From England, With Love

Bloody Fists

Christmas was a quiet affair, but a time I will always hold dearly to me. I invited Ae to my apartment and we spent the day cuddled up in bed, my head nuzzled into his shoulder and his arm wrapped comfortably around me under the warm protection of the duvet. We binged Christmas films from Home Alone to The Grinch to poor Netflix originals, and took joy in pausing each film every few minutes to comment on things we found funny, inconsistent or plain terrible. Neither of us had been prepared enough to buy a tree or decorations, so while the flat was no different to normal, the simplicity and calm atmosphere was more than enough.

It was later in the evening, after we had finished our Christmas meal of stir fry followed by chocolate log (a cross-cultural result of needing to use up leftover food but also wanting to maintain some kind of festivity) that Ae suddenly started digging around in his backpack. I had asked him what he was looking for, but he told me to just sit on the bed and wait for him. I sat there, cross-legged, my neck craned trying to see what he was doing. Then, he clambered onto the bed next to me, a pouch in his hand. He bit his lip before holding it out to me.

"Happy Christmas," he said shyly, before rubbing the back of his head. When Ae acts like that, which is so opposite to his usual laid back, confident self, I never know quite what to do. I took the pouch, it's forest green and soft, and pulled it open. I slid out the contents, and my heart swelled, a big smile forming on my face. Ae let out a steady breath; he really was nervous, huh?

"Oh, Ae..." I said happily, turning the object in my hand, "I love it." I looked up at him, my gaze meeting his. His eyes sparkled, and it was then that I realised how in love with this boy I truly am.

What he had given me was a white watch, a cursive letter A stitched into the leather in black on either side of the watch face. I put it on, my smile growing as I feel the fit. It's not too heavy and not too big, suiting my wrist size perfectly. I noticed Ae reach into his pocket. Out of it he drew a matching watch, only this one was black with P stitched in white. He put it on then placed his wrist next to mine.

"I love it," I said, kissing his cheek. He blushed, and looked me in the eyes, his expression similar to that of a puppy.

"What's my present then?" He asked, before chuckling and saying "I'm kidding, I'm kidding," but I had not come unprepared. What kind of terrible boyfriend did he think I am? I reached over and opened my locker drawer. I had thought about what to get him, but came to a conclusion over something that we would both enjoy.

I held his present closed in my palm and turned back to him.

"Open it," I said, and he gently prized my fingers open. His eyes widened.

"A condom?" He swallowed, his ears red.

"Merry Christmas, Ae," I said, quietly, and the next thing I knew I was pinned to the mattress and our Christmas festivities continued into the night in a slightly more... mature way.

Now, the new school term has started. I'm sat in the Common Room with Milo and Tabitha, working on some economics homework. It's a free period for me, but Ae is in a sports class, so, as I wait for the lunch break to start, I switch between gazing at my new watch and trying to force myself to focus. Milo is carefully drawing out musical notes, planning their next coursework composition, and Tabitha is somewhat furiously scribbling down the last few paragraphs of a history essay about the Cold War. I like being around these two. Their energy is somewhat chaotic but they're nice people and they work hard.

Approximately thirty minutes drag past when suddenly someone speaks. The voice is familiar and my heart drops into my stomach, my blood running cold.

"Hey guys," Michael says, dropping into a seat next to me. I swallow, subtly shifting away from him and throwing a glance around the room for anyone I recognise.