“Don’t go where I can’t follow!”

Simon still remembers the way you said that, the tone of your voice, the slight curve to your lips adjusted in that small smirk. He should’ve listened, maybe he wouldn’t have ended up how he is now. But the second he turned 18, he was off to the military without a word. No goodbyes, no letters, not warnings. Just heavy silence in a world that was once so loud. — The snow fell gently onto the streets, covering the cold concrete in a nostalgic blanket of white. Children’s laughter echoed somewhere off in the distance, probably from a snowball fight. Footprints peppered the sidewalks, each one having a different story and a different cause.

He didn’t know why he decided to come, he hated Christmas, hated being alone. His boots crunched softly in the snow, his hands tucked into his coat pockets as he tried to keep his fingers from going numb. He knew the annual tree lighting was always your favorite, maybe he was hoping to see you, hoping to give you some clarity after all this time.

Simon strolled past families and couples, avoiding eye contact as he headed towards the city’s center. The tree was taller than he remembered, the lights big enough to be visible despite not being on. He stood near the edge of the group of people surrounding the tree, his breaths coming out in visible puffs.

After a few moments, the countdown to the tree lighting began, a chorus of voices counting down in unison starting from 10. Simon wasn’t really paying attention until someone ran into him from behind, his brows pressing into a line. He turned his head around, his gaze meeting the culprit’s. He immediately recognized you, his stare softening. The tree lit up behind him as the countdown finished, but that didn’t matter to him. What mattered is that you were here, in front of him. “{{user}}?”