{TPN x Reader} Forever or Never?

{2} Tag

We were given our free time and we went to play tag outside. I leaned my upper body down with my hands behind my back. "You're not joining Ray?" I looked at the bed headed boy. "Hm? No. I'm going to keep track of time and read this book." "Hmm tell me about the book once you've finished it okay?" I asked. "I always do. Now shoo! Unless you want to loose!" "how rude of you" I said with a smile and ran off last I saw was Ray having a smirk on his face.

I ran through the forest that surrounded our home. 'Hmm what can I do to throw him off....' I scrambled my thoughts around thinking of a way. 'I'm too short and not as athletic to climb trees like Emma and I'm better at leaps if anything...' I looked and saw some medium rocks that could be used as stepping stones. I stacked them up and I managed to pull myself onto the lowest sturdy branch. I stretched my leg downwards and tipped the stacked rocks causing them to fall. And scatter on the uneven terrain.

I climbed higher up the tree and got to a sturdy brach that hits another branch on the tree next to it.

I leaped from tree to tree and some time has passed and I haven't seen any sign of Norman. I heard fast pacing footsteps and I looked down to see Emma running and a white haired male following close.

I stayed on the branch where I saw the two for a few seconds, then leaped to trees  near the entrance of the forest. I got to the top of the tree and saw many small bodies. I counted thirty four bodies excluding Ray. "So it's just Emma and me left...." I whispered to myself. I then saw Emm walking towards the group. "Only me then...." I corrected myself in a whisper. I leaped back into the deeper area of the forest, stopping at some trees for a small stamina regain and to scout the area.

I climbed to the top of a tree in the middle of the forest and looked at the clouds. I reached my hand up and closed it as if I was trying to catch a cloud even though it's impossible. "Twinkle...star...a shooting star...hmm hm hm mm mmm" I hummed softly as I looked up to the sky. Shifting my gaze down to the earth, I saw a pink dahlia flower. 

I looked around for any sign of Norman and I confirmed to myself that the coast was clear. I carefully slid down a tree as to not harm my skin from the rough bark.

The moment my protected feet hit the ground, I got low and moved closer to the flower. "How...pretty...." I sighed at the sight of the pink and yellow flower. "What flower is it?" "It's a-....wait a minute..." I turned my head around and saw Norman about three feet away from me standing making him look tall as a sunflower with my crouched body being at the position it's in, the view from down here makes Norman look much taller. We stared each other in the eyes for a few seconds his face slowly turned pink and looked away. 'He found me but hasn't tagged me yet...' I thought as he was still looking away.

I leaned my crouched body away from the flustered albino, pressing my feet to the ground and then I took off.

"Huh?...Wait! HEY!" I heard his voice call out.

All I heard was my feet pressing hardly on the ground, my lungs hurting me already. I leaped every few seconds of running hoping to get some advantage. I saw the entrance of the forest and I saw to my side, approximately five feet away was Norman smiling at me. I leaped out of the shadows of the forest and into the sun. I started running in a zigzag way, throwing off Norman. Norman trying to keep his pace was timing my zigzagging when I was in front of him. He finally pursued his time stamp and was about to touch my shoulder when all of a sudden he was dragged away from my vision.

I slowed down and turned to see Norman on the floor faced down in the ground. "N-Norman?...are you alright?..." I heard no reply from him so I cautiously stepped closer to his fallen body. As I got closer I looked carefully at the back of his head which was like a bunch metal strings that were meant for a string instrument, they reflected the sun ever so slightly. I sat down next to him and stretched my hand out. I ran my hands through his reflecting hair. "Hey...Norman...you caught me" I said softly. "You care about your family and you suspected me a little but you were still trusting, your weakness yet strong point is your caring nature." He said as he sat up to look at me and patted my head. "You knew I was tricking you..." "Yeah, but we have to look out for each other but i also let you catch me cause I'm tired"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

We got back to the group near the house. We took a break. Me, Norman, and Emma joined Ray under the tree.

"He caught me again! Why?!?! This is so frustrating" Emma complained. "Emma don't mind! You'll win next time for sure!" I tried rising Emma's spirit. "Easy for you to say! You almost win every time!" She slightly snapped. "Question. What does Norman have, that you don't?" Ray asked, having looked up from the book. "Hmm...the ability to plan ahead? Calmness? Overwhelming Intelligence?" Emma looked through her knowledge of Norman. "Strategy." Ray said curtly as he closed his book and handed it to me. I laid down on my back, looking at the book.

"If it's about simple physical ability, then you have the upper hand. But Norman is strong up here" he pointed at his head to prove his point "like no other." He finished. "You're playing tag. It's a game where you compete with strategy." Ray continued.  "A simple game of tag?" She questioned. "Yeah. Norman learns quickly and understands everyone here. Like the younger kids always sticking together and near the entrance of the forest to see Norman or Don always letting his guard down." I explained. "It's like chess but using your entire body. Isn't that right Norman?" Ray asked. "Yeah but you're a better tactician than me, Ray." "You overestimate me..." "reading the enemies moves huh?...." Emma thought out loud.

"But we're not even close when it comes to Mom" Norman stated. "That's true! We've never been beaten mom at chess!"Emma exclaimed. "Mom has been watching every single one of us since we were one. So it's not that much of a surprise that she has learned what our usual moves would be and any experience she has had with our older siblings would probably be a factor as well." I explained.

"Norman! I want a rematch! Next game! Everyone will be IT except you!" Don challenged. "Oh wow..." Emma let out. "Are you up for that challenge Norman?" I asked him playfully. "Of course and I'll come out victorious" he said with a determined glimmer in his eyes.