Leaves.

I can hear myself calling his name, but it sounds so distant. Distant enough to be a figment of my imagination; a mere memory at best. I’m still running, but the rhythm of my feet against the hard ground is becoming confused and out of time. But I can’t stop, I can’t stop running.

The tight grip of grief over my body begins to unravel it’s hold with every step nearer I get. I bring my shaking arms up to grip the clothing over my heart as I slow down to a fast walk. I look down at the ground as I walk, but I can’t see the path through the thick blanket of leaves that layer the pave stones and grass. In all my anger and sadness I bring my foot back further than my usual step and kick out fast at the still leaves in front of me and I scream in frustration. “Why are you always here?”

I stop as I hear a voice from a few metres away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realise anyone else was here.” My breath hitches in my throat as I shakily turn my entire body around, my feet shuffling noisily through the leaves, to face the owner of the voice. “I can leave if you’d like your space. Sorry, again.” The man whispers and I lower my head, embarrassed at myself for letting him think that I was shouting at him. I feel my cheeks heat up as I hear him begin to shuffle away.

“W-Wait, no, it’s okay. You can s-stay.” I barely whisper out, but he seems to hear it as his footsteps die down to a stop and he turns around.

“Thank you,” He whispers, and I realise that he’s now right in front of me. I give him a small smile and take the time to study his face. He has blue eyes, but they seem dull and lifeless, a small mouth that’s set into a half smile, the happiness obviously not evident enough to be a full smile, and messy black hair framing his face, making his eyes seem brighter. I continue to look at his eyes, almost hypnotised as I rack my brain, trying to think why his face seems familiar to me. I see that he looks slightly uncomfortable with my stare, and I avert my gaze, a new red tint adorning my cheeks.

“I’m sorry, I just seem to recognise you from somewhere. I just… I can’t make out how I know you.” I look down towards the ground and subconsciously kick at a small pile of leaves, sending them flying across the ground to cover up a new spot on the grass.

“If it helps at all, my name’s Tom. Tom Rohn, to be precise.” At this point my head snaps up to stare at him once more, and he looks taken aback at the action.

“Y-You’re Tom? But… You look so different. And I’ve never seen you here before… Ashley said you’d moved away, that you never came to visit her. She said that none of the family had seen you in a year.” I mumble, my voice getting faster and more high-pitched with every word that left my tired mouth. He stares at me now, scanning my face with his now piercing eyes.

He’s silent for a few minutes, the only sound being my ragged breathing, then he suddenly whispers, “Kage?” I nod meekly and I finally see some light enter his gorgeous eyes. He walks forward so that our bodies are almost touching and says, “I’ve missed you.” Then he envelopes me into his arms and holds me tight, his face buried into the side of my head, mumbling into my hair that he’s sorry, so so so sorry. At first I do nothing but just stand there, unable to move my arms and wrap them around his torso. But then something inside my brain clicks, and my arms shoot into life, curling around his lower torso and my face buries into the crook of his neck.

I whisper, “It’s okay, you’re here now.”