Author's Notes: This chapter expands the story away from just Otis and Maeve scenes but each is always present in spirit if not body.

Warning: Contains teenage boys talking about sex by a bloke who was a teenage boy once.

Warning: Contains teenage girls talking about sex by a bloke who has never been a teenage girl and doesn't even have his nieces to ask "Does this sound remotely believable?"

You have been warned.

Chapter 7

Maeve leaned against the wall by the door of the old toilet block and watched Lily as she emerged and walked through the gateway out of the surrounds without ever looking around. Maeve stared after her, pondering.

She took a puff from her cigarette then turned and walked inside the toilet block to see Otis leaning against the row of sinks, reading something on his phone.

"Can you help her?" Maeve asked, indifferently.

"I might have found something."

"Will it take long?"

"I'll have to see her after school for an hour or so."

"That's okay. I have to go home and have a shower and find a burlap sack to wear tonight."

Otis chuckled without looking up from his phone and Maeve smiled and leaned against a stall divider and puffed quietly away on her cigarette, occasionally glancing across at him.

"So who is she?" she eventually asked, trying for indifference.

Otis sighed, put his phone away and took a moment before he looked up at Maeve.

"She's the girl I tried to lose my virginity with."

Maeve was definitely not expecting that answer.

"Look, Maeve—" Otis began, stepping toward her.

"I'm not asking, Otis," Maeve said quickly. "That's your business."

"I just wanted to get it over with."

"You don't have to tell me anything."

"It was so much pressure," he said and the anguish in his voice was clear and Maeve wished she hadn't asked.

Otis sighed and fell silent and ogled the floor and Maeve gazed at him tenderly.

"It's okay, Otis," she said gently, hoping she wasn't going to step in it. "You told me you were a virgin and that's cool. I mean, I basically knew when you couldn't put a condom on a plastic cock."

"Oh, don't remind me of that day," Otis groaned and raised his head to face the ceiling.

Maeve smiled and her eyes gleamed. "You were so embarrassed and it was so cute."

Otis grimaced and put his fingers to his forehead as if he had a headache.

It took Maeve a moment to realise. "I mean, about the cock," she said quickly. "Embarrassed about the cock. The plastic cock."

Otis looked at her and nodded. "I know what you meant."

"The other wasn't… I'm sorry I laughed." Maeve grimaced with remorse.

Otis was genuinely puzzled. "What?"

"When I saw the video on my phone." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

Otis waved it off. "I don't even remember. All I remember is… that."

"I didn't really connect it with you until it was on the screen and you were…"

"Mortified?" he looked at her and said ruefully.

"Yeah," she frowned regretfully. "I think that's when I realised it probably was your mum."

Otis shook his head and smiled softly at her. "You came after me, Maeve. That's what counts."

Maeve shrugged. "Only 'cause Hendrix told me to."

"But you actually came and found me. You could have just scarpered after you were out of the classroom."

Maeve blinked. "Never occurred to me."

"See? Kind," he said as he gazed at her adoringly and Maeve felt another piece of her heart be his forever.

After a moment, she murmured, "Is it kind that I'm glad that happened to you?"

Otis frowned. "Why?"

"Without that day we may never have started hanging out together."

Otis snorted silently and said drily, "Thank you, Adam."

"That, too," Maeve said softly. "Without that, without seeing you doing that for Adam, I would never have seen how amazing you are."

Otis nodded his understanding. "And I wouldn't have seen you stand up for me."

Maeve frowned, puzzled. "When?"

"You told Adam he owed me an apology."

She shrugged as the memory returned. "Well, you wouldn't have demanded it, would you?"

"See? Kind," said Otis as he smiled and stepped towards her and as he leant over her Maeve noticed there was a hesitancy in his eyes and when their lips met it was still beautiful and she was still sad it ended too soon but there was none of the ease there had been when they were snogging on their bench almost non-stop for an eternity.

Otis gave her a small soft smile after their kiss ended then stepped back and turned and walked across to look out the window.

Maeve bit her lip and studied him curiously, pondering.

"Did you like her?" she asked, cautiously.

"Who?" Otis asked without turning.

"Your freebie client," Maeve said, quietly.

"God, no! I think she's scarier than you were."

Maeve's eyes glittered as she pursed her lips and stared at Otis and watched as the realization dawned and he slowly turned and looked into her eyes.

"That's not the sort of thing I'm supposed to say about my girlfriend, is it?" he said, sheepishly.

"Could be useful information," Maeve smirked.

Otis smiled warmly and walked to lean against the stall divider directly opposite Maeve, staring gently into her eyes.

"So if you didn't like her…?" Maeve asked.

"She just wanted to get it over with, too. She wasn't interested in me. I was just… an organic dildo."

Maeve snorted a soft chuckle.

"And it was bad…" Otis continued.

"You don't have to tell me anything, Otis."

"Complete honesty, Maeve."

"About us, Otis. Not anything before."

Otis nodded and pondered for a few moments and was about to speak when they both heard the bell for next class ring in the distance.

Otis sat at his usual desk in the study room and looked up as Eric sat down beside him.

"So have you planned your first date yet?" Eric asked, eagerly.

"Maeve's coming for dinner tonight," Otis replied.

Eric frowned. "Wait. You're having dinner with your mother on your first date?"

Otis blinked and scrunched his face as he looked at Eric. "That's weird, isn't it?"

Eric shook his head and rolled his eyes and drily said, "It's very Otis."

Otis nodded in satisfaction. "Well, Maeve says she's in love with me as I am so I'm just being me. That's a good thing."

Eric glanced at Otis and felt a moment of almost wistful jealousy at his best friend's luck then he chuckled and asked, "Are you going to go around cleaning up all your mother's weird sex shit again?"

Otis paused and concentrated and pondered and was tempted then shook his head. "No. Complete honesty. I'm not going to pretend things aren't as they are."

"Are you sure? Maybe she'll see all those giant penises lying around and she'll look at you as you are and then it's 'Goodnight, Otis!'"

Otis quickly looked at Eric, concerned. "You mean she'll dump me?"

"No, I mean, she'll grab you and drag you upstairs to your room and you'll be having hot sweaty sex until your bed breaks."

Otis glanced around the study room and hissed, "Eric!"

"She'll have hit the trifecta."

Otis frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"She caused your first wet dream, she finally caused you to properly wank and she'll be your first shag."

Otis huffed and threw his head back. "Eric!"

Eric paused and studied his best friend and let his exuberance fade and his voice lower and he leaned closer to Otis and softly asked, "You do want to have sex with Maeve, don't you?"

Otis hunched into himself and stared at the desktop for a while before admitting, "Yes, but…"

"But what?"

"I don't think I'm ready yet. I only just—"

Otis lowered his voice and clenched his teeth and lips together and failed to prevent the word escaping.

"—masturbated—"

Otis returned his voice to its previous level.

"—properly for the first time this morning. And I'm still not comfortable with it."

"Does she know?" Eric asked quietly.

Otis glanced sideways at Eric. "I think she suspects."

Eric nodded solemnly and said in his most serious tone, "And she thinks you're disgusting and gross and a pervert and there's something wrong with you and you're Hannibal Lecter."

Otis gave Eric a small smile through pursed lips. "She said I should just go with whatever I'm feeling."

Eric nodded approvingly. "Good advice. You should listen to her. She's smart."

Otis leant his elbows on the desktop and put his head in his hands and sighed, "I wish I wasn't so fucked up."

"Me, too," said Eric gently and after a moment continued, "I mean, I wish you weren't so fucked up. I'm not fucked up."

Otis smiled and gently shoved a laughing Eric and Eric grabbed Otis' hand and their other hands came into play and they had a brief playful hand wrestle before settling down into silence for a few moments.

"So what did you tell her?" Eric eventually asked.

"That I took deep breaths and alphabetized my music collection," Otis shrugged and replied.

Eric tutted and shook his head with mock disapproval. "Not even an hour into your relationship and you already started lying to her again. You are a bad man, Otis Milburn."

Otis waved his hands in protest. "I did take deep breaths and I did alphabetize my music collection."

"How far did you get?" Eric asked, sceptically.

Otis smiled. "ABBA."

Eric laughed and shook his head. "So did you actually kiss her again?"

Otis glowed at the memory. "Yes. A lot."

"Did you have another panic attack?"

"No," Otis said and then realised. "Once," he said slowly, pondering. "But that was different. It wasn't an actual panic attack, but it was…"

Otis fell silent as he replayed and replayed their recent kisses and tried to find the thing he was missing.

His eye was captured by movement and he looked up to see Maeve and Aimee striding along the hallway toward the study room.

"Maeve…?" he muttered and hurried to the door of the study room just as they approached.

He was about to speak when Aimee – face as serious as he had ever seen it – held up her hand and said sternly, "Don't interrupt our dramatic exit."

Maeve grinned at the puzzled look on Otis' face and said with a laugh, "I'll explain later, muppet."

Maeve and Aimee disappeared around the next hallway corner and Otis turned to the direction they had come from and saw The Untouchables standing in the hallway looking like stunned mullets.

It was a good look on them, Otis thought.

Eric stepped up beside him, looking both ways along the corridor.

"What happened?" Eric asked.

"I think Aimee realised her true value and stopped slumming."

Eric frowned in puzzlement and glanced down and reacted at something he saw and then Otis felt something brush his bum and then Eric was holding out a folded piece of paper.

"What's this?" Eric asked, curious.

Otis took a moment to recognize it then took it from Eric as an idea began to form and he placed it in his jacket pocket.

Otis looked at Eric and said, smiling, "What were you doing looking at my bum?"

"I told you before, Otis. You are not my type. So stop flirting with me."

Otis grinned and nudged Eric with his shoulder and they commenced a playful nudging match in the study room doorway.

Maeve and Aimee sat at either end of the row of sinks in the old toilet block, each smoking a cigarette.

"So have you two done it yet?" Aimee asked.

Maeve laughed. "Give us a chance. We've only been together six hours."

"You could have brought him up here. Had it away."

"Here?" Maeve asked, incredulously.

"Yeah. Have you ever done it in here?"

Maeve shook her head. "No."

"Ooh, I have," Aimee said in a tone crossing a growl with a purr as memories returned and she continued enthusiastically, "It's, like, so disgusting in here that it's absolutely the last place you want to do it and somehow that makes it that much more intense. Like it's so wrong, it's right. I think I had the most orgasms I ever had in one round right here."

Maeve smiled and shook her head.

Aimee looked around and pointed. "Over there. Bruce Holman."

"That was a long time ago," Maeve murmured.

"Yeah," Aimee said, pursing her lips sadly. "Maybe the magic's worn off. I need to find another disgusting place."

Maeve laughed fondly. "You really are dialled in from another planet, aren't you, Aimee?"

Aimee frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"

Maeve shook her head, smiling softly. "It's a great thing."

Aimee nodded appreciatively and smiled. "So what are you two doing after school?"

"He's got something he has to do with the clinic but we're having dinner at his place tonight."

"You're having dinner with his mum already?" Aimee asked, surprised.

"Uh-huh," Maeve shrugged.

"You mean…?" Aimee mimed masturbating a courgette.

Maeve grimaced a smile and nodded.

"Wow. She seems amazing," breathed Aimee.

"She raised Otis. She must be," murmured Maeve.

Aimee smiled. "You really like him, don't you?"

"I do," Maeve smiled softly. "How do you know?"

"Every time you say his name, you look like I feel when I'm with Steve."

Maeve pursed her lips in a smile and nodded.

"It's been obvious for a while," Aimee said.

"Yeah," Maeve sighed, wryly.

"So why'd you only get together now?"

"I didn't think he liked me like that. I thought he just wanted to be friends."

"Why would you think that? It was obvious he liked you."

"Really?" Maeve asked, looking questioningly at Aimee.

"Every time he looked at you."

"I just saw friendship in his eyes when he looked at me."

"Oh, yeah," Aimee said, remembering. "It was only when you weren't looking at him that he looked at you like that."

"Like what?"

Aimee smiled and switched to her pretend accent. "The lad were pinin', lass. Pinin', I tells ya."

Maeve smiled and switched to her pretend accent. "I had meself a few minutes of pinin' there, meself, pet."

Aimee dropped her pretend accent. "What made you think he didn't like you?"

Maeve dropped her pretend accent and shrugged. "I tried to kiss him and he kind of… well, it was obvious he didn't want me kissing him. I was so embarrassed and, you know me, I don't do embarrassment."

"That's weird," Aimee said, shaking her head.

Maeve pursed her lips and briefly raised her eyebrows then reached into her bag for another cigarette.

"So who asked who?" Aimee asked.

"I asked him," Maeve said, proudly.

"Even though you thought he didn't like you?"

Maeve sucked in a breath and grimaced and said, "Well, he'd already told me he loved me, so by then I knew it was a sure thing."

"So that means he asked you."

"No," said Maeve, gently but firmly. "He told me he loved me but I asked him to be my boyfriend."

"Why didn't he ask you to be his girlfriend if he'd already told you he loved you?"

Maeve rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Oh, it's this whole thing about kangaroos and goats and lions. Men can be idiots, sometimes."

"So how good does he kiss?" asked Aimee.

"Really good," breathed Maeve. "I mean, seriously good. Really sweet and really tender most of the time but then every so often… Oh!" Maeve smiled at the memories.

"So should I test him out?" Aimee teased.

"You touch him and I will break every bone in Steve's body. Including that one."

Aimee smiled. "And have you… you know… seen it?"

Maeve bit her lip. "I felt it. Couldn't help feeling it after our first kiss."

"And…?" Aimee's eyes widened with curiosity.

Maeve pursed her lips in a smile. "He's not Adam but he's fit for purpose. More than fit for purpose," she murmured.

"So did you…?" Aimee mimed masturbating.

Maeve quickly shook her head and wondered if she had said too much. Otis wouldn't want her talking to anybody about it but then again he had heard her say to Adam that girls talked so he'd know she'd be talking to Aimee about him. He'd have to know.

"You won't say anything to anybody, will you?" Maeve said, trying to conceal her concern.

"'Course not," Aimee said, almost offended.

"It's just… Otis… I don't think—"

Aimee switched to her pretend accent. "Secret's safe with me, lass," she said and mimed zipping her lips.

Maeve switched to her pretend accent. "Ta muchly, pet."

Aimee lit another cigarette and dropped her pretend accent and said, "So tonight… you and him…?"

Maeve hesitated and dropped her pretend accent. "Um…," she faltered and sighed. "Probably not."

"Why not?" asked Aimee, surprised.

"I think we need to take it slowly. He's… um… he's not…"

"Not…?" asked Aimee, puzzled.

Maeve sighed internally and promised to let Otis know and apologise. "He's still a virgin and he's a bit confused about things."

Aimee blinked gently in surprise. "Oh."

"That's cool. That's not a problem," said Maeve, genuinely. "I just don't understand why. He knows so much about this shit but he doesn't seem to have a clue when it comes to himself."

Aimee shook her head in wonder. "If he's the Pleasure Master now, can you imagine how good he's going to be when he does do it? What's beyond a Pleasure Master?"

Maeve shrugged. "Champion?" she suggested.

"The Pleasure Champion," Aimee breathed. "You lucky girl."

Maeve smiled gently at Aimee then her thoughts turned inward and she pursed her lips. "We're just going to have to take it slowly. I'm going to have to take it slowly," she corrected herself. "And that's okay. It'll be different. It'll be nice," she murmured, thinking it really would be nice.

"He needs to go to the sex clinic," Aimee said.

Maeve pressed her lips together momentarily to stop herself laughing and looked fondly at Aimee. "Aimee," she said gently. "He is the sex clinic."

"Oh, yeah. Bummer."

Otis and Lily wheeled their bikes slowly back up the hill they had just ridden down.

"Does she know you're a virgin?" Lily asked.

Otis nodded. "Yeah. I… told her."

"And she doesn't mind?"

"I don't… think so."

"You don't sound too sure."

"Well," Otis said, drawing breath through his teeth. "She says it's cool. It's not an issue. But she keeps shaking her head."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a sign she may not believe what she's saying."

"She thinks we're freaks," sighed Lily. "Do you want another trip down the hill?"

"No," Otis said firmly. "If she thought I was a freak she wouldn't have asked me to be her boyfriend. She probably…"

Otis thought for a moment, hoped he wasn't grasping at straws.

"She's probably confused about how I can do the sex clinic when I haven't had sex. That's all."

"An unmarried marriage counsellor," said Lily.

"Exactly," said Otis.

"Have you thought of asking her why she shakes her head?"

"I can't think of any good way to do that."

"I like the direct approach myself."

"I know," Otis said, ruefully.

They continued wheeling their bikes up the hill.

"She asked you to be her boyfriend?" Lily asked eventually.

"This morning," Otis nodded.

"I've never had anyone ask me to be their girlfriend," Lily said wistfully.

Otis simply stared at her until she looked at him.

"One day, somebody will ask you to be their girlfriend, Lily. Or agree to it. To be your boyfriend. One of the two."

"OctoBoy's nice. Maybe he'll ask me to be his girlfriend. He did say we could try having sex again after I spoke to you. Maybe he can be my boyfriend without the sex if I'm not ready."

Otis pressed his lips together momentarily then said, "May I make another suggestion?"

"You're the shrink."

Otis felt offended and said, "Sex therapist, thank you."

Lily looked at him for a moment. "Poh-tah-toe."

"You have things in common with Octo—what's his real name? I can't call him OctoBoy."

"Derek," said Lily.

"You have things in common with Derek, don't you?"

"He liked my story. And the art. He said it was really erotic."

"There you go. Just hang out with him, share your common interests, don't try to force anything and see what happens."

"That what happened with you and The Lion?"

Otis nodded. "More or—" He stopped as he realised what Lily had said. "Why did you call Maeve 'The Lion'?" he asked with trepidation.

"That girl you danced with last night. I passed her as she was walking out. She looked really angry."

Otis wondered when minefields had learned to fly.

"She was muttering, 'Fucking Lion', 'Fucking Kangaroo', 'Fucking Goat'."

Lily looked Otis up and down.

"I figured she wouldn't be that angry if you called her a lion—"

Don't you believe it, thought Otis.

"—And you do kind of look like a kangaroo."

Otis dropped his head and his shoulders slumped. He was never going to escape this.

"That wasn't a nice thing to say," said Lily. "You should apologise."

Otis kept his focus on the task he needed to complete once they reached the top of the hill.

"Do you ever wonder why people listen to you when you say things like that?" Lily asked.

Maeve entered her caravan and placed her bag on the breakfast table then walked into the bedroom and opened her closet, studying everything and wondering what to wear to dinner.

She didn't want to be too sexy – not because of his mother – his mother would probably be cool with it if everything he had said about her was accurate once his obvious bias was removed – but she knew Otis wouldn't be cool about it and she expected – hoped – wanted there to be a couple of hours of gentle making out – at least kissing like they did this morning – just holding hands even - if smooching - Smooching? Oh, Otis, you are making me soft – snogging was going to be too much for him with his mother around - and too sexy would be way too much too soon for him.

She didn't want to dress down too much. That meant the flanno was out and that top and that one, too. The dress she wore to try not to frighten Jackson's parents was right out of the picture. Oh, and everything she was wearing on the day of Jackson's Big Romantic Gesture was an absolute no go. No way was she linking those clothes with this special occasion.

She glanced at the dress from the dance still sprawled across the clothes hamper and smiled at the thought of turning up in that and she knew she could convince him to become Casual Hamm and his place was pretty fancy for this town and they could make their happier memories tonight. He must have some music they could dance to. Slow dance. Slow slow dance.

She thought about the special days. What was she wearing on those days? What she wore when he first sat next to her in biology? No, too associated with the video. What she wore on the swings at Aimee's party? No, too associated with everything else that night and afterwards. What she wore in the pool? She knew Otis liked that one but maybe a bit too see-through and she wasn't sure about the shorts. How about what she wore on the day Aimee told her Otis had solved Adam's problem and she got the idea for the clinic? Wasn't too much. Wasn't too drab. And the jacket was loose enough she could –

A distant knock from the front door interrupted her thoughts and she walked through the caravan to answer it.

Cynthia stood outside, Jonathan and his red and white woollen hat in one arm and a brown bag tied with string in the other hand.

"Mail call," Cynthia said and handed the bag to Maeve who took it with both hands to ensure she didn't drop it.

"What's this?" asked Maeve.

"A young lad dropped it off," said Cynthia. "Skinny, sickly-looking fella. Had some really interesting thoughts about me and Jeffrey's marital problems."

Maeve's heart soared and she looked past Cynthia trying to spot him.

"Oh, he couldn't stay, he said, but he did say he hoped you enjoyed the gift because you really deserved it and he was really looking forward to seeing you tonight at dinner."

Maeve was a little disappointed but the bag in her hands took the edge off and she smiled at Cynthia and Jonathan and said, "Thanks, Cynthia. Jonathan," and closed the door with more patience than she thought she could possess and hurried to place the bag on the breakfast table and find scissors to cut the string.

As the string fell away, she bit her lip and anticipation rose within her as she peeled open the top of the bag and reached inside and pulled out a folded piece of paper she instantly recognised as that which Otis had been holding when she first saw him that morning.

Her heart ached in a good way as she thought about the words he would have written when he had time to gather his thoughts rather than those she forced out of him under the pressure of her anger and she wanted to open it and read it immediately but she forced herself to put it aside and swallowed as she thought about what was still in the bag and she leaned forward and peered inside.

Her breath hitched and she tore the bag away from the gift inside and gently lifted the trophy Adam had been awarded for the essay she had written for him and stared at it in wonder, understanding how far outside his comfort zone Otis had gone for her to show her exactly how much he truly valued her.

She studied the plaque on the base of the trophy and smiled adoringly at the sight of Adam's name scratched through and her own name lovingly etched below it.

Carefully, tenderly she placed the trophy on the breakfast table and picked up the letter that came with it and unfolded the paper and began to read.

Otis opened the front door to his house and managed to enter without dropping the bag of groceries he awkwardly carried beneath one arm. He walked into the kitchen and placed the bag and his keys on the table and stared at the former with disappointment.

He heard a noise by the sink and looked over and recoiled at the sight of Ola kneeling by the sink, packing away the contents of a toolbox.

"Ola," he said with surprise and she looked up at him, face neutral.

"My dad couldn't come," Ola said, "so he asked me to fix your mum's sink."

Otis' brain took a few moments to settle and then he stepped forward and said, "Um, I'm sorry, Ola."

Ola looked at him sceptically.

Otis swallowed and thought and began again. "I… really enjoyed our time at the dance with you… well… before…" His words trailed off.

Ola snorted and finished packing and then closed the toolbox and stood. Without looking at Otis, she headed for the passage leading to the front door.

Frustration rippled across Otis' face as he followed her movement and then he blurted, "I'm sorry, Ola. I'm an idiot."

Ola stopped in the doorway and Otis held his breath until she eventually put down the toolbox and turned to face him, face again neutral.

Otis sighed and gathered his thoughts and stepped forward two paces and his arms waved between them as he spoke.

"I didn't mean any of what I said last night," he began. "I'm a fool and I stumble over my words and I don't say what I really mean. You were great. You're very funny and very kind and you're really smart and you're so vibrant, Ola. And we danced and it was a great dance because I don't dance but I really enjoyed dancing with you. And pardon me for saying so if this objectifies you but you have really beautiful eyes. And I'm sorry you heard any of that crap from me last night because you really didn't deserve to be treated like that."

Ola stared at him for long moments, face still neutral, then she nodded and said, "Would you like to go out again?"

Otis hadn't thought of this. "I… can't," he said, cautiously.

"Why not?"

"I'm with the lion?" he said with a rising inflection.

Ola shook her head and smiled at him. "You're an arsehole, Otis," she said, not unkindly or unfriendly.

"That I am," Otis said, nodding then pointed at Ola. "But remember what GOAT stands for."

Ola stared at him, sceptically.

"'Goddess Of All Things'," Otis said, hopefully.

Ola stared at him for long moments then said, "Nice save."

She looked at the bag sitting on the table and recognised the logo.

"You been shopping where I work?"

"Um, yes," said Otis.

"You thought I'd be there."

"Yes."

Ola walked to the table and looked into the bag and frowned and reached in and pulled out a tin of cat food and looked at Otis.

"You don't own a cat," she said.

"I know. I just bought it to say that I like cats. Housecats, specifically. They're so friendly – well, when they want to be – and I was kind of hoping I could be friends with a housecat or at least—"

"But the housecat was here," Ola interrupted.

"When I got to the checkout and found out you weren't there I was too embarrassed to put everything back," he said, sheepishly.

Ola failed to conceal all of her smile then said, "Pretty Big Romantic Gesture for someone who only wanted to be friends with a housecat."

Otis said, "I just wanted you to know that being your friend would be a very good thing to be for anyone lucky enough to be your friend."

Ola nodded then said, "I have friends with housecats. Since you don't have one."

Otis gestured at the bag and said, "Take them."

"Thanks." Ola picked up the bag and walked over to the toolbox.

"Do you want a hand carrying them to your truck?" he asked.

"I can manage," Ola said as she reached down to pick up the toolbox. "But I could do with a hand for the front door."

Otis nodded and hurried ahead of her to the front door.

He opened the door and recoiled when he saw Maeve standing there reaching out for the doorbell.

Maeve recoiled as well and stepped back and Otis thought there was something funny about her hands but she had hidden them behind her back before he could see them properly.

"Maeve."

"Otis."

Ola squeezed past Otis to stand on the front porch and looked at Maeve who tore her gaze from Otis.

"Lion," Ola said and nodded at Maeve.

"Goddess," Maeve said and nodded at Ola, studying her gently.

Ola smirked and turned to look at Otis. "I knew you hadn't come up with that one by yourself."

"Oh, he—" Maeve started to protest but Ola shook her head.

"It's okay," Ola said. "He spoke from his heart. It was a really good apology."

Ola turned to look at Otis and said, "See you in school, armadillo."

Both Maeve and Otis smiled gently and Ola stepped past them before stopping and turning.

"It wouldn't have worked out anyway, Otis," Ola said. "My dad shagged your mum."

Maeve and Otis watched as Ola drove away and once they were sure she was really gone turned to face each other.

Maeve brought her hands from behind her back and now Otis could see that beneath her jacket she was wearing the jumper he had leant her that night on the bridge.

"Why are your arms so freakishly long?" she asked.

Otis laughed. "They're not," he said. "Just roll up your sleeves, you fool."

Maeve chuckled softly and stepped toward him and moved her head up to meet his and they finally kissed what should have been their first kiss.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"I can get a new plaque put on it—"

"Don't you dare," she said. "It's perfect."

She kissed him again.

"And that one's for the letter."

Otis spread his arms and she stepped into them, embracing him then she put her mouth close to his ear and her whisper carried mischief.

"If I said I wanted to fuck your brains out right now, Otis, would you freak out?"

"Yes," squeaked Otis.

"I won't say it then," Maeve said and kissed him again.

Author's Notes: Yes, I know that moment is cheesy but I don't care.