Olive could very easily get lost in time whenever Enoch kissed her like that, or at all but who was counting? And she certainly did get lost, her legs pulled up on the couch with her and Enoch's arm comfortably firm around her waist. His kisses were usually fuelled by some underlying emotion, usually a frustration, but they weren't often soft and sweet.

Granted though, it didn't stay soft and sweet very long from the moment he'd pulled her back closer to him. Nothing else mattered in the world right now except for Enoch. As far as Olive was concerned, he was her whole world. Because what else would there possible be besides Enoch? Somewhere along the way her hand had made it into Enoch's hair, running short strands through her fingers. It was softer than she had imagined, and she could feel everywhere it kinked into a wave or a curl. In any other possible circumstances she could not imagine Enoch taking kindly to her running her fingers through his hair but then again, he was full of surprises today make no mistake.

She loved that side of him. Few and far between it was that she saw it. She loved every bit, even the rough parts that would always be there to make Enoch himself.

He loved her. Enoch O'Connor was not only capable of love, but actually admitted that he loved her, Olive, so very unlike him in every way. She didn't think she could be so happy, and if she were any happier she would surely burst into flames and melt away.

Everything from shock to elation had rushed through her when he'd said it, despite the 'think' he had added, it was clear he meant them. That was hardly a time for his sarcasm. She hadn't moved for almost a minute while he talked with his back to her and wanted to cry she was so happy. Olive would have told him eventually, there was no denying that, but only when she was sure he wouldn't have flipped out, but now everything that went unsaid every time she looked at him, every time she spoke to him and touched him, it was all in the open and it was magnificent. She wouldn't trade anything in the world for that moment.

However long they had actually stayed right there was beyond Olive. It could have been thirty seconds or thirty minutes for all track of time she was keeping and neither she nor even Enoch seemed inclined to stop it, if anything his grip had tightened. And then her ears started to ring. No. That wasn't in her head at all. That was music, Olive wasn't so overly cheerful that she heard music in her head. That was a phone. It was her phone.

If Enoch heard it, and he couldn't fail to, he gave no indication of it first. Olive's eyes snapped open and she broke the contact first, leaving Enoch to make a disgruntled sort of huff.

"Wha-Olive?"

"That's my ph-oh..." Before she could even move backwards or untangle his arm from around her, her phone, on the other side of the room in her bag, had stopped. Olive bit her lip and looked sideways, cringing a little. She knew that was her mum, it had to be. How late was she? She'd said she wasn't coming right home but had that long passed already? Whoops.

Enoch was staring at her and she turned her head to look sheepishly back at him.

"I have to go."

"No ya don'. My parents ain't 'ere."

Olive smiled. She could have sworn that sounded like he didn't even want her to go. Her father would be furious if he knew they were here with no one else in the house. Reluctantly she unfolded his arm from around her and untucked her legs from under her.

"Mine are around. And even if they weren't, you know I should still go."

Enoch didn't argue, though she could tell he was seriously considering it from the way his eyes darted around and let her move away.

She felt giddy, and her head spun a little as she stood up too quickly. Enoch had been taking up most of her oxygen, well and truly and she heard him snort in amusement behind her as she actually wobbled on her feet standing up.

"Head rush, thank you very much." She looked over her shoulder and poked out her tongue. Enoch was watching her steadily. He had barely even turned his head from his side on position on the couch and she could feel his eyes following her when she turned back to dig her phone out her bag.

Sure enough. Missed calls from her parents.

Olive could have pretended she'd said she wouldn't be home before dinner, but the last thing she wanted to do was lie to her parents. Actually, the last thing she wanted to do was leave right now but...who was counting?

"Ya could stay a bit longer. I'll walk ya 'ome."

Sometimes she could swear he read her mind like a book. He knew, of course he did, exactly what she was thinking, like despite how quiet he might be about himself, he knew her better than any other person. Truth be told, Olive wanted to stay and take any time she got to spend with him, especially right now when she knew for a fact he wanted her around. Olive couldn't help but smile as she turned around.

"I would like to stay. My parents would kill me, Enoch." He just nodded slowly while she walked back over to him and held up her phone lamely. "If I don't get home before dinner without a jolly good reason for being here so long, my father is going to skin you."

"It ain't that far a walk."

"It's far enough to make me late if I don't leave soon."

Her gaze travelled up, following Enoch as he slowly turned around and got to his feet in front of her. "Fine. Don't see why 'e'd care 'bout an extra twenty minutes or whateva but..."

"Probably exactly the same reason yours would care."

"Don't matter. Sod it."

Olive laughed and hopped up on her toes to kiss her cheek. Enoch didn't so much as bat an eyelid this time when she stepped away and she let her eyes wander briefly from his slightly ruffled hair to his untucked shirt and absent tie. As good looking as Enoch was when he was dressed neatly and comfortably, Olive would have very much been lying if she said slightly unkempt wasn't an equally attractive look. Stop it.

So she squashed any further urges to kiss him every time she thought about the three words she hadn't expected to ever hear from him that made her smile and dance inside, and turned away from him to get her things.

xxxXxxx

Things were better. As much better as they were going to get with Enoch anyway. He was no less reluctant to hold her hand in public than he had been before but that still didn't bother Enoch in the least. Without that wall of unspoken feelings and awkwardness between them, it was as if it had never been there in the first place and she could once again sit with him and talk to him without being brushed off or completely ignored.

Emma and Fiona had of course worked it out with no great difficulty, once Olive had sworn them to not make any kind of comment about it to Enoch. Fiona wouldn't ever. She didn't say very much as it was anyway, but Olive had been somewhat nervous about Emma blabbing. Emma, one the other hand, indignantly promised that she wouldn't, no matter how tempting. Enoch might have admitted it to Olive but he would not take kindly to anyone else mentioning it. He'd already told her that Hugh had been the one to put it in his head at all and probably hated him for it. Olive, on the other hand, could have hugged Hugh if he had been one of the reasons for Enoch's slightly more opened mind.

A few days turned into a few weeks and mid-February did not prove any less cold the further winter got on. In fact, London's weather had turned even more gloomy and wet than it usually was and people only ventured outside with umbrellas or rain slickers with hoods pulled up over their heads against the rain and sleet.

"Enoch, you know what day Friday is right?" Olive bit her lip to stifle a smile as she tucked her bag at her feet beside Enoch at the back of the bus, who pulled only one of his headphones free of his ears to give her half of his attention.

"Last time I checked Friday was still Friday." He just stared at her, his voice accompanied by the music she heard playing relatively loudly from the loose earbud.

Olive sighed and shook her head to herself. She wasn't surprised he hadn't noticed, and to be honest she didn't expect him to care when she brought it up anyway.

"Yes, thank you for that. No..." She leaned over and nudged Enoch's shoulder, which received no reaction at all, "...it's the 14th."

That got a reaction. Albeit a very deadpanned one at first as her boyfriend just stared at her and rolled his eyes. "Are you kiddin'?"

"I take it that I won't have to specify any further then...but it's-"

"Yeah I know what day it is." Enoch cut her off and Olive's eyebrows shot upwards. "Valen-" Enoch's eyes left hers and darted around and she turned to follow his gaze. Evidently deciding it wasn't too incriminating for him, Enoch lowered his voice a little and pulled out his other headphone. "Valentine's Day is for ol' married couples wiv nofin' betta ta do is what I fink. We're not any'a those fings by any means."

Now that was a bit of an overreaction, Olive had to say. But she wasn't surprised. Enoch was one who would boycott Christmas if he could so actually thinking Valentine's Day was any worthwhile, however long they were together, was a very long shot indeed. She didn't mind, not really at all, and really it wasn't important, it was just any other day with him but she quietly did like the thought of actually passing a Valentine's Day with someone, even if Enoch wasn't amused at all.

"Grinch." She poked his ribs and Enoch actually started for a second as if he hadn't been expecting her to do that and stared at her.

"That's a word that shouldn't be used after December."

"Well there is no Valentines version so..." Olive smiled and went quiet for a moment before she tried again. "I know it's really not important and it's kind of silly to you bu-"

"Damn right it's silly. What a pointless day."

"But..." Olive ignored him and continued. "I thought it would be nice to do something anyway, you can forget it's Valentine's Day if you're going to get all antsy about it. Just any other day, Enoch. I don't care if it's watching a movie on a couch, I wouldn't dream of anything special. Why would it make a difference if it's any other day?"

"Oh for 'eaven's sake...can't we-" Whatever he had been about to say was lost in a sigh and Olive, without wanting to be presumptuous, knew she had won for now. "Oh fine. Just any other day then."

Olive laughed and stole a glance around before kissing his cheek. Enoch started again and stared at her looking uncomfortable. "Bloody 'ell..."

"So I shouldn't expect a card then?" She teased and he rolled his eyes.

"Didn't that end in the 1930s? Do people still do that? " 'appy four bloody months" seems a bit early don't ya fink?"

"I'm just joking, Enoch. You know that."

"Yeah well, my funny bone ain't in joint today."

Before Olive could so much as shake her head at his grumbling, the bus had ground to a halt outside the school and it was all she could do to give him a knowing look and a smile before people were chattering and scrambling to their feet around them.

He might grouse and groan about the very idea, but at least he was obliging enough.