Ol. The nickname Liam had given to him— he couldn't remember when— usually used under vastly different circumstances, felt harsh as it rolled off his tongue. He frowned then roughly wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve in some futile attempt to mask the hot tears he'd been fighting.
The wizard was no stranger to dramatics. Hell, he loved them. But not here, not now. More than anything he wanted to be able to pull himself together and be an adult like he figured someone in their late twenties would be. A mature parting of ways, wasn't it? For some time he'd been perfectly happy assuming the role of a grown-up, relishing in the sanctimony of it all, but it all came crashing down the moment Liam said that was it. As if it were all just that simple.
Ollie let out a breath before trying and failing to apparate home. His wand made a pathetic pop then fizzled out into his bones. He shuddered involuntarily. "Right, then," He would regret having tried that in the morning but he played it off like he had planned to walk anyway. The ever-present drizzle of rain from earlier in the night was the least of his concerns when he made his way through the doorframe.
He paused for a moment and looked back at Liam with a sad smile but turned away before he could get a good look at his face. That wasn't the last memory that he wanted of him, in that context.
fin
