Archive of Our Own

Going through an unknown purple portal had some side effects that he didn’t think about when he made the unwise choice to jump through it. Well, “choice” was a strong word in this context. It was more of a dare and a refusal to be seen as “chicken” but the result was still the same. His stomach whined as if it had been flipped upside down, inducing some feelings of nausea. All he could see were purple swirls for his vision was otherwise blurred.

The day had been chilly enough that it warranted Jimmy putting on a jacket when he left with Joel and Grian that morning. He regretted wearing it the moment he was spat out of the purple portal’s embrace for all he could feel was heat. Sweat started to form droplets on his skin and his whole body flushed a sunburnt red. Did the portal give him a fever or something similar?

He blinked to try and focus his vision as an inhuman cry reached his ears. A flying fireball hurled itself straight toward him. Acting solely on instinct, Jimmy ducked out of the fireball’s path in time to not be scorched. The fireball hit the portal, instantly reducing it to pseudo-gravel. Jimmy’s eyes widened and his wings puffed out when he realized his only way back home had been destroyed.

Jimmy wasn’t given much time (or any time, to be honest) to process what just happened or to focus on that particular cause for distress because the huge, flying white creature (based on appearances, it was like a giant squid but much angrier and extremely dangerous) that shot a powerful fireball out of its mouth was still aggroed on him. Panic overtook him as he scrambled to get out of the way of another shot. Did he have a bow on him? Was it worth trying to fly up to it to stab it with his sword? Would running away and hiding be better in this situation?

As Jimmy fumbled in an attempt to not die in this strange dimension, he spotted another humanoid figure running toward him. Another creature being humanoid did not comfort him for zombies were humanoid and those things were terrifying- especially the babies! Adult zombies weren’t nearly this fast though. Could it be an enderman? No, endermen were taller than the figure. The figure was shorter than Jimmy so of course he would be shorter than an enderman!

Before Jimmy could string a sentence together, yellow metal (gold, probably) hit against one of the fireballs. The fireball had been redirected with the effort, shooting back toward the floating creature and killing it on impact.

“Woo!” The humanoid that had jumped in front of him cheered. “Ghasty boy must have been on low health.”

Jimmy’s heart felt as if it were beating out of his chest, mostly from not understanding what was going on. The humanoid spoke actual language and not just grunts or screeches! He also protected Jimmy from the “ghasty boy” and has yet to attack him so Jimmy allowed himself to lower his guard some. It was clear now that the other (whoever he was) was another intelligent life.

“Who are you?” Jimmy asked, breathlessly. He didn’t expect his voice to come out so airy and dry but it had. It would be more embarrassing if he hadn’t already proven his utter panic the second he entered this world. 

Jimmy also wanted to ask “What are you?” but those words died in his throat. The one in front of him was handsome, even if the pure red eyes sparked unease within him. There weren’t many with eyes like his where he lived back home. The red eyes reminded him of spider eyes but nothing else about the other told him that he was a spider hybrid.

“My name’s Tango.” He grinned, showing all of his teeth. They were pointy and looked like they could tear through flesh easily but any intimidation factor they could have brought was neutralized with his otherwise friendly expression. “What’s yours?”

“Jimmy.” His eyes wandered up to Tango’s hair, which was actively on fire. Did he not feel the burning on his head? Had one of the fireballs hit him and set his hair ablaze? Jimmy hesitated before pointing to the flame. “Uh, your hair is on fire.”

“Yeah? I’m blazeborn. It’s a common trait.” Tango tilted his head to the side, unbothered by Jimmy’s observation. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

“Is it that obvious?” Jimmy laughed flatly, diverting his gaze from Tango to the world around him. He didn’t get a chance to look around yet (it’s hard to do when one’s life is being threatened) but he hadn’t missed out on much. The landscape was mostly dead from what he could tell and it was vastly different than what he was used to.

“Very.” The fire on Tango’s hair died out, revealing unscorched blonde hair underneath. His hair was a few shades brighter than Jimmy’s hair was but it wasn’t as yellow as Jimmy’s feathers were. “If it makes you feel better, I’m not always on fire. The fire is an indicator of the energy I’m exerting, in a way? There are a few other details to it that we don’t need to get into but it’s useful when needing to fight off mobs but less useful during calm times.”

“Interesting.” Jimmy sucked in his lips, not adding anything more to the conversation. That left the two of them staring at each other, in which Jimmy promptly spun on his heel to walk back to the portal. Correction, back to the broken portal. Correction again, back to the pile of rubble. The fear that hadn’t had its time to process earlier was hitting him like one of Scar’s trains now. “Oh no. No, no, no! Please, no.”

“Strange.” Tango had followed him the short distance from where they had been standing and the portal. “I don’t remember that being here before. What’s significant about it?”

“It was the portal I used to get here and now it’s broken,” Jimmy explained, not taking his eyes off of what used to be an obsidian frame. It had multiple blocks shattered into unusable bits. Why did he think it was a good idea to follow through on the dare? He should have just backed off and let them tease him. It’s not like he wasn’t used to it. “I am trapped here with no way of getting home and I don’t even know where ‘here’ is!”

“I’ll help you.” Tango offered, the end of his tail curling and uncurling by his back. “We’ll find materials to fix it and build another one.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.” Jimmy rubbed at his temples, trying his best to accept the fate he had been handed. “I can do it myself.”

“You aren’t from The Nether.” Tango pointed out, partly offended that Jimmy dismissed his help so quickly. Is “The Nether” what this world was called? “How do you expect to get around without a guide? The Nether can be a dangerous place if you don’t know how it works.”

Jimmy hesitated, eyeing Tango up and down. Tango had done nothing but help him (a total stranger!) this whole time yet Jimmy was already making undeserved biases. He literally saved him from a ghast attack only a few minutes ago! Tango could have actually done nothing and left him to die yet he didn’t. Was he really ready to let his fear of the unknown stop him from getting help from an altruistic stranger? It was certainly going to try but he would work to combat those thoughts. “How do I know I can trust you?”

“General trust and faith in other people?” Tango’s words came out more like a question than a statement. He hummed softly as he turned his attention to his own body. His face lit up a split second before he unclasped one of the gold bands around his arm. The armband he removed was identical to the one still clasped around his upper right arm. Tango made eye contact with Jimmy once more as he held out the gold accessory. “Here, wear this. It’s called gold and gold will make you a piglin’s best friend.”

Well, if that wasn’t one of the most suspicious things Jimmy had ever heard. What even was a piglin? Is it another mob like the ghast? He doubted it would be docile like a pig was back home. What would a gold accessory do to make a piglin like him? Jimmy weighed his options and concluded that he would be better off with a guide who knew what he was doing than being off by himself. He may not become best friends with a piglin but if gold did something to help make them not hate him, he would wear it. It wasn’t like it would be negatively enchanted since Tango had been wearing it himself merely seconds ago.

Tango must have realized his unspoken questions for he started to explain unprompted. “Piglins hold a lot of power in this place. There’s a lot of them and their team loyalty is not something to mess with. They hoard resources and aren’t afraid to fight for them. They have a monopoly on a lot of things and it’s frustrating but there isn’t anything we can do about that. The gold just signifies that you’re not a threat to them and they will leave you alone as long as you don’t break its symbolic meaning.”

Jimmy took the armband from Tango and ran his fingers against the metal. It was rough around the outside but smooth on the inside. There were designs chipped into it and it looked nicer than what he expected to find in a place like this. He shifted to slip the armband on, using it as a bracelet instead. His jacket was taking up most of his arm’s real estate but it fit rather well as a bracelet so he preferred that orientation. “What do you gain?”

“Are you usually this distrusting?” That question was complicated to answer but Jimmy usually wasn’t as uptight as he was acting. Jimmy was trying to be cautious but it felt weird and unnatural. That feeling could also come from side effects of the portal, the unbearable heat, or the reality of the situation setting in.

Jimmy could almost hear his friends whispering in his ear (and behind his back) and it only worsened his headache. They were telling him (and other people) all about how clumsy and gullible he was, as per usual. Jimmy knew they were only teasing and poking fun (and he found many of their jokes amusing so it wasn’t as if they were his tormentors) but he also wanted to prove himself capable. If he made it back from The Nether alive, maybe they would respect him then. He would have an interesting story to tell, anyway.

Tango’s next words pulled Jimmy out of his spiraling thoughts. “How about this: We do a trade.”

“A trade?” Jimmy asked, curious as to what sort of trades would interest a blazeborn. He didn’t have much in his inventory that would be considered valuable. “What kind of trade?”

“I show you around The Nether,” Tango gestured to the too-red landscape (was it all like this?) before gesturing to Jimmy, “and you tell me all about your world! We can gather the supplies to get you back home on the way and we can have an adventure while doing it. What do you say?”

Tango held out his arm to initiate a handshake. His hands were gloved (how is he wearing gloves in this heat?) but the claws he had were evident through them. He didn’t look to try and hide it but why would he? Tango was the normal one in this world. Jimmy was the outsider.

Jimmy reached out to accept Tango’s hand but he completely missed where his hand was. He squinted his eyes, trying to get his vision to focus enough to succeed in this mini-test of hand-eye coordination. He could hear someone speaking (presumingly Tango) but his consciousness felt as if it were folding in on itself as he fell forward. Jimmy didn’t remember anything else after that.

𓃔

Ugh… where was he?

It was hot but he felt less sick than before if he ignored the hunger that rumbled in his stomach. Jimmy groaned as he pushed himself up from his lying position. His surroundings were different than they were before (there were cyanish green trees instead of a mostly barren red landscape) but it was just as unfamiliar. 

“Jimmy! You’re awake!” He made eye contact with Tango, who was crouched down by something cooking at the controlled fire. Tango leaned over to grab a bag he had sitting nearby before rising to his full height. “Are you feeling better?”

“A bit. Still not feeling great though.” Jimmy admitted with a weak nod. He placed a hand against his forehead before letting it trail down so he could rub at his eye. “What happened?”

“You fainted so I carried you here. It’s one of the safer biomes but don’t look the endermen in the eyes. They’re tall, skinny, black creatures with purple eyes. They’re peaceful unless you look at them. They get angry when you do for some reason. I think most of them have social anxiety and anger management issues but that’s just my theory.” Tango dug inside the bag before pulling a water bottle out of it. He handed it to Jimmy with a firm warning. “Be careful with it. Water is scarce here. I had to barter with a piglin for that and she was not in a good mood.”

Water! The mention of it made him realize how dehydrated he probably was. Jimmy eagerly accepted the bottle from Tango, downing the water without a second thought. It didn’t taste great (warm water rarely did) but taste was the last thing on his mind.

Tango chuckled at his enthusiasm toward the water before muttering something about bartering being worth it. Jimmy didn’t hear what he said exactly but he didn’t bother to ask. Tango would have said it louder if it was intended for him to hear.

Once he finished drinking the water, he gave the bottle back to him. Tango took it and placed it back in his bag. “I don’t have more water but we can try trading for more later if you need it. Based on the way you acted, I assume you need more water than I do to function so we’ll just have to find some more piglins. I made some food though so that should help you feel better. I’m not sure if anything is poisonous for you or if you have certain food preferences so I got a variety.”

Why was a stranger being so considerate of him? Tango had gone out of his way to make sure Jimmy was taken care of! Jimmy found himself staring without speaking for a few heartbeats too long for it to be normal. If it bothered Tango, he didn’t comment on it. Maybe long pauses were normal for Netherans? Many of the people he knew back home were known yappers so, if that was true, Tango would have a culture shock if he ever visited. “What kind of food is it?”

“I’m cooking pork and mushroom stew for myself since I didn’t know when you would wake up, but we can share.” Tango turned back to the pot over the fire and went to stir it. “I have all the ingredients separately too if you don’t like something in it. You can also sift through my bag for other food. I forgot what I grabbed. You’ve been out for a while and I didn’t want to leave your body unattended for too long.”

Did they have pigs here? Perhaps they had a version of a pig? They had piglins but Tango didn’t describe them as being like any pig he knew. They had endermen, which he knew about already from his home, so would it be that unlikely that they had pigs (actual pigs; not piglins) as well? There were likely many regional differences in the language (partly because their environments were so different) so Jimmy was trying to be careful to catch them. He pondered it for a moment before deciding The Nether’s pork couldn’t be that different from The Overworld’s pork. “I’ll have some of the stew if there is enough. Do you have a bowl or should I carve one out?”

“Don’t waste your time. I have an extra bowl.” Tango reassured him as he poured some of the stew into a green-blueish wooden bowl (did Tango recently carve it from the trees nearby?) and carefully served it to him. Jimmy accepted the stew and they ate their meal in relative silence. This was going to take some getting used to.

𓃔

“Part of our deal was you tell me about The Overworld but you haven’t told me much.” Tango’s words were dripping with annoyance and frustration as they walked slowly through what Tango had called “soul sand valley” when he asked. They had been traveling the past few days and they had not made any progress! 

Well, that wasn’t true. They had been gathering resources such as food and gold so they could live. Tango didn’t seem to mind the travel and scavenging lifestyle but Jimmy suspected Tango was used to living nomadically. Tango had not mentioned a permanent dwelling place the whole time they wandered much less another person. “There isn’t much to say. Just replace the lava with water, add a sky, and make it more green.”

“That’s not- you know that isn’t- ugh.” Tango frowned at him, his nose scrunching up as it often did when he was in thought. It was cute when he was strategizing on how to take down various mobs (apparently hoglins were the source of pork here) but it was less cute when it was negatively directed at Jimmy. “I thought we were becoming friends.”

Jimmy bit his lip, diverting his gaze. They had been getting friendlier, that was true. They have had many conversations (there was only so much one could do when hiking) but he’s avoided a lot of details. Jimmy was just trying to keep his guard up! Was that so wrong? He was just trying to stay alive.

His friends back home always told him he was too rash and that he got himself into bad situations because he trusted too easily. He was trying to prove to them (and himself) that he was capable but that had just left his personality flip-flopping. Jimmy didn’t enjoy being cynical and distant. That wasn’t who he was at his core. 

Tango didn’t deserve to see this facade he put on! Tango had been nothing but accommodating and good-natured the whole time they’d known each other. He had been going out of his way to make sure Jimmy stayed safe. At this point, Jimmy would rather put all his trust in Tango and risk getting burned than continue whatever this was any longer.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. Let’s start over.” Jimmy took a deep breath, put on one of his usual friendly smiles, and stuck his hand out for Tango. “Hi! I’m Jimmy. I’m new here and could use help getting home.”

Tango’s eyes widened, an infectious grin accompanying it. The smile reached Tango’s eyes and it made Jimmy smile wider himself. Those red eyes of his had grown on him and Jimmy admired how they sparkled with Tango’s joy. Tango took his hand and shook it enthusiastically. “Nice to meet you! I’m Tango and I can potalify you home, no problem.”

“I didn’t know you were an expert in portals.” Jimmy let go of his hand to continue walking. The soul sand made them incredibly slow so he didn’t want to stop moving unnecessarily. Besides, up ahead, he could see more nether wasteland. They were so close to being free from the slow effect.

“I’m not,” Tango shrugged, unbothered, “but you said it was just an obsidian frame and then fire, right? If you haven’t noticed by now, I am half of the solution.”

“True. The obsidian is the hard part.” Jimmy sighed, running a hand through his hair. Bartering only gave them enough water to keep Jimmy hydrated. They didn’t have enough water to spare to create their own obsidian out of lava. Even if they managed to create the obsidian themselves, Jimmy didn’t have a diamond pickaxe to mine it and neither did Tango. It would be a pointless venture and a waste of resources.

Diamonds weren’t commonplace here, apparently, which made their mission so much harder. Jimmy would give up some of his water supply if it meant going home quicker. Tango had mentioned that some were found in fortresses (on the rare occasion) but they had yet to locate a decent one. The Nether was larger than what Jimmy thought it would be. The fortresses housed a lot of mobs and Tango said it could be dangerous without gear, so they had been doing a lot of prep work. 

They exited the soul sand valley and they both hunched their shoulders in relief. “I never thought I would be so grateful to be standing on red rocks again.”

“There is something calming about it- ah!” Tango’s hair sparked as an indication of his startled state. He darted away from Jimmy without a word more but the screech of an enderman told him what happened. Tango had failed to heed the very warning he had given Jimmy for he looked an enderman in the eye. 

Jimmy gripped his iron sword’s hilt, pulling it from its sheath before running after Tango and the enderman. “Hold on! I got you!”

The enderman was tall, swift, and could teleport but Tango managed to avoid its rage long enough to defeat the creature. Jimmy had gotten several hits on it but so did Tango, once he managed to summon his gold sword from his inventory.

“Did it drop an ender pearl?” Jimmy put his sword away as he tried to catch his breath. “Are you okay?”

“I see where your priorities lie.” Tango teased but held up the ender pearl anyway. “I have the pearleporter right here. It might be useful later. How about you hold onto it in case you need it?”

“You made the final kill.” Jimmy shook his head, refusing. “It should be yours.”

“There is lava everywhere and the pearl might be the only way to escape without dying. You said avians would burn to death.” Tango grabbed Jimmy’s hand so he could press the pearl into his palm. “Blazeborn do not. I have natural fire resistance, remember?”

Jimmy stared at the ender pearl before placing it into his inventory. Tango was right. Jimmy was at a disadvantage in The Nether, especially since his wings were useless and underdeveloped. He couldn’t reliably fly with them (they worked better as a glider than functioning wings) and Tango knew that. He had explained it when Tango asked what they were. Did Tango pity him or think of him as weak?

When Jimmy looked up at Tango, he did not see pity. He saw genuine care and worry. Jimmy would label it strange if he didn’t also find himself caring about Tango. He supposed spending the majority of their days together and going through trials side-by-side would do that to them. Jimmy knew he was being an utter fool when it came to his thoughts about Tango. Tango wouldn’t hurt him. He was too great of a guy to do that even when Jimmy had been acting the way he had. 

“I’ll answer any questions you have about my home,” before Tango could start bombarding him, Jimmy added a clarifier, “but only after we set up camp. Walking through the soul sand valley and fighting off mobs has tired me out.”

“I still have leftovers in my inventory so we just need to dig out a little campsite in the side of the cliff.” Tango indirectly accepted his terms as he pulled out his pickaxe. He didn’t say more as he approached the cliff and started carving out a cave for them.

There was no sun here so sleeping and acknowledging the passage of time was difficult. Tango had no problem sleeping someplace so bright but he recognized that Jimmy slept better when it was darker. All the thoughts he had about Tango at the moment felt fond and soft. It was like a warm hug and Jimmy found himself longing for a hug from Tango himself. 

Why did his face feel more flushed than usual? It was probably just the heat getting to him again. He should drink some more water before they settle down. His lips were starting to chap and he wanted to avoid them worsening.

𓃔

That was a successful trading session! Jimmy glowed with pride as he headed back to the camp he and Tango had set up. He had left camp with a sizable amount of gold (he and Tango had gone on a mining exploration at one point) in his inventory and he arrived with his inventory packed to the brim with items. Some of the items were not super useful (what would he need gravel for?) but there were some treasures among them. The piglins must have taken some sort of liking to him!

“Tango!” Jimmy called out loudly though he quieted his voice after that. He realized that Tango may still be sleeping and he didn’t want to wake him unnecessarily. “Are you awake?”

“I am now.” Tango yawned loudly as he sprawled out into an X-shape to stretch. He relaxed his body and stared at the netherrack ceiling. Tango took an exaggerated breath before pushing himself upright. “Where did you go? Find anything interesting?”

“Yes, I did! I got many things but this is the most important of them.” Jimmy summoned an obsidian block to show it off. “I managed to get three of these today! The piglins have been so stingy that I didn’t think they would trade us anymore, let alone so many in one session!”

“Okay, so that’s five! Wow! How many do we need again?” Tango summoned the two they had managed to get when also trying to trade for water before tucking it away again. Piglins traded what they wanted, leaving them at the mercy of whatever the piglin’s whim was at the time. No amount of begging got them their desired trade sooner. “Fourteen total but I suspect we can skim on the corners so ten total. We only need five more- nine more if my theory is wrong- before we can attempt a portal! Good job!”

“Thanks.” Jimmy beamed at the praise but he didn’t stop there. It had been a productive trading session, after all! He also traded away the majority of their gold so he would be extremely upset if the four blocks were all he got. “I also got several bottles of water, some string, and some arrows. I can help with the ghasts once I grab some extra wood to make a bow.”

“I’ll make it real quick for you. I have some wood on me.” He beckoned for the sting and Jimmy gave it to him. While Tango crafted the bow, Jimmy took one of the bottles of water and drank it. He wasn’t going to deprive himself when the resource was available! Tango moved quickly because he finished crafting the bow right as Jimmy emptied the bottle. “I have successfully bowifyed the wood and string for you!”

“Appreciated.” Jimmy pretended as if he was going to use the bow but he didn’t retrieve one of his arrows to do so. He simply drew it back and let go. The string didn’t break nor did any part of it crack so he deemed it well made. He tucked it into his inventory for possible later use. “Let’s pack up camp and get moving.”

“Will you tell me more about your world on the way?” Tango asked eagerly. They hadn’t gotten to talk about it much before Jimmy passed out of exhaustion last night. Part of him felt guilty for falling asleep so soon after he made that promise but he would rectify that wrong soon.

Had it been night then? Was it morning now? Jimmy dismissed the thoughts, deciding to continue timestamping the events with “night” and “morning” for his own sanity even though he had no clue what time of day it actually was. It was better that way even if it left a strange taste in his mouth.

When Jimmy showed his compliance with Tango’s request through a downward nod and a low-effort “mhm”, Tango found a sense of urgency. He increased the speed of his movements significantly compared to the other times they had prepared to leave a campsite. They packed everything away and stored some of the items scattered around them in their inventories. Some things (such as the excess of gravel Jimmy acquired) were not needed and took too much space in their inventories so they were left behind.

They started to wander on and Jimmy explained the basics of The Overworld. Jimmy told him all about the large oceans, the tall mountains, the deep ravines, and the lush landscapes. He described the way the wind felt blowing through his hair and how the sun felt shining against his skin. Jimmy informed him that the day wasn’t always day and that a night followed after. Tango asked if that is why he preferred sleeping in the dark and Jimmy confirmed his theory. He continued down the path of the sky so he could paint him a mental picture of the night’s beauty. The night brought with it stars that looked like glitter in the sky and a moon that changed shape in a looping cycle. 

The concept of a sky fascinated Tango already but the idea of a changing sky engulfed his every thought for the next several minutes. He asked numerous questions about it and Jimmy answered the best he could. A lot of what Tango wanted to know was outside of Jimmy’s comprehension. Perhaps one of his friends would know or maybe they would have a book on it in one of their libraries. Jimmy may not know everything there is to know about skies but he wished he could show Tango the sky instead of only talking about it. Jimmy wanted to see that starstruck expression Tango wore so well when he saw the sky morph into the orangish hues of sunset. 

If he ever saw the sky, anyway. Tango was blazeborn and a Netheran. He wouldn’t ever leave The Nether, would he? Would he want to? Jimmy wouldn’t have come here if he had the choice (if he knew what he was getting himself into) so why would he assume Tango would want to leave his home for a strange place? The Overworld was as foreign to Tango as The Nether was for Jimmy.

Jimmy would say he regretted going through that portal (and while that had been true at the start) but he didn’t find that to be true anymore. He still wanted to make it home, of course, but they were on track to meet that goal, and the journey it was taking to get there would make an interesting tale to tell his friends. Besides, he had met Tango. Their meeting had been under unconventional circumstances, sure, but what did that matter? Tango was proving to be one of the better people he knew and Jimmy was comfortable around him. At least he was when he wasn’t trying too hard or embarrassing himself. Jimmy liked to think he was improving on that front.

Tango listened keenly, hooked on every word that came out of Jimmy’s mouth. The astonished expression persistent on Tango’s features only encouraged Jimmy to speak more. His descriptions shifted from mere descriptions to tales of experiences he has had. He recalled the various places he had visited before and gave loose play-by-plays of adventures he had gone on with his friends.

Jimmy had rambled until it was time to sleep again. When they awoke, the cycle began anew. Tango asked more questions and Jimmy spun off on more tangents. They would stop to go mining, barter with piglins (they secured another obsidian block), explore the various biomes, and whatever other side quest they came across but it always ended with more discussions about their worlds and lives. Jimmy even managed to get some stories out of Tango!  

He didn’t know how many days passed by in this timeless landscape but he didn’t care. Each moment he spent learning about Tango was a good moment. Each moment Tango took interest in him felt like bliss. That feeling only increased when he reminded himself that the wonders he spoke about were what he was working so hard to get back to. 

Jimmy did make note of the sadness underneath Tango’s attentive intrigue. Jimmy bit his inner lip as he pieced the tidbits of information Tango had provided the last several days together. Tango seemed lonely. He never once mentioned other blazeborn (or other people in general that weren’t the piglin overlords) and Jimmy hadn’t seen any permanent settlements that weren’t overtaken by mobs. Jimmy had assumed Tango was nomadic, alone by choice, and had just taken pity on him but the hints Tango had unintentionally been giving him told him otherwise. If he hadn’t felt guilty before, he certainly did now.

“Tango?” Jimmy called for Tango’s attention once more. When he gave it, Jimmy continued, “What are you going to do once I go back home? Do you have people to go back to?”

“Oh, uh,” Tango stopped walking for a heartbeat before upping his pace again, “I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’ll probably… Did you know that Nether Fortresses have these really scary mobs called ‘Wither Skeletons’? They can poisonify you really bad but if you can beheadacate them, you can use their skulls to summon a big bad boss called ‘The Wither’ and The Wither-”

“Tango!” Jimmy scrunched his nose at Tango’s poor redirection. “First off, if that’s true, that is terrifying, but, secondly, why are you deflecting? Do you-? Did I-? You don’t have to answer but did I overstep? Did I do something? If it’s not me but the subject matter, you know I won’t judge you or whatever it is that you’re nervous about, right?”

“It’s just a hard topic.” Tango curled his tail around his side so he could play with the tuft of hair at the end of it. “It’s not fun to account and I doubt it would be fun to hear so I don’t want to talk about it.”

Jimmy nodded grimly, his imagination filling in the blanks for him. There are many possible explanations as to why Tango would be alone and why he wouldn’t want to talk about it. None of them were pleasant. The relaxed yet buzzing environment they had built with each other was mercilessly torn away by a few unnecessary questions. Jimmy had been too nosy and now he may have off-balanced their whole dynamic! Stupid, stupid, stupid…

His wings rustled behind him (a few yellow feathers decided to twirl to the ground with the motion) as he kept stealing glances at Tango. Tango refused to look in his direction. His gloved hand was gripped tightly around the hilt of his sword as if he thought a mob would spawn in front of them at any moment. In all fairness, there was a(n infinitesimal) chance of it happening with the existence of endermen and whatever other mobs that existed in The Nether that Jimmy hadn’t encountered yet. Even so, Tango hadn’t shown that level of anxious energy the whole time he’d known him. It was different now.

Jimmy hated that he triggered Tango’s grief, inwardly yelling at himself for acting like an utter fool. He cared about Tango too much to want to see him hurting. Hating himself came as easy as breathing (he was working to fix that habit) but thinking of ways to make it better did not. Jimmy racked his brain for too long before the most obvious answer popped into his brain. “You should live with me on the ranch.”

“The what?” Tango raised his eyebrow, shooting him a questioning glance. He looked at him! That was a good sign. Perhaps that meant he wasn’t mad at him? 

“Right, I didn’t mention that.” How did he forget to mention where he frequents the most? He forgot to mention his own house! Jimmy had been too caught up in daydreaming about the world he missed so much that he left out a significant aspect of his daily life. “A ranch is a large farm, by definition. There is a lot of land with crops and animals on it. I like to farm and take care of the animals. I’m not much of a builder- some of my friends are; you would like them- but I have a few structures on my land! They look good too, in my opinion. There is plenty of space for you to stay in the existing structures but you could also build on my land, if you would like. It’s warm there too. Not as warm as here, obviously, but it’s one of the warmer biomes so it hopefully wouldn’t be too shocking to your system.”

Tango’s eyes went wide, his hair started to spark, and his voice pitched up a few octaves. “You want me to come with you? To The Overworld? Together? Both of us?”

Oh, he was so cute when he got excited. Jimmy relaxed his muscles now that Tango’s troubles seemed to leave him. He couldn’t stop his face from flushing as he imagined living at his ranch together . It could become their ranch if Tango wanted to stick around. He hoped he would want to stay around. “You would like it there and I want to be the one to show you around The Overworld. Our home base would be the ranch but we could travel and visit people and see all the sights. Only if you want to! You also don’t have to live anywhere near me but, uh, yeah. Anyway, is that a-?”

“Yes! Yes, yes.” Tango got a grip on Jimmy’s hands as he bounced on his heels. “How could I refuse? That sounds fantabulous! Oh, I’m so happy I could kiss you!”

Jimmy thought his face was flushed before but it was undeniably flushed now. He knew based on how red it was that he couldn’t blame it on simply the heat. His wings fluttered behind him and a chill ran up his spine. He wasn’t ready (was he?) to admit to himself let alone Tango how much he wanted to feel Tango’s lips against his.

He made the mistake of not replying to or redirecting the conversion. His lips stayed sealed shut, words dead in his throat. The silence called extra attention to Tango’s words (it was just an expression Jimmy was overreacting to!) and that allowed Tango to catch on to what he had said. His hair burst into a full flame and he stepped back away from Jimmy. A hand covered his mouth and his gaze was cast downwards. “Sorry, rancher. Jimmy. I’m sorry, Jimmy. That was too much and, ah!”

Rancher. It was a cute nickname and Jimmy found that he liked it yet Tango felt the need to “correct” himself. Jimmy’s heart pounded in his chest so harshly that he could feel its presence in his head. He stepped toward Tango in an attempt to close the growing gap between them. He flattened his wings against his back (imitating a hug) as a form of self-soothing comfort. “Don’t be sorry. There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

Tango didn’t raise his head but his gaze did travel from the ground up to meet his eyes. Jimmy swallowed back his hesitance with little success. Still, he persisted and stepped closer. The gap between them was noticeably narrowed.

Jimmy tilted Tango’s chin up so he was looking at him properly, surprising himself with his boldness. “Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?” Tango replied coyly. His skin was pleasantly warm against his hand, even though his hair was an active flame. Was he purposely making sure he wasn’t too hot to touch or was he always like this?

There was barely any space separating them now. Jimmy could feel Tango’s breath on his face, to which his body responded by parting his lips. Tango smelled like the campfires Jimmy had gathered around with his friends back home and it was strangely addicting. The smell was usually his least favorite part (it would linger in his clothes no matter how many times he washed them) but Tango somehow managed to pull it off flawlessly. “Do you want to kiss me?”

Tango opened his mouth to respond with words but nothing intelligent came out. A string of high-pitched squeaks filled the air (it had a sort of charm to it) before he cut himself off. As a true response to Jimmy’s question, Tango leaned into him with their lips as the contact point. Tango’s tail curled around Jimmy as if he was staking his claim or signaling to others his unwavering protection of him. Needless to say, their kisses deepened and their hands found natural resting positions on the other’s body.

Jimmy led the kiss despite Tango technically being the one to initiate it. Jimmy had kissed other people in the past so he knew what he was doing. Based on the way Tango moved his mouth, he assumed that Tango had never kissed anyone else before. If Tango desired it, Jimmy wouldn’t mind giving him a few lessons.

He had been so invested in the kiss that he hadn’t noticed how lightheaded he had gotten. Jimmy had grown used to the headaches and occasional dizziness that came with the extreme heat and lack of water. He did his best not to complain to Tango for they both had been trying their best to tend to the other. Jimmy usually managed well enough but he could tell that he had grown too hot with not enough water in his system to cope. Between the tiresome physical activity he engaged in daily, his flusteredness, the lava pooled nearby, and the general Nether environment, his body was struggling to keep up. 

When was the last time he had water? Hadn’t he just had some? It must not have been enough if he had. Did he finish the supply they had stored away? He wasn’t sure. The Nether’s lack of water supply and humid climate clashed harshly so it wasn’t as if he could afford to drink as much water as he normally would at once either way.

Jimmy slumped into Tango as his vision blurred and all sounds went distant. Tango’s lips left him and he whined in protest. If he was going to go down, he wanted to go down in a fun way. He didn’t want to leave Tango. He didn’t want to leave the most physical affection he had received since his last breakup until he absolutely had to. Jimmy wasn’t given much time to protest (not that anything he said was comprehensible) because his body gave into unconsciousness. The Nether was a cruel environment to him yet again.

𓃔

Fading in and out of sleep did not leave Jimmy’s memory the sharpest. There were snippets of events he could recall but it was all hazy. He struggled to tell the difference between what were dreams and what was reality. The clues he could gather from each dream-memory were minimal at best.

Assuming what he could remember was real, his body (as he suspected for a while) was not taking too kindly to the prolonged Nether environment. Tango was constantly talking to him though he couldn’t always make out what he was saying. Jimmy would respond on the occasion but the words were like blank spaces on shelves to him. Those words lived only in Tango’s mind now.

Even though the context of what was going on around him was rarely stored in his memory bank, the emotions connected to them felt real and raw. He knew that Tango was trying his best and every little thing made him fall for him more. There were moments where he had more clarity and Jimmy made sure to show his appreciation for Tango when he could.

Jimmy could hear Tango talk to him now as he awoke. He tried to tune into what he was saying but he only managed to catch the last of his words. “-to barter for another one. They're still mad at me after I blew up at them the other day but I somehow managed to convince them anyway. They must have decided to go easy on their favorite customer.”

The bottle was set against his lips and his head was tilted back to slowly drain the liquid down his throat. Jimmy allowed him to do this until the bottle was done. “Mm… Tango…”

Tango smiled weakly at him. He brushed his hair out of his face and pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead. He had started that bit of nonverbal affection when he thought Jimmy wasn’t awake but Jimmy managed to tell him he liked it. Tango was flustered (Jimmy remembered feeling happy then) but he continued doing it, much to Jimmy’s delight. “We’re going to get you home, rancher. I got the last piece of obsidian we needed. It took a while but we did it. We can make the portal.”

The prospect of the portal home was like fuel to his brain. Jimmy sat up quickly, ignoring the extra disorientation that was brought with it. The sensation was nowhere near what he had been feeling recently so he was able to brush it off with ease.

“Don’t move so speedily,” Tango ordered though he could detect no scorn. If anything, he sounded relieved. Jimmy was relieved too. The Overworld’s climate was ideal for an avian’s body long term and The Overworld didn’t have its water supply locked behind greedy piglins! Jimmy was so positive that he would recover faster there that he would be willing to bet some of the diamonds he had in his ender chest back home. “I have to build it before we can portalify to The Overworld. Do you remember anything useful that has to do with making it?”

Considering he knew close to nothing about The Nether before coming here, he did not. Jimmy was only here because he had stumbled onto a ruined portal with Joel and Grian. They had foolishly decided to repair it, light it, and dare Jimmy to go through it. Joel and Grian probably feel bad about it now. He hoped they were doing okay. “Four by… five. Four by five.”

“Right.” Tango took a deep breath before turning away from him. He pulled out one of the pickaxes from his inventory that they made with the iron they got through bartering. “I’m going to build it into the wall.”

Jimmy watched as Tango got to work. He mined out a four-by-five section of the wall but he left blocks in the corners. He carefully filled in the gaps around the edge with the obsidian (if he misplaced a block, they had no way to pick it back up) before turning to look at Jimmy.

“I want to be with you.” Jimmy pushed himself to his feet. Home was so close; it was practically in his grasp! He couldn’t just sit idly now! Home didn’t have a lack of water. Home didn’t threaten to burn him alive by the temperature of the air alone. Home was cozy, safe, and familiar. The Nether had become home temporarily but that was only because Tango was here. Once Tango left here with him, The Nether would be one of the last things on his mind.

Tango wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him upright, careful not to bother his wings or hold him too tight. His skin had been flaking (he was going to need to moisturize a lot to get his skin healthy again) and it was starting to rub itself raw against his clothes. “The moment of truth.”

“Do it.” Jimmy breathed out. Tango obeyed, using the now-burning end of his tail to light the portal. The portal materialized in front of them. They watched it to ensure it had a stable connection and it never faltered. Tango glanced at Jimmy, expecting confirmation that they had done it correctly. Jimmy remembered that Tango never saw the portal before the ghast destroyed it so he was able to deliver the good news. “We did it. That’s the portal I remember.”

Tango cheered, his shoulders relaxing and a shuttering laugh escaping his lips. He had been on the journey with Jimmy this whole time and they were both seeing the fruit of their labor. No more words were spoken between them as Tango helped him forward. Neither of them looked back.

𓃔

Jimmy remembered going through the portal but not much after that. The next time he opened his eyes, he knew his health had improved greatly. Jimmy hadn’t woken up so refreshed and rejuvenated in such a long time. He felt strong and his head was clearer than it had since he first entered The Nether. The air in the room was almost too cold compared to what he had grown used to. 

He sat up but he took the blanket with him. It now lay loosely on his shoulders. “Hello? Where am I? Tango?”

“Timmy!” If the nickname didn’t make it obvious enough who it was, the voice was familiar enough to Jimmy that he was instantly able to place it. It was Grian. “You’re awake! That was faster than I thought it was going to be.”

“How long was I out?” Jimmy rubbed at his head as his eyes focused on the different atmosphere. Sun shined through the window and he preferred it to the light the lava gave off. He still needed a moment to adjust his eyes to it though. Has Tango been adjusting well? Jimmy shifted his position in the bed so he was facing Grian straight on. “Where’s Tango?”

“Tango is the guy who came with you through the portal, right?” Grian didn’t wait for an answer to continue speaking. “Joel is interrogating him a few rooms over.”

“Interrogating him?” Jimmy pulled the blankets off of him and practically jumped out of the bed. He was pleasantly surprised to find the action easy. They must have given him some strength and regeneration potions. “Why?”

“What do you mean why?” Grian stood up from his chair with him, his wings spreading out to block him from the door. “Isn’t he the one who overheated you? The one who broke the portal and trapped you there? We tried to relight it but it didn’t work so we assumed someone tampered with it.”

“No? That was a ghast.” Jimmy hadn’t realized they might see it that way. All they would have known was that the portal broke and they were separated. “The other side of the portal is a really hot place called The Nether! They have lava lakes instead of oceans and they don’t have a sky. Tango didn’t do anything to me, I swear! Now let me through before Joel does something he shouldn’t.”

Grian’s eyes narrowed into slits as he considered Jimmy’s words. They both knew Joel could go overboard when he was on a mission or when he was trying to protect the people he cared about. His heart was in the right place but he didn’t always go about it in the best way. “Fine. Follow me.”

Jimmy was grateful Grian had seen reason because Grian could be very persistent when he put his mind to it. He let Grian lead, the yelling he heard once they entered the hall only getting louder as they neared the room.

“I never hurt him!” Tango groaned, annoyed that he was (Jimmy guessed) repeating himself yet again. “If I wanted to hurt him, I could have, but I didn’t. I’m the reason he’s still alive!”

“You’re literally on fire! Fire equals heat! He fell flat on his face from blummin’ dehydration and heat stroke or whatever it was!” Joel exclaimed as Grian and Jimmy entered the room. He was going to say more but he noticed Jimmy in the doorway. “Jimmy! You’re awake!”

Jimmy allowed Joel to hug him and eagerly reciprocated the notion. He had missed him and Grian and his other friends dearly. Jimmy found that any ill will he felt toward them from before (he had been angry and blamed them early on) had dissipated. He buried his face into Joel’s shoulder as tears swelled in his eyes. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Joel rested his chin on Jimmy’s head, muttering into his hair. “I’m sorry. Grian and I were blummin’ fools for daring you to go into the portal. We shouldn’t have-”

“It’s fine. I forgive you.” Jimmy pulled away from the hug to look him in the eyes. Their relationship was full of jokes and teasing but Jimmy wanted Joel to know he was serious. “I know you’re upset about what happened, I am too, but don’t take it out on Tango. He helped me get back here. I would be dead without him.”

“I told you that,” Tango muttered, arms crossed as he angled himself away from the other three.

“Ah.” Joel sucked in a breath, a noise akin to a hiss sounding as he did so. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“Leave it to Timmy to get trapped in another world and come out of it with a boyfriend.” Grian joked, saving everyone from the awkward and uncomfortable territory that had strayed into.

“At least it didn’t take me two years to tell him I liked him.” Jimmy shot back lightheartedly, unintentionally confirming to Grian that there was something romantic going on with him and Tango. Those close to Grian got to witness his pining over Scar (who had been oblivious to most of Grian’s half-attempted advances) firsthand so they had won the right long ago to poke fun at him for it.

“I win this argument” Joel puffed out his chest, pointing to himself with his thumb. He completely ignored that there wasn’t a competition to start with and, if there was, they knew he would “win” it so they would have never opted in. “I don’t have a boyfriend but I have a wife and a spouse. Beat that, losers.”

“You can do that?” Tango asked, his knowledge of the subject extremely limited. Jimmy had spent enough time with him now to recognize what he was feeling. Tango was hesitant to interrupt their conversation out of fear of them turning on him again but he was curious enough to voice his question. “How does that work? Is that normal here?”

“Not everyone gets in relationships of three but we did and I love them so much,” Joel explained, his voice gradually picking up speed as he spoke. “I’m the husband and Lizzie is our wife and Etho is our spouse. Etho would be okay with ‘husband’ too because they still enjoy masculinity sometimes but we thought it would be fun to all have separate terms. Now you may be wondering why-”

“Here we go.” Grian rolled his eyes though he was thoroughly amused. Joel was going to keep Tango captive for a while while he explained everything he liked about his spouses and why polyamory is the best solution to any “love triangle” problem one might face. Many have tried to explain to Joel that some people are monogamous so that didn’t work for everyone but Joel chose to ignore them.

“At least they’re not fighting.” This was a good sign. Jimmy would rather have this than have two people he loved being at odds with each other. Love. Love. He did love Tango, didn’t he? His love for Tango was different from his love for Joel or for Grian or for anyone else he cared about. 

The feeling of warmth in his chest was different from what he felt for his ex-boyfriend as well. Jimmy had loved Martyn, don’t get him wrong, but his love for Tango already felt more solid. It already felt like an unbreakable bond forged by shared experience and interest in one another. He and Martyn had fallen out of love, they broke up as a result, and they learned from it. They were never meant to be together in that sort of way but Jimmy still considered Martyn a close friend. Their relationship had gotten to the point where it felt silly that they ever tried to pursue each other.

Tango had become a constant in Jimmy’s desires for the future. He could effortlessly imagine what it would be like to be in a relationship with him long-term. It felt as natural as breathing and he hoped to never lose his supply of air.

If one were to truly reflect on life, one would conclude that life was simply a series of events that flowed around them. They forged their paths in the world and the world shifted to adapt. People would talk about how life always finds a way in the end. They say it always brings together those who were meant to be together and that it can happen in unusual ways. Now Jimmy had never been one to believe in the concept of “soulmates” but the bizarre circumstances that had to happen to get them to meet made him wonder if there was truth to some of the tales.

His love for Tango had come to be such a natural thought that he had never sat down and dissected it thoroughly until now. Jimmy wished to hold Tango and kiss him until there was no more breath in their lungs but that would have to be for another time.

With Joel distracting Tango, Grian started to prod him about his time in The Nether. Among his genuine questions about the world, he made a point to tease Jimmy about Tango. The accidental boyfriend confirmation had given Grian too much power. It would only be a matter of time before everyone else knew too.

Jimmy blushed at Grian’s teasing but he loved the idea of everyone knowing. He wanted to present Tango to his friends as his boyfriend. He wanted to show him off and gush about him until he lost his voice. Jimmy was positive they would come to like Tango as much as Jimmy found himself liking Tango the first few days they had spent together. Jimmy smiled at his boyfriend, who was nodding along to Joel and not looking in his direction.

He broke away from his conversation with Grian to grab Tango’s hand. Tango accepted the hand holding but he raised his eyebrow in question. “Are we going somewhere?”

“I told you I would show you around my world, didn’t I?” Jimmy responded, dragging Tango out the door. Tango didn’t resist, letting himself be guided with a joyful giggle.

“Hey, you devil!” Joel protested as Jimmy saved Tango from enduring that conversation any longer. “I wasn’t done with him yet!”

“He’s my boyfriend! Go find your own to ramble to; you have spouses for a reason!” Jimmy called over his shoulder, not slowing down. Their speed-walking turned into a run until they were able to burst through the doors.

The sun smiled down at them, kissing their skins like they were long-lost lovers. Jimmy thanked his body for instinctively turning to observe Tango’s expression when the sun directly hit his face for the first time. Who knew Tango would look so beautiful in sunlight? Did he really get so lucky that he could see him every day? It amazed him (sometimes felt like a dream) that Tango wanted to live life with him. Jimmy would fail to contain his content smile and delighted laughter if he tried so he didn’t bother, allowing himself to feel freely. He couldn’t wait to experience those days with Tango no matter how exciting or mundane the day’s events may be.

𓃔

“Tango! I finished harvesting the wheat!” Jimmy called as he entered their home through the backdoor. It had been about eight months since they traveled through the portal and announced their relationship status to those who were now both Jimmy and Tango’s friends. It would be an underreaction to say that these past several months had been some of the best months in Jimmy’s life. He would compare it to the months he spent exploring the Southlands with Grian, Martyn, Mumbo, and Impulse but the adrenaline he felt then was distinctly different from the care he felt here. “It’s all bundled and stored in the wheat shed!”

Tango had decided to live on the ranch with Jimmy instead of finding and building his own place but he had made modifications and added personal touches to the house. Jimmy let him and, honestly, Tango had made improvements Jimmy hadn’t even considered. Each modification and added detail made the ranch feel as if it was truly theirs instead of just his. At this point, it has been theirs for a while.

“Woo! Good job, rancher!” Tango peered his head around the corner to show he was in the kitchen before going back to what he was doing. He spoke loud enough that Jimmy could hear him from down the hallway and over the soft tune of a music disc. “Do you think we have enough bread revenue to finally get that horse Scar’s selling now?”

“I’ll have to go talk to him again.” Jimmy took his boots off at the door (he wasn’t going to track in all of that mud!) and he hung his hat on its designated hook. “I just need to find a time where we are both free to negotiate with him again.”

“Why don’t we invite some of the other couples over- well, the other couples and whatever the word is for Joel, Lizzie, and Etho’s relationship- and you can snag Scar’s attention and talk to him at some point during it?” Tango suggested once Jimmy entered the kitchen. He was cooking something and whatever it was smelled phenomenal. “I could make a full meal or we can even potluck it like we did at Martyn and Mumbo’s place for Martyn’s birthday party. I’ve been wanting to host again, anyway, so this would be a good excuse for me.”

Tango had tried his hand at “Overworld Cooking” after Skizz brought them (specifically Tango but Jimmy was included by association) angel food cake as a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” gift. Tango ended up unlocking a hidden talent that he would have never discovered if he had stayed in The Nether. The Nether was greatly lacking in terms of produce, meat, grains, spices, need he go on? It was a whole new world for Tango, figuratively and literally.

Jimmy was a decent cook (he’s managed this long!) but it wasn’t something that interested him or something that he was very amazing at so he was excited about Tango’s new hobby for many reasons. Tango’s cooking has spoiled him so much so quickly that Jimmy didn’t touch the kitchen unless he was cleaning it. If there was anything Tango wanted to try his hand at in cooking or baking, Jimmy would go and find the ingredients for him to do so. 

Tango usually used cookbooks to guide him but, as of about two months ago, he started to experiment with his own recipes. He added another journal to his collection of journals (he had other projects he worked on and took detailed notes of) so he could keep track of his usually edible creations. There had been a few disasters but Jimmy was a more than willing test subject for Tango’s experiments.

“If you would like to, we can set that up.” Jimmy went behind his boyfriend, placing his hands on his shoulders to give him a gentle massage. Tango stopped moving besides the little flicking of his tail so Jimmy would continue. His reaction only caused Jimmy to smile wide enough that it could be heard in his voice. “We could host it outside on the long table I finished detailing last week. It’s been holding up well out there so I think it’s fine to serve a meal on.”

“Perfect.” Tango placed his right hand on Jimmy’s left before turning to face him. Their hands (not gloved) moved to link together as Tango rolled forward on his toes to give Jimmy a brief kiss. “It’s settled. What should I make? Would they want a casserole? We should serve some of the carrots we recently harvested. Martyn loves carrots, doesn’t he? Maybe I could make something with carrots for him. What is everyone else’s favorite food? I’m struggling to remember who likes what. I know Grian and Scar like pizza but that is more of a main ticket item for a casual hangout night on its own than a dinner party. It doesn’t really fit. If I figure out what everyone likes, I could maybe-”

“Whatever you make, they will love,” Jimmy reassured him, resting his arms on Tango’s shoulders. The music disc still played in the background, adding to the pleasant atmosphere. Jimmy struggled to place the tune enough to name it but Tango had found a good one to play.

“I know.” Tango sighed softly, his arms finding their place by Jimmy’s hips. They started to sway to the music together. Their swaying gradually moved them closer together until their chests practically touched. Tango set his chin on Jimmy’s shoulder and Jimmy rested his cheek against Tango’s hair. Jimmy trusted Tango enough to know he wouldn’t let his hair shift to fire when Jimmy was so close. “I just want them to like me.”

“Tango, love, why would you think they won’t? Of course, they like you.” Jimmy frowned, straightening up to meet his boyfriend’s eyes. His care and compassion for him were clear on his features as he cupped Tango’s face and brushed his thumb against his cheek. “You’re wonderful, funny, amazing, and talented. They would be fools to not like you. Did one of them say something to you?”

“No.” Tango gave him a weak smile, feeling silly for voicing the insecurity Jimmy constantly tried to prove wrong. “It’s just hard not to feel like an outsider at times. I am different from them.”

“We’re all different from each other.” Jimmy slid his hand down from Tango’s cheek to his back. He rubbed a small circle pattern around his shoulder blade as a way to comfort him. He knew it was the right move when a soft rumbling akin to a purr built in Tango’s throat. “Some of us are avians, a few have elven or fae heritage, and a good majority of us are hybrids in some sort of way. ‘Normal’ doesn’t mean much around here. We all have our quirks and differences and yeah, we disagree from time to time, but they aren’t bad people. None of us are. They’re not going to reject you for being blazeborn. If they were going to, they would have done so already. We all live near each other because we get along and we have built a community. You have more than proven to be a part of that community.”

“Etho did teach me to tie a tie when they realized I didn’t know how.” Tango offered up the counterpoint to his own insecurity. Jimmy pressed a kiss near his hairline and muttered soft encouragement after he did so. Tango took that encouragement as motivation to continue, each statement earning another kiss until his face was being peppered with kisses. “Lizzie and I built up that one carnival game for Joel’s Fairground Mound. That was fun. Skizz taught me how to make things spicy without making them too spicy for non-blazeborns. Mumbo-”

Tango was going to continue that train of thought but Jimmy had given in to his desires. Jimmy didn’t wait for Tango to reassure himself to place a kiss against his skin. Instead, he showered him with kisses and soft touches without discrimination as to where. Tango’s giggling was what cut him off from speaking but Jimmy suspected it would have happened sooner than later. Some of the places Jimmy touched were places he knew were sensitive and ticklish.

“Feeling better?” Jimmy spoke into Tango’s neck before placing a kiss against his skin. He moved down to the crease between his neck and his shoulder, leaving a few more there.

“Y-yes.” Tango’s claws dug into the fabric of Jimmy’s shirt as he swallowed back a gasp. Jimmy nipped another sensitive spot, showing no mercy when it came to intimacy. “Jimmy, I still- still have food-”

Right, Tango had been cooking. Jimmy stopped his trail of affection on Tango’s body, only backing off enough for them to see each other’s full face. They otherwise stayed close together. “I'll freshen up, you finish up cooking, and we continue this later?”

A hand snaked its way to the back of Jimmy’s head, pulling him into a lip-locked kiss. Jimmy hadn’t expected it but he wasn’t going to deny his boyfriend what he also wanted. The kiss only lasted a few moments before Tango broke away and shoved him out of the kitchen. “Now shoo! You’re going to make me burn the food.”

“Okay! Okay! I’m going.” Jimmy laughed, letting Tango push him toward the stairs. He placed his hand on the railing and started to walk up the steps to get to their bathroom. One of Jimmy’s quirks was that he loved showers and baths. It was nice to get all the filth from the outdoors off of him after a long day. It was usually a time when he could just relax and think about nothing for a little bit. It was safe to say he did not think about nothing this time around.