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tunastime · 1 year

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aheem heem… hello dearest mutual… uhm… renthubs + 14 mayhaps? :3c

14. bruised / kissed (x) (1285 words. help. you guys made me terrible)

It’s late, and the basement of the monolith is already starting to seep through with cold. Etho runs a hand up the back of his neck, trying to work out the tension from sleeping funny the night before. He’s been in this position for a good part of an hour, tracing out the lines of blueprints half understood. He sighs.

"Knock, knock."

Etho straightens, startling. He turns in his chair to notice the outline of Ren in the doorway of his workspace.

"Oh, hey, Ren,” he says, relaxing his shoulders. Ren smiles at him, his ears perking up.

“Mind if I come in?” he asks, raising his eyebrows. He’s carrying a cup in his hands.

“No, no,” Etho waves his roommate in, patting the desk, as if to say join me here, the space is yours, too. Which. A few months ago, may not have been the case. As Ren pulls from the doorway, Etho squints into the rest of his living space. "Is Bdubs..."

Ren shakes his head.

"No, he's asleep."

Etho nods.

"Ah,” he says, leaning back against the desk. He tucks his leg up against the back, tilting his head. “What're you still doing up?"

Ren sits at the edge of the desk. He glances behind him for a moment, making sure that, when he inevitably wags his tail, it won’t knock anything over. Etho smiles, something warm weaseling up next to his heart.

“Oh. I couldn’t sleep. I figured I might,” Ren taps his fingers against the cup he’s holding and Etho watches him glance between it and his face. “Uh, see if you wanted company until you went up.”

Etho smiles and his eyes crinkle. “Thanks.”

Ren nods. After a second, he holds out the mug he was holding to Etho. Etho reflexively holds his hands out, before Ren even speaks. He shifts in the chair to meet him better.

“Here,” Ren says. Etho holds the warm cup in the cradle of his hands. It smells sweet, almost like cinnamon, or nutmeg, some dark spice he can’t place.

“Oh. It’s...” He furrows his eyebrows. Coffee.

“You don’t have to drink it now,” Ren blurts. His ears pin back. Something in his voice asks I don’t know if you like it. How does he say I’ll drink it for you? Ren continues: “You can wait until I leave.”

“I appreciate it.” Etho laughs, setting the cup down. That alone seems to make Ren’s shoulder’s relax. Etho sees his ears twitch. He settles back again, draping his arm over his knee. Ren tilts his head, just a bit, waiting on the inevitable question he must sense in Etho’s posture. "What did I miss today?"

Ren grins. The way it lights up his face. Etho wants to bottle whatever that is. "Oh man. Plans. All across the floor,” he spreads his hands, glancing over at him. “We spent twenty minutes trying to lay them out but my god when we did. Etho have you seen—"

Etho leans forward. "The color on them?"

Ren swings out, bats at his arm. He bats him back.

"And the design!” Ren says, rocking back, gesturing wildly with his hands. “They don't even look like someone could build them. They're inhuman!"

Etho nods, watching Ren try so very hard not to wag his tail. Etho says, pressing his hands together:

"He's been developing this new way of shading things so that the gradients create the texture for him, he's redefining—"

"Negative space," they say together.

"Exactly,” Ren sighs. “Wow."

Etho hums. Ren settles back against the desk, both hands behind him.

"It's nice having someone else to look after him, y'know,” Etho says. Ren inclines his head, ears perking up.

"Bdubs?"

Etho smiles.

"Mhm."

Ren huffs out a laugh, pressing a hand to his chest. He dips his head, as if it’ll prevent Etho from seeing the flush on his face.

"It's. An honor that you trust me to do it."

Etho traces the lip of the cup. He shrugs.

"Sure. You're an easy guy to trust."

Ren shakes his head, smiling, voice carrying a sheepish laugh.

"Please."

"I mean it."

“I know, I know,” Ren says, still laughing a little. There’s a lull, just for a moment, the two of them sitting quietly. Ren looks into his hands before he speaks again, quiet and still smiling.

"I care about you too, y'know."

"Yeah?" Etho snorts. But Ren sounds too sincere when he says it. Etho replays scenes in his head. Little things. Moments. Ren makes him breakfast. Ren tells him to be safe. Ren says to go to bed. Ren brings him tea. His favorite tea. Ren listens. Ren leans back in when Etho leans against him, too tired to walk back alone from another redstone project. Ren trusts him to critique his building, something he’s only ever been asked to do by Bdubs. Bdubs leaves them together. He tells Bdubs late one night that he likes Ren. It isn’t the stronger word. But Bdubs lights up nonetheless. He’s reading his mind. And Ren says:

"Yeah,” in a soft voice.

Etho feels something in his chest seize. He pushes the mug forward on the desk to put his hand down, pulling himself out of the chair and to a stand.

“Ren,” he says, his hand half outstretched between them. Ren glances over.

“Hm?”

“I, uh,” he swallows. For some reason, the words don’t sound right in his mouth. Not like he can’t say them, but that they’re suddenly not good enough. There is something much too bright and great in his chest to be encapsulated by words alone. He holds his hand out, palm up, and Ren, after a beat of hesitation, sets his hand on his. Etho turns his hand over. He reads over the fine lines of his hand. He wonders if he were to run his thumbs over his palm if it would be softer than his own. Maybe. Maybe.

Etho sighs to settle his nerves. He feels his hands start to twitch, just a little, so he squeezes Ren’s hand and watches his fingers curl reflexively. Etho reaches up and tucks his fingers under one of the loops of his mask.

“I figured this was right,” Etho says. “Given the circumstances.”

Ren’s eyes are wide.

“What circumstances are those?” He says like the breath is caught in his chest.

Etho unhooks the mask from one ear, then the other. It’s. His hands are shaking. He swallows hard. He hears Ren take in a breath that sounds too sharp to be good.

“I uh, I think,” Etho manages. He sets the mask on the table. He lets go of Ren’s hand. “I just figured out what loving a new person feels like.”

Ren holds his hand in the space between them. When Etho meets his eye, Ren’s gaze flicks over his face. He’s smiling. He’s smiling.

“How long you been figuring it out?” he asks.

Etho smiles, too. “A while, I think.”

Ren’s tail is wagging. Etho is smiling. Ren’s hand is coming up, not to trace his scar or his mouth of too sharp teeth or the split of his lip. He holds the right side of his face in his hand and he’s smiling. He traces the rise of his cheek and Etho leans into it. He feels something bubble up in his chest that might burst and take him with it.

“Yeah,” Ren says. "Me too.”

And he pulls Etho to him. (And Etho goes, kisses him. All his confessions have been with a kiss. All of them are just as sweet. And when Etho sleeps tonight, he is bracketed by two people who love him.)

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em-mermaid · 2 years

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Wrap Me In Your Arms and Hold Me Tight

Behold, I present to you a Renthubs fic! I have had this piece of lovely art by @briseise rattling around in my brain since it was posted and I decided it deserved to be in writing. Also, I don’t have an AO3 account so this will just be posted here. I hope you enjoy!

A date night with the monolith roomies where Etho gains the courage to ask for what he wants. (3021 words. Mild angst with a whole lot of fluff.)

Edit: there is now a bonus scene!

----------------------------------------------

“Hey Etho! Perfect timing, the bread just came out of the oven!” Ren announces as Etho enters their small shared kitchen. Ren is wearing a kiss the cook apron and his long dark hair has been taken out of its usual ponytail. The fresh loaf of bread is sitting on the counter next to three glasses of red wine, one significantly more empty than the others. Ren grabs a full one and presents it to Etho with a flourish and a small bow. “For you, my dear!”

Etho chuckles and accepts the glass, his heart fluttering slightly as their fingers brush. “Thanks Ren. The bread smells incredible by the way.”

Ren grins, leaning back against the counter, tail thumping lightly against the drawers. “Hopefully it tastes as good as it smells. I added some new flavors this time.”

There is a crash from the room above, quickly followed by a startled shout. They look up when they hear Bdubs stomping down the stairs grumbling. His eyebrows are furrowed as he comes into view. There is a small book in his hand and his moss jacket is covered in dust. “-flimsy box, whoever made that should-” he cuts off abruptly as he notices Ren and Etho’s quiet laughter. “Hey stop that!”

“Having some trouble reaching those tall shelves?” Etho asks, smirking behind his mask.

Bdubs huffs and sets the book on the counter. “I’ll have you know, I am perfectly capable of reaching the books I need.” Etho hums skeptically as Bdubs takes off his jacket, throwing it onto a nearby chest. After only two failed attempts, he perches himself on the counter.

“Of course you are,” Ren mockingly consoles, walking over to hand him the other glass of wine. Bdubs pouts for a moment until Ren reaches out to softly cup his cheek, guiding their lips into a gentle kiss. When they part Ren adds, more sincerely, “Thank you for finding the recipe book, love. I know it is a mess up there.” Bdubs’ frustration melts and he smiles fondly at Ren.

Of course, Etho’s stomach picks this moment to growl loudly. The two look towards him, amused, and he shrugs. “Time for bread?”

Bdubs nods enthusiastically and Ren opens a drawer to grab the serrated knife.

As Ren cuts the bread, Etho takes off his mask and tucks it into the pocket of his jacket. He sips his wine and leans against the counter to watch his partners. Distantly, he wonders how they can be so casually intimate and then continue afterwards as if it was the most natural thing to do. For them, he supposes, it is.

Physical affection was something he generally shied away from. His friends and partners knew that he wasn’t usually comfortable with things like hugs or a random pat on the back, so they would either ask in the moment if it was okay or avoid it all together. It wasn’t something he had thought about too often before the three of them had decided they wanted more than just friendship. He was usually happy to go about his days, laughing and spending time with the hermits, no one expecting anything from him beyond what he offered. But right now, watching as Bdubs snaches a small slice of bread and takes a bite before feeding the rest to Ren, he realizes that he wants it with them.

—--

The smell of steak and vegetable stew fills the kitchen. Wine glasses have been refilled and only half of the bread remains. Bdubs has shifted down the counter to be closer to the stove and he is reading loudly from the cookbook.

“It says to let it simmer on low heat for twenty minutes and to stir occasionally.” He sets a timer and then looks up at Etho, who is standing in front of the pot, stirring. “What does it mean by low heat? Aren’t all stoves a little bit different? How are we supposed to know what they mean by ‘occasionally’?”

Etho sighs fondly at him while Ren, without turning away from the sink where he is washing a cutting board, replies, “Cooking is an art. The person who wrote this recipe probably doesn’t actually measure anything. More than likely they have made it enough times that they can take one look at the pot or have a small taste and just know to add more salt or let it sit for five more minutes.”

Bdubs frowns at this, glancing up at Etho for support and oh- that was unfair. One of Bdubs’ legs is propped up on the counter and he is resting his chin on his knee. He looks expectantly up at Etho through his eyelashes and Etho can’t help but let his gaze flick down towards his lips. He wonders absently if they feel as soft as they look. The corner of Bdubs’ mouth turns up slightly and he knows he’s been caught.

Warmth rises to his cheeks. Etho sets the spoon on the counter and turns towards Ren, trying to remember what they had been talking about. Thankfully, Ren doesn’t seem to notice the too long pause before Etho replies in a mostly steady voice, “I can agree with you about the person knowing the recipe inside and out, but cooking is not an art. It’s science. It’s like redstone. You start with a tutorial, or in this case, a recipe and then once you understand how the different elements work together, you can start experimenting to try and make something even better.”

“No way dude, cooking is definitely art. It is like designing a build. You throw together a bunch of delicious things and, if you pick the correct ones, it turns into a beautiful masterpiece.” Ren places the cutting board on the drying rack and finally turns towards them. He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head slightly as he, presumably, notices Etho’s pink cheeks. “You good, E?”

Etho’s orange ear flicks as nervous energy begins to bubble in his stomach. Before he can figure out how to respond, Bdubs speaks up from behind him. “I think our Etho is in need of some hugs and kisses tonight.”

Now that definitely had his face burning. Our Etho. He shuffles back and forth slightly as Ren looks between the two and smiles. Ren offers his hand out for Etho to take, “I would love that, but only if you want to. There is no pressure.”

Etho hesitates. He can’t say that Bdubs is wrong about this, but he’s not sure if he is quite ready yet. He had only recently been comfortable enough to take his mask off in front of them and, on top of that, it had only been half an hour since he had truly accepted that this was something he wanted to add to their relationship.

Sure, the thought of kissing them or letting them drag him upstairs for sleepy cuddles was something that had been lingering in the back of his mind for a while, but now it felt like a genuine possibility. But it is all so new to him. What if he messes things up? What if they think he is too awkward? Is kissing or cuddling something other people inherently understand or is there some sort of social code for how it usually goes?

No, he thinks. They won’t judge him. They never have, so why would they start now? Sure they might poke fun at him for being awkward, but they would always stop if they knew it actually bothered him. It will be okay, he reassures himself, just go one step at a time. He takes a deep breath and refocuses on Ren’s hand, still outstretched.

Heart racing, he places his hand in Ren’s. He swallows before speaking towards their interlocked fingers. “I’m, uh, not opposed, but I’m not really sure?”

“That’s okay, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that” Bdubs says softly. Ren steps closer, tugging Etho’s hand slightly so they could all properly face each other. Bdubs takes his foot off the counter so he can lean forward and reach up to put a hand on Etho’s face. His thumb is warm as it traces Etho’s scarred cheek and he adds with a small smirk, “but with the way you were lookin’ at me, how could I not bring it up?”

With that, some of the tension melts from Etho’s body and he leans into Bdubs’ palm with a bashful smile. Ren squeezes his hand and the three of them exist for a moment, content to just be in each other’s company.

They all startle as the timer for the stew goes off. Slowly, regretfully Etho pulls away to turn off the stove.

—--

The three of them sit comfortably, empty bowls and wine glasses between them on the small table. The orange glow of dusk begins to show through the windows. Bdubs yawns loudly and stretches.

“Almost time for shreep,” Bdubs announces as he gets up and takes their bowls to the sink. “Do you want to join us, E?”

“Nah, you know me. I sleep best when it’s quiet.”

Bdubs hums in response to his usual excuse, deciding for once to ignore the pointed comment about his snoring. “Alright, but can I at least give you a forehead kiss before I go to bed? I was interrupted earlier.”

Etho looks up in surprise, not realizing Bdubs had still been thinking about their earlier conversation. “Sure,” he replies quietly, a blush already rising to his cheeks.

Walking back to the table Bdubs slowly and gently places his hand on Etho’s cheek. He tilts Etho’s head up until their eyes meet and Etho’s breath hitches at the sheer adoration in his eyes. “Goodnight, my love, I will see you in the morning.” He leans down and presses a tender kiss to Etho’s forehead. Etho’s eyes flutter closed for a moment as he relishes the sensation.

It is over too soon. Etho finds himself wanting to chase after the warmth of Bdubs’ hand as it pulls away. Bdubs smiles softly at him before turning to Ren and giving him a lingering kiss on the lips.

“I’ll join you in a couple of minutes,” Ren says quietly, and Bdubs turns to go upstairs to his room.

Etho catches himself staring after Bdubs, wondering why he couldn’t manage to ask him for a proper kiss as well. He hears Ren get up and place their wine glasses near the sink. There is more shuffling as Ren opens cabinets to find a container for the leftover stew. He wonders if they realize how much he wants to let his walls down. He is chipping away at them ever so slowly, but it takes more than a couple of hours to get through a lifetime of protection.

His thoughts are interrupted when Ren clears his throat and sits down in the chair next to him. “Are you sure you are good, E? I know you are usually quiet, but you seem extra distant tonight.”

Etho considers telling him, but chickens out at the last second. “Yeah I’m all good, just tired.”

“Ok, well I’m going to head up to bed as well. You are always welcome to join us, no matter the time.”

“Thanks, I will keep that in mind.”

Ren reaches forward, smiles, and gives Etho’s hand a gentle squeeze before standing to follow Bdubs up the stairs.

—--

Later that night, Etho is pacing back and forth in his basement bedroom, tail thrashing in irritation. His jacket and gloves have been haphazardly discarded onto his dresser. Instead of his usual boots, he was wearing the slippers that Bdubs had gifted him when he moved in. He had been trying to sleep for a couple of hours, but his thoughts were too loud. For once, his room was too quiet, too empty. He usually enjoyed the solitude of night, but tonight he found himself wanting to wrap himself in Ren’s strong arms and have Bdubs’ not so quiet snores lull him to sleep. If only he could work up the courage to ask. If only he had accepted their invitation.

He finds himself desperately looking towards his bedroom door, as if his partners could hear his silent pleas for them to come down the stairs and reassure him. Logically, he knew that they were asleep, likely curled up together, oblivious to his wants. That didn’t mean he wasn’t disappointed as the moments passed and neither of them came. He reminds himself that the only way they will actually know what he wants is if he tells them. Determination surges through him and he decides it is now or never.

Swiftly, he leaves his room and climbs the many stairs up the monolith. His confidence starts to waver slightly as he leaves the basement. “It’s okay,” he murmurs to himself as he passes through the kitchen and approaches the bedroom. “You can do this.”

He stumbles slightly as their bed comes into view. In the darkness he can see Ren’s ear twitch at the noise and he freezes, unsure if he was actually intending to wake them up or just slip into the bed unnoticed. Ren saves him from making that decision as his eye cracks open and he props himself up on his elbow, looking towards Etho.

“Hey E, decided to join us?” Ren’s voice is thick with sleep. Bdubs is still curled into his chest, snoring loudly.

Etho nods and hesitantly approaches the bed. Ren scoots himself and Bdubs over slightly and gestures for Etho to lay on Bdubs’ other side. Sliding his slippers off his feet, he lifts up the covers and gingerly climbs into the bed.

“Don’t worry,” Ren whispers, “it takes a lot more than that to wake this man up.” As if to prove his point Bdubs lets out a particularly loud snore and curls even closer to Ren.

Ren watches Etho as he lays down. He is still cautious, unsure of what is allowed, not quite confident in what he wants, so he makes sure to avoid touching Bdubs as he pulls the covers up to his chest.

That’s when Ren asks the question Etho had been dreading. “If it’s okay, can I ask what made you change your mind?”

Etho shuffles around under the covers, both to get more comfortable and to stall for a moment as he tries to reign in his racing thoughts. After a few breaths, he decides on his approach.

“You remember what Bdubs said earlier about me needing some hugs and kisses?” he asks, thankful for the darkness of the room and the illusion of anonymity. Ren hums affirmatively before Etho takes another breath and continues, “I think that has been true for a while now and I really don’t know how to ask for it.”

Ren is still for a moment, except for his tail gently and nervously swishing under the covers. Etho starts to think he has made a mistake before Ren slowly reaches out and, after giving Etho enough time to say no or pull away, gently takes his hand. “I appreciate you trusting me with this, E. Is there anything in particular that you want right now?”

“I, uh, wanted to cuddle with both of you and,” he pauses to swallow before continuing in an even quieter voice, “maybe I could kiss you?” Etho is sure Ren can see his blush even in the darkness.

There is shuffling as Ren sits up. “Absolutely you can, but we will have to make do with leaning over this sleeping lump for now.” Etho chuckles quietly and sits up. Asking for this feels less intimidating now, with Ren’s light-hearted tone and Bdubs’ continued snoring to keep him grounded. They soothe his anxieties and it reminds him why he feels comfortable enough to ask for this in the first place.

Etho moves the hand not holding Ren’s to gently run it through Ren’s hair. It was something he had been wanting to do and now seemed like the perfect time. Ren smiles reassuringly and Etho lets his hand brush through it a few more times before letting it come to a rest on the back of Ren’s neck. He scans Ren’s face, taking in his kind eyes and soothing smile as Ren patiently waits for him to build up his nerve. Moments pass in the dark room and it feels like they are the only people in the universe. Then, Etho is leaning forward, gently pulling Ren towards him and finally, their lips meet.

It’s a soft, sweet thing. Ren’s facial hair tickles slightly and a warmth spreads through Etho's chest. It’s only a moment before they part, but they stay close, breathing the same air. Ren is smiling giddily and Etho is sure his expression mirrors it.

Bdubs snores loudly and rolls over towards Etho, hands seeming to search for the covers that had been displaced. Etho glances down at him before looking back at Ren. “He’s going to be so jealous.”

“Oh yes,” Ren replies. “But I’m sure we can find a way to make it up to him. Maybe with you here, he will actually stay in bed for some extra morning cuddles instead of hopping up at the crack of dawn.”

“That’s unlikely.” Etho says, stifling a yawn. It’s then that he remembers just how late it is, particularly for Ren, who has somewhat adopted Bdubs’ sleep schedule in the past few weeks. “We should sleep.”

Ren nods, settling down against the pillow. Etho follows suit hesitantly, until Ren takes their still connected hands to guide Etho’s arm around Bdubs. In response, Bdubs curls into Etho’s chest and hugs him tightly. Etho meets Ren’s amused gaze over their boyfriend’s brown curls and after a moment, finally relaxes into his hold. Ren presses himself against Bdubs’ back and pulls up the covers as he reaches his arm around to hug both of his partners.

Etho hums quietly and closes his eyes, finally drifting off to gentle snoring and a thumb rubbing calming circles into his shoulder.

#renthubs #fox etho and dog ren #human bdubs #also etho ended up leaning demiromantic #he's just like me fr fr #hope you enjoy my first ever fanfic #hermitshipping #ethubs #rendubs #mermaid writes #hermitfic

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