Something About Him

Truth

--Oliver--

My heart is leaping. I hope he can't hear it. I've never had anyone dance with me like this before. But I like being this close to him... It feels...
Right.
I fit into his chest perfectly like some sort of puzzle piece and he is warm and smells like tea and ink and Arthur. I could stay like this forever. In fact, if this were forever- if I were to die right now, in the arms of this boy I barely know but feel myself falling for, slow dancing in his kitchen to The Beatles, well that would just be okay. I've never felt so happy.

*T I M E S K I P*
"Thanks for running me home," I said.
"It's no problem," Arthur replied, his face on the road as he drove. "But you're coming back for dinner, right?"
"Yes, I just had to make sure Mum was doing okay, I haven't been home all day," I said.
Arthur nodded. "I understand,"
I sat back in the passenger seat, watching the world go by me, wondering about all of the lights on in the homes we passed.
Those lights are someone's life. There's a whole other world for every individual person out there, a whole unique story I'll never know... That's strange to think about.
I sighed. We left Arthur's home five minutes ago after eating the scones I made (which were, in Arthur's words, "bloody brilliant"), so I could run home and put my bags away and tell Mum where I've been.
I directed Arthur to my house and we got there quickly, it only being a few blocks from his. I glanced at him as I opened the car door.
"You coming?" I asked.
He blinked at me. "You want me to go with you?"
"That's what I meant when I asked if you were coming," I said, smirking.
"Watch your sass, child," He said, perfectly mimicking the librarian at the school.
I laughed at him and got out of the car, gesturing for him to follow. We walked up the steps to my apartment, Arthur trailing close behind me. "The place might be a mess, so I apologize," I said. "I'm kind of using the living room as an art studio right now until I fix up the back room so just... Prepare yourself," I said, hoping he didn't judge me. His home was immaculate and mine was... Not.
I opened the door and let Arthur in first, stepping in close behind. I flicked on a light and Arthur gasped at the sight of my living room.
Almost every inch of wall space was covered by papers from my sketchbooks, all of them with drawings of people or flowers or trees and other things I thought were beautiful. There were a couple easels set up in various spots of the room, each one with different paintings in multiple stages of completion. The table in the room had on it a pile of books, two sketchbooks and a coffee mug. The couch was clear, however. I motioned for him to sit.
"Like I said, it's a terrible mess I-"
"I love it," Arthur said.
"What?" I looked back at him, aghast. He always seemed so neat, so why did he like this mess?
"I said I love it. It's unique and reminds me of you in that way," He said, glancing around.
I paused in shock at not only his words, but what he had just done.
"Arthur you... You just spoke without thinking didn't you?" I asked him, a smile playing on my lips.
"Huh? Oh. Yes, I guess I did," He said, turning to me with a smile. "I'm starting to get it, yes?"
I nodded at him, happy at his action. Then I called into the house.
"MUM IM HOME," I yelled. There was barking from in the house and then the sound of paws on hardwood.
"Um-" Arthur said from behind me.
Mum then burst into the room, running at me at full speed. When she reached me she stood up on her hind legs and put her paws on my shoulders, making her taller than I was.
"Mum is a dog?" Arthur said, absolutely shocked.
"Of course. She's an Irish setter I named Mum,"
"You have a dog. Named Mum,"
"Quite a condescending tone from the guy who has a pet sheep," I said, petting Mum's ears.
"Hey, Melanie is not mine, she's my brother's,"
I shrugged and then plopped onto the couch next to Arthur, putting my feet onto his lap and letting Mum lay on my stomach. (Which meant she layed not only on my stomach but much of my legs as well. She was a very big dog.)
Arthur absentmindedly reached a hand out and patted her back, speaking in baby voice.
"Oh hello Mum," He said. "You're a very petty puppy,"
Mum, upon hearing her name, looked up from my stomach, barked, and then stood on me and hopped onto Arthur's lap.
"Oh- JESUS, MUM YOU ARE FAR TOO BIG TO BE A LAP DOG," He said, fighting to resist his face being licked. I laughed loudly at the sight of Arthur smiling easily despite the dog licking his face and standing on his lap. After I decided he had had enough I stood up and opened the door to the backyard.
"Cmon, Mum, wanna go out?" I said. She froze at the word "out" and then ran through the door, her tongue trailing happily out of the side of her mouth.
"Well she... She was friendly," Arthur finally said, making me laugh again.
"She's a big sweetheart, yes," I replied, filling up her food bowl and then sitting back on the couch, as close to Arthur as I could get without seeming strange.
"So you said you had no siblings... Where are your parents? Working?" He asked, eyes curious. I sighed.
"No. I never knew them. I grew up in foster care and as you get older, people don't really want to adopt. But my 18th birthday is next month and I convinced them to let me out of the foster home early." I paused, looking at my hands and playing with the sleeves of my sweater. "Which wasn't that hard. The system isn't very-" I paused again, thinking of the best way to word things. "They don't really care what happens to you,"
Arthur let out a little breath. "I'm sorry," was all he said. I couldn't bring myself to look at him.
"Don't apologize, I'm fine now. I paid this place off for three months already with the money I saved from mowing lawns when I was younger and the landlord is actually really nice and she's letting me buy it for half of what she was originally planning to sell it for," I said, putting a smile on, not wanting to think about my time spent in foster care.
"Well that's- Thats amazing Oliver," Arthur said. "So you live alone?"
I nodded. "I do. That's why I adopted Mum, actually. Figured dogs don't care so much about rumors, so she'd love me," I said with a sad laugh.
Arthur frowned. "I haven't heard the whole rumor you know. Even if I did, I wouldn't care. You are a good, sweet, kind person, and it's not fair that you are so Alone because of a stupid rumor," He said, taking my hand. My heart jumped again and my eyes got a little watery at his words.
"W-well I think... I think you should know that the rumor... It's based on a true story," I said, squeezing his hand. "I've never killed anyone, of course but I... I've seen someone die. But the story got out and you know how words and events get twisted..."
Arthur tried his hardest not to jump or look confused, for which I was very grateful. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.
Before I could stop it, the words came pouring out of me. "I was about eight and I was at a new foster home, and the people there had two kids my age. They also had this old swing set in the backyard. I remembered that there was only two swings in it and the other kids-the brothers- would never let me use them. But one day I was sitting outside with them while they swung and one of the boys went too high. I think... I think his name was Matt. Anyway he swung too high and fell off and he... He b-broke his neck," At that, Arthur let out a small gasp. "His parents told people that I pushed him," I said, dropping my head again as real tears fell from my eyes. " I remember seeing him, laying on the ground after jumping from that swing and I just- his eyes were open. He had bright blue eyes that were almost purple and they were open. His brother, he... He knew I didn't push him but he didn't want to get in trouble, so he didn't say anything. And I don't blame him in the slightest. His parents were evil to me and mean to him and if he sided with me? He wouldn't see daylight for two weeks," I shuddered, remembering it all. That basement they kept me in for days at a time, the dog food they fed me, the beatings... I didn't blame the brother for not getting involved. At all.
Arthur pulled me into a hug, and I let myself be held. He pet my hair and whispered to me as I cried, comforting me. He was the first person to listen to my side of the story, the first person to actually care, the first person to hold me and whisper,
"It'll all be okay,"
And
"I'm here for you now, I believe you,"
For awhile we sat like that. On my couch, my legs over his, my head in his chest, his hands on my back and his cheek on my head, both of us silent long after I had stopped crying.
"I'm sorry you've had to go through so much," He said.
I wasn't sure what to say, so I stayed silent.
"It's not fair. You are... You are possibly the best person I've ever met, and I've only known you for two days. You are kind and gentle and creative and unique and you.. The way you think and the way you look at the world, it so beautiful. You just have this gift of seeing beauty where most people see something ordinary and...You know how, in the movies, people say, 'I feel like I've known you my entire life'?" I looked up at him and nodded, blushing furiously and totally confused.
"Well I don't feel that... When I look at you, I feel like," He paused, taking a deep breath and gathering his thoughts. "I feel like I've waited my entire life to know you,"
My heart was beating in my ears and I could feel the heat in my face burn even hotter, my body going weak as I looked at him. He reached one of his hands down and wiped the tears off of my cheeks, his hands gentle and soft.
"I don't know what that means to you, and to be honest I don't know what it means to me, either. But What I do know is that I want to know you for a very long time. Until I learn everything about you, and long after that, too," He finished, letting his hand rest on my burning cheek. His face was also red, but not nearly as dark as mine was.
"Arthur," I whispered, scared of the new feeling that grew in my chest. It was something bright and all-consuming, something that took over my entire body, and suddenly, the only thing I could see was Arthur.
His hair.
His nose.
His cheeks.
His chest.
His neck.
His arms.
His lips.
I glanced at his lips again, the overwhelming urge to kiss him coming over me. I shoved that desire down when he connected our eyes. "I don't know what I'm feeling right now Oliver. I just know that I like you a lot, and I know that you deserve the world,"
I settled for hugging him. I grabbed him and wrapped my arms around his neck, being careful not to choke him but still holding him tightly.
He thinks I deserve the world...
I buried my face into his hair, shaking my head a bit and unknowingly speaking out loud instead of inside my head.
"You are my world," I whispered.
He stiffened under me and I backed up, looking at him, not yet realizing that I just said that out loud. "Are you okay?"
"I-" His eyes were wide and his face was darker than before.
"Arthur?"
He pushed me off him gently and then stood up, backing away from me.
"Arthur, please what's the matter? I'm sorry I didn't meant to-"
"No you did N-nothing I just-" He paused, his breaths were short and shallow and he looked ready to cry. "I have to go,"
He thinks you're crazy, too. He doesn't want to be your friend, he doesn't like you. How could you ever delude yourself into thinking that? Why would he like you?
"W-what?" I managed to squeak out. I could feel my heart breaking as I sat there, watching him back towards the door.
"I-I have to go," He whispered. "You.. You can still come to dinner with my family," He added as quickly as possible. "We eat at 7."
"Wait can't we just wait here and then go back when-"
"No I'm sorry I-I have to g-go, I need some time, I-" Something in his voice told me that something was very wrong. He walked towards the door and then stood at it for a moment, back to me. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
And then he was gone, leaving me feeling more alone than I ever have in my entire life.