Double Life
Tango x Jimmy
When Jimmy died, he took comfort in the fact that for once it wasn't his fault. Jimmy looked around spawn looking for his soulmate. Jimmy sighed as his communicator vibrated in his pocket. Jimmy pulled out his communicator and opened it up. He looked in the chat tab (not the death tab) and looked at all messages about his death.
Grian- Timmy dead first again!
Martyn- That's gonna be an awkward talk.
Bigb- Noooooo!
Joel- Stupid smelly man.
Scott- Oh Jimmy, not again!
Impulse- Looks like we’re going with past traditions then!
Etho- Oh Snappers!
Jimmy buried his face in his hands as he sank to his knees. He heard rustling up in the trees and he looked up and saw his soulmate. It was Tango, poor sweet Tango, and Jimmy felt an overwhelming sense of pity. Tango would get pulled down with Jimmy, with his curse. Jimmy had always loved Tango, and he wished that he was never his soulmate.
Tango sat up in the tree, his legs hanging down and a look of shame clouding his beautiful features. He had tears pouring down his face and his arms wrapped around his torso as he looked down at Jimmy. The flame on his head and tail burned slowly and small, a sign that he was sad. Jimmy walked over underneath Tango’s tree and looked for a way to get up onto his perch. Jimmy jumped up, grabbed a low hanging branch, swung himself up into the tree and looked for a way to get further up. Tango looked down at Jimmy and made no move to help him or hinder him in his attempt to get up the tree.
Jimmy climbed his way up onto the tree, and sat up on Tango’s branch. Tango looked over at Jimmy and silent tears tracked down his face. Jimmy tentatively wrapped his arm around Tango’s shoulders and gave him a small side hug. Tango shivered and tensed as Jimmy rubbed circles on his arm. Jimmy went to wipe Tango’s tears away but Tango spoke before he could.
“Don’t.”
Jimmy’s hand froze just millimetres away from his cheek, and his fingers itched to brush his face.
“Why?” Jimmy asked as Tango dropped down from the tree and walked away.
Jimmy jumped down after Tango and chased after him.
“Tango!” Jimmy cried, grabbing onto his shoulder, spinning him around to look him in the eyes.
Tango’s eyes were cast downwards and more tears trickled down his cheeks.
“You can’t touch my skin.” Tango whispered. “It'll burn you.”
“No ones ever touched you before?” Jimmy asked, grabbing onto Tango’s arm.
“Not really.” Tango said, turning away from Jimmy. “Come on. Let's go.”
Jimmy wanted to talk more, but Tango clearly wasn't in the mood. Jimmy would bring it up later, when Tango wasn’t so spiky about it.
*****
Later one day when Jimmy was tending to the animals he heard a voice coming from over the wall.
“I lit it on fire, Grian lets go!”
“Oh Scar!”
Jimmy turned around to see two people running away from the Ranch, and he recognized them as Grian and Scar. Jimmy sighed, and then he registered what Scar had said.
“Oh my gosh!” He cried as he smelt the smoke. “Tango!”
Tango raced out of the barn and stared in shock at their house. He paused and then hurried into action running right into the burning house. He wielded a bucket of water and he was desperately trying to put out the flames. Jimmy watched his soulmate raced into the fire and he felt the smoke enter Tango’s lungs through their soulmate connection.
“TANGO!” He screamed desperately, “TANGO!”
Jimmy raced into the fire and looked left and right looking for his soulmate. Even though Tango was a blaze hybrid, he could still die from the intake of carbon dioxide into his lungs. Jimmy suddenly saw Tango’s crumpled figure lying in the middle of a circle of fire.
“TANGO!” Jimmy cried racing up to Tango grabbing onto his arm and dragging him to his feet.
Tango leaned heavily on Jimmy’s shoulder and Jimmy grabbed onto Tango’s hand without even thinking. Jimmy gasped in pain, every instinct telling him to let go, but he persevered, gripping Tango’s hand tighter. Jimmy dragged Tango outside and lay him down on the grass wincing as he looked down at his burnt hand. Tango coughed and sat up a tear tracked its way down his soot stained face. Tango coughed again and Jimmy placed his hand on his back, holding him up.
“Tango are you alright?” Jimmy asked, rubbing reassuring circles on his back.
“I’m fine-” He coughed and Jimmy shushed him before he tried to speak again.
“Tango why would you run into fire?” Jimmy asked, squeezing his arm.
“Why would you follow me?” Tango accused, “Why did you touch me? You touched my hand.”
“I’m fine.” Jimmy said and Tango shook his head.
“No!” Tango grabbed Jimmy’s arm (making sure not to touch his skin) and flipped his hand over. “Look at this!”
Jimmy winced and Tango reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a pair of black gloves. Jimmy didn’t realise what was going on, until Tango pulled them on and tucked them under his sleeves. Tango then reached out and brushed his hand across Jimmy’s face cupping his cheek. Jimmy leaned into the touch and kissed the palm of Tango’s gloved hand.
“You shouldn’t have to hide your skin to touch me.” Jimmy sighed, gently pushing his hand away.
“But I have too.” Tango sighed falling onto his back.
Suddenly Jimmy got an idea.
*****
Jimmy sat by the brewing stand yet again. This was something he did frequently, as he was desperately trying to find out a potion that would make him fire resistant, forever. Not just for eight minutes like in normal potions. Jimmy stuffed another nether wart into the brewing stand and waited for it to brew. He pulled out another three bottles and looked them over.
Sadly the only way for him to test how long it took the potion to run out, he had to stick his hand in fire. Tango hadn’t asked him what he was doing yet, but Jimmy knew it was only a matter of time before he got suspicious. Jimmy looked over the new potions and noticed how they weren't the normal dull orange, but they were now a bright orange. Jimmy suddenly knew that this was it.
Jimmy drank the potion and suddenly he felt light headed. Jimmy let out a cry as surprise as his life flashed before his eyes. The room spun around him and he fell to the ground, his breath coming out in short gasps. The last though Jimmy had was this;
I’m sorry Tango.
*****
Tango was working on the new ranch when he heard Jimmy cry out in surprise. He looked down and immediately jumped off the building and landed using a water bucket. Tango raced into the barn and found Jimmy laying on the floor unconscious, a strange strange potion clutched in his hand. Tango raced over and shook Jimmy, waking him up and pulling him into his arms. Careful not to brush Jimmy’s skin against his, Tango helped Jimmy into a sitting position.
“Jimmy?” Tango asked as Jimmy grabbed Tango’s hand pulling off his gloves. “Wait Jimmy-”
Jimmy wove his fingers through Tango’s and the blaze born froze, expecting Jimmy’s to get burned but he didn’t. Jimmy looked up at Tango in shock.
“It worked.” Jimmy whispered, grabbing Tango’s other hand and yanking his glove off.
“You did this on purpose?” Tango asked, as Jimmy reached up and touched his face.
Tango leaned into Jimmy’s hand and looked over to Jimmy’s face realising that he could kiss Jimmy now. The option had never occurred to him before, but now it was all he could think about. Jimmy suddenly closed the distance between their lips and kissed him. Tango grabbed Jimmy’s hand and pulled him closer, reaching his hand up to tangle his fingers in Jimmy’s soft hair. Jimmy sighed as Tango pulled away a look of happiness on his face.
“Thank you.” Tango cried a tear spilling over. “Thank you.”
Jimmy smiled and wiped the tear away. “I love you.” Jimmy confessed, caressing Tango’s cheek. “That’s why I did it. I love you.”
And Tango had never been so thankful for someone before in his life.
I have said this before, and I will say this again. I love Rancher duo! ❤️