Hi guys! How are you all? Well I had to write this confrontation piece of Oliver telling the truth to Laurel. It's kind of written like a meta on why Oliver chooses whom and why. Before you review hate, let me tell you its fully Olicity. The conversation is between Laurel and Oliver but its fully olicity based. So lauriver shippers sorry. I just don't ship them and I don't really like Laurel either. Enjoy guys!
It was a quiet afternoon for everyone else except Oliver. He had a lunch date with Laurel.
The point being Oliver never really said no to lunch dates but things were different now, once Laurel had been in on his secret identity the way she looked at him changed multi-fold.
Oliver thought he could be himself entirely with Laurel but he felt himself being more stiff than loose.
There were parts of him that were feeling guilty. Lies, he was filled with lies when it came to Laurel.
When she had said "I need to talk to you" was the moment he was starting to dread the lunch.
"Where are you going?" Felicity asked Oliver while checking some connections in the new lair that was coming together slowly.
Diggle looked up at an Oliver nervous and fidgeting. That was a first.
"Ummmm...lunch date." Oliver pursed his lips and shifted his weight from one leg to another.
Felicity's eyebrows furrowed. "Cool."
"With Laurel and I'm not really looking forward to it." Oliver admitted. Diggle snorted.
"Anything to say Diggle?" Oliver stared at his bodyguard.
"Nothing man. Don't screw it up." Felicity smiled at Diggle.
"I will be back in an hour." Oliver declared and left.
When he arrived 5 minutes late Laurel was already waiting in the small restaurant she had chosen. She looked better, actually glowing. In the mean time Oliver stiffened. He smiled tightly at her. This wasn't good.
"Ollie!" She got up and ran to hug him while he entered the restaurant. He smiled and slowly hugged her quickly taking his hands away.
"You're late." She commented still smiling at him.
"I had some work to do." He lied, unbuttoning the suit jacket.
Both of them were seated when a waiter gave each of them a menu card. They thanked him and Oliver opened the menu and started skimming through it, really not knowing why he was here.
Laurel peered over her menu to see Oliver just lazily going through it.
"So, Starling seems very quiet these days. You did a good job." She smiled widely at him and he returned it back.
"It is and I'm glad."
Laurel noticed the awkwardness in his voice. He didn't even smile like he used to before the island. She'd seen him smile just once, like he forgot the world and its shit and that was with Felicity in the foundry.
"What about your company? I heard Ray Palmer took over it." She commented, putting down her menu. Oliver too placed it down facing her.
"He did. And I just don't like him much." Oliver commented, clearly angry that he was flirting with Felicity when he could get the chance.
"Why is that?" Laurel placed a hand on her cheek.
"Ahhh... I don't know. His attitude?" Oliver blurted , eyebrows raised not knowing what she really wanted.
"Are you going to get a job?" Laurel inquired making up her mind on what she wanted to eat.
"I got a job in another club as a manager. How is your job as the new DA?" Time to change the topic away from him.
"It's hectic. Lots of work and so many cases to do." The waiter had arrived by then. "I want a Chicken Ravioli." Laurel said happily.
"I'll just take a normal salad." Oliver replied. He handed the menu to the waiter.
"So what did you want to talk about? " Oliver asked quickly, before he could be interrogated again.
Laurel looked at Oliver in confusion, whether or not to ask the question that had squirmed in her head from the day Slade had kidnapped her and Felicity. She knew Oliver had some connection with his assistant but giving the cure to someone like Felicity didn't seem like a viable option to Laurel.
According to Laurel, Oliver and Felicity were good friends who knew his secrets and nothing more. She couldn't see a reason for Oliver to fall for someone like Felicity. Boy she was wrong. Oliver had every damn reason to fall for her.
"On that night... where Slade kidnapped Felicity and me." Laurel was talking slowly, bad and sour memories washing over her brains. It was traumatizing to feel that huge mans arms hold her throat.
Oliver was listening.
"Why did you choose Felicity to give the cure?"
Oliver let a huge breath of relief. "I acted on instinct and gave her the cure. And it worked right?" He shrugged and managed a fake smile.
Laurel's smile faded. He was lying.
"Really? Then why did Slade say he wanted to kill the woman you loved?" Laurel's eyes were becoming misty.
Oliver swallowed thickly. This was not happening here. "Tell me what really happened. I want to hear it now." She demanded.
"Look, I made Slade believe I loved Felicity and gave her the cure and it worked. It was a ruse." Oliver remembered how much weight those words meant to him. He didn't plan on saying it to her but they came out and for one second he had never regretted it. It was not in his plan but he just knew this was "Do or Die" if this was the last he saw of Felicity, the words had to be true and he really did love this woman. Realization hit his bones.
"It was a ruse? So you don't love her?" Laurel's voice had become less broken.
Oliver's heart beat raced. That was the problem. He was in love with her. It was true but he was scared. What if they couldn't be together?
"Taking your silence as an answer Ollie, You love her?" Laurel asked, her face was scrunched up and pink. Literally taken back at this new revelation.
Oliver looked desperately for an out but the food didn't seem like arriving.
He faced her and looked directly at her. "Yes, I love Felicity." Laurel gasped and placed a hand on her chest.
"But, Ollie I thought it was just a ruse." She fought back the tears.
Oliver shook his head, damage had been done. There was nothing he could take back.
"It never was supposed to be like this... When those words came out of my mouth I hadn't realised how much I truly meant it." Oliver smiled.
"I can't believe you Ollie. I thought, now that the secrets were out between us we could finally be together." Laurel was still, tears filling her eyes.
"What?" Oliver was surprised. Laurel was still holding on to such hopes?
"Now that you can be in peace, with Starling city in the calm I thought we could be together."
Oliver took a sip of water. He couldn't digest all this at once. He wasn't prepared.
"Together? After everything that happened with You, me and Tommy?" Oliver retorted.
"I'm over Tommy. I loved him and I always will but you're my true love Ollie. Don't you get that?" She was pleading with him when the waiter appeared with their lunches.
"If you think I'm still in love with you Laurel, than you're sadly mistaken." Oliver took Laurel's hand in his.
"I started a new way because of Tommy. He called me a murderer and I wanted to right my wrongs for him. " Oliver was internally screaming. Laurel would never understand what he was doing.
"Ok Oliver but Felicity? She's blonde, cute and funny I suppose. What else do you see in her?" Laurel demanded like she was just some play thing for Oliver.
Oliver didn't like the tone she was using. "I see a woman who loves me, cares for me, accepts me for the scorned person I am, she believes in me and believed me when no one else would even trust me to do the right thing. She's seen me when I'm so vulnerable and not once has she taken advantage of that and has always told me to do what's good for the city. If she wasn't here I would have never chosen another path. I beat Slade because of Felicity. SO you tell me why shouldn't I love someone like her?" Oliver was blushing. His cheeks flamed to some pink color and he didn't care the least if half the people were looking at him.
Laurel swallowed; she was looking at him daggers, tears trickling down her cheeks.
"I feel happy when she's there. I can break away from this mask I wear when I'm with her. She is the light in my world of darkness Laurel. I love her. I'll do anything to keep her." Oliver explained painfully.
"I thought I was your one true love. I wanted to get an apartment with you and you left with my sister and now you want to love Felicity? You haven't changed have you? Still dating everyone?" Laurel spat with disgust.
Oliver scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. " I survived on that island because of you. You gave me hope and I will always be greatful for that. The plan was to come back and make it up to you but on the way I ... fell in love with someone else."
Laurel had wiped her tears. "How long have you been in love with her?"
Oliver felt guilty this conversation was even going on but the lies had to stop before it went to heartbreak.
"I always knew I loved her. It just took me a while to realize it."
"When?" Laurel demanded with utmost no emotion in her words.
"In the clocktower. I was feeling low and she told me she believed in me when I didn't trust myself. That one hug was enough." Oliver looked at his salad, remembering how warm he felt when Felicity had told him and assured him he was not alone and she believed him. Her body against his felt so right. The warmth that generated from her body resonated throughout him making him ready to take down Slade.
Laurel nodded, still shocked.
"There is no one like Felicity to me Laurel. I'm truly sorry I can't be the person you want and need Laurel. Before the island I was reckless, treated you like crap and cheated on you. But I'm not like that now. I...I hope you find someone who loves you more than I ever did." Oliver took a bite of his salad.
Both of them finished their food in complete silence. Oliver paid the bill and both of them got up and left. The silence was awkward but the lies needed to stop.
They faced each other outside. "I have to leave to the office. This is it for the great Oliver and Laurel huh? " Laurel broke first.
"I guess. But I want you to know I will always be there for you." Oliver squeezed her shoulder.
"I'll see you and I'm sorry Laurel." Oliver apologised but relieved in a way.
She left with no hug. Oliver closed his eyes and walked the other way to the foundry.
Only Felicity was there. Diggle had gone to see Lyla. "Hey Oliver!" Felicity greeted him, seeing his face she knew something had gone wrong but it was better to keep quiet about it.
"Hey Felicity." He smiled his smile only for Felicity's eyes.
"So, I'm going to leave for the office. Ray called." Felicity filled him in and got up to get her coat.
"Felicity!" Oliver called out. It was just the best thing to tell her now.
"The date was bad. Laurel wanted to get back and try a relationship. I can't believe she still wants a relationship when we clearly want two different things." Oliver started off. He loved Felicity, because she never asked him for an explanation.
"She's over Tommy and just because she knows I'm the Arrow she thinks all the secrets are out on the table but it isn't. I haven't told her everything that happened to me and..."
"What do you want Oliver?" Felicity asked squarely.
Oliver crinkled his nose. "What?"
"I understand what she wants but what do you want? You need to start thinking about your needs Oliver. You've done a lot for the city and put it in front but what do you want for yourself? You deserve to have fun and love. Everyone wants different things but not everyone's needs can be the same." She put it out.
Oliver bit his lip. "You know what I want? I want you... "
Felicity's jaws dropped open.
"Felicity, I love you."
SILENCE
" When I told you I loved in the mansion I meant it. It was the last time I was going to see you and if Slade had killed you I would have never been able to tell you the truth." Oliver took Felicity's face in his hands.
His touch electrified her body ten fold. This was happening and she could not believe it. All along she thought it was a ruse when he had meant it the whole time.
He looked deep into her eyes for an answer, half dejected she would deny it was the truth.
"I love you too Oliver."
Felicity's eyes were filling up with tears. Oliver slowly merged the gap between them with a sweet kiss.
A new beginning to a life he could actually have.