Hello, this is just a short one-shot about Oliver returning. I cannot wait any longer for him to come back and there's not enough stories written for me to have my fix, so I thought I'd write a little one :) Set after 3x11.
Beta'ed by - ThisVioletofMine
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Oliver was breathing heavily as he stood on the side of the road; he had just been flown back to Starling City. He was pleased that he still could trust and count on those he was close with, even during his '5 years of hell'- even after everything that had happened.
He puts his hood up, not entirely sure what's been happening since he's been gone. Also, he knows that he cannot fight at the moment, seeing as he can barely walk without agony.
He glances around his hometown and sets off going west, heading to Verdant seeing as it is the closest location. He observes what is going on around him, deciding that everything looks normal.
For a moment, Oliver is hopeful that the city is safe and therefore his friends and loved ones are, too. However, this hope is slowly shattered when he walks through the Glades- he knows something is not right. A frown appears on his face when he notices the lack of policing; he would usually see an indication by now.
When Oliver sees Verdant, his expression changes- he is clearly happy that it is still there. Taking a careful breath, he slowly makes his way down the alleyway, automatically avoiding the cameras. Looking around at the familiarity of his surroundings, his expression softens and his eyes lighten. He types the code in and is pleased that it hasn't changed. Pulling open the heavy door surprisingly did not cause as much pain as he'd imagined, although it still did hurt. He makes his way down the stairs at a steady pace, noting that only Felicity seemed to be here.
"Dig, I told you I'd call you when I got something," Felicity expresses, not even turning around. "You're turning into Oliver- always checking on me. It's so annoying! It was only nice when it was Oliver- not that I don't like you checking up on me, but… it was… 3…2…1," She rambles, still not bothering to turn around.
Oliver smiles at her rambling, walks closer to her, deciding not to talk.
"Aha! Got it!" Felicity celebrates and starts to turn around. "He is curr… Oliver?" She asks, surprise instantly showing on her face. She doesn't hesitate to quickly hurry over and hug him.
Oliver holds back a groan of pain and briefly hugs her back before pulling away.
Felicity steps back. "You're hurt!" She exclaims, seeing his expression. "What happened? Where have you been? Merlyn said you died! I didn't believe him, then he brought a sword and you were missing. I thought something had happened, I thought you-"
"Felicity," Oliver says, interrupting, "I'm okay." He smiles.
Oliver notices that she has slept less than before, but hasn't gone a great deal of time without sleep. She hasn't lost any weight and appears to be taking good care of herself. He does notice her nail varnish is chipped slightly, which is a first, which gives him some insight that she is not at 100%.
"What happened? Did you kill Ra's Al Ghul?" Felicity questions, looking him over but not seeing any obvious injuries. She forces herself to not ask any more questions.
Oliver sits down, needing some rest, before looking at her and deciding to be honest. "No. He won the battle." He answers.
Oliver and Felicity are interrupted when the door opens and Dig comes rushing in. "Felicity, I need the coordinates." He says, jogging down the stairs, somehow not noticing Oliver until he was a few metres away.
Felicity steps away and quickly types something into her computer. "I've sent you the coordinates." She replies quickly.
"Oliver- you're alive?" Dig exclaims, rushing over to hug him.
"No hugs, it hurts." Oliver says. "And, apparently, I'm not very good at dying- or at least, staying dead" He says.
Felicity laughs slightly. "Wait, can I laugh at that? Because, technically, you nearly died again, and I hate you dying."
Oliver touches her shoulder to silence her.
Dig smiles. "It's great to have you back. Are you hungry?"
"No, thanks. You're busy with those coordinates. I need to see my sister." Oliver says after a second's thought. "How are you both? How is Roy?" He asks.
"It's a long story," Dig replies. "I'll fill you in later." He jogs off.
Felicity smiles at him, poking his arm. "Would you like a lift to see your sister?" She asks, unable to stop smiling- he was back!
Oliver smiles. "Yes, thank you."
Felicity smiles before picking up her phone and calling Palmer. "Palmer, I can't come in to work. Something has come up," She says, hanging up without Palmer being able to finish his reply. "Let's go. What are you going to tell her?"
"I haven't figured that out yet." Oliver admits before standing up. He was secretly very happy that Felicity had chosen him over Palmer, even if it was just for now.
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Oliver was leaning slightly on Felicity, extremely worn out from the long walk, and his stomach was really starting to hurt. He takes a moment outside of the door to the place he shared with his sister before opening the door.
"Thea?" Oliver calls, looking around. He lets go of Felicity, but doesn't walk away from her. He sees his sister quickly appear at the top of the stairs, a smile instantly appearing on her face.
"Ollie! Where have you been?" She asks, descending the stairs, having mixed feelings about whether to be happy to see him or angry that he had disappeared.
Oliver smiles. "Speedy," He says happily before seeing Merlyn walk out of the kitchen, shock in his eyes but his face remaining neutral. He turns his attention back to his sister. "I went out of town for some fun and got mugged."
Thea gasps, shocked.
"I'm okay now, though they stabbed me in the stomach and stole my phone and money," Oliver makes up. "Some random guy helped me and it took me a while to get back."
Thea hugs him, hating to hear that her brother was injured and alone for some time. "I should have come looking for you! I knew something wasn't right!"
"Speedy, it's fine. I'm fine, and I'm back." He says, hugging her back.
They pull apart and Oliver takes Felicity's arm after he notices her glaring at Merlyn. "I'm going to lay down." He says, pulling Felicity with him.
"You're going to bed… with Felicity?" Thea asks.
Oliver turns and looks at Thea for a moment before nodding and walking off with Felicity again.
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Right, that is all. Hope you liked it :)