Chapter Text
Leafy and Firey didn’t have a motor for their boat anymore thanks to X stealing it, but honestly? That was fine. It just meant the trip to their new dream island would take a little longer. Neither of them minded much. They had years of lost time to make up for anyway. Years of being apart.
Years of Leafy hiding herself away after stealing Dream Island, running from everyone because of what she’d done. Years of Firey trapped in a cage, sacrificing everything in his life, to protect her. Then all the mess during BFB, struggling to talk honestly, dancing around their feelings, never really addressing the hurt between them or what had happened all those years ago. But now they are here. They made it. No more pretending Leafy was a stranger. No more fear about approaching Firey. No more distance forced between them.
They were together again. Best friends, finally reunited, and nothing was ever going to tear them apart now. It had taken so painfully long to get here, but that didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was this moment: the two of them sailing across the ocean together in search of a new island to call home. A place just for them, where they could start over from scratch. Firey and Leafy against the world.
It was going to be perfect. Every mistake, every misunderstanding, every year spent longing for each other had led them here. Sure, reaching land without a motor would probably take weeks. Sure, there was always the risk of dying out at sea and needing recovery. But Flower had recovery duty handled if anything happened, and besides, they’d already made each other a promise.
No matter what happened, they would always find their way back to each other. If they were ever separated again, they’d stop at nothing to reunite. They refused to lose one another ever again.That was their promise tonight, beneath the moonlight, on this little boat drifting toward paradise.
“I promise, Leafy,” Firey repeated softly.
Leafy had insisted they say it out loud, and honestly, Firey understood why. After everything they’d been through, after all the times fate seemed determined to keep them apart, he wanted her to know he meant it. Nothing was ever going to come between them again.
“Are you sure?” Leafy asked quietly.
You couldn’t really blame her for asking. She’d spent so long desperately trying to be part of Firey’s life again, only for him to act like she didn’t exist. Sure, he’d explained why. It was complicated, painful, messy… but none of that mattered anymore. Not when they had each other again.
Firey reached over and took Leafy’s hand in his, smiling warmly. “I promise you, Leafy. Nothing’s gonna break us apart again.”
Her hand felt soft in his.
It had been such a long time since he’d held it like this. His thumb absentmindedly brushed across her hand as he looked into her eyes, the moonlight reflecting beautifully in them. They shimmered against the dark ocean, and for a moment Firey found himself completely lost in them.
He really, truly adored her.
“Well… okay then!” Leafy beamed, squeezing his hand tightly. “I believe you! And I promise the same, Fireman!”
She shook their joined hands enthusiastically, almost like sealing a business deal with a handshake. Firey let out an awkward little laugh. He’d gotten a bit carried away there. They were just friends, after all. And this friendship was sacred to him. He couldn’t risk doing anything that might ruin it, couldn’t risk losing Leafy again. Not after spending so many years apart, not after fighting this hard to finally have each other back.
Whatever happened next, he just knew one thing for certain. He never wanted to let her go again.
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After weeks of drifting across the endless sea, they finally found land. A small island sat in the distance, surrounded by pale sandy beaches and sparkling water. Bright green grass covered most of the land, while thick forests stretched deeper inland, full of trees and berry bushes ripe for gathering. Mountains framed the island in the distance, making the whole place feel hidden away from the rest of the world. It was perfect.
Their boat gently scraped against the shore, the sudden stop jolting Firey awake from his nap.
Leafy immediately let out an excited squeal and leapt from the boat without hesitation. The second her feet hit the grass, she burst into laughter and ran across the island with her arms thrown high into the air.
“This is amazing!!” she shouted happily.
Firey rubbed his eyes sleepily before smiling at the sight of her racing around in pure joy. Honestly, seeing Leafy happy had always been enough to make him happy too. He stepped out onto the shore and dragged the boat fully onto land before taking a moment to look around properly.
The island was simple. Quiet. Untouched. A few scattered rocks rested along the sand, dark green bushes dotted the landscape, and the salty breeze carried through the trees softly. It wasn’t much yet, but it could become home.
Their home.
“So… this is it, huh?” Firey said quietly, taking everything in.
It really was beautiful.
He walked over and sat down in the grass carefully. The blades didn’t instantly shrivel beneath him, which earned a relieved sigh. Good. That was definitely a bonus.
Leafy skipped back over and happily plopped down beside him. The two sat, staring out across the ocean in comfortable silence.
They actually did it. After everything they’d been through, they’d finally made it to Dream Island.
Well… their dream island.
Sure, there wasn’t much here yet. They’d have to build everything from scratch. Shelter, food, a life together, all of it.
But for the first time in years, that felt exciting instead of scary. They had all the time in the world now.
“So, Leafster,” Firey asked with a grin, “do you like it?”
“I love it!” Leafy squealed instantly. “I’m so happy to be here, Fireball… with you.”
Her voice softened at the end as she turned toward him.
Firey glanced over too, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. They just smiled at each other quietly, eyes locked together as the ocean waves rolled behind them. Something warm twisted in Firey’s chest.
“Oh— um— we should probably start setting up camp!” he blurted suddenly, turning away too fast. “Y’know! We’ll need supplies and stuff. I can go grab sticks, maybe carve a spear outta a log so you can fish for us! Then I can cook the fish because, duh, fire.”
Leafy blinked for a second before smiling softly to herself. She noticed the sudden topic change. Firey always got like this sometimes, nervous whenever moments between them became too quiet, too personal. Because the truth was, Firey felt things for her he didn’t really know how to handle.
Well… maybe he did know. That was the scary part.
He had always loved Leafy. Everything he’d ever done proved it. He sacrificed himself for her without hesitation. He endured months trapped in a cage because protecting her mattered more than his own safety. If he had to do it all again just to save her, he would. Every single time.
But despite how obvious his feelings felt sometimes, their friendship meant too much to risk ruining. What if trying to become something more destroyed everything again? What if it didn’t work out? What if he hurt her all over again and pushed her out of his life for a second time? The thought alone made him feel sick. Leafy had already suffered enough because of him. He couldn’t bear being the reason she hurt again.
Maybe this, what they already had, was enough. Maybe it was safer that way.
“Yeah! Of course!” Leafy replied brightly. “You go do that! I’ll stay here and look around a little.”
Part of her wished they could’ve stayed sitting together just a bit longer. But she understood. If they were really going to live here, they needed food, shelter, and supplies. Starting on that now was important.
Still, as Firey stood and headed toward the forest, Leafy couldn’t help smiling softly to herself while watching him go. Even after everything, they were here together. And that was all she’d ever really wanted.
Firey headed off toward the trees to find something they could use for fishing. After wandering for a bit, he found a long sturdy branch with a sharp edge near the end. Using the heat from his flames, he carefully burned and shaped the wood until the tip became even sharper, sturdy enough to pierce through water cleanly. He gave the makeshift spear an approving nod before whistling cheerfully to himself and heading back toward the beach.
When he returned, he found Leafy crouched beside a shrub, gathering large leaves into a neat pile. Every so often she’d glance around thoughtfully, clearly trying to figure out how they were supposed to make a sleeping space for Firey without accidentally setting something ablaze.
They’d figure it out eventually. Leafy looked up the moment she noticed him approaching and waved excitedly.
“Ooooh, nice!” she said brightly as Firey handed her the spear.
She twirled it once in her hands before immediately charging toward the ocean.
“Leafy, wait—”
Too late.
The second she spotted a fish swimming near the surface, she lunged forward and stabbed downward with surprising precision.
Splash!
A fish wriggled violently on the end of the spear as Leafy lifted it triumphantly from the water.
“It worked!” she laughed.
She turned toward Firey proudly, holding up the flopping fish while water dripped around her. “Fish for dinner!”
“Nice job, Leafy,” Firey said with a grin.
Honestly, he shouldn’t have been surprised. When Leafy got excited about something, she threw herself into it completely.
The sky above them had already started shifting into warmer shades of orange and pink. It had been mid-afternoon when they arrived, and now evening was slowly creeping closer. Their first night on the island.
Firey sat down in the grass while Leafy joined him across from where he sat. She carefully handed him the fish rather than getting too close herself. Both of them were always cautious about that sort of thing now. One accidental burn could mean disaster for her.
Firey rested the fish against the heat of his head, slowly cooking it as the salty smell drifted through the air.
Leafy watched with interest. “You know, this is actually kinda convenient.”
“Being alive barbecue equipment?” Firey joked.
“Exactly!”
Once the fish was fully cooked, Firey pulled it away and split it in half, handing one piece to Leafy. The two sat quietly together as they ate, the sound of ocean waves filling the silence between bites.
“It’s pretty good,” Leafy hummed. “Honestly, after living off only yoyleberries for years, I think I could eat almost anything now.” She laughed lightly while saying it, not trying to guilt him or reopen old wounds. To her, it was just something that had happened.
The past was the past. Still, Firey’s smile faded slightly.
“Yeah…” he muttered quietly. “I’m sorry about that.”
Part of him still hated himself for how alone she’d been back then.
He spent all of BFDIA recovering her, but sometimes he wondered if he should’ve done more somehow. Snuck her food. Tried harder.
But then again, pretending not to remember her while secretly helping her would’ve been impossible to hide. And after getting trapped in a cage himself during IDFB, he hadn’t even known whether she was alive anymore. Still, guilt clung to him anyway.
Leafy immediately shook her head.
“It’s okay, Firey!” she said warmly. “The past is the past. Right now we get to focus on the future!”
Her smile was so genuine, so full of excitement for what came next, that Firey couldn’t help smiling again too. This was everything she’d wanted for so long. To be here beside him. To laugh with him again. To build a life together somewhere peaceful and far away from all the chaos they’d endured. And now she finally had it.
Leafy took another small bite of fish, humming contently to herself.
Firey glanced down at his own food for a moment before quietly speaking.
“I’m really excited to spend that future with you, Leafy.”
The words slipped out naturally, but almost immediately he started second-guessing himself. Was that too much? Why did every sentence suddenly feel dangerous around her lately? He was terrified of saying the wrong thing somehow. Terrified of ruining this. Ruining them.
Leafy turned toward him immediately, eyes soft with surprise and adoration.
“Really?”
The way she said it made Firey’s chest tighten.
She had spent years wanting nothing more than this, to matter to him again, to stay by his side again, and hearing him say something like that meant more to her than he probably realized.
Firey looked away shyly and took another bite of fish.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “Of course.”
By the time they finished eating, the sun had nearly disappeared behind the ocean horizon. They tossed the leftover fish bones aside for now and simply sat together in the grass, watching the sunset paint the sky in glowing shades of orange, gold, and pink. They’d watched sunsets together almost every night while sailing here. But this one felt different. Peaceful. Permanent. Like they’d finally reached the end of a very long journey.
They leaned close together without quite touching, hands resting against the grass beside them as they stared upward at the fading light.
Firey glanced sideways at Leafy for a moment. She looked so happy. And seeing her happy filled him with a warmth stronger than any flame he could create himself. After everything she’d suffered through, everything they’d both lost, being able to give her this felt like enough. More than enough.
Leafy tilted her head back slightly, smiling at the sky as she absentmindedly shifted one of her hands. Her fingers brushed lightly against Firey’s. The tiny bit of contact made his flames flicker upward in surprise. A bright blue blush spread across his cheeks almost instantly. Leafy froze too, biting her lip nervously once she realized what happened.
But… holding hands wasn’t bad, right? Friends could hold hands. Probably.
Slowly, carefully, she slid her hand fully over the top of his and left it there. Neither of them looked at each other afterward. Leafy kept her eyes fixed firmly on the sunset, cheeks warm with embarrassment. Firey stared straight ahead too, flames crackling softly as he tried very hard not to think about how nice her hand felt resting against his. Both of them were nervous. Both terrified of ruining the fragile, precious bond they’d fought so hard to rebuild. And yet… neither of them pulled away.
“It’s really beautiful, don’t you think?” Leafy hummed softly as she watched the sun slowly sink beneath the horizon.
“Yeah… it’s nice,” Firey replied quietly.
Though honestly, he was trying very hard to focus on literally anything other than the fact that her hand was still resting on top of his. His flames flickered nervously. How long was he supposed to deal with this feeling without doing something stupid about it? Because this wasn’t just some random crush. This was Leafy. His Leafy. The person he’d spent years missing, mourning, searching for, protecting, and longing to have back in his life again.
And now she was finally here. Right beside him. Holding his hand while the sunset painted the ocean gold. Firey swallowed thickly. Maybe… someday, they could become something more. The thought alone made his chest feel tight. But not yet. Definitely not yet.
They’d only recently managed to repair their friendship after years of distance and pain. There was still so much to rebuild between them, so many conversations they never got to have, so much lost time to make up for. He couldn’t rush this just because his feelings had been sitting in his chest for years. Their friendship mattered too much.
This, sitting beside her, laughing with her, getting another chance to know her again, was already everything he’d wanted for so long. They finally had stability again. Trust again. They needed time. Time to heal. Time to settle into this new life together. Time to just… be Firey and Leafy again.
Nothing more. At least for now.
Eventually the last sliver of sunlight disappeared beneath the ocean, leaving the island wrapped in deepening twilight. Leafy let out a soft sigh.
The darkness didn’t bother her much, though. Firey practically worked as a permanent campfire all on his own. Between the warm glow of his flames and the steady heat radiating from him, they really didn’t need much shelter tonight. Honestly, having Firey around made the island feel safe.
Leafy yawned before smiling over at him.
“Lucky you’re here.”
As she finally pulled her hand away to stand up, Firey immediately sucked in the deepest breath imaginable.
Okay. Cool.
He could think again now. Probably.
Leafy walked over to the little pile of leaves she’d gathered earlier and fluffed them out into a makeshift bed. It wasn’t anything fancy, just layered leaves and soft grass bundled together enough to make the ground more comfortable.
She sat down on it proudly.
“It’s not much,” she admitted with a sheepish laugh. “But when I was surviving in Yoyle City, I got pretty good at making places to sleep. Sometimes I’d sneak into abandoned buildings and move around a lot, and other times I’d just sleep outside like this.” Her smile softened slightly.
“I wasn’t really sure what to make for you though… since basically everything here is flammable.”
“That’s okay,” Firey said with an easy grin. “I like sleeping on the ground.”
“Yay!”
Leafy looked genuinely relieved. She curled up comfortably on the leafy bed while Firey settled down beside her directly on the grass.
Normally, Firey slept sprawled out on his stomach like a loaf, legs kicked behind him carelessly.
But tonight, he laid on his side instead. Entirely because he wanted to look at Leafy. Not because he missed seeing her face or anything ridiculous like that. No, obviously he was just… making sure she was safe. Totally.
Leafy shifted onto her side too, facing him with sleepy eyes. The warmth from his flames drifted over her gently, making her feel cozy almost immediately. She was clearly getting sleepier by the second.
Meanwhile Firey looked wide awake. One arm propped beneath his head, he simply stared at her quietly. Her expression looked softer like this. Relaxed. Safe. The moonlight mixed with the warm orange glow of his flames reflected gently across her face, and Firey honestly couldn’t stop looking at her.
She looked so cute half-asleep.
Leafy blinked slowly at him. “You’re staring.”
Firey immediately jolted. “Wha— no I’m not!”
“You totally are,” she giggled sleepily.
“I was just checking if you were comfy!”
“Mhm.”
“I was!”
Leafy smiled tiredly at him, eyes barely staying open anymore.
“You always worry about me a lot.”
Firey’s expression softened.
“Well… yeah,” he admitted quietly. “I kinda spent years worrying about you.”
Leafy went still for a moment at that. Her sleepy smile became gentler.
“I worried about you too,” she whispered.
The ocean waves rolled softly in the distance while the two looked at each other in the dark.
Firey felt his chest ache in the nicest way possible.
Leafy yawned again, this one bigger than before.
“You know…” she mumbled drowsily, “this is kinda all I ever wanted.”
Firey blinked. “Hm?”
“Just this.” Her eyes drifted half shut. “Being with you again. No competitions. No drama. No everyone yelling at us all the time…” She smiled faintly. “Just us.”
Firey stared at her for a second before his flames flickered lower and softer.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I think this is all I wanted too.”
Leafy made a tiny happy sound at that. A few seconds later, her eyes finally closed completely.
Firey thought she’d fallen asleep until she suddenly mumbled again.
“Firey?”
“Hm?”
“Don’t disappear again.” The words came out small and sleepy, barely above a whisper.
Firey’s heart tightened painfully. “I won’t,” he promised immediately.
This time there was no hesitation in his voice.
Leafy smiled faintly without opening her eyes. “Okay…”
Within moments, her breathing slowed as she drifted off to sleep beside him.
Firey stayed awake a little longer, watching her quietly while the island settled around them for the night. For the first time in years, everything felt peaceful. And with Leafy asleep safely beside him, Firey thought maybe this place really could become home.