Ollie wasn’t the stupid one, He usually wasn’t the one that ended up in Jail though he wasn’t all that worried about being stuck in jail. While he wasn’t the stupid one, having the stupid ones staging a jail break could be the best and most entertaining part of it.
Until then he was watching where they had put all of his things so he could grab it and run.
But until there there was a really pretty blonde beside him and he would be remiss if he didn’t check in and make sure the damsel wasn’t in distress.
“What’s a pretty little lady like you doing in a dump like this. Surely they’ve made the wrong call.” Ollie mused leaning toward her and adjusting his hat.
Thank you for at least not taking his hat. What kind of cowboy gunslinger would he be if he didn’t have that.
Eric was not very good at sitting still. Never had been, never would be. Everyone (Grim mainly) had been telling him to stay off his feet, that they would help him, that he needed to rest if he was going to get better. The doctors had advised him against doing anything too major until everything had healed, but some movement would do him good.This was what he kept in mind for justification for wanting to get out of bed.
Ollie was out and while Eric had been supplied with whatever he might need to be within arm’s reach, he found he really wanted a cup of tea. He figured that would be easy enough, he had only done it a million times. So, off he went on his crutches to the kitchen. He’d managed to get the kettle on the stove top and went to go get the tea bags from the cupboard. Something, be it his weight or placement of the crutch, went wrong and Eric went falling over to the floor.
He laid there for a long while, trying to figure out how to get back up. Enough time had passed for the kettle to start whistling and still Eric had not gotten up. He figured he could probably crawl over to turn the stove off, but after that he was at a loss.
This was when he heard the sound of the front door opening, closing, and footsteps crossing the apartment. When a blonde girl appeared in the kitchen area he waved from his place on the floor. “Erm— hello.” A beat, covered by the kettle that was still carrying on. “Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but, you’re not Ollie.”
Ollie was enjoying his time with Pacifica, away from Mason and Vivi. But also still not in his apartment. Henry was going to move in but it still didn’t feel better. At least not the way that Ollie had been expecting it to feel.
When there was a knock on the door, Ollie looked up at Pacifica before shrugging and moving to get the door for her so she didn’t have to get up.
At most he was sure he could shoo them away.
Instead he was just given a very fancy envelope.
Closing the door he walked back in.
“Did you get invited to a ball? Who couriers one letter?”
Eric was just supposed to go out of town, he wasn’t supposed to die. Grim hadn’t even had an explanation that satisfied anything. Eric was just dead and he wasn’t coming back.
Grim had offered to help call someone but Ollie had shut down as he tried to process the information that was given to him. Backing up from Grim, Ollie sat on their couch and he just sat.
He wasn’t even sure how long has passed as he processed this information. Every once in awhile he would look up and see boxes filled with Eric’s things.
If he listened he could hear Tilly and Max in his bedroom.
If he focused on his body he might actually recognize the fact he was hungry.
If Ollie was normal, he might remember he had a date with Pacifica. He might remember to check in with his family. But he didn’t.
He just knew that Eric was dead, and Ollie didn’t know what to do with the information as everything changed around him.
Ollie wasn’t having a good week. First it was Dodger. And then one of his cases were going horrible. Not to mention the flat that delayed him hours from getting home and it had been a chaotic time. The fact the weekend was already over and he had to go to work tomorrow was worse.
But it was Pacifica’s fake birthday and well Ollie felt like distracting himself and celebrating your girlfriend’s fake birthday was a decent way to do that. Grabbing flowers and a cake that wished her a happy half birthday, Ollie wasn’t even bothered by the look he got from the bakery outside of Swynlake.
They didn’t need to know. People were too curious and well Ollie didn’t want to give them anything.
Maybe he was just a little too salty about people sticking their noses in Dodger’s business.
Not the time or place to think about it as he was let into Pacifica’s place.
“Look I won’t fully understand using today as a fake birthday but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t celebrate it. Cake and flowers.” Ollie teases showing her the half birthday message on the cake.
Ollie was looking forward to tonight even though he was working he couldn’t help but keep glancing at the door for when Pacifica would come in. If she came in. He hoped she would come in.
It was the day before graduation and really the nerves that were already there were just heightened. Enough that the rest of the bartenders were checking on him and he knew Dodger was watching him while he got ready to go on stage. Even Peri who was fluttering between the bar and the dance floor had check in on him.
Ollie was just in the middle of shooing her off again when he spotted Pacifica at the bar and he grinned walking up to her.
Finals were kicking Ollie’s ass, It was his second last semester and the stress of finishing school here and whatever drama came with Swynlake was adding up. For the boy that didn’t drink coffee or energy drinks he was really thinking about getting into one of them.
But Rita kept him well fed to the point he had way too many cookies he could have left it for the secret santa thing but that didn’t feel right so he moved to drop them off in the common area stopping suddenly at the blonde already in there.
Ollie was not hungover (he was) but that wasn’t why he didn’t want to get out of bed this morning. He was a married man, curled up with his wife while the sun lazed through the windows.
It had seemed like such a good idea to book the flights after the wedding, all the goodbyes happened in one place, it was an epic celebration but now they needed to grab the last bags that hadn’t been shipped already, the final touches.
And with the alarm already going off, that meant he couldn’t keep lazing about, and yet he just curled more into Pacifica. “Morning, Wife.”
PACIFICA
Pacifica was genuinely not hungover, but her whole body was one delightful ache. Last night she had danced more than she had in years, possibly ever, she’d talked to everyone who had come to the wedding, and then she had fallen into Ollie’s bed to spend their first night as a married couple together.
Now it was their first morning, and she could already feel a mixture of amusement and fond annoyance building. She had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last time.
“Ollie, I love you, but you have to turn that alarm off.”
OLLIE
“But if I do that, that means we need to get up and do all the things.” Ollie complained slightly tilting his head to look up at Pacifica with a grin though his eyes were still closed as if he could fall back asleep even with the alarm going off.
“Don’t you want to stay in bed, just a little longer.”
PACIFICA
“But if we get up and do things now, that means we’ll be able to spend all day tomorrow in bed in our new home.” The words ‘our home’ hadn’t lost the power to thrill her, and right now it was hard to believe that they ever would.
She leaned up on one arm and brushed his lips with hers. “Besides, if you don’t shut it off, I’m crawling over you to shut it off myself.”
OLLIE
“You know threatening to crawl over me isn’t much of a threat?” Ollie teased though he flopped onto his back to reach out and grab his phone to turn off the alarm. A huge yawn coming from him nonetheless.
“But all day tomorrow in our new home does kind of work.” They should be able to settle in right away and they could sleep in, have some more fun as a newly married couple. Wink wink, nudge nudge.
PACIFICA
Pacifica smiled at him even as she felt her cheeks warm slightly. As tempting as it was, they certainly didn’t have time for that. Probably. Even if he was looking particularly adorable with his sleep rumpled curls and his skin warm under her fingertips.
“Kitchen is supposed to be stocked with basics for us so we’ll have food in the house once we get there. And I think even I can wait on unpacking for a day.” She would feel compelled to start unpacking the day after, checking on all her clothes and settling in so that all of their belongings had a place. It was what would make the place feel like theirs too. But she could take a moment to bask.
OLLIE
Ollie let out another groan. A small Acknowledgement that she was right. It wasn't like this place had much food stocked.
Empty closets, empty walls. Even Tilly wasn't here. Ollie had gotten her situated and boarded in Italy ahead of time to make sure the transition wasn't too jarring for her. That they wouldn't deal with any unforeseen complications now.
Pushing himself into a seated position he took her hand gently and kissed it. “Well then my wife. Would you like to get up and finish the last things.”
PACIFICA
As he kissed her hand, she could see the ring on her finger sparkle in the early morning light coming through the window. She knew if she looked, she would be able to see the simple gold band on his. It was enough to make her wish she could just laze in bed here to bask in it.
Instead, she smiled up at him. “I scheduled breakfast to be delivered in half an hour, along with coffee. And since I did that, that means I’m stealing first shower while you finish whatever it is you need to finish.”
She sat up and brushed his lips with hers before sliding out of the bed.
OLLIE
Ollie Laughed as Pacifica pulled away to take her shower and get ready for the day. Watching her go he lazed about for a few more moments before getting up himself.
This was it.
Their last moments here. There wasn't much else to do. Everything packed up and gone or to be donated if they were taking it.
But this place still had memories and ghosts that hung at every corner. Eric and Henry.
He was the last one left and with him would go those memories too. Neither of them would come back here.
Shaking his head he pulled their suitcases to the front door and headed back to the washroom to switch with Pacifica to get ready himself.
PACIFICA
Feeling the countdown clock in her head to when they would need to leave for the airport, she didn’t follow her next impulse and suggest he join her in the shower. As tempting as it was, it would take far too much time. She would much rather be waiting at the airport for the flight than running any risk of cutting it close.
There wasn’t anything left for her here but the people, and she’d already said her goodbyes to the ones who mattered. They would see them again, of course, but as the new people they were becoming. She was ready to let go of who they’d been.
She had chosen her outfit for today carefully, combining style and comfort so that she would be confident as they set foot in Italy.
But as Ollie started to head past her to take his turn, she paused and brushed his cheek with a kiss. There was something sad in his eyes. She didn’t want to pressure him, he’d talk when he was ready, but she wanted to remind him she was here.
Then she let him go and started her own final checks, double and triple checking their flight tickets, their passports, tucking away the last few belongings. Checking it all again. Right as she finished the last check, she heard the knock that signaled breakfast had arrived and was able to get everything set up on the table by the time Ollie came back out.
OLLIE
It felt better to be clean and dressed for the day, it felt like he could move forward, he had to move forward. If he stayed he would never be able to move forward, to continue to stand on his own.
He did it when he moved out and this was just his next chapter.
Especially when he spotted Paz and a breakfast all laid out. She was right this was a fresh start they both needed.
“That smells so good.” Ollie mused walking over and snaking his arms around her before stealing a quick bite.
PACIFICA
“The food smells pretty good too,” she teased, leaning back against him for that moment as she took the all important first sip of coffee.
Glancing over at their suitcases, she felt the flutters of nerves, anxiety, and excitement swirling together so that she wasn’t particularly hungry, even knowing that she should eat. She let out a small sigh.
“It feels strange to be leaving. Even though I know we’ll come back, it’ll be different when we do. I don’t regret it, but it’s strange.”
OLLIE
Ollie nodded the place was empty and that dread built again, like he was leaving a piece of him here. Mainly the piece of Eric more than anything.
“I’m going to miss this place. I never realized it. The second place I’ve lived on my own. Or with Eric and Henry. It had some really good memories.” At least his family would all be in the same homes most likely that wouldn’t change. Just the kids growing up.
PACIFICA
Pacifica rubbed at his arm, wishing she had something wise and profound she could say to that. She couldn’t help the pinch of guilt at his words, especially since they were leaving for her.
But she tried to remind herself that they would have left eventually. This was a nice place, but it wasn’t big enough to build a future in. Or to have guests to stay when people did come to visit as she hoped they would eventually. All this meant was that they were leaving a little earlier than they might have otherwise.
“The memories will still be with you. But I think it’s okay to be sad this is ending.”
OLLIE
“A little sad, a bunch happy and more excited.” The more he stayed the more antsy he was ready to leave too. To not fall into this feelings too much. He didn’t want to be sad, he didn’t want to start this adventure mourning the old one.
“I’ll be okay. I have you and I’m making more memories.” He will be more than happy with that.
PACIFICA
She turned towards him to pull him into a hug, resting her head on his shoulder. “If it helps, I cried on Thursday. I didn’t expect I would. But suddenly the room was empty, and Rose is talking to a new potential roommate who will be there instead and I just…it’s harder than I thought to leave.”
Looking up at him, she smiled. “But you’re right. There’s a lot of happy and excited in there too. There will be new memories. I want those.”
OLLIE
Honestly that made Ollie feel better, not that she was hurting but that he wasn’t the only one that was missing things and people from this place. “We will just have to make sure they visit. I’m sure no one would fight a trip out to Italy.” Ollie teased holding her tightly.
“I love you. I love that we’re on our way to a new adventure.” A deep breath looking around the apartment. He was ready, he really was.
“Last bites and we should go?”
PACIFICA
“Exactly. Besides, now that we’ve finished our wedding, I can start to become a true terror in helping Ren and Martin plan theirs,” she grinned. It was only a partial joke as she said it. But it was another of those reminders of their many ties here. They would be back.
Stepping back, she finished of the last of her coffee and set it neatly back in the back so they could throw out the bag on their way out the door.
“I’m ready.”
OLLIE
Ollie laughed at that nodding, Pacifica had planned theirs in such a short time period he knew she would be right there helping Ren and Martin with theirs as much as possible. They people here were never going to get rid of them.
Pulling away Ollie grabbed the keys to lock up pulling their suitcases and bags out into the hall. This apartment, this town had been good to him and he would miss it.
Shutting and locking the door to an empty apartment he turned to face his wife and his new future.
