A/N: hope you enjoy <3 I love getting second hand embrassment from Ollie not catching hints, it's quite refreshing though. 

Mature for excessive swearing just in case.

Ollie’s POV

It was Friday afternoon, and I had let my guard down. My morning trip to the cafe had been uneventful, Haruto serving my cold brew before my one class I had. Haruto worked the full shift on Fridays, meaning I got to see him twice, once in the morning, and right after my photography class. Normally I’d stay till the end of his shift, or even until closing, depending who was working the closing shift. But of course, this was no normal Friday. 

I should’ve seen it coming, given Haruto’s cafe was one of four small mom-and-pop coffee shops in the vicinity of the college. But still I wondered how the fuck he knew I frequented this coffee shop was beyond me. I had just about reached the shop’s door, when I heard his familiar voice call out. 

“Oliver? Oliver Sullivan, it’s you, right?”

Wishing someone would just wake me up from this nightmare, I slowly turned, to see the reason I dreaded this very Friday. Mason Collins, in the flesh.

I knew I should’ve stayed home, shouldn’t have gone to Haruto’s shop. But who could blame me, I got to stay at the shop the longest on Fridays, and have as many cold brew refills while Haruto was here. 

Mason looked nearly the same as he did back then. His arms still as bulk as his football days, the same ridiculous hair. The only change really was his outfit. Most days, Mason had been wearing a jersey or his football merch for highschool, now he was wearing a crisp patterned buttoned shirt, one that seemed to fit his features for once. 

“Oliver, please,” Mason begged, as I set my bags down at my designated table. I ignored him, heading straight to the register line, spotting Haruto eyeing Mason curiously as he mixed a tea blend in the shaker. “I just want to talk.”

“And?” I whirled around to glare at him. “I want my damn coffee, so leave me alone.”

As Janice rang up my order without even having to ask what I was getting, Mason pulled his card from his pocket. “I’ll pay for the damn coffee, just let me explain.”

“I don’t need your money, nor do I need your explanations for whatever it is you have to say to me, alright? You’re a stranger to me, so leave me alone.” I scoffed, walking toward the other counter. Haruto gave me a questioning look, but I shook my head. He got to work on my drink, as Mason followed me like a lost puppy, not even ordering anything. 

“Ollie-”

“You don’t get to call me that!” A few people turned our way, but I hadn’t bothered. The baristas turned towards us, a couple patrons looking up from their laptops or phones. There was an awkward pause before I noticed Haruto holding my drink up. 

“Ollie, I got your iced cold brew, with white mocha, and light ice,” he called from behind the counter, staring straight at us. I ushered a thanks as Haruto’s jaw tensed, sizing Mason up for his persistent harassing. “Let me know if you need anything else, or want a refill.”

There was an edge in his tone of voice, one I only hoped Mason had caught on. Haruto was no stranger to chasing people like Mason out of the building. I just hoped Haruto didn’t think of me as an ass for yelling like that, probably looking like a damn fool. 

“Oliver, can you just give me like ten minutes?” He pleaded in a hushed tone as I walked back to my table. “Just ten minutes of your time. Then you can ignore me or whatever. Just hear me out?”

“Eight minutes,” I told him, sliding into the booth. “Make it fast, Collins.”

Mason looked away nervously, before pulling an envelope from his bag. He eased himself into the seat in front of me. “I know you probably won’t like this, but I still wanted to give you this, from me. Not Benji.”

He slid the envelope across the table. My name in his unusually neat handwriting, one that everyone had admired back in high school. I glanced back up at him before opening the envelope. 

You are formally welcome to the wedding of Mason Collins and Benjamin Adams. 

Join us for-

I didn’t even bother reading the rest, my blood boiling.

Nearly throwing it back at him, I looked at him with as much disdain as I could muster.

“Is this some kind of sick joke?” If I didn’t love this coffee so much, I would’ve thrown it at his face. “You think I’d go to that?”

“I just thought it’d be nice to ask…” He trailed as I sipped my coffee unamused. “We were friends-”

“Were,” I narrowed my eyes. “And clearly that meant nothing back then. I didn’t know either of you, apparently. I’m not going, Mason. I want nothing to do with you two, I don’t know how much more I have to be clear about that.”

“Ollie-”

“I said you don’t get to call me that anymore,” I set the cup down harshly. “Why the fuck are you here. This isn’t even your college.”

He bit his lip. “We came home to announce the wedding formally to our parents. You know how they are, old-fashioned.”

I rolled my eyes. “Great, he’s here too.”

“For about a week, yes,” he sighed, running a hand through his short hair. “He...he doesn’t know I’m seeing you here. I don’t even know if he knows how close his parents are to your college. And this isn’t the only thing I wanted to tell you about.”

“You got 5 minutes left, Collins.” I stared at the clock on my laptop. “Out with it.”

He let out a shaky breath. “I wanted to apologize.”

“What?”

“For what happened.” He frowned. “I...we hurt you. I broke your trust, and I know we can’t take that away but I-”

“I should’ve never told you,” I spat, the memories of it all rushing back. “About my stupid crush.”

“Why?” His nose scrunched before tilting his head. “What makes you say that.”

“If I never told you, maybe you wouldn’t be here, fucking shit up more for me. Maybe then I would’ve been fine.” Maybe it was the impending deadline I had for my graphics class, but I could feel the emotions rushing back. Everything I had tried to repress, coming back tenfold. “If I never told you, or Benji, or anyone else about me being gay, then maybe things would’ve been fucking fine. I wouldn’t have gotten hurt, and maybe I would be happy for you. But I can’t. Not when you abandoned me, ignored me, then became a bunch of fucking hypocrites.”

“Oliver, I didn’t mean to-”

“Your time’s up,” I said point-blank, even if it had gone longer for 8 minutes. “Get out.”

He stood up, sliding the invitation closer. “I’m sorry, Oliver. I truly am, alright? You don’t have to go, but if you want me to explain more… my number’s still the same and-”

“Get out.”

He turned on his heels and walked out, just as fast as he did that day; but this time, it didn’t hurt as bad. 

I watched the window, making sure he didn’t do a 180 and turned back around to bother me before sighing in my hands. My cheeks were flushed in embarrassment, my hands shaking as I tried to engross myself into my assignments, hoping the patrons would just ignore my outburst. Not even five minutes later, I could see Haruto in my periphery walking towards my table, a small pastry bag in his hand. 

“You alright?” I ignored his question, looking at the pastry bag with a raised brow. “A cookie brownie.”

My lips jutted out as he slid the bag towards me. “Thanks.”

He glanced out the window before taking the seat in front of me. “Your ex-friend, I’m assuming.”

“Yeah.” I sighed. Shoveling nearly a third of the large treat, Haruto laughed before handing me a napkin. Cleaning up after myself, I let out a short laugh as well. “Sorry, I probably looked like an ass earlier at the register. Seeing him in person just irked me.”

“I don’t know, that was kinda cute,” he said with a grin. “It’s not everyday I get to see an angry Ollie. Irritable and annoyed, yes. Angry? Damn, what a treat.”

“Shut it,” I reached over, getting some of the melted chocolate chip on my finger before lunging to smear it on his face. “I’m not cute, you jerk.”

He caught my wrist easily before wiping it with the napkin. “Whatever you say, Ollie. What did that ex-friend bring you, a letter?”

“No,” I said, glancing down at the stupid invitation. I slid the invitation over to Haruto, who glanced at it.

“A wedding invitation?”

Shoveling the last bit of the brownie, I pointed at the names. “The damn assholes are getting married. The very ones that hated me for being gay.”

He made a face. “They stopped being friends with you over that?”

“Yup. Threw a twelve year friendship down the drain.” He strained his neck to look out the window. I tapped his arm to get his attention. “No, not that one, I only knew him for a couple of years in high school.”

“Still, what an ass.” He looked at the invitation before squinting. “Geez, and on such a short notice? It says it’s in two in a half months.”

“Whatever, I’m not going.”

“You’re not?” Haruto asked.

I scoffed. “Why should I?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, you could show up with a hot boyfriend and make them jealous? Make them regret unfriending you?”

“Yeah, and where would I find this hot boyfriend?”

“I don’t know,” he drawled, before scooping up the stray crumbs and placing it in the empty pastry bag. “I’m sure you’ll find one, if you look hard enough for one.”

“Maybe,” I said incredulously. “Besides, I wouldn’t dare go to the wedding, who knows who else they invited.”

“Well, whatever you decide, I can help you out if they bother you again if they come to the cafe. And if they approach you outside the cafe, I don’t mind busting out my old taekwondo and karate movies I learned.”

“You were like five the last time you went. Isn’t that what you said?”

He rolled his eyes. “Hey I still know the basic punches and moves for self defense. But I’m serious, if they bother you, I got you.”

“Haruto, it’s fine.” He didn’t listen, instead pulling out a napkin and writing a number on it.

“I might be at work, but i’ll respond as soon as possible.” He slid the napkin over, his phone number neatly written out. He checked his watch. He stood up and picked up the trash. “Well, break time’s over, I’ll be back with your refill.”