Disclaimer: Arrow belongs to the CW, Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisber and DC Comics. Any recognizable character belongs to them and I'm just borrowing them for fun.
AN: My native language isn't English so all the mistakes are mine and mine alone as I don't have a beta. If you spot any, please let me know so I can correct them as fast as possible.
I hope you enjoy.
01 - RUMORED WIFE
The article catches him by surprise and he's not sure how it's possible he's found out about it first since he knows for a fact Felicity has his name monitored to prevent any kind of leaking about his nighttime activities. But here he is, reading it and spying at her frame through the glass that separates them. She doesn't have a clue; he'd find a residue of her trying to tamper on it or reigning on her feelings because he's always been able to after all these years. So that presents a dilemma: what to do?
He could try to keep it away from her but, since he'll need her to get rid of this in the first place, she'll end up finding out so that makes it pointless. He could also try to play dumb, let her find the article herself and be the one that broaches the subject. But, being the awful liar around her that he is, he'll most definitely end up showing his cards and she'll know he knew before and didn't tell her. Cue to her disappointed tone and the hurt face; he really, really hates that face.
So that only leaves just one option… he has to tell her. He has to man up and make levity out of it so they can laugh about it in the future after a few unavoidable days of dodging, blushing, stammering and uncomfortable situations on her part. Not ideal but it's slightly less cowardly than any of the other plans he's come up with.
He sighs loudly and, for a second, he believes she's heard him and is onto him because she moves in her chair but she settles quickly and just keeps tapping away not minding his mini freak out.
He'd laugh at his jumpiness if he wasn't worried about how the two stupid paragraphs are going to threaten life as he knows it. He's been really enjoying it lately. Not too much drama, not too much angst, not too much bloodshed. Just your run on the mill normal vigilante life that he just senses will never be the same. Perhaps he's being a little melodramatic but there's something about those eleven sentences that sets the fine hairs in the nape of his head on end.
The content's not that startling, it's even expected at this point, but the conclusion the journalist - if the people who dedicate their lives to spilling lies and secrets and dirt about other people can be called journalists - still has him reeling. No matter how much you prepare some things always manage to surprise. And that little article has certainly shocked him. Big time.
A lot has happened since he was a regular in this kind of websites. He was the bad boy the press loved, beneficiary to a billion dollar company, heir to an empire, shameless playboy and all around party lover. That seemed to sell a lot of magazines and get even more visitors on webpages so they followed his every move, never relenting, like his own little posse of flies.
The thing is he didn't mind then because he was just a screw up that believed he was better than anybody else just for his father's money and his charm and the photos plastered on any cover or web portal was just a proof of that. If he was willing to look further into it, he'd have realized what he really sought was the attention. He wanted someone, anyone, to be focused on him instead of in the stock-market or shallow charities and business meetings and lavish parties. If his parents weren't going to fit the bill it's was only logical to look elsewhere.
Tommy was just as screwed up back then as he was, so they made a game out of it where the other had to pay for the next bash if their face was on fewer publications than the other's. Needless to say that little wager awoke his innate competitive nature and he busted his ass to win his best friend, even going to the lengths of pissing on a cop car. Not his best moment, he has to admit, and now that photo haunts him in each of his birthdays in the follow-up that shows his life thus far.
Now, though, he has grown up and he has a lot to lose. Not only does he have to protect his new image - the real one, actually - and his company's too but he also has to protect his secret and Felicity. He cannot be as reckless or as thoughtless as he once was because now he cares. That's the main difference. He's put too much effort in making things work, in showing the real Oliver Queen and in showing Felicity he's worthy of the trust she always deposits on him, to let it all go down in flames.
The first time a rumor about him went up again - not counting his return back from the dead or his family's trashing for the Undertaking and the aftermath of the Slade debacle or even the perpetual shock of how a screw up could be taking over Queen Consolidated and managing quite alright - he freaked out; an honest to God full freak out, pacing and tugging at his hair. Sure, he had heard the words from Isabel all that time ago in Russia but it was so much more real printed and/or glowing in a computer screen.
He knew they spent too much time together and that Felicity was a very attractive woman - that's plain to see and not even he can deny it, at least to himself; not anymore - combine that with his previous reputation and he doesn't know how he didn't see it coming before. So he apologized and tried to tell Felicity he'd fix it but she never freaked out. Not once; which, in reality, was even more terrifying than anything. That means business. That means she's pissed but not enough not to retaliate. And that's exactly what she did. She just rolled her eyes, tapped a couple of times on the screen on her tablet and it was gone. All gone. Gone as in gossip sites crashed into dust all over the world. He remembers staring agape at her for a full minute in a mixture of terror and arousal, because that sure was hot as hell even if he shouldn't think about her like that; ever.
But, despite how thorough Felicity was in erasing the evidence of their supposed affair, people had seen it and it only made visible how many people actually believes them to be a couple. Isabel had said all QC thought they had something going on but it wasn't just them, not by a long shot, and the article only brought that up.
His own sister hit him with one of the magazines they couldn't stop from publishing their faces on for having kept Felicity away all this time, Laurel sincerely cheered him on his new life turn and Sara gave them the biggest 'I told you so' in History. Let's not forget Roy's epic 'That was supposed to be a secret?' and Diggle's more than obvious amusement at their uncomfortableness at the situation. But, if it had just been their closest ones, it wouldn't have been so bad. People on the street congratulated him and even investors believed them to be together. Every single one of them.
When Mr. Fox requested a meeting with him for a joint venture with Wayne Enterprises' Applied Sciences Division he had Felicity right by his side, as always, advising him in everything and translating all that technological and science-y gibberish he still doesn't have a clue about. He thought the meeting had gone extremely well, that they've been completely professional and that the little rumor of their more-than-working relationship hadn't traveled all over to Gotham, but he was so wrong. So, so wrong. Right after signing contracts and shaking hands in front of the elevator he'd told them that it was nice to see a couple so in sync, looking so happy and pleased as if he was a very old friend who had been waiting for this moment for a long, long time.
He swears to God he hasn't seen Felicity blush so harshly and quickly ever in his life but she, for the first time in her life, she couldn't speak, just open and close her mouth like a fish out of water. And he didn't farewell so smoothly either. In fact, Mr. Fox left them completely frozen in place without even hearing them deny anything.
It made it all the more real. It wasn't true, and they both knew it, but every single person they encountered did no matter how many times they said they were just friends, or just colleagues, or just partners. It didn't take. They thought they were joking and being discreet and it was so frustrating, until it wasn't anymore and he, at least, took it all in stride. It was better than flustering every single time like Felicity insisted on doing.
Thinking it over he knows they're way closer than any other friendship he's ever had or encountered. Not only don't they need to talk to understand what the other needs but they have worked together for such a long time now that they predict the others movements and act accordingly. They have the other moods so categorized they react and sooth the other before anyone else is privy to their feelings and no one else makes them laugh or argue as hard as they do with each other. They are so codependent it should make him run for the hills but it's just so reassuring and so comforting he knows he wouldn't stop even if he could.
He knows there's something there, something more, something they should explore further and talk about but what they have is so good he doesn't know if it'd be worth risking it over for a chance of a more that could go down in flames. He certainly doesn't need any more; he's blessed more than enough with what she gives and not even that he fully deserves but he's going to cling to it no matter what. So they continue to do this dance over and over. They publish something, Felicity takes it out, they get teased by the few people who actually know the truth, people believe their relationship is developing further than it really is and Felicity gets embarrassed and puts some space between them until something - generally bloody and/or life-threatening - pushes them back closer than ever before. It's a never ending cycle. And now it's happening all over again.
In all these years they've been 'together' he's gone from having a simple office affair, to cheating on her, to rekindling their flame, to breaking up with her, to getting serious with her, to having his heart broken, to settling down with her and now, apparently, to getting secretly married to her. They've had quite the ride, even if it's all fictional, but he cannot exactly blame them for their conclusions.
He cannot remember the last time he's been on a date, period. He has two full time jobs that have to be paired with enough QC functions that should made him collapse but really don't so he can also help her sister in Verdant with PR; he really doesn't have the time or the energy to fix his eye in someone. Add to that the fact that he'd have to pretend to be interested in meaningless conversations when he'd be more preoccupied about the next big bad trying to corrupt his city and it's just so pointless and exhausting. And the lies, let's not forget the lies. And the risks. And the sneaking around. And the having to explain why's he so close to his executive assistant/best friend/partner. Sara and he parted ways for a reason and he's not going through the motions again. It wouldn't work so why try?
If he's learned something from his relationship with Sara is that vigilantes - or heroes, as Felicity always insists they actually are - are not meant to have a couple. If it couldn't work with Sara who, apart from having a very intense and passionate past with, shared every facet of his life he's sure it wouldn't work with any other. No, friendships are way better and equally as fulfilling; although a little bit more sexually frustrating, even more so when said friends are very fond of little tight grey dresses that showcase assets very flatteringly while parading around in high heels. But that's not the point. The point is he doesn't need anyone else in his life. The point is he's actually content with how everything is right now and he's not going to do anything to jeopardize that.
So he doesn't try anymore and spends even more time with Felicity than ever before and, of course, the press takes notice; how could they not? They're always there, like the vultures they truly are, taking pictures of private moments and speculating about things they know nothing about. Yet he sees their point.
For the last couple of years Felicity Smoak has been his date in each and every function he hadn't been able to escape from. For the last three years he's had breakfast and lunch and dinner with Felicity whether it's outside, in his office or in the foundry it's irrelevant. She's always there, with his right hand covering the small of her back and his head turned to her to speak to her first before he does so to anyone else around them. It's always her by his side, day and night, QC and foundry, working or hanging out, meetings or parties. She's there, his saving grace, and he wouldn't have it any other way even if no one else but them understands their peculiar relationship.
As he sends her the link through the private chat she had installed in all their devices he cannot help but sigh again at what's to come. It's going to be a really long night. He's going to have to find a way to convince her not to push him away this time or they might have a rumor of a little Queen heir on their hands and then things will really get out of hand.