You're Gonna Fall (But I'll Catch You) | olivarry

scrawny

It was only waiting a matter of weeks for it to have calmed the hype about the new coffee shop; they were still very successful, but now there wasn't an hour long line to order.

This time, Oliver went alone, entering the place at the same hour on the same week day as he did two weeks ago.

He really wanted to talk with the coffee shop's singer, he wanted to thank him and know at least his name. He had been the first person to be that easy to talk to since Felicity, whose problem was to stop talking sometimes, but that's what made her who she is.

After some minutes of looking around, he focused on the same table in the corner, finding the guy he was looking for, who happened to be staring through the window while chewing his pen.

Before he could overthink about it, he was walking towards the younger man.

"You were right", he said out of nowhere.

This time, the man barely flinched, he just turned to look at him with a confused expression on his face. "Right about... what?".

"The singer... he wasn't that bad", Oliver replied with an amused smile, "Still don't get what's all the fuss about".

"Me neither", the younger man shook his head, chuckling. "Some say it's because of his looks, but he's kinda... scrawny. What's your theory?".

Oliver seated and snorted, "Pretty sure it's the CW superhero-looking hairstyle", he rolled his eyes with fake exasperation.

After a second of silence, they both laughed; then, the guy licked his lips amused and smirked at him. "So you think I'm a superhero?", he asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you helped me the last time I was here". Oliver chuckled, trying to avoid that feeling of shame, "And I wanted to thank you for that".

"Hey! You just gave me an idea for a song before I ended up playing Build me up buttercup again, so I think we're even", he smiled reassuringly.

Oliver didn't want anything more than to ask his name without sounding awkward, but he was interrupted when one of the baristas walked past them, asking the guy if he wanted anything else before going on stage.

After he declined, he stood up and looked right at him. "Feeling good enough for something more up beat?", he asked with the same challenging expression.

"Yeah, if it's not heavy metal", he pointed his finger at him warningly.

"If I played heavy metal, Joe would fire me", he chuckled, but stopped after thinking about it and frowned, "Then he would literally kill me, so that's not an option, like... ever".

Oliver nodded and smiled, "Glad to hear it".

He just replied with a smile before turning around towards the stage.

Oliver watched as the brunette pressed himself on the keyboard while laughing with the man seated behind it.

When everything seemed to be ready, the same waitress arrived, blocking his view of the stage.

"Good evening sir... May I take your order?", she smiled politely.

But Oliver was so concentrated in listening that he didn't even notice her until she had to clear her throat to get his attention.

"I'm sorry, what?", he said as the crowd applauded and cheered.

"Good evening sir... May I take your order?", the girl with curly hair repeated as if nothing had happened.

The crowd cheered more quietly, but Oliver just wanted to hear the man's speech so he said the first thing that came to his mind, "I'll just take a black coffee".

The girl wrote it down before nodding and putting the pad back on the pocket of her apron. "Thank you sir, and we hope you enjoy the show", she wished as she left.

Only then, Oliver could barely hear the name of the song before the electric guitar played the first chords.

"Used to be level with all our friends. Still wear the same shoes I did back then. I don't think they've ever been untied. I can't regret the things I don't try. I'd switch it up but I don't like change. Only content if things stay the same. Don't care to watch the story unfold. Hate feeling like I'm not in control" the brunette gripped his mic as he got closer to it.

"I've been sleeping with the light on. I tend to freak myself out! Will you come a little closer now and tell me I'm a-", he pointed for a brief second at Oliver, "Scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle. Scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle. Scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle. I'm a scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle" he sang as he moved energetically around the stage.

While the man with long hair played the keyboard, those green eyes stared right through him with the brightest and funniest smile Oliver has ever seen. Anyone would be able to notice he was about to laugh.

"I say the wrong shit at the right times. If I'm offending them I don't mind. Maybe they all should listen to me. It isn't all about what you see. Question though, how do I look to you?. Am I so thin that you could see through?

I've been sleeping with the light off. I wanted to remember. Will you come a little closer now and see that I'm a... scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle. Scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle", as he watched Oliver burst in laughter, the singer couldn't help but snort in the middle of the song, "Scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle. I'm a scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle".

"I'll be one of those people you remember. They'll be looking at us when we're together. I'll be a mannequin you can dismember", the brunette sang the bridge with a deeper voice, now without being able to control his laughter; then, he was joined by the guy behind the keyboard.

"You don't like my clothes but you still like my smile. Scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle. Take me home to mom but it'll take a while. Scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle. They might think they're cooler than me by a mile. Scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle. I can still have wisdom and look like a child. Scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle", the pair finished with some last few chords and the keyboard.

The crowd roared in cheers and applauses to the band, joined by Oliver who was still chuckling just by listening to the singer's breathy laugh.

It was just then that he noticed he'd drank more than half of the black coffee that the barista had put in the table at some point of the song.

To say it still wasn't good was an understatement, Oliver felt like he could threw it up at any moment.

But he got distracted by his phone, getting really anxious knowing it was really late and there weren't many people that would call him at this hour, unless something bad happened.

"Ollie" was the breathless response he got from Thea when he answered.

"Yes Speedy, what happened?", Oliver sounded frantic.

"Where are you? I... I thought you were here"

"I was, Speedy, I just went out for fresh air. Thought you were already asleep...", Oliver trailed off.

"I was, b-but I... there was... pain... y-you weren't he-here and I...", Thea tried to explain, but her breathing got harsher.

It wasn't the first time Thea had woken up from a nightmare after Oliver had come back from the island, but watching -or listening, for that matter- his sister like that broke his heart every time; he actually blamed himself for indirectly inflicting so much pain on his sister when he got on that yacht, and that will probably be one thing he will never forgive himself for.

"It's okay Speedy, I'm okay and I'm going to the house right now, but I need you to try and breathe while I arrive, okay?", Oliver couldn't see her, but he was sure she nodded, "Remember, count to four while holding it".

He heard as Thea did it, frantically trying to open his wallet and leave thirty dollars on the floor; he didn't know how much the coffee cost but he hoped the rest would be given to the tip jar.

On his way out of the establishment, he didn't notice the disappointed look on the singer's face as he walked right out of that glass door.