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 Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 10:35 pm
Catch. Yuri resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Catch? Honestly, his restlessness wouldn't allow such a boring game, but he gave Oliver a tiny smile and nodded.
"We'll play catch," he promised, but he made sure not to say that they would only play catch. If they ended up finding something interesting and needed to follow it, well... Yuri knew he could protect Laurel if he needed to. He was confident in that.
Therefore, if he ended up disobeying, it wouldn't be a big deal... right?
He turned to Laurel and whispered, "Come on," and took his wrist in his hand. Giving Yves and Oliver a hurried wave, Yuri drifted toward the door with Laurel in tow. Looking over his shoulder, he added, "You'll like it outside. It's better than being inside. Even when it rains."
Yves watched them go with a suspicious look, but he shook his head and leaned his hip against a side table, arms crossed. "Kids will be kids," he mused, casting Oliver a sideways glance. His gaze then fell to the floor, and he bit his thumb in thought.
He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, thought against it, and closed his mouth again. Yves stood there in awkward silence for a few beats before finally looking back up.
"Oliver, uhm..."
He shook his head. "Nevermind. Sorry. What... what kind of tea do you have?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 10:59 pm
Laurel didn't know what Oliver had meant by catch, but if Yuri understood and seemed okay with the idea, then he didn't feel the need to question it. However, as his wrist was grabbed and he found himself being pulled toward the door, something made him feel like pulling away. Was he still overwhelmed? Was he worried about going outside? Or, was he worried about what Oliver was doing without him? The cheetah's lips twisted.
"W-what's rain?" He asked, glancing toward Oliver and Yves and then down to Yuri's hand. "And why is outside better than inside?"Oliver, like Yves, had a similar look on his face as Yuri and Laurel left, but his want for a nice cup of tea seemed to override that. If they got into any trouble, there was a good chance that they could handle it. Laurel's strength against that phone was a pretty good indication of that.
"Hm? Yeah?" He asked, blinking twice. Was Yves alright? He couldn't quite place it, but he almost looked nervous. Maybe Yves really had wanted to leave and he was being pushy by insisting that he stay? The thought disheartened him and his smile faltered, but when the conversation turned back to tea, he brought it back.
"All kinds, it really depends on what you're in the mood for!" He said, waving his hand as they entered the kitchen with a laugh. "I was thinking about a cup of Earl Grey for myself, but if you'd like something else, I'm sure I've got it somewhere in here."
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Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:47 pm
Yuri noticed Laurel's uneasiness and stopped at the door. Turning, he gave Laurel a concerned look. "If you don't want to, it's okay," he assured, worry knitting his brow. The last thing he wanted to do was push the newborn out of his comfort zone. He offered a bit of an awkward smile; even though he was eager to get to know Laurel better, he still found it a little hard to open up all the way. It was always scary for him, too, at first; despite that, he knew they would get along just fine down the road. He could feel it in his, well... bones.
"You have a lot to see," he said with a sagely nod. As if he were so seasoned, himself! "But there's no rush. I don't want you to, um, get scared or not have fun. I just wanted to show you some of the world around you. But if you don't want to, it's okay. Really."
Offering a sympathetic look, Yuri gripped Laurel's shoulder in his hand and then let go shortly after. "It's up to you. Do you want to explore or do you want to go back to your dad? I won't be mad either way, I promise."
Lifting the collar of his coat a bit, Yuri gave it a quick snap forward, like they did in the movies. "If you want to go, you can wear my coat," he tried, another smile forming.
Inside the kitchen, Yves could feel the air around himself and Oliver grow thicker and more awkward.
Because you're making it awkward, Yves reminded himself. He wasn't even sure why. Was it because he hadn't gotten out in a while? He rarely hung out with friends, it was work and then home to hang out with his pets and now, Yuri. Even when he did take the time to go out with friends, it wasn't this often. Somehow, Oliver had managed to become that constant in his life that he was afraid of ruining.
"P-pardon," Yves blurted, stopping by a counter. He looked down at it as if it were suddenly very interesting. "I... I have some anxiety, it makes me embarrassed and sometimes I do not know what to do or say. I hope you don't think that I do not want to be here."
He glanced back up at Oliver and sucked in a breath. "And... E-Earl Grey would be perfect, merci."
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 11:11 am
Laurel's ears flattened back. He didn't know what he wanted to do! Everything seemed to be coming at him all at once and it made deciding what to do very difficult. On one hand he was curious about the outside and what Yuri wanted to show him, but on the other hand he still wasn't used to everything going on the inside. It was a very difficult decision.
"Uhhhh... M-maybe?" He stuttered, his gaze flitting to Yuri's coat as he snapped it. ... That was a really cool coat, though, and he hadn't seen many coat yet. The cheetah pursed his lips and, eventually, nodded. "Okay! Can you show me how to put it on?"Yves' words had Oliver stopping point blank at the counter. Oh, was that it? Yves was feeling anxious? That was perfectly fine, there was absolutely no need for him to apologize! The professor swiveled and placed his hand on Yves' shoulder.
"That's okay, don't worry about it!" He exclaimed, offering the younger man a reassuring smile. "If it makes you feel any better, I get anxious too, usually in crowds or large social gatherings. I understand feeling embarrassed and not being able to find the words."
He paused and reached out for a set of tea cups that he'd left out earlier, and started preparing the tea. While he filled the kettle with water, he glanced to Yves and continued.
"You should know that you're very safe with me and that I genuinely appreciate your company." He said. "And, honestly, I don't think I'd have Laurel with me today if it hadn't been for your friendship and kindness. I knew so little about Lab 305 and almost gave up, but meeting you in the cafe that day really changed my perspective. I'm very grateful for that."
After setting his cup up and placing the kettle down to heat up, he found himself staring at Yves' cup and let out a short laugh.
"Feel free to bop me for this, but how much sugar do you take in your tea again?" He asked.
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 8:12 pm
Yuri grinned, flashing a glimpse of his rather sharp and pronounced canines at Laurel. "We can go back inside anytime," he said excitedly and, at Laurel's request, he removed his coat. The cold didn't bother him much, anyway, and he figured Laurel would get more use out of it. Holding the coat out, he prompted, "If you hold your arms out, um, I'll help you! It's just like a shirt but warmer."
Yuri didn't let himself get too carried away too often, but he and Laurel were similar enough that he almost felt like he had another family member already. He was so used to being the newborn who didn't know anything, which made it strange to have the tables turned. He had to be careful not to overwhelm Laurel further... what kinds of things did he want when he was just born?
While waiting to help Laurel with his coat, Yuri tucked his chin in a bit and thought and thought. Finally, after some deliberation, he tilted his head at Laurel, watching him closely.
"Laurel, what do you want to do?" he asked, lowering the coat. "If you don't want to go outside, it's okay. We don't even have to do anything, we can just sit down if you want and watch dad and Oliver make tea." The idea of literally doing nothing was the hardest thing to come to terms with, but Yuri was finally beginning to realize that he wasn't being very considerate of Laurel's feelings. He had to rectify that before he became a jerk. He could do anything for a friend!
A flush crept onto Yves' face and he did his best to ignore it. Absently, he waved a hand back and forth in the air, as if to dismiss a thought bubble that wouldn't go away. "Ah, um, I like a lot of sugar... merci."
Distractedly, he ran his hand along the side of the counter, looking down to watch his fingertips trail across the surface. "You know, I... I think you give me far too much credit, Oliver." Growing flustered, he added sheepishly, "I only... I was only in the coffee shop by chance! You always had it in you, whether I was there or not..."
Oliver didn't know? He'd helped Yves out, too. Meeting another person involved with the lab, on a whim like that, had helped him grow more confident in his decision. A friendly face had shared a quick cup of coffee and Yves had never looked back. At that point, he felt like Oliver had made an impact on him, as well.
Above all else, he'd made a friend for life. He smiled at Oliver and then waves his hands in front of himself, clearly embarrassed. "I'm so sorry, I am being very... ah... melodramatic today! It isn't like me. Actually, it is just like me. Now you see my 'charming host' personality is just a ruse for my job. Are you sure you want to keep me?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 9:05 pm
Laurel actually hadn't tried wearing a shirt yet, but Yuri didn't need to know that. However, the redhead did have some experience with a blanket and, after giving the coat another once over, decided that it was similar enough for a comparison. He held his arms out, much like a plane, and waited for Yuri to place the coat on him.
"Uhm..." He muttered, pausing to consider what Yuri asked. What did he want to do? His lips, again, formed a tight purse and gradually formed a pout. Why was everything so difficult? He wiggled in place.
"I... Want to be near my dad and be with you." He answered, sheepishly. "I-is that okay?" A lot of sugar? Oliver stifled a laugh. Did that mean two scoops? Three scoops? Four? He couldn't imagine having more than two scoops in his tea, but to each their own! He grabbed the sugar bowl and added the sugar carefully, the most liberal amount going into Yves'.
The professor found himself pausing again as Yves spoke, and this time, he didn't quite know how to reply. He wanted so badly to say that it was never always within him, the drive to become a guardian. He wanted to talk about how he'd spent many nights thinking that he was a complete fool for trying, that his application was never going to be accepted, that his presence in the community wasn't valued or heard. But now that they each had their sons hovering around before them, that kind of talk felt fruitless and meaningless. He sighed.
"It goes both ways, Yves." He replied, giving a side glance to the kettle. "You give me too much credit when we were both there by chance, and though I may be somewhat of an intellectual type at heart, I still believe in things like fate and destiny even if they sound a bit silly. I think we met for a reason, on some level, and it's why we get along so well and why our boys were able to meet."
And, if he were to be truly honest, Laurel and Yuri's wings were also a fine indicator of how the universe made things work. They were a bit like bone brothers, raised by two different blond men who liked the same kind of coffee and each had one cat and one dog. There had to be something cosmic to that, even if it were small.
"How can it be a ruse if I still find you charming right now?", he thought, his hand moving up to adjust his collar. It was a genuine thought, really, but not one he found appropriate to say in this situation, or at all. It might make poor Yves more embarrassed. Instead, Oliver took a breath and nodded firmly.
"Yes I do, and if I didn't want to keep you, I wouldn't be answering my telephone at eight in the morning every day or insisting that you bring Yuri over and have tea with me." He said, grinning. "But I pose the same question back to you. Do you still want to keep me and my gradually graying head around, or would you rather not be caught hanging around with such an old geezer?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 11:03 pm
"Of course it's okay," Yuri responded, but he still floated closer and once again held the coat up. "If you still wanna wear this, that's okay, too. I'll help you."
He sucked in a quick breath and let it out. Boy, that had been close. He could have caused poor Laurel to have a breakdown or something if he'd kept forcing him out the door. Remembering back to when he was born, Yuri loved to wander and explore, but that was him. Laurel was Laurel. At the same time, Yuri also valued his privacy and space and had kept to his room a lot for the first few days. He looked at Laurel with admiration; the newly born frei was really being incredibly brave today.
Thinking about the coat, Yuri was grateful that their wings were so similar, which meant it would be easy to allow Laurel to wear it with ease. He gestured by wriggling the coat a little in his direction and offered a small smile.
"You know, um, I bet Oliver will be happy to hear you wanted to spend time with him," Yuri said, his smile growing. Yves always worried so much about whether Yuri was comfortable or happy, but he noticed that some of the best days for his guardian seemed to involve simply spending time with those he cared about.
The talk of destiny and fate caused Yves to look at Oliver with a strange face, but he didn't comment on it. He, too, kind of believed in that thing. At the same time, he felt foolish for it. But there were some coincidences in the world that were too convenient or too strange to simply shrug off. He felt that receiving Yuri, joining the lab, everything, it was all meant to be. It was difficult to voice that to a lot of people, though.
That was part of why he liked Oliver so much. They could talk for hours about nothing or everything, and he didn't feel silly for speaking his mind to the older man. There were times when he worried he was being a bother, or imposing himself too much, but Oliver usually put his mind at ease pretty quickly.
Only if he brought it up, of course. The man wasn't a mind reader then, and he wasn't now. Yves could see that he was being difficult and he felt bad for making Oliver put up with that. Sometimes he grew so frustrated with himself, he didn't know what to do.
Oliver's sudden reversal of the question made Yves blink and look at him with wide eyes. "What?" he asked, incredulously. His mouth hung open for a second but he quickly closed it and then took a couple steps toward Oliver.
Poking him in the chest he frowned up at him. "What does grey hair matter? I happen to like it! And I like older m--"
He cut himself off before he finished his sentence, face lighting up like fireworks against the sky.
"I-I mean! I mean..." How was he going to save this? His mind reeled and he leaned back against the counter once more for support. "Ah, hold on. I meant to say I like... I like..."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I like how you always listen to me," Yves began, choosing each word carefully. He looked down at the ground as he spoke. "I like how you are nice to Yuri, and how patient you are. I like spending time with you. You... you are a very, very dear friend to me, and age or hair has nothing to do with that. Why would that matter? I am nearly thirty, Oliver, I am not exactly a hip young teenager, myself."
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:27 pm
Oh, he was supposed to go toward Yuri to get the coat on, that made more sense. Laurel hovered closer and reached out for the coat, before looking up to Yuri as he spoke. ... It really didn't matter to him if his father was happy that he wanted to spend time with him, Laurel only wanted to be closer to him because he felt nervous. There was so much he didn't understand and, really, Oliver was the only thing so far that he felt he understood. He was glad that Yuri wasn't upset with him, though. That felt like an important thing not to do.
"I want to wear the coat because I've never worn one before." He explained, nodding toward it. "... And, uh... Do you think Yves phone will be happy that we wanted to stay inside? What is Yves phone like?"With the kettle now bubbling beside him, Oliver was preparing to turn and lift it off the heat just as Yves approached to poke him. The action itself made Oliver chuckle and grin, but what followed afterward nearly sent him to his knees roaring with laughter. Oh, oh, did he now? Did Yves really like older men? A scarlet hue dashed across Oliver's cheeks, both from laughing so hard and his own embarrassment, and nearly slapped his face trying to hide it.
Finally, the kettle let out a long blowing whistle and he had to turn in order to address it. While he shakily poured the water into their mugs and tried to calm down, he listened as best he could to Yves and gave him a bit of a pout. Was Yves really trying to take that back? Sure, his reaction to the comment had been less than calm and dignified, but he still considered it a compliment. He set the kettle back down and huffed.
"I know you're trying to save face," He began, stifling another chuckle. "But you should know that I take that as a compliment. I'm an old man now. If a cute younger gentleman such as yourself thinks something of me, then I greatly appreciate it."
He paused, his hand moving to rub the back of his head.
"Though, I do apologize for laughing so hard. I didn't know how else to react at first." He continued, sheepishly. "I hope you know that I wasn't making fun of you."
Then, he took a breath, and smiled.
"I enjoy spending time with you too, Yves, which is part of the reason why you were the first person to know about Laurel being born." He said, leaning down to look Yves in the eye. "And sure, you're not a young hip teenager, but you are a wonderful young man with a great job, a beautiful son, and a very kind heart. I appreciate you for the very same reasons you appreciate me, and I don't think I would have that any other way."
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:09 pm
The coat had been modified -- most of his shirts were -- to fit his wings. The only way to allow them to fit was to create a vertical slit through the back, a hole long enough to allow the wings to go through without squishing them too much. Thankfully, Yves was a great seamster, and he was able to cut each article of clothing and re-sew to avoid fraying.
Yuri drifted around Laurel and helped him with the coat. Laurel had a fairly muscular build, like himself, but he was able to sport the coat with just a little room to spare. It was kind of hard for Yuri to find sleeves that accommodated his guns, as Yves had so eloquently put it.
His ears perked up at the mention of his guardian. "Yves? Of course he'll be happy. And, um... it's just Yves. Not Yves phone. His name doesn't have 'phone' in it at all."
He floated back to face Laurel and inspected how his coat looked. It was a dark charcoal color, made of a thick and durable material, and it had the faux fur lining around the hood that Yuri was so used to. Yves didn't know if his original shirt was real fur or not, but he always made it a point to never shop real fur when expanding Yuri's wardrobe.
Yuri scratched his chin. "Yves, um, worries about what people think a lot. He's actually stressed out a lot, but he always takes really good care of me. He works really hard, too."
He could hear Oliver and Yuri talking in the kitchen. For some reason, they were making a lot of noise. Yuri's ears swiveled in their direction, and he nodded toward the kitchen and looked at Laurel. "Let's go see what they're up to," he suggested. "Dad might be embarrassing himself, haha..."
Yves, meanwhile, was trying to decide if he wanted to crawl into the garbage can or bolt out the front door. Either way, he needed to hide. Or run. Or run and hide. Oliver's sudden outburst of laughter had definitely not helped his situation. Yves' face erupted into the brightest shade of red it could muster -- bless it, it was trying so hard -- and he felt like shrinking away when Oliver drew close.
Looking incredulous, he managed a distressed noise. "Cu..."
Cute. He'd called him cute. He was used to older women crooning at him and complimenting his baby face, and it did embarrass him but not to this extent. Never like this. God damn it. He was already nervous today. If he'd known the forecast called for complete humiliation, he would have probably stayed home.
Drawing inward defensively, Yves found himself backing up and stammering, "I-I think I have embarrassed myself enough for one day, I have to... to..."
His escape was hampered, however, by the solid form of Yuri and Laurel floating behind him. Yves looking over his shoulder at Yuri with wide eyes, and Yuri gave him an alarmed look in response.
"Are you okay?" he asked, eyebrows disappearing into his bangs. He instinctively reached out to put his hands on Yves's shoulders, protectively. "Um..."
His voice drifted off and he looked at Oliver, startled. He didn't want to think that Oliver had done something to Yves, but he couldn't just rule it out right off the bat, no matter how much he liked the other guardian. His mouth turned down into a frown and he floated there, awkwardly, his grip -- albeit gentle -- rooting Yves to his spot. Yves wished he could sink into the ground and disappear, but that didn't seem like it was going to happen.
Trying to wriggle free, Yves wondered if his face would just melt off already at the rate it was heating up. God damn it. God damn it. He could have dealt with it gracefully, he could have even ignored it, but it was too late now.
But he wasn't ready to confront it, either. Drawing in a deep breath, Yves closed his eyes, counted to three in his head, and then looked up at Yuri.
"Nothing is wrong," he promised, giving Yuri an unconvincing smile. Yuri wrinkled his nose, confused, but accepted it and let Yves go. Yves smoothed out his shirt.
"We were just... about to have tea." He glanced down at the floor and then back up at Oliver. "Right... Oliver?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:00 am
Laurel pulled the coat close to himself and looked down to it. The fit of it was pretty good, and it was nice and cozy. ... Did he have to give it back? He pursed his lips and brought them into a smile.
"Oh, Yves, not Yves phone. Okay." He replied. He didn't really understand the difference, but if Yuri knew Yves best, then he would rely on the information that he had. "Um, what's stressed? Is that when he starts wiggling and making noise like he did before? I didn't like that."
It was only when Yuri pointed out the noise in the kitchen that Laurel noticed it. The noise didn't immediately concern him, but it did make him curious, and it was clear that most of the noise was due to Oliver. What were they up to? He followed Yuri into the next room. Oliver's face drained of color and stretched into a profound look of concern. Oh no, he'd done the complete opposite of what he'd been trying to do! All he'd wanted to do was make Yves feel better, but now he looked like he wanted to run away! The professor took a step back, bumping into the counter behind him, and held his breath. Stammering, backing away, blushing so heavily... Poor Yves! What had he done?
"I-I'm so-" He started, before his words were cut short by Yuri's presence. Oh no, oh no, this wasn't good. The last thing he wanted was to upset both Yves and Yuri. He pressed himself further against the counter and threw his hands up. "What's happening?" Laurel asked, drifting toward the opposite side of the counter and leaning over. "Why is Yves all red and why are you in the corner, dad?"Oliver glanced to Laurel and noted the genuine confusion on his face. So much had happened today, was he really okay? Did he understand what was going on? The blond's lips twisted in knots and, slowly, he lowered his hands to his side and breathed.
"It's okay, Laurel, nothing to worry about." He answered, giving him the most convincing smile he could muster. "We were talking and, uh..."
He looked to the teacups, already steeped and ready to go, and looked to Yves. ... No, he didn't want Yves to suffer another minute here if he didn't have to. He turned for the cupboard and grabbed a to-go mug.
"Yves was just saying that he thought it was time for them to go, so you and I could have some time together." He lied, pouring Yves' tea into the travel mug and offering it to him. "I... really appreciate that you came today, Yves. Please, take this and... We'll see each other again soon."Logue IDK IF THIS IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR A CLOSER OR NOT. If you wanted to do maybe one more post??? It's up to you!
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Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 8:50 pm
He'd made his bed, and now he had to lie in it. Yves felt an uncomfortable knot forming in his stomach, a strange sort of dread that meant he was either about to cry or throw up. He prayed for the willpower to avoid doing either while he was in Oliver's house; it worked.
God, Oliver looked so ******** sad. Was he disappointed in his reaction? Did he just feel bad for how he'd laughed? No, he was probably just upset because Yves apparently had forgotten how to take a joke. That was all it was, right? A joke?
Yves wished he could gather himself and explain that it really hadn't been that big of a deal. He wasn't mad, he wasn't annoyed, it hadn't even been Oliver's fault at all. He'd started out his day nervous and anxious for some ungodly reason, and it had come to a head here, in Oliver's kitchen. Oliver had just happened to get caught in the crossfire.
He had overreacted. Big time. But now that the deed was done, it was impossible to just 'come back' from it. He ordered his brain to tell his mouth to form the words that would rectify the whole situation, allow them to all sit down and laugh over some tea just like they always did. Couldn't they just act like they always did?
Yuri practically wilted, his ears pinning back and a distraught look appearing on his face. He hovered closer to Laurel, as if that would keep him there.
"I don't want to leave yet," he insisted, his tone dripping disappointment. He looked at Oliver. "Do we really have to go?"
Yves shook his head and held his hands out to the travel mug, gently pushing it back toward Oliver. "W-we don't... we don't have to go," he said, looking from Oliver to Yuri, and then back to Oliver. "I'm so sorry, Oliver, I'm... I'm an idiot. I..."
"We'll go," Yuri interrupted. His ears were still down, but he exhaled and drifted back over to Yves. He didn't know what had happened, but he knew that whatever it was, it had greatly upset his guardian. He needed to be there for him instead of being selfish; there would always be more time to play with Laurel. And, honestly, he felt that the young frei could use a break, too.
"Yuri--" Yves started. He was stopped by Yuri, who put a hand on his shoulder and drew him close to his side in a protective manner.
"Dad, it's okay."
It wasn't okay, Yves knew that and he felt that Yuri did, too. He fought hard to keep tears back and once more succeeded, but it was close this time. Filled with regret, he relented and bade Oliver and Laurel farewell. He lingered in front of Oliver for a moment, looking like he wanted to say something, but he didn't. His gift remained in his wallet, and he didn't bring that up, either. He didn't do anything right today.
Oliver and Laurel saw them out. Yuri had said his goodbyes to both and, on his way out the door, had told Laurel to hold onto his coat for him. He hesitated, and then reached out and ruffled Laurel's hair. "Get some rest," he insisted, a soft smile replacing his typically stern features. "I'll see you soon."
I'll see you soon. Yves got into his car, Yuri buckled up, and they turned around. Yves said nothing as they pulled out of the driveway.
Glancing up, he watched Oliver grow smaller and smaller in his rear view mirror, until he disappeared from sight.
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