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OLIVER FLETCHER

PAST
JUNE 2019

"Max is this completely crazy or are we actually doing this?" I question as I bite down on my thumb, my stomach growling with anxiety.

We step out of the tube station, pushing past the sea of people in central London. Max smiles from beside me and slides his hand in mine and walks us down the street. "You don't have to get it done if you don't want to," he tells me.

"But I said I would," I say as my voice shakes.

His dark eyes look at me, turning soft for a second. "You have every right to change your mind when you want to Oliver, I'm not going to be mad."

I nod at his words and he squeezes my fingers gently. "It's not like they're matching or anything..." I trail off.

Max laughs from beside me. "So you're not worried about the pain?"

"No that too," I say quickly.

"Oliver," he says softly, turning my attention back to him. "I drew something and you liked it, that's all it is. They're not matching, I'm getting something completely different to you and if you don't want to get it. That's also fine."

My teeth bite down on my bottom lip suddenly as I watch him talk. "You're right," I agree with him. "You've just drawn it, maybe it would be weirder if a stranger drew something for me."

"Exactly," he squeezes my hand again. "And besides, this would be the best graduation present ever."

"Okay," I breathe out shakily. "I'll do it."

"I won't hold you to that until we're there," he chuckles quietly and I duck my head, he was right. So right.

I change my mind like the wind, but that's okay. It's okay to change your mind, that's what being a human is. Making last minute changes.

After walking down the high street for five minutes we stop outside the tattoo parlour. "Is this where you always come?"

Max shakes his head. "Not always, I like getting my tattoos from different places. But I've had a couple here and they're super good."

"They better be," I say under my breath but Max caught it as he smiles and shakes his head.

With his spare hand he pushes open the shop door and allows me to walk in first. The walls were painted in a light spread of olive green, plants and flowers stuck to the walls and random designs dotted all around.

"Hey Max," a guy emerges from the back room.

"Hey man," he says as he takes a step forward and gives him a hug. "This is my boyfriend Oliver."

The guy looks at me and smiles, he had a large septum piercing between his and two piercings in each nostril. Dark stretcher in his ear along with a couple hoops. "Nice to meet you Oliver," he holds out his hand.

"Oli is fine," I smile back as I grip onto his hand, he shakes firmly.

"Well Oli," he says as he pulls back his hand. "I'm Rhys and I believe I'm going to be tattooing you today."

My eyes take a quick glance over at Max who raises his hand to rub my back. "You got this," he mumbles to me.

"Yeah," I say after a few moments. "I'm ready."

"Great," Rhys grins as he picks up a tablet and hands it to me. "Fill out this form and then I'll get the area all set up and ready to go."

"Thanks," I nod as I take the tablet from his hands.

Rhys walks away from the front desk and Max ushers me to sit down. My eyes scan over the pages, filling it out slowly and carefully, making sure that I don't miss anything.

"Be excited," Max nudges my shoulder with his forehead. "You're gonna be inked for the first time."

My lungs inhale the deepest breath as I sign the last declaration page and lock the tablet, trying to control how fast my heart was beating but it was physically impossible.

"I am excited," I nod to him. "Just a little scared."

"It doesn't hurt much, it's just like a small graze. After a while your body will get used to it." Max tells me calmly. "You've got this."

"Oli," Rhys calls me over and I inhale sharply, Max stands beside me and guides us through the tattoo parlour and into his room. "So this is what you're having?"

He hands me over a small cut out piece of Max's work, two abstract faces merged together. "Yeah," I agree as I look down at it.

"Do you want it bigger, smaller?"

"No, this is perfect." I tell him as I hand it back.

"Great," he smiles. "Whereabouts do you want it positioned?"

I clear my throat and point to the back of my ribs, near my shoulder blade. "Here," I tell him as his eyes float to my finger.

"Okay, take off your t-shirt and come lay down on the bed." He says as he pats the black leather seat.

My hands fumble with my top as I pull it up and over my head, attempting to crawl my body onto the bed and facing my head away from his station.

Max sits on a wheeled stool and positions himself in front of me. His pink lips pulled up into a tight smile as he looks down to me, resting his elbows on the edge of the bed.

For a moment I look across his skin, the endless doodles of ink. Tattoos looked incredible, especially on Max. They can't hurt that bad if he has so many of them.

Rhys preps my back and sticks the stencil down onto my skin, I push myself up from the bed to look back in the mirror at the placement. Smiling at him and nodding before I settle back down, facing Max once again.

"Right well, let's get started," I hear Rhys' voice from behind me.

The sound of the tattoo gun starts to vibrate and my eyes spring wide, preparing myself for the pain.

Max lowers his head to my arm and presses a soft kiss to my skin, his warm brown eyes locking me in gently.

The needle begins to stab against my skin and I inhale silently, Max kisses me again and offers me a supportive smile. After a few moments I settle into the bed, trying to adapt to the motion of ink being punctured into me forever.

I clench my eyes for a moment, feeling overwhelmed from the sensation. Max grips onto my arm and swipes his thumb across my skin softly, then I open my eyes to look at him.

"I love you," he mouths.

My heart clenches as I watch his lips, his eyes, that smile.

"I love you too," I mouth back.

PRESENT
APRIL 2021

My eyes stare back at the tattoo on the back of my ribs in the mirror, glancing over my shoulder and brushing my finger across my inked skin.

I love this tattoo so much.

Even though Max was the one who drew it, it was his artwork. I still loved it after he left because by then it felt like it was a part of me. And in a way, Max was with me forever too. At first I refused to look at it, scared that it would make me break down in tears.

But for the first time in a year, I stare back at it. Fully analysing every crisp line and every beautiful curve.

My lip quivers for a second as I drop my t-shirt and sigh, feeling my fingers begin to tingle desperate to hear Max's voice, to speak to him after ignoring his days worth of texts.

I am officially the worst person ever.

Reaching across my bed to pick up my phone, unlocking the screen and clicking down onto Max's contact details. My thumb hovers over the call button for a few moments until I pluck up the courage to hit it with confidence.

Instantly raising the phone up to my ear and telling my body to breathe before I pass out on the floor. The ringing goes on and on and then I panic, that's it he's had enough of me and no—

"Oliver?"

My heart clenches as he speaks my name.

"Is everything okay?" He questions, his voice dipping in concern. "I've been worried."

"I'm sorry I've been airing you," I blurt out. "I just didn't know what to say."

"Did I do something?"

"No," I cut over him. "No Max, you've done nothing. I'm just being an ass and I'm sorry."

A small rustle echoes through the phone as Max breathes out. "Don't say that," he dismisses me. "You're not being an ass."

"I'm worried that things will happen too quickly between us when we hang out," I admit before squeezing my eyes. "Because when I see you I just want to be with you and kiss you and do all that shit, but I'm scared."

The line is silent for a moment. "We don't have to talk or see each other as much, or at all until you're ready. If that's what you need." His voice cracks slightly but he recovers quickly.

"That's not what I want," I say suddenly, continuously shaking my head. "I don't want that Max, I want you in my life. I was confused but now I know what I want."

"I want that too," Max breathes out a sigh of relief. "We can still take things slow, we don't have to jump back into everything. Just the thought of taking you out on dates, planning to see you, it gives me butterflies. Like I'm some stupid teenage boy again."

My lips curve into a smile at his words, setting fire to my whole body. "I thought about the fact that maybe I needed time to be properly single, but when I see you, when I'm with you, I'm just swarmed by you. You're the only person I think about."

"You can still be independent," he reassures me. "We can date but nothing needs to be rushed, nothing that you don't want to do. We can keep it tame until you feel like it's time. I just want to spend time with you."

"I'm sorry for messing you around." I sigh out as I fall back onto my bed.

"Don't apologise," he tells me again. "I understand how much of a headfuck it must have been seeing me again, hanging out. I know what you've been through Oliver, from now on I'll always be here."

"You promise?"

"I swear on my life, I swear on your life. I'd never do anything like that again," he struggles to get the words out, my lips frown at his sudden change in emotion. "I know we are meant to be together, and I'm not going to give up on you, or on us."

My lips swish from side to side, trying to convince myself not to cry. I knew how much I was built up of emotions these last few days, ready to burst. Sometimes it's better to admit when you want something and I want him, I can't keep pushing it away anymore.

"I missed you," I admit as my lips begin to tremble again, my eyes swelling with tears.

"I missed you so much Oliver," he breathes through the phone, both of our voices dropping in tone. "I just wanna hold you and tell you everything's going to be okay."

A small sob chokes from the back of my throat as I roll over onto my side, tears pouring out of my eyes like there was no tomorrow.

"I thought you were gone forever," I cry as I wipe my nose. "I thought that I was never going to see you again."

"Shhhh," Max coos through the phone, his voice shaking. "I'm here now, I'm never leaving your side again. That is a promise."

"Can I see you?" I mumble out pathetically.

"Yes," he says instantly. "Tomorrow?"

I nod eagerly. "Yeah," I say. "But I don't really want to go out, out."

"Do you want to come to my place?" He suggests.

"Sure," I say as I wipe away the rogue tears that scattered my cheeks.

"We could watch a movie and just chill, order food?"

I hum in response. "Yeah, that sounds great."

"Okay well I'll drop you a text with my address, come whenever. I'm not doing anything." His voice sounded smooth like silk through the phone.

"Okay, well see you then."

"I can't wait," he says boldly.

"Me too, goodbye Max."

"Bye Oliver."

. . .

Read up to chapter 26 on Patreon
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Hello my loves! What did you guys think of this chapter?

Oli got a tattoo on him that Max drew, I am screaming. Below is what I imagined it to look like

Are they finally getting back on the right track?

Do you guys trust Max?

Hope everyone is okay! See you guys on the next one, love Sav x

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