Strawberry Panic {TomTord}

Wake up America

A long-awaited coldness had swept across the country, harsh coiling wind bitingly numb as it swirled around the whipping, stripped branches of naked trees. Sky blanketed into a muted, bleak grey, no amount of colour was to be seen, life seemingly whitewashed into a faint, dull roar. Rain pittered prettily on the concrete, staining the streets a dark wet hue, spreading the intoxicating scent of petrichor, and cleansing the world anew. Dead, rotting leaves littered the ground, bodies decaying into the loose soil, each one a uniquely different shade of death.

Beautiful.

Autumn had arrived like a god-given saviour.

Freedom was beautiful.

Finally released from the oppressive shackles of summer free time, Tom had to be the only child who was actively excited to be back at school. Trapped within the terrifying confines of his house had been a familiar hell that he wished he didn't have to endure but did so anyway, counting off the days needed to finally reunite with his apathetic classmates- a strange sense of giddiness bubbling in his gut at the thought of once again being able to see Matt on a daily basis once again.

Sat loungingly on the slick tarmac, Tom hummed as he worked, sucking on his bottom lip as he organised a line of leaves, placing each one delicately in order of colour.

Tom liked order.

It made him feel in control- the freedom of self-expression contained within the safety of structure.

"Hey, heeeey Tooom!" Called a cheerful voice, a manic excitable energy obvious in the tone alone.

Looking up, he carefully put down the crumbling leaf, the bright orange hue immediately reminded him of the shade of Matt's hair- meeting the vibrant green gaze of his best friend, who was waving eagerly from the other side of the playground.

"Hi!"

Glad to be noticed, the other grinned widely, the curling edges of his smile wrinkling the chubby, flushed cheeks, "Watch this!"

With a shrill, high pitched battle screech, Tom watched in amusement as Matt sprinted towards a pile of recently raked leaves, flopping his small body into the neat stack with a loud huff of laughter. A few of them flew up into the air, raining down in a cloud of crunchy foliage, falling haphazardly to the ground, scattering across the concrete and tangling with unruly ginger locks- the smattering mess looking every inch of a small, fiery explosion.

They had only been back for a few days, and the janitor already hated their collective guts.

Kids these days.

Although, that was the most accurate description of Matt he had managed to come up with- a messy explosion of life and neverending happiness.

"Come on!" Matt grinned crookedly, face flushed from a combination of cold and exhilaration, tongue peeking out the side of his beaming mouth as his body thrummed with excitement. Jumping on the balls of his feet, a few giddy squeaks bubbled from his curved lips, green eyes sparkling vibrantly against the murky, muted colours of the scenery, freckles bunched adorably from the ecstatic, carefree expression.

The sight alone was enough to take Tom's breath away.

Never leave me.

You are the light of my life.

"I've never done it before-" Tom stuttered, impulsively fidgeting with the reddened tips of his pudgy fingers, feeling a certain ebb of shame that coiled unpleasantly in his gut- embarrassed in his need to not disappoint.