..Close? (preciousmetalshipping)

Leaf (Ch. 16+)

Silver

Rain was slowly falling down on me as I rushed through the woods, with my dirty Bordeaux-red backpack on my back.

I was freezing, hungry and lost.
I stopped to look at the dusk sky. Oh. Great. As if I didn't have it hard enough already.

I looked around searching for a light source. But of course there was nothing; I was in the middle of a forest.

I bit my bottom lip. The days when my father didn't bother me were over. He was actually searching for me. But I don't care about whatever he wants. I don't wanna see him. Ever. Thus I ran away. Or fled, whatever you wanna call it.

I noticed that just in front of me was a treehouse. And a girl. What is she doing here alone in the dusk?

She noticed me.
"Hello? "Who's there?"

"A poltergeist" I rolled my eyes. "No, i'm just a guy who's lost" I really have to get away from here.

But she already ran towards me.
She had brown hair and brown eyes, wore a scarf and a long, white coat. Which wasn't so crazy. The November air was really chilly.
She smiled a friendly smile and hid her hands in her coats' pocket.

"I'm not lost, i'm just out too late"

I looked at her red jeans, which oddly matched my backpack.

She chuckled. "You seem cold. Here take my scarf" she handed me her mint scarf.  "So.. what's your name" she curiously asked.

"Silver" I said. "But i'm not cold"
To which she chuckled again.
"Just take it. My name is Leaf. Whatever. Come up my treehouse"

I looked strangely at her.
"Uh, sure"

She took me up, gave me food, blankets and due to the treehouse having a big light source there were no headaches for me.

She even let me sleep on her couch.
I know it's bad to spontaneously spend the night at a strangers' house, but I was naive and tired.

The next day I was quite nervous about her, but she seemed genuinely nice.
She was chatting away with me about all sorts of stuff.
Books, music, cooking, pokémon and just life in general.
She was twenty-five years old and really eager to learn new things.

"So, do you have a special girl you fancy?" She asked with a smirk.

"I don't know, but I have a guy who's in love with me" I slightly smiled while saying that. "His name is Gold... oh god, he must be so worried, I left with thinking nobody cared anyways"

"See, fleeing isn't always the answer" she looked at the mess in front of her. "People fall in love for a reason, and he must've seen something really beautiful in you. And I can see that you fancy him too"

I looked at my cup of tea she gave me earlier.
"Maybe you're right"

What was I scared for? My father rejecting me? He has already done that when I was born. And he also has no idea where I live.

"I think.. i'm just scared of commitment" I slowly said.

She laughed. "Oh, now I really wanna meet him. What do you think of me walking you to your town? I mean, you don't have to say yes... i'm just some friend-ish stranger.

I smiled. "Yeah, sure. That'll be great"

We clumsily climbed down and went to my town, into the sunrise as freshly blossomed friends.