Tiny - Tomatt

Cure

"AHHH!"

Matt's eyes were squeezed shut, a grimace plastered onto his face, fists clenched into tight balls. Strange, blazing light filtered reddish through his eyelids. After the flash of glowing green light, a hot, stinging sensation had enveloped Matt's entire body. It wasn't relatively painful, of course, but Matt still disliked the feeling.

Soon it felt like strange weights had been strapped onto his body. His arms and legs felt heavy, his head felt like a weight all on its own. He found it annoyingly more difficult to simply hold himself upright.

After realizing what had happened, he peeked one eye open, then the other.

In front of him was Tom, head slightly tilted, lopsided smile on his lips. He seemed to be hiding some sort of intense emotion, pulling the corners of his lips down.

And Tom was shorter than Matt.

Eyes widening, Matt lifted his arms and looked down at himself. After processing it, he looked at Tom again as a huge grin stretched across his face. "Thank you!" he exclaimed. Without warning, he lunged forward and wrapped his arms around his friend.

It worked! It really worked! Matt was absolutely overjoyed. He felt his heart begin to race with excitement. Finally, everything would be the way it used to be. He wouldn't have to bathe in the sink, or be fed by Tom or Edd. He'd be an independent man, the way he'd always wanted.

He'd be able to go on his adventures with his friends like normal. He'd be able to choose what he wanted to do, instead of going with whatever his giant friends wanted. And maybe... He'd be able, somehow, some way, to have a proper relationship with Tom. Matt smiled even more widely at the prospect and hugged Tom a bit tighter.

Tom's arms dangled limply at his sides. He leaned forward and gave in to the hug. He lifted his arms slightly to hug Matt back, but hesitated and lowered them again.

Matt pulled away quickly. He spread his arms out, grin refusing to leave his face. "It's like I'm a new man!" He moved his arms around, doing circles in the air and flapping them like a pair of wings. "But I feel so much heavier now..."

"Well, you are about... twenty times taller," Tom said, hands on his hips. Though it was how things had been for years prior, he'd gotten used to the tiny friend and it was a strange experience to once again see Matt above him rather than below him.

Though it was only Matt's height that had returned to normal, he was beginning to feel mentally like his old self as well. He didn't feel as gloomy or worried as he did as a tiny; and that lifted his spirits immensely. There wasn't much to worry about, after all. He was normal!

Matt's eyes fell upon that box again. And just like that, he remembered everything that had been troubling him for the past hour. Tord. Forgiveness. Lies? Trickery?

The ginger walked past Tom toward the box and the note. Tom turned and watched as he picked up the small slips of paper and absentmindedly flipped through the pages, expression dull and somber.

"I don't know what to think anymore..." Matt muttered.

Tom nodded, though Matt couldn't see. He didn't know what to think either. Of course he had reason to hate Tord. Who wouldn't? Tord had been manipulative and rude to him those years ago when he lived with him, not to mention how he'd come back and basically ruined their lives.

But now that Tord had apologized... Tom was conflicted, to say the least.

"We should show Edd," Matt said, suddenly starting for the door.

Tom moved toward him, and put an arm over his chest, blocking his way. "Wait. Think about this for a second." Matt turned and faced Tom, one eyebrow raised. Tom straightened up. "Think about it. Remember how Edd acted when he found out Tord was alive? And what he did to us?"