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Spring has come and gone and now it’s the Summer after the death games. Things have resumed their usual push-and-pull back on Empires, and Jimmy is more than happy to go back to his little corner of the world to don his sheriff’s hat and badge one more time. Sure, it was hard to have to say goodbye to his part-time soulmate, but enough time has passed and Jimmy has just about stopped kicking himself for his faults during Double Life.
There’s always plenty to do on Empires, and he slips back into the routine as easily as ever. Tumble Town is flourishing, with more buildings and infrastructure and traffic than ever. He’s grateful to see his home doing so well, even if the heat gets to him more often than not these days. But he really doesn’t mind pulling weeds or fixing up creaky floorboards or settling disputes between the villagers. There’s a certain sort of familiarity to the mundane tasks in knowing that he used to do them beside someone else. Sometimes when he misses it all—the thrill of the death games, the exhilaration, the comfort of being known so intimately by another—he finds himself defaulting to the kinds of things he did in the death games. He can’t explain the way it helps him breathe a little easier. If he was an expert in the death games like Grian, maybe he’d be able to. But he’s not an expert, so he lets himself enjoy the familiarity and tries not to miss it too much.
Today he is working on fixing up the pathways in the fish-bowl. Although there is lesser traffic in this part of tumble town because he’s the main resident of this piece of it, he still wants to make it walkable in case any of the other Emperors come over for a visit. Plus he’s got the TNT wagon business, even if he knows that it’s been in desperate need of a restock for a while now. He’s pulling the weeds that line the pathways and relining them with freshly gathered gravel and coarse dirt. When he’s satisfied with his work, he takes a step back and nearly moves to sling an arm around a pair of shoulders, before reminding himself that he’s alone. It’s not that he has an issue with being on his own, but he’s still trying to rewire his brain to understand that he’s no longer soulbound. So really, he’s not upset that he’s alone, because he’s got the horses and the inhabitants of Tumble Town and the shadow flying overhead—
He frowns instinctively as he shields his face from the sun and watches as the shape of a person flies down towards him. The sun obscures his vision but he has a feeling that it must be Joel, except Joel isn’t such an erratic flyer and whoever this is is gaining way too much speed for a safe landing.
Jimmy just barely jumps out of the way as the anonymous flyer crash-lands in a heap on his newly built path. He winces as the person picks themselves up and shakes out their crumpled elytra.
“Oh boy, I’ve had better landings!” they announce with a laugh and it takes Jimmy no time at all to place that voice and that mussy head of brown hair.
“Scar?” Jimmy says, running over and extending an arm to help the man up. “How are you here?”
“Good to see you, Jim!” Scar says, patting Jimmy good-naturedly on the shoulder. He shakes off the mesa dust and stretches out his elytra behind him. “Wow, I love what you’ve done with the place! So cozy!”
Jimmy can barely even process the compliments because he’s too caught up on wondering just how Scar is here. It’s too far into the season to have let a new player in, and although they’ve had visitors on Empires before, it had always been announced beforehand. If Scar was going to pop by for a visit, Pix would have said something. Was this not planned?
“How are you here, Scar?” Jimmy reiterates for lack of better words. He knows he’s being a terrible host right now—Scar just crash-landed on his property and he should most definitely be offering him some health potions and food and maybe even a tour of Tumble Town. But he’s still baffled at Scar’s mere presence, so he can wait until after he gets some answers to be a good host.
Scar grins wildly and Jimmy swears there just might be a flint and steel in his hands. “Oh, you know Grian, he was playing around with portals.”
Jimmy just stares, still taken aback. “I’m sorry, portals?” It’s common knowledge that portals aren’t only used to hop between dimensions, but between servers. That’s how they get to the Death Games, after all. But Scar is claiming that Grian’s opening portals all willy nilly and now there’s one open between Empires and Hermitcraft? Does that mean there’s other Hermits here?
He lets out a little exasperated laugh. “Wow. That’s—Wow.”
“I know, right?” Scar says. He turns to face the landscape. “Now, why don’t you show me around?”
Now that’s an offer Jimmy can’t refuse. Even if he’s still slightly resentful towards Scar for what happened in Double Life, he’s not going to miss out on this golden opportunity to show off his pride and joy.
The first thing he does is get Scar some healing potions and golden carrots, but after that he gives him a quick tour of the fish-bowl. He feels a little silly showing off his meager building skills to Scar who is well known for grand, gorgeous builds, but then Scar praises Jimmy’s work and he feels a little better about himself.
That is until fWhip and Joel show up. Things go downhill from there.
They must have caught wind of the Hermits showing up, because they’re making a beeline for Scar and immediately trying to turn him against Jimmy. Scar easily falls prey to fWhip’s antics, and there’s a mischievous glint in fWhip’s eyes as he encourages Scar to steal the deputy’s badge off the wall. He’s more than a little mortified at the two intruders invading his home, and how Scar so quickly begins pushing him around as well.
His pride is hurt as he’s helpless to stop fWhip and Joel turning Scar to their side. He almost wonders if Scar really is the only Hermit to have come through, because if all the Hermits had shown up wouldn’t there be enough of them for all the Emperors to hang out with? Why did fWhip and Joel have to come and whisk Scar away from him?
But then Grian shows up and Jimmy wants to curl up and hide behind a bush. That’s when things really start getting out of hand. It quickly becomes a pick-on-Jimmy party between the four of them, and Jimmy is nearly ready to start threatening to use his nonexistent surplus of TNT. At the end of the day he understands it’s all fun and games, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Jimmy wants to capitalize on the fact that the Hermits are here. He’s only interacted with a handful of them before, this is a perfect opportunity to extend an olive branch and get in their good graces before someone turns them against him.
He’s multitasking by ushering Scar towards the tunnel to see the rest of Tumble Town and nonchalantly trying to tell the others to scram, but he’s just getting more overwhelmed as neither of those things seems to be working. The early afternoon heat is especially overbearing today and making his already dusty clothes stick to his skin uncomfortably. He can barely get out a sentence before fWhip and Joel are joking that Jimmy is a toy and getting Grian and Scar to play along. The mixture of voices paired with the heat is only putting Jimmy in a worse mood, so he uses the opportunity to grab Scar and pull him towards the railroad tracks.
The tunnel is thankfully much cooler, but fWhip, Joel and Grian tag along too and their voices reverberate off the rounded ceiling. He fights back a groan as he tries to tell Scar about Tumble Town and how he’s been working hard on it and how there’s someone else in the tunnel and—
Jimmy stops, because there’s someone else in the tunnel.
It takes him no time at all to realize it’s another Hermit, someone with icy blue hair and dark robes that are definitely not fit for mesa weather. But a few more seconds tick by and he makes eye-contact with the stranger and realizes he knows those eyes, they may be blue now but he’d know that face anywhere because—
It’s Tango. His soulmate, his Rancher, the one that got away. Tango is here.
Jimmy could not give you a definition for the word euphoria if he tried. But if you asked him what it felt like, he might be able to give you an example. That example being reunited with Tango after being apart for three excruciatingly long months.
The last time they had seen each other, they had been saying their final tearful goodbyes, unsure if they would ever see each other again. There is not a lot of room for leaving things unresolved in final goodbyes, and they had put everything there was on the table.
And yet, here Tango is, back within arm’s reach.
It’s a dream come true, in all honesty.
He won’t lie when he says that he’d been dreaming about reuniting with his Rancher, even if his fantasies were more indulgent than hopeful. He had imagined that should they ever reunite, it would be just as romantic as in the movies.
Tango would show up on Jimmy’s doorstep, probably with flowers in hand and his hair combed back. There would be music playing and hearts dancing in his vision as Tango would profess his love for Jimmy and attempt to whisk him away to never be apart again. And they’d ride off into the sunset holding hands, sharing a long awaited kiss.
What actually happens is practically the exact opposite of what he was expecting it to be.
It’s in a long, dark railway tunnel. Jimmy was being pushed around by fWhip and Scar and Grian, practically on his last nerve with the interlopers invading his home. He’s sweaty and tired and in desperate need of a shave, feet aching with mesa dust plastered to his skin and caking his dirty clothes. And there is Tango, appearing at the other end of the tunnel like a specter, goat horn in hand. He looks so much different, but Jimmy would know his soulmate from anywhere. They both stop in their tracks upon seeing each other, taking a moment to register if this is really, truly happening, before running to each other desperately.
And it’s almost like the movies, until Jimmy makes an attempt to spin Tango around in his arms and it only results in him falling backwards squarely onto his behind. But they both laugh it off, just like they always do. Holding each other on the railroad tracks, both caked in grime and mesa dust and reveling in the fact that they’re on the same server once more.
“It’s just like old times!” Tango says ecstatically as he helps to pull Jimmy to his feet. Jimmy smiles, only having realized just now how badly he’d missed hearing Tango’s rough voice. He pulls Tango in and presses a kiss to his forehead, which earns a delighted giggle from his former soulmate. Jimmy would kiss him senseless right now if he could, but right now they’ve got an audience, so that can wait until later.
Someone clears their throat and Jimmy whips his head around to see the peanut gallery with a widespread array of reactions—Grian with his arms crossed, unimpressed; Joel fake-gagging in the corner; fWhip looking like he’s missed something; Scar drawing little hearts in the air with a cheesy grin.
“Right, now that that’s over with,” Grian says, gesturing vaguely at Jimmy and Tango, “can we go see the rest of Toy Town?”
Jimmy tenses. “It’s called Tumble Town and you know that, mister!”
A hand slips into his, automatically soothing Jimmy’s frustration. “This is your place?” Tango’s eyes are filled with wonder when Jimmy meets his gaze, and he can’t help but melt a little bit because oh, he’s so fond of this man.
Jimmy nods, a little awestruck by Tango’s new aesthetic that he’s definitely asking about later, and Tango’s grin widens. “Let’s go look around! This place is fantastic, Jimmy!”
Jimmy becomes a bit unresponsive from the compliment, allowing Tango to pull him down the tunnel with the rest of their friends in tow. The next hour or so is a blur as he’s dragged about the expanse of Tumble Town by the Hermits, who want to see everything and ask lots of questions. The villagers mill about, occasionally giving Jimmy a weird look, but he’s not given a lot of time to explain before he’s pulled away once more.
He tries to answer questions here and there and defend his own dignity when Joel and fWhip are playing too much into the Toy bit, but his head is positively swimming and it’s barely noon. The excitement of the day is getting to him and even though he just wants to pull Tango off to the side and catch up, he finds himself hovering but unable to actually do anything.
The others are all enamored with the claw machine as Jimmy steps away to try and get some air. The sun is high in the sky and beating down relentlessly, making him sweat uncomfortably. And of course that’s when Tango peels away from the group and walks up to him, so Jimmy sends up a quiet prayer that Tango doesn’t notice.
“So much for not being a builder,” Tango says with a smirk, arms crossed against his chest. There’s a playful edge to his voice that is much different to their other friends’, one that Jimmy has become accustomed to and quite fond of.
He smiles and pockets his hands as Tango settles beside him. “Oh, stop it.”
“No, I mean it!” Tango says, pressing into his side a little, teasingly. “This place is amazing! I love it!”
Jimmy laughs as his cheeks tinge pink. He’s never been good at accepting compliments, really. “I’m glad you like it. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”
Tango hums thoughtfully. “I might just take you up on that offer.” He taps two fingers against Jimmy’s wrist, a silent question. Jimmy slips his hand out of his pocket and Tango immediately intertwines their fingers with a madman’s grin. He catches Jimmy’s gaze and the sheriff uses this opportunity to familiarize himself with the new shade of blue Tango’s eyes have taken on.
The funny thing is, he’d never planned on falling in love with the person he’d wound up soulbound to in Double Life. He’d never planned on losing Tango either, and he certainly never planned on seeing him again, especially not here in Empires. But he’ll take what he can get.
Snickering from the other group pulls Jimmy’s attention away and his face flushes, this time from embarrassment instead of the heat.
“They’re just jealous!” Tango combats, gently tugging Jimmy further away from the claw machine. They fall into step along the railroad tracks and now that it’s just the two of them, Jimmy’s head is a lot clearer and he can actually focus on Tango.
The thing about Jimmy is he’s a little bit selfish, so of course he’s going to want his Rancher to stay in Tumble Town with him. So the idea comes to him practically fully formed, all that matters now is proposing the question to Tango.
“Y’know, Tango,” Jimmy starts with, his smile leaking into his voice, “Tumble Town is definitely in need of a Ranch…”
Tango gasps, tail flicking with excitement. “It would fit right in!” Jimmy can practically see the blueprints working themselves out in Tango’s mind and Jimmy can’t help but let out a soft chuckle.
“Tango!” someone else shouts, and then their moment is over, once again. “We’re going to go check out Gobland, wanna come with?” Grian asks, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Tango perks up. “Gobland? That sounds exciting!” Grian grabs him by the wrist and begins pulling him along as the others take off into the sky. Jimmy pouts and Grian sticks his tongue out at him from over his shoulder.
“Are you coming, Jimmy?” Tango asks, managing to dig his heels into the dirt and keep Grian from pulling him away just yet.
Jimmy opens his mouth to respond but finds himself hesitating. He’s pretty exhausted from the events of the day already, a little bit overwhelmed, and if he doesn’t get a bath soon he might just scream. Plus, going to Gobland right now doesn’t sound all that ideal, what with his and fWhip’s tenuous alliance after the whole ex-deputy business.
So he puts on his best smile and hooks his thumbs through his belt loops. “I think I’ll hang back this time. You go have fun, though!”
Tango visibly wilts. He opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but Grian’s pulling on his arm again. So he picks himself back up and flashes a smile. “I’ll be back later!”
That warms Jimmy’s heart and puts a genuine smile on his face. He watches as Grian and Tango disappear to go explore the rest of what Empires has to offer, but Jimmy is content now, knowing that his Rancher will be returning soon enough.
He stands there for a moment, before he finally gathers his wits and gets to work. He’s got chores to do and things to prepare before Tango comes back, so he better get to work.
It’s not until dusk has begun to settle over the mesa that Tango returns. Jimmy ashamedly had started to worry that his Rancher wasn’t going to come back at all, having gotten distracted by the other empires and their glory to want to go back to little ol’ Tumble Town. But as Jimmy is finally getting around to restocking his TNT cart, a low drawling noise resounds through the fish-bowl. And when he looks upwards, he sees none other than Tango, stood up at the top of the fish-bowl with a horn in hand, the setting sun silhouetting him perfectly.
Jimmy can’t help but grin. If he had a horn he’d sound it back at him, but since he doesn’t, he settles for gesturing for Tango to come down, and to his delight the blazeborne does. Jimmy is nearly knocked over for the second time today when Tango barrels into him and hugs him so tight he fears for his ribs.
“How was your day?” Jimmy asks, but he barely gets the words out before Tango pulls on his collar and finally kisses him. Immediately Jimmy is enveloped in the warmth that is Tango, but he doesn’t shy away from it like he would from the mesa heat. Instead, he opts to return the kiss and hold his former soulmate close, relishing in the familiarity of the gesture.
He’s reminded of the last time they saw each other, when they agreed that since nothing was holding them together after Double Life that they were free to go their own ways. Jimmy had come to terms with their partnership ending(or at least, that’s what he told himself), as he couldn’t stay Tango’s muse forever. So he’s been preparing himself all day for Tango to friendzone him.
But the kiss has thrown all that out the window, and honestly? Jimmy is more than happy about that.
“I’ve been waiting to do that all day,” Tango says when he pulls away, still holding onto Jimmy's collar like his life depends on it.
Jimmy laughs fondly and bumps his forehead against Tango’s. “Me too.”
“This is your house?” Tango asks, breaking their embrace to skip over and examine the quaint building.
“Yeah!” Jimmy says, slightly nervously. Tango bounds up the steps onto the porch, looking positively delighted. Before Tango can say something that makes Jimmy flush even more, he asks, “Have you had dinner?”
Tango lights up, hand hovering on the doorknob. “I was hoping you would offer! I’ve missed your cooking.”
Jimmy barks out a laugh, because he’s been knocked off course, here. It’s been three months since they’ve done this, he’s out of practice on how to respond. But he lets Tango inside and allows him to explore—he made sure to clean up earlier so the place is more presentable—and quickly begins throwing something together for dinner. He decides pork stew will work, especially because of how cold it gets in the fish-bowl at night. Tango shucks off his oversized coat and witch hat and puts them by the door, then volunteers to help Jimmy put together the stew. When it’s ready they settle out on the porch and watch the sunset together. It reminds Jimmy of when they'd climb onto the roof of the ranch and talk about whatever, not having a clue as to what the future had in store for them, but enjoying the time nonetheless.
“Can I ask?” Jimmy finally says after they’ve had a couple bites of their meal. He gestures at Tango with his spoon, leading to the blazeborne looking down at himself.
“Oh yeah! I nearly forgot.” Tango laughs, setting down his bowl in lieu of not spilling it while he explains, something that had happened many a time back in Double Life. “It’s my dungeon master get-up!”
“For Decked Out?” Jimmy asks, desperately hoping that he’s remembering correctly.
“Yeah!” Tango cheers, smile shining brilliantly. “Do you like it?”
Jimmy’s eyes dart from Tango’s frosty blue hair to his piercing aquamarine eyes to the dark colors of his outfit and yeah, it’ll take some getting used to, but it’s definitely a good look for him. A really good look.
“I do,” Jimmy says wholeheartedly, voice going quiet as his face flushes. Tango’s tail flicks in response, and as badly as Jimmy would love to kiss him right now, Tango’s already moved on to another topic.
“And look at you! Mister Cowboy over here!” He gestures to Jimmy’s outfit, which may be a little over-the-top, what with the iconic brimmed hat, the somewhat tacky boots and the leather vest.
Jimmy stiffens. “That’s Mister Sheriff to you.”
Tango snorts, leaning forward and flicking the badge on Jimmy’s chest. “Of course, of course.”
“How is Decked Out coming along, then?” Jimmy asks, turning back to his stew. Tango’s tail begins wagging quickly, now, and it brings a smile to Jimmy’s face.
Tango excitedly tells Jimmy all about the progress being made on his dungeon crawling not-so-mini minigame, and Jimmy eagerly takes it all in. Even when the sun has disappeared, the stew is gone and the night chill has crept in, Jimmy is content to just sit on the porch and watch as his Rancher explains the mechanics of clank and hazard and his plans for getting wardens into level three. Jimmy soaks it all in; the warmth emanating off Tango, the way he gestures wildly, how he keeps scooting closer to Jimmy until they’re practically pressed into each other’s sides.
When there’s a lull in the conversation, Jimmy pats Tango’s knee ceremoniously and stands up. Tango watches him as Jimmy stretches, popping his aching joints. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Tango hums quizzically. “Do you have apple cider?”
Jimmy’s hand hovers on the screen-door as he looks back at Tango, a knowing smile on his face. “Sure. With just a dash of cinnamon?”
Tango barks out a laugh that could keep Jimmy warm all winter. “You know me so well, Jim.”
Jimmy disappears inside and quickly puts together a mug of hot chocolate and a mug of apple cider with just a dash of cinnamon. He returns onto the porch a few minutes later, two mugs in hand and sits back down next to Tango. He sets his mug down beside him and hands Tango his mug of apple cider. The blazeborne grins like a mad man and gratefully takes it from Jimmy with both hands. His fingertips graze Jimmy’s as he takes the mug and the simple, most likely accidental touch makes Jimmy’s heart leap into his throat.
Tango takes a long drink of his apple cider and Jimmy shamelessly watches him as he does so. He closes his eyes and tips his head back ever so slightly, exposing part of his neck to the cold, mesa night. He hums in contentment, but it sounds more like a purr, especially when paired with the fact that his tail flicks happily behind him.
“Oh yeah, that hits the spot.” Tango puts his head on Jimmy’s shoulder, tucked into the crook of his neck and shoulder. “You know how to make the perfect apple cider.” A laugh rumbles out of Jimmy’s throat in response, and he picks up his hot chocolate to take a long swig of the warm drink.
If Jimmy was a poet, he’d probably write about how knowing someone well is a form of blissful intimacy of its own. But Jimmy isn’t a poet and he’s not a star in some movie, so instead he soaks in the quiet, domestic moment as they both drink from their warm mugs and enjoy a peaceful moment alone together.
After their mugs have been emptied and the moon has risen higher into the night sky, they head inside for the night. Jimmy, yawning the whole way, puts their dishes in the sink to clean at a later time and puts away his hat and boots by the door. Tango wanders over to the couch and plops himself down, eyes drooping comically.
“D’you need a change of clothes?” Jimmy asks, grabbing a spare blanket and pillow out of the wardrobe.
Tango nods tiredly. “If you wouldn’t mind.”
Jimmy grabs two sets of pajamas, thankful that he did laundry recently enough for there to be enough clean clothes for the both of them. He sets the blanket and pillow on the coffee table and hands Tango the fresh set of pajamas. The blazeborne smiles and stands up, inspecting the night clothes.
“Bathroom’s just down the hallway, first on your left,” Jimmy says, pointing down the hallway.
“Thanks, songbird.” Tango stands on his tip-toes and presses a swift kiss to the corner of Jimmy’s mouth before disappearing down the hallway. Jimmy’s left standing in front of the couch, grinning like a lovesick fool as his fingers trace the corner of his mouth. It’s amazing how much things haven’t changed after so long apart. What was he even worried about?
When Tango emerges from the bathroom Jimmy allows himself a couple extra seconds to admire the blazeborne in his clothes, ever so slightly too big for him yet Tango doesn’t seem to mind.
Tango huffs fondly as he passes Jimmy to set his clothes down. “Stop looking at me like that.” Jimmy laughs, a bit tiredly but mostly fondly. Tango puts his clothes down and when he notices the extra pillow and blanket he gives Jimmy a confused look. “Are we not sharing the bed?”
Jimmy bristles, face going slightly red in embarrassment. He doesn’t want to say I didn’t know if you’d want to so instead he says, “The bed’s pretty small, but the couch has more room.”
Tango’s expression shifts and he nods. “I like your thinking, Rancher!” He quickly gets to work putting down the pillow and setting out the blanket, even going as far as to steal other pillows and blankets from Jimmy’s bed in the corner to make it more comfortable for the two of them. Jimmy just watches, blissfully admiring Tango and pretty much everything about him. Despite his change in appearance, he’s still the same Tango that Jimmy fell in love with.
“Are you going to change?” Jimmy snaps out of his state to find Tango giving him a quizzical look. Jimmy looks down at himself in his dusty, dirty clothes and then to the clean pair of pajamas he’s holding.
“Of course!” He chirps, already heading off down the hallway. “Be right back!”
He makes haste changing into his pajamas and gives himself a once-over in the mirror, mussing with his hair to ensure he doesn’t look too unkempt on their first night together in a while. He even debates putting on some cologne, but decides that’s a little too much and that Tango will definitely notice and proceed to tease him for. So he leaves his pair of dirty clothes in the hamper in the bathroom and walks back out into the main room to join Tango.
Tango’s just finishing up their sleeping arrangements when Jimmy comes back out. When he notices Jimmy’s presence he proudly stands to the side and gestures to his work. “Ta-da! Isn’t it great?”
Jimmy laughs tiredly, moseying over to Tango and wrapping an arm around his waist to pull him close and press a kiss against his hairline. “It’s perfect.”
It takes some finagling that reminds Jimmy a lot of their first night together in the same bed back in the ranch, but they eventually find a way to squeeze themselves onto the couch together. It is bigger than Jimmy’s bed, but not by a lot. But that’s okay, Jimmy’s not complaining if he gets to be with Tango.
Jimmy’s just beginning to get used to looking into frosty blue eyes instead of poppy-red ones when Tango reaches forward and places his palm against Jimmy’s chest, right over his heart. They breathe together in tandem, but their hearts beat separately. It’s still taking Jimmy some getting used to, but when Tango feels Jimmy’s heartbeat, a sappy smile spreads across his face.
“There it is,” he says with a fond exhale. “I never knew how much I could miss something as silly as a heartbeat until I lost it.”
Jimmy gingerly takes Tango’s hand and presses a kiss against his palm, simultaneously running his fingers over Tango’s pulse-point. A wave of calm washes over him just at feeling Tango’s pulse thrumming against his own, and he realizes just then how much he’s missed it, too.
It’s easy to fall asleep in Tango’s embrace, like they’re slipping into parts they’ve played before, like it’s second nature to them. Jimmy feels at home when he’s got Tango curled up beside him, and he wonders distantly if when he wakes up he’ll be back at the ranch in Double Life.
When Jimmy wakes up, his arms feel inexplicably empty. He groans outwardly as he reaches out for something, only to find the edge of the couch and empty space.
The rising sun is practically blinding as he forces himself upward into a sitting position. He rubs his tired eyes and stretches out the kinks in his back. Maybe sleeping on the couch last night wasn’t the best idea, after all.
When he looks around and notices Tango’s absence, he can’t help but frown. The house is completely empty of any clatter that usually accompanies the blazeborne’s presence, so it’s safe to say he’s left again. His suspicions are only confirmed when he notices his hat has been set on the coffee table(not where he left it last night) with a bright yellow sticky note stuck to the front of it. He reaches forward and pulls the paper off of his hat to get a closer look at it.
I’m off to explore Empires some more! You looked like you needed the rest. I’ll be back again soon!
-TT
Heart fluttering, Jimmy holds the note close to his heart as he flops back down onto the couch. It’s like a little promise to Jimmy wrapped up neatly with a bow, a promise that he’ll come back and they’ll have more time together. It puts a smile on Jimmy’s face to think about Tango coming back home to him.
They’d both acknowledged that things would be different after Double Life. But even though they haven’t spoken about it, they’ve fallen back into their old routines and Jimmy can’t help from hoping that it will continue this way. It’s like the universe has given them another chance. Maybe they can keep all their promises this time around, without the threat of a premature death ripping them apart.
It’ll be them against the world.
So no, Jimmy isn’t upset about Tango going off and doing his own thing. He can’t blame him for wanting to explore Empires, and Jimmy has things he needs to be doing around Tumble Town anyways.
So he throws together a quick breakfast for himself and begins constructing his plan for the day. But he doesn’t get very far, because he keeps thinking about making a place for Tango. He keeps thinking about their conversation yesterday when they decided Tumble Town needs a Ranch.
It’s an easy decision, so Jimmy forgoes his usual housekeeping chores to instead gather the resources to build a new Ranch, a home for Tango within Jimmy’s home. He’s lost track of how many different iterations there’s been of the Ranch so far with all the arson and explosions and does the one they built in the pocket dimension even count?
He has to adjust the block palette and building style to fit in with the aesthetic of Tumble Town a little better, hoping Tango won’t mind. He finds a good spot for it near his storage barn and quickly sets to work, building up a strong base and ensuring it will be stable against the harsh winds that blow through the mesa now and again.
It comes together as a quaint little two-story building, complete with the iconic stone ‘R’ and a little pen for some animals. He settles for chickens instead of cows in the pen, and sets them up with some quickly thrown together coops. Then he tackles decorating the living space, putting in a bed, some chests, shelving and he even spares a diamond to make a jukebox to put in the corner. He fills the chests with fresh sets of clothes, food and some basic tools for Tango, and even a spare music disc ‘just in case’.
Once he’s satisfied, he steps outside to admire his creation. He despondently realizes that it looks almost nothing like the original Ranch, but decides that that’s okay. They’ve built it so many times by now, of course it’s going to be a little bit different each time. It’s not meant to be a time machine back to Double Life or anything, no, it’s supposed to be a testament to how far they’ve come!
All Jimmy needs now is to show it to Tango. A mixture of excitement and anxiety brews inside of him, worrying that Tango might not like it as much as Jimmy had been hoping. He wanders the streets of Tumble Town as he carefully crafts a message to Tango. Building the Ranch has taken up Jimmy’s entire morning, so he heads to the saloon for something to eat.
After his innocuous message has been sent to Tango, he eagerly awaits a response over his plate of steak. The saloon is busy as the villagers of Tumble Town bustle about, and he gets a couple nods and waves as people pass in and out of the building. He keeps his eyes trained on his communicator, though, desperately waiting for Tango to message when he’s on his way. But the blazeborne must be busy, because even thirty minutes after Jimmy’s sent the message, he hasn’t even read it.
Which is fine. Jimmy wouldn’t expect Tango to drop everything he’s doing just to respond to a message. Who knows what he’s getting up to right now, there’s plenty to explore on Jimmy’s home server and Tango seemed pretty excited about seeing what it has to offer. So Jimmy doesn’t sweat it, and instead redirects his focus to his chores that have gone ignored thus far today.
The rest of the day fizzles away as Jimmy finally gets to his responsibilities as the Sheriff. There’s paperwork to fill out, pathways to tend to, weeds to be pulled and shops to be restocked and he has to deal with a quarrel that’s broken out between two of the villagers over property lines that leaves him absolutely drained.
He’s walking back to his house after finally settling the dispute between the villagers when he’s nearly knocked off his feet by someone sneaking up behind him. He lets out a little yelp as a pair of arms wraps tightly around him, Jimmy fighting to find his footing so the two of them don’t fall over.
“Jimmy!” Tango cheers in greeting.
Jimmy pulls away to regain his balance, but quickly latches onto Tango once they’re facing each other. “Hi!” He greets back, heartbeat still calming from the jumpscare.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t get your message,” Tango says, a frown replacing his usual grin. “It’s been a hectic day. I was doing some witchy stuff with Shubble and checking out Sanctuary and Stratos and then all the Hermits were doing this thing and—” Tango stops himself, chewing on his lip. “Sorry, that was probably a lot. Anyways, how are you?”
Jimmy smiles fondly at the man in front of him. “Not at all, don’t apologize,” he waves Tango off. “But I’m good! I’m glad to hear that you’re having fun.”
Tango’s smile returns and he takes Jimmy’s hand in his. “Empires is so much fun, I’m having a blast.” He looks up at Jimmy with curious eyes. “You said there was something you wanted to show me?”
Jimmy grins from ear-to-ear as he begins to pull Tango along towards the tunnel. “I’ve got a little secret for you.”
Tango perks up. “Oh, I like secrets, okay.”
Jimmy escorts Tango through the tunnel, giggling to himself the whole way. Once they’re on the other side he takes Tango by the shoulders and angles him towards the storage barn.
“See anything that might look familiar?” he says cheekily, watching Tango for a reaction as his eyes scan the layout of Tumble Town. It takes the blazeborne a second, but Jimmy registers the moment he sees it by his widening eyes and his elated gasp.
“You didn’t!” Tango cheers ecstatically. He bounces up and down a couple times, before grabbing onto Jimmy’s hand again and eagerly pulling him along, back towards the Ranch.
“I did!” Jimmy says between giggles. Tango makes quick work of guiding them over to the Ranch, and the pure look of amazement on Tango’s face makes the three months apart worth it.
“Is it okay that I built it without you? D’you like it?” Jimmy asks, now a little anxious as Tango peels away from him to explore the building.
“Okay? Like it? Jimmy, I love it!” Tango says, strings of incoherent Tango-noises escaping the blazeborne as he darts around the property. “Oh Jimmy, you’ve really outdone yourself!” He runs back over to Jimmy to pepper his face with grateful kisses, leaving Jimmy a blushing mess.
Jimmy follows Tango around as he explores the inside of the Ranch, unable to stop smiling as he takes in Tango’s reactions to the carefully curated space. It’s more than he could have asked for, honestly. He wouldn’t trade any of this for the world, just being here in the same space with Tango again. He can’t wait to make even more memories here together.
“I don’t know what to say.” They’ve on the lower level now, with Tango spinning around in a circle as he marvels at the building. Jimmy can’t get enough of Tango, can barely take his eyes off him for one second.
“I figured if you Hermits are staying here, you’ll need some place to stay!” Jimmy explains with a happy smile. “The place is all yours. And hey, if you want, you can add more to it, or even build some stuff around Tumble Town if you’d like!”
That’s when Tango goes quiet, and Jimmy doesn’t miss the way he flinches. He tries to cover it up, but Jimmy caught the moment of hesitation, and it brings a frown to his face.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, the tenderness of the moment quickly melting away.
“Nothing!” Tango squeaks, but he turns away from Jimmy and starts shaking his head and muttering to himself.
Jimmy swallows hard. “Why are you shaking your head? Did I do something wrong?” The panic creeps into his voice unwillingly as the world fractures around him. Did he misread the situation? Surely not, considering how affectionate they’ve been ever since their reunion. So something else must be going on here, so what is it?
Tango lets out a small yelp, rushing forward to Jimmy. “You didn’t do anything wrong, it’s not you! I just—” he mumbles something under his breath before turning away, not meeting Jimmy’s gaze. “I kind of already made an arrangement with the goblin man.”
White noise drowns out any coherent thought remaining in Jimmy’s head. “No you didn’t.”
“I did!” Tango says, finally turning back to Jimmy with pleading in his tone.
Jimmy’s heart splinters from the betrayal. Tango couldn’t have known about the drama between Jimmy and fWhip, but still. Is fWhip going to attempt to turn Tango against him? Did Jimmy not tell Tango how much he means to him? Is this him having to pay the price for it?
“Are you about to leave?” Jimmy says, voice breaking slightly as the emotion begins to build.
Tango’s eyes go wide. “No! No no, I’m not going to leave.” He quickly grabs Jimmy’s hands and squeezes them affirmingly. “Gobland needs a mechanic, so it’s just a job. I’m not moving there or anything.”
Jimmy takes a second to process that. He wants to blow up about it, to tell Tango he can’t go because fWhip is his nemesis and that it’s just not right for Tango to be hanging out with him.
But they’re not exactly soulbound anymore. Tango can do whatever he wants to, it would be unfair of Jimmy to boss him around. As much as he wants to keep Tango all to himself, things are different now, and he needs to let Tango spread his wings a little bit.
Jimmy squeezes Tango’s hands in response. “Okay.”
Tango blinks up at him, unconvinced. “It’s okay? We’re okay?”
“Yeah,” Jimmy says with a slow nod. “As long as you promise to come and visit.”
Tango narrows his gaze at Jimmy. “No no, I’m definitely moving in! The way I look at it, that’s my work, this is my homestead.” He gestures to the Ranch with one hand and looks back at Jimmy with a soft gaze that patches up some of the cracks on Jimmy’s heart.
He lets out a little laugh of relief, pulling Tango closer and just enjoying their proximity. “I thought that was about to go differently.”
Tango leans into the embrace, chest thrumming as he lets out a small purr. “I can’t pass up rancher love!”
That makes his heart soar. They’re going to be okay. He’s not losing Tango, but he is going to have to be okay with sharing him. They’ll work it out, they always do.
Jimmy presses a soft kiss to Tango’s forehead, eliciting a small laugh from the blazeborne. “Wanna go get something to eat? Tell me about your day?”
Tango lights up at that. “Yes! That sounds great!”
And then he’s pulling Jimmy along towards the saloon and everything is right with the world. He’s glad they’ve talked somewhat about what’s going on between them, even if there’s still plenty to discuss. What happens when Tango has to go back to Hermitcraft? What are they now that they’re not soulmates? When are they going to have to say goodbye again?
But all those scary discussions can wait until a later time. Right now, Jimmy’s got a date and he plans to enjoy every second of it.
They’re at the saloon pretty much until it’s closing time and they’re kicked out. Jimmy gladly listens as Tango talks all about the exciting events of his day and Jimmy talks about Tumble Town and how proud of it he is. He walks Tango back to the Ranch when night has settled over the mesa, and they continue talking until they’ve gone inside and upstairs.
A quiet falls over them once they’re in the loft, so Jimmy decides this is probably when they say their goodbyes for the night.
“Well, I better be off,” Jimmy says ceremoniously, but his feet remain planted. He waits for a response from Tango before taking his leave, but it never comes. Tango only hums absentmindedly as he meanders about the room, eyeing Jimmy playfully.
Jimmy shuffles his feet, feeling out of place yet inexplicably tied down. “I guess I'll be going then,” he tries, raising his eyebrows at Tango, waiting for something, anything. But Tango just looks at him, cocks his head and raises an eyebrow.
Then he takes a couple steps forward, silently approaching until they’re a couple inches distance apart. Jimmy is halfway between anticipating a goodbye kiss and Void knows what, but is left perplexed as Tango just looks at him. His icy blue eyes trail Jimmy up and down as he quietly hums to himself. Jimmy, inexplicably, feels stripped bare under Tango’s newly piercing gaze, and it causes an unwilling flush to rise in his cheeks.
“What's that look for?” Jimmy says with a nervous smile, a poorly timed chuckle giving away his state of unease. His answer comes in the form of Tango reaching upwards. Jimmy almost goes to lean in, anticipating Tango to cup his face or touch his neck or something, only for Tango to grab his hat right off his head and hook it on the hat stand. Jimmy raises an eyebrow as Tango grins like a mad man.
That’s when Tango pounces, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him forward into a surprise kiss. Jimmy recovers quickly from his shock and is kissing Tango back with all the admiration and affection he holds for him, a passion and love that has not once faltered after all this time. It feels a bit like coming home.
The kiss ends too soon, leaving Jimmy hovering in a lovesick daze. Tango smiles, his devilish grin having melted into something soft and fond. It makes Jimmy’s heart flutter, almost like it would when they still shared the same heartbeat.
“Stay the night?” Tango asks, standing on his tip-toes and leaning in so close that his warm breath ghosts across Jimmy’s face. It sends shivers down his spine and an unabashed heat rises up in his cheeks.
Tango is definitely taking advantage of Jimmy right now, but the Sheriff doesn't have it in himself to care. He decides his responsibilities and such can wait because Tango is here, right here where Jimmy can have him and it’s just like the movies but not and it’s everything he could have hoped for. Who can blame him for wanting to capitalize on it while he can?
“Okay.” The words fall out of his mouth easily, and as soon as they do Tango is kissing him again and he's lost in an ocean of bliss. When they part they’re both laughing as Tango pulls them backwards towards the bed, the sun coloring the sky dusty reds and purples as night begins to fall over the mesa.
There’s still plenty to discuss and lots to do, but that can all wait. Jimmy will take what he can get, and they’ll work it out. They always do.