Bookstore AU for befitandchase's (on Tumblr) birthday :)
It seems like he was always there if she was there too. She'd be browsing a book, and he'd turn up behind her, or on the other end of the isle. She never stayed for long, the bookstore was more of a regular stop on her walk home from college. She'd stop by the bookstore, and she'd browse the new books. Sometimes she just grabbed a book of one of the worn shelves and read it in the little cafe the store also had.
She loved the little store. It was a very old building, but the fact that the shop looked a little worn gave it a certain charm. It always smelled like books and coffee inside, and she could easily spend an entire afternoon there without noticing the time passing. She guessed the same went for the stranger that seemed to turn up next to her so often.
She had to admit that she had noticed him sneaking glances while she was browsing or reading, but she didn't really mind. He was quite attractive, and as long as it didn't turn into another one of the stalker fiasco's she had experienced in her first year, she liked the attention. She had often sneaked a look at him too, and had sort of kept track when he seemed to turn up. If she went to the store immediately after class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he was often there as well. He always seemed to either be there just before her, and when she came in he would look at the door and give her a little smile.
One day, when she walked into the bookstore, she didn't look around for him. She'd had a really long and terrible day in class. The class ran long, and they had to do an assignment that no one really understood and was way above their level. When she had grabbed her favorite book of the shelf and went to sit down with her coffee to drown herself in another world, he suddenly stood beside her, a smile on his face, and said: "I noticed you looking down on your way in, can I buy you the next coffee?"
"Sure", she answered, "I'm just not really enjoyable company today, I've had a horrible day."
"That's okay." He said. "Have you read this? It always makes me feel better when I've had a terrible day."
Before she knew it they were caught in an intense discussion about favorite books, and childhood favourites. Another coffee was bought, as promised, by him, and then another. They didn't just talk about books after a while, but discussed family, holidays they'd been on, high school memories. Before she knew it, so much time had passed that her roommate rang her to see where she was. She knew she had to go home then, but she didn't really want to. She'd never had such an amazing conversation with someone, and they didn't even know each other's names!
"I really have to go" she said with a sigh. "My roommate is already wondering where I am, and it's getting really late."
"What's your name?" he said. "I really enjoyed our conversation, and I really wanna do it again, if you'd let me." He asked shyly. "I'm Oliver by the way." He added, more as an afterthought.
"I'm Felicity." She answered, the corners of her mouth rising in a slight smile. "I'd really like to meet you again, let me just give you my number, and just give me a call whenever."
After that, they parted ways.
When she got a call from an unknown number the next day, picked up the phone, and heard a familiar voice, she had never smiled bigger.