Work Text:
“And this is really all you have gotten done in almost a week?” Oliver did not like how judgmental Tommy sounded, and he made sure to frown at that.
“In my defense, I have never thrown a fundraiser before.” He sipped from his coffee cup as he watched the contractor and his team work around the soon-to-be-nightclub. He really had no idea what they were doing or what input he might give, but given the fact his hideout was right under them, he had to make sure to be seen around, in case the need arose.
“Man, if she had asked me, I would have had this done in three days top! Luckily, I am here now, and we can star crossing these T's and dotting these I's.” Tommy sighed comically and started tapping into his Blackberry.
“Thank you for the help, Tommy.” Oliver said solemnly, truly thankful for the help. He had realized he had a lot of gaps in knowledge about what needed to be done, and Joanna really oscillated between being thankful and wanting to slap him. Tommy looked at him, with that charming smile of his, and Oliver couldn't help but smile in return.
“Don't mention it. Besides, it gives us the opportunity to hang out. We do have some catching up to do.” Tommy put his BlackBerry to the side and leaned his back on the bar. “Man, I can't believe you actually did it.”
Oliver let out a small huff of agreement, before following Tommy's lead and leaning besides him on the bar counter. “We always talked about it. Even if you were not here, I had to go for it.”
Tommy stared down, looking contrite. “I'm sorry for not being here when you got back, Oliver. If I had known-”
But Oliver cut him off, the least he wanted was to see Tommy self flagellating himself about this. “Well next time I get stranded in an island for five years, we'll make sure to coordinate when I get back so you're waiting for me, alright?”
Even though it was dark inside even when the unfinished roofing, a ray of light caught Tommy's face, and his expression was almost too soft under the sunlight for a moment. Then he moved his head, and his expression now was far more teasing. “I mean it would have only been polite if you had sent a forewarning, it's all that I am saying.” They couldn't hold the mock seriousness for long before starting laughing.
Oliver forwarded the latest updates about the fundraiser to Joanna and Laurel. Joanna replied with a smiley face emoji, Laurel by saying You asked Tommy for help, didn't you?. He wanted to say no, that Tommy had offered, but that felt just like a pedantic deflection. In a way though, Laurel was teasing him, finally, and that certainly wasn't one of the things he was even aware of missing so much.
He set his phone aside and for a moment he started at Tommy, who was still busy with his. Part of Oliver couldn't wrap his head around Tommy being here, with him. Despite saying that he would sleep for days, Tommy had called him very early in the morning to ask if he could drop by to see the club, that he was dying to see it. Oliver, of course, had said yes. Mom had been so happy for him during breakfast, and Thea even excited to hear Tommy was back. Oliver had been rather suspicious as to why Thea had fallen asleep so early last night, but he was not about to confront her at breakfast. Maybe part of him still wanted to believe it was just a phase. Regardless, at least that morning, everyone was a buzz with Tommy's return, and Oliver couldn't remember a moment the three of them had been this happy together since he had returned. Unsurprisingly, it was always like that when it came to Tommy, they all loved him, how couldn't them? Mom cared for him deeply, always concerned about him after Rebecca, and Thea always saw him as another older brother. He was a part of all of their lives, his family, and now he could see how he had been missing from all ofthem. He had missed him so much. Oliver let out a contented sigh and decided to just be happy rather than fall into melancholy, and grabbed another beer from the cooler and handed it to Tommy.
“Urgh, this stuff is the worst. Remember when we got drunk on the gazebo at my place with these?” Tommy made a face of disgust as he set his Blackberry aside, yet downed almost half of the can with one gulp.
“Barely.” Oliver lied. Truth be told, the reason he still bought this shitty beer was because of that day. He still remember how they drank them sip by sip each. He still remembered how hard he tried not to blush thinking how Tommy's lips had just been on the can. He shook his head, wondering how the hell he even kept his secret until the Gambit.
Tommy walked around the soon to be manager's office, checking the workmanship of the bare walls. He mimed some rather evocative thrusts against the wall. “Sturdy.”
“Please, do not bring girls to my office, it's all I ask.” Oliver admonished taking a sip from his own beer.
“What's even the point of your best friend opening a night club if I can't bring a lovely bird for some quality time, uh, Oliver? You're breaking my heart.” He lifted the tails of his jacket and sat down the work bench. The ceiling was still half covered, nor the windows were installed, so a lot of the afternoon sun entered the office. The rays cast long shadows on Tommy's face, and his eyes looked as if bathed by golden light. Oliver had to admit that age had only made Tommy more handsome. After all this time, Oliver could admit his friend was handsome, attractive even, without getting drowned by a river of emotions. What he had for Tommy had been a crush, a long one, But after feeling, and then losing, the real deal, well, it put that in a more mature perspective.
“I really do not want to find mystery spots all over the place.” Oliver said with finality as he sat by Tommy. It had been a while since he had done the day drinking thing, and although a beer hardly was going to give him a buzz, it was still nice, specially with Tommy. He felt almost normal.
“You keep calling them 'mystery spots' when we both know what they are Ollie, don't be childish.” Tommy tapped the rim of Oliver's beer can with his own, then took a swig. He was already on his second, and looked more tipsy than Oliver had hoped. That thought was perhaps even loud, because Tommy stared at him, and then reached over to Oliver's brow, and diligently rubbed his finger trying to smooth it out. “I've become such a lightweight, I know. Freaking teetotaler monasteries. I feel like I have lost some good progress.”
“I think you're loosing some progress by drinking. Shouldn't you try to keep the clean living? At least for a while?” Oliver sipped his beer, then shook the empty can, and Tommy just shook his head in exaggerated disagreement.
“Oliver, there's nothing more boring than a corporate spiritual retreat. I deserve this shitty beer just for surviving it. And you-” He leaned to the cooler and grabbed another one, pulling the tab with a quiet hiss. “deserve at least as many beers for spending five years on a deserted island.”
Oliver smirked, and could only agree. Maybe he did deserve a shitty beer with a good friend from time to time. “I do, don't I?”
“You really do.” Tommy toasted again with his almost empty can and then downed the remains, but didn't made to grab another one. “God, that hit way too much. Honestly never have been a beer guy.”
“You oddly hold your whiskey a lot better.” Oliver said in agreement.
“I am a really cheap lay, aren't I?” They both laughed, the rays of the sun warm on their faces. It was easy to miss people when he was on the island, but to miss a moment, that was far more nebulous. His mother singing to him under the covers, his father reading on his desk while Oliver scribbled over his coloring books, Thea's soft snoring when he watched her sleep on her crib, Laurel trying to cook anything in the kitchen, going over and over the recipe. Tommy sitting besides him with a beer under the sunlight. Oliver looked at him, realizing most of those moments would never happen again, and he felt so thankful for having at least this one back.
“What?” Tommy asked with a smile on his face, and Oliver just realized he had been staring.
Oliver just smiled, taking another sip of his beer. “Hey, I'm allowed to be weirdly nostalgic. Mom and Thea have had it the worst.”
“Oh, please tell me that you got uncomfortably emotional when you saw Thea in her school uniform.” Tommy grabbed him by the shoulder, and Oliver had to steady himself midst the laughter.
“I will bawl my eyes out when she goes to prom. I just know it.” Tommy gave him a pat on the back, and then stood up with one swift motion.
“Speaking of the devil, well, Thea. I promised I would step by to hang out.” Tommy swatted some dust from his pants, trying to look more presentable.
“You did?”
“Yeah. While you were gone -well, I made sure to check on her when I was in town. You know that.” Of course he had.
“Thank you, Tommy.”
“That really is one of the things you really don't have to thank me for.” And although the tone was playful, he couldn't hide the heaviness beneath. “Besides, now we can gossip about you!” And he did sound way too excited about that. He pocketed his Blackberry, and let out a sigh. “Alright, guess I'm heading out. See you at diner?”
Oliver blanked for a second, but then realized that yeah, if Tommy was going to hang out with Thea, he'd probably be home when Oliver finished here. For some reason that made him feel warm inside, the thought of Tommy waiting for him. “Yeah, I'll try not to run late.”
Tommy gave him a pat on the back and made to the door, before quickly returning and grabbing Oliver's beer. “A sip for the road. Oh don't give me that, I am not driving.” He took a long swig, and the walked towards the door, waving his hand up into the air, before closing the door behind him.
Oliver smiled, still thinking how he ever believed Tommy would have abandoned him. Nothing could ever come between them, not a silly crush that died five years ago, of all things.
He took a sip from his beer, and he tried really hard to not think about Tommy's lips in his beer not a moment ago.