《 issue: roommate ~ greece, nhc 》 {COMPLETED}

13

"I never know what to get my dad, he's so hard to buy for! My mum, I could get her a bin bag and she'd love it, but my dad simply doesn't show that sort of appreciation for things." Blake rambles, flicking through the racks. I hum to show I'm listening, although my attention is drawn to the many t-shirts and jumpers hung up on the different shelves, as I move the racks and occasionally pull one out, only to place it right back moments later.

Blake and I decided to go Christmas shopping, since in two weeks we're going to be off for our Christmas holidays and with all our upcoming exams, it's probably going to be hard to find time to go shopping. Besides, that way we can get it all over and done with before the peak season, and we can get better prices. So far, we haven't been very successful, since we're both overly picky, and that makes it hard for us to decide on the perfect gift for our family members. I'd covered my dad, aunt, uncle and younger cousin, but I still had my mum, older cousin, and friends to go.

"Oh my god, this is awesome!" Blake suddenly exclaims, and I look over at him in surprise. I notice him holding a light blue jumper in his hands with some words on it, and I watch him fiddle around for the price tag. His shoulders sag when he looks at the price, and he glances up at me sheepishly, hiding his dismay.

"Way too expensive." He chuckles awkwardly, slowly putting it back. "I barely have enough for my family, let alone myself." He says sadly, adding on yet another chuckle at the end to soften the blow as he walks off. I wait until he's completely out of sight before quickly grabbing the jumper and checking the price.

70£.

That's more than I'd usually spend on one person, but Blake has already done so much for me this year, so he deserves a little something from me to show my gratitude. I quickly make my way to the counter, trying to stay hidden as I rapidly hand over the money and thank the girl behind the counter when she stuffs it into a bag, handing it over. I then walk out of the store, seeing Blake waiting outside on his phone. He glances up when he sees me coming, and lets out a thankful sigh.

"Damn, I thought I'd lost you bro!" He exclaims, making me chuckle apologetically.

"Sorry, I saw something for one of my friends back at home that I needed to buy." I lie, giving Blake a soft smile to ease his suspicions.

"Okay, well lets go to the jewellery shop before calling it a day. I need something for my sister." He says, leading me towards an expensive looking shop with many necklaces and rings on display behind the glass. When we enter, a small ding sounds across the room, and our eyes immediately scan the shelves in awe at the many items littering them. We separate, both of us looking at different things, and my eyes catch on a certain item. A memory from the other day crosses through my mind.

Reece and I were sat silently side my side, studying for a maths exam that we had coming up. I was quickly getting bored, the words and numbers beginning to jumble on the page, but when I glanced over at Reece, he seemed entirely endorsed by what he was reading, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. My eyes trailed down his body to his bare arms, and I couldn't help but gaze at the tattoos that littered them. I tilted my head, trying to make sense of them all.

"Reece?" I asked quietly, almost not noticing that the words left my mouth. Reece snapped his gaze to me suddenly, and I blushed slightly.

"Hm?" He hummed quietly, implying for me to continue.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you." I quickly looked away, my cheeks still flaming. I heard Reece chuckle slightly, and I noticed him close his maths book in front of him.

"Tell me what's on your mind, G." His said playfully, the nickname making my stomach flutter.

"I-I was just wondering about your tattoos." I murmured, glancing back at the older boy through my lashes. He looked down at hi arms and then stretched them out so that we could both scan them.

"Well, I got these a few months ago, they're my families initials; L for my mum, L for Lexi, J for my dad and B for Betty." Reece explained, pointing out all the small letters on his wrist.

"Who're Lexi and Betty?" I asked curiously, making Reece chuckle.

"My little sister is called Lexi and Betty is my dog." Reece said, making me form a small 'O' with my mouth in understanding.

"What about that one?" I said, pointing to what appeared to be a lion.

"Lions have always been my favourite animals, cause of how brave they are. So, I got a tattoo of one to remind me to always be brave and daring." He explained, and I felt for once a feeling of admiration for the boy.

"Which one is your favourite?" I asked curiously. Reece didn't hesitate to pull out his other arm, pointing to a small, delicate looking feather.

"A feather?" I asked softly, confused by the meaning.

"Feathers are soft, delicate. Beautiful. I've always loved them. I drew it myself. It took me ages to get all the lines right, they're all so intricate and difficult, but I finally did and I love it." I looked up at Reece with wide eyes, before gazing back down at the beautifully drawn feather on his arm. I couldn't help my fingers coming out to slowly trace over his soft skin, barely there, but I noticed the small goosebumps that raised on his skin.

"Woah." I breathed.

I gaze at the silver feather dangling from the thin, black, leather chain. I imagined how it would look around Reece's neck, making me swallow tightly.

"Hey, I found something for Abbie, you getting something?" Blake suddenly asks me, taking me by surprise. I glance at him before looking down at the necklace longingly, finally speaking after a few moments.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am." I decide, barely glancing at the price.

sorry i missed tuesdays update!! hope you enjoyed, stuffs gonna really start happening soon ;)