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~Exchange Experience~

“You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood.
Nor is it exclusive of friendship.
Family members can be your best friends, you know.
And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family.”

A/N: Contains a little bit of swearing

“Hello, I believe you must be [Y/N] from the exchange program. I am Oliver Kirkland!” The young man bowed graciously, then took your hand and kissed your knuckles. His personality was very joyful, his eyes beaming with energy and hope. His fashion choice was most probably playing its part too in enlightening his mood. He was wearing a pink vest over the pearly satin shirt, and khaki pants.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Oliver.” You said surprised by his gentleman attitude. “It’s nice that some still know the proper etiquette.” He chuckled at your response, his strawberry blonde hair bouncing slightly.

  “Isn’t it such a shame that people these days confuse politeness with romance?” he held his arm for you to take it, which you gladly did. Your dad has already made his way to Oliver’s baggage and offered to help him with it. That’s a good host’s job, right? “That is so nice of you, sir!” he grinned tightening the grip on your arm. “Where are we heading to now, poppet?

  “I don’t know… I thought maybe we should go home and have dinner, since the flight might have tired you out.” You chuckled lightly. “And maybe you’d like to take a look at the place you’ll be living for the next week.”

  “Aren’t you the sweetest?” he playfully patted your shoulder.

  Ollie was full of emotion and passion and you were so amazed by the energy he was speaking with. It was like he was pouring his soul in every sentence, giving it life and veridicity, not that you doubted anything he was saying. It made him a huge pleasure to talk about his family, you observed how nicely he was talking about the people he loved, his eyes lightening every time. Persons like him were just too precious for this world. His orbs were a lovely shade of blue with a tint of pink that could be better seen when the sun shone in his face.

  “We might not be the ideal group of people that others would call a family, but they are dear to me, you know? We have our fights and all, but who doesn’t. It just comes naturally with the love.” Oliver had three older brothers, Allistor, Eloin and Liam, who sadly started to part away from him since he grew up. Fortunately, he met these guys he decided to protect and get on the same side with. He said that in some time they became a “deadly” group and stiffed a giggle.

  “Sometimes the people we are related to, aren’t necessarily our family. We are just family by name and blood. But there are always meant to come in our life and change that for us, to love us and stand by our side.”

  He didn’t respond, only gave you a timid smile and focused his attention out the window at the cars passing by. Sadly, the trip back home was silent, the stillness only being interrupted from time to time by your parents changing a few words. Once inside your welcoming apartment, you showed Ollie to his room, which, like magic, turned him back to his cheerful mood.

  “Thank you so much, poppet! You are so nice!” Suddenly he grabbed you into a thrilled embrace. “Sorry for not being that talkative earlier. I was just caught in memories.”

  “There’s really no problem at all! Say, would you like some help unpacking?” you flashed him a sweet smile and headed towards his luggage.

  “No!” came a yell from his as an answer, stopping you in mid-action. “I didn’t mean it to sound like that. What I was trying to say was that it would be inappropriate from a gentleman to let a lady such as yourself do the work.” Panicked, he grabbed the baggage and dragged it away from you. “I can do it myself, really.”

  “Okay, as you wish, Ollie. If you have anything I can give you a hand with, don’t hesitate to ask me.” Before you could return to your room, he caught your wrist, making you stare at him in surprise.

  “Actually, there’d be something.” From his handbag he took out a little purple metal box wrapped with a pink ribbon. “Would you kindly get these to the kitchen so we can eat them later?”

  “Oliver!” you gasped removing the lid of the box to reveal four blue cupcakes with silver sprinkles. “I didn’t know you cooked! These look so fantastic! I bet they taste even better than they look!” The boy blushed, murmuring something about not a big deal. “We will have these after you’re finished unpacking. I’ll go warm some milk to go with the cupcakes.” You exited happily, ready to prepare the snack, not spotting Oliver’s flustered state or hearing his muffled squeals.



  “I once slapped a guy and he needed to be hospitalized for a week!” Allen bragged, flexing his muscles.

  “Slapped him? More like beat him up. With your bat.” Matt huffed rolling his eyes and taking a mouthful of the food in front of him.

“I once slapped my friend’s brother and he cried for an hour. And then I got grounded.” You stated, not having anything more interesting from your combat journal.

  “Poppet, guys, do we need to have such a conversation during lunchtime? Lighten up a bit!” Ollie pleaded.

  “Sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to upset you.

  “You don’t have to apologize to him, doll-face.” Al cut his friend before he could even reply you. “The old man can take well many situations, and this is far to being the worst.” He threw an arm over your shoulders and starting laughing loud enough for the tables near you to hear.

  “Shut your food hole, shit stain, or I’ll make you!” Matt got up from his seat clutching his fist.

  “You wanna go, bro? Fight me!”

  “Oh mon Dieu, here we go again.”



You were having lunch at the school’s cafeteria with your exchange partner and his friends, Allen, an American guy, and his brother Matt, who was Canadian, mostly known for beating the crap out of people. Of course, they only did it for certain reasons, which only they knew. They also hated each other to the guts and won’t hesitate to try rip each other’s heads off. François, the French guy, was one of Oliver’s oldest friends, whom he knew for ages. The fights between Al and Matt were an usual thing, so he decided not to interfere in any way, slowly digging in his food.

  Since you left home, you’ve been dragging a bag around with you that made Ollie really curious. He took the advantage of his friends fighting to ask you about it.

  “[Y/n], I’ve been wondering, what do you have in that bag of yours?”

  “Guess!” you replied nonchalantly.

  “Is it something… um edible?” he tried.

  “You could say so.”

  “Ah, you mean you could make it edible?”

  “Yep.” His eyes started lightening up.

  “Are those ingredients for something special?” he grinned like an idiot starring at you.

  “If you guess what they are for, you are a genius!”

  “Cupcakes!” he shouted without hesitation, stopping Matt and Al from fighting for a second.

  “Bingo! Now I have to tell you what I have in mind. See you guys later!” you waved towards to Ollie’s buddies and grabbed his hand. “Since you love baking so much, I’ve talked with Mrs. Geller that takes care of the cafeteria and asked her to let us use the kitchen for preparing a batch of cupcakes. She agreed as long as we bring her some in return.” You smirked delighted waiting for the English boy’s response. After some moments of only staring at you he burst into cheering and ran with you towards the school’s culinary lab.

  “Have I ever told you how genius you are?”

  “I wouldn’t say genius, but I hope you’ll enjoy my idea.” You laughed it off.

  “Enjoy it? Are you kidding? I totally love it, poppet!”



  Oliver showed you how to make the mixture for the cupcakes and let you do it alone for the first batch, even though you were afraid of messing everything up. He reassured you that nothing can go bad with him by your side. You two were having a great time together and seeing him happy made your heart feel warm. While you were mixing the ingredients for the icing (which he decided that should be blue, as the first sweets you had together) he was busy with something you couldn’t quite make out. He was definitely preparing some blending too. Was he starting a contest for the best cupcakes? Chuckling for yourself, you spinned the mixture faster

  After you finished, you put the cupcakes on a tray ready to bake them. In the middle there was a single different one, with purple icing instead of blue.

  “Interesting choice of color, but why a different one?” you inquired looking at your friend.

“I always have a special one, no matter who I make my sweets for.” He turned up the corners of his mouth, gently putting the tray in the oven. The timer was set for 20 minutes. “This was so fun, poppet. I wish my brothers would do such activities with me too. But they think it doesn’t suit them. That’s why we are apart so much time. Oh, poppet, I am so afraid some day they will turn the back on me like Allistor, Eloin and Liam did. We also used to be close, but they grew distant to each other with age. I don’t want for them to start ignoring me too.” Oliver’s expression grew more worried and hurt.

  “Ollie, don’t think such things.” You made your way to him and embraced him lovingly, letting his head rest on your shoulder. “You four might be so different from one another, but there is a bond between you that no one could break. There is something that keeps you united, together. And just as you would save them when they’re in a pinch, they would do the same for you.” He let you go to look into your eyes. “Just because you don’t have the same blood running through your veins, this doesn’t mean you can’t be a family.” You hugged him quick once more and turned to clean the counter.

  “Oh, poppet. You’re the sweetest.”

  “I just want you to know that what you have won’t be taken away from you.” You watched him as he went to wash the dishes and didn’t pay attention to the bowl in front of you which still had some mixture in it. One second later, your hand accidentally pushed it off the counter, throwing batter everywhere on the floor. “Shit.” You muttered under your breath.

  “Don’t worry, love. I’ll get that.”

  “No, no. It’s my mess, I clean it!” You got some wet cloths and started rubbing the mixture of the floor.

  Suddenly the door to the culinary lab was slammed open and a raging man came inside shouting.

  “Where the hell is she? He told me she’d be here! That little prick!”

  Oh, hell no. The guy who just entered was one dude you played a prank on last week for bullying some little kids and now his hair was all blue. You remained down behind the counter, gripping harder on the cloth, hoping he’ll just go away. Fortunately you heard the door being slammed shut again and prepared to get up.

  “And who the fuck is you?” Man were you wrong. The beast was still here. You froze in place and couldn’t move from your spot.

  “Now, now. That’s not the proper way to talk to someone, is it?” replied Arthur calmly. “You know what I use when I am angry? Fudge!” he smiled clapping his hands.

  “Oh really? Well get the fudge out of my way before I fudging smash your head on the wall, you fudging fag!” What the hell did he call Ollie? “You look pathetic with your pink girly hair and that stupid outfit? What are you, some kind of guy that cannot get a girl to screw him so he calls himself gay?” He pushed Oliver on the floor with a loud boom.

  “Hey, jackass! Leave him alone and go bother someone your own size. I’m the one you’re looking for.” You got up from behind the counter and glared at him, anger rushing in your veins.

  “Poppet, no…”

“So you’ve decided to show up, you little prick!” he shoved you into the wall by your neck, trying to strangle you. “Look who’s got the balls!”

  “Not you… for… sure…” you tried mouthing, his hand gripping on your neck harder. Suddenly he stopped and left the hand down.

  “Step away from the poppet before I slice your neck open.”

  “Easy there, pal. I was only going to gently caress her face with fist.” The bully backed away from you and Oliver’s knife got away from his neck, only to be replaced by a swinging bat that missed his head a few cm.

  “Try anything funny and I’ll gently caress your skull with my bat.” Allen grabbed his collar and threw him on the floor strongly.

  “Hurt my family once more and your hair won’t be the only blue thing on your body.” Matt was holding a hockey stick close to his face.

  “Move your dirty ass from here and don’t show your ugly face ever again.” François blew the smoke from his cigar in his face then kicked him in the stomach, motivating him to get up faster and run away.

  “Poppet, are you alright?” Oliver asked while holding you close.

  “Oh, I am perfectly fine. Thank you for saving my guts.” You hugged him back tighter. “See, your family is here for ya.”

  The timer made a ding noise, announcing everyone that the cupcakes were done.

  “Matt, darling, would you be kind enough and deliver this to that dude? Make sure he eats it whole.” Ollie smirked while, just like the Cheshire cat, handing Matt the purple cupcake.

  “Of course, how could I not follow your request?” Matt smirked back, grabbing the desert and exiting the lab.

  “Oliver?”

  “Yes, poppet.”

  “What’s in that cupcake anyway?”

  “On… just my love… for him.”