Hi everyone. Here's my take on what should happen between Series 4 and 5. The song lyrics used throughout are from the song 'You take my breath away' by the incredible 'Queen'. Love to you all xx
Oliver runs his eyes over the document one more time, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose as he tries his best to focus on the blurring text in front of him. His attention is quickly diverted from the legal documentation to a gentle displacement of air from the opening of his door. He doesn't look up, he already knows that it's her; he catches the subtle floral sent of her perfume and the specific clip of her heels on the carpeted office floor as she makes her way towards him. When she makes a point of clearing her throat, he peels his gaze upwards and his breath hitches and suddenly becomes laboured at the sight before him.
You take my breath away.
As Felicity lays down her clutch bag on the desk in front of him, stretching a hand across towards the paperwork, he resists every instinct that is telling him to reach out and cover her tiny perfect hand with his.
"You need me to take a look?"
Oliver hesitates in response, his senses preoccupied by the sight and incense of the woman before him. Her hair is pinned in a sophisticated up do, which only seems to accentuate her porcelain neck that pulls his gaze downwards to the sweetheart neckline of the Plum evening dress that is hugging her figure in all the right places. It takes an almighty amount of restraint not to linger too long over her curvaceous form, and if she notices him staring she doesn't show it.
You've captured my love, Stolen my heart, Changed my life
"No you go, don't want to keep Heathen Waiting" Oliver offers through gritted teeth as he tries to keep the venom from his voice but Felicity immediately picks up on it correcting him purposefully, with a playful lilt that makes his heart sink.
"It's Ethan, and Diggle is giving me a ride and won't be here for another ten minutes, so don't get your leather panties in a twist"
There is an awkward silence as she takes the seat opposite him and drags the paperwork in front of her, thumbing the pages as she scans them briefly.
"You look.." Oliver begins, and Felicity snaps her head up, stopping him before he finishes the sentence.
"Oliver.." She warns him. Her mouth continues to move but no sound comes out as she tries to tell him that they're over, that he knows why they can't be together. Oliver nods almost obediently realising his mistake and tries a different tactic.
"So this Ethan, Whats he like? Is he good enough for you?"
Look into my eyes and you'll see I'm the only one
Steadying herself against his desk, Felicity closes her eyes for just a moment. Taking a deep breath to compose herself and to consider her next words, she speaks hesitantly with hint of sadness in her tone.
"I've only met the guy once. It's our first date. Besides Oliver that's not your concern.."
Oliver stands from his seated position a little taken aback by Felicity's nonchalance. The insinuation that because they are not together, he shouldn't care about her, has him beyond angry. All he wants, whether she is with him or regrettably someone else, is for her to be happy and safe and for her to tell him it's not his concern, well to him the notion seems utterly preposterous.
He moves around the desk with a heightened degree of stealth and before she can stop him he's taken hold of her wrist and is caressing her hand in his. She momentarily makes a move to pull away but something stops her. She's not sure if it's the sudden feel of his familiar calloused skin on hers, the suffocating crackle of electricity between them or the fact that she misses the way her heart beats a little faster whenever he is near her, but she cannot move.
Every time you make a move, you destroy my mind and the way you touch, I lose control and shiver deep inside.
His other hand reaches up to cup her jaw, his thumb gently caressing her cheek bone and his eyes never leave her gaze. She's mustering every ounce of restraint to stifle the whimper that is rising in her throat but he doesn't need to hear it to know the effect he is having on her. Her pupils are blown wide and her breathing rate has significantly increased. She silently waits for him to speak knowing that if she talks first her brain to mouth filter will inevitably fail her. Swiftly brushing a loose strand of hair from her face Oliver speaks;
"Fe-lic-it-y" He drawls "We may not be together but I will never stop looking out for you. You are still and will always be my best friend and as your friend It is my concern"
Felicity nods, swallowing down the lump in her throat at his declaration. She only pulls away when she hears the car pull up outside Oliver's office. Raising herself on her tiptoes she places a soft and tender kiss on the side of his jaw, lingering for just a moment longer than she initially intended. As she steps away she whispers a 'thank you' and makes her way towards Diggle who is now standing in the doorway throwing Oliver a look over her head that speaks a thousand words. Oliver simply nods and leans back against his desk watching the woman that he loves walking away from him.
You take my breath away
You can reduce me to tears with a single sigh. Every breath that you take, any sound that you make Is a whisper in my ear (Please don't cry anymore)
Standing at the bottom of the salmon ladder with one hand half way out of his dress shirt, Oliver freezes at the whirring sound of the elevator behind him. When the doors part he is greeted by the sight of Felicity's back, her shoulders are stiff and he is sure that as she turns around the sound of a sigh leaves her lips. He slips his arm back inside his shirt as he moves towards her and as he gets a little closer the fact that she has been crying is plain for him to see. He immediately closes the distance between them and when he reaches her, she takes a step back and inhales a deep breath, preparing herself for the dressing down she is about to unleash on him.
"How Dare you!" Her voice is full of venom and he hates it, even more so that it is directed at him. He immediately reaches for her but she flinches and that hurts him more than he ever thought it could.
"Felicity please"
"Don't you Felicity me" She fumes, as she walks over to the comfort of her computer monitors, before turning to question Oliver's movements earlier tonight. "Why Oliver?"
Oliver takes a hesitant step towards her, carefully restraining his overwhelming need to touch her by rubbing his thumb against his forefinger in a rhythmic motion by his side. It doesn't go unnoticed by Felicity who stands coolly in front of him waiting for a response.
"Felicity I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd be there" Felicity Huffs out a half sarcastic laugh at his attempt at an excuse before walking away. Towards what she doesn't know, but she needs to be further away from him because every time he gets just a little bit closer he clouds her judgement and she can't think straight. She turns abruptly, Pointing her finger at him before flailing her hands above her head as she shouts, her voice getting louder with every word that follows.
"So your telling me that two hours ago you had no plans and then you just so happen to turn up at the restaurant that I am at with Ethan, with some, some Woman?!" Her eyes well up and she can feel the weight of her tears threatening to tumble as her chest heaves with the exertion of her emotional outbreak. Clinging desperately to her dwindling self-respect, Felicity steadies herself with her hand on the back of her orthopaedic chair, her gaze focusing on the Jimmy Choo's she had chosen for tonight.
I could give up all my life for just one kiss
"Felicity." Oliver pleads, but the request falls on deaf ears. He gently rests his hand over hers where it grips the leather of her chair and she tenses as his fingers trace a path across the line of Goosebumps that have erupted over her skin at the sudden contact. "Felicity. Look at me"
She raises her head, her eyes heavy and brimming with unshed tears. As he speaks softly, his hand stills its movement on her arm. "Her name is Grace and she's an old friend of Thea's who doing some fundraising thing and wanted to get me involved, She called tonight and asked to meet"
"Why take her there of all places?"
"Because I never thought for a million years you'd be there" Oliver exhaled heavily, the weight of their argument draining his reserves "You hate Table Salt"
The room falls eerily silent as Felicity absorbs the meaning behind his words; the realisation that he knows her better than anyone else is a bittersweet pill for her to swallow. She straightens her shoulders, but before she can speak he beats her to it. "I'm sorry if I ruined your date. But Honestly Felicity I don't think you really wanted to be there."
"Oliver don't" Felicity warns him, taking a step backwards away from him. But he follows, he needs her to say it, to admit that there is somewhere else she would rather have been.
"Felicity, tell me I'm wrong. Tell me that every time we are this close to each other.." He reaches towards her, his right hand taking hers and resting it just inside his dress shirt, above his Bratva tattoo so she can feel the thrumming of his heart beneath, his left cradles her face as he continues "..that your heart rate doesn't beat at a hundred miles a minute, making you feel so incredibly nauseous that you think you might actually be sick. That right now your pupils aren't blown wide at the thought of what could be if you let your guard down for just for a moment. Tell me that every time I managed to tear my eyes away from you tonight I couldn't feel your heated glare on me, that I didn't imagine seeing you tense every time Ethan touched you because you wished it was me. Tell me I'm wrong Felicity and I'll accept we're over.."
Her eyes widen at his declaration, and the tears that had been threatening to fall finally tumble over her flushed cheeks, but she makes no move to wipe them away. Instead her hands reach up to either side of his face, holding him tenderly. As her chest heaves with every tear that is cried she leans her forehead against his and utters ever so quietly.
"Oliver don't ask me to say that I don't Love you."
Oliver closes his eyes at the sound of the words that he had spoken to her one year ago being whispered back towards him. He trembles as Felicity pulls away, inwardly struggling as he feels the sudden loss of contact and he shudders as her fingers graze his before they fall away, reaching for her clutch on the desk beside them. With one last glance at his glassy blue orbs she turns and walks away.
"Felicity?" Oliver Laments, as he makes one last attempt at salvaging what is left of their relationship. Felicity pauses at the sound of her name. She slowly turns around, her gaze never leaving his as she listens expectantly for his next words, wondering what is left to be said.
"Please, just answer me one question?"
She stands stock still, paralysed by the fear of what he is about to ask. When she doesn't refuse his request, Oliver continues. His thumb and forefinger grazing each other agitatedly by his side. When he speaks, it is almost a whimper, the increasing pressure from forcing back the lump in his throat is overwhelming and makes asking his question an emotional struggle.
"Why is it that you would would risk your life for me, but you won't risk your heart?"
Felicity opens her mouth to respond, her mouth forming a perfect 'o' but the words never come. Her shoulders shakes from the weight of her tears as she tries to hold back. She's terrified of giving him the opportunity to break her heart again and he knows it. There's nothing left to say.
"Good night Oliver"
I would surely die If you dismiss me from your love. You take my breath away, so please don't go, don't leave me here all by myself
Felicity straightens her blouse, tucking in the Cherise silk material into the waistband of her Black A-line skirt. She flexes her knuckles, her eyes focused on the door of the loft in front of her. With a heart full of trepidation she knocks gently and shuffles her feet anxiously as she waits for a response.
It's been two weeks since that her date with Ethan and the Oliver shaped incident that followed. Felicity had made a point of avoiding him during the day but had somehow easily fallen back into their polite friendship at night knowing that they needed to sacrifice their feelings for the good of the city. It was awkward at first but they soon re-kindled their platonic relationship, relying on each other as heavily as they ever did before.
Felicity knocks again and when there is no answer she grabs her phone from her purse and taps out a message to Oliver
I'm at the loft. Where are you? F x
The response is almost immediate and she can't help the smile that spreads across her face at his uncharacteristic punctuality.
At the office. I can be there in ten minutes. You Okay?
Felicity's fingers fly across the screen of the phone
I'm absolutely fine. Take your time. Wanted to talk. It can wait. F x
Within seconds, her phone bleeps again.
Let yourself in, I'll be there are soon as I can
Following Oliver's instruction, Felicity retrieves her key for the loft and lets herself in. She pulls the two turquoise butterfly adorned hard case suitcases and when all her stuff is over the threshold she locks the door behind her. Taking a moment to survey the room, it's although Oliver hasn't been back her since she left, and it makes her already heavy heart, just a little more difficult to bear.
She leaves her cases by the couch and makes her way to the balcony, sliding the door open and breathing in the cold night air. As she stands overlooking the city, she is enveloped by the memories that are churned up by the familiar sight of newly painted metal railings against the lights that are scattered across the city skyline. She blushes at the memory of the time things got heated against this beautiful back drop and the way Oliver had insisted on carrying her up the stairs before things went too far. She rubs her neck subconsciously at the recollection, the ghosting of his fingertips against her waist, and the warmth of his breath against her neck is still fresh in her mind. Leaving the glow of the city lights Felicity makes her way back into the apartment and flops down on the couch, switching on Netflix and making herself comfortable as she waits for Oliver to return.
It's an hour and thirty five minutes before Oliver manages to get away from the office. Minutely satisfied that she's Okay, he takes the time to finish up his Mayoral duties before heading home.
When he opens the door to the loft he is greeted by the sight of Felicity's petite form curled up on his sofa, her head resting upon her forearm at an ungodly angle. He instinctively races towards her, his fingers resting upon her pulse point in her neck to trace her heartbeat. When he feels the thrumming of her heart and sees the shallow even breaths that she is exhaling, he falls back on the coffee table behind him, his body sagging in pure relief. The noise of him falling down against the glass has her stirring from her slumber and protectively throwing her arms up across her face.
"Hey, ssh its okay it's me" Oliver whispers as his fingers trace along the edge of her face. The tension in his body visibly disappears the moment she relaxes into him, and closes her eyes again for just one second to ground herself. When she reopens her eyes, Oliver is staring back at her with a smile that is so blinding she can't help but return it tenfold.
"Hi"
"Is everything okay? You said you wanted to talk?" Oliver questions wondering what it is that she needs to say. She takes a moment to compose her myriad of thoughts and before she can speak the brightly coloured cases that sit in his peripheral vision at the end of the couch catches his attention and the smile that has just adorned his face, drops away at the sight. His heart sinks, as pure fear floods through him at an unprecedented rate. He tries to hide it but she instantly recognises the look in his eyes and the familiar way his thumb and forefinger find each other, rubbing together frantically to the beat of his racing heart.
You take my breath away, so please don't go, don't leave me here all by myself.
"Oliver?" She asks searching for an explanation and she follows his eye line to the cases
"You're leaving?" He asks hoarsely, holding back the sob that is rising in his throat. Felicity reaches out her hand tentatively grazing his stubbled jaw, her thumb resting just above his jawline, her fingers scraping his neck as she shimmy's further forward to the edge of the couch to get closer to him.
"No, I'm not going anywhere, not a chance"
The relief that she's not leaving is palpable and in response to her firm words he raises his hand over hers, keeping her hand in place on his jaw. He presses his cheek into her palm, inhaling the floral aroma of her her perfume at her wrist, and resists the urge to place a kiss to to her bare forefinger where her engagement ring used to sit. When he's caught his breath, and forced down the lump in his throat, he releases her hand and turns his attention back to the luggage.
"So whats with the cases?"
Felicity drags her bottom lips between her teeth. There's a glint in her eye, something mischievous and it lightens the mood, turning any previous anxiety that he felt into something more closely related to excitement. He watches with anticipation as her eyelids flutter shut and she closes the gap between them, her knees grazing his Armani trousers and her lips just millimetres from his. He drops his forehead, pressing it gently against hers and is caught of guard when with a shuddering breath she utters.
"I'm risking my heart"
I love you You've captured my love, Stolen my heart, Changed my life