"If someone used cheesy pick up lines on me, I think I'd marry them."
"Seriously, Felicity?" Diggle asked, his tone filled with disbelief and a hint of laughter.
Since the team had defeated Damien Darhk, eight months before, the city was a safer place. The team still patrolled each night, and assisted the police force when needed. But it had been months since there had been any major threats to the city. They finally felt safe.
After Laurel's death, Oliver and Felicity found comfort in each other. And after a long and heated discussion, they had made the decision, together, to give their relationship a second chance. They weren't engaged, but the couple had moved back in together a month earlier. They had agreed to take their relationship slow. But Oliver believed that they were ready to take the next step, together, and he only hoped that Felicity felt the same.
On this night in particular, it was only Oliver, Diggle, and Felicity who were in the bunker after finishing for the night and were getting ready to head home.
Oliver stood in front of the glass case that held his Green Arrow suit. He readjusted the hood as he listened to Felicity and Diggle's conversation.
"Yes," Felicity giggled. "I would. If he meant it, I mean. And wasn't using lines to get into my pants. And I wasn't dating Oliver."
Diggle choked out a laugh. "I don't believe you."
"I mean it," Felicity insisted. "If the guy meant it seriously. And used good lines, I'm not talking about the gross, sleazy lines. I mean the ones that are nice and cute. It would be a little romantic. Well, maybe not marry, but I'd at least give him a chance."
Diggle's laugh echoed through the lair as he followed Felicity into the elevator.
A small smile crossed Oliver's face as a plan began to form in his mind. He called after Felicity telling her that he would meet her at home, he just had to run a few errands first.
—
Felicity arrived in the bunker, the following night, completely exhausted. She had been forced to sit through board meetings all day. Going over budget plans and new ideas for projects. She had been ready for, and looking forward to a quiet night at home. But, just as she had left the offices of Palmer Tech, wanting nothing more to head back to the apartment that she and Oliver shared, she had received a text from Oliver, asking her to meet him at the lair.
"Oliver," she called, her voice echoed through the space as she stepped off of the elevator.
There was no response, the lair was silent.
Confused, Felicity checked her phone. There weren't any missed calls from Oliver and she hadn't received any new messages, other than the one requesting her presence at the lair. So, where was he?
Felicity wandered over to her desk. A small piece of folded paper caught her eye. She picked it up and unfolded it. There was a note written inside, which read:
You wanna know what's beautiful?
Read the first word again.
Felicity, though thoroughly confused, couldn't stop the small smile that crept onto her face, or the quiet laugh that escaped her lips. She recognized Oliver's messy handwriting. She turned the paper over in her hands and noticed another message scrawled in the corner.
I know you're tired (and confused).
But, please bear with me.
Go to the old foundry.
The exhaustion that Felicity had felt when she first arrived at the bunker had vanished, replaced with curiosity. Curiosity at what Oliver had planned, what he was up to. Her need to solve mysteries, gave her a burst of energy. She quickly left the lair and made her way to the old foundry.
When she arrived in the old lair, she was slightly surprised to see that Oliver was no where in sight. The foundry was still a mess from the last time she had been there. Tables and chairs were strewn about the room, some flipped upside down. A thick layer of dust covered everything. It was clear to her, that no one had been in the space since the team had been forced to leave. Back when Lance was still hunting the Arrow and had arrested Oliver over two years before.
It felt strange, being back there. The foundry, held so many memories for her. Some good, others not. In a way, walking around the room, felt like coming home, after years of being away.
She made her way to her old desk, feeling a burst of sadness for the smashed computer monitor that still sat on the desk. She looked around, trying to see if there was another note. She spotted one resting on the old med table. She quickly picked it up, and read the message:
Roses are red. Violets are blue.
I didn't know what perfect was, until I met you.
Felicity shook her head, laughing quietly to herself. "What are you up to Oliver?" she muttered under her breath. She turned to page over, checking for her next set of instructions.
Felicity, when I first met you, I was lost.
Lost in darkness, but you saw something in me.
You believed I could be more than just the vigilante.
And I can never thank you enough.
Go to the place where we first met.
Felicity wiped the few tears that had escaped from her eyes. The place we first met, that meant her old office, in the IT department. She left the old foundry and said a final goodbye to all the old memories that remained there. She got into her car and drove to Palmer Tech.
Walking into Palmer Tech, she muttered a quick hello to Hank, the security guard who sat behind the desk.
"Did you forget something, Ms. Smoak?" he called to her.
"Something like that," she answered with a laugh. "Just… looking for something."
She made her way to her old cubicle. Though, there had been many changes to the building, the IT department was unchanged. She quickly made her way to her old cubicle. Her gaze drifted over the desk. It now belonged to someone else. Gone were her few photos and take out boxes from when she was too busy to have real food, they were replaced with someone else's photos, someone else's life.
She found a note, stuck in between the keys on the keyboard. She picked it up and unfolded it, reading Oliver's quickly scribbled handwriting:
Even if there wasn't gravity on Earth,
I'd still fall for you.
Wondering where she'd be sent next, she turned the paper over. Scrawled on the other side was another message.
When I first entered your cubicle,
I had no idea that you would change my life the way you did.
I thought I'd be alone until I saved the city, or died in the process.
But you changed that.
You changed everything.
Your next stop is the old clocktower, the place where you first believed in me.
Felicity made her way out of her old office, and back to her car. She called a quick goodnight to Hank as she left.
"Did you find what you were looking for, Ms. Smoak?" he called after her.
"Almost," she answered with a smile. "Or I will soon."
Felicity pulled to a stop outside of the old clocktower. She carefully made her way up the stairs of the decaying building. The last time she had been here was almost three years before, when Slade Wilson was attacking the city. She pushed the trap door open, and pulled herself up. She looked around and gasped at the sight that stood before her.
There were candles placed all around the room, creating a faint glow in the darkness of the evening. There was a small table and chairs set up by the broken clock face. Oliver was standing next to one of the chairs, a timid smile on his face as he watched her.
"Hey," she whispered.
"Hey," Oliver replied, he rubbed his fingers together, a gesture that Felicity knew meant he was nervous about something.
"So, what's with the scavenger hunt?" Felicity inquired. "It's quite the production."
Oliver looked down, he chewed his lip.
"Oliver?" Felicity prompted.
"Felicity," he began, looking up at her, he closed the distance between them, taking her hand in his. "Felicity Smoak. I first saw you, before I even met you. I had broken into my mother's office, on an assignment for Waller. And you walked in. You babbled about how I was cute, but I was dead, which was worse for me than you. And then you left. But you were this flash of light. A flash of hope, breaking through all my darkness. I never imagined that I'd see you again. Never even dreamed, that I would fall so in love with you. But I did. And once I did, once I opened myself up to the possibility that I could be happy, I knew there would never be another person for me. And somehow, by some miracle, you fell in love with me too.
"I know, it hasn't been easy, we've definitely had more than our share of challenges. I thought that I didn't deserve happiness, that I didn't deserve you. But you showed me that I did. It was here, in this very spot, that you told me you believed in me. That I wasn't alone. And I think, in that moment, I knew. I knew that you were it for me. Even if I wasn't ready to admit it yet, a part of me knew that I was going to spend the rest of my life loving you.
"I know that I've made mistakes, some might say too many mistakes. Yet, again, by some miracle, you have found it in your heart, your amazing, loving heart, to forgive me, to give me another chance. And I am prepared, I am so ready, to spend every single moment, of every single day, for the rest of my life, showing you, proving to you that this chance, this hundredth chance, is not in vain. That you haven't made a mistake in trusting me."
Felicity looked up at Oliver, tears pouring down her cheeks as she listened to his declaration. He released her hand from his grip, reaching up to brush the tears away. He cupped her cheeks gently.
"Don't cry," he whispered to her, a small laugh escaping his lips. "My beautiful girl. I told you once that you would always be my girl. And I fully intend to keep that promise. And here, in the place that I first realized how real my feelings for you actually were, even if I wasn't ready to admit it then. But it's here, that I am making a few more promises.
"Felicity, I promise you that I will never lie to you again, even if it's telling you that I love your horrible cooking.
"I promise that I will include you in every decision I make, even when it's the small things, like which brand of toilet paper to buy.
"I promise you a life full of adventure, a life full of love. A life where we work together, as a team, as a partnership. A life, in which we spend the rest of our lives loving each other, accepting each other. A life where you'll always have someone to come home to. A life of support. A life where together, we continue to make this city a better place. Where everyday is better than the last.
"If you'll have me. If that life is something you also want. Because I'm telling you now, it's what I want, more than anything.
"But first," Oliver paused, he reached his hand into his pocket. Felicity followed his movements with her eyes, her body frozen in anticipation, her breath caught in her throat. " I have something for you first." He pulled a piece of folded paper out of his pocket and held it out to her.
Felicity took the paper, unfolded it and read it out loud:
"To me, you are perfect.
But if I could change one thing,
it would be your last name."
Felicity gasped and looked up from the note. Oliver was kneeling in front of her, holding a small, black box up to her.
"Felicity Meghan Smoak, I have asked you this question twice before," he smiled, looking up at her, tears shining in his eyes. "But you know what they say, 'The third time's the charm'. So, I will ask, for the third and hopefully last time, will you marry me?"
Felicity nodded, speechless for the first time in her life, tears poured down her cheeks. Oliver smiled and stood up, he opened the ring box.
Felicity was surprised to see that the ring in the box wasn't the same one that Oliver had given to her all those months ago. She looked at Oliver, a confused look on her face, still unable to form words.
"I thought we could use a fresh start," Oliver explained as he took the ring out of its holder and slide it onto her finger. "And technically, you told me to keep the other one. So, I, um, I made this one. Out of an old arrow head and an emerald that Thea helped me pick out."
Felicity held up her hand, inches away from her face, as she stared in amazement. "It's beautiful," she choked out, her voice was filled with emotion. "It's perfect, Oliver." She stood on her toes, pressing her lips to his in a kiss.
After a few moments, Oliver pulled away, but kept his arms wrapped banded around her waist.
"So, I guess you were eavesdropping on my conversation with John, yesterday?" Felicity assumed.
"A little," Oliver admitted. "Honestly, I've been carrying the ring around with me for a while. I was just waiting for the right opportunity. And then, the two of you were talking and it all fell into place. Did you like it?"
"Perfect," Felicity replied. "I always knew that you were a giant cheeseball. If only your enemies could see you now."
"This doesn't leave this room," Oliver tried to look threatening.
"Sure," Felicity teased, laughing. "You know, I have to tell my mother. And she'll expect the exact play by play. And you know how she is with secrets…"
Oliver groaned in defeat, throwing his head back dramatically. "But my reputation as a fierce vigilante depends on it."
"Well," Felicity answered. "You knew what you were getting into when you met my family. You made your choice. No take backs, you're my cheeseball now."
"Only for you," Oliver promised, pulling her towards the exit. "So, Mrs. Queen, shall we head home?"
"Hold on," Felicity paused, causing Oliver to stop. "Who said anything about me changing my last name. Maybe I'll stay Smoak or I'll hyphenate Smoak-Queen. Or maybe you should change your last name. Oliver Jonas Smoak? Has a nice ring to it."
Oliver laughed as he helped Felicity down the later and out of the clock tower. "We'll see, Mrs. Queen. I have time to convince you."
"Whatever you say, Mr. Smoak."