Outside

12

Emerging from the black car that awaits me across the road was the beaming boy, holding what looked like a take out bag, "I'm here to save you" he laughs walking around to the passenger side, holding up the bag with that huge, contagious grin of his.

The slight wind flicked his hair in all directions and his attempt to hold it back with his free hand had failed miserably, so he just left it all fall into his face as he grinned cheekily at me. I wondered why he was even stood out of the car in the cold rather than being warm inside of it, but I didn't bother to ask as it wasn't important and I'd much rather just get in the car and warm myself up.

"You definitely saved me" I join in with the laughter as I cross the empty road, meeting him with a smile just as wide as his own, "what's this then?" I refer to the brown bag marked 'm' in his hand, though I know exactly what it is.

"Me saving you" he smiles mischievously and opens the passenger door like the gentleman he is, before walking around to the other side and sliding himself into the driver seat beside me.

Opening the bag and letting the scent of fast food fill the car which earlier smelled of fresh strawberries, Van switches on the lights above us before he pulls out a little red, cardboard container full of fries, "I had no idea what to get you so don't get mad if you don't like it yeah?" He says somewhat nervously, handing me the bag after he takes the rest of his things out.

My heart literally melts behind my rib cage at the idea that Van had bought me something without me even knowing, the fact that he didn't even have to but he did it anyway just makes it a whole lot cuter. I know for a fact that he just did it out of pure generosity because that's the type of person he is. He can act all cocky and way too big for his boots all he wants but in reality everybody knows he's just a child in a man's body, way too precious and pure for this cruel world.

"You might just be my favourite person ever" I smile, taking a sip of my milkshake, knowing that what I said is partly true, of course Van isn't actually my favourite, that would have to be Lois or my dog, but he's definitely close enough.

"Mission accomplished" he chuckles in response, his mouth half filled with food and the other half filled with the laughter he can't contain, "how was work then?" He asks and I can't help but chuckle at the question before I go into a long rigmarole about how absolutely draining my night had been until he showed up.

The time passed like a tumbleweed in a windless dessert as Van and I sat talking about the most random things I'd never considered funny until they came from Van's mouth. Everything seemed to pass by so slow but so blissfully in his company, although it was edging towards midnight which meant we'd been sat eating lukewarm fries for the past hour, joking about things that I'd never dream of joking about around anyone else. I didn't mind though, if I could spend every night like this I definitely wouldn't pass on the offer.

"Oasis?" Van abruptly calls my 'name' as he shoves the rubbish in the bag, crumpling it up as much as he can and throwing it in the back seat when he's done, I look at him with curiosity in my eyes and wait for him to continue, "you free Saturday?" He questions, putting his hands on the wheel and leaning the side of his head on them as he keeps his gaze on me and my answer.

With a puzzled face and furrowed brows, I pretend that I'm trying to remember if I have plans on Saturday, which I know I most definitely do not, and I shake my head slowly when I realise that if I'm excluding work, I have no plans for the rest of the week, never mind just Friday, "yeah I am, why?"