VERSAILLES // Ranboo X Reader

17

The sun was just dipping below the horizon when Brigand spotted the top of the houses. Once you got closer to the place, it turned out Arlow knew where you were - Marram. Audunbast wasn't too far from here, or so Arlow said. Only a couple days journey across a patch of desert, they said. 

You were just happy to see some civilization. You hadn't minded spending the night in a tent, but it would be nice for a change of scenery and maybe a real bed. 

The village was still alive when you rode into town. You could feel the eyes on you as you made your way to the town bell - it was likely that the only proper adventurers these people had ever known were those in their storybooks. You didn't mind the staring though, as their eyes slid right past you to land on Ranboo. 

He was tense as a board behind you. Eye contact was not his forte.

Taking one hand off the reins, you reached back behind you, taking one of his arms and wrapping it around you - the same comforting gesture you had offered a few days before. Ranboo accepted eagerly, bringing his other arm around as well and pressing his face into your shoulder, avoiding all the stares. 

You absently patted one of his hands that were clutched around your middle. "Arlow, do you know where we're going?"

Arlow waved a hand from the front of the line. "Of course! We're nearly there."

You traded a glance with Brigand, but followed along anyway. 

Soon enough though, Arlow had found the center of town. You walked the horses to a stop, admiring their town center - the one back in Templeswift was just a tree - Marram's center was their marketplace, and their town bell sat on a terracotta pedestal, polished to sheen. 

Quite the crowd had gathered there as well - people having seen you enter the village and rushing to spread the news. By the time you reached the center, almost the whole population had gathered. One woman stepped forward out of the group, nodding to each of you. 

"Greetings travelers." She said. "What brings you to Marram?"

Arlow was quick to respond. "A task from the king, of course."

Excited muttering broke out amongst the crowd at the mention of the task, and you could feel more eyes shift to each of you, taking in every detail. You swelled with pride - this was exactly how the heroes in the legends must have felt. 

"A task from the king..." The woman repeated, mulling the words over. "We would be happy to provide whatever services you need."

"Room and board for a night would be nice." Brigand said. 

The woman nodded. "Of course, you must have been traveling for days - there's an inn nearby that might have some room..."

The woman guided you to the inn and explained to the innkeep exactly who you all were while your horses were being taken to the stables. Ranboo stuck close to your side, keeping his head down and winding his fingers into the cuff of your sleeve. The fee for the rooms was paid with the emeralds you had taken from the pillagers, and then you were herded upstairs by the innkeep and into a split room - four single beds, two on each side of a half wall in the middle. 

"This is perfect, thank you." Arlow said, smiling at the innkeep. 

"Of course." The man said, nodding. "If you need anything else, I'm downstairs." With that, he cast one last lingering glance before heading back downstairs into the inn proper. The door to the room closed behind him, and you were alone. 

Arlow immediately flopped down on one of the beds, rumpling the sheets. "This one's mine."

Brigand sat down at the end of the bed a few feet away from theirs with a sigh, rubbing his back. "It'll feel nice to sleep in a real bed again."

You hummed in agreement, turning to Ranboo, who was still all tense and quiet. You peered underneath his hair to look him in the eye, and found him staring resolutely at the floor. You frowned - that much eye contact all at once was not good for an enderman or any kind. 

"Let's go see if the we need to push the beds together for the chain." You said, guiding Ranboo around the half wall that divided the room and  sitting him down on one of the beds. You grabbed the other and pulled it until they were close enough that the chain wouldn't pull before sitting down. 

From the other side of the wall, you could hear Arlow plucking at the strings of the lyre again, playing the same tune that they had played on the night you had discovered the instrument. 

Unsure of whether Ranboo would want you to touch him, you just set your hands in your lap, looking down at the sheets underneath you. "You doing alright?"

It took a moment, but soon enough he took a shaky breath, pulling his knees up to his chest and rolling onto his side, curled in his sleeping position on the bed. He didn't make eye contact with you, but he did look at your hands. "I'm okay."

"You're sure?" You asked. "That was a lot of eyes all at once."

"I'm okay." Ranboo said. 

You nodded, busying yourself with shrugging off your traveling cloak and folding it at the foot of the bed before you sprawled out on the soft sheets, sighing as the mattress cradled your back. Sleeping in the tent had been fine - but there was just something about having a real bed that immediately made you relax. 

On the other bed, you could see Ranboo slowly relax into the mattress, the tension draining from his shoulders and back. You still kept your eyes trained on the ceiling though, not wanting the unwanted eye contact to set him off again. 

Hanging between the beds, the chain looked gold in the candlelight. Across the room, Arlow picked at the strings of the lyre, idly playing the same tune over and over again.