Life's Never Simple • SIDEMEN

• TEN •

Tuesday, 18th December

• Callum •

"Cal," Harry whines, rolling my name off his tongue slowly. I glance up from my revision notes to look at him, and he's sat back in his chair, tapping his pencil lazily on the desk.

A pretty sight really. Looking ruffled in the dim light given off by my lamp, his hair a mess from running his hands through it too much. His shirt untucked, and tie abandoned a long time ago. Top button undone, showing off his neck, and a little bit of his collar bones. Bright blue eyes a little duller than usual, from boredom and exhaustion.

He always gets like this towards the end of our tutoring sessions.

"What's up Dinho?" I respond casually, and he huffs.

"I still don't get why you call me that," Harry says, sticking his bottom lip out, and making that expression he often does when he's confused.

"Haroldinho," I say, and he furrows his eyebrow. "It's like the footballer, Ronaldinho. You're Harold, so Haroldinho. Or Dinho by itself, 'cause I'm lazy. It's just a nickname, don't worry too much about it."

"Oh, okay," he responds simply.

"What did you want anyway?" I ask, and his confused expression brightens.

"I'm bored," he says. "Can we go for a walk?"

I sigh, but then look at the clock, and realise we have been working solidly for nearly two hours. I sit up a little in my chair, stretching my arms above my head, my aching body complaining at the movement after being in the same position for so long. Maybe a walk is a good idea.

"Yeah, sure," I tell him. He looks a little surprised.

"What, really?" He asks, seeming confused as to why I allowed it so easily. Usually, I'd try to coax him into doing fifteen more minutes of work, before we took a break. But this time, I need a break just as much as he does. And I can't resist him when he looks at me like that.

"Yeah, let's go," I say, standing up, and walking over to my wardrobe. Opening it, and pulling out a jumper to wear, since it'll be cold outside. Quickly, I put it on, and Harry still stays in his chair, looking stunned. I smile at him. "Are you gonna just sit there?" I add playfully, picking out a hoodie, and throwing it at him. He catches it, and grins back at me, before pulling it over his head. 

He looks even prettier with it on, the sleeves a bit too long and falling past his hands. It makes him look soft, and huggable, swallowed up within the fabric. Just the fact that he's wearing something of mine, really, makes my heart beat a little quicker.

We both head downstairs, finding my Mum in the kitchen.

"Hi boys," she smiles, looking away from her cooking for a minute.

"Hey Mum. We're going for a walk, we'll probably be about twenty minutes," I tell her, while pulling on a pair of converse.

"Okay. Just be careful where you go, and try to keep where's there's streetlights, alright?" She says, looking at me seriously.

I nod. "We will."

"Good," she responds, turning back to the pot she's stirring.