He drags me into another shop and we float over to a display of colognes. I take my hand from Calvin's to test a few, so instead, he moves his hand to rest on my hip. 

A young shop assistant walks up to us and addresses Calvin, "Do you and your boyfriend need help or are you just browsing?" She asks cheerfully. 

I choke on the scent of a perfume and can't recover enough to force a reply. Calvin steps in, trying not to laugh at me. "We're just browsing thanks," he says, dismissing her politely. 

"Okay, just give us a shout if you need some help!" she smiles before turning on her heels to serve some other customers. 

I look up at Calvin and he looks down at me, "Boyfriend huh?" he says, distracting me from my state of embarrassment. He guides us away from the crowd to talk more privately. 

I was so startled by the fact that someone approached us that I didn't really notice that she called us boyfriends. It's lucky she read the situation right, otherwise that would've been extremely embarrassing for her. But... we haven't exactly labelled our relationship yet, even though we technically do everything boyfriends do, but I think that's just because we've felt like we haven't needed to or maybe because we shouldn't. I mean, it's not technically legal. 

I push the insecurity away and look up at Calvin, feeling a warmth building on my cheeks. "Do you want me to be?" 

He leans down, brushing his thumb across my pink dusted cheek and kisses me softly on the lips. Then he smirks, "I thought we were already." 

It's not long before the caffeine really kicks in and gives me the placebo energy I've been waiting for. We stumble around a few of the shops, going between ones we've seen before, one's we wouldn't usually go in and new shops we find. At this point, we're just wasting time, chasing each other through aisles, hiding and making fun out of anything. 

I get to a point where I don't care what the crowd thinks. We run around like kids, no cares in the world. Calvin runs after me, testing how quick I am. I duck and weave between people and crowds, apologising as I rush past. He catches up with me, grabbing me by the waist and holding me so I can't run away. 

It seems like the whole crowd is watching us, but I don't care anymore. Out of the crowd, I catch a gaze that is more inquisitive than the others. It takes me a second before I realise it's the mall cop, and that she's making a bee-line straight towards us. Calvin has noticed her too. He grabs my hand and we run. 

We sprint through the crowds once again but this time it's hand in hand. I look back and see that the guard is around thirty metres behind us. Calvin drags us through a maze of shops and the distance between us and 'justice' grows bigger and bigger. Every now and again, we would catch a glimpse of her, but she never recovered the distance that she lost. 

Sweating and out of breath, Calvin makes one last effort to lug me down a secluded hall. He swings me around, following the momentum and effectively pins me against the wall. We wait for a few seconds, letting the adrenaline buzz wear off as we catch our breath. It's not until I look up that I notice the lack of space between us. I glance at his lips, but quickly correct myself. Now isn't really the time, no matter how bad I need him. 

Calvin watches me, knowing exactly what's going through my head. I stand flat against the wall. He catches my gaze wandering again and rolls his eyes. In one fluid movement, he moves so he's leaning over me, leaving barely millimetres between us. He gently runs a thumb along my bottom lip. 

"Calvin..." I don't even have to say that we shouldn't, I know he knows. 

His lips hover just off mine, teasing me even more. I want to melt into his touch. I want to give into him, but this really isn't the place. I try to chase his lips, but he pulls back, always keeping a slight distance between us. 

"You're fun," he says in a low whisper. 

I let my head drop back against the wall and Calvin smirks. Then, he makes it seem like he's going to finally kiss me before pulling away and pushing off the wall. I could collapse on the spot... he's so mean. 

Time seems to slip away without us even noticing as the artificial lights burn on, outshining the light that slowly fades outside. After a few more shops, Calvin goes off to get us some drinks and snacks. He organises which part of the shop I will stay in so he doesn't lose me, then walks back the way we came. I'm left to transverse the mall at my own pace. 

Once Calvin is out of sight, I let my frustration get the better of me. I'll admit, there's nothing here that seems to fit what I want for him. I know I can't be picky, or I won't find anything, but I don't want to buy something Calvin wouldn't want. Buying gifts has never been my strong point, I always manage to psych myself out, thinking they won't like it, even if I know there's no reason to hate whatever I get them. 

Now out of energy and patience I resort to wandering aimlessly through random shops. I brush off any assistant that asks me what I'm looking for or if I need help and continue on my way. I come to the last shop in the area that I'm not meant to leave. It feels like this shop might as well be my last option. I enter and drag my feet all the way to the back until I stumble across a long, glass display counter. I stand there admiring its contents before the older-looking man behind the display unit decides I look like I need help. I don't blame him for thinking that. 

"Looking for something special, are you?" He asks, preparing his keys to open the case. 

"Yeah... I'm just looking for something small, simple, but not too expensive." I answer. 

"May I ask who this is for?" 

"My boyfriend," my own answer startles me. It's strange to call Calvin that after so long. The man narrows his eyes at me. His gaze feels violating as his eyes stare into mine, but it's not a judgemental gaze, it's inquisitive, as if he's trying to figure out exactly what I need. 

He hums to himself and strokes his greying beard, "I think I might have a thing or two." 

I watch him as he swings around to the case behind him and unlocks it carefully. I try to peer around his large figure, but I can't quite see what he's doing. Then, the man turns back around with a powerful glint in his eye and reveals three boxes, each with unique contents. My eyes glide over the boxes multiple times, trying to decipher what each of them would mean to Calvin and which one he would be able to use all the time. I keep coming back to the middle box. I pick it up, follow my gut feeling and make my decision. 

Then I look up at the man in relief then nod, my frustration fading away instantly, "I think this is it. Thank you so much!" 

"You're very welcome," he says before bellowing out a deep laugh, "I wish you luck, my boy." 

I make my way to the front of the shop and hand the gift over to the person behind the counter. 

He scans the code on the back of the box, "Would you like this wrapped?" 

"Yes please," I say. I know Calvin's gift is already hidden in the box, but things are always nicer when it's wrapped. 

He wraps the box neatly in black tissue paper and puts it into a small gift bag, placing the bag carefully on the counter in front of me. "Are you paying with card or cash?" he asks. 

I look around quickly. I didn't think the paying part through, my walking credit card is still out getting snacks. Peering out the entry of the shop, I spy him in the crowd. He waves at me, and I beacon him over. 

He walks up to me. "Need me to get that for you? I won't look at the price, don't worry." Calvin says, holding up his debit card. 

The man sets up the EFTPOS machine and Calvin taps his card, making a show to cover his eyes. The man hands me the gift and receipt. I stow the receipt away in my back pocket, just in case, thanking the cashier. I'm really lucky that I found that shop in time. Most of the shops here were closing, even if the mall is still open until 9 PM. Calvin slips his hand in mine and leads me out of the store. 

We find a small couch and I sit him down. He hands me a drink and shows off that he brought really expensive sweets. I laugh with him but can't stop my stomach turning frantically in anticipation. What if he doesn't like it? What if he thinks it's cheap? Or too expensive? I look down at the neat little gift in my hands. I really hope I didn't make a mistake. 

Holding the gift out in front of him, I give Calvin a gentle smile, "I guess this is yours." 

He takes it with steady hands, placing the gift in his lap. "You're so sweet! You shouldn't have!" he teases, trying to ease my tension. Delicately, Calvin pulls the gift from its wrapping, becoming more and more curious as he reaches the box. He looks up at me as if asking for permission, I nod. 

He removes the lid of the box, "Oh my god... holy shit Oliver!" 

Before I can react, Calvin grabs me by my hips and pulls me into a hug, pressing his face into my stomach. I put my arms around him and let out a sigh of relief. 

Eventually, he pulls away and accesses his gift. It's a simple, thin sterling silver curb chain. It's long enough to hide under his shirt if he needs to, but short enough not for it not to be annoying. The flat design also gives it a sleek modern look. I sit down next to him, smiling, as he continues to take in his new watch. I don't know if he's like jewellery, but the chain is simple enough to be worn without the 'feminine' implications of jewellery. 

Calvin picks the chain up, letting it run smoothly over his fingers. The metal glints under the white light, reflecting in his ecstatic eyes. The chain itself is really more fashionable than it is practical, but I don't think Calvin minds. 

He puts it up to his neck and turns, gesturing for me to help him with the clip. Once it's fastened, he lets it sit against his shirt, making sure it can be seen. "How much was this?" he asks, jumping straight to the chase. 

I roll my eyes. "So you won't look at the price, but you'll still ask me?" 

"I'll find out anyway, I can see all the transactions that go through my card." 

"It was $89," I say, unsure if my answer is going to get me a good response. 

Calvin looks at me with an unreadable look on his face, then it softens. "Oliver you could've spent more on me," he plants a gentle kiss on my temple. 

"Is it cheap?" 

"No! Not at all. You don't have to be worried about the price. It's not expensive at all... but it's not cheap either!" he sighs and sends me a soft smile as an apology for his fumbling. "It's perfect. That's what I'm trying to say. I don't always need expensive things. You could've gotten me a plastic chain and I would wear it with just as much pride." 

A shy smile pulls at my lips, and I don't try to hide it. Calvin takes one of my hands. With the other he plays with the chain. "I've never been able to find something so perfect. You really are something special, you know that, right?" 

"I mean, it did take forever to find something," I say, a little embarrassed. 

"Oh, right, what is the time?" 

I pull out my phone and read the numbers displayed across my lock screen, "7:04." 

"That's leaving it close," Calvin looks at me and I look back at him, puzzled. He tries to bring some light to the situation without making it dire. "It's just my parents really. They don't like me staying out late when they know I'm in the Middle, so I bet they'll have questions for me when I get back." 

I smile, trying to hide my sudden realisation that I'm probably going to face the same fate only with my mum. "You should've said something." I say gently then I push myself to my feet and hold my hand out to Calvin. "Shall we go?"