Time Bomb
Percy watched Oliver from the corner of his eyes in a dark Puddlemere pub. They were sat side by side, shoulder to thigh pressed together, surounded by Puddlemere United's reserve team and some starting players. Whilst most would of been dumbfounded by the glory around them, Percy was blinde to it all. Two days ago, Oliver had told him they would have to break up.
They were laid out on Percy's bed, Oliver against the pillows with Percy's head on his stomach. Besides Oliver's head was a bear he'd bought Percy one christmas in attempt to be Romantic. "Well these aren't allowed to touch any lips but these" Percy chuckled, tapping freckled fingers against Oliver's plump lips then his own. They'd been talking about Oliver's career in quidditch. Once he got on the team as a starting player he'd be training harder and touraments would mean he was away for great lengths of time. "You still definetly want to stay together, right?" Percy kissed Oliver's chest. The keeper had told him before several times that he'd wanted nothing more than for Percy to stay with him but sometimes Percy just needed to hear it. They'd had a few arguements over the last month or so and Percy really just wanted to know that everything would be ok.
Oliver hesitated and Percy felt his heart stop. Oliver's body suddenly didn't feel as soft and warm against his cheek and the keeper inhaled a deep breath. "Well you see, Perce, I was thinking about it and well... It'd be too much of a strain" Tears were already prickling the redhead's eyes. He was dumbfounded. "Well it'd be really stressful and hard to concentrate without you" Percy sat up, back to Oliver and arm pressed against the cold wall beside him. It would be another year or so before Oliver was promoted to starting lineup. He was expecting the athete to shout "SURPRISE!" but it never came.
"So you want to throw away three years?" Percy finally spoke some time later, voice strained with sobs. "It's not like that!" Oliver protested but Percy could hear it didn't quite sound right. Oliver didn't fully believe his own words. "That's exactly what it is, Oliver! Three years together gone in a moment and we'll never get it back" Percy hissed, more tears finding their way over his freckles. Oliver sat quietly. "Isn't there anything worth fighting for? Three bloody years, Oliver. We were each other's first for crying out loud. The next season will mark three years and it's not like you've never been able to cope with distance before" Percy was boardering hysterics. Oliver on the other hand remained emotionless and quiet. His body was stiff and his eyes looked slightly moister than usual but no where near as upset as Percy. Percy's chest hurt. "It'll bother me, Perce" The athlete still didn't look at him. "It never has done before! You never even miss me when either of us are away" Percy's head was throbbing and eyes stung from crying. Oliver glanced at him, tight lipped. "Of course I missed you, Perce" The redhead in quesetion was unconvinced. He'd never heard the keeper say it. "Come on, Perce, I'll be recognised where ever I go, I'll have alsorts of people throwing themselves at me and tabloids making it into a scandal. It wouldn't be fair to you and I'll be depressed and it'll affect my game" Percy refused to speak after that and when Oliver asked what was wrong he didn't answer.
Percy cried the next day, and the next till the evening when he met up with the Puddlemere team. Oliver greeted him with a hug and kiss as normal, however Percy turned his head so it found his cheek. "What's wrong, grumpy?" Oliver chuckled, wrapping an arm around Percy's shoulder. The redhead glared and didn't answer the first few times Oliver asked. "What do you think is wrong?" Percy huffed, folding his arms. "I'm confused" He answered because Oliver was terrible at working such things out. Oliver was his lover, and his best friend and he couldn't bare to loose him as either. But now, Oliver wanted to break up and it put so many questions into his head. Did Oliver really love him? Did he mean anything to him? Had he ever meant anything to him? He still felt slightly beytrayed because Oliver had always reassured him they'd stay together and even called him the love of his life. "What about?" The keep finally spoke, arm removed from Percy's shoulder. Percy's current expression told him that he should know already what was wrong. "About us? and our relationship?" Oliver quirked a brow and Percy merely nodded. "Do you know when you want this break up?" Percy refused to look at Oliver, he'd just cry again. Oliver shrugged, he didn't really know.
Percy sat in the pub, watching Oliver as he chatted with some of the other players about various techniques and games. His face was lit up and his hands moved gracefully as he joined the talk, excited beyond belief. He was oblivious to his boyfriend's anguish. Percy felt numb. "I'm going to toilet" He interrupted Oliver's speech and the keeper stared at him in bewilderment for a few moments as he rose and moved away from the table. It wasn't like Percy to talk in the middle of a conversation. The red head moved straight forwards to the front door of the pub, not veering to the toilets to the left. Jesse Jackson, the reserve seeker noticed Percy hadn't detoured to the toilet either and nudged Oliver in the ribs. "Go, Oliver. Quick!" He gave the keeper a rough shove and the brunette trodded off after Percy.
He found him outside on the pavement, arms folded across his knees. "What's wrong?" Oliver sat besides the red head who looked down at his feet for a moment before standing up. He paced behind the keeper for a moment, trying to articulate an answer. "I can't pretend anymore, Oliver. I just can't protend" He let a tear fall down his cheek before moving to stand besides the keeper. "I love you, so very much, but I'm hurt that you can throw me away so easily and just leave me here heartbroken while you go start some new life for yourself" Oliver didn't believe in second chances and Percy knew that. If he walked away now he free'd himself from Oliver's hold over him. 'If you love something let it go. If it comes back it's your's, if not, it was never your's anyway' Percy felt the words sting his heart but stooped to kiss the keeper on the temple. He loved Oliver, truly he did, but he couldn't bare things anymore. Oliver could never truly love Percy, Quidditch was and always would be his first love. "I love you" Oliver murmured to the silence around him several moments later.
Author's notes: This was something I HAD to write. I've had a few problems lately with my boyfriend and he's aspiring to be a royal marine commando. He lately told me he wants to break up next year because it's going to be too much pressure on our relationship and it's been a hard few days for me to get my head around it. I mean, he won't be going till after next christmas so by then we'll have been together over 3 and a half years, going on 4 and I'm so annoyed that he's so willing to give everything up. Things are really really tought right now I guess. We aren't breaking up just yet, and hopefully not in the same manour as Percy and Oliver, I think he's hoping it's going to be friendly terms.
Anyways, there's my twist on things from Percy's (my) point of view.