04.

It was their final year at university.

Olivia was surrounded by workload. Everyone was complaining except her. Insane amount of essays, play analysis and performances distracted her from her life. That made the year more enjoyable than ever. Her friends started to call her a freak or a workaholic, of course in a totally-joking-way. And no boyfriend honestly made her life easier. She no longer had to worry about how to dress, what hairstyle to make. All her life was filled was dramas, plays, and short films.

The strange thing was she could still smile happily whenever she thought about Don. They even hang out occasionally when they were both free from school or work (Don was busy with his theater acting since he fished university last year). He was an understanding person, as always. She really appreciated him when he came up and asked her if she felt comfortable. Olivia wanted to lie that time because she was afraid that she could hurt him. But just looking at his truthful eyes, all she could do was nod her head. Then he just rubbed her head and told her she should not settle for comfortable. It was the most amazing break-up moment in relationship history, she swore to everyone.

He was right. She wanted more. Even though her heart hurt, she still wanted to feel that feeling because it was the only real thing she could find in her life. One day she might cross the line again. One day she might even ruin his relationship with the black hair girl she saw last year. And who knew, one day she could gather her confidence to be with him.

There was not a single time Olivia stopped wondering about the young woman she saw at the drawing store. After calming herself down, she started to put things together. The woman must be a few years older than Fidelio. She never knew Fidelio could go for someone older than him. He was always taking care of everyone around him. Maybe he liked the feelings of being taken care of? Or was he just tired from caring too much? Like how he cared for her and she just cruelly ignored all of his effort?

And she was beautiful. It was the beauty of a grown woman, even though she still looked young and carefree but Olivia sensed it. There was calmness in her eyes, in the ways she moved her long and thin fingers with the guitar strings. Her hair was magnificent. It looked like an endless stream of a mysterious river. Flocks of hair falling down her thin shoulders made she looked like an angel from anywhere but Earth. And by looking at the way Fidelio laughed when he was with her, the way he carefully captured every detail of her, Olivia knew that she had no chance in beating that woman.

How ironically, the moment she made up her mind, he already left her.

But she decided to come around the store during Christmas anyway. Her exams were all finished. As an honour student, she once again used her exclusive rights to rearrange her schedule. So basically right now, she had finished university. She actually packed and sent all her stuff back home. After this Christmas in London, with the hope she could find Fidelio with another woman, she would come home. And she knew he finished his study as well. So he must be in London with her.

And she was right. That afternoon on the twenty-second, she saw Fidelio with her on their way back from a long day of shopping for Christmas and clearly he was happy for he never stopped smiling during the short one or two minutes she saw them. Olivia was ready to get back into his life, but not the way she hoped to be. After all, they really should be best friends.

'I'm so glad you're here this year. Is it okay you skip Christmas for three years in a row to be here with two people that share no similar gene as yours?' Ellie asked when they started unpacking all of the shopping stuff.

'It is. I don't really like it at home. Emma just won't stop torturing me about how important it is to get Olivia in my life.' He said indifferently. Then he felt his head was hit by something. 'Hey! What was that for?' He snapped at Ellie's throwing a sketchbook at him.

'It is important. You know that. Don't let your chance slipped away! You'll regret it.' Ellie started to lecture him. 'It may sound ridiculous when I say I know how it feels, but I do know how it feels, Fido.'

'You're actually seeing someone!' Fidelio exclaimed.

'Don't tell my dad. But if you call having physical relationship is 'seeing someone', then yes.' She rolled her eyes and stood up to hand a piece of mistletoe at the door.

'You mean… sex?' He asked surprisingly.

'Shhh! Quiet!' Ellie hissed at him. 'Yeah. It's been forever. But everything is just physical.' She said. 'I think I'm the only one who feels something. He just doesn't have the ability to love anyone. So please don't let that happen to you.'

'Why don't you just tell him?'

'Then I'll lost my potential tenant!' Ellie said.

'He is your tenant?'

'Oh my God! QUIET!' She quietly snarled at him.

Olivia walked around London. It was snowing really hard that day, which was the twenty-third. The merry atmosphere around this city could not cheer her up any better. Now she knew Fidelio was here in London, and she could not have the dare to see him, even just to say 'hello'. Of course she was still in love with him, but she had made up her mind that she would hide that away forever. Then why couldn't she walk into that store and smiled at him like she used to do?

Then a sense of newly baked cakes distracted her a little bit. Olivia looked up. She was at the street where Don gave her the address of the best bakery in London. That was just what she needed to get him out of her mind for a few seconds. Pulling out Don's note, she looked for the right number.

There it was, a small but crowded bakery house with hundreds of different types of cakes. The great taste of the cupcakes last year still lingered on the tip of her tongue. She smiled and planned to walk into the door when she saw something.

Even though London was snowing bloody hard, she still realised the young woman who was with Fidelio the other night, his girlfriend. It would not have been a problem to her if she had not seen the man she was walking with. At first she thought it was Fidelio but then she realised that Fidelio was not that tall (even though he was, in fact, pretty tall). Moreover, this man had black curly hair and pale skin. He was wearing long black coat and a deep blue scarf. Taking a closer look at the man, Olivia could tell that he was in his late twenties or early thirties. He was wearing an irritated face but the woman was laughing happily.

And it still would not have been a problem if they had not walked hand in hand.

And it still would not have been a problem if the man had not pushed her in the nearest walled and kissed her passionately. A little too passionate that everyone started to look at them. It was also a little bit sexual when Olivia noticed where his hands were on her body. And worse of all, she responded to his kiss with the same passion.

It would have been all right if she had not been Fidelio's bloody girlfriend!

Olivia furiously approached them but she never had the chance to confront her since the woman had pushed the man away.

'Enough, Sherlock. We're in public.' And she turned away. But he did not give up. Sherlock (what a weird name, thought Olivia) started to kiss her ears. 'Oh, for God's sake! Sherlock!' Although it looked like she was resisting him, she clearly enjoyed it.

'You miss your little boyfriend that much, eh?' Sherlock asked jealously, still continued to do what he was doing.

'No. Stop!' She laughed. 'I'll see you tonight. Don't be a kid. You have work!'

'Tonight it is.' He smiled, but kissing, no, biting her ear still. She was blushing seriously at this moment as they caught everyone's attention. 'Black lingerie would be lovely. Your place as always. I look forward to it, Ellie.'

'I bought a new one already. I never have a chance to try it out though.' She whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek. 'Now go!'

The man kissed Ellie, her name as it seemed, for a final time and quickly walked away in such hurry manner that Olivia thought he was chasing after someone.

Okay, it was more than enough. She was obviously cheating on Fidelio with another man. Even that guy knew Fidelio. The young actress could not stand the idea of her best friend was being made fun of. The woman smiled and walked towards her. Realising Olivia was staring at her furiously, she frowned a little. Then she opened her eyes widely with a sight of astonishment on her face.

'Olivia…'

Olivia did not let her finish the sentence and she actually did not listen to what the woman said. She gave her a slap with all her might.

'HOW COULD YOU?' Olivia shouted. 'How could you cheat on him with another guy?'

'Wait… what?' Ellie covered her burning cheek with her hand, failing to understand what was going on.

'I saw you with Fidelio yesterday, how could you cheat on him like that? How could you kiss another man and talked dirty with him right in the middle of the street like that?' Olivia continued to snarl at her angrily.

'No. Listen, Olivia!' Ellie finally understood what was going on.

'How do you know my name?' Olivia asked surprisingly.

'Fidelio…'

'Olivia?' A voice raised, cutting Ellie's line. Olivia surprisingly turned back and saw Fidelio dashed out of the bake house. He was there. He was right in the store that she was about to walk in. And looked like his girlfriend was on her way to see him and she was escorted by another man. She was cheating on him in front of his nose!

'Yeah. After all those years, you still don't know how to choose a good girl for you.' Olivia snapped at him instead of running to hug him tightly as she planned to when she saw him again.

'What?' Fidelio frowned, still astonished when he saw her here. It was the shouting that caught his attention. And then he heard a familiar voice. Olivia's voice!

'She's cheating on you with other man, right here!' Olivia pointed at Ellie.

'Oh my Goodness, I am so sorry!' Olivia apologised for a hundred of times after finding out that Ellie was just Fidelio's friend and the man, Sherlock Holmes, she saw earlier was her real boyfriend.

'No, it's fine. Sherlock actually would love to hear about this.' Ellie laughed and brought tea and biscuits for them.

'Let me take care of this as my apologise, please!' Olivia insisted.

'Oh, don't worry, sweetheart. No one dares to charge my special guests.' She blinked.

'She owns the store.' Fidelio noted.

'Really? Oh my God! Last year my friend bought me some and they were awesome! That's why I went here today.' She exclaimed.

'I'm glad you like it. I just want to show Fidelio my store so I asked him to meet me here. But since you're here Olivia, I think I head back to my place and prepare things for tonight. Sherlock is quite impatient I have to say.' She giggled, putting her knitted hat and scarf on.

'How long have you been seeing him?' Olivia asked.

'I'm not seeing him, dear. He's not my boyfriend.' Ellie bent down and whispered to Olivia. 'I'm sleeping with him, which makes him my sex mate. A very good one.'

Then she walked out of the store, leaving Olivia blushing seriously and Fidelio facing his palm.

The silence between them was annoyingly disturbing.

Olivia looked down to her cup of tea as Fidelio rested his chin in on his hand and looked around the store. Both of them had countless things to tell to the other and they spent hours practicing in front of the mirror so they would not 'choke' out their true feelings. But when they see the other, all the things they wanted to say, to ask suddenly vanished out of their brain. All they wanted to do right now was to hold the other in their arms.

It was when their eyes met, for the first time since Ellie left.

Graduated! My Fido & Livvie have graduated! What a milestone :) lol I finished the final chapter so I'll put them up together, click next for the final one after you read these rambling, or just ignore it (but I'll be sad LOL)

Well then, I'm pleased with Sherlock & Ellie this chapter. Again, you may not know this Sherlock Holmes unless you've watched the BBC 'Sherlock' series. And he is, of course, OOC lol. And Ellie, again, is my daughter aka OC. Check their stories out in my profile if you have time or just support me with FidoLivvie fan fictions is enough.

Curse meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

NYC Lovers xxx