Written for CMBYN Roll The Dice Challenge 2021.
* Please do not translate or repost this story.
Elio is staring into his empty mug, putting off the moment he will have to go home for as long as he can. Up until just a few weeks ago he thought he was one of the lucky ones whose parents were still as in love as they were when they had first met. Life at home had been happy and the house had always been filled with love. But nowadays he dreads to go home and find his parents arguing, or worse, to find his mother curled up on the sofa with tears streaming down her face. She quickly wipes them away and fakes a smile as soon as she notices Elio, but Elio can tell when she has been crying. Which is most days nowadays.
He considers getting himself another drink, but he knows he can only get away with hiding out here for so long before his mother notices that something is up. He grabs his jacket, but just as he's about to get up, he hears a familiar voice.
He looks up and he finds his history teacher ordering himself a coffee to go. Elio's heart skips a beat, partially because of the awkwardness of seeing his teacher outside of school and partially because he has had a crush on Oliver - as he asked his students to call him - ever since the beginning of the year.
"Oh, Elio!" Oliver smiles. "Can I ehm… can I get you something?"
"I'm alright, thanks," Elio mumbles, really hoping that the teacher doesn't notice his blush. "I was just leaving."
"Sure."
Elio gets up, but when he walks past Oliver, he feels him grabbing his arm ever so carefully and gently.
"Hey, are you okay, man?" he asks, keeping his voice down so no one at the coffeeshop hears.
"I'm fine." Elio shrugs, but he knows that he is not the same guy he was at the beginning of the school year. The guy Oliver had first met. Surely Oliver has noticed that he has started to draw into himself as well. "It's just…"
"Want to sit down and talk?" Oliver suggests. "We can go outside, it's quieter out there."
"Thanks." Elio nods, not sure why he didn't just leave. Why would he want to talk to his teacher about his problems? It's not like Oliver can fix things.
"You sit down, and I'll get you a drink, okay?"
Elio nods again, feeling too awkward now to say anything. He goes outside where he sits down at a table, regretting it as soon as he feels the cold wind. But going back inside now would only make him feel even more awkward, so he puts his jacket on and he checks his phone until Oliver joins him.
"I hope one of those hazelnut drinks is alright," Oliver says. "If not, I'll get you something else."
"It's fine. Thanks." Elio flashes a crooked smile as Oliver hands him his drink and a cookie.
"What's going on?"
Elio almost tells him that he's worried about his grades or that he's had a fight with Marzia - anything to not have to talk about his parents - but he fears Oliver would see right through it. So he takes a sip before looking up at his teacher, who he realizes looks even younger now that they're not at school.
"How old are you?" he blurts out, making Oliver chuckle.
"Twenty-four. Why?"
Elio shrugs, because he really isn't sure why he asked. Maybe to put off having to talk about his issues for just a moment longer. Maybe because this tiny little crush really isn't so tiny, and he wants to know everything there is to know about Oliver.
"What's wrong, Elio?"
Elio struggles to suppress an eyeroll, because is Oliver really using his teacher-voice on him?
"My parents are getting divorced," he sighs. "I know that it's no big deal, because it's not like they're the first to get a divorce or something, but…"
"It is a big deal," Oliver interrupts, shivering when he picks up his hot drink. "They're your parents."
"Yeah… they always just seemed so happy, you know? But then my dad went out and he met someone else. It was like we didn't even matter anymore. He just told my mom that he wanted a divorce, and a couple of weeks later he moved in with the women he had met."
"Is that why you're upset? You feel like you don't matter to your dad anymore?"
"No… I don't know, maybe." Elio shrugs. "He just left us."
"Have you talked to your parents about how you feel?"
Elio shrugs, because no, he hasn't talked to his father. He is still too angry with him. And he doesn't want to bother his mother, she has enough on her plate as it is.
"Talk to your parents, Elio," Oliver says. "I know that it's hard, but…"
Elio scoffs, feeling guilty right away, but Oliver just smiles into his mug.
"Sorry…"
"It's fine." Oliver smiles. "But talk to them, or talk to your friends. You're friends with Marzia and Chiara, right?"
Elio nods.
"Talk to them about how you feel. Don't bottle it up, and don't sit here by yourself feeling like…" Oliver stops himself just in time before he curses, blushing ever so slightly before regaining his composure. "Or talk to me, or one of your other teachers."
"Like they care," Elio mumbles. "I just want things to be normal again, you know? I don't want my parents to be fighting, and I don't want to go home to find my mom crying her eyes out. I just want…" He sighs, embarrassed to be so upset over something that most of his classmates have gone through. "I want things to go back to normal."
"I know." Oliver nods, flashing a sympathetic smile before reaching out to awkwardly pat his hand. "Give it time, okay? It won't go back to normal, but… and I know how cliche it sounds, but it gets better."
"And if it doesn't?"
"It will," Oliver reassures him.
Elio knows that these are just empty words - words he has heard a dozen times - but they do make him feel a little better. Even if he is still dreading having to go home.
He finishes his drink as Oliver tries to make some small talk and as he asks him if things are okay at school. For a moment Elio almost forgets that he is talking to his teacher, something about Oliver making him feel like he can say whatever he is thinking without being judged. But when he catches himself blushing at one of Oliver's smiles, he quickly gets up.
"I should go. My mom is probably wondering where I am, so…"
"Do you need a ride?" Oliver asks, but before he can get up, Elio has already turned to leave. "Wait, Elio!"
Elio turns back around, seriously hoping that Oliver won't point out how badly he is blushing, or how he probably made a fool of himself in the few minutes he had rambled on about his friends, forgetting he was talking to a teacher.
"Good luck, yeah?" Oliver says, "It's going to be alright."
"Thanks." Elio tries his best to fake a smile before turning and actually leaving this time. Still cringing at how he is actually crushing hard on his teacher by the time he gets home and he finds his mother sitting at the kitchen table, drink in hand.
Elio had tried his best to avoid Oliver after that day, but that hadn't exactly been easy, what with him being his teacher and everything. He hadn't gone back to talk to him about his parents though. Instead, he had followed his advice and talked to Marzia and Chiara about it. Talking about it hadn't helped much - he still had to go home and live with it - but at least he didn't feel so alone anymore.
Just this morning his father had stopped by to pick up his last things, and his little visit had caused yet another fight. Elio couldn't exactly blame his mother, because she had every right to feel betrayed and hurt, but if only she just left the room for the five minutes his father was in the house, then there'd be no fights. It's not like arguing about it again and again was going to change what had happened. It wasn't like his father was going to realize he had made a mistake and come back.
Elio couldn't wait to talk to his friends about it over a coffee, but when he had gone to look for them after school, they had already gone home. So he had gone to the coffee shop where he had seen Oliver the other week, hoping to be able to clear his mind over one of those hazelnut drinks Oliver had gotten him.
He didn't expect to find his teacher there though, and when he finds him sitting by the window, a distant stare on his face, he feels those butterflies in his stomach again which he has been trying to ignore for months now. It's not so easy when he has to see Oliver all the time, and when the guy is just so nice, and when he flashes that handsome smile of his, and when… Elio kicks himself for letting his minder wander off again.
He orders himself a drink, but seeing as Oliver had bought him one the other week he feels like he owes him. So he orders him a coffee, before awkwardly going over to his table.
"I ehm…," he mumbles as he sets the coffee down. "Thanks… for the other week."
"You didn't have to," Oliver says, flashing a slightly uncomfortable smile. But when Elio turns to leave, the smile leaves his face. "Why don't you join me?" he asks.
"Oh… ehm…" Elio hesitates, because he knows Oliver will ask him about his parents again, and although talking about it had made him feel better last time, it had also been awkward as hell afterwards. Because talking to Oliver hadn't felt like talking to a teacher, and surely Oliver had noticed how a simple smile and some nice words had made him blush.
"You don't have to," Oliver chuckles. "Don't worry. You enjoy your drink, yeah? And thanks for ehm…" He picks up his coffee, flashing a genuine smile this time.
Elio knows it'd be best to leave and to not spend any more time with Oliver - because surely it will only make this crush worse - but instead of walking off, he finds himself sitting down at his teacher's table.
"How have you been? You seem a bit more…" Oliver searches for the right word, but before he can find it Elio answers his question.
"I'm alright." He shrugs. "I talked to my friends… like you told me to."
"I'm glad. You shouldn't be dealing with this stuff on your own. How is your mom?"
"The same." Elio looks into his drink, a sadness washing over him at the thought of going home and finding his mother upset again. "She ehm… she's trying her best to hide it from me, but… you know…"
"I'm sorry," Oliver sighs.
"It's okay," Elio says before bringing his drink to his lips, not sure what else to say to Oliver. It's not like he can just have a nice chat with him, is it? This is - as he has to remind himself every other second - his teacher and not just the very hot guy he is definitely starting to fall in love with. Although, if you'd ask him he would definitely only admit to it being a tiny little crush.
Elio doesn't have to worry about what to talk about though, because Oliver manages to keep the conversation going, asking him about the book that's sticking out of his bag, the conversation quickly turning to their shared interests. Before they know it, they have been talking for a couple of hours.
"I should go home," Elio says as he gets up. Only when he looks out of the window does he notice that it has started to rain heavily.
"Want me to give you a ride?"
"That's fine…" The thought of being alone in a car with Oliver makes Elio both shake with nerves and excitement and he figures it's best not to go there before he says or does something stupid.
"Are you sure you're going to walk all that way? In this weather?"
Elio hesitates as he looks out of the window again, and sure he could walk, but he'd be drenched to the bone in a matter of seconds.
"I don't mind giving you a ride, honestly," Oliver reassures him.
"Thanks." Elio smiles crookedly, before following his teacher out of the coffee shop. They run over to Oliver's car and although they have only been outside for a matter of seconds, they are soaked by the time they get in.
"I'll turn on the heating," Oliver says when he notices Elio shivering. But Elio isn't shivering because of the cold. It's the nervous excitement of being alone with Oliver that is making his teeth chatter.
"Did you grow up around here?" he asks, his voice shaking.
"Nah." Oliver shakes his head. "I moved here just last year."
I , Elio notices. Not we . So no girlfriend, no boyfriend. Not that it matters, he quickly tells himself. Oliver could be married with a baby on the way and it wouldn't make a difference. He is just trying to be nice to a student. All of this, it means nothing.
Still, as Elio stares out of the window, he can feel Oliver looking at him every other second. It is making his face grow warm, and he struggles to hold back a bashful smile.
"Wait, can you…," he blurts out, stopping himself from saying the rest of the words.
"Can I what?"
"Doesn't matter."
"Tell me."
"Can you park over there for a minute?" Elio asks, pointing at the now empty park parking lot.
"Sure." Oliver nods, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's just…" Elio sighs, "We always used to come here when I was a kid. Before… you know… my dad left us. We had picnics and stuff… he's now going to do that with her, isn't he?"
"Maybe." Oliver nods. "But that doesn't take away from the time he spent with you, Elio. He still did that with you, and maybe…"
"I can have picnics with him and his new…" Elio stops himself from calling her every word in the book. "I hate her."
"Have you met her?"
"Not yet, but she knew he was married. I know it was my dad that left us, but…"
"But you blame her?" Oliver asks. "I get it. But give her a chance. Not yet, but maybe in a few months from now… she might not be so bad."
"I doubt that."
Oliver shakes his head, smiling to himself as heavy rain keeps clattering down on the car.
"Thanks."
"For the ride?"
"For this." Elio smiles awkwardly. "I know you don't have to do this. You're not at work anymore, so…"
"We're not at school so you're not my problem anymore?" Oliver teases, making Elio blush again. "Look, Elio, you can talk to me any time, okay? It doesn't matter if we're at school or not."
Oliver flashes such a warm smile that for a moment Elio forgets that this man is his teacher - that he is off-limits - and in that moment he leans in and he kisses him.
As soon as he realizes what he's doing he expects Oliver to push him off or to tell him to get out and walk home. But while Oliver doesn't kiss him back, he doesn't do anything to stop him either.
"I'm sorry," Elio says when he breaks away from him. He gives it a moment to see Oliver's reaction, but when there isn't one, he continues, "I shouldn't have…"
Before Elio can finish his apology, Oliver has brought his hand up to the side of his neck and he has leant in to kiss him again.
Elio doesn't hesitate to kiss him back, and as their kisses grow heavier and more passionate, he slides his hand up to Oliver's thigh. He still half-expects him to stop things, but Oliver goes on kissing him, only breaking their kisses to let out a soft moan when Elio slides his hand into his pants and he begins to touch him.
"Fuck," he mutters before pulling Elio in to kiss him again.
Elio having fantasized about this moment so many times that for a moment he isn't sure whether this is truly happening at all or not. But when Oliver's kisses become sloppy and uncontrolled, beads of sweat glistening on his skin, it hits him that this is real. That he is truly here in his teacher's car, kissing him and touching him.
"Elio…," Oliver whispers as he kisses him a final time before letting his head rest against the backseat, a bead of sweat slowly making its way down his face.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Elio quickly says, fully aware of the trouble Oliver could get into if anyone were to find out about this.
Oliver just smiles at him before starting the car.
"We should get you home, or your mom will be worried where you are."
"Oliver…," Elio tries, but Oliver doesn't look at him for the rest of the ride. A look of guilt on his face when he parks the car in front of the Perlman home. "I'm sorry," Elio says, even though he's not, and he hopes that they will do it again. "Thanks for the ride…," he tries again once he has gotten out.
Oliver gives a nod, still not speaking a word.
"Will I see you at school tomorrow?"
"You should go in," Oliver says, but Elio doesn't care about his mom being worried or getting soaked to the bone.
"Please, Oliver…"
