We'll Fight the Dying of the Light and We'll Catch the Sun Chapter 1: Poison and Wine, an arrow fanfic

I don't own anything and this is not beta'd.

AU - Musical Duo (like the Civil Wars). I thought about this after playing Poison and Wine on repeat.

Chapter 1 - Poison and Wine

Felicity sat inside the recording studio waiting for Oliver, who was supposed to have arrived 25 minutes ago. Her phone chimed with a message from her partner, "Running late, should be there in 10. Sorry!"

She sighed and re-read the piece of paper that had her handwritten lyrics. She felt anxious. Unable to sit still, Felicity grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

"And on to some music news…" she heard the anchor spoke.

"The beloved musical duo, The Green Arrow, just finished the world tour for their highly-successful sophomore album, Lost in Each Other, which earned them 4 Grammy awards. What's next for this duo? Fans all over the world are restless that this might be the end, as rumors of a breakup have been rampant while the pair went on tour. Several weeks ago, their co-producer and manager, John Diggle, did not comment about the pair's future and insisted that the focus be on the tour.

Breakup rumors refuse to die down amid reports that Oliver Queen's marriage to his non-celebrity wife is on the rocks. This allegedly has caused a rift in the partnership between him and Felicity Smoak, who as you may also recall, ended her engagement to her longtime non-showbiz boyfriend just 10 months ago. Is the duo ready to call it quits so they can focus on their respective personal lives?

More to –"

At that point, Felicity turned off the TV and let out an exasperated breath. She thought that the tour would help ease her mind and heart. It didn't. And now here she was, waiting for Oliver, in the studio that became her home, their refuge, for over 3 years. Felicity could feel her heart breaking but scolded herself, "It's for the best."

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Oliver's distinct footsteps as he came in through the studio doors. He had an apologetic look on his face as he set a cup of coffee in front of her and kissed her forehead.

"Thanks. Is this why you're late?" Felicity teased as she took a sip of her coffee that was made just the way she liked it.

Oliver grinned at her and clarified, "Well, I was running late so I figured I'd come with a peace offering."

"Smart man," Felicity whispered. "Thanks for agreeing to meet me, I figured you'd be sick of me already," she joked to which Oliver stared at her intently and shook his head no. "Anyway, I know that we just finished the tour, but I've been working on a song and wanted to get your thoughts."

Oliver's face lit up as he asked, "What's it called and what's it about?"

Felicity thought about her answer for a moment and told him, "It's titled Poison and Wine. It's about the nuances of a relationship or one's love for another person."

Oliver gazed at her and smiled, "Okay, let's hear it."

Felicity exhaled as she situated herself on the piano, and mumbled, "It's a first draft so bear with me."

She started playing the piano and sang -

You only know what I want you to

I know everything you don't want me to

Oh your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine

You think your dreams are the same as mine

Oh I don't love you but I always will

I always will

I wish you'd hold me when I turn my back

The less I give the more I get back

Oh your hands can heal, your hands can bruise

I don't have a choice but I'd still choose you

Oh I don't love you but I always will

I always will

As she ended the song, she closed her eyes to keep her emotions in check, before she turned to Oliver and nervously asked "So, what do you think?"

Oliver was silent for the entire duration of the song. Transfixed, he lauded her, "Felicity, this is beautiful."

The feeling of anxiety crept up again. "It would be better once you get to sing your parts and we add the guitar," Felicity pointed out as she avoided eye contact with Oliver.

"When did you write this?" Oliver wondered, since they were just on tour and he didn't recall Felicity working on new material.

"It actually took me a while to complete this. I had the idea last year but didn't start until we went on tour. I finished the melody and lyrics when we were in Bali." Felicity explained.

Oliver went over their activities in Bali in his head and asked, "Was this why you refused to leave the hotel for dinner that one night?"

Felicity looked guilty and admitted, "Yeah, sorry."

Oliver chuckled and squeezed her arm. "No need to be apologize. I know how focused you could be when you are in your songwriting zone." That was one of the things he loved about her, her passion. It was something he was able to find again within himself after he met her.

Felicity began rubbing her thumb and index finger which didn't go unnoticed, "I was thinking, maybe we could release it as a single." Felicity looked nervous and fidgety. Something's definitely bothering her.

"Not that I'm complaining about starting early, but we just finished our tour. I think we can take our time to start writing other songs. And, are you okay? I can tell that you are unsettled." Oliver looked at her, concern evident in his face.

Felicity was playing with a guitar pick, which Oliver plucked from her hand. "Felicity, tell me what's wrong."

"I just thought maybe we could give the fans a little something," Felicity mumbled as she avoided eye contact with him.

He took in her demeanor. A thought struck him and a feeling of dread filled his gut. "This isn't a thank you or a preview for the next album. This is a goodbye." Oliver stated as he breathed out and ran a hand over his face. When she didn't deny his conclusion, he probed, "Felicity, what, what brought this on?" He refused to believe that Felicity no longer wanted to work with him. "Did you want to go solo for a while?" He asked, hoping that maybe some time off was what she wanted.

"No, I haven't thought about it." Felicity looked at Oliver, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I don't understand. You no longer want to work with me?" Oliver felt like he was punched.

"It's not that. I still want to work with you, believe me." She hated making him feel bad and confused.

"Then what is it? Because 2 days ago when we wrapped up our tour, I thought we were okay. Now all of a sudden you want to walk away from this?" Oliver couldn't help but get frustrated.

"Oliver, it's not that I don't want to work with you." There's no way that Felicity would let Oliver think she no longer wanted to work with him. "I feel like we need to take time off and sort out our lives. Your marriage" She tried to explain.

It finally clicked. Felicity wanted him to fix his marriage. He was unclear about the details surrounding the end of her engagement but he had a hunch that their job played a role in it. She was giving him a way out to salvage what was left of his marriage.

"Has been over for a while." He interrupted. "In fact, the reason I was a bit late today was because I had to meet with my lawyer to sign and file the divorce papers. It's over." Felicity's eyes went wide but Oliver continued, he had to put this on the table, "There's nothing to fight for and before you start blaming yourself and our music, Helena and I had issues even before we became a team. Being away from her and focusing on the music was an escape and just delayed the inevitable."

"I'm sorry, Oliver. I thought maybe if we walked away from this, you'd have chance to reconcile with Helena." Felicity hiccuped as she allowed the tears to fall.

"Like with you and Eddie?" Oliver didn't like to mention it, but since they're being open to each other, he might as well bring it up.

"Not exactly - Eddie and I grew apart. I loved him, but I found myself in someone else, even though I know nothing will ever come out of that. It wasn't fair to him. He deserves to be with someone who could love him completely and get lost in him." Felicity clarified.

Oliver tried to absorb what Felicity was saying and the feeling of hope was bubbling inside him. "So you were willing to walk away so I can have a shot at being happy and repair my marriage?"

"Yes, I'll be happy as long as you're happy." Felicity replied with unmistakable sincerity.

"Just so you know," Oliver said as he moved closer to her and held her hand, "I felt more devastated at the thought of us not working together than I did when my I realized my marriage is over."

Taken aback, Felicity asked "Oliver, what are you saying?"

Oliver blew out a breath before he enlightened his favourite blonde, "I'm saying, you, Felicity Smoak, make me happy. I shouldn't have waited this long to tell you how I feel. The moment I walked into this studio, you found a way to make me smile. There was just something about you."

"I was chewing on a pen," Felicity remembered, embarrassed at how Oliver found her that day.

"It was red." He specified.

"You remembered," Felicity gasped.

Oliver smiled and stroked her cheek as he answered, "It's almost impossible to forget things about someone you love so much."

He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. It was a simple kiss that offered a promise, a brighter future.

Felicity leaned her forehead against his and told Oliver, "Knowing you has changed my life. You've opened up my heart in a way that I didn't even know was possible." She looked at him before finally saying, "I love you."

Oliver, unable to stop himself, kissed her again. "So where do we go from here? I want us to be partners in all aspects of our lives"

"Well, first of all. I'm sorry I made you think that I was going to walk away from you. I think you need to focus on your divorce first and then let us sort out our own personal lives before we become more than just musical partners." Felicity suggested as she beamed at him.

Oliver nodded in agreement, gave her a bright smile, and leaned in to capture her lips once again.

The Green Arrow went on hiatus, but Oliver and Felicity didn't walk away from each other.

Six months after their heart to heart talk, Oliver arrived at Felicity's doorstep letting her know that he's officially divorced. They celebrated by travelling all over the world - learning about each other and drawing inspiration. Oliver and Felicity took turns in sending their friend, John, postcards from their whereabouts. He also received random updates about their songs during their time away.

Two and a half years later, their third album, "Finding Ourselves in Each Other", was released on October 24 – the day Oliver and Felicity first met. It was dubbed a chronicle of the duo's love story. The surprise album was a critical and commercial success. They won 5 Grammys, including Album of the Year, as well as Record of the Year and Song of the Year, for Poison and Wine. The media was also abuzz over their relationship, but the couple stayed away from the public eye as much as possible.

Instead of celebrating their Grammy wins at an after party, Oliver brought Felicity to their recording studio where he got down on one knee and asked Felicity if she could make him the happiest man on the face of the earth. And she did.