Eight – Oliver

Tuesday comes and goes, and for the next two weeks, I spend almost every afternoon in the library with Calvin. We spent our afternoons tucked away in our little corner of the world, bathed in the golden light that pours through the windows, ignoring personal space and forgetting everything that bothered us. We spent hours together, doing anything we could think of. Sometimes we would adventure beyond the library and most of the time we would stay out too late. But it's so hard to leave and time just seems to stop when I'm with him.

Calvin is almost like a painkiller at this point, and I would say I'm addicted. I like living without the pain that he helps me forget. I know there is still our impending doom somewhere out there, in here with him all the hatred and hurt of the world goes away, even if it's just for a quiet moment.

I look at Calvin who is slumped over a book across from me and admire his figure. Strands of his dark brown hair disobey the product that sweeps his fringe to the side and hangs in his face. His soft eyes follow the page in a slow sweeping motion. It would be obvious to say that we easily get distracted by each other, if you can't find me staring at him, he's usually the one staring at me. Neither of us mind, it's just nice to know someone is there most of the time.

Calvin looks up and sends me a look, questioning me.

"You're so far away," I complain.

"You're the one who sat there," he says, and I pout at him. He rolls his eyes and moves his arm so it's resting along the top of his beanbag, gesturing for me to come over and sit with him.

"But I'm comfy here," I say teasingly, rejecting his offer.

"Comfy, huh?" Calvin raises his eyebrow at me, "Well I'm not moving," he says as he turns his attention back to his book, smiling.

The worst and best thing about this relationship is that we are both stubborn. Horribly stubborn.

I decide if pouting is getting me nowhere, I'll sulk instead. I dramatically slump back into my beanbag, kicking my feet into the space between us. Calvin simply watches my desperate theatrics with a smile.

"Alright," he says as he puts his book down. He leans forward and grabs my legs, pulling me completely off my beanbag, "Comfy now?"

"Not anymore," I glared at him.

"Good, now you can come over here," he says, practically radiating smart-ass vibes.

I get up and move over to Calvin's beanbag and sit down with enough force to disturb his position, but he just laughs, still very proud of the trick he pulled. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and I nestle into his side.

Calvin has been busy reading this book since the last time we met up. It's by the same author that wrote that gay romance novel. He's invested in almost any book that I suggest. Some he's looked over and not bothered to open, but others he would read five times in one night if he wanted to. And he's not just being polite about it, we actually have very similar interests.

He rubs a hand along my arm, feeling the soft fabric of my Calvin Klein sweater, "You really like this sweater, don't you?"

"Mhmm," I mumble into his shirt. I roll onto my back to stare at the roof. Calvin pulls his hand away from my arm to turn the page, then he goes back running his hand along the fabric. It's no surprise that the only expensive thing I own came from Calvin.

"You know, I really wish I had enough money to get you something." I mention.

"I don't need anything," Calvin says.

"Well, I didn't need anything, but you still proceeded to give me things. You even insist on buying our drinks."

He looks up from his book and seems to mull the idea over. I lay there, watching his gaze flick around the room as he thinks, then his eyes suddenly light up and he turns to me, "What's the time?"

I pull my phone out of my pocket and check the time, "Uh, almost 3:30 PM. Why's that?"

"We could go shopping if you like. You could pick something out for me and I'll buy it. That way, you won't waste money on me, but I'll still technically have something from you," Calvin suggests.

I stop to correct him, "First of all, it wouldn't be wasting money," then I continue, "And I'll feel bad if I use your money."

He doesn't look pleased. "Oh please, my family is rich. They treat my bank account like their savings. I have plenty of money to go around."

"I know... but still."

He knows what I'm like so he goes into a full-fledged explanation. "My mother's side of the family owns an insurance firm that was passed on to my aunt. My mother works under that business as a senior actuary and my father works as a chief financial officer. Ultimately, my family is very rich, and my parents get their fair share of that."

Even if I don't know the salaries of those jobs off the top of my head, I can tell it would be something I could never earn. And I know it would have to be a big salary, this guy got a Mercedes for a present. It's good to hear something about his family, I don't hear much about them.

"Okay, okay," I say, "you make a good point, but-" Calvin moves his arm to cover my face and I get the message. When he has his mind on something it's like trying to fight the inevitable. He'll gladly alter plans to better suit me, but they will happen one way or another. "Are there even many good shops in the Middle?" I sigh.

"I can recall a few."

"Alright then," I say, agreeing to his proposal, "It's a date."

That catches Calvin off guard and a light, red blush dances across his cheeks, but before I know it, he's beaming a smile at me and pulling me to my feet.

We get into Calvin's Mercedes and drive through the Middle. I'm not sure if he knows exactly where he's going, but we have time so I don't mind. We end up at one of the bigger, more popular malls and make our way through the halls. There are people here and there, but it's not as crowded as I expected. It's easy to duck and weave between people where we have to.

Calvin reaches for my hand and our fingers intertwine, "Do you know what you want to buy me?"

I shrug, "Not yet." That's a lie, I do have an idea. I want it to be something he can wear all the time. A neat, little, physical reminder of what he means to me, but I'm not sure what that looks like yet.

"Will I need to model any clothes for you?"

I think about that maybe a little too much knowing I could easily bend that offer in my favour. It would be an interesting sight seeing Calvin in something like a dress or some tight fabric with a horrible pattern that you wouldn't even see on grandma's couch. He sees the look on my face and instant regret pours over his features. I go to say something funny, but a yawn stops me.

Calvin, eager to save himself by changing the topic, raises an eyebrow at me, "Tired already?" I half-nod. "Well, I think I can fix that."

He spies a nearby trolley and pulls me over to it.

"What are you-" My question is cut off when he suddenly picks me up by my waist, holding me against his chest, "Hey!"

"Quit squirming, I'm trying to help," He says through a smile.

Calvin manoeuvres me into the trolley and sits me down. I fit neatly inside the trolley, which really is no surprise given how small I am.

"I mean this could work," I say agreeing to Calvin's stupid plan.

And for a while, it did work. Calvin evaded the crowds and pushed us down some quieter halls and shops. He would push me down aisles while he stood on the back of the trolley, jumping off and taking control again if we were going to crash. I'd cruise smoothly around as Calvin casually pulled random items off the shelf and threw them into the trolley, hoping they would hit me.

It was all fun and games, but soon after Calvin decided it would be fun to spin me around, we noticed a security guard watching us and decided we should probably leave the scene we'd created. Even if it is just some mall cop, I can't have any person of authority getting involved. Especially if they need our classes in order to write some sort of consequence.

Although the chase that we pretended to have was fun. Imagining that the cop was right behind us, Calvin sprinted down the aisle and out the back entrance of the shop. We speeded down a quiet hallway, he even managed to drift a shopping trolley around a corner with minimal crashing. Then pretended to crash us, pulling me from the trolley, taking my hand and stealing away until we were one with the crowd. It was hard not to keep a straight face whenever we saw a cop after that.

We wandered through a few shops, avoiding where the security guard lurked, and continued the search. This part of the mall seemed to have nicer and more expensive shops which made my decision harder. I don't like spending money, especially someone else's money.

"Do I have to spend your money?" I sulk.

He shrugs, "Do you have money to spend?"

I pull my phone out and peel the silicone case back to check my stash of emergency money. There's no more than $10 dollars collectively. Just two sad $5 notes.

"Okay, no, but I don't feel comfortable spending your money."

"Oliver," He grabs me by the shoulders, "My parents are rich bastards, you could spend all of my money, even if it's just to annoy them. I'm going to spend it if you don't, so you may as well."

"That doesn't help."

"Well then, would you like a threshold that you can spend?''

"That's more helpful. Yes."

"Okay, so the maximum is $300." I roll my eyes and he changes his answer, taking his hands from my shoulder, "Logically speaking, that sweater would've cost around $130 to $150, because apparently brand labels can get away with that. So, even though I wouldn't care if you spent more, the maximum price for you to spend is $200. Does that make you feel better?"

I'm still caught up with how expensive my sweater actually is to comprehend his offer. Then I noticed he said $200. "Where did the other $50 come from?" I say, interrogating him.

"That's the gift of my kindness," he says smugly and I push him away from me.

"Fine, we have a deal, I won't spend over $150."

He strays back to my side. "No, that wasn't the deal."

"I'm fully aware of that."

"You're stubborn."

I smile, "I know."

I've always felt guilty spending money. I mean it's kind of dumb when a seventeen-year-old who isn't financially dependent and doesn't have to worry about costs and expenses still gets upset about money. That's not my fault though, it kind of rubbed off on me from my parents, Dad specifically. We've never had a lot of money to go around, and even when we do, it gets spent on stupid things. It means I'm not allowed to ask for subscriptions for anything except Spotify because it's an unnecessary cost, according to my mother. She's one to talk, with her alcohol addiction and all.

Calvin steers me into a shop, which I take as a good sign. The more shops he leads me to, the better of an idea I'll have about what he likes. I have a general idea that he likes clothes and fashion and prefers things that are sleek and modern or trendy. His Instagram homepage was probably the best insight, with all the photos and brands he likes popping up when he lets me scroll through it.

Calvin gives me a bit of space to look around, moving over to a rack of clothes. I notice something, something that I know he is going to hate me for, but I can't help myself. I turn to him and smile mischievously.

"What did you find?" Calvin asks.

My smile grows bigger, "Oh, it's nothing."

He comes around the rack of clothes he was looking through, watching me cautiously. As soon as he's close enough, he immediately notices what I'm acting so smug about. Calvin Klein underwear.

He looks at me disappointedly, "Whatever you're thinking Oliver, the answer is no."

I step closer to him, rising up on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear, "About you modelling clothes for me…"

Colour rapidly spreads across Calvin's face and he shoves me away, "OLIVER!" I bend over as uncontrollable laughter spills from me. "I'm leaving you here," he says from behind his hand.

"Oh come on, It's even your brand!" I manage to say, but he just rolls his eyes. "I won't make you wear women's underwear."

He laughs, "I didn't even think that was an option."

"I won't lie, I thought about it."

Calvin gives me a look that says "we both know that won't work" and I just shrug, still as smug as ever. It's fun watching him fluster.

I choke off my fit of laughter as he steps closer to me. He delicately picks up the closest pair of women's underwear, which just happens to be a G-string. "Why don't you try it on first?" he whispers mischievously.

I can't help but turn a bright pink. Nothing that I'm thinking right now is decent enough to explain. The worst thing is I know I wouldn't be opposed to it, but it's still embarrassing, especially when the request comes from Calvin himself. I pull my sweater up and cover my face, trying to suppress the embarrassment.

"I hate you." My words are muffled by the fabric.

"No you don't," he says, planting a gentle kiss on my head. He offers me his hand, but I reject it, still sensing his mischievous air. He steals it anyway.

We walk out of the shop and continue down our path. This is definitely the most public situation I've been in with Calvin. When we're out in public and not hiding in the back of the library, we tend to stay away from crowded places like a mall, but that's mainly because Calvin knows how uncomfortable I am under peoples scrutinising gaze, even if they are only strangers.

He drags me into another shop and we float over to a display of colognes. I take my hand from Calvin's to test a few, so instead, he moves his hand to rest on my hip.

A young shop assistant walks up to us and addresses Calvin, "Do you and your boyfriend need help or are you just browsing?" She asks cheerfully.

I choke on the scent of a perfume and can't recover enough to force a reply. Calvin steps in, trying not to laugh at me. "We're just browsing thanks," he says, dismissing her politely.

"Okay, just give us a shout if you need some help!" she smiles before turning on her heels to serve some other customers.

I look up at Calvin and he looks down at me, "Boyfriend huh?" he says, distracting me from my state of embarrassment. He guides us away from the crowd to talk more privately.

I was so startled by the fact that someone approached us that I didn't really notice that she called us boyfriends. It's lucky she read the situation right, otherwise that would've been extremely embarrassing for her. But... we haven't exactly labelled our relationship yet, even though we technically do everything boyfriends do, but I think that's just because we've felt like we haven't needed to or maybe because we shouldn't. I mean, it's not technically legal.

I push the insecurity away and look up at Calvin, feeling a warmth building on my cheeks. "Do you want me to be?"

He leans down, brushing his thumb across my pink dusted cheek and kisses me softly on the lips. Then he smirks, "I thought we were already."

It's not long before the caffeine really kicks in and gives me the placebo energy I've been waiting for. We stumble around a few of the shops, going between ones we've seen before, one's we wouldn't usually go in and new shops we find. At this point, we're just wasting time, chasing each other through aisles, hiding and making fun out of anything.

I get to a point where I don't care what the crowd thinks. We run around like kids, no cares in the world. Calvin runs after me, testing how quick I am. I duck and weave between people and crowds, apologising as I rush past. He catches up with me, grabbing me by the waist and holding me so I can't run away.

It seems like the whole crowd is watching us, but I don't care anymore. Out of the crowd, I catch a gaze that is more inquisitive than the others. It takes me a second before I realise it's the mall cop, and that she's making a bee-line straight towards us. Calvin has noticed her too. He grabs my hand and we run.

We sprint through the crowds once again but this time it's hand in hand. I look back and see that the guard is around thirty metres behind us. Calvin drags us through a maze of shops and the distance between us and 'justice' grows bigger and bigger. Every now and again, we would catch a glimpse of her, but she never recovered the distance that she lost.

Sweating and out of breath, Calvin makes one last effort to lug me down a secluded hall. He swings me around, following the momentum and effectively pins me against the wall. We wait for a few seconds, letting the adrenaline buzz wear off as we catch our breath. It's not until I look up that I notice the lack of space between us. I glance at his lips, but quickly correct myself. Now isn't really the time, no matter how bad I need him.

Calvin watches me, knowing exactly what's going through my head. I stand flat against the wall. He catches my gaze wandering again and rolls his eyes. In one fluid movement, he moves so he's leaning over me, leaving barely millimetres between us. He gently runs a thumb along my bottom lip.

"Calvin..." I don't even have to say that we shouldn't, I know he knows.

His lips hover just off mine, teasing me even more. I want to melt into his touch. I want to give into him, but this really isn't the place. I try to chase his lips, but he pulls back, always keeping a slight distance between us.

"You're fun," he says in a low whisper.

I let my head drop back against the wall and Calvin smirks. Then, he makes it seem like he's going to finally kiss me before pulling away and pushing off the wall. I could collapse on the spot... he's so mean.

Time seems to slip away without us even noticing as the artificial lights burn on, outshining the light that slowly fades outside. After a few more shops, Calvin goes off to get us some drinks and snacks. He organises which part of the shop I will stay in so he doesn't lose me, then walks back the way we came. I'm left to transverse the mall at my own pace.

Once Calvin is out of sight, I let my frustration get the better of me. I'll admit, there's nothing here that seems to fit what I want for him. I know I can't be picky, or I won't find anything, but I don't want to buy something Calvin wouldn't want. Buying gifts has never been my strong point, I always manage to psych myself out, thinking they won't like it, even if I know there's no reason to hate whatever I get them.

Now out of energy and patience I resort to wandering aimlessly through random shops. I brush off any assistant that asks me what I'm looking for or if I need help and continue on my way. I come to the last shop in the area that I'm not meant to leave. It feels like this shop might as well be my last option. I enter and drag my feet all the way to the back until I stumble across a long, glass display counter. I stand there admiring its contents before the older-looking man behind the display unit decides I look like I need help. I don't blame him for thinking that.

"Looking for something special, are you?" He asks, preparing his keys to open the case.

"Yeah… I'm just looking for something small, simple, but not too expensive." I answer.

"May I ask who this is for?"

"My boyfriend," my own answer startles me. It's strange to call Calvin that after so long. The man narrows his eyes at me. His gaze feels violating as his eyes stare into mine, but it's not a judgemental gaze, it's inquisitive, as if he's trying to figure out exactly what I need.

He hums to himself and strokes his greying beard, "I think I might have a thing or two."

I watch him as he swings around to the case behind him and unlocks it carefully. I try to peer around his large figure, but I can't quite see what he's doing. Then, the man turns back around with a powerful glint in his eye and reveals three boxes, each with unique contents. My eyes glide over the boxes multiple times, trying to decipher what each of them would mean to Calvin and which one he would be able to use all the time. I keep coming back to the middle box. I pick it up, follow my gut feeling and make my decision.

Then I look up at the man in relief then nod, my frustration fading away instantly, "I think this is it. Thank you so much!"

"You're very welcome," he says before bellowing out a deep laugh, "I wish you luck, my boy."

I make my way to the front of the shop and hand the gift over to the person behind the counter.

He scans the code on the back of the box, "Would you like this wrapped?"

"Yes please," I say. I know Calvin's gift is already hidden in the box, but things are always nicer when it's wrapped.

He wraps the box neatly in black tissue paper and puts it into a small gift bag, placing the bag carefully on the counter in front of me. "Are you paying with card or cash?" he asks.

I look around quickly. I didn't think the paying part through, my walking credit card is still out getting snacks. Peering out the entry of the shop, I spy him in the crowd. He waves at me, and I beacon him over.

He walks up to me. "Need me to get that for you? I won't look at the price, don't worry." Calvin says, holding up his debit card.

The man sets up the EFTPOS machine and Calvin taps his card, making a show to cover his eyes. The man hands me the gift and receipt. I stow the receipt away in my back pocket, just in case, thanking the cashier. I'm really lucky that I found that shop in time. Most of the shops here were closing, even if the mall is still open until 9 PM. Calvin slips his hand in mine and leads me out of the store.

We find a small couch and I sit him down. He hands me a drink and shows off that he brought really expensive sweets. I laugh with him but can't stop my stomach turning frantically in anticipation. What if he doesn't like it? What if he thinks it's cheap? Or too expensive? I look down at the neat little gift in my hands. I really hope I didn't make a mistake.

Holding the gift out in front of him, I give Calvin a gentle smile, "I guess this is yours."

He takes it with steady hands, placing the gift in his lap. "You're so sweet! You shouldn't have!" he teases, trying to ease my tension. Delicately, Calvin pulls the gift from its wrapping, becoming more and more curious as he reaches the box. He looks up at me as if asking for permission, I nod.

He removes the lid of the box, "Oh my god… holy shit Oliver!"

Before I can react, Calvin grabs me by my hips and pulls me into a hug, pressing his face into my stomach. I put my arms around him and let out a sigh of relief.

Eventually, he pulls away and accesses his gift. It's a simple, thin sterling silver curb chain. It's long enough to hide under his shirt if he needs to, but short enough not for it not to be annoying. The flat design also gives it a sleek modern look. I sit down next to him, smiling, as he continues to take in his new watch. I don't know if he's like jewellery, but the chain is simple enough to be worn without the 'feminine' implications of jewellery.

Calvin picks the chain up, letting it run smoothly over his fingers. The metal glints under the white light, reflecting in his ecstatic eyes. The chain itself is really more fashionable than it is practical, but I don't think Calvin minds.

He puts it up to his neck and turns, gesturing for me to help him with the clip. Once it's fastened, he lets it sit against his shirt, making sure it can be seen. "How much was this?" he asks, jumping straight to the chase.

I roll my eyes. "So you won't look at the price, but you'll still ask me?"

"I'll find out anyway, I can see all the transactions that go through my card."

"It was $89," I say, unsure if my answer is going to get me a good response.

Calvin looks at me with an unreadable look on his face, then it softens. "Oliver you could've spent more on me," he plants a gentle kiss on my temple.

"Is it cheap?"

"No! Not at all. You don't have to be worried about the price. It's not expensive at all… but it's not cheap either!" he sighs and sends me a soft smile as an apology for his fumbling. "It's perfect. That's what I'm trying to say. I don't always need expensive things. You could've gotten me a plastic chain and I would wear it with just as much pride."

A shy smile pulls at my lips, and I don't try to hide it. Calvin takes one of my hands. With the other he plays with the chain. "I've never been able to find something so perfect. You really are something special, you know that, right?"

"I mean, it did take forever to find something," I say, a little embarrassed.

"Oh, right, what is the time?"

I pull out my phone and read the numbers displayed across my lock screen, "5:44."

"That's leaving it close," Calvin looks at me and I look back at him, puzzled. He tries to bring some light to the situation without making it dire. "It's just my parents really. They don't like me staying out late when they know I'm in the Middle, so I bet they'll have questions for me when I get back."

I smile, trying to hide my sudden realisation that I'm probably going to face the same fate only with my mum. "You should've said something." I say gently then I push myself to my feet and hold my hand out to Calvin. "Shall we go?"

He takes my hand and lets me lead the way. We navigate our way back to the carpark. I feel his eyes watching my every move as I swerve around the people ahead of him. Every now and again, I look back at him and watch him fluster under my knowing gaze. He's very obvious.

As we make our way back to the Mercedes, Calvin starts to search through his pockets for his keys while I lead him by our linked hands and turn to lean against the driver's door. Calvin notices me and quickly manages to unlock the car before he steps closer to me with a subtle smile pulling at his lips. I press up against him and brush my lips against his once, then twice, before he finally gives into his temptation.

I may have started this, but I relax and let Calvin take control. He presses me against his car, lips locked in a passionate kiss. I bring my hands up his chest, then neck, before lacing my fingers in his hair. Calvin slowly slides his hands down my back. Shyly, his fingers slip under my sweater and gently knead into my bare skin, sending tingles up my spine and making my whole body feel wild.

With his body pressed into mine, I can feel his heartbeat thudding against my chest. I lean into him one last time and untangle my hands from his hair before I decide to speak. "So much for already being late," I say, out of breath.

Calvin sighs, which is understandable, I know I'm cutting this really short. He trails kisses across my flushed face and down my neck, not willing to give up, and slides his hands up my back. Then, he tests me to see if I mean it, moving my legs apart with his knee and slipping a leg between mine. I don't want to stop but I shouldn't let him get away with this while his parents are onto us.

"Come on," I say, and I feel him smile against the crook of my neck. I look down, our bodies are interlocked like Lego, fitting perfectly against each other. He puts pressure between my legs and comes away from my neck. Gently, Calvin runs his index finger under my chin forcing me to look up. The look in his eye tells me he knows neither of us want to leave this.

We watch one another, trying to make up our minds. Do we keep going or play it safe? What's going to happen if we don't head back now?

Calvin finally says something, not bothering to hide the amusement he gets from teasing me. "I'm late, aren't I?"

"Yeah," I answered softly.

"Should we leave? Do you want to?" he questions me but I don't make any effort to respond. He smirks then. "I bet I can tell your answer," he whispers in a low tone, his hot breath radiating off my skin.

I turn a bright shade of pink. I push his face away and he laughs light-heartedly. I love and hate that he teases me. It doesn't make it any easier to say no. Calvin steps back from me and I stand there shyly.

He looks at me gently, "Let's go."

I bite my lip, both frustrated and impatient. "No," I say which shocks me more than it shocks him, "Three more minutes, then we can finish another time."

I pull him back and kiss him, It's not desperate or sloppy, just light, careful kisses. He embraces me and I practically melt into him. And almost as quickly as we started, we pulled away slowly and climbed into the car.

The journey through the streets and back to the train station starts. Not too long into the drive, a song comes through the speakers that I can't help but sing along to. Calvin turns it up, joining in as I dance along. It's not great dancing, but it didn't stop us.

Eventually, we reach the station and say our routine goodbyes.

"Goodbye Calvin Wood," I say with a wink.

"Goodbye Oliver Night," he says, pulling me close to kiss me softly on the lips.

"Library tomorrow?"

He smiles, "I have nothing better to do."