#olitteo

“7pm. Albie’s. Will you be there?” Dom’s demanding tone took Ollie out of his trance as he begun to load his things into his locker.

“What? When, tonight?”

“Erm yes, Ollie. It is New Year’s Eve today, you know?”

Ollie didn’t even notice the date until Dom had made that comment. He was way too sleep deprived and done with the world to even recognize such insignificant details. His brain never really caught up with him until he realized that he’d nodded in response to the question. So, now he found himself in Albie’s wearing a shirt that fit his frame awkwardly and a bottle of beer in his hand as if to make up for his lack of complete masculinity. The entire situation seemed forced. In one corner of the group there was Raf and Essie stood being sickeningly romantic and soppy whilst in another, Dom was trying to cover up the fact that his relentless flirting with Lofty was actual flirting. It was like this for a good couple of hours until Hanssen and Matteo arrived. Ollie began to feel himself perking up a little as Matteo came and slumped himself down on the chair next to his with his famous amount of silky hair and his general broadness making his presence much more obvious. Ollie had found himself paying the man a lot more attention as of late. They’d been spending a lot of time working together on Darwin but Ollie could sense it was something more than that which had drawn him to the man. Maybe it was the way that Matteo was honest to a degree which made Ollie aware of his own aspirations or the way that Matteo was the only friend which seemed to show any interest in his life beyond how Zosia was doing. Matteo Rossini was an attractive man. That was something that Ollie could never deny. He fit the bill of being tall, dark and handsome to a tee paired with a killer smile and a husky accent to match. Okay, so maybe Ollie did have a tiny crush on the surgeon but it wasn’t as if he was the only one - he was a likeable guy.

“Oliver, I really was not expecting to see you here this evening.” Matteo said lightheartedly breaking the silence. Ollie nodded, feeling himself become slightly flustered as though the man could read his thoughts.

“Oh, well, erm, you know. I told Dom I’d come and you know how he gets if someone doesn’t go through with things.”

“Ah, yes. If Mr. Copeland knows you anywhere near as much as I do, he was probably just saving you from another night spent moping around at home watching some tragic Netflix series.” Matteo flashed one of his signature smirks towards Ollie. His confidence was enough to make anybody envious. Another couple of hours passed yet these seemed to occur much more quickly with the rate that Ollie and Matteo were sat talking about life in general. Matteo spoke about life in Italy and all of the things he had experienced before Holby whilst Ollie sat and listened, taking in every word.

“GUYS, GIRLS AND ANYONE ELSE, WE HAVE 10 MINUTES LEFT OF THIS YEAR.” Dom drunkenly exclaimed from the bar, practically draped around Lofty who seemed equally as intoxicated. Ollie watched, disappointed as Matteo engaged in conversation with Jac. Part of Ollie wondered if there was still a spark between the pair, especially since Nina was no longer in the picture. He wouldn’t admit it aloud but he hoped more than anything that there wasn’t. Even if Ollie would never have the man as anything more than a friend, he didn’t think he’d be able to cope if he had to watch him and Jac together. A few minutes passed and Ollie wandered over to the bar settling on a glass of white wine to see him through until the new year came. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, the music which played stopped and Dom was stood on a table, lofty stood admirably looking up at him whilst the group counted down from ten. He subconsciously scanned the room, hoping to see the surgeon he was so deeply fond of. A wave of disappointment washed over him as the year reached the final five seconds.

“FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO… ONE - HAPPY NEW YEAR” filled Albie’s as a large, tan hand spun Ollie around by his shoulder and a pair of soft, skillful lips landed on his own. The kiss was slow and passionate, even more so when Ollie registered that Matteo Rossini was the one who had initiated it. Both men took their time, feeling themselves become enraptured in it. This is what kissing was supposed to feel like. It felt like an eternity before either man pulled away, not that this was an issue for Ollie. He looked up into Matteo’s loving eyes, thrilled to discover that at least some of the feelings which Ollie had for him were mutual and that he was right to feel like there was something between them.

“Happy New Year, Mr. Valentine.” Matteo whispered, placing a hand gently under Ollie’s chin. Ollie felt his chest warm. The whisper was almost as if the beginning of the new year held sentiment only to those two. An offer of something new and something that both men had been craving for so long.