#bee duo

The kitchen smelled faintly of tomato sauce and fresh bread.

Tubbo stood at the stove, absentmindedly stirring a pot while Ranboo was supposed to be setting the table.

Instead

“Dada!” Michael said holding both of his little arms up.

Ranboo looked over to Michael and smiled

“Oh? You want uppies?” Ranboo asked Michael nodded enthusiastically

Ranboo scooped him up with ease, balancing him on one hip.

A song drifted quietly from the old radio on the counter. Ranboo paused what they were doing “Michael…”

The little zombie piglin titled his head

“Wanna dance?” Ranboo asked smiling their tail swaying back and forth Michael squealed, that was all the answer Ranboo needed

They gently spun around the kitchen, Michael giggling so hard he had to cling to Ranboos sweater. Tubbo glanced over his shoulder. “Your supposed to be helping”

“I am” Ranboo said gleefully

“How?” tubbo asked

“iam improving morale” Ranboo chripped

Tubbo snorted “I don't think that's how you do chores”

“It should be” ranboo replied Michael erupted into another fit of laughter as Ranboo twirled him once more.

Eventually Michael wriggled.

"Down?" Ranboo asked

"Down." Michael said squirming Ranboo set him on the floor.

Michael immediately wandered off to investigate a wooden spoon he'd spotted five minutes ago.

Ranboo watched him toddle away before turning back toward Tubbo.

“Well..” ranboo said

Tubbo raised an eyebrow “well what?”

Ranboo held a hand “my dance partner abandoned me”

“He got bored” Tubbo laughed

“I ve been replaced with a spoon” ranboo said

"The spoon is pretty interesting." Tubbo commented

"I can't even argue with that." Ranboo replied

Tubbo shook his head, smiling despite himself. "The soup's going to burn."

"It'll survive another minute." Ranboo said

Ranboo was still holding out their hand.

"...Please?” they asked

Tubbo sighed "You are impossible."

"I know." Ranboo said shamelessly He took Ranboo's hand anyway. Ranboo smiled like they'd just won the lottery.

They swayed slowly across the kitchen tiles, the radio barely loud enough to hear over the simmering soup.

Tubbo rested his head against Ranboo's shoulder. "You know..." Tubbo began

"Hm?" Ranboo hummed

"I think Michael has better dance moves than you." Tubbo said grinning

Ranboo gasped. "I have been insulted.”

"Excuse me," Ranboo said. "I happen to be an excellent dancer."

Tubbo laughed. "You stepped on my foot.”

"That was one time." Ranboo corrected

"It was three."

Ranboo opened their mouth to argue, then thought better of it. Instead, their tail lazily curled around Tubbo's waist.

Tubbo smiled. "...Cheater."

"What?" Ranboo asked innocently.

"You know exactly what you're doing." Tubbo replied

Ranboo only smiled.

The radio crackled softly in the background.

The soup simmered forgotten on the stove.

Michael sat on the kitchen floor, happily drumming a wooden spoon against a cabinet.

The grass swayed gently around them as the sun melted into the horizon, streaking the sky with orange, pink, and gold.

Ranboo leaned back on their hands, quietly watching the colors shift.

“You know” they murmured

“Hm?” Tubbo asked

“Sunsets remind me of you” Ranboo said tracing circles in the grass

Tubbo laughed softly “me?”

“Mhm” Ranboo repled

“Why” Tubbo asked now looking at Ranboo Ranboo smiled to themself

“Theyer warm” they said looking back at tubbo

Tubbo rolled his eyes “cheesy”

“Iam serious’

Ranboo gestured towards the horizon. “They make everything feel… safe. Even if it's just for a while”

Tubbo's face grew pink

“... I think the moon reminds me of you” tubbo admitted

Ranboo looked over “The moon?”Ranboo asked

“And stars” he added “

Ranboo chuckled “those are two different things” “They are both you” tubbo said shugging

"The moon's quiet. The stars are always there, even when you can't really see them." Tubbo said He smiled. "They make the dark feel less scary."

Ranboo reached over, bumping their shoulder against tubbos.

“I likes that’ ranboo said

“I knew you would” Tubbo commented

They stayed there until the last sliver of sunlight disappeared.

~~♡︎~~♡︎~~

The hill hasn't changed

The grass still whispered in the breeze

The sun still painted the sky gold and orange Tubbo sat alone. With out his husband to A company him

He couldn't remember how long he'd been coming here

Every sunset felt the same somehow

He watched the colors spread across the sky until his chest ached

"Sunsets always remind me of you."

His throat tightened.“... Idiots”

A laugh escaped him despite himself “You always had to say the sappy stuff” tubbo said even thoigh there was no one there to reply

Tubbo pulled his knees to his chest.

"I still think the moon reminds me of you."

His voice was barely louder than the wind.

"And the stars."The first one appeared overhead.

Then another.

Then dozens.

Tubbo stared at them until the sunset faded completely.

"They still make the dark less scary..." He swallowed. "...just not as much."