotten some blood on it that Mrs. Simons promised she could get out. She would send the hoodie with Tommy the next time he came to Brighton to hang out, she said, and Theo trusted her. Now he was wearing one of Tommy's hoodies — well, it was actually Schlatt merch, but Tommy owned it all the same. The only reason he'd agreed to wear it in the first place was that Tommy was getting recognized so often on the train and Theo didn't want to risk being recognized too, even if he'd never shown his face before.

His nose was far less swollen now, Mrs. Simons having insisted on him putting ice on it the day before. It hurt to breathe cold air through it, but Theo could at least breathe. His eye was looking considerably better as well, and a selfish part of Theo wished that it wasn't just so he could get more attention from Ranboo. He knew that made him a bad person, but he didn't care — he just wanted to be seen.

The ride lasted for hours, but for Theo, it only felt like a few minutes before they were pulling into the Brighton station. Theo was already able to spot Ranboo and Tubbo on the platform waiting for them — they were the only ones dressed in pajamas instead of business suits, for one, and for two they were the only teenagers there at eight in the morning on a Monday.

"I'm screwed," Theo muttered.

Tommy shrugged. "They're more worried than they are angry." He winced. "Tubbo's a bit angry, though. Just don't piss him off even more."

"Thanks," Theo said dryly, "for the brilliant advice."

Tommy pats his shoulder. "No problem." He grinned, allowing Theo to relax slightly.

They got off the train quickly, not wanting to be locked on and taken to another stop. They made their way through a sea of business suits to get to Tubbo and Ranboo, one of who was pretty easy to spot in the crowd.

"Holy shit!" Tubbo yelped when he saw Theo's face, his irritation melting away to concern.

Theo grinned half-heartedly. "'Sup," he greeted, waving.

Ranboo said nothing, simply taking a step closer to Theo and cupping his hands around Theo's face, lifting his head; Theo's breath hitched, heart stuttering to a stop, so fast that he wondered if Ranboo could feel Theo's pulse under his fingers; Theo couldn't read Ranboo's expression, his eyes and mouth locked behind his glasses and mask, but he could feel the anger radiating off of him.

"What happened?" he asked softly, and if it wasn't for Tubbo's awkward cough Theo was sure he wouldn't have remembered they were surrounded by other people.

Ranboo dropped his hands. Theo tried not to let his disappointment show.

"I'll tell you when we're back home," Theo said, faking a yawn behind his hand. "Can we, uh, go? Now?"

Tubbo, as it turned out, had driven himself and Ranboo to the station, so the four boys piled into Tubbo's mom's car. Theo prayed that the line in Life By the Sea about Tubbo crashing his parents' car wasn't real.