Luminescent Alliums.

Chapter 5- moving in and moving on

Trust is earned when actions meet words. Or you know Puffy is threatening action with polite words. Tommy couldn't suppress the feeling of satisfaction he got from hearing her passive aggressive tone as she discussed the terms on which Tommy was allowed to enter Kinoko kingdom. Not that he was entirely happy with being in the same land as Dream's best friends. Ex best friends. Sapnap had made that very very clear, even to the point of expressing that he would kill the man on site, Jeez.

Tommy felt content about that, but poor Puffy, she already had one son on two lives and the other only had one, and both had made very dangerous enemies.

"Fine." he heard Sapnap say after an hour of negotiating. "But he's your responsibility. Anything that happens comes back to you". The pirate-born woman nodded, showing no sign of regret. Tommy looked at Puffy, then to the fireborn man.

"So I'm good?" Tommy asked, Sapnap looked back at George, who shrugged

"I guess so," he said. Turning away to return to his own house.

Tommy and Puffy exchanged a victorious glance,

"Let's go get your stuff" Puffy said, causing Tommy to run back to his house.

It only took three loads for Tommy and Puffy to move all Tommy's stuff to Puffy's house. "I guess I should say welcome home," she joked. "Maybe we should have a housewarming party," she added thoughtfully. Looking at Tommy, who's response was to pull a face the mix between shock and disgust until she cheekily smiled. "I'm just pulling your leg, Tommy." she said, laughing just a little. Tommy instantly looked relieved. "Although we need some food. What about a party with just us?" she suggested.

"Sounds good," he said as Puffy started working on some food, she looked back at Tommy who had begun to set the table. She looked into one of her chest, she had just enough for two bowls of rabbit stew and a cake. Two pretty useless foods but,

A little bit of luxury is what Tommy deserved as of now. He was progressing very well, especially with moving out. She honestly expected a little more resistance from him.

Puffy turned around with two bowls of rabbit stew and a freshly baked cake hidden in her inventory, she guessed hanging out with Niki really helped. Even if she hadn't spoken to her in a while, they were both busy.

"Here you go Tommy," she said, placing a bowl in front of him and one on the opposite end of the table for her. "So tomorrow I was thinking of having a pretty chill day so you can settle in, but the day after I want to give you a proper tour of this place, it's changed a bit since you were here." she looked up after hearing a sniffle from Tommy's end of the table. "Are you okay? Is this too fast?" she asked tentatively. Tommy shook his head

"No no, it's fine. It's just" his voice was thick, "it's been a while since i've had a warm meal" Puffy's eyes welled up a bit,

"Well you better get used to it, you'll be having good meals. You're going to need the energy" she casually said. Allowing Tommy to dry his eyes and continue to eat with no embarrassment, they ate in comfortable silence. Once Tommy was finished Puffy saw him begin to look outside to the gently lit land. "How about a night time stroll?" she suggested.

Puffy and Tommy walked all the way to the L'manhole in silence. Tommy hadn't felt so peaceful in the silence in months. Normally this was so anxiety filling. But as the warm breeze drifted past the duo he felt, so content. It was really something else.

"Phil's been fixing this up a bit" Tommy said looking over the edge of the massive crater.

"It looks beautiful" Puffy said softly, he couldn't help but agree.

"I think it looks like a proper memorial, L'manburg deserved it" he said quietly

"After all you went through for it. It really does" Puffy said.

The silence surrounded the two mixed with the night air and the essence of memories both happy and tormented. The cogs turned in Puffy' head, she tugged gently on Tommy's arm. "Come on Tommy" she said as she began to descend down into the crater.

"Wait, what are you doing?" he asked before following her down to the bottom.

The bottom was lit enough to stop mobs from spawning but was still dim enough for Tommy to feel like he was wrapped in a blanket of privacy as he looked around. "This was everything I worked for," he said, sitting by the water. Looking at his own reflection, the bruised scarred face. Streaked hair and solemn expression. "I feel like I'm the only one left. The only one who hasn't moved on" Puffy gently rubbed his back

"Tommy you have moved on, you've grown from this. But sometimes it's good to visit where you've come from, remember your roots" she said looking up at the vines hanging from the TNT cannons.

"The happy memories feel so glorified, I wonder, was it really like that?" Tommy asked quietly. Puffy didn't reply, Tommy looked up from his reflection, a teary smile on his face. "I remember this one time in Pogtopia, I stole some of Wilburs stuff and then tried to decorate it with it. Wil wasn't happy of course, but it was funny all the same. I remember it ended with me trapping myself in a redstone room. I couldn't move, I bit Tubbo" he said with a smile. Puffy laughed.

"Sounds like chaos" she said looking over to him. He nodded.

"It was, but it was the most fun ever."

Puffy and Tommy looked over the water. Before Puffy placed down a wood block as a makeshift table and then a cake.

"I was going to save this until we got back, but now seems like the perfect time. Welcome home Tommyinnit." she said.

The line echoed with familiarity in Tommy's mind, but it didn't matter, not right now.

Techno and Phil were in the past for now.

Puffy handed him a slice of the cake, it was sugary and fruity.

And perfect

He smiled wider, Puffy returning the grin a smudge of frosting on her chin.

"I'm glad to be home" he said, the pirate swinging an arm around him, he felt warm and safe.

This is what mattered right now