Threadbare | Arrow

Chapter Three

A/N: Short chapter for the holidays <3 Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays! I hope everyone is well, and heading into the new year with light hearts!

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"Oh (left my sweet soul)

I've got something in my throat (beneath the bedclothes)

I need to be alone (I'm not coming down)

While I suffer"

STARSAILOR - 'Way to Fall'

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The problem was, of course, that she missed him.

It followed her from her dreams to her waking hours, trailed every breath until it was charring her lungs and blackening her veins. She missed Oliver, missed how easy it had been to love him, missed how much she'd wanted his touch, missed his smile and his laugh, missed him so fiercely that it almost outshone the pain of Tommy's death.

So when she opened her eyes to see his face staring back at her as they lay on their sides, facing each other amongst fluffy white pillows, she refused to acknowledge the dream, just so she could have him for a little while longer.

"Hi Ollie," she whispered to him, moving one hand to brush against his fringe. His eyelashes fluttered, brushing the sensitive skin at her wrist. "I've been waiting for you."

Gentle sunlight painted his skin golden and glistening, and his smile was sugar-sweet and sleepy as he watched her with soft green eyes. "Hey," he murmured back, leaning into her touch. "I'm sorry for how we left things at the cemetery."

Cali shook her head minutely, dropping her fingers to his stubbled cheek. "My fault," she said. "I shouldn't be angry at you for coming back."

Oliver tilted his face just slightly, using a free hand to capture her wrist, pressing a kiss to her palm. Everywhere they touched tingled pleasantly, and Cali sighed, relaxing further into the absurdly soft bed.

"Did you wait for me?" Oliver breathed against her hand, lips just barely ghosting over her skin. "Did you sit and wonder if I was ever coming home?"

"I waited for you every day," she answered - and it was a confession, ripping apart her tongue as though it were a razor, and blood fell from her mouth with every word. "For a month, I sat by Tommy's grave and I waited for you. To come back. To save me."

A single glittering tear fell from his crystalline eyes, mirroring the diamond tear on her own perfect cheek.

"You abandoned me," Cali whispered. "You left me in that cemetery. You left me alone, and I hate you for it. I hate you."

Oliver's smile was sad, like he was watching some beautiful fall from Heaven. "You could never hate me."

Her wrist was still cradled in his hand, her fingers lingering just above his mouth. Such gentleness for her, such reverence.

Such heart-breaking love.

"You left me," she wept.

"Don't you get it?" Oliver reached for her, pulled her against his warm chest and held her close, like a baby. "Don't you get it, Cali? It's Latin. It's always been in Latin."