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He doesn’t remember how long it's been. It felt like only yesterday when Five and Three were sitting here, underneath the branches of this tree. Though Five could hardly even remember their voice now.
A soft breeze drifted through the air. It reminded Five of simpler times, when the only constants in their life was the Equation Playground and Three right by her side. Whether it was card games, playing catch, or just laying in the grass; they did it all together. Thanks to Three’s endless ideas for activities, they never had to kill time just to get through the day. Five admired him for that.
She knows she shouldn’t, but she hasn’t in so long. They thought back to a particular evening where the two had just finished a game of volleyball with the other math symbols. They settled down by the tree they practically claimed as their own, talking and laughing amongst themselves. The two had gotten closer than they ever had before, with Five cuddling close to Three as he laid a hand across her back. He made her feel a type of warmth she hadn’t felt since. Like he had a key to their heart only he knew how to access.
And in an instant, all of that was gone.
Five’s world had gone dark without Three’s light. They barked orders at the others and pushed them away when any of them got too close. They were cold, angry, with not so much as a spark to defrost their heart.
They like to think that they’ve gotten better over the years. But when it first happened, they were a total wreck. He remembers crying day and night in the absence of his friend, wanting, begging for them to be by their side once more, even if he knew nothing could be done. They isolated themself from the other numbers, staying firmly planted by the tree he used to love.
At some point, Six got tired of her moping, and offhandedly said something along the lines of “They’re gone, get over it” while a depressed Five walked aimlessly around the Playground.
They didn’t take that well.
It lasted only for a few minutes at most, but Five snapped. A barrage of harsh words escaped their mouth, all of which she’d never let loose before. The other algebraliens looked at them with either concern or distaste, though causing a scene was the least of Five’s worries.
Her breath was heavy once she ran out of insults, leaving a stunned Six to take it all in. They bared their teeth as a final warning before stomping off back to the tree and not leaving for the rest of the day.
No one dared to mention Three again, at least not when Five was around.
Coming back to present times, Five opened his eyes and was met with a shallow mist of tears blinding his vision. He quickly wiped his face with his forearm, making sure to keep his sniffling to a low volume. Slowly, his gaze rested on the dewy grass he sat on.
Three loved the grass here, mostly because of the flowers that would bloom during the spring. Daisies, lilies, and a variety of other plants would make their home in the dirt, Three excitedly snatching them up every chance he got. He would almost exclusively gift these flowers to Five, his favorite ones to give being poppies and lavender.
“The colors remind me of us!” they’d always say as Five went to grab a vase for the third time that week. It got to the point where she couldn’t recall not having a vase by her nightstand everyday.
The weather was warmer now as spring approached, which meant that these flowers were littered all across the Equation Playground. Five would be lying if he said it didn’t sting a bit every time he saw them.
He held one of them in his hand: a bright red poppy. Some of the petals were ripped at the ends, but to Five, it looked like it came straight from a bouquet. He stroked the stem of it gently, hearing the other algebraliens chatter amongst themselves in the distance. They leaned their head back against the tree. It was the same as it’d always been, but without the lively conversations or comforting presence of Three, the atmosphere around them became nothing but dead air.
Five sighed heavily. Slowly, they got up, letting the poppy drop to the ground. There was no way they could take it home with them, the memories attached to it were far too painful.
So that’s where he left them; under that tree he’d make sure to avoid now. For good.