Oliver tapped his foot nervously on the pavement. 

It had been ridiculous, asking Kayla here. The day after Scott's birthday, for goodness' sakes. They'd only just seen each other hours ago! But Kayla had assured him that today was the only day she had off work, that otherwise she'd be too busy to be able to catch up, and that she wanted to talk more without Scott and the others around.

Still, that didn't help make Oliver feel any less self-conscious as he leaned against the brick wall, his arms folded tightly over his chest. He pulled out his phone and opened the messages. Kayla had said she'd be here at 7:40, and it was now 7:52.

She's set you up, Oliver's mind whispered to him. She doesn't really care about you. She just wants to see you make an idiot of yourself, just like everyone else does.

Oliver frowned slightly, a sad kind of frown, as he put his phone back away and pushed off of the brick wall. It's alright, Oliver, he told himself. It's not the first time you've been stood up... or the second... or the seventeenth...

As Oliver turned the corner, he glanced through the glass doors of the cafe and abruptly stopped walking. Kayla was standing inside, beside the cake display case, looking around nervously. Oliver's eyes widened. Oh no. 

He glanced back over at the bus stop he'd been walking to. Was it worth making a break for it? He'd made a fool of himself enough, hanging around the building for almost a quarter of an hour and never even thinking to check inside. 

Oh, God, Oliver... He dragged his hand down his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose. You are a joke. And then, with a second to swallow his pride, Oliver turned back around and walked in through the automatic doors.

Kayla instantly looked up and saw him, her face brightening as he walked over, "Oliver! Hi! I thought- I thought you weren't going to make it."

"Heyyyyy," Oliver clicked his fingers on both of his hands, and then hung his head, giggling, "I'm so sorry, Kayla. You won't believe this; I've been outside waiting for you for the last 12 minutes..." 

"Oh!" Kayla gasped, "Oh, my gosh, I-I'm so sorry- I never texted to let you know where I was. Oh, gosh, I knew I should have... Y-You didn't think I'd stood you up, right?"

"Of course not," Oliver smiled encouragingly, "Please, don't worry about it. I'm the idiot, here, I didn't even think to check inside. I'm sorry, you must have thought I'd just left you here." 

"W-Well... a little bit, yeah," Kayla smiled quickly, "But it's no problem! None at all. Let's go get a table, alright?"

"Sure," Oliver gestured for Kayla to go first; she ducked past him with a shy nod of the head. As soon as she'd gone in front, Oliver's grin slipped off his face, replaced by wide eyes. Okay. We haven't ruined anything yet. Yet. Keep it cool, Oliver; don't be a jerk and screw it up. 

"You, uh..." Oliver swallowed slightly, his voice trailing off. He raised a hand to his mouth absentmindedly and chewed on his fingernail.

 Kayla stopped at a table, turning back to face him, looking at him questioningly, "Hm...?" 

Oliver whipped the hand away from his mouth instantly, instead gesturing to Kayla's outfit. It was a beautiful blue dress with little flowers on it, and with her curly blonde hair framing her face, all in all, she looked extremely pretty. "You... You look... You're very..." Oliver laughed nervously, glancing down at his feet as his anxiety swallowed him whole, "Y-You know what? I've completely forgotten the English word for it." 

Kayla smiled, somehow seeming to understand, "Thank you, Oliver. They told me the dress wouldn't suit. You know..." She glanced down at herself, "It's a bit short for someone of my size. But I figured, hey. If it's pretty, and I like it, why shouldn't I?" 

"Well, I think it looks amazing on you," Oliver glanced back up again. "And you shouldn't let what people say define you, Kayla. That dress looks like it was made for you." 

Kayla giggled, "Oh, well... Thank you." She sat down in her chair and Oliver mentally berated himself for not pulling it out for her as he took the seat opposite.

"You're so strange, Ollie," Kayla shook her head, and then looked up at him, "Oh, I'm sorry, is it alright if I call you that?" 

Oliver smiled, "Go for it," he said, with a carefree wave of his hand. "Why am I strange?" 

"Because you always seem so confident when you're around lots of people, but when it's just one-on-one you get all nervous, like you're afraid of being in the spotlight."

"Nervous?" Oliver leaned back in his chair, grinning, "What makes you think I'm nervous?" 

Kayla raised an eyebrow, but said no more. She sighed, scratching at something on the table with her painted fingernails, "So... Blake."

"Oh, yeah," Oliver had almost forgotten that they were here to talk about Kayla's ex-boyfriend. It had felt so much like a date that Oliver had almost convinced himself it was. "I've really got to know, Kayla. What on earth made you choose a guy like that?" He instantly shut his mouth, his internal voice screaming all kinds of profanities at him, "Uh- I mean- Sorry... If that's a personal question, I-"

"It's fine," Kayla grinned. "You're gonna think this is really stupid, alright? Just... don't laugh at me."

"Please," Oliver shook his head, "You're talking to the guy who spent half an hour convinced a taxi driver was stalking him, only to find out he was trying to return his wallet to him." 

Kayla snorted with laughter, and then clapped her hand over her mouth and nose, "Sorry! I don't mean to laugh. It's not funny, really, it's not..." She giggled helplessly and blushed, "I'm sorry!"

Oliver laughed as well, "It's fine, Kayla, I laugh at it too, now. It wasn't so funny at the time. So anyway... you and Blake." 

"Right, me and Blake..." Kayla sighed, rolling her eyes, "I started dating Blake because I wanted to get over my crush on Scott." 

Oliver's eyes widened, "Seriously?" 

"Seriously..." Kayla mumbled, "I know, it's stupid... He's gay, for goodness' sakes, he and Vincent are practically married... but... sometimes I see him playing with the kids out in the Dining Hall, and I can't help but think... he'd make such a good Dad, and such a good husband, and..." 

"No, no, no, I totally understand," Oliver leaned in across the table. He looked around like he didn't want to be overheard (yeah, so what? Oliver could be a bit over-dramatic sometimes, too), "Scott doesn't know this, but I'm totally in love with him." 

Kayla's eyebrows shot to her hairline, "Really? No!" 

"Oh, yeah," Oliver nodded, leaning back again. "I know exactly what you're talking about. I'd die for that man, and I really mean that, Kayla. Sometimes, when I see the way he looks at Vincent..." Oliver let out a sigh, "I wouldn't get in the way of them, I know it's not right, but... I'd do anything to have Scott look at me the way he looks at Vincent. Just once." 

Kayla groaned, "Don't make me think about it, please, you'll just make my heart ache. I have to get over him, I can't be falling into relapse." 

"Yeah, me too..." Oliver bit his lip, almost sad. He didn't want to lose Scott, as weird as that seemed. A part of him wanted to stay in love with him forever. A kind of self-inflicted torture, perhaps. The best kind of torture there was. "Still, though, those two are so lucky to have each other. They'd do anything for each other, you can see it in their eyes. I'd kill for a relationship like Vincent and Scott's."

Suddenly, Oliver felt Kayla's hand on his, "Well, maybe that can be us one day." 

Oliver's eyes shot open as he looked up at Kayla. An involuntary spike of fear rushed through him. He'd never really been in a relationship before - well, not a serious one - and for some reason the thought terrified him. "Que?"

Kayla blinked at him, then slowly her face filled with colour, "Oh my God, did I really say that out loud...?" she whispered.

Oliver's heart was racing. He looked back down at the table, and pulled his hand away from Kayla's, "Look, Kayla... w-when... when I kissed you last night..."

"I know," Kayla said quickly.

"I-I didn't... I was confused. It was late, I'd had a bit to drink... I..." Oliver paused for a moment, half of his mind whirling for the correct English term, and the other half once again abusing him mentally, "I was confused about my feelings. I didn't mean to kiss you." 

"I know," Kayla said again. 

"Which is why..." Oliver swallowed, and looked up at Kayla, "Which is why I want you to know that I mean it this time."

"What?" Kayla breathed, but she hardly had time to finish the end of the word before Oliver had leaned forward across the table. He paused for just half a second, his thumb brushing against Kayla's cheek, before he closed the gap, his lips meeting hers.

For what felt like the most terrifying few seconds of his life, Kayla didn't kiss back at all, but finally she seemed to move, her head tilting for a precious few more moments before she pulled away. But she didn't move too far; their faces were still only barely a centimetre apart.

Oliver broke into a chuckle, breaking eye contact first, "I wonder... if it's possible for one heart to have a crush on two people at the same time." 

Kayla giggled softly, "I'd say I'm living proof." And then something seemed to change, as though she'd just realised what she'd done. She leaned back in her chair, pulling her phone out of her handbag, and then stood up quickly - almost too quickly, her voice breathless, "I have to go."

"What?" Oliver asked.

"There's been an emergency at work. I'm sorry, Oliver. I have to go," and like that, she spun on her heel, and walked away.

Oliver blinked for a few seconds, left staring at an empty table, before he groaned, his shoulders slumping. I blew it again, didn't I?