Octogoblin Ficlet Collection

Theme Tracks: 

"Happiness" by Rex Orange County

"Japanese Denim" by Daniel Caesar

"Daydreamer" by Adele

"Nothing" by Bruno Major

"Honeymoon Avenue" by Ariana Grande

"Like or Like Like" by Miniature Tigers

"All Night Parking Interlude" by Adele

January 10th, 6:00 A.M. 

"Otto, honey, you up?" 

Six in the morning. A gentle snow storm raining down on the apartment outside, with blue-ish gray hues hazily coming through the blinds adjacent to their bed.

"Mm… I'm up."

A college student, but not an amateur. Freshly enrolled into his junior year, turning 21 today. Otto Octavius. 

Otto shifted from his ever-comforting position in bed, pulling the pillow back up from where he had draped his leg over. He struggled to open his eyes, fighting off the lingering tiredness from a worthless night of sleep.

He turned to the open bathroom door attached to their bedroom, hoping Rosie would be out soon. 

The call of a few stray, bleak branches knocked against the window behind the blinds as he truly woke for the day, coming to terms with a rising morning. The young man's body was but a fuzzy outline in the bedroom, his image growing crisp and sharp around the edges as he flipped the switch to the overhead light in their closet. 

Otto came to the decision of a chestnut brown sweater, a cream colored T-shirt to put underneath, and a pair of ivory slacks. His auburn leather boots would have to make do with the powder coming down outside. 

He made quick work of getting dressed- Rosie still had yet to see more than his unclothed chest. For each night he had gotten ready for bed with Rosie, he was always in sweatpants or pajama pants at least. With winter, he had the legitimate excuse of cold weather to cover up at night, meanwhile Rosie soaked up his warmth in bed.

For Otto, it was a normal day, nothing in particular other than his growing love for his girlfriend. For her, it was Otto's birthday, and she hadn't been around last year in time to celebrate. 

He was never one to celebrate- hell, he didn't know that a birthday was something most consider to be "special". It wasn't a very lucky childhood, put shortly.

Now fully clothed and close to ready for the day, Otto made his way to the bathroom, standing beside the doorway where his line of vision avoided the entrance. "Almost done, Rose?" 

"Just about, I just need to do one more thing." She answered.

A couple different-sounding clicks and clacks on the counter sounded from inside, raising interest in the waiting man's mind. What was she doing in there? 

Otto leaned against the wall and rolled his thumbs over each other, letting the moments pass as he waited patiently. Within a few minutes, Rosie's head popped out of the doorway, bearing a smile.

"Well, get in here! You're acting like you're my brother or something." She giggled.

Otto's face went red. "Oh." 

He turned the corner and followed after his girl, pausing in place to admire her. 

"Rosie, that sweater looks gorgeous on you!" He squawked.

"Thank you… but, there's more." Rosie motioned to her ears.

The earrings Otto had gotten Rosalie after the first month they'd been together- pear-cut opals in silver, framed on her ears by the hazelnut hair tucked behind them. 

Otto stepped forward and held his arms out, offering a hug, which was gladly accepted. 

"I love those on you. I love you." He mumbled into her hair, grinning like an idiot.

Rosie laughed. "I love you too, Otto." 

She pulled away and made an effort to hold his hands in hers despite their size, "Now, come on. I wanna have a day out." 

Otto made a face. "Today? But… it's snowing. It's not safe to drive." 

"Then we'll walk! Trust me, the place I want to take you to isn't far. Plus, I'll have my portable heater with me." Rosie patted at his sleeved arm and offered another smile. 

"..." Otto chewed on the inner bit of his lower lip, contemplating. "Okay." 

"Hah! Yes!" 

-

"Sooo… where is it we're walking to?" Otto asked his significant other.

They cut through the sound of a whistling winter breeze and the crunch of a thin layer of snow forming on the sidewalk.

Their fingers intertwined between the threaded layer of glove material, hands swinging between their bodies as they walked. 

"You know, I don't mind the snow. It's pretty." 

"Really?" Rosie snickered.

"Don't go getting any ideas…" Otto groaned.

"Oh like you wouldn't punt a chunk of ice at me!" 

"I would not!" 

"Mhm, sure." 

Otto looked over and shot Rosie a frustrated pout.

Rosie recognized his half-hearted worry, letting out a laugh, "Honey, I know you wouldn't actually. It's alright!" 

The taller of the two let out a sigh, continuing onwards before abruptly being yanked back.

"Hey, we're here, silly." 

"Oh."

Otto made a beeline behind Rosie as they walked into a small diner squeezed between two taller, official-looking buildings. 

He rushed to the door and pulled it open for Rosie, following after while rubbing his hands together for warmth.

"Booth for two, please." Rosalie told one of the front waiters.

"C'mon," She started, motioning for Otto behind her. "The table is waiting, love." 

Otto nodded willingly and matched her steps behind the waiter showing them to their booth- it was closer to the back beside a window and relatively quiet.

As they both sat, the waiter began, "What can I get started for you two this morning? Coffee is half off before eight, so you're in luck!"

"Oh, um… I'll actually have the green tea, please. You?" Rosie ordered and turned to Otto, waiting for his answer. 

"Me too, thank you." 

"Alrighty, I'll have that out to you both in just a few minutes!" The waiter chirped, clicking his pen.

-

"That was amazing, love." Otto mumbled, setting his fork down. 

Rosie smiled from across the table, cheering in reply, "It was! I don't think I'll ever eat an omelet that big again, though. I mean… that was massive." 

"It was- I'm impressed. Either way, thank you for taking me here, but… what's the special occasion…?" 

Otto fiddled with his used napkin and folded it at its corners around the silverware on his cleared plate as he awaited an answer.

"Well, I mean… it's January 10th, and-"

"Hello! Are you folks ready for the bill?" 

The waiter arrived at the table's end with a smile as he picked up their plates, unaware of the unfortunate interruption. 

"I've got it, don't worry." Otto insisted.

His efforts were cut short with no reply.

As Rosie pulled the bill from his hands, he stared in confusion. 

Otto raised a hand to the tabletop with one finger extended and his jaw open to say something, anything, his lover handed the man at the end of the table the elongated leather folder with a tip enclosed in it.

They both left in silence- one immensely pleased, one utterly lost. 

-

"Rosie… um, may I ask- why- why did you take the bill from me?" Otto circled Rosalie from behind as she flipped through a yellow pages book back at the apartment. 

He began to take his jacket off in frustration with her silence, but a protest was made.

"Ah ah, no. Don't take that off, we're still going somewhere, silly. I just have to find the address," She glanced back and flashed her hazel eyes upwards, "And I just felt like it, was all."

"Uh…" Otto shuffled back into his sleeves and tugged the jacket back over his shoulders, "Okay." 

-

The flickering warmth of a fireplace greeted Rosalie and Otto as they entered the bookshop. Petite notes traveled surprisingly across the wooden flooring from speakers, playing gentle piano tones over the air. Vanilla swayed the many aged scents of pages thumbed through, and twilight hints of dew coated each oak tabletop.

"Oh wow…" Otto gaped, swiveling his head around like an owl. 

"Go on. Go look, love." Rosie patted the small of Otto's back and encouraged him onward.

Otto had wandered away a few times from Rosie as she searched through mounds of books on different shelves, but it wasn't long before her stray came around again and again. 

The taller of the two grew tired at the hands of the bookstore warmth and the wafts of warm, sweet smells. It wouldn't be long before he would knock out, but he had to stay awake for Rosie- although he could sleep standing up at this point.

"Mm, Rosie?" He nudged.

Rosie turned in Otto's direction, but didn't raise her eyes from the book she was flipping through, "Yes, love?"

"Is it okay if I go ahead and go look for a few books?"

Rosie paused and shut the book she found herself previously lost in. "Oh, honey. You don't have to ask me that, of course! Go ahead, I'll be here in this section for a while."

Otto's lips curled upwards. "Thank you." 

As he turned to leave, Rosie interjected. 

"Otto?" 

"Huh?"

"I love you, honey."

Otto turned bright red, even despite those words being a common occurrence. 

"I love you too." 

-

By the time Otto had found himself dozing off against the fireplace, he had gathered three science fiction books subject to his critical imagination. Not surprisingly, they all revolved around space travel.

He sat on the wooden floorboards, leaning against the raised brick surface with his arms pulled to the side, lazily crossed and cradling his head. 

Rosie approached the secluded area, perking up at the sight of Otto. Her flourished mind grew dark and confused though at the sight of him asleep- was he that tired? Was he okay? 

As the woman crouched down, she kept quiet and collected the books her lover must have accumulated on his journey to the corner of the store and smiled down on him before going to pay at the counter opposite to this side of the store.

By the time she returned, her lover had slumped farther against the bricks with his face huddling in the crooks of his folded arms.

"Honey?" Rosie prodded, gently lifting Otto's chin.

"Mmn…" Otto whined, protesting, opening his eyes.

"Baby," Rosie let out a chuckle and cupped the side of his face, "I think you got a little tired, there. Do you want to go home?" 

Otto's eyes swirled, as if obsidian turned to liquid and flowed around in his irises as he focused upwards. "Yes, please. If that's okay."

"Mhm. I'll call an Uber, okay?" She brushed her thumb over his cheek and sat down on the ground in front of him prior to setting the paper bag filled with his books down.

"You don't have to, I wanna walk…" Otto mumbled, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes. 

"You're sure?" 

"Mhm, I'm sure."

"Okay." 

Rosie retracted her hand from her pocket where her phone hid and stood in synchronization with Otto, taking his hand in hers. All she could hope for is a possible absence of attention towards the bag- she didn't want to muster up a lie, even if it were to cover up a surprise.

It wasn't a long walk through the layers of snow that had gathered between their adventures, but it became a messy one. 

A few snowballs tossed here and there, a few playful shoves, a few kisses. It felt like Christmas for them all over again, yet it was already January. 

The door latched shut with a satisfactory "click" from their sliding lock. 

Otto turned on his heel and followed into the kitchen after removing his boots and his jacket, letting out a hefty sigh. 

Rosie took notice of this, "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing, sorry.." Otto shook his head.

This isn't right… I have to tell her eventually, right? I can't sleep that well. It's… fine. I'll talk to her after I nap. If I do.

"Otto…" Rosie's voice grew stern.

Otto's least favorite tone rose in her throat, standing its ground.

"Okay, okay… I'll spill. But, can we- could…" Otto stopped in his tracks and bit his lip, contemplating the possible stupidity to sound if he asked.

Rosie's footsteps pitter-pattered into the kitchen and went quiet behind him. "What is it?"

Otto turned and averted his eyes elsewhere, "Is it okay if we… lay down‐ together‐ to talk?"

He shifted uncomfortably as Rosie's face lit up.

"Otto, we've been together for a year! You don't have to ask me that, for the last time, dummy." 

She paused and lifted a hand to his jaw, sliding it sweetly up to the hair beside his temple. "I know you want to respect my boundaries and be polite, but I promise you I'd tell you if I was uncomfortable or didn't want to do something. You're my boy- you treat me well, and nothings gonna change that." 

It wasn't long before Otto and Rosie were jumbled under the covers again, stuck in their outfits for the day, somehow resisting the inevitable wrinkles they'd have later on. 

The man laid his head on Rosie's chest from beside her, an arm splayed across her abdomen, his hand tucked between a blanket and her upper arm. 

"I just… didn't want to worry you. It's miniscule, anyways. It isn't insomnia- it doesn't happen all the time, it's just that last night was particularly low quality sleep. I mean… it didn't hit me until we were walking to the book shop…" 

Rosie carded her fingers through Otto's hair as he vented, feeling his every expression against her chest. 

"I thought it was cute that you curled up there, but if the cause was bad sleep, I don't know how 'cute' I can label that." Rosie joked.

Otto frowned.

"Hey! I'm only kidding, it's alright." Rosie laughed.

"I know… mmph." 

Otto turned inwards and nuzzled into the thick, knitted fabric of Rosie's sweater and sighed, this one much more content than the last. It wasn't long before he knocked out again, but Rosie couldn't stay too long. She still had a few more gifts- and dinner to order out for and bring back. She would have to sneak out, even if that raised suspicions later.

And man, was it a challenge.

Rosalie must have qualified to become an international secret agent with her slick maneuvering- how she managed to leave the apartment without waking Otto was beyond her comprehension. But, as impressive as that was, there was no time to waste. She had an organized list of things to get within the two hours she allowed herself- it was already just after 1 PM. 

"Okay… he wanted those Hana- whatever puzzles, he needs new polo vests… damnit, and that watch. Goodness, is the post office even open? That package better be there." 

Rosie rambled to herself the entire way to Target, she rambled herself down every children's toys aisle and rambled her way through the checkout lanes with four stupidly complex brainteaser puzzles and a pre-made Starbucks Frappuccino- mocha. She rambled herself into her seat belt, rambled on the gas pedal into downtown, grumbled through those 'stupidly arranged' shelves of shirts and vests in Ralph Lauren and finally, finally found herself at the post office- thank God it was open.

She sighed and tapped her foot in line, even checking her phone for a potential "Where the hell did my future wife go?!" message, but zilch. It took a fifteen minute drugged wait in line before she checked in with a worker, gave verification of ID and had the package handed over. 

Perfect timing- the forgotten variable.

Packaging.

Rosie thanked the employee, rushed out to the car and once again rambled her way to the nearest Walmart, rambled into the party aisle and rambled her weight from toe to toe, contemplating what to buy. 

Otto would enjoy a navy blue or mute forest-y green for the bags, but that's too cliché. I can't just do favorite colors… this has to be special. Fuck, why does this boy have to have his first actually birthday like this? Not polka dots. Ugly. Not stripes. Too basic. Not reflective- reflective? 

The woman stepped forward and furrowed her brows at the oddly opalescent covering on the rectangular bag before her. 

"Bingo."

-

It was a god-awful mess of additional tissue paper hills and snagged pricetags sitting in the backseat of Rosie's car as she "gift-wrapped" Otto's things. 

The four puzzles all went in one of the shiny bags, with a few Toblerone chocolate bars and a bag of on-sale candy hearts hiding at the bottom. Thereafter came two sweater vests, folded neatly in another bag- this one was your basic baby blue. To finish it off, the NASA-branded watch she had been secretly waiting for arrived in its own box, not far off from that of an engagement ring box, but bigger, and a little less velvety. 

It was a tense, anxious and preparing drive home in silence, but the biggest tasks of all were done, and in a much more favorable fashion than what she had previously planned for. Originally, it was just going to be her taking Otto to pick out what he wanted without being too obvious, but now she could still foster the "surprise birthday" idea. 

-

Chk. Clack.

The door locked with an unnecessarily loud click, as if it were scolding Rosie for sneaking out like that. 

"Otto, you up, love?" Rosie called, setting the bags in place on the coffee table. 

She wandered in an unanswered quietness to the bedroom, and much to her relief, found Otto was still asleep. 

Good. She had a little time to prepare. 

While Otto rested, she sat on the couch in the living area connected to the kitchen and ordered out a small lemon meringue set of cookies from a local bakery and had them ready to be delivered through that damned GrubHub app, along with Chinese food from their favorite takeout place not far from the apartment complex. 

This was going closer to perfect than she thought, and by the time shifting comforters and blankets sounded from the open bedroom door, it had arrived and been picked up and set back on the kitchen counter. 

"Otto! Hi, love." Rosie peeped her head into the room, purposely creating a barrier generally close to the doorway with her body in case he were to attempt 'escaping before she was ready.

"Mm… hi…" 

Otto's voice was rockier than usual- he must have hit a bad patch of rubble in his sleep. 

"Can we talk for a moment?" Rosie asked, stepping in as he maneuvered to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Oh, uh… okay." He looked over, seeming nearly appalled by the request.

"Don't worry, nothing bad."

Rosie prepared herself for the conversation and shut the door behind her before making her way to her love, sitting beside his figure.

"I know that today isn't very… significant to you, but um… I know today is your birthday. I'm aware you don't really celebrate- or remember it-" Rosie glanced over, nudging Otto, "-but, I wanted to do something different this year." 

She waited and allowed a period between that statement and the next to come, expecting Otto to reply. It had been an awkward half minute, so she continued,

"Otto, I… I don't understand how it was easy for you as a kid, not knowing, meaning you didn't feel opposed to the lack of birthdays. But, I saw something change when you were there with me for each of my own birthday parties as soon as we met, and I never knew how to handle that. It took a lot of observing. We don't need drinks or a big party or twenty people shouting over music, and I'm pretty confident you believe that, too." 

Rosie paused yet again and took a breath. Here it comes.

"Dove, you deserve to feel special every day. Every, single, day. But today, especially. If it weren't for your upbringing in this life, I wouldn't have discovered this kind of happiness that I don't just get to feel, but get to share with you. I love you predominantly for that reason, but beyond that, you know I love you for who you are… and I mean that. You shouldn't have been shut off from these fun opportunities as a child. I want to do all I can to replace that void- to fill it, and maybe repair it for good if I try hard enough." 

Otto sat with one arm around his waist and the other's elbow resting above, his hand over his mouth. Thinking. Feeling.

"I love you. It's your birthday, today. Today is your day from now on- like it should have been from the beginning. I'm so sorry nobody showed you how special you are before… so… happy birthday, my love." Rosie concluded softly.

Her lover let out what sounded like a sob, setting off all kinds of alarms and alerts in her head. 

Rosie pressed her hand lightly on Otto's thigh and the other on the small of his back, rubbing small circles as he let out what must have been years of enduring the unknown- sitting with what felt like nothing- what he wasn't even aware of. Beyond all of the abuse his father put him through, beyond all of the nasty words said and god-awful touching, the aspects of attention he unknowingly craved most as a child were neglected. 

Neglected no longer.

"I- thank you… thank you." Otto whimpered, covering his eyes. 

His downwards smile under the tears was worthwhile.

His emotionally vulnerable state required a while to process, but eventually Otto found his way back to the here-and-now.

"Otto, there's still more, but… I have to show, not tell. Are you okay, or do you need a few?" Rosie interjected through the white noise of the bedroom.

"No, no," Otto waved a hand and wiped his eyes with the other, sniffling. "I'm fine, I'm good." 

"Okay."

"And Otto?"

"Yeah…?" 

Rosie turned Otto with two fingers under his chin, pulling him into a quick kiss. 

"I love you. I mean it." She whispered, resting their foreheads together. 

"I love you." Otto repeated.

-

"You're… you… you didn't have to…" 

Otto's face distorted between too many overwhelming feelings, spanning from regret and self-hatred to pure, concentrated gratitude.

Tears escaped from the inner and outer corners of his maplewood eyes, running like streams down his cheeks, leaving clear skin-stains behind. 

"This… this is so- I just-" 

The man stammered in place, grimacing at the thoughts in his head, determined to prove him undeserving of everything laid out before him on the kitchen counter; a pastel box full of his favorite cookies, and two trays with their favorite noodles. 

"Rosie, you didn't have to…" Otto murmured.

Rosie wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and rested the side of her face against his shoulder. "Don't say that. I wanted to." 

While Otto was emotionally occupied with the scene set out, Rosie strayed from him into the living area to complete the finishing touches. 

She turned on their little TV and went onto YouTube. It took a painfully long time to type with the TV remote, but it was worthwhile as Adele's "All Night Parking Interlude" sounded.

Otto's head perked up slightly in the direction of the music, spotting a hand extended. "Dance? … Now?" 

"C'mere." Rosie giggled. 

Otto scrambled from behind the kitchen counter and patted his sweater down- as if he had to impress Rosie for the first time, all over again. 

As naturally as possible, their fingers met and slipped between the ones beside them, interlocking. Otto's height easily overtook Rosie's being, but it wasn't minded. 

They swayed, sharing a silence only they acknowledged that the music may never know of, Otto's chin atop Rosie's head. Those two and a half minutes of music and half-assed dancing were the cherries atop this birthday scoop of icecream day Otto was given- it was unlike anything he had ever been allowed, birthday or not.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you." Otto settled with his thoughts, guiding Rosalie to the couch.

"But Otto, you do. You deserve more than just me, goodness…" 

And there they would sit to discuss the mass of emotions flooding through. It wasn't comfortable, but it was necessary, and it was healthy to do. It wasn't often Rosie saw this side of Otto so clearly- he was emotionally expressive on a level higher than most of his peers, but this was different.

-

"I just, I know none of it was my fault. It isn't my responsibility, but they're my memories, and I have to live with them, so I feel responsible for every part of them. It's just… I dunno. I don't feel like a good person because I feel responsible for the bad parts just as much as I do for associating with the good parts. It feels so desolate sometimes, I don't know how else to explain it. You took away that desolate feeling." 

Rosalie's hazel gaze turned softer by the second. She begged for a chance at eye contact, staring at Otto's irises from a side angle, watching as they darted around the floor, encapsulated and glazed over with tears. 

"It's okay for the mind to be weary." She reassured with a hand, warm and comforting, resting on Otto's. 

"Can you look at me, please?" Rosie begged, raising her hand to Otto's chin.

Otto turned his head with sorry eyes, much like a dog giving puppy eyes.

"You're alright, my love. He's not here to hurt you anymore." 

The corners of Otto's mouth quivered, fighting the curve downwards. 

"Can I kiss you?" Rosie asked.

Otto let out a laugh through his tears and nodded, trying to offer a smile. 

She took her time, grateful for her lover's stillness where they sat. 

Rosie traced Otto's jawline and took many glances at his expecting eyes, only claiming his lips once his expectations settled. She could heartbeat soft hiss of his sharp breathing as he rested his hands on each side of her face, ignoring his inwardly resistance to touch derived in insecurities and fears. 

Their shared focus on the kiss diverted any previous intentions to open presents and eat- the Chinese could go cold and the cookies could go stale; he didn't mind.

This was a moment he would never forget.