untidywords:
It wasn’t until the moment his knuckles hit the door that Oliver realized it was actually happening. He’d been surprised to get the call from Meredith, but rather than give room to the doubt and nervousness that had sprung up when he’d said yes, Oliver had gone the rest of the day on autopilot. He’d gone back to his errands as though he wasn’t meeting his childhood best friend again for the first time since they were young, as though she hadn’t invited him to her welcome back party, giving him hope that the things they said to each other when they were children were… in the past. It wasn’t until Meredith Vasquez opened the door to her house with a squeal that made Oliver jump, that all his feelings came crashing into him with gusto. Excitement put a spring in his step as he greeted Gabby’s mother with a hug, though mere moments later, when his gaze landed on Gabby’s expression, his heart sank like a stone – it couldn’t be more obvious that she’d had no idea he was coming. It seemed obvious, too, now that he thought of it; she’d never been the forgiving type. Why on earth had Oliver deluded himself into believing Meredith’s words? Before he could do anything about the whole situation, he and Gabby were face to face. “Hey,” he greeted her, and without knowing entirely why, he leaned in and gave her a stiff hug. “Long time no see.”
They were face to face soon enough, thanks to Gabby’s mother. They were face to face --- Gabby and Oliver. Oliver and Gabby. After so long, after so much anger, and after so much self-blame invited by Oliver’s words, he was here. If Gabby were being honest, she’d admit that she’d never thought she’d see him again. She’d tell herself that he was still her best friend, but only because he had been once upon a time. She’d tell herself she still loved him like they were two peas in a pod, because she did. But that was only on the premise that they’d never see each other again. He was here now, and Gabby didn’t quite know how to feel about it. When he hugged her, she stiffened up like a prey in predator’s hands. How could she hug back? Her mother noticed, though, and quickly amended the situation by wrapping Gabby’s arms around Oliver. Fantastic. She pulled away once her mother had let go of her hands, not without giving her a mean look. “Y-Yeah. Yeah, it’s been a while. Nice to see you.” She meant this in some way. She meant this to some extent. Of course, she did. “I didn’t--- uh, didn’t know you’d be here.”