AN: This takes place during Oliver, Celia and Eugene's adventure through the maze of book's
Oliver sighed as he walked through the eerily lit hallways of the labyrinth that was comprised of bookshelves that seemed to stretch out for miles, why Dhor had dropped them here instead of where he had dropped Arthur was beyond him! At least he wasn't alone, Celia and Eugene were there with him even if they were arguing over which way they should go.
After walking for what seemed like hours the three finally decided to take a break, using a nearby book case which had long since fallen from one of the many oddities that roamed the halls as a seat. They managed to strike up a conversation about random topics, it helped to take their mind off of their current predicament and until they knew where they were and where they were going they were in no hurry to set off again.
"Oh my gosh Eugene, you actually did that!" Celia laughed as Eugene finished telling a story about one of his failed inventions.
The young inventor rubbed the back of his bowler hat covered head sheepishly. "Aye, needless to say me mum never let me back into the kitchen on me own after that little mishap"
"Little mishap?!" Oliver scoffed. "You could have burnt your house down!" A series of laughs erupted between the three which only grew in volume when Eugene fell from his seat onto the cobblestones below.
"Are you alright?" Oliver snickered as he and Celia leaned over the side of the bookcase to look at the spectacled boy who was now on his back and his legs in the air.
"I think I might have a bruise" Eugene groaned softly, deliberately crossing his eyes to look more foolish.
"Awww poor baby!" Celia teased with her signature teasing smirk.
"Would you kiss it better?" Eugene said with a smirk of his own, he had grown accustomed to Celia's clever comments and quick remarks so he was more than prepared with a few of his own.
"In your dreams!" Celia snorted as Eugene righted himself.
"Come on Celia don't you want to be one of the many girls who have had their lips graced by mine?" Celia rolled her eyes as Eugene flexed his brows at her.
"Like YOU have EVER kissed a girl!" Celia scoffed.
"I have so kissed a girl before!" Eugene grinned. "Which is more than I can say for you Miss "You-need-to-be-a-prince-to-kiss-me"
"I'll have you know I have kissed someone before and he WASN'T a prince!" Celia huffed playfully.
While the two continued to throw playful insults between each other they didn't notice Oliver rubbing his arm anxiously, the new turn in conversation was making him uncomfortable. To Oliver the current subject was just a reminder of his ostracised life. Unlike his friends Oliver has never gotten on well with most people around him despite his best efforts to come off as normal.
One time Oliver had worked up the courage to ask out a girl that he had a crush on…needless to say that she didn't return his affection. Oliver could appreciate that she had been polite in her rejection but it was the look in her eyes, the same look everyone gave him, that same fearful and distrustful look.
"Oliver?" The young artist snapped his head up at the familiar sound of Celia's voice and saw his friends looking at him expectantly.
"Uhhhh…Yeah?" Oliver asked with a sheepish smile, he felt his cheeks start to turn red when Celia raised a brow.
"We asked you who your first kiss was" She asked, a twinge of impatience in her voice.
"Oh…" The uncomfortable look on Oliver's face only became more apparent and his cheeks became more flushed. "I…I've never kissed a anyone" Oliver said.
"Really?" Both said in unison.
Oliver looked at the two indignantly and before he could stop himself… "Yes Really!" He snapped. "Have you already forgotten that I'M the cursed boy who no one wanted anything to do with?!" He yelled. It took Oliver a few minutes to calm down and realize the now shocked looks on the faces of his friends, he didn't mean to snap at them like that, he just couldn't keep his emotions bottled up, it had been like that ever since he had come to the manor, all the anger and sadness that he had kept hidden away and now it all just seemed like it was starting to spill out.
CRACK!
All three turned their heads to the sound of a loud crack just in time to see a bookcase looming over them and getting closer, casting a dark shadow over their forms!
Oliver was frozen, he wanted desperately to move out of the way but the imposing figure of wood, leather and paper had frozen him in place when suddenly he felt the wind knocked out of him as he felt somebodies shoulder ram into his stomach followed by their arms around his waist! Oliver felt himself flying through air and land on his back, what followed next was a loud series of crashes, followed by a thick cloud of dust that blinded and choked the blue-eyed artist.
A few minutes passed and the dust was gone, Oliver blinked to get the remaining dust out of his eyes and coughed out any that had gotten stuck in his throat and looked down and Saw Eugene, caked in dust and coughing his own lungs out.
"Ollie! -cough!- are you -cough!- Okay? -Cough!-" Eugene asked through his coughs as he wiped the dust from his glasses.
"I'm fine, what about you?" Oliver asked, blushing a little as he felt Eugene's body press against his but then a sudden thought made his eyes widen. "Where's Celia?!" Both quickly scrambled to their feet and began looking around, calling out the young authors name.
"I'm here! I'm here!" Her voice was faint but healthy but…it was also coming from the other side of the cook case that had almost crushed them! It was now partnered with more book cases and stone columns that had been brought down as well!
"Are you okay?" Oliver called.
"Covered in dust but unharmed" Celia said. "Both of you, stay where you are! I'll make my way around to meet you!" She called, followed by the sound of running footsteps becoming distant.
"We can't just let her roam this place on her own" Oliver told Eugene as he took a step forward and buckled over as a spasm of pain went up his leg!
"Ollie! What's wrong?" Eugene asked, panic in his voice as he knelt next to Oliver.
"My leg!" Oliver winced as he clutched his throbbing leg.
The young inventor quickly whisked out his Pen-Dra-Gun and began to fiddle with it until a transparent green screen slide out of the side, Eugene then looked through it at Oliver's leg, at first his expression was panicked but then relaxed when he saw that his friends leg wasn't broken.
"Don't worry Ollie it's only sprained" Eugene said, doing his best to roll up Oliver's pant leg without causing him any discomfort.
"Oh, that makes me feel so much better" Oliver snorted, crossing his arms as Eugene managed to expose his bruised leg. "Hold still" He said as he reconfigured his Pen-Dra-Gun again so that the top opened and a small spray head emerged and the sprayed a cool substance on the exposed flesh that began to sooth the pain in his leg.
"This will get you back on your feet in no time" Eugene said, doing his best to sound optimistic.
"I'm sorry" Oliver sighed after a brief silence and looked up from his leg.
"For what?" Eugene blinked, raising his eyes form his work.
"For snapping at you and Celia, I shouldn't have done that" Oliver said with a sincere, apologetic look.
"It's alright Ollie" Eugene said. "I guise we hit a sensitive topic?"
"Kinda…" Oliver bit his lip.
"Well…if it makes you feel any better…I lied earlier, about kissing a girl" Eugene rubbed the back of his head bashfully.
Oliver looked at Eugene with mild surprise, MILD being the key word in this situation. The blue eyed boy then gave a playful smirk "I thought that is was the "Age Of The Dweeb"" He asked, giving his best Scottish accent.
Eugene gave him a blank stare for a moment before his cheeks filled with air and let out a series of snorts, followed by an explosion of laughter to which Oliver couldn't help but join in. Their laughter echoed throughout the halls until the two forced themselves to stop for air.
"Not bad for a first try" Eugene snorted as he lifted his glasses to wipe his eyes.
"So have you seriously never kissed a girl?" Oliver asked, raising an inquisitive brow.
"You actually sound serious about that question" Eugene scoffed, putting his Pen-Dra-Gun away so that whatever he had just put on Oliver's leg had time to work. "Believe it or not I'm not the most popular guy at my school" He smirked, sitting just across from Oliver and crossing his legs.
"What's not to like?" Oliver shrugged. "You're smart, talented and-" This was the part where Eugene cut in.
"-And I look like a fancy-pants steampunk" Eugene smirked, something about the way he said it told Oliver that Eugene had heard those words before.
"Come on, don't be like that" Oliver said trying to sound convincing. "I'm sure if you take off the high-tech bowler hat and glasses…" and before Eugene even had time to register what was going on Oliver had taken off his glasses and hat. "There, you look…" Oliver's voice trailed off as he took in the sight of Eugene's face and suddenly felt a hot flash come over him…where did that come from? Sure Eugene's eyes looked a lot better when not looked at through his thick glasses but all that time under his hat had left his hair messy and unkempt, still there was something about Eugene's face that that just made Oliver flustered.
Eugene quickly took his glasses and bowler hat back and put them back on, a red hue painting his cheeks.
"Sorry Ollie without my glasses I can't see and without my hat the whole look just falls apart!" Eugene joked, trying to hide his embarrassment with an awkward, choppy laugh, pulling his hat down over his eyes.
Oliver bit his lip as he felt the heat in his cheeks rise to the point where he had to undo his scarf.
"Oliver?" Eugene raised his hat to stare Oliver directly in the eye, his own cheeks still burning brighter than ever.
"E-Eugene?" Oliver stammered.
"How would you like it if…we BOTH got our first kiss?" the green-eyed boy asked.
"Well…I would have to answer that with a question of my own…would you mind if it was with another guy?" Oliver could feel his heart pounding in his chest as Eugene began to hesitantly lean over Oliver before pausing. Oliver could swear he heard the other boys heart beating in perfect sync with his!
The two stared into each other's eyes for a moment, they could see their hesitation but also the perseverance.
Both took in a deep breath and etched their faces closer together…closer…closer…the two's lips met and by far it was the best thing Oliver had experienced so far! He closed his eyes as he became less tense but there was no stopping the fire that was making his face glow and the drum that was still thumping in his chest.
They stayed like that until they needed to stop for air and stared at each other again, their breath escaping in long pants of heavy breathing. That's when Oliver realized he was crying.
"Ollie?" Eugene looked at his first kiss with concern, had he done something wrong?
Oliver gave Eugene the biggest smile he had ever given anyone.
"Best kiss ever" He said sniffled as he wiped his eyes.
Eugene smiled as he pushed his glasses up his nose "Ya can say that again"
Oliver smirked as he grabbed Eugene by the front of his shirt "Well if you say so" Oliver then brought him back in for another kiss, this time both were completely relaxed, resting in each other's arms, this time both had taken in a breath so that their next tender moment could last a little longer.
"Best kiss ever" Oliver repeated once they needed air again and he allowed Eugene to rest against him while they both recovered.
"Cheeky blighter" Eugene said between breaths and chuckles.
"Thanks Eugene" Oliver smiled, a moment of silence passed before Oliver felt something slide into his hand, he looked down to see Eugene's hand in his, their fingers intertwining.
"Anytime Ollie, I mean it, anytime" Eugene said softly as he squeezed Oliver's hand.
Oliver squeezed back, it looks like the mysterious power of Weirdwood manor had worked it's magic once again.