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Felicity stood outside Verdant and stared at the neon sign above her head. She had been here a million and one times, so she couldn't place her finger on the exact cause of her nerves. Oliver had asked her to meet him here this morning, and he wanted to talk.
If Felicity had to guess, it was because of what had happened last night between the two of them. She hadn't meant to kiss him, and it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. She didn't even realize what was happening until she felt his arms wrap around her waist. At that moment, everything felt right.
Felicity took a deep breath and made her way inside. She noticed him sitting at the bar with an empty glass in his hands. With a smile on her face, Felicity walked over to join him.
"Hey," she chirped, jumping up onto the empty stool. She dropped her purse onto the bar and turned to face him, resting her elbow on the bar. "How are you?"
"Hey," Oliver replied, turning to face her. "I'm a little sore. How are you?"
"I tried to warn you," Felicity said, shaking her head. "But no, you insisted you could handle it."
Oliver laughed, nodding his head slowly. "You did warn me, and I probably should have listened. About last night," he said, pausing to look at her. She was beautiful. With each moment he spent with her, Oliver found himself falling deeper and deeper in love with her.
The problem was that he couldn't be in love with her, and it wasn't safe for him to be in love with her. Felicity deserved to fall in love with someone who could love her wholeheartedly. She didn't deserve the pain that his line of work would inevitably cause her - worrying about whether or not he'd make it home in one piece at the end of the night or if he'd even make it home at all.
"Yeah, I was hoping we could talk about that," Felicity said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear nervously. "That kiss was…."
"Unexpected," Oliver replied, sliding down off the stool. He moved to stand next to her and rested a hand on the top of her knee.
"It was nice," Felicity said, glancing down at his hand. The warmth of his skin against hers sent her heart aflutter, bringing a smile to her lips. "I'd really like it to happen again."
Felicity's eyes fluttered closed as she leaned in towards him. Her lips brushed his before she felt him pull away, shaking his head. She opened her eyes and noticed the frown on his face.
"You're a mistake I am never going to regret," Oliver sighed, leaning up against the bar.
"A mistake?" Felicity scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked him up and down. "What the hell does that even mean?"
Oliver opened his mouth to respond but closed it almost immediately. He didn't want to tell her he was afraid of falling in love - that sounded childish, and she wouldn't understand.
"It was a mistake to kiss you last night," Oliver began, scrubbing his hand over his face. "You deserve a better man than me."
Felicity's eyes opened wide as she let out a huff, sliding off the stool and moving to stand in front of him. "I think it's up to me to determine what kind of man I deserve," she said, looking him up and down. "I'm a grown woman who can make her own decisions."
"This isn't up for debate," Oliver said, brushing past her as he shook his head. He made it a few steps away from her before turning back to face her. "I'm incapable of love and don't want to hurt you."
Felicity rolled her eyes and walked over to him once again. "You are capable of more than you think," she said, shaking her head. "I just wish you could see the man that I see."