What You Did in the Dark
All I wanna get is a little bit closer.
Tom was still clueless at the end of the night when the three of them walked home, Oliver clutching Aleria’s hand tightly. Tom didn’t think anything of it. When they got to Oliver’s room, him and Aleria plopped down on his bed while Tom spread out on the floor.
They all laughed at whatever topic their conversation found, eating candy and talking like old mates would. Oliver’s hand found Aleria’s and she giggled out loud. Oskar curled up between the two and settled there.
Tom flicked on the television and they all watched quietly, stomachs aching and eyelids fluttering.
Oliver took off his rib cover and tossed it on the floor. Aleria was a bit hesitant to take hers off, since she only had a bra under the cover, which was under a ripped up shirt, so she retreived the one she had on before they left and threw it on before taking the ribs off. She peeled the wax off her neck and wiped the fake blood off with a paper towel. She helped Oliver towel off his face makeup, which was thankfully minimal, and helped Tom rid his eyes of the dark colouration around them. She towelled the makeup off of her own face and followed the boys back to Oliver’s room, where they took their positions back on the bed and floor.
About half an hour into watching a comedic television show series, Tom was snoring slightly and his eyelids fluttered in his sleep.
Oliver rolled to his side and propped his elbow on his bed, chin resting in his hand. “Still awake?”
"Mhhm," Aleria responded, "tonight was fun."
Oliver laughed. “Yeah. It was.”
They were silent for a moment. Oliver wanted to bring up the kiss, and ask her what it meant to her, but he didn’t know how without making it awkward.
"You were my first kiss," he finally stated, making Aleria shoot him a small grin.
"You were mine too."
Oliver returned the grin. They were silent for a moment, admiring each other’s presence and feeling somewhat happy. He gently put his hand on the side of her face and brought his lips to hers again.
There they were, those stupid little butterflies that flew around in Aleria’s stomach. Kissing Oliver felt so good. So right. It made her stomach tingle and her heart skip beats, but she didn’t mind because he was the one who caused it.
Aleria delivered a couple more pecks to Oliver’s lips and whispered two words before falling asleep.
"You’re perfect."
"Is Aleria with you?" Laura whispered.
Carol nodded, giving Aleria’s mom a reassuring smile. “She fell asleep upstairs. We don’t mind her staying over at all, they’ve had a fun night and I imagine they’re tired.”
Laura chuckled and agreed, “They must be. Thank you so much, Carol, I’ll probably come get her when I get home from church—if she even wants to leave. As long as I know she’s safe here. Are you sure you don’t mind her staying?”
Carol shook her head. “Not at all.”
Laura beamed, said a polite thank you, and trotted back to her house.
The next morning found Oliver and Aleria alone once again. While the two were sleeping, Tom had woken up in the middle of the night and stumbled back to his room in a tired stupor. He chuckled lightly when he eyed Aleria’s and Oliver’s hands locked together before he left.
Oliver was first to wake up. He admired the sleeping form next to him and pushed the hair away from her face. Her eyelids fluttered, her breathing was evenly slow and her porcelaine face was contorted into the softest grin he’s ever seen.
While he got up to feed Oskar, he thought about how nice things have been since he’d met Aleria. He hasn’t tried to commit suicide in two weeks. He hadn’t cut recently, and he found himself smiling everyday. Then, last night, they kissed.
Oliver wanted her to be his girlfriend, but he wasn’t sure how to ask. He didn’t even know if Tom knew what happened yet. He decided he’d wait a couple more days to ask so he had time to think.
Aleria stirred in her sleep before waking up. She greeted Oliver with a grin, accompanied by a blush, and sat up, fixing the parting line in her hair.
She was aware of the two words she told him last night, and she had no intention of taking them back. She meant what she said. Oliver is perfect. He was such a broken boy, confused and hurt, and had such a lost soul—but he was perfect to her in every single way. She has never had a boyfriend, but she hoped that maybe one day, Oliver would ask her out and be her first—just like he was her first kiss.
Oliver climbed beside her and kissed her warm cheek.
"Didn’t really plan on sleeping over," she mussed, "but I was tired."
"I’m glad you did," Oliver admitted. "Let’s go somewhere today, Aleria."
She chuckled and grabbed his hand, “Where?”
"I don’t know. Anywhere. I haven’t really seen a lot of this place and I want to."
She beamed, placing her cheek on his shoulder. She was thrilled that he wanted to spend time with her like she wanted to with him. “We can go to this coffee shop downtown. It’s an old barn that they bought out and cleaned and stuff. It’s really nice, I go with my mom a lot, and we can take my car.”
Oliver kissed the top of her head affectionately. “Sounds brilliant.”
They all laughed at whatever topic their conversation found, eating candy and talking like old mates would. Oliver’s hand found Aleria’s and she giggled out loud. Oskar curled up between the two and settled there.
Tom flicked on the television and they all watched quietly, stomachs aching and eyelids fluttering.
Oliver took off his rib cover and tossed it on the floor. Aleria was a bit hesitant to take hers off, since she only had a bra under the cover, which was under a ripped up shirt, so she retreived the one she had on before they left and threw it on before taking the ribs off. She peeled the wax off her neck and wiped the fake blood off with a paper towel. She helped Oliver towel off his face makeup, which was thankfully minimal, and helped Tom rid his eyes of the dark colouration around them. She towelled the makeup off of her own face and followed the boys back to Oliver’s room, where they took their positions back on the bed and floor.
About half an hour into watching a comedic television show series, Tom was snoring slightly and his eyelids fluttered in his sleep.
Oliver rolled to his side and propped his elbow on his bed, chin resting in his hand. “Still awake?”
"Mhhm," Aleria responded, "tonight was fun."
Oliver laughed. “Yeah. It was.”
They were silent for a moment. Oliver wanted to bring up the kiss, and ask her what it meant to her, but he didn’t know how without making it awkward.
"You were my first kiss," he finally stated, making Aleria shoot him a small grin.
"You were mine too."
Oliver returned the grin. They were silent for a moment, admiring each other’s presence and feeling somewhat happy. He gently put his hand on the side of her face and brought his lips to hers again.
There they were, those stupid little butterflies that flew around in Aleria’s stomach. Kissing Oliver felt so good. So right. It made her stomach tingle and her heart skip beats, but she didn’t mind because he was the one who caused it.
Aleria delivered a couple more pecks to Oliver’s lips and whispered two words before falling asleep.
"You’re perfect."
"Is Aleria with you?" Laura whispered.
Carol nodded, giving Aleria’s mom a reassuring smile. “She fell asleep upstairs. We don’t mind her staying over at all, they’ve had a fun night and I imagine they’re tired.”
Laura chuckled and agreed, “They must be. Thank you so much, Carol, I’ll probably come get her when I get home from church—if she even wants to leave. As long as I know she’s safe here. Are you sure you don’t mind her staying?”
Carol shook her head. “Not at all.”
Laura beamed, said a polite thank you, and trotted back to her house.
The next morning found Oliver and Aleria alone once again. While the two were sleeping, Tom had woken up in the middle of the night and stumbled back to his room in a tired stupor. He chuckled lightly when he eyed Aleria’s and Oliver’s hands locked together before he left.
Oliver was first to wake up. He admired the sleeping form next to him and pushed the hair away from her face. Her eyelids fluttered, her breathing was evenly slow and her porcelaine face was contorted into the softest grin he’s ever seen.
While he got up to feed Oskar, he thought about how nice things have been since he’d met Aleria. He hasn’t tried to commit suicide in two weeks. He hadn’t cut recently, and he found himself smiling everyday. Then, last night, they kissed.
Oliver wanted her to be his girlfriend, but he wasn’t sure how to ask. He didn’t even know if Tom knew what happened yet. He decided he’d wait a couple more days to ask so he had time to think.
Aleria stirred in her sleep before waking up. She greeted Oliver with a grin, accompanied by a blush, and sat up, fixing the parting line in her hair.
She was aware of the two words she told him last night, and she had no intention of taking them back. She meant what she said. Oliver is perfect. He was such a broken boy, confused and hurt, and had such a lost soul—but he was perfect to her in every single way. She has never had a boyfriend, but she hoped that maybe one day, Oliver would ask her out and be her first—just like he was her first kiss.
Oliver climbed beside her and kissed her warm cheek.
"Didn’t really plan on sleeping over," she mussed, "but I was tired."
"I’m glad you did," Oliver admitted. "Let’s go somewhere today, Aleria."
She chuckled and grabbed his hand, “Where?”
"I don’t know. Anywhere. I haven’t really seen a lot of this place and I want to."
She beamed, placing her cheek on his shoulder. She was thrilled that he wanted to spend time with her like she wanted to with him. “We can go to this coffee shop downtown. It’s an old barn that they bought out and cleaned and stuff. It’s really nice, I go with my mom a lot, and we can take my car.”
Oliver kissed the top of her head affectionately. “Sounds brilliant.”