Eccentric ✓

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

No matter what he did, Oliver couldn't get the taste of smoke and mint from his mouth. He knew it was probably psychological, after all, it had been nearly two days since his kiss with his crush in the smoking area, but each time he licked his lips, he was reminded of the phantom taste of the other man.

Goddess, he wanted him so badly. He hadn't appeared again since that night, and Oliver felt only slightly guilty – only slightly because one, he wasn't the one that had initiated the kiss, and two, he wasn't the one that had panicked and run away, either. Something deep in his gut told him that the other alpha wanted him, but was too scared to just – come and get him. Oliver was free for the taking, goddammit, so free it was bordering on pathetic really.

His room door slammed open and Oliver nearly flew into the roof.

"Can you stop doing that!" he yelled, clutching at his chest like some damsel in distress, quickly getting up from where he'd been laying on his bed, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Edward didn't look apologetic, his expression grim. He slammed the door behind him with a loud bang, making Oliver wince at the action, before he threw his hands up in the air exasperatedly, "There's no talking to you, is there?"

"The Kays gave us a raise," Edward said flatly.

Oliver paused, blinking once, and then blinking again. "I'm sorry, what?"

"The Kays. Have increased. Our pay. By at least fifty per cent," Edward repeated, emphasizing his sentence with dramatic pauses.

"Whoa, that's great! I mean, that's great, but why?"

"I told her I wanted to leave."

"You what?" Oliver screeched.

"Hear me out; I told her I wanted to leave a few days ago. And just earlier today, she called me to tell you about discussing a raise." Edward raised an eyebrow, like there had to be something wrong with the statement, but Oliver just wasn't seeing it.

"Okay – why is that a bad thing, again? We're valuable here, Ed, can't you see that? Of course she's going to give us a raise if we tried to leave! We've worked here on permanent day to day shifts for nearly a year and a half, we know this place and the people inside out –"

"That's the thing, Oli!" Edward interrupted vehemently, "We're too familiar with this place and we're the only things that don't change. When someone in the kitchens wants to leave, it's good riddance. But me? A raise? And not just any raise, she wants to pay us nearly double what we already earn? I smell a rotting fish."

Oliver rolled his eyes, stretching and letting out a small yawn. "I still think you're overreacting, lil bro."

"Don't call me that. And I'm not overreacting. I don't care what she says, I want to leave. I –"

"Seriously? You're still going on about that?"

"Unlike you, Oli, I actually want a better life for myself," Edward hissed through his teeth, stepping forward and jabbing a finger into his older brother's chest, "I want to graduate from High School, get a bloody degree and wear a proper suit while I send people to buy me coffee and print my files. I am not spending the rest of my life as a bartender. You think about yourself and what you want. But me? I'm out."

"Wait, wait!" Oliver called desperately as Edward prepared to storm out, "Look, I get where you're coming from, I really do. But can't you achieve all of that while you're here? You can switch to night shifts – or even consider taking online classes –"

"Holy bloody goddesses, what the hell are you so afraid of, Oli? Why are you so hell bent on staying in this hell hole?"

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Oliver protested, raising both hands as if in surrender, "I just think all these decisions you're making are too rash. Perhaps we need to talk more in-depth about it. I am a little miffed you didn't talk to me before springing all this shit on me. We could've worked something out, you know."

Edward at least had the grace to look slightly guilty. "I'm sorry. I just...I didn't want you to talk me out of it. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time. I know..." he paused, swallowing visibly, "I know a lot of shit hit the fan when mom and dad died, but my dreams didn't change – heck, they inspire me. I want better for myself. I want – wherever they are, I want them to be proud of me."

"Ed," Oliver whispered, his voice choked.

Ed sniffed and crossed his arms, eyebrows scrunching up in a frown, the alpha obviously trying to look macho. Oliver rolled his eyes and walked up to him to pull him into a bone crushing hug.

"Wherever they are, I'm sure they're proud of you."

Edward snorted into his shoulder. "Yeah right."

"No one else can mix a Dark Soul Martini like you do, bro. That's something to be proud of."

Edward laughed and Oliver smiled, thinking, mission accomplished.

They pulled back from the embrace.

"Look, get some rest and we'll talk some more about this tomorrow?" he phrased it like a question.

"Yeah, sure," Edward replied, giving Oliver a finger wave before disappearing out of his room, gently closing the door behind him.

Oliver walked back to his bed and sank into it, burying his face into his hands. Edward was right. He was clinging to the bar like a lifeline. But most of all, he really, truly was afraid. Of what, he wasn't sure, but he just knew he wasn't ready to face the real world just yet. The bar provided a sense of safety and security, a cushion against the harsh cruelty of the world out there, and Oliver would be damned if he gave that up any time soon.