Tomtord oneshot thingies i guess

Trees and memories

Tom's pov

My favourite tree peeked over the roofs of a few houses in the distance. Its branches long and unmistakable. I'd recognize the place I grew up in a mile away.

I sauntered down the concrete sidewalk, the cracks in the ground seeming unfamiliar and odd. I used to know every part of this street when I was a kid. Now, I'm confused how the ditch in the road came to be, instead of filling it with water and stomping in it.
I loved doing that. 

The roads were always quiet and were hardly used, despite being close to the heart of the town.

Mrs Jason's house. I wonder if she still lives there. She was a nice, old lady, full of interesting stories and a passion for baking. A typical grandmother, I'd say. Despite not having any of her own, she adored children. After all, my friends and I were the ones who visited her the most.

My friends... Edd and Matt. I chucked at the thought of them. I remember going around to their houses often. We tried starting a band together once. Heh... That didn't turn out very well. Edd could hardly play an instrument and Matt wasn't as good at singing as he had hoped. We still wrote a few songs together, despite never playing them.

We had promised to grow up together. Live in a house together after school. But... I suppose when I moved we drifted apart. Hardly staying in contact. It was mostly my fault. I was too busy getting over my high school love disaster, Tord.

I eventually made it to my childhood home, smiling warmly at the mailbox, a smiley face still drawn on it. My tree was casting a large shadow over the house, the roof seeming much darker than my favourite shade of blue. The windows still had a few cracks, a broken off piece here and there. One still remaining from when I had thrown a ball at it in anger after I learned what my parents had planned for us.

I never wanted to move away. I had spent 16 years of my life in this house. This place meant everything to me. I had friendship, education, and even..

Love.

But they didn't listen. This place was just 'too quiet'. It didn't have enough 'action'.

What idiots. As soon as I turned 18, I left the godawful place we moved to and never spoke to my parents again. I should've left sooner. I wasn't a real part of the family to begin with.

My eyes wandered down the road, recognizing every house I grew up next to. I stopped looking when I noticed one a few houses away.

It was small, surrounded by a red fence, a gate with a broken lock in the middle. I remember that house the best out of all of them. It was Tord's house.

I still remember how we got together. He came up to me with a guitar in hand, serenading me with a love song he wrote. I felt my cheeks get warm at the memory. He wasn't the best at playing guitar, but he knew enough to play a few chords. At the end of his song, he pulled out a blue flower and handed it to me. I remember taking it with tears in my eyes. It was probably the happiness moment I'd ever had. 

From then on, we spent every afternoon together. Whether it was with Edd and Matt, or just us two, we never left each other's side.

He used to call me his Blue Bear, thinking Boo Bear was too cheesy and impersonal. I always thought it was a strange name, but I grew to like it. It was a name to tell me that everything was ok. That I was safe. And loved. He was always there for me, ready to hold my hand and hug me- kiss me when I needed it.

He gave me a lot to remember, like our first kiss under the moon, sneaking out after midnight to watch a horror movie, skinny dipping in the lake in the park...

My feet moved on their own, and I found myself standing meters away from Tord's gate, realizing where I was once I snapped out of my thoughts. The house looked a little run down, but was in much better shape than mine. I had heard something about Tord's mother passing away a couple of years ago.
He never grew up with a father, so I often wondered who would take care of him or if he moved away. He probably did. Most likely selling this house to a nice couple who take good care of it.

Yeah, that sounds like Tord.

I walked back to my old home, the light wind brushing my skin and moving my hair around. I didn't mind, though. I was deep in thought again. Thinking about how my friends reacted when I told them I had to leave. 

They were devastated. 

My parents never let me own a phone or any kind of laptop, so I couldn't stay in contact with them. We wrote letters a few times, but after a while, they stopped coming. I'm guessing the letters somehow got lost or something.
At least, that's what I'm hoping. 

Edd gave me a can of cola before I left, Matt giving me a portrait of himself. They were strange gifts, but I they meant a lot to me. It hurt saying goodbye to them. Their saddened faces seemed so out of place. I was so used to seeing the cheery, wide eyes smile they both wore. Instead, it was replaced with a drowsy frown and a pitiful wave goodbye.

Their reactions were nothing like Tord's though. He was beyond upset, avoiding me the moment I told him what was going to happen. He didn't speak to me until the day I had to leave, avoiding any interaction I tried to have with him. 

The pain I felt from that was worse than any other. My heart even ached as I thought about it. I sat down on the steps of my childhood home, looking at the shadows on the path in front of me. I did this on my final day here, too. I sat on these exact steps, waiting for the car to come and for my parents to bring our luggage out. I knew it would take another hour or so for that to happen, but I couldn't face going back inside. 

I remembered crying as I saw a leaf fall from my tree. Such a small act, yet such a large impact. I wanted to scream at my parents, throw my suitcase across the ground and run away, faster and further than possible. I just wanted to get away from the nightmare I was living. It was hell.
Until a familiar shadow linked with mine. I looked up, seeing Tord with a single blue flower in his hand, a broken expression on his face. I hadn't seen him for a month, thinking he would never speak to me after I told him we were moving. But I was wrong. And I was so glad I was.

He held the flower out to me, kissing me tenderly, something I had missed for so long. He pulled out a ring, one made of plastic with a small heart painted on it. It wasn't a real ring, but it meant the same thing to me. I'll never forget what he whispered in my ear as he slipped it on my finger.

"One day, when we meet again, this will be real gold."

The last kiss and loving look he gave me as we said our goodbyes are things I'll treasure forever, just like the plastic ring I still wore on my hand. 

Even now, as I sit in the shade of my favourite tree, enjoying the peaceful afternoon. I could hear a few children laughing in the distance, probably playing in someone's back yard. I rested a smile on my face and closed my eyes, the breeze mixed with the warm sun made for an ideal temperature. It was relaxing.

I didn't open my eyes for what felt like hours. Not when the children stopped playing in the distance, not when the sun started to leave the sky, and especially not when I heard footsteps arrive near my tree, a person sitting down beside me. I smiled as I felt a warm hand wrap around mine, the touch being one I could never forget. Not even if I tried

"Hello, Blue Bear. Long time no see."