Elio
I forgot how awful flying is. I don't think I've felt this ill in so long.
Groaning, I sit up slowly and carefully. The clock on the wall reads 5:56 AM and I decide that now is probably a good time to wake up if I want to not have an irregular sleeping pattern.
I somehow manage to stretch out my aching limbs, even though I feel as if they're being pulled off, one by one. My suitcases need to be unpacked but I can do that later, when I don't feel like my body has been ran over with 17 trucks. Instead I unzip them carefully, making sure to not crumple the clothes Mafalda folded and packed for me.
My shower bag, towels and other miscellaneous things are in one and my clothes in the other. I grab everything I need for a shower and go to the en-suite. Hopefully this will make me feel a lot more awake and less like shit.
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It doesn't.
For the second time in 24 hours I throw up again. I bet it's the plane food.
After getting changed and taking the largest amount of painkillers I can at once, I finally decide to go downstairs. It's a Saturday and 6:30 AM so not many people will be awake.
I go downstairs and have a small look around, trying to get used to the place I'm staying at for 5 weeks. Of course I do it subtly, in case someone comes downstairs and thinks I'm snooping.
I look in the refrigerator to see if there's any cold water to drink. I notice a plate of pizza with a note saying;
Hey Elio,
In case you're hungry, we left you some left over pizza.
Oliver.
Smiling, I take the pizza and the water to the kitchen table. I eat as cleanly as possible, not wanting to leave any mess.
I wish I could do some kind of gesture to say thank you for letting me stay over, but I didn't really know how to cook. It would end disastrously.
Eventually, after I've cleaned up any mess left behind, I sit on the couch and read one of my books quietly, waiting for anyone in the house to wake up.
At about half past 7, Ellie comes toddling down the stairs with a small blanket trailing behind her and a picture book. She shyly climbs onto the other end of the couch. I give her a small smile and a little wave hello.
I'm not really used to small children, to be honest. I just know not to be loud around them and to not swear. She seems completely engrossed in her story and barely looks up at me. I smile to myself and return to my book.
After a while I hear some shuffling and feel a tug on the sleeve of my sweater. I look down at her, with a raised eyebrow in confusion. "I'm hungry, Elli-ohh"
I laugh a little to myself at the pronunciation and stand up slowly before walking to the kitchen. Ellie followed behind me, trudging slowly. I notice a range of cereal and point to it. "Is this what you'd like?" I ask her.
Ellie nods furiously and picks out the Coco Pops. She sits herself at the table after struggling a little bit. I pour her some of the cereal.
"Do you want milk in them?" I ask her again.
"Yes please, Elli-ohh." Ellie smiles at me and I smile back. Oliver truly has the most adorable little girl in the world.
I pour some milk into the Coco Pops and bring them over to her carefully. I grab my book before sitting next to her at the table. Ellie messily, but speedily gulped down her breakfast, reminding me of her father on his first day with my family.
She is definitely a mini Oliver, In characteristics anyways.
"What kind of stories do you like?" I ask her. She obviously loves her books and I decide that would be a great thing to bond on, since I also loved books at her age. My mother would read to me everyday, even as I got closer to my teen years. It was one of our favorite mother-son activities.
"I like funny books." Ellie giggles and continues, "But lots of stories." She says and I smile. Oliver is definitely bringing her up right.
"Me too, books are my favorite things in the world." I say while standing up. I carry her bowl to the sink and clean everything carefully. She follows me like a shadow.
I ask her to stay downstairs for a moment while I quickly grab a book from my suitcase upstairs. While I'm up there I hear a shower running, either Jenny or Oliver has woken up.
When I return downstairs, Ellie is sat patiently on the couch, waiting for me. I sit back down beside her with a smile. I had an German book of fairy tales that my mother would read to me all the time at her age. She would read a few lines of it in German and reread them, translated to English. We read it together so much that I know the whole book, back to front, in both languages, off by heart.
I began to read it to her in German and then English, the same way she did when I was a little boy. There was one story in here that always reminded me of Oliver, but I hoped that we wouldn't get to that one.
At first, Ellie didn't understand why I was speaking in German, but finally she caught on.
A little while later, she seemed to be absolutely enthralled by it. She was perched over my shoulder, attempting to make sense of the lines on the page.
After I finished the first story, she was excited for another one. "Elli-ohh, will you read me more?" Ellie asked as I heard two pairs of footsteps walking down the stairs. "Later, I promise." I smile and stick my pinkie out to confirm that I mean it. She wraps hers around mine with a giggle and nods.
Jenny and Oliver walk through to the living room and notice how well we were getting on.
"Thank you, Elli-ohh!" Ellie says before seeing her parents. She runs over to them and starts to gush about our morning together. I wave at the two of them, "Good morning, thank you for the pizza!" I say and close the book.
Jenny rolls her eyes and Oliver laughs. "I told you he'd eat it." Oliver says with a beaming smile. He seems to be in a much better mood than yesterday.
I couldn't help but look at the three of them together and feel jealous. Jealous and angry. How come Oliver got to have a perfect family, yet I'm left with trust issues and undying feelings for someone who considered me just a summer fling?
This was so fucking unfair.
If this is how the world works, then it's just plain cruel.
He was the one that left me behind, how come he gets everything?
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Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this. HOLY SHIT, THANK YOU FOR ALMOST 150 READS!!!
I never expected that. Please keep voting and commenting, I love receiving them!
I hope you all had a great Easter, etc.
After this, I think I might do a small time skip because I don't want this to be too long!
Bye!
YOU ARE READING
Only Love -CMBYN-
Romance-An AU set 6 years after that summer- It's been six years since that summer. Six years since Oliver left Elio at the train station. Six whole years since Elio got the phone call that still rings in his ears. Six years and finally, Elio faces Oliver...
