Matthew Sturniolo Imagines

childhood to lovers

(I was side eyeing my screen)
### Childhood Echoes

In the small, sleepy town of Brookville, friendships formed and flourished under the shade of ancient oak trees and on the banks of the lazy river. Y/N and Matt were no exception. They met on Y/N's first day of kindergarten, and from that moment on, they were inseparable.

Matt, with his wild blond hair and infectious laugh, was the first person to make Y/N feel truly seen. On that first day, he had found her crying behind the jungle gym, overwhelmed by the newness of it all. Without hesitation, Matt had sat down beside her, offered her half of his peanut butter sandwich, and told her a funny story about his dog chasing a butterfly. Y/N had laughed through her tears, and a bond was formed.

From that day forward, they were a duo, tackling life’s small adventures together. They built forts out of blankets, raced their bikes down dusty roads, and spent countless hours dreaming under the stars. Matt was Y/N’s childhood best friend, her confidant, and her partner in crime.

But as with many things in life, change was inevitable. On a warm summer evening just before they were to start middle school, Matt’s parents announced that they were moving across the country for his dad’s new job. The news hit Y/N like a punch to the gut. The thought of facing the world without Matt by her side seemed impossible.

The day Matt left was cloudy, as if the weather mirrored Y/N’s heart. They stood in front of his house, the moving truck a looming presence in the driveway. Matt handed Y/N a small, worn book—an adventure story they had read together countless times. Inside, he had scribbled a note: “For when you miss our adventures. Remember, they’re never really over.”

With tears in her eyes, Y/N hugged him tightly. “Promise you’ll write?”

Matt nodded, his own eyes glistening. “Every day,” he vowed.

And write he did. For the first few months, letters came regularly, filled with tales of his new life and the friends he was making. But as time passed, the letters became less frequent. Life, as it often does, moved on.

Years went by. Y/N grew up, always cherishing those memories but also learning to navigate life without her childhood best friend. High school brought new friends, new challenges, and new dreams. Yet, every time she saw an oak tree or heard the sound of a bike racing down the street, she thought of Matt.

Then, one day in her senior year, Y/N received a letter with a familiar handwriting. It was from Matt, apologizing for the long silence. He wrote about how much he missed their adventures and how he was planning to visit Brookville that summer.

The day Matt returned, Y/N waited by the old oak tree where they had spent so many afternoons. When she saw him, now taller and older but still with that same wild blond hair and infectious laugh, it felt like no time had passed at all.

They spent that summer rediscovering their town, sharing stories of the years apart, and forging new memories. Their bond, though stretched by time and distance, had never truly broken. They were older now, with different dreams and paths, but in their hearts, they were still the same two kids who had found solace and joy in each other’s company.

And so, their adventures continued, a testament to a friendship that had withstood the test of time.

### Reconnecting Threads