Chapter Text
Tubbo woke up, his alarm clock beeping. He rolled over and glared at it, daring it to say 4 am.
04:00
He turned the beeping off and stared at the ceiling, repeating his mantra silently. One day. You can do it. Just one day at a time. More than anything he wanted to simply lie there a little longer. His own eyelids were the only thing stopping him from drifting away once more. It would be so easy to just close his eyes and sleep again, wake up at a normal time like a normal person.
Instead, he got up and walked across his room to the sink, splashing his face with cold water, the way he did every morning. He got dressed automatically, not even bothering to check what he was wearing, he wore the same uniform every day anyway.
He placed his hand on the door handle, taking a deep breath. One day at a time.
Schlatt was still passed out on the couch where Tubbo had left him last night, a beer bottle grasped in his hand. The room was dark, the way he liked it. Easier to see the TV apparently. And when you’re perpetually hungover the sunlight is probably the last thing you want to see. Still, Tubbo didn’t like the way the room felt; heavy with the stench of alcohol and lack of light. When his mother had…
He sighed, dismissing the thought, regretting it when he remembered Schlatt was in the room. Schlatt hated being woken up, especially before the sun had risen.
Luckily his ‘guardian’ didn’t stir. Tubbo silently congratulated himself before making his way to the door, knowing which boards were to be avoided, which ones would awaken Schlatt and make his morning much worse.
He slipped out of the door, breathing a sigh of relief at escaping Schlatt’s territory without a new bruise, before descending into his café.
His café was brighter and airier than the apartment above it and Tubbo loved it with all his heart. He loved the fairy lights on the walls that twinkled at him as he stepped into the room. He loved the huge leafy plants, even though they took forever to water. Even though the large bay windows needed to be cleaned almost every day he still loved watching the sun make its way across the sky through them. And they kept Schlatt away too, out of his sanctuary.
Tubbo started the coffee brewing and headed into the back, opening the door just as Niki raised her hand to knock on it.
“You’re getting too good at this Tubbo.”
“You come at exactly four forty-five in the morning, every morning,” Tubbo replied, hands on his hips. “If anything you make it too easy.”
Niki laughed, holding up the crate of pastries she was holding. “Fresh today.”
“They always are. You must get up even earlier than I do Niki.”
“It’s worth it, I love my job. I know you love yours.”
He did, though running a café that opened from six to eight with one staff member was a little difficult to love all of the time. But if it was that or nothing, he’d take the long hours over losing his café any day.
Tubbo dug around in his apron pocket until he found the envelope he was looking for. “Your share from yesterday.”
Niki took it as she handed him the crate, the exchange familiar. “Thanks Tubbo,” she said smiling. “Make sure to say where they come from! Don’t take credit for my food!”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Tubbo winked. Niki waved and headed back down the alleyway to her bakery. Tubbo turned back inside, carrying the crate back to the front, placing the pastries inside the display case. Prime, they looked amazing. Hopefully, there’d be one left and he’d be able to have one for dinner instead of Schlatt’s leftovers. Or nothing at all.
He spent the next hour preparing the café for opening - wiping down the counters, the tables, the chairs, sweeping the floor, testing the coffee, bringing supplies out from the storeroom, restocking the teabags, and finally flipping the ‘closed’ sign around.
He stood behind the counter and waited for the sun to rise.
One day at a time.
-o-o-o-
Prince Thomas (or Tommy, as he preferred to be called) was bored. Very very bored.
It was almost criminal actually.
He flopped onto his bed, face smushed into the pillows.
“Very dignified,” said Ranboo from behind him.
Tommy didn’t move. “I’m bo-o-o-o-o-ored,” he groaned.
Ranboo laughed. “You’re a prince Tommy, find something to do.”
“I can’t do anything. Dad won’t let me.”
“He won’t let you leave the palace alone, that’s different from not letting you do anything.”
Tommy twisted around to look at Ranboo. “Wilbur gets to leave. You get to leave!”
“I’m not a prince, Wilbur’s twenty-one. And he has to take his personal guard.”
“You’re my personal guard! You could come!”
Ranboo folded his arms. “Yeah, I’m not having that conversation with your dad, thank you very much.”
Tommy groaned and hung the top of his body off of the bed, doing his best impression of a corpse. “I’m dead. Boredom killed me and you let it happen. Some guard.”
Ranboo snorted and pulled his arms, tugging him onto the floor.
“I could have you arrested for that you know.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Yeah you’re right, I wouldn’t.”
Tommy stayed where he was, sprawled on the floor. From this angle, he could see over the castle wall. His eyes followed the stairs that led to the top, roses winding over them, a tall tree on the other side just brushing the top of the wall. Probably a security risk that. Anyone could get in.
Or out.
Wait, holy sh*t, he could get out that way!
How had he missed that?! There was an escape route basically built and grown.
Ranboo looked down at him. “Tommy, you good?”
Tommy grinned at him. “Yeah, better than good.”
Ranboo looked taken aback by his sudden change of heart but didn’t question it. “Why’s that?”
“Because you are going to play Mario Kart with me,” Tommy said, getting up.
"Uh, no, I am not.”
Tommy pulled him through his chambers until they were standing in front of his TV. He pulled Ranboo onto a beanbag, despite his protests. “Tommy, I have to protect you, I can’t play video games!”
“Protect me from what? We’re in my bedroom.”
Ranboo still wasn’t convinced. “This is literally the first place any attacker would look for you.”
“Well good job you’re right next to me.”
“In a beanbag.”
“Ah, I see what this is,” Tommy mused, tapping his chin. “Cowardice.”
“Cowardice?!” spluttered Ranboo.
“It’s okay Ranboob. Defeat is humiliating. I understand your fear.”
“Tommy I swear to Prime -”
“Gotta say, I would have preferred a brave guard, but I suppose you’ll do.”
Ranboo glared at him. “One game. Just to pass the time.”
“Yeah,” Tommy agreed. “Just to pass the time.”
He was already looking forward to the evening. He was looking forward to it a lot.
-o-o-o-
Tommy placed his foot on the pavement and breathed a sigh of relief, chuckling quietly. He was out of the palace!
Oh Prime, he was out of the palace.
He’d been out before, of course, but never alone, never without someone to tell him where to go (and how to get home). Suddenly he felt very reluctant to leave his tree.
C’mon Tommy, pull it together, don’t be a b*tch, he told himself firmly. You didn’t sneak out so you could cower next to a tree all night.
Taking a deep breath he started to make his way down the street, unsure of which part of town he was in - usually he left the palace through the front gates, into the high street, not over the back wall. It didn’t matter, as long as he remembered where his tree was he’d be fine.
He took a look at a few of the shops he passed - all closed at this time of night of course. ‘Niki’s Bakery,’ a cozy and clean-looking bakery, the lights still on in the kitchen behind the counter. ‘Niki’ must be prepping for tomorrow. ‘Redstone Rarities,’ was an engineer’s workshop, the table still strewn with bits of wiring and redstone dust (and something that looked suspiciously like a robot propped up in the corner). Tommy was tempted to knock, see if he could take a closer look, but that probably wasn’t a wise thing for a prince sneaking out to do.
He continued along the street, turning corners as they came. ‘Las Nevadas,’ a bar with a few patrons inside, laughing and joking together over bottles of beer. One slapped his friend on the back a little too hard and for a moment Tommy - and the bartender - were worried a fight might break out, but the two men laughed, the victim accepting the hand held out to pull him up. A few doors down from Las Nevadas was ‘The Leaf and Bean.’ It looked like a café that had just closed, the fairy lights inside still sparkling, reflecting on what was obviously a recently mopped floor. Even though the main lights were off - or perhaps because they were off - the place looked welcoming.
Suddenly Tommy heard regimented footsteps behind him.
Sh*t. The city guards.
Tommy ducked into the alleyway next to The Leaf and Bean, pressing himself against a doorway. If he was spotted he’d be in so much trouble. His dad would probably forbid him from leaving the palace until he turned forty. And Ranboo would be furious, Prime, he’d probably end up being killed by his own guard.
Don’t see me, don’t see me, don’t see me…
The guards passed by, not sparing him a single glance.
Tommy waited until their footsteps faded away entirely before stepping out of the doorway, letting out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding.
Then he sucked it straight back in as a knife was held to his throat.
“I don’t know who you are boy, but from your clothes alone you look pretty rich.”
Oh, Ranboo was going to kill him, then kill his dead body.
If whoever this was didn’t kill him first.
“So let me tell you how this is gonna go. You’re going to hand over all the valuables you have, or I’ll slit your throat. Got it?”
Tommy couldn’t even nod or open his mouth to speak, the knife was pressed too close to his neck. He hoped his silence would be taken as a ‘yes’ instead.
“I said do you understand?” the man behind him growled, pressing the knife closer just hard enough that Tommy could feel blood sliding down his throat. Tears sprang into his eyes despite his efforts to keep them at bay.
Was this how he died?
“HEY! YOU! LET HIM GO!”
The man behind him was startled by the sudden shout, flinging Tommy to the ground and sprinting away. Tommy lay in the alleyway, panting, hand pressed to his throat as his saviour approached hurriedly, looking worried.
“You alright?!” the stranger said, holding a hand out. Tommy squinted up at him. He was a young-ish boy, probably his age, with green eyes and brown hair, wearing a simple apron and shirt.
“Oh Prime, thank you so, so, so much,” Tommy said gratefully, pulling himself up. The boy was surprisingly strong given his height. “What do you want in return? I have money - or land, somewhere. Or -”
“Whoa, whoa,” the boy laughed, putting his hands up. “I don’t want anything in return man.”
Tommy squinted at him. “You don’t?”
The boy tilted his head. “No, of course not.”
“So… why did you help me?” Tommy asked, confused.
The boy looked equally dumbfounded. “Uh - because you were in danger? And you looked like you could do with some help.”
Tommy stared at him. “Wait… do you know who I am?”
“Uh - no?” the boy said, folding his arms.
He seriously doesn’t know who I am. Tommy realised. He helped me because he wanted to help me!
“Kind of a douchey question. Should I?”
“Should you what?”
“Know who you are.”
“Uh -” How to answer that one? Most people knew he was a prince, but Tommy was more than happy to have someone treat him like an ordinary person for once, even though ‘ordinary Tommy’ was, apparently, a douche. “No? Most people do, but it’s okay that you don’t! It’s… kinda nice actually.”
“I see,” the boy said, shrugging. “Well, I better get back to work.”
“What do you do?” Tommy asked curiously.
“Me? I run The Leaf and Bean. I was just taking the bins out, closing up for the night.”
This guy ran the nice café around the corner? That settled it, the boy was going to become his friend and that was final.
“What time do you open? I might come around, you did save my life and all.”
“Six til’ eight,” the boy said, yawning. “Speaking of which, it’s nearly nine and I want to go to sleep before ten tonight. I better get going.”
“Oh… okay,” Tommy said, feeling a little disappointed. “Thanks again.”
“It was nothing,” the boy said, waving a hand. “I’ll see you around?”
“Definitely,” Tommy said. He held out his hand. “I’m Tommy by the way.”
“Tubbo,” the boy said, shaking it.
“Nice to meet you Tubbo. Have a good evening!”
“You too,” Tubbo replied, heading back into his café.
Tommy’s eyes lingered on the door a second longer than was strictly necessary before remembering that he was in an alleyway where someone had been recently mugged. And that someone had been him.
He stepped back into the well-lit streets and decided he should probably get back to the palace. He had to deal with his cut before Ranboo saw it, and besides, he’d need a good night’s sleep if he was going to sneak out tomorrow as well.
Tubbo had just made the best friend he was ever going to make. He just didn’t know it yet.