Work Text:
Tubbo sat on the edge of the cliff overlooking l'manberg. He sat in his old presidential uniform, in the same spot where his beloved home once stood. A silent tear fell from his cheek, and landed on the ground in front of him. In the silence of the cool night, Tubbo began to sing.
"I heard there was a special place", his voice broke and he swallowed, continuing to sing, "where men could go to emancipate."
His voice rang out in the quiet night, over the ruins of the once mighty nation.
Tubbo could still remember the little details of the nation. How it looked at nighttime all their houses lit up with light, the laughter coming from the van and quiet evening dinners with Tommy and Wilbur. The smell that would come from Niki's bakery in the mornings, the celebration after they won their independence.
As he finished his song, his tears flowing, he wiped his eyes on his sleeve.
The sound of a branch breaking behind him made Tubbo jump, and he reached to where his sword used to be.
"Hey, it's just me."
Tubbo sighed in relief, and unclenched his fist, letting it fall silently to his side.
"I thought you left with Wilbur." Even mentioning his name brought Tubbo pain. How could Wilbur do this to him? To everyone?
"Wilbur left to go do some things with the van, and I circled back cause I was worried about you. Are you...Are you okay?"
Tubbo nodded.
"Yeah. I'm all right. I guess I'm just...angry and sad. How could Wilbur do this?" Tubbo turned to face his beloved husband, tears in his eyes.
"How, after what we had been through together, how could he blow up the nation he fought to get? Did he not care? Or did he care too much? I don't know anymore Ranboo."
Ranboo didn't know what to say. He had never seen Tubbo like this before. It broke his heart.
"Well, he wasn't exactly...sane when he made that choice. Maybe he thought he was doing something right."
Tubbo sighed.
"I just. I don't understand the point of any of this" , he gestured to the ruins of L'manberg.
"Do you want to know the worst part Ranboo? The worst part is that I still fucking care. I still care about Wilbur about L'manberg. All of it."
Tubbo had started crying again as he said this.
Ranboo stood there shocked. His husband had never told him any of this. And then it occurred to him: maybe Tubbo had.
"I know you're wondering if I've told you these things before. I haven't by the way. I never thought to. I thought it would be too much of a burden even if you forgot."
Ranboo walked over to where Tubbo sat and bent down, placing a hand on Tubbo's shoulder.
"You'll never be a burden to me Tubbo."
His voice was so genuine, so authentic, it made Tubbo realize how he never heard such authenticity before. No one had ever talked to him with such concern and truth in their voice like Ranboo did.
"Thank you Ranboo."
Ranboo sat down next to him, and placed a hand on Tubbo's.
"You know, it will get better with time. The pain will lessen."
"I know. I wish I could just forget. Forget Wilbur and my memories of L'manberg."
"If you forgot, you wouldn't be the person you are now. And let me just say, that person is so amazing. He is a good friend, a good husband and a great father. He has his downsides though. Like his hair, he needs to cut it."
Tubbo gave him a glare, and Ranboo laughed, which made Tubbo smile.
"And I know it's hard, but it will get better."
"Everyone says that. Everyone says it will get better but it never will because I can't move on. I don't know how. All I've ever been, all I've ever known was L'manberg. I don't know what I believe or who I am anymore."
Ranboo thought to himself. He wanted to help Tubbo move on. He remembered when Tommy died, before he was resurrected. Tubbo and Ranboo were the only people to show up to his funeral. They had placed a single allium on his grave.
"Hey. What if we make a bouquet of flowers and place it on a part of L'manberg. Maybe it will help you move on like it did when Tommy died."
Tubbo gave it some thought before nodding.
Ranboo stood up and looked around. A few feet down the hill, there was a patch of flowers.
"Poppies! Poppies represent death or sleep. And well, L'manberg is dead. And when placed on war commemorations, it gives respect to the fallen soldiers!"
"Ranboo how do you know that?"
"To be honest I don't remember."
"I never would have seen that one coming", Tubbo said teasingly.
Ranboo rolled his eyes and laughed.
"Come on, let's just pick flowers."
An hour later, they were standing in a spot further away from the rest of L'manberg.
"This was roughly where L'mantree used to be. I don't know why I came here to be honest."
"Take your time saying goodbye Tubbo. I'll be right here."
The pair left 3 hours later.
The bouquet of flowers lay on the ground. A Poppy to remember the Canon lives taken, an Alium, in the hope that there will be unity between people again, a Cornflower, in remembrance of L'manberg and the hope for a better future, and a Lily of the Valley, representing rebirth, so one day L'manberg may be reborn into something extraordinary.