#tango x reader

She did not expect to be walking into the university he worked at, glancing around awkwardly as she tried to find her way around. As much as she felt like she was back in college herself, she couldn’t find it in her to care very much. Insider information with someone who was in the school during the attack?! It couldn’t be much better for a reporter like her(who was also very interested in discovering the various mysteries Hot Guy has to hide from the general public).

Pearl brushed her hair back as she glanced at the paper in her hand, telling her exactly where she was meant to meet Tango. She looked at the building in front of her, confirming that it was the correct building and grinned excitedly, hurrying into the room. She quickly found the office she was looking for and peered into the window. Her brows furrowed when she saw two people talking softly in the room.

Tango, who was obvious because of his fiery hair, sat in his office chair, facing his desk. On his desk sat another professor. They were talking, only just loud enough for her to hear their words. 

“C’mon, Etho asked me to do the interview for her.” Tango was saying. He reached over and grabbed the other professor’s hand. “I’m fine.”

The other sighed, “Tango, I don’t want you to relive that moment so soon after it happened. It had to have been traumatic!”

“I’m fine.” He insisted with a grin. “I promise, if I wasn’t ready to talk about it, I wouldn’t have the interview. I don’t mind, really. It wasn’t that bad, really.”

The professor did not seem impressed. They leaned their head back on their shoulders, “You were dragged into a school that was taken over by some kind of spore creature and were attacked, I think-”

“Well, I wasn’t really attacked per se-” He was quickly silenced by a glare. He chuckled awkwardly, pulling their hands towards him for a moment, “Sweetheart,” Pearl’s eyes widened as she heard the pet name. Her brows furrowed. Sweetheart? Isn’t Tango, Etho’s boyfriend? Who is this other person? “It’s fine. I promise. If I wasn’t up for it, I wouldn’t do it. Come on, you have class soon and Pearl should be here soon. I’ll be fine.”

Pearl watched closely as they huffed and nodded. “Fine. Tell me if something happens, promise?” They leaned in, pressing a kiss against his forehead. Pearl gasped, moving away from the window in shock. Her eyes were wide. After a few seconds, she could hear footsteps coming closer to the door. She took a quick deep breath and walked down the corridor for a moment before turning around right as the door opened. She plastered a smile on her face (after all, reporters have to be professional at their first official interview) and walked towards the door again.

“I’ll see you after school, who’s place are we meeting at, again?” Tango asked as he leaned against the door.

The other professor hummed before shrugging, “I guess yours. If that works for you?” He nodded. His eyes glanced to the side and he grinned as he noticed Pearl. The professor’s eyes followed his and they smiled. “Oh, hi. You must be Pearl, yeah? I’m Y/N.”

She nodded, holding back her true emotions. So Tango is cheating on Etho?! That doesn’t sound like the Tango he talks about, but I guess even the ‘best’ people can be shallow. “Yeah, that’s me.” Her voice was professional, offering a miniscule smile.

Tango nodded, “Perfect, you’re right on time. I’m Tango.” He nodded towards his office. “We have about an hour and a half until my next class, so we have plenty of time.” She gave him a smile and a nod, no longer as excited about this interview (though… she was still excited, admittedly).

After Pearl and Tango finished their interview, she was thankful for the insider information she now had. In fact, she almost forgot about the situation before the interview until she got a text from Etho as she was leaving the school.

Etho

how was the interview?

Pearl

uhhh it was good

I do have some bad news for you tho

Etho

yeah?

what’s up?

Pearl

I’d rather tell you in person, are you free today???

Etho

uh sure yeah, when do you wanna meet up

Pearl quickly gave him a place to meet and a time. She met him there with time to spare. She looked over her notes from the interview and the recorded copy she had. Her mind was fighting over being a good reporter and remaining completely unopinionated, and being a good friend and being very upset that her friend was cheated on. She sighed, covering her face with her hands. It’s not like the cheating would be included in the interview, she reasoned. But, would it be okay to publish your best friend’s cheating boyfriend’s interview? What are the morals of this type of situation? Are there any?

A hand came in contact with her shoulder and she jumped, eyes darting to the side as her hands fell from her face. Her eyes narrowed, “Oh, haha.” She deadpanned as Etho laughed softly. He sat across from her and raised an eyebrow.

“You seemed distracted for someone who really wanted to tell me something.” He mused. 

She hesitated, “Well, I was going over a kind-of moral dilemma.”

His head tilted slightly as he peered at her over the edge of his mask, “What morals? You went in for an interview and you came out with questions about morals?” He chuckled, “What did that man say to you?”

“He’s cheating on you?”

Etho paused, brows furrowing, “What?”

Pearl let out a deep breath that she didn’t realize she was holding. The words started flooding out, “I walked into the office, expecting him to be alone. But I stopped outside the window of his door and looked in and I saw this person sitting on his desk. You know how nosy I am, so I was listening! He called them ‘sweetheart’?? And they kissed his forehead! They were clearly close and clearly dating or something! Then- then! They decided on staying over at Tango’s house. Tonight!”

Etho was quiet for a moment, staring at her before he laughed. It was a louder laugh than she usually heard from him. “Why are you laughing? Are you crazy? He’s seeing someone else!”

“Come with me.” Is all he replied. He stood up, gesturing for her to follow him. Confused beyond belief (and questioning his own mental status), she followed him.

“Where are we going? Are you not going to say anything?”

“You’ll see. Be patient, Pearl.” He mused. Pearl sighed, realizing she wasn’t getting anything out of him anytime soon. The walk wasn’t very long. They arrived at an apartment complex. He pulled out his phone, sending a quick text. As he did, he nodded to the call box. “Press Apartment 304.” Pearl hesitated. She knew this was not Etho’s apartment. In fact, she didn’t think she knew anyone in this part of the city at all. When he noticed she didn’t move, he chuckled again, reaching over and hitting the button. Within a few moments, the buzzer made a different noise and the door unlocked. “C’mon.”

“Etho, where are we going?”

He glanced back at her as they climbed the stairs, “You haven’t put it together? And I thought you were a reporter.” He tsked. “We’re going to Tango’s place.”

Her eyes widened, “We’re confronting them?!”

“You could say that.”

Her heart beat with anxiety as the two climbed the final set of stairs. They approached the door with the number 304 on it. She kept glancing over at Etho. He didn’t seem nervous at all. She paused. He glanced back.

“Problem?”

“Yeah, what are you planning? What are you up to?” She accused, pointing at him. “You’re being awfully calm about this whole situation.”

He laughed, leaning over and knocking on the door. She blinked as the door opened, revealing Tango. “Hey, babe.” He said, leaning over with a grin, his eyes darted to the right and he laughed, “Hey, Pearl. Guess we got some explaining to do, yeah?”

Her brows furrowed, glancing between the two. She went to speak when a voice interrupted. “Etho! You’re here! Finally.” Her eyes blinked in confusion as the professor from the school came over, leaning over and wrapping Etho in a hug. He laughed as he hugged them awkwardly. “We’ve been waiting for hourssss.” 

“It’s been twenty minutes.” He said, rolling his eyes and laughing. He gently pulled them back and gestured to the right where Pearl stood. “Sweetheart, this is Pearl. You remember her from earlier, right?”

They pulled back from Etho and glanced over, grinning, “Yeah! Of course! You look so pretty by the way, I totally forgot to mention it because I was running late.”

Pearl couldn’t wrap her head around what was happening. Her eyes darted from Tango to Y/N to Etho. “Okay, what is happening right now?”

Etho chuckled as his partner glanced at him, “I dunno, what is happening, Etho?” They questioned with a small, confused smile.

“Well, to answer both of your questions at the same time. I was invited to dinner with Pearl here because she had something important to tell me.” He nodded, almost gravely before laughing again. “She told me our dear Tango here was cheating on me.”

Tango fully burst out laughing, using the side of the door to support his weight as he practically heaved laughter. Their partner looked taken aback for a moment before they gasped, “Oh! Because of this morning! Oh, I’m so sorry!” They laughed. “No, no, no. We’re all dating. We’re in a poly relationship!” They clarified.

Pearl’s face relaxed slightly as she let out a breath, “Ohhh.” She murmured. “That’s why he wasn’t freaking out when I told him.”

“I thought you knew.” Etho said with a shrug. “Then you came telling me that and I was just so shocked. I mean, you’ve walked up on me and them on a date before.”

Pearl thought about before shaking her head, “I don’t think so, only you and Tango.”

His brows furrowed, “I’m pretty sure- Oh, right! They were in the changing room when you ran into us.” He explained with another chuckle. Pearl glanced over as said partner wrapped an arm around Tango’s waist. His grin seemed to brighten as he glanced over at them before refocusing. “I really did think you knew, though.”

“You never talk about them? Only ever Tango!”

“I rarely talk about Tango to begin with, Pearl. We’ve been dating for a year and a half and you learned I was dating him, what, a few months ago?” He scoffed, “I just don’t like talking all that much about my private life.”

Pearl nodded slowly, her brain piecing together the missing parts of the puzzle. “So, you three are all in a relationship together?” The trio nodded in unison. 

“I would have said something when we met if I had known you didn’t know.” Y/N said, offering an awkward smile. “I would hate for you to think Tango would even be capable of thinking of cheating. Especially since you were interviewing him for something so serious.”

Tango groaned playfully, “Sweetheart, I’m tellin’ you! It was fine! Not a big deal.” They narrowed their eyes at him and he paused as they pulled out of his grip.

“I need to check the food, make sure it’s not overcooking!” They announced as they walked away. Tango had no hesitation to follow, talking about how it ‘wasn’t a big deal’ as they walked. 

Etho glanced over at Pearl, “So?”

She hummed slowly, “So what?”

“What do you think? Y’know about me being poly?”

Her eyes moved to meet his and she looked slightly annoyed, “You don’t think I would think anything different than what I already do, do you? Cause this isn’t a change at all. All it tells me is that you have more people who care about you.” While he didn’t make a noise, she could tell his shoulders relaxed slightly. “Etho, I care about you. This wouldn’t really change much of anything. Promise. I’ll see you tomorrow. Go spend time with your… partners?”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“I would be nervous too, in your shoes,” I try to reassure him with a smile. “ But you’d be telling me that I got this, so I’m telling you: You got this.” You look directly into his fiery red eyes.

“….Aaaa- you’re just making me more stressed!!” Tango yells out dipping the nail polish brush back into the bottle. “Why am I even so stressed?!” 

“Cause I made your nails fabulous, and if you mess mine up I’ll never forgive you.” You answer simply, trying and failing to suppress a smile.

“You did do my nails fabulously, you did…but I think I’m actually going to go for a more abstract look-'' He flashes you a mischievous smile as he slowly lowers the brush closer to your finger, and nowhere near where your actual nail was. You instantly pull away, gasping in mock offense.

“Don’t you dare-“ You start.

“Wha -at, do you not trust me?!” He says snickering. You eye him suspiciously.

”Not when you say things like that!”

Your plan for making sure Tango took a break from his new big project was going well so far. Sure you felt a little childish when bringing up the idea of a sleepover, but Tango’s enthusiasm dashed most of your concerns instantly…Most, that is, except for your growing concern that you may love your friend in more ways than just platonic….

You usually always push those feelings to the back burner, not wanting to ruin the thing you two already had going, but seeing the way he stuck out his tongue in concentration while still managing to get polish all over your finger wasn’t helping. ”How are you so bad at this?“ You tease, smiling.

”I- you shush! I’m trying, ok! You keep squirming-“ He says trying to readjust his positioning by grabbing and tilting your hand slightly.

”I’m not squirming! I’m laughing. At you.” You say still giggling. He huffs, and eventually decides that his technique wasn’t working, and decides to try a new one. He gets up from his cross-legged position on the floor, pulling his knees up and toward himself to form a resting place for your wrist. His grip on your hand tightens a little as he yanks you closer.

”Just shut up and come here-” The rest of your body follows your hand, and you scooch closer to him, shutting up. Tango doesn’t even seem to notice your close proximity, too focused on trying to paint your nails neatly. After a few more beats of flustered (on your part) silence, he looks up beaming. “There, first hand done!” 

You blink, your brain still catching up, before you inspect his work. The first finger he did was quite bad- unevenly painted and there was some color accidentally splotched onto your skin. But each nail got progressively better, and all in all… “Well- I’ve had worse. And I like the color!” He’d picked a bright red for you, a shade that reminded you of his bright eyes. You picked your favorite color for his nails, and you now wonder if he did the same.

”Ok- ok! See- I’m learning!” He says before holding out his hand again, “other one?”

You give him your other hand, and are forced to look at his adorably concentrated face again as he paints your other nails. You start talking to distract yourself. “So I assume this is your first time ever doing this?”

”Zed’s painted my nails before- but it was with some kinda poison for one of his science-y experiment-o thingies.” If he had been talking about anyone else you might’ve questioned it, but it was Zedaph, so you weren’t really even surprised. “I’ve never painted someone else’s before- no.” He responds not looking up, still entirely focused.

”Really, I couldn’t tell?” You say sarcasm dripping from your voice as you smile. He looks up at you for a second just to roll his eyes.

“I thought I told you to shush-“ He says, almost scolding if it wasn’t for the smile on his face. He rolls his shoulders, and it seems like being hunched over in concentration was starting to make him sore, so he instead leans back a little, pulling you even closer, and holds your forearm between his knees. Ok- this was getting ridiculous, there was no way your face wasn’t getting a bit red now. 

“Do you want me to just detach my hand and give it to you?” You laugh trying to keep your composure.

”No- “ He laughs, seemingly oblivious to your suffering. “-I like you just as you are, all in one piece thanks.” You chuckle, looking anywhere but directly at him until he finally finishes, and releases your hand. ”Done! Now don’t you look absolutely fanta-bulous! The color really suits you-“ He cheers, sending you a wink that makes you wonder if he was doing this on purpose.

The second hand looks even better than the first, and if you were being honest, it really warmed your heart that he tried so hard. “It does look great, the red makes me feel like a model.” You pose in a silly vogue showing off your nails as if in a commercial, and it succeeds in making Tango laugh. He tries a pose of his own, showing off his nails in front of his face and pursing his lips. He looks at you, and winks. You burst out laughing, and he joins in as you both have goofy smiles on your face. When your laughing finally calms down, Tango looks up at you.

”So, what else do you usually do at sleepovers?” He asks, tilting his head slightly.

”Well…me and my friends would sometimes play truth or dare, or do each other's hair-“ Tango’s eyes light up.

“Why not both! Though, I don’t think there’s much you can do with this mop on my head-“ He responds pointing at his spikey blonde hair, “I kinda just have to let it do what it wants.”

You squint at it, sizing up his hairdo like it was a challenge. “I think I can figure something out…”

”Go ahead! Be my guest.” He says sitting up and taking off the goggles he had on. 

You get up to grab some supplies from the bathroom, before returning and kneeling down behind him, trying to find a longer chunk of hair that you can work with. Satisfied with finding a section near his pointy ears, you start braiding. “Right, you go first. Truth or dare?”

”Well, I can’t really move- so truth? I did not think this through, huh?” He chuckles, and you pull on his hair slightly to keep him still.

”Stop moving!” You say, laughing as well. You think for a second, trying to come up with a good question. “Ok…When you first met me, what was your first impression of me?”

Tango smiles, and flushes slightly as he thinks back on the moment, remembering it fondly. You're too focused to notice. “Well- If I’m being a hundred percent honest. I just thought you looked really cool! But in kinda a like- a slightly intimidating way, you know?” You spare him an odd look.

”Really?” You ask, finishing up the first little braid before gently tilting his head the other way to do the same thing on the other side.

”Yea! Then, I got to know you and realized you're just a big ole softy!” He says chuckling. You roll your eyes and shake your head, but you don’t stop the small smile that spreads across your face.

”Yea, yea, whatever.” You chuckle, focusing back on his hair.

”Your turn now, truth or dare?” Tango asks.

“Truth, I’m still trying to finish this braid-“ He takes a moment to respond, giving you just enough time to finish the second braid, so you tie it to the end of the first one, forming a sort of halo around the back of his head.

”What’s a secret you’ve never told anyone?” He asks. One instantly pops to mind, but you shake your head, dismissing it instantly.

”Actually, nevermind, I'm finished. I switch to my choice to dare.” Tango turns around to face you, almost pouting.

”Wha- You can’t do that!”

”Yes I can, and look!” You pull out a hand mirror you brought and show him what you’ve done to his hair, his frown instantly turns into an excited smile.

”Woah- it’s so cute!” He says, turning his head a little to inspect the braids, grinning. 

”You are! And your hair looks nice too.” You say shooting him wink, he laughs but you swear you saw his face get a little pink. He looks off to the side like he’s thinking, and then turns back to you with a toothy smirk.

”Alright, I thought of a dare. Give me your absolutely worst pick up line. Just- the most cheesy, corny, awful pick up line ever.” Your eyebrow raises a little at his request, and you take a moment to think.

”Worst pick up line huh…? That’s hard cause we both know how amazing I am at flirting.” You say sarcastically, just buying yourself some time to think of something clever.

Tango laughs, “Yep, uh huh. Totally. You're like, the flirting master.” He teases back.

Finally a really stupid one comes to mind, “Tango, are you a campfire? Because you’re hot and I totally want s’more-“ You say, barely able to get it out without laughing.

Tango stares at you blankly for a moment, before his face reddens and he bursts out laughing. “That- that’s actually terrible.”

“Hey you asked! I’m starting to think you just like the idea of me flirting with you.” You joke, turning your back to him so he could do your hair. Instead, he decides to lean forward and whisper directly into your ear.

“Maybe I do~” He pulls back and starts laughing, but you're frozen. Your face feels flushed and you try to calm your racing heart. You keep reminding yourself that it was all just a joke, that you needed to calm down or you’d risk making it weird. “Aw, too much?” He asks.

“I- just-” You stutter.

“Well too bad, it’s my payback for you not letting me work on my redstone stuff.” He says gently running his hands through your hair and…you were just now realizing how bad of an idea this all was. You were supposed to be getting over your feelings for the hot tempered blaze, but instead you’ve found yourself falling for him even more.

“Yea well, that’s what I get for being a good friend I guess.” You chuckle, but it comes out a bit strained. 

“Friends? Is that all we are?” Tango asks slightly…disappointed?

“Alright Tango enough with the jokes, you keep doing that I might actually fall for you.” You try to keep up your chipper and teasing tone, but your voice wavered towards the end.

Tango stops playing with your hair, and moves in front of you again. He seems nervous, and looks down at his hands a lot. You don’t dare hope, you don’t let yourself think anything, too scared to lose the friendship that you two had, no matter how much you cared for him.

“Maybe…uhh…maybe I might’ve actually been the one, that has done the falling…for…you.” He ends it with a dry chuckle, wringing his hands and struggling to keep eye contact. When you don’t respond right away, he finally looks at you. You search his eyes, searching for any sign that this was all some sort of weird bit.

“Are- are you being for real…or…” You finally ask, still not sure.

“Uh…yea? I mean…I thought I was making it obvious and all but I guess...” For some reason you feel tears well up in your eyes. “...Ah! Oh my gosh, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have-” You interrupt him, quickly wiping the tears from your eyes.

“No! No it’s fine I’m just- I’m glad! I promise!” You reassure him, a huge smile spreading across your lips. His eyes are still wide with concern, and slight confusion.

“Wait so- I’m confused. Do you also…?” You bob your head up and down, laughing a bit as you try to regain your composure after the roller coaster of emotions that had been the past few minutes.

“Yes, Tango. Obviously, I’ve fallen for you too.” You finally respond, he grins and grabs both your hands in his.

“Well, obviously- neither of us are really good at reading the obvious-” He snickers, gently stroking your hand with his thumb. 

You giggle, “Wow, and now someone has spilled about their crush, we’ve checked, like, all the sleepover boxes but-”

“-but sleeping?” Tango asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“No? No one sleeps at sleepovers, come on dude-” You respond and he laughs, “the only thing we haven’t done is watch a movie!”

“Hey well I’m not complaining. As long as I get to do your hair first, since it was um- interrupted.” He smiles, blushing slightly.

“Why not both!” You say mirroring his tone from earlier.

~ ~ ~

This time when he runs his fingers through your hair, you allow yourself to melt into his touch. You're seated on the ground, while Tango sits on the couch. You're situated between both his legs, as he tries, undos, and retries to braid your hair. You realize you don’t really mind if he ever gets it right, you're just glad to finally relax with the knowledge that he loved being near you just as much as you loved being near him.

”Ok…I’m done…I think?” You hear Tango’s voice from behind you. You haven’t really been paying attention to the movie much, instead just enjoying the redstoner's company, so you lean over and grab the hand mirror.

”Aww, I love it.” You giggle a little,  “But…maybe don’t quit your day job, hot stuff.” You tilt your head up to see his reaction, and he just rolls his eyes and snickers before leaning down and closer to your face.

”Is it good enough to get a little somethin’ at least? For trying?” He smirks, leaning just a little closer. Now it’s your turn to roll your eyes, but you smile and sit up, turning slightly, before gently grabbing his collar, and meeting him in the middle. And you swear, when his lips hit yours, you feel fireworks.

Hours later, you were very grateful you came back to spawn to scope out some places to live because one minute you were walking under the spawn trees, and then next there was a sharp pain in your right side, ringing, and then it stopped. 

<Tango> was blown up by a creeper 

<Y/ndoesthings> died

<SolidarityGaming> died

When you opened your eyes, you were in a tree and there was a shrill voice going "WHAT HAPPENED TANGO?!" and a dull pain rushed into your ankle, someone must have jumped down from their tree

"Is Everyone okay?" You asked and saw both tango and Jimmy

"Oh! Hi! Hi- I'm so sorry!" He cried out and placed his face in his hands to hide 

"Take me through it, What- What's happened there?" Jimmy asked 

"There was some caving and then there might have been about seven zombies and a spider and- You're being butted!" Tango said, still atop one of the many trees at spawn. 

Jimmy was the one that jumped down and was currently holding his stomach from being headbutted by a stay goat. Tango jumped down and You followed his lead. Once you were down from your tree you went up to each of the boys and asked 

"Is everyone okay?" 

The two nodded in response and you used both of your hands to cup one of their cheeks, which is a touch they melted into. Once you let go, they continued with their conversation and You went to grab your things, which were thankfully only like 10 feet away. Once you came back, tango was apologizing again and Jimmy is pacing around. 

"All right, let's go meet up in a bit, I need to go grab my stuff before it despawns!" He said 

"I don't even know where I was!" Tango realized "I just lost everything, yeah- I have no idea where I was." 

"You two go and try to get your things back. If anything, come back here and I'll have extra supplies for you guys." Y/n spoke up and placed a gentle hand on both of their shoulders "I snagged a bunch of iron so don't worry for now. just try and grab your things." 

But your words were barely heard as the boys panicked and laughed. After a minute, Jimmy and Tango decided to head up on a tree for a better leverage point to look. You followed the two boys as they talked and made what they needed for a hiding spot in case they die again. 

Once they did that (and tango placed a stick in to claim it), Jimmy went his separate way and left Y/n and Tango together. 

"How are you feeling?" You asked softly 

"Guilty," Tango admitted and his shoulders slumped "this was the worst way to meet me- to meet us." 

"Maybe," You hummed gently and picked a stray Daisy and gave it to the man, the piping hot blaze rods burning brighter as Tango took it and flushed a pink "But we didn't have to find each other by running around like headless chickens and while we might be yellows now, I don't think I'd rather be yellow with anyone else." 

Tango made a flustered noise and You could help but find it so endearing. This man, who was at least a good two feet taller than you, was burning bright red, golden hair flickering as if it were going to burst into flames and smoke coming off his back. 

Actually, now that you looked at him you noticed he wore a tight-fitting black crop top (that did wonders for his lean figure hubba hubba-) that had dipped down into a point to connect and clip onto his black cargo pants with cuffs around his wrists and the top of his bicep but the ones around his wrists were loose and had short chains dangling from them. 

When you finally looked at his face, Ruby red eyes glittered with amusement and an open mouth smirked and showed off sharp canine teeth. 

"Like what you see?" He grinned and you swatted at him 

"Yeah, you look fine as hell," you winked and he laughed 

=====

Hours later, Jimmy came back with nothing and a disappointed face only to find out you had a chest full of items for him ready and to see that you and Tango were suited up in Iron gear. 

"What-" He said and You saw his shoulders sag "How-" 

"Check the chest Jimmy," You said and watched as he opened it 

Sunlight beamed onto his face, blinding him for a second. 

"My bad, probably a bad idea to face the opening of the chest to face where the sun is shining. It was supposed to be for dramatic effect though." Tango said and turned the chest away from the sun and spilled all the goods inside. Iron armor, a diamond pickaxe and sword, food, and small trinkets the two had piled up for Jimmy fell from the chest. 

"is- Is all this for me?" he asked softly and knelt to the ground and grabbed the sword with a shakey touch and his eyes shone with unshed tears "Why- You didn't have-" 

"We wanted to. It's not much but we hope you enjoy it." You smiled and kneeled in front of him "Most of it I already had in my inventory so..."

"Y/n actually put the whole chest together," Tango pointed out with a satisfied smirk, and watched as a bashful flush spread across their cheeks and to their ears "They thought of the idea and organized everything. I just added in two things you might've liked." 

"Would it be too early in our relationship to kiss you two?" Jimmy asked, eyes glittering like topaz with the sun shining its golden rays on his already sunkissed skin

"I wouldn't think so," You smiled and cupped his face with both of your hands to pull him into a gentle kiss, electricity burning through you when your lips brushed against his, Tango coming up beside you to steal Jimmy away for another soft kiss to his lips and to press a chaste one against yours. 

Jimmy tasted like bubblegum and Tango tasted like cinnamon.

You just found your two new favorite flavors. 

=====

A day or so later, the home you and Tango had been constructed and Jimmy had brought in cows and some other essential things needed. 

The three of you deemed yourself, The Ranchers.

A silly nickname but you can't bring yourself to protest as Jimmy and Tango have their hearts set on making a monopoly on getting some farm animals and how can you say no to your Ruby and Topaz? 

Your precious jewels...  Oh how you love them so. 

As the three of you took a break though, Jimmy asked about Tango's choice of shirt wear. 

He wore crop tops like there weren't any left in the world

And there wasn't anything wrong with it, in fact, both Jimmy and You had admitted to the man that you loved the fact that he showed off his lean and slender frame and his tummy in general. 

Although, there were multiple times where Jimmy has been extremely flustered at the sight of Tango.

Once, When tango was doing his redstone while you and Jimmy were watching, the blaze hybrid has asked for a comparator and while You were drooling over him, Jimmy grabbed a bucket and attempted to give it to the man. 

"Jimmy," Tango said as he perched his red goggles on his head "That's a bucket." 

With those words, The avian flushed a bright red and placed the bucket upside down on his head, and bolted having You and Tango run after him laughing and attempting to calm him down. 

He was wearing his favorite shirt then, just like he was now. 

"Powered by Redstone" 

That had to be one of Tango's favorite phrases, especially when he's planning out his next masterpiece for his other dimension. 

At least he thinks. 

He doesn't quite remember, no one does. He says it's blurry and that he knows he was working on some huge build that needs a lot of redstone and attention but he can't quite remember what. He barely remembers friendships and relationships from people except those that are in this game right now. 

The game was fun like that. it gives you an almost entirely blank slate, but it keeps important things and fears near your heart. 

But you never would have thought you'd find love in a death game.

Sure it had only been a few days and it may be the red string of fate connecting you two but it felt so real and You know you would do this a thousand times over if you'd be able to feel like this again in your home server. 

"yeah- Actually this shirt was once full length," Tango broke through your daze and you focus on him, He's gripping the bottom of his 'Powered by Redstone" crop, and a blaze rod is hovering over his shoulder when He says "But sometimes by blaze rods catch stuff and-" 

And The shirt was up in flames before fluttering to the floor, a pile of ashes that was once his favorite shirt. 

"AWWW MAN!" Tango whined as Jimmy looked away, face flushed the same shade as Tango's eyes and You oogled at the bare chest of Tango with a satisfied hum

But as much as you liked the show, You knew you'd have to talk with Jimmy later about this situation. Tango was already making a pout and sad noises escaped his lips. You couldn't bare to see the blaze hybrid like that. 

=====

Hours later, in the dead of night, You whispered to the Avian in his ear "Jimmy? My Darling Topaz? Are you up?" 

"Yes, my Love?" Jimmy groaned quietly and suddenly you were thankful, the both of them insisted you lay in the middle of your shared bed and that Tango sleeps like the dead "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine Topaz, I just wanted to ask if you wanted to do something for our Ruby. I feel bad that he lost his favorite shirt." You whisper and pull him close enough so that your lips brush the shell of his ear. A shiver ran down his back and he nodded. 

"We could recreate his shirt again," Jimmy said and began to press soft kisses to your face "This time with a more durable fabric?" 

"That works," You hummed and cupped his face to press a soft kiss to his lips "We can talk more about it in the morning. I love you My amazing Topaz."  

"And I love you, My precious diamond." He whispered into your mouth, never stopping his gentle kisses and you couldn't help but melt into his touch 

The next day, You awoke to Jimmy and Tango holding you tightly and you sighed with contentment, how you wish you could stay here all day, but the gods of old had other plans. 

So you squirmed out of their arms, both shifting to hold each other and the pillow between them as if you were still there. You smiled and went to the kitchen to make a simple breakfast. Snagging some eggs from the chickens you guys are hoarding and carving some bacon off the carcass of a pig you slaughtered this morning, you made some bacon and egg and cut up some day-old bread for toast. 

Jimmy was the first one up of the boys and watched as Y/n plated the breakfast as he leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his bare chest, a soft smile gracing his lips. 

"Good morning Topaz," You hummed and smiled at him before placing his plate on the table "Go eat, I'll wake up our ruby."

"You are the best," he said and pressed a kiss to your cheek "We can talk more about the shirt after breakfast when Tango goes out?" 

"Alright," You smiled and placed a gentle hand on his chest before pressing a kiss to his lips "Enjoy." 

You walked past him after he kissed back and went to wake up Tango. 

"My lovely Ruby," You whisper in his ear as you crawl on top of him to sit on his waist "Time to wake up Tango, I made breakfast." 

Tango groaned softly as his eyes fluttered open. Twin red jewels stared back into your eyes as a smile graced Tango's lips and he pulled you down to smother you in kisses, laughs bubbled from your chest as you playfully fought from his grip. 

After a few seconds when he calmed down to just kisses, you heard his stomach rumble and he laughed. 

"I think that's my cue to eat the breakfast you made," He said and swung his legs over the edge of the bed to get off "Come, Topaz is waiting." 

"He's only waiting because you pulled me in to smother me!" You playfully whine out and allow him to drag you off the bed you share

After breakfast, Tango cleaned up the kitchen and Jimmy lit the fireplace. Y/n pulled Jimmy to dance with her while Tango cleaned and listened to their hushed giggles, They swayed in the warmth of their home, Jimmy humming into your ear as the sun dawned upon their home and the rooster crowed. Out of the corner of your eyes, you saw Tango watching from the kitchen with a gentle smile as he dried his hands and you beckoned him over. He and Jimmy switched spots and you swayed with Tango who whispered sweet words into your ears and eventually dragged Jimmy into the swaying, The three of you holding each other and talking softly. At least until Tango had to leave the house and You and Jimmy were left to your own devices. 

"Okay," Y/n murmured and caught Jimmy's attention, "I know where to find and how to get fire resistance clothing. Only thing is, I don't know how to sew words." 

"I can do that part," Jimmy said "It should be just like weaving a nest. Plus, my mom taught me how before I left her home." 

"Perfect," You grinned at him "You are so great Jimmy." 

A wobbly smile spread across his face as he flushed and covered his face with his hands. "You're too nice to me." He groaned softly which elicited a laugh from you 

"No such thing as ever too nice. Now, let's get Tango's present together." You smile and hold out your hand to him 

=====

Hours later, Tango came home calling out to the two who sat in the living room that he was going to take a shower and then probably nap. You and Jimmy sat on a rocking chair, you on Jimmy's lap reading and Jimmy rocking the chair, humming and peacefully stretching the words 'Powered by Redstone' into the shirt. 

"Hey, Jimmy!" Tango's voice called out but the two were in their own world "Do you know where-" 

Tango trailed off as he peeked into the living room and almost melted at the sight of his two lovers sitting together, his gems...

His home

A soft gasp snapped Tango out of his stupor and bring his gaze back to his partners. You were clutching something to your chest and using your body to hide it while jimmy tried to cover you and himself with his wings while exclaiming "Wait no! Wait! Don't look! It's not done!" 

"Aww," Tango cooed and stepped closer to you and Jimmy "What is it?" 

With a deep sigh, Jimmy unfurled his wings and showed you. You held out the shirt with a bashful expression while Jimmy explained "You were so sad after your favorite shirt got destroyed. So we thought we'd make you a new one." 

Tango looked taken aback and turned red and you and jimmy immediately panicked. 

"Oh god, you hate it!" You frowned and fiddled with your hands "I'm sorry, this was my idea and it was such a bad-" 

"I don't know why I thought-" Jimmy cut himself off as he pouted and began to cover himself with his wings, an embarrassed blush spreading across his cheeks "I'm not even that good-" 

This time Taango cut off Jimmy by lifting you up and kissing you... hard. Hard enough that you were dazed and had to stumble to another couch. Tango pulled Jimmy up by the collar of his shirt and kissed him with the same passion he kissed you with. Now that you were less dazed, you saw smoke rising from Tango's back in curls that looked like hearts and his red flush was still there and Jimmy's wings were flapping like crazy once he realized what was happening. 

When he pulled away from Jimmy, He kept the avian close, his left arm wrapping around Jimmy's waist. "Come here Y/n," Tango whispered and you obliged 

When you came close enough, he pulled you closer and wrapped his free arm around your waist, and pressed another kiss to your lips. You melted into his touch and leaned your forehead into the crook of his neck while he whispered

"I love it. It means so much to me that you two did this." He pressed a gentle kiss to yours and Jimmy's foreheads before continuing "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you."