Chapter Text
Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Ranboo moved in with his newest foster family. The "Watsons." He was supposed to start making himself at home days ago. But here he was, on the bathroom floor curled up from the sheer anxiety of sharing a room with someone. It felt as if, at any moment, the blonde boy he shared a room with was going to explode and scream at him. The idea of that happening shook him to his very core.
Ranboo could hear a minor knock from the other side of the door.
"Ranboo, bud, you've been in there for a while. Are you doing alright?" The soft voice of the man named Phil, Ranboo's newest foster father, was heard through the door.
Ranboo didn't answer. Everything sounded like flies in his ears. It all felt so loud compared to how it usually was. Reluctantly he slightly scratched at the skin near his lips.
"Is it alright if I come in?" Phil spoke again, a sigh following before his words.
This time Ranboo attempted to answer, "s-sure…." He muttered loud enough to be heard by Phil hopefully.
Thankfully, Phil heard him and stepped inside the bathroom, closing the door behind him and sitting against the door.
Ranboo's back was against the bathtub. His eyes were wet and tired from crying.
"Do you want to talk about anything?" Phil asked calmly.
Ranboo shook his head.
Phil let out a small hum with a slight nod of understanding.
"Techno used to be the same as you when I first started fostering him."
Ranboo listened quietly as Phil mindlessly spoke.
"Tommy would always go knocking on his door, and it'd scare the living shit out of him. I'd have to go over and calm Techno down. Tommy would cry with him because he accidentally startled his new older brother." Phil laughed softly while looking at the ground.
He then peered back up at Ranboo with a soft smile, "what I'm trying to get at is your feelings are natural. It's okay to feel the way you do. It takes time to feel comfortable in one place, and I can probably guess you didn't have the easiest time in other homes, so that must've caused some issues, hey?"
Ranboo shrugged, his eyes darting to the floor.
Phil sighed, "do you want to come to the store with me?
Ranboo thought for a moment. It would be better than being on the cold bathroom floor. With a decision made, he nodded at Phil.
"Alright," Philza smiled while standing up. "Go get your shoes on. I'll wait for you downstairs." Phil then opened the door, leaving Ranboo alone.
The now mentally tired boy stood up, only catching a slight glance of his reflection as he made his way out the door. His eyes felt heavy, but he still wished to go out with his foster father.
His feet slid against the floor as he entered his shared room.
Tommy sat at his desk, his feet propped up on the table as he pushed himself around in the spinny chair.
Without saying a word, Ranboo grabbed his mask and shoes.
"Are you goin' out?" Tommy asked, spinning over to look at Ranboo.
Ranboo, being caught off guard and not wanting to communicate verbally, nodded quickly.
"Phil?" Tommy asked once again.
Ranboo gave him a confused glance.
"Are you going with Phil?" Tommy asked, trying to be more clearer.
Ranboo nodded once again.
Tommy hummed, "alright have fun." He shrugged, turning around back to his computer screen.
Ranboo stepped outside the room and made his way downstairs, his fingers gently sliding down the railing. Phil was waiting near the door for the boy.
"You ready?" He asked.
Ranboo signaled to his shoes and sat down on the stairs.
"Are you guys going out?" A lower voice spoke up.
"Just for some groceries, it won't take too long," Phil answered.
Techno was leaning against the couch. Techno had tied in his long, faded, pink hair a low ponytail.
"I wasn't looking to come with you. Could you drop me off at Dream's place?" Techno asked.
"I suppose. I have to work tonight, and I don't trust Wilbur to make Tommy and Ranboo food, so I'd like you to be home by at least seven."
Techno shrugged, "I'll just ask George for a ride."
"Alright." Phil hummed, "you ready now, Ranboo?" Phil turned his attention back to Ranboo, who happened to be struggling to tie his shoes. God, what an idiot.
Phil said nothing as he moved over to Ranboo and bent down, helping him out.
Ranboo felt only shame. Fourteen years old, and he was still struggling. Idiot.
Phil stood up and grabbed his keys, "let's go, you two." He smiled while walking out the door.
Ranboo bounced up and followed behind Techno as they left the house.
Phil was the first in the car, driver's seat. Techno took the passenger's seat, leaving Ranboo with the back seats all to himself.
As Ranboo climbed in, Phil spoke towards Techno.
"Surprised you didn't call dibs in front." He chuckled lightly.
"I only do that with Tommy and Wil because it's funny to see them shuffle around and try to beat me." Techno grinned while speaking.
"Plus, I don't want to make Ranboo think he has to race me."
"Well, that's very nice of you." Phil gave Technoblade a sincere smile before beginning to back out of the driveway.
Ranboo leaned his head against the window and allowed himself to zone out, chewing on the skin on his knuckles as he barely listened to Phil and Techno's conversation.
"So, what do you need to go over for?" Phil asked.
"Dream wanted me to drop off something I borrowed from him." Techno shrugged, "he ended up asking me to hang out for a bit, though, which is fine. George and Sapnap are there too."
"Alright, remember to behave yourself and mind your manners."
"Yeah, yeah," Techno waved his hand dismissively.
Phil chuckled before falling back to silence. The rest of the car ride was relatively quiet. Ranboo didn't feel like communicating at the moment, and Phil and Techno didn't have a topic to discuss.
The car pulled to the side of the street, parking so that Techno may get out.
"Be home by seven at the latest, please," Phil called towards the older boy.
"Yep!" Techno called back as he approached the two-story house.
Phil turned back to Ranboo, "do you wanna hop in front?"
"Ah, uh, sure…." Ranboo mumbled. He unbuckled and hopped out of the car. He usually never sat in the front of the vehicle. Most of his past foster parents made him sit in the back no matter what. This was new…
"Th-thank you…" Ranboo quietly thanked Phil.
"No problem, kiddo," Phil smiled at Ranboo. "You know you don't have to be so quiet around me. I'm not going to yell at you or anything."
"Sorry, j-just right now, I'm a little overwhelmed." Ranboo leaned his head against the window, yawning tiredly.
"That's perfectly understandable. For the future, though, you're allowed to be as loud as Tommy if you'd desire to be so."
Ranboo nodded, "alright…." He mumbled, closing his eyes and accidentally falling asleep.