Of a Memory [Len x Oliver Fanfiction]

Prologue - The Beginning

~Oliver's POV~

"You know we can't be together, Oliver."

A hand reached out to me, caressing my cheek in its warm palm. There were tears that I desperately held back, though I knew he was right. All of this was in vein.

"W-we can make it work! Please...." I lied to myself all that time. The secret meetings, the time we spent together, the hugs, the kisses, the things that went beyond that....

It was all a lie, wasn't it?

Then why...why am I crying...?

If it's all a lie then why does it feel so real...? Why does it hurt so much to be away from him?

It's....

"It's real, Oliver. I love you, you know that. If we were caught, though, I'm sure you know the punishment...."

He held me close again—like all the other times he had done so. I was drowning in his warmth and his smell.

I didn't want to let go, but...he was right.

I needed to stop lying to myself.

We can't be together anymore. That is, if we truly did love each other, it was the best way to keep each other safe.

"...Yes." I let the word out, soft and slow. Soon enough, I had to pull away. "Then...goodbye, Len."

"Goodbye, Oliver."

---

"Kuro, I'm heading out."

The older lady—rude, although she didn't mind—turned from where she was propped in the kitchen making my dinner already. Sometimes she was too motherly, considering I was only her foster child after all. "Already? Be careful, Ollie."

"Yeah, yeah." I slid my shoes on and walked slowly down the sidewalk, taking in the neighborhood scenery.

...How did I get here? I don't remember anything. It's all just hazy memories.

I can't even try—that's probably the worst part. My head stings if I try too hard to remember. Maybe someone just doesn't want me to remember. Is it really that important...?

I don't feel important.

"Oliver!"

Turning my head, I met a gaze with the same boy who always greeted me on our way to school. I guess you could call him my childhood friend...? Not that I've known him that long, but....

"Piko, you're up early," I remarked, wearing a faint grin; it might've been the slightest bit smug. I had to one-up him in any way I could, so of course I would want to get up early—but that's not why I did today.

Piko placed his hands on his hips in a feminine way. It didn't help that he already looked enough like a girl with his bob-cut silver hair and round face, so he was only making it worse for himself. "Well, yeah! I've got to try my best to keep up with you, otherwise I'll get left behind!" He nudged my side, and we both laughed a bit before continuing our voyage to the school.

I didn't have many friends in all honesty, so it was nice to have someone who was there for me whether I liked it or not.

The school was...typical, to say the least.

There were your popular people: Miku, Kaito, and Rin.

The nerds: Ryuuto, Piko, Yuki, and me.

The bullies: Fukase, Neru, and Mayu.

The band geeks: Merli, Miriam, Lily, Mew, and Maika.

The goths: Chika, Cul, and Galaco.

Then, the group that doesn't really fit in anywhere: Yohio (my brother), Tone, Nana, and occasionally me as well.

There's probably more, but I'm sure it would take ages to list out.

Let's stick with the basics then. I usually hung out with Ryuuto and Piko since they're basically my best friends at this point in my life; we all hang out at my house since it's easy because Kuro and Tenchou (my foster parents) are a young couple and we actually don't get bothered by them. They call themselves my parents, but really they're more like my older siblings.

The topic of conversation as Piko and I walked changed rapidly. First video games, then homework, and then weekend plans.

It wasn't long before we reached the school gate.

"I'll see you at lunch, okay, Oliver? I've got a class in the courtyard first period today. We're learning aeronautics!" Piko grinned childishly before he waved and left in a hurry.

He really was a big nerd, huh?

I snickered a bit and turned to head to my own class. It was funny how the only reason I was classified as a nerd was because I hung out with them. If anything, I was probably just a video game freak. Even then, I didn't play as often as they did.

I paused.

Why was I even here? Well...school's important, but then why do I feel so...ignorant about daily life? It's all boring.... Even what I think I'm good at isn't great.

I'm sure Piko or Ryuuto could beat me in a first-person shooter game with ease.

Maybe I'm just overthinking my amnesia again. Maybe I've just forced myself to get into new things now that I've forgotten everything else.

Is this a divine message...?

...No, that's dumb. What am I even thinking?

I reached my class and took a seat. It was hard to focus with messages being passed between my seat.

"Yo, Oliver, could you, like, switch seats with me?" Neru, a blonde bully, leaned over from her desk beside mine. She gave an innocent look but really she was giving me an order.

I refused nonetheless. "You know I can't.... We have assigned seats; we'd both be marked absent if I did that."

Neru scoffed. "Ugh, what a loser! Just get up!" She reached over and pulled harshly on my sleeve, which caused my frail little body to fall out of the chair. I hit my head pretty hard on the side of her desk, but people only laughed.

Why...was I even here?

The pain pulsed rapidly, and it was almost like I could feel a heartbeat in my brain.

"Oliver, do you remember me...?"

A voice unknown to me echoed throughout my head.

"Oliver?"

I collapsed, and my vision turned to black.