I got a few requests for a Felicity/Lex fic
Lex Luthor is by no means a hero. HOWEVER in this universe I'm going with the assumption that Superman does not exist which makes him less of a supervillain and more of a cut throat business man
As for who to visualize, Smallville Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) Or whoever you want.
Oliver Queen was a fool, Lex Luthor decided as he walked into the Queen mansion. He'd come to the party the young CEO was throwing to garner support for his company out of curiosity rather than actual interest in investment. There was blood in the water and Lex could smell it. The man clearly had no idea what he was doing if he had allowed his company to partially fall into the hands of Isabel Rochev. He accepted a flute of champagne from a passing waitress and looked around. Sipping it slightly, he looked around. Where was Oliver anyway? He wasn't planning on skipping his own party was he?
"Lex." A voice purred from behind him. Lex raised an eyebrow and turned.
"Isabel." He said, pleasantly. "How are you?" He took her hand and gave it a small kiss.
"Slightly confused as to what you're doing here." Isabel said. "I thought you were a good businessman."
"I'm not here to buy." Lex replied. "I came to watch." He looked at the woman, noting how much stronger she appeared. "I am surprised that you would believe this to be a bad deal. Especially since half the company belongs to you."
"And until it all belongs to me, it will continue to be a bad investment." Isabel said softly. She flashed a small smile at a group of nearby donors. Lex had to admire the woman's determination, though her motives were distasteful to him. It was customary for him to gather all the information available on his business partners. He'd uncovered the affair between Robert Queen and Isabel around a year before Robert Queen's death. He sadly took another sip of his champagne; love was a shameful waste of brain power. Here was a woman who had the potential to do anything, yet she wasted her talent in a petty quest for revenge against the man who'd wronged her. The best were always brought low by love.
"Where is the owner of the other 50%?" Lex asked his tone light. Isabel closed her eyes in slight irritation.
"Ask his pet." She pointed to a blonde woman with glasses and a pony tail. She was petite and dressed in clothes that had clearly been bought at a chain store. She looked nervous and out of place, but smiled gently and answered all questions the various guests directed at her.
"Pet?" Lex said mildly.
"His executive assistant." Isabel said. "Felicity something or rather. He promoted her from IT when he got the job. I believe we all know what motivated him." She let out a long suffering sigh. "I guess he hasn't changed as much as people seem to believe."
Her disinterested reaction was calculated, Lex knew. She saw this woman as a threat and probably had memorized every detail about her life. He looked over at her. The poor girl had no idea what danger she was in. She was rather beautiful, he mused. A pure sacrifice that Oliver Queen had unwittingly offered up to the wolves of the business world. She would never be able to get another position after Queen was removed as Queen Consolidated CEO. He'd ruined her career. Lex shook his head. A position in IT meant she had probably worked very hard to succeed in a male dominated field. Wasted potential. All for the sake of what?
"Well I guess I need to ask her then." He said, making his way over to the woman. She had her back to him and as he approached, ducked out of the room. He followed. She was on the phone leaving an angry message.
"Oliver I don't know where you are but you better get here now or I swear I…will find a suitable punishment that will fit someone who was marooned on an island for 5 years." She hung up the phone and exhaled in irritation. Turning she let out a yelp as she caught sight of Lex.
"I didn't mean to startle you." Lex said. "I was wondering where I might find Oliver, but it appears you are no more informed than I." He held out his hand. "Lex Luthor."
She nervously held hers out. "Felicity Smoak." She said softly. "I…how much of that did you hear?"
"Enough to be grateful that I'm on your good side." Lex said and he meant it. Her name combined with the information that she'd been in IT told him that this was not a woman to be crossed. Walter Steele had loudly bragged about his hire to the IT department and Lex out of boredom had done some research. She was bright, some might say a genius, and had graduated MIT with top honors. Which begged the question: what was she doing entangled with a man like Oliver Queen?
"Well I'm sure Oliver will be here soon." She said, moving forward to make her escape. Lex held up a hand to stop her.
"Why?" He asked. "What is it about being a glorified secretary that makes you want to give up a very promising career?"
She looked up at him. There was hurt in her eyes and shame. She cleared her throat. "It wouldn't be good for you if someone were to catch you alone with me." She said softly. "It was nice meeting you Mr. Luthor." She ducked past him into the main room. He turned and watched as she rushed over to Oliver Queen, making excuses for him to an irate Isabel. The other man accepted her fussing with grace, if not slight irritation. Lex frowned as he watched their interaction. Queen had no idea, how much this woman seemed to have sacrificed for him. Her words; "it wouldn't be good for you if someone were to catch you alone with me' were plain enough. She was being vilified as having slept with Oliver for her position. Somehow Lex was sure this wasn't true. He brushed aside his pity for the woman. She was none of his concern.
The next time they met he was attending Moira Queen's return to Starling city party. He'd only done so as a courtesy to the memory of his mother. She and Moira had grown up together and gone to the same finishing school.
There Felicity was. In a pink gown, her glasses gone and her hair free of the ponytail she'd worn it in last. Lex was debating whether or not to watch the entertaining façade of politeness Moira and Isabel were both using when Oliver walked over.
"I didn't expect you to come, Lex." He said. "I thought you rarely left Metropolis."
"Well it's not every day that a mass murderer escapes prison." Lex replied. "I thought I'd come and see how your mother was doing."
Oliver frowned at him, then turned his attention to the dance floor where Felicity was dancing with a young man in a tux. Lex tilted his head. Jealousy, that was interesting.
"She's beautiful." He remarked. Oliver feigned confusion, but Lex saw a vein jump in his neck.
"Who?" he asked.
"Felicity." Lex said.
"I hadn't noticed." Oliver said. He was lying, Lex noted that he was quite good at it. He waited for a lull in the music. Felicity broke away from her partner, her face alight with happiness. Lex walked over to her and accidentally bumped into her.
"Sorry." She said, looking up at him; her eyes wide and cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"I believe it was my fault." He said. "May I apologize to you with a dance?"
She seemed hesitant. No doubt assessing what her boss might think of her were she to dance with the CEO of a rival company. He could feel Oliver's eyes on them, boring holes into the back of his head with the intensity of his gaze. She was about to respond when Moira Queen interrupted them.
"Lex, Darling." She smiled up at him, standing in front of Felicity, effectively blocking her. "I haven't seen you in ages." She put her hand on his arm. He smiled coldly at her.
"Moira," he replied. "I was just hoping that the lovely Ms. Smoak would do me the honor of a dance."
Moira hardly spared Felicity a glance before smiling back at Lex. "Well I'm so glad you came to my party."
"Of course." He replied. "You and mother were such friends." Though he never understood why; Lex's mother had been generous and kind, qualities she had unsuccessfully tried to pass on to him. Moira was the opposite. Lex noted that Felicity was attempting to make an escape. Not that it made a difference as Moira put her hand on his arm and began to lead him away. Lex resisted the urge to push her away; he hated people casually touching him.
"I was thinking about your mother the other day." Moira said. "She was such a giving person. I could always count on her." Lex felt a shudder of disgust as he realized what she was about to ask. "She was so bright; I always felt she outshined me." Moira continued. "An intelligence she passed on to you. Your brains and your business acumen made you the most successful CEO in the country at such a young age." She flashed him a smile. Lex resisted the urge to roll his eyes. She was painfully transparent, though most people were painfully easy to read. "You could be a good guide for my son." She looked at Oliver who was making small talk with Isabel Rochev.
"Perhaps." Lex said. "Unfortunately my business in Metropolis makes me too occupied to deal with a floundering company run by a former playboy who happens to be the son of a mass murderer." He took a sip of his drink. "It's bad business." He said simply. "And as you said, I have…acumen." He watched in amusement as her smile tightened. She nodded and walked away. Looking around the room he caught Felicity's eye; she was looking at Moira's angry retreat with a mixture of surprise and awe. She jumped slightly as she realized he was looking at her. She turned away as Oliver walked over to her.
"So I see Moira made her play." Isabel commented, coming to stand next to him. Lex nodded.
"What's surprising is that you don't seem upset by my refusal." He said. If Oliver's bad leadership led the company to financial ruin, she stood to lose a lot of money. Yet he knew that she had no intention of trying to convince him to bail them out. "What's your game?"
"To get what's rightfully mine." Isabel said. She looked him straight in the eyes. "And I won't tolerate any interference."
Lex raised an eyebrow. "If didn't know any better I'd say you were threatening me. And that would be a big mistake." His gaze hardened and he lowered his voice. "You do not want me as your enemy, Isabel."
She seemed unfazed, which confused Lex. There was something going on here…something bigger than a woman scorned wanting revenge. He'd have to keep his eye on Starling in the future.
"I bought a controlling interest of Merlyn Global." He continued conversationally. "What's left of it, anyways. Such a shame when a once powerful company goes under, but…" he fixed her with a pointed stare. "It often leads to profit." She fixed him with a cold glare, fully understanding his meaning; when Queen Consolidated floundered because of Oliver Queen's bad leadership he would be there to pick through the ruins and there would be nothing she could do.
"We will see." She said flippantly.
Lex was tinkering in his private lab in his mansion about a week later when his phone rang.
"I thought I told you I did not want to be disturbed, Mercy." He growled as he answered.
"My apologies, Mr. Luthor, but you asked to be informed if anyone called from Starling City. I have a woman here who claims to be Oliver Queen's Executive Assistant. Her name is Felicity Smoak?"
"Put her through." Lex said. "Ms. Smoak, what can I do for you?"
"Mr. Luthor." She sounded surprised. "I…I didn't expect to be talking to you."
Lex chuckled. "I tend to prefer a direct approach when dealing with competitors."
"Right, that's why I called. Ol- Mr. Queen would like to schedule a meeting to discuss your recent takeover of Merlyn Global? Because the companies were so close in the past, he wanted to see whether you would be willing to continue a partnership."
Lex closed his eyes and shook his head. Moira was clever, he'd give her that. She was wary of Isabel and was trying to draw him in to protect her son. He wasn't going to help Oliver, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun. "Do you have any plans for dinner tomorrow?" He asked.
"I…what?" She sounded taken aback. "Why do you ask?"
"Come now, Ms. Smoak. You're a smart woman. Why do you think I'm asking?" Lex said, turning his attention back to the robot he was building.
"Because you want to use me for information on Oliver." Came the reply.
Lex almost dropped the blowtorch he was holding. "Why on earth would you believe that?" It was the kind of thing he'd suspect, but he'd taken her to be a much less suspicious person.
"Because you're a very scary businessman? A very successful and handsome one, but still terrifying." She said, then gasped. "I didn't mean…please don't be mad, I'm sorry."
"Never apologize for having an opinion." Lex said, slightly smug that she called him handsome. "As for your comment, I agree; I am intimidating, it's something that has served me well. But in this instance my interests are purely selfish. I would like to enjoy a good meal with pleasant company."
"You've met me twice." Felicity said. "What makes you think I'm pleasant?"
"You intrigue me." Lex said simply. "So dinner, tomorrow."
"I… I already have plans." Felicity said softly. "But…if you were to take a meeting with Oliver, my schedule might be more open sometime in the future."
"Why Ms. Smoak." He smiled. "I would never have believed you capable of being so ruthless."
"Me neither." She admitted. "I didn't say that, right?"
"Your dark side is safe with me." Lex said. "As to your employer…inform Mr. Queen that if he wants a meeting with me, he needs to agree to certain stipulations. 1, this does not mean that I have any intention of helping him. 2, Isabel Rochev does not hear of this meeting. 3, it has to be in Metropolis and if I see one reporter or if the press catches wind of this meeting, the deal is off. Make that clear to Moira."
There was a silence on the line.
"I'm aware that Oliver couldn't have thought of this idea on his own." Lex said.
"He could have." Felicity said. "Moira just made the suggestion first." There was a pause as she realized she'd said something that no normal secretary would have dared say. "Mr. Luthor, Sir."
Lex smiled in amusement. "Call me when Queen has given you an answer."
Queen had accepted the deal and he, Moira, and Felicity took a private jet to Metropolis. The meeting went well. Luthor agreed to let a few of Merlyn Global's projects go to Queen Consolidated. Oliver seemed relieved, but Moira was suspicious.
"Metropolis certainly is lovely this time of year." She said, looping her arm through Lex's. "Tell me, is that lovely Italian restaurant your mother took us to the last time I was here still open?"
"I have no idea." Lex said. "Perhaps you should explore and find out for yourself?" he knew the restaurant in question. It wasn't particularly fancy, but his mother had loved it so. He hadn't set foot there since her death 10 years ago.
"Won't you join us?" Moira asked.
"I already have dinner plans." He said simply. At least he hoped he did. He'd planned on trying to get Felicity to join him, but the opportunity to speak to her had never presented itself. Moira monopolized him, while Oliver had placed himself in front of her during the entire meeting. On her end, Felicity had been silent, demurely taking notes and frowning slightly when he'd described the projects he was gifting to QC.
At his words, Felicity stumbled slightly, dropping the papers and the tablet she was holding. Moira gave her a disgusted look, then turned to Lex a smile plastered on her face. "Forgive her; she's never been an assistant before."
Lex pulled his arm from Moira's grasp and held his hand out to Felicity who was bent, picking up papers. Oliver was handing her her tablet. She took it and looked at Lex's outstretched hand, then stiffly shook her head.
"Thank you Mr. Luthor, but I can manage." She said, standing on her own. Lex forced down a smile; she was defying the image of a weak willed assistant that Moira had forced on her.
"Of course." He motioned to the elevator. "It will take you directly down to the garage where I have arranged a car to return you to your hotel. I can't risk you being seen here. Bad publicity." He pressed the elevator button.
A few hours later he was pacing the floor of the back porch of his mansion. He didn't like unknown variables and not knowing whether or not she'd come was getting under his skin.
"Mr. Luthor?" He turned to see Mercy standing in the doorway. "Ms. Smoak is here."
He nodded, Marcy stepped aside and Felicity walked through. She was dressed in a simple pink dress and a jacket and she looked irritated.
"I only came to say that I know what you're doing."
"Oh?" Lex said, "And what's that?" He motioned for her to take a seat. She refused with a jerk of a her head
"You're trying to sabotage Oliver. I want to know why."
"Well then that sounds like you have 2 reasons for being here." He sat and smiled at her. She glared.
"Those projects you gave him…they're dead ends aren't they?"
"Not exactly." Lex said. "My R&D department already had similar projects in development and the direction Merlyn's scientists were headed was all wrong." He shrugged. "Not that he would have noticed. In addition to the fact that he had little to no scientific knowledge, planning a genocide tends to take your mind away from supervising your researchers." He reached for the bottle in front of him. "Something to drink?" he said, holding up the wine. Felicity folded her arms.
"Why tell me?" She said. "What's stopping me from telling Oliver?"
"By all means, tell him." Lex waved his hand dismissively. "If he doesn't suspect my generosity than he truly is foolish. I don't have the reputation of doing favors for people."
"You really think you're the smartest person in the world, don't you?" She retorted.
"Nothing I have encountered tells me any different." Lex shrugged. "Are you sure you don't want to sit down?"
Felicity frowned. "My friend John knows I'm here." She said as she sat down.
"Okay?" Luthor said.
"He's Special Forces, so if you were planning on making me disappear, you should rethink that plan."
Lex blinked at her, then threw back his head and laughed. "I would never dream of hurting you, Ms. Smoak."
"Then why? Why bother with…" She squinted at the bottle of wine. "A dinner which I'm guessing is worth more than my entire apartment and everything in it."
"Like I said before; you intrigue me, Ms. Smoak. I read your Master's thesis on cyber security. You posited some interesting ideas. Tell me, did your paper draw inspiration from the hack on the federal government that took place while you attended MIT?"
She froze, a flash of pain entered her eyes then it cleared and she gave him a defiant look. "How did you know about that?"
"As you said, I believe I'm the smartest person in the world." Lex said. "I also have a company with many ties to the government. They called me to consult in an effort to replicate the algorithm that created the hack. It was…amazing." He leaned back, noting the way her lips tightened and the rigidity of her posture. "I've never seen anything like it and I was unable to recreate it." He put his elbow on the armrest of his chair and rested his chin on his hand. "The interesting thing is that the man who they arrested as the creator was unable to decode it either. Oh he could control it, but when I questioned him about the finer points of the algorithm he wouldn't answer."
"That's an interesting story." Felicity said, and Lex noticed that her voice shook slightly. "But I'm not sure what it has to do with me"
"Cooper Seldon wouldn't answer…because he couldn't. He didn't create the virus; you did."
Felicity jumped to her feet.
"You were dating him." Lex continued. "I'm guessing you wrote the algorithm and he used it without your permission?"
She didn't answer. There were tears in her eyes and pain. "Cooper's dead." She said.
Lex frowned. "You don't know, do you?" He said softly. "The NSA recruited him and pretended that he killed himself in an attempt to protect an asset. He worked for them for about 4 years, though I think he fell off the map recently."
Felicity looked faint and sat heavily back on the chair. "What? Why wouldn't he contact me?"
Lex shrugged. "That is an unimportant detail, Ms. Smoak. As to my motives, I want to know what possesses a woman of intelligence such as yourself to accept a low level IT position then abandon it to play Executive Assistant to Oliver Queen."
"Well since you seem to know so much, why don't you tell me?" She said bitterly.
Lex winced, this was not going well. "I apologize." He said, deciding to back off a bit. "I realize that my information on your former boyfriend must be difficult for you to process."
"Process?" Felicity said. "What am I, a robot?"
Lex waited for her to make the next move. She seemed upset, which was normal, but Lex noticed a slight note of disappointment in her eyes. Then her lip trembled and she looked away.
"I'm sorry." She said, her voice wavering. "It's just a lot to take in."
Lex felt a wrench of shame which surprised him. Usually he delighted in his ability to destabilize someone he was questioning because it allowed him an opening to get them to reveal more, but here Felicity's tears made him feel sick.
"Do not apologize." He said, standing and offering her a napkin to wipe her eyes. "I should have realized it was painful information and found a more tactful way of telling you."
Felicity let out a small laugh as she reached for the napkin. "If you can find a tactful way of announcing that someone's boyfriend didn't commit suicide but has actually been working for the NSA while not saving the person who's been blaming herself for his death for the last 4 years a world of pain, then I will freely admit that you are the smartest man in the world."
Lex smiled. "How about we start over and pretend that we are simply two people having dinner and ignore business rivalries and past lovers."
Felicity nodded, wiping her eyes. Lex suddenly felt the urge to touch her, comfort her. He stepped away from her and went back to his chair, frowning as he signaled his staff to bring out the first course. Dinner went on smoothly. Felicity slowly opened up as they talked about less emotionally charged topics. She echoed his confusion on the popularity of organized sports and had an impressive knowledge of Shakespeare as well as recent scientific breakthroughs. The Particle Accelerator's explosion was of particular interest to her as she explained that one of her friends had been injured in the aftershock. He'd been correct in his assessment of her intelligence, but he hadn't expected how enjoyable her company was. Too soon she was yawning over her empty dessert plate.
"Sorry." She covered her mouth. "I'm not bored; I'm just a bit jet-lagged."
Lex shook his head. "It's quite alright, it is a bit late." He glanced at his watch; it was around 11:30. "Are you staying in Metropolis long?"
"No." Felicity said. "We're leaving in the morning." She bit her lip. "I…should probably get back. Oli- um. Mr. Queen and his mother are probably going to be back from their dinner and if they find out where I am they will not be happy."
Lex looked at her with interest. "Why does their opinion matter so much to you? You're above them in every way."
Felicity looked at the table in front of her. "Oliver is my boss and Moira…she's scary."
Lex laughed. "I'm hurt; I've spent a whole lifetime building up my image as the most terrifying figure in the business world only to be out done by Moira Queen."
"Well you aren't a mass murderer…right?" Felicity asked. Lex shook his head.
"Not on public record." He said. Felicity paled. "A joke, Ms. Smoak."
She exhaled. "You have a messed up sense of humor, Mr. Luthor." She grinned as she stood and took her jacket. Lex stood and walked over, holding out his hand.
"May I?" He asked indicating the jacket. Felicity nodded allowing him to help her into it. A gesture of chivalry he was sure, based on her earlier reaction to his offered hand, she would not have allowed were they in public.
"I had a…well I won't say good, but interesting time tonight." She said as he led her to the entrance of the mansion.
"If you worked for me, I could promise more interesting times." Lex said. Then frowned as she burst out laughing. "What?" He hated being laughed at.
"Nothing." She beamed at him, her shoulder shaking slightly. "It's just I'm usually making awkward double entendres and it's the first time someone's made one to me. Not that I think you did it intentionally and I would never assume that you meant anything dirty, it's just-" She blushed furiously as Lex gave her a blank look. "I'm just going to quit while I'm ahead." She muttered.
Lex felt his lips quirk in a half smile. She had an uncanny way of amusing him. He'd genuinely smiled more over this one dinner than he'd done in the better part of a few years. "I greatly enjoyed tonight." He said. "And I am sincere about my offer. Should you realize how profoundly your talents are being wasted in Starling, there is always a place for you at Lex Corps."
Felicity blushed and shook her head. "Thank you, Mr. Luthor." She said holding out her hand.
"Please," Luthor took it and held it. "Call me Lex."
She smiled. "Then call me Felicity."
He kept an eye on Starling after that. Every once in a while he'd call her. Purely out of business interest, he told himself, after all if Isabel took over the company it would signify major changes in the stock market and he wanted to be prepared should Lex Corps be affected. In addition she'd be out of a job, which meant he could hire her at Lex Corps. He debated warning Felicity of Isabel's plans, but decided she was too close to Queen. She'd use the information she had to try and save the other man rather than save herself. She was selfless that way and loyal, both admirable qualities, but painfully naïve.
She never called him. It upset him; he'd never been kept at arm's length before. Women usually clamored to get close to him, not that he ever really had time or interest, but it got under his skin that he'd finally found someone who sparked an interest in him and she refused to initiate contact. That changed after Moira Queen's campaign announcement.
He was watching it with disgust and horrid fascination. He'd missed the original announcement, having been on a business trip in Paris when it happened. Sitting at his desk looking at the TV, he wasn't sure which was more confounding; that Moira was running or that she seemed to have enough support to be a serious contender for the office. How short people's attentions spans were if they could forgive her for her role in the destruction of the city. Taking a sip of his scotch he was surprised when his phone rang…especially when he saw the caller id.
"Felicity?" He asked.
"Heeeey. Lex." She said. She was slurring her words and sounded strangely giddy. He frowned.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Peachy." She declared, proudly. "I wanted to see how you were. Plotting anything evil and mssysterius?" she giggled slightly.
"You're drunk, aren't you?" Lex tensed. "Are you in some type of trouble?"
"No-pe" She made a small popping noise at the end of the word. "I'm not drunk, I just took some aspirins. Or at least Digg said they were aspirins I think he's lying to me."
Lex saw red, pulling out his computer, he began tracing the call. "Who's Digg?" He growled.
"My friend." Felicity explained. "He gave me the aspirins so the needle wouldn't hurt." She gasped. "I shouldn't have told you that. He's going to be angry. But I needed it to get sewn up."
"Digg?' Lex frowned as he found her, according to her cell phone she was in her apartment, which didn't mean she was safe; she could just as easily have been drugged and brought there. "I'm going to send someone there."
"No, I'm really okay." Felicity said. "I just…I wanted someone to talk to. Someone not involved in…" She paused. There was a small sniffle; she was crying. "I'm such an idiot, Lex."
"Believe me, you aren't." Lex said.
"No I am, I did something really stupid tonight to prove something to someone one and it backfired….literally." She was blubbering. Lex closed his eyes. "And the worst part..isthaticant even tell you because I promised….Its a secret…though if I hadn't been there things would have gone very differently at the bank." She wasn't making sense. Lex closed his eyes. A needle? Pain, being injured, a bank? Then a news report popped up on his computer; the vigilante had stopped a bank robbery at Starling national. It clicked into place; the reason Felicity wasn't interested in a better position, why Oliver Queen had promoted her to Executive Assistant when she had no background or training. He'd almost been certain that Oliver was the Arrow, but dismissed the possibility once he'd monitored the vigilante's web activity and seen how good he was with technology. Oliver had been stranded for 5 years it was impossible for him to have gained the necessary skill, even if he was smart enough to understand that level of technology. But Felicity…she definitely had the knowledge and the skill.
"If it's about your work with the Starling City vigilante…" Lex said slowly. "I know."
There was a gasp. "You do?" she asked. "I mean…what do you think you know?"
"Felicity, what…happened?" He said. If she'd gotten hurt because of Queen. "Did Oliver hurt you?"
"I wanted to be badass. Like the Canary." She said softly. "She's lethal and dangerous and has all these cool scars. I just…didn't feel like I fit in with the team because I can't fight."
"And what's wrong with that?" Lex said. "Why would you need to abase yourself to physical fighting when what you do is so much more difficult and valuable?"
Felicity paused. "Because if I could fight then maybe Oliver…"
Lex gripped the phone tighter as a dizzy feeling washed over him; jealousy? Was he jealous of Oliver Queen? Swallowing the unfamiliar and unpleasant sensation he focused on Felicity. "You don't need to change anything about yourself, Felicity." He said, surprised by the sincerity and the note of desperation underneath it. "Why did you need painkillers?" He asked.
"Oh…I got shot." She said. Lex knocked over his glass spilling its contents on the desk. "And I needed them to help with the pain."
"They gave them to you at the hospital?" He asked.
"No…I didn't go."
Lex felt a rush of anger, though he wasn't sure at who.
"The Canary stitched me up. I'm as good as new…it sort of hurts though." She paused. "Are you mad?"
"Yes." He managed to growl, thinking about how he could repay Queen for the bullet. Whatever Isabel had planned for him wasn't punishment enough.
"I saved her life." Felicity said. "That's why I got hit. I pushed the Canary away from the bullet."
"I guess that makes you a hero." Lex said, leaning his head on his hands, thinking how much he'd rather the bullet be in the Canary than Felicity. "Felicity, promise me you won't take anymore unnecessary risks?"
"Oh this is nothing compared to the time I infiltrated that underground mob casino; I was super scared then. I didn't get shot though….so I guess the scariest was the bomb collar because of the jewel thief…or when I was bait for the dollmaker."
Lex had just picked up his glass only to shatter it in his hands from gripping it tightly.
"Lex." She said. "You still there?"
"Yes." He said.
"Good, I like having someone to talk to." She said. "It gets awful lonely sometimes. Oliver's not really…talky…or listeny." She hummed. "Not that you seem that way either, I know you like the whole scary CEO megalomaniac vibe you've got going, but I dunno I feel like I can talk to you…isn't it lonely?"
Lex blinked. "What?"
"Do you get lonely? You're the most successful CEO in the world, but you live in that old empty castle mansion thing…" She paused. "It's sad."
Lex shook his head. "You do realize that I've destroyed competitors for less?"
"You won't hurt me." She said confidently. Lex raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?' He said.
"I intriiiiigue you." She teased.
Lex closed his eyes. "Which is why you're more useful to me alive." He said, trying to convince himself of his words.
"I think you care." Felicity said. "And that it scares you…but I've been wrong. I was wrong about Oliver…so maybe I shouldn't give myself the opportunity to be wrong about you." She mumbled and Lex had the feeling she was no longer talking for his benefit. "Goodnight Lex." She said softly.
"Goodnight." He said hoarsely. "Try to keep yourself alive?"
"Hmmmmm." She said. "I shall."
Lex waited until she hung up. Putting down the phone, he tried to quell his emotions. She surprised him; that's why he was so invested in keeping her safe. It was why he'd been so adamant that she understand her worth. She was a potential asset to him. Nothing more. He glared at the broken glass in his hand and the blood coming from the cuts. He could not allow such a singular mind to be lost in the testosterone filled rampages of Oliver Queen. That was the reason for his extreme reaction. There couldn't be any other explanation…could there?
He was in a meeting when Starling fell to ruins. Mercy had interrupted the meeting, his anger at her died when he saw the footage; destruction, murder, mayhem. Supersoldiers in the streets slaughtering hundreds…and he knew, he knew Felicity was in the thick of it. She'd dedicated her time to the Arrow job completely ever since Isabel Rochev had ousted Oliver. She'd been worried, but she hadn't told him why.
Ending the meeting he'd rushed to his jet, ignoring the angry, confused comments from his department heads. He'd almost made it to the airport when the pilot called him into the cockpit.
"Why aren't we landing?" he growled.
"We've got a communication from…" The pilot said. "She wants to talk to you."
"Who is this?" Lex roared.
"Mr. Luthor, what are you doing in Starling?"
"Amanda." He growled. "I want to land my jet, why are you preventing me?"
"I'm sure you're aware that we have a terrorist group attacking the city." Waller said. "I cannot allow any aircraft to enter."
Luthor clenched his fists and tried to remain calm. "Amanda." He said, keeping his tone level, pleasant. "I have urgent personal business to attend to."
"You never have personal business." Waller said. "And I know you well enough to know that if it was urgent you'd force it to come to Metropolis. If you continue attempting to land I will shoot you out of the sky. There's a city in crisis and I can't risk anymore distractions." She cut the transmission. Luthor knew she'd make good on her threat. He ordered the pilot back to Metropolis.
Two days passed and he desperately tried to find her, combing through newsports, lists of the dead or injured, hospital records, anything that might give him an indication of what might have happened to her. Her phone was dead and her apartment was empty; he'd sent members of his personal security team there to investigate and they'd come up with nothing. It was late the second night. He was pacing his study, angrily yelling at a low level ARGUS agent to try and talk to Waller. Mercy entered the study and gave him a bored look. After none of his threats were effective, he hung up.
"It's dangerous." Mercy said.
"What?" Lex snapped.
"Caring about someone." She said. "She's got you wrapped around her finger and you haven't even realized it yet."
Lex glared at the wood of his desk. "You don't know what you're talking about." He growled.
"I know that the Lex Luthor who hired me would never have allowed an asset like her to stay in Starling after he realized how dangerous her job was. I know that you would have moved heaven and earth and gutted Queen Consolidated in order to get what you wanted." Mercy crossed her arms. "She's weakened you."
Lex turned his gaze to her. "And what would the Lex Luthor who hired you think of the way you're speaking to me right now?" He said softly, the anger hiding dangerously below the surface. Mercy couldn't have missed it, but she kept her face expressionless.
"He'd have me thrown out on the street for questioning him." Mercy said. "But if you really were that Lex, I wouldn't have to."
She was right; he was different. He'd considered forcing Felicity to leave Starling, but every time he'd run through the possible outcomes it ended with her looking at him in disgust for trying to control her. He wanted her, but he wanted her to come to him by choice.
Mercy turned to leave. "By the way, you've got a visitor waiting for you in the entrance."
"Send them away." Lex sighed heavily as he sat back in his chair.
"Considering how desperate you were to find her, I would think you'd be happy that she came to you of her own free will."
Lex shot to his feet and rushed out of the study. Taking the steps two at a time, he ran to the front of the mansion. There she was; a few visible scratches, but nothing too serious and tired expression that implied she hadn't slept in a few days. She was looking at the portrait of his mother that hung over the mantle piece in the drawing room next to the entrance, nervously wringing her hands.
"Felicity." He said, unsure if she was really there.
"I would have called, but…" She held up a broken cellphone. "I would have used a payphone, but those don't exist anymore." She looked at the ground. "So I had Oliver drop me off here in Metropolis after….after we got back from putting Slade away."
Lex moved closer, coming to stand in front of her. He hesitated before putting his hands on her arms. "Are you alright?" He asked.
She nodded. "Physically, anyway. Emotionally." Her voice choked up slightly and she shook her head. "That is a whole different story." Her lip quivered. "I'm….I'm not even sure why I'm here, I just…" Tears came out of her eyes and she wiped them away, annoyed. "You look like hell." She said. Lex pushed a stray strand of hair which had escaped from her ponytail out of her face.
"I was trying to find you." He said.
"Sorry." She looked at the ground.
He shook his head. "Are you hungry or tired?"
She looked him in the eyes, her expression taking on a sort of determination. "No…I mean yes, but…" she closed her eyes and slowly counted backwards under her breath. "I just…didn't want to deal with messy emotions tonight. I…I realized when we were flying back to Starling that an empty apartment with nothing but coffee and 3 day old thai takeout was waiting for me and I… " She'd reached forward and taken the front of his shirt in her hands, playing with the wrinkled fabric and the buttons. Lex realized what she wanted…what she needed and why she'd come to him.
He slid his hands from her arms to her waist and pulled her close to him. She let out a sigh of relief and settled closer to him.
"Felicity." He said softly. She shook her head.
"I just want to pretend that I have someone waiting for me somewhere." She said softly. He took her hand and led her to the stairs. "Promise me one thing?" She said as she followed him.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Don't say you love me." She said. There was a fatigue in her eyes; the look of someone who'd been let down too many times to allow herself to open up others. It was why she'd chosen him; she knew he wouldn't get emotionally attached. His neck felt as though it was made of stone, but miraculously he managed to nod his agreement to her terms.
They came together in a rush of limbs and hastily discarded clothes. She was silent at first, only making little gasps and small hisses of breath. It was bizarre that someone who could be so vocal in every other aspect of her life was practically silent now. He mapped her body with his hands, unsure how long she would allow him to touch her and certain that it would be the only time he had the chance. He burned her movements, sounds, the sensation of her skin on his, the way her hands dug into his shoulders with each stroke into his memory. She didn't love him, but she wanted him and maybe that was enough.
Thighs tightened around his waist, her closed eyes flew open and she let out a small whisper of "Lex" as she came undone. He fisted his hands in the sheet on either side of her head and lost himself. Her eyes fluttered shut and she let out a heavy breath. He didn't want to move, he wanted to stay in this moment and freeze it, pretending like she was, except he was pretending that this was a universe where this was his; where she was waiting for him when he came home. Her breathing evened out and he realized she'd fallen asleep. He moved and lay on his side watching her. She shivered slightly and moved closer to him, her hand reaching out and touching his chest, her head using his arm as a pillow. He reached for a blanket to cover the both of them. Feeling the smoothness of her hair against his arm, he closed his eyes. He traced a finger down the side of her face and smiled as she let out an irritated sigh.
He wasn't going to be able to keep his promise.