Leaves
"Over here Takeshi!" A woman yells to her seven-year-old son. His small head whips up from where he was inspecting a small ant hill with a stick.
"Okay, Mama!" He yells enthusiastically. He throws the stick onto the ground and immediately runs to where she is standing beside a large pile of leaves. When he gets close, he extends his arms to hug her legs. Laughing, she reaches down to ruffle his hair.
"Silly goose." She pokes his nose as he leans back to look up at her. Laughing he pokes her stomach causing her to laugh as well.
"What did you need mama?" Takeshi asks after their laughter has died down some.
"Well, you see, now that you're older, mama wanted to show you how to play in the leaves."
"But I already know how to do that!"
"Oh you do? Show me!" Even though he was young, Takeshi knew a challenge when he heard one. So, with a gust of energy, he immediately tuned and ran through the large pile while scattering the leaves everywhere. This elicited another laugh before she chided him." That's not how you play in leaves! This is how you really play in the leaves!"
The woman then leans down, gathers an armful of leaves, flings her smaller pile in the air before falling down onto what remains. Before Takeshi knows what's happening, his mother has pulled him down to the ground with her leaving him to look up at the sky. The young boy watches in wonder as the leaves disperse in the air and float back down to land gently over both of them. As the last of the red and gold leaves land he is left to wonder: is this what magic feels like?
"Mom says that we can invite everyone over after we take the kids around the block to trick or treat." Tsuna says as he joins Gokudera and Yamamoto who are sitting on the back porch. Gokudera immediately turns to his boss with a large smile.
"That's wonderful Juudiame!"
"That's great Tsuna!" Yamamoto says as he watches the three kids play and run around Tsuna's back yard.
"Yeah! I mentioned the pumpkin carving and she mentioned that it'd be a good idea to carve them with the kids earlier in the day. Gokudera I'm sorry if you don't-" The bomber shakes his hand dismissively.
"It's okay Juudiame. I doubt that many of the kids have carved pumpkins either so it will be a lot of fun for them, too." Tsuna laughs.
"You're probably right. I know Lambo and I-pin haven't ever gone trick or treating before so mom has been going overboard trying to help them find perfect costumes. I think she might even try to get me one that matches what she has in mind for them."
"They certainly seem to be enjoying the leaves." Yamamoto says just as the game seems to shift from tag to 'king of the mountain'
"Lambo-san is king of the leaves!" Lambo calls as he runs through one of the bigger piles, effectively scattering the pile around.
"Of course they are, baseball idiot." Gokudera says condescendingly before turning to Tsuna in a very respectful voice. "Juudiame, for the party, do you think that we should dress up?"
"Totally! We should make it into a costume party and invite as many people as possible! We can even..." Yamamoto stops listening as he watches the kids kick over the piles that the leaves had been raked into. He knows that helping plan the party is important, but he can't keep himself from standing and retrieving the rakes that are leaning against the house and walking towards the kids. He ignores Gokudera's shout of protest as he chorales the kids around himself.
"Hey, do you guys want to see something really cool?" The trio crowds around him in various degrees of interest as he tries to convince them to help rake the lawn.
"What the hell is his problem?" Gokudera asks as he turns to Tsuna in disgust. "Really. Who does he think he is to get up in the middle of a conversation like that?"
"I dunno, but I'm curious to see what he's going to do." The pair lapse into silence as they watch the group start to rake the leaves into one big pile on the middle of the lawn. As they watch, Tsuna notices an odd look of nostalgia and sadness pass over his friend's face for a moment before his usual smile falls back into place. "Hey, Gokudera?"
"Yes, Juudiame?"
"Have you noticed that Yamamoto has been kind of down lately?" Gokudera turns to watch as Yamamoto laughs at Lambos's failed attempts at raking. He wants to say something negative, like he normally would, but the concerned look on Tsuna's face makes him swallow his first response and reconsider his words.
"Not necessarily, but he has been hanging around my apartment more than usual." Tsuna turns suddenly and gives his storm guardian an odd look. "What? He says he's bored and comes over to 'kill some time' as he says it." Tsuna is about to ask more questions when the sound of cheering brings his eyes back to find the piles of leaves have been put together.
"Great! Now everyone grab an armful and then do as I do, okay?" The group watches as Yamamoto throws the armful into the air and then immediately falls backwards info the pile with a laugh. The other three follow suit soon after and "oo" and "ah" as the leaves fall gently over them. Yamamoto sits up and smiles softly at the looks that the younger three are giving the sky as the last of the leaves fall.
"Again!" Lambo cries as he sits up to repeat the process. There other two follow suit as Yamamoto stands to brush the leaves off of himself. He walks back towards his friends. When he is out of the children's, earshot Gokudera addresses him brusquely.
"What the hell was that about?"
"Oh, that?" Yamamoto laughs sheepishly as he sits parallel to Gokudera. "Nothing much. I just wanted to teach them how to really play in the leaves.