A/N:
Happy New Year!
To mark the one year anniversary of the last time I published a fic, here comes You Were Mine. It's taken me forever and a day to finish this thing, but I hope I'm not too rusty in the writing department and you enjoy it!
Title from P!nk's song 'The One That Got Away'
Happy reading, everybody!
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To say that Felicity was stressed out was the understatement of the century. Her favorite coffee shop had been closed because a pipe had burst, leaving her to grab a subpar cup of coffee at Starbucks. Gosh, that place was just criminally overrated… and overpriced.
Then her Uber driver had somehow managed to drive her to the wrong address while she'd been immersed in her emails, making her run late for a meeting. She'd spilled salad dressing on her blouse during her rushed lunch break, her assistant had gone home sick with a migraine, and her last meeting had taken almost three hours instead of one because the white-haired board member she'd met with had been too busy ogling her to understand any of the things she'd tried to explain to him.
On top of that, she'd finally had to admit to herself, after a long phone call with her best friend Caitlin the night before, that her relationship –if you could even call going on a few dates over a two-month period of time— with Eddie was going absolutely nowhere and she'd have to break things off with him. She hated those conversations, but there was just no spark between them and she didn't want to inadvertently lead him on and give him hope of a future together.
Suffice it to say, her day had sucked so far and all she wanted to do was draw a nice hot bath and relax with a glass of wine. But instead, her friend Tommy had asked her to go check on his house guest. Because, of course, Tommy would invite someone to stay at his place while he wasn't even in town.
He'd called her earlier with an overly sweet voice that immediately gave away the fact that he wanted something from her. And indeed, he'd told her about his friend coming to town on short notice and needing a place to stay. Getting him into the apartment was easy enough, since the building's concierge service had a spare key, but when Tommy hadn't heard anything from his friend for the past ten hours, he'd gotten worried. Hence, his call to Felicity.
She tentatively knocked on the door, hoping that Tommy's mystery friend would just answer and everything would be sorted quickly and she didn't have to go in there and waste more of her evening. Knowing Tommy and some of his other friends from college, there was no telling what kind of debauchery could've transpired in this apartment over the last ten hours.
When after a couple of minutes and more knocking there still was no sign of anyone being home, she dug out her own spare key.
"Hello?" she called out, still getting no response. "Hey, I'm a friend of Tommy and he called me to check on you," she continued, adding under her breath, "I really hope I'm not barging in on some weird orgy."
Her steps carried her further into Tommy's spacious home and her gaze landed on an open duffel bag that definitely looked out of place. A few steps further in she was suddenly faced with the most gorgeous naked back she'd ever seen. No seriously, it was absolutely exquisite!
A man laid sprawled out on his stomach on the couch, a blanket covering his lower half, but his back was on full display. And not just his back; his muscled arms and shoulders, too. His arms were stretched over his head, putting emphasis on his delicious shoulders. Holy crap, who knew she was an arms girl?
She must've made a sound (probably of appreciation), because suddenly the Greek God on the couch started moving.
She cleared her throat, hoping to God that her brain had rebooted itself enough to form a coherent sentence. "Uh, hey." Close enough.
The guy turned around, hair disheveled and sticking into every which direction, his eyes tired and unfocused. His jaw was covered with a light scruff and his haircut was shorter (and better) than it used to be, but there was still no mistaking who this was: Oliver Queen.
Aka careless playboy, college dropout, party king Oliver Queen.
Aka the man she'd once slept with at a frat party in Boston, an incident she'd come to call her golden standard for one-night stands. No, really, their night together had been amazing. And not just the overwhelmingly extraordinary sex –even though, truth be told, she still compared Oliver's prowess to every partner she'd had since him. No, what made that night one of the most fun and special nights of her life was everything in between. The laughter, the meaningful conversation about an uncertain future that she hadn't expected from someone like him, sharing their doubts and fears and hopes, even trying to cook breakfast together.
To this day she still wasn't sure why neither of them had asked for the other's number. They'd had Chemistry and despite their two very different backgrounds they could've had a lot more than just one night together. Who knows?
Granted, she hadn't been looking for a serious relationship at the time, too close to graduating to become involved with someone she could really care about. And Oliver, well, Oliver had probably never looked for a serious relationship in fear of cramping his party lifestyle.
So, their night had ended like it had started, with laughter and joy instead of the stilted awkwardness that could've been expected in that situation. He'd kissed her goodbye and told her to kick the world's ass. No expectations. No false hope. No shame when she walked back to her dorm. Just happiness.
At least on her side. Her memory of the night was crystal clear because it was somewhat out of the norm for her to just go home with a stranger, but for him she must've been nothing more than a blip on his radar. One of too many women to count.
"Hi," she finally found her voice again after her quick stroll down memory lane. "Tommy asked me to come check on you because he couldn't reach you and he was getting worried. I'm-"
"Felicity," Oliver whispered, his voice all husky with sleep.
"Oh, uh, yes," she stammered, seriously derailed by him saying her name. "Tommy told you." Because that was the only way he'd remember a one-night stand's name ten years after the fact, right?
"No," he told her, a smile tugging at his lips. "There is no universe where I'd ever be able to forget you, Felicity. We could've met forty years from now and I still would've recognized you. Even though I'm very glad I didn't have to wait that long."
Holy crap. He remembered her.
That was unexpected.
"But I was… you know, still all goth and everything," she argued, still thinking that Tommy must've had a hand in this.
"Yeah, so?" He grinned at her, his head cocked to the side as he sat up.
"It was ten years ago." This was getting ridiculous.
"Almost eleven, actually," he corrected her.
"You're telling me that you actually remember me?"
"Is that really that much of a surprise to you?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed.
He huffed out a chuckle, running a hand through his hair. "I mean we did have sex," he pointed out like that would explain anything.
She gave him a 'bullshit' look. "You want me to believe that you remember every woman you've slept with?"
"I feel like there's an insult in there."
"Just a logical assessment."
"Fine, you got me there. I don't remember every woman I've slept with because I spent the majority of time between the ages of 16 and 22 either drunk or high, or both. But I do remember you, Felicity," he insisted, his voice audibly softening on the last sentence.
Fuck, she believed him.
Promptly, she turned on her heels and walked towards Tommy's kitchen. "You want some wine as well?" Because this was definitely a wine moment.
With practiced ease she moved around Tommy's kitchen and grabbed two glasses and an open bottle of red before swiftly turning back, stopping dead in her tracks at the sight before her. Oliver had stood up, only clad in black boxer briefs, looking like he stepped right off the pages of a magazine with his… everything.
How could a man look this good?
Back when they first met, he'd already had a toned body, clearly having been a jock in high school and keeping up some sort of physical regimen, but this was just on a whole new level.
He rummaged around the floor next to the couch, finding his jeans and t-shirt, quickly putting them on before looking up and sending her a bashful smile. Was he blushing?
She shook her head as she plopped down on the couch, still not quite over the shock of meeting him again. Especially under these circumstances.
"So, what should we toast to?" he asked after accepting a glass of wine from her.
"Crazy coincidences?"
Fate, maybe?
He tilted his head, a smile tugging at his lips. "How about serendipity?"
"To serendipity," she agreed, clinking her glass against his.
She savored the sip of wine swirling on her tongue, the wonderful mixture of subtle flavors almost making her groan. Trust Tommy to have the really good wine.
"So, Felicity," Oliver started, her name rolling off his tongue like a prayer, pulling his knee up under him so he could turn to her fully, "What have you been up to since we last met? Did you kick the tech world's ass like you hoped you would?"
Fuck, he really remembered her. Remembered what they talked about in the wee hours of the morning in the quiet moments between earth-shattering orgasms.
"I told you I remembered you," he scolded her playfully, "but I'm happy to hear I gave you 'earth-shattering orgasms'. That's quite a compliment."
Oh, god. Please kill her now. How could she still not be fully in charge of her brain-to-mouth filter at almost thirty years old?
"I did not mean to say that out loud," she groaned, feeling heat creep up her cheeks.
"Don't hold back on my account," he grinned at her cheekily.
"Oh, shut up," she grumbled, hiding behind her glass and trying to swiftly change topics. "To answer your question: yes, actually. I started my own company after I graduated from MIT and even though the first few years were really tough and I barely scraped by, I've found my footing and we're expanding quite nicely now."
"And you're based here in NYC?"
"Yup, for now at least. We're set to move out West in a few months to establish a new headquarter in Starling City."
He perked up at that. "Really? And you'll be moving there, too, or just some of your employees?"
"No, I'll definitely move, too. We're on solid footing here with an incredible team that'll be responsible for managing the East Coast, and I'll help set up our network and infrastructure on the West Coast," she explained, barely able to conceal her excitement. This move would be huge for her company and promised to ring in a new, even more successful era.
"Well, you'll definitely have to call me when you get there and I'll be your tour guide to show you all of Starling's secret spots."
Wow, that's right. Starling City was his home town.
"Oh, so you ended up moving back to Starling?" He'd been on the fence on what to do when they met ten years ago, unsure whether he should finally get serious about his business degree (at his fourth Ivy League school) or drop out once more and find something else to do.
"I did," he confirmed. "I left Harvard a few weeks after we met and moved back home. Suffice it to say my parents were not happy, but then one day it just clicked for me. Being back home, I thought a lot about what you said that night. About me needing to find something that I'm passionate about instead of doing what my parents want me to do because in the end there was a good chance I would always resent them a little bit for taking my choice away from me."
Her eyes lit up, a flash of memory hitting her of soft rays of the early morning sun hitting their skin through the open curtains while he quietly revealed his doubts about his seemingly predestined future. She remembered how his honesty and vulnerability had surprised her… in the best way possible.
"So, what did you end up doing?" she asked, propping her head on her hand, genuinely curious about where life took him.
"I became a veterinarian."
Say what now?
"Wow… that's…"
"Unexpected?" He chuckled, a knowing smile on his lips. "I get that a lot."
"No... I mean, yes, it is unexpected," she agreed, hoping she didn't offend him. "But what I wanted to say is 'amazing'."
He beamed at her, eyes shining with pride. "Thanks," he mumbled, looking down at his hands for a second, his cheeks coloring in a delightful shade of red. "I really found something I love. Even though it involved a lot more studying than I'd ever done before, but you were right when you said that it all just kinda falls into place and becomes worth it."
"Wow," she breathed out. "Maybe I should consider a change of jobs and get into the consulting business," she joked.
"I'd give you a glowing recommendation to anyone who asked." He nodded seriously, the corners of his mouth ticking up.
A moment of silence settled over them, their eyes locked on each other. Felicity shook her head lightly at the complete absurdity of the situation.
"What?" Oliver prompted her softly.
"I just… how crazy is this? How improbable?" she asked. "We met randomly ten years ago and now we meet again and it turns out you're a friend of one of my closest friends? And even crazier that I'm moving to Starling… where you actually live. It's…"
"Crazy," he supplied when she couldn't find the words. "If I were a cheesier man, I'd call this fate."
Fate. The term had crossed her mind for a brief second when she first laid eyes on him tonight. She'd never believed in fate before today, always brushing it off as romantic bullshit that people conveniently used to explain statistical anomalies they couldn't understand otherwise.
But she had to admit that even for a numbers-lover like herself this whole situation was downright impossible to explain.
So, maybe this was indeed fate.
But if it was fate, there had to be a deeper meaning behind it, right? A reason for the universe to have them meet again almost eleven years after a simple one-night stand.
She couldn't deny that she'd longed to meet him again over the years. Their brief time together had never felt like it was enough. In the moment, it had all seemed perfect, but as time passed, she'd caught herself thinking about her one-night stand partner. She'd fantasized about finding his blue eyes in a crowd of people, bumping into him at a coffee shop or randomly meeting him at a gym. None of that romantic novel bullshit had ever happened of course.
Until now.
So, was this it? Was this fate saying, "here's your second chance. Don't mess it up again"?
"You're definitely quieter than I remember," his deep, soothing voice ripped her out of her musings. Or maybe it was his fingers gently curling around hers that did the trick.
She licked her lips, trying to formulate an answer. "I'm honestly just a little overwhelmed, I think."
He pulled his hand back, making her miss the connection instantly, and nodded slowly. "Please don't feel like you have to stay and talk if you don't want to."
"Oh no, that's not what I meant," she corrected quickly, grabbing his hand again. "I'm really happy to see you and talk to you. I just never thought this would be possible, you know? I mean, I was kind of hoping to meet you again... but we left things pretty clearly after our night together when we didn't exchange numbers or even full names. I mean, of course I knew your full name because you're, well, you. But still, neither of us showed any outward interest in officially exchanging names or numbers, so I figured it just wasn't in the cards for us to meet again..." –oh dear god, she was rambling— "3... 2... 1..." she stopped herself forcefully before she could dig a deeper hole.
Pressing her lips together, she slowly looked up from where her fingers were clinging to Oliver's in a death grip. This was it. Now he definitely thought she was crazy.
But instead of annoyance, his eyes were sparkling with wonder and laughter. "I've thought about you, too, you know? I knew that what we shared that night was special, but I didn't truly understand how unique our... connection was. How precious," he whispered softly. "But I agree. We left things in a way that said that one amazing night was all we were supposed to have." He hesitated, running the pad of his thumb over her knuckle. "Maybe this is our chance to do things differently."
Her breath faltered, her brain briefly unable to process the underlying suggestion: they could be more than just a one-night stand.
Just as the wonderful idea started taking root in her thoughts, her phone started vibrating on the coffee table, effectively interrupting their moment at the worst possible time.
A glance at the screen let her breath falter for a whole different reason. How could she forget?
"Frak," she hissed, earning herself a raised eyebrow from Oliver. "I... uh... I'm actually still in a relationship right now." Granted, it was one that she already decided was going to end very soon, but still, it wouldn't be fair to anyone if she agreed to be with Oliver before that very brief chapter of her life was officially over.
"Oh," Oliver breathed, his disappointment palpable, but to his credit, he caught himself quickly and smiled at her warmly, genuinely. "Clearly, someone else was better at recognizing how amazing you are and wasn't stupid enough to let you go." His eyes dipped down to their linked hands. "If you're interested, I'd still like to keep in contact this time around. And my offer to be your tour guide for when you move to Starling still stands as well. I'd love to be your friend, Felicity."
The way her name rolled off his tongue and his blue eyes never wavered from her gaze were enough to make her knees feel like jelly.
She swallowed down an incredibly inappropriate comment about how being friends with him unless there were some serious benefits involved wasn't really what she wanted from him. No, ma'am, she wanted all the benefits. How could she tell him that she was going to break up with her boyfriend without making it sound like she was doing it specifically to be with him?
"I don't want you to think I was leading you on or anything or that I'm a terrible person," she felt the need to defend herself after quickly going through their conversation again, and realizing that, yeah, she'd been rather flirty with him. That was of course partly because she'd already made up her mind about her nonexistent future with Eddie, and partly because this thing between Oliver and her turned her brain into a gooey mess.
"And I don't want to you to think that I'm not interested," she babbled. "But as someone who's been cheated on before, I can safely say that I'd never want to make anyone to feel as horrible as I did. And it really wouldn't be fair to us either, right? To have that guilt hanging over us?"
"It's okay, Felicity," he assured her gently, seeming genuinely understanding.
Goddamn it, Iris, why did you have to set me up with another one of your dad's old partners? Your intentions were sweet, but your timing really sucked.
Having this live action reminder of how much of a connection and spark and understanding she could feel with another person, she really wasn't sure why she'd stayed with Eddie as long as she had.
Well, no, that wasn't entirely true. As horrible as it sounded, he was the epitome of a safe boyfriend. He came from an upper middle-class family, had good grades in high school and became a detective because he had the innate need to help those who couldn't help themselves. He was sweet and kind and well-spoken. He even volunteered at a soup kitchen here in New York. Add that to his good looks and charming personality and you had the poster boy for every mother's ideal son-in-law.
Felicity enjoyed talking to him and she felt comfortable and safe around him. But since she was finally being really honest with herself, she had to admit while on paper he sounded like the perfect guy, there was just no spark between them. None whatsoever.
Since she was no expert on dating, she'd been kind of hoping that once they got to know each other better, their connection would deepen and they'd find that spark between them. After two months of perfectly enjoyable but spark-free dates, she could finally admit that that would never happen with him.
That had never been more obvious than right now, being faced with Oliver. It almost felt like there was a steady current of electricity charging the air between them. Finding his intense gaze focused solely on her like there was nothing more important in the world than her, was intoxicating to say the least. She couldn't help but think that this was how being in a relationship with someone should make you feel.
It was fascinating how a simple look, or the gentle brush of his skin against hers was enough to set her body and mind on fire. No man, including her theoretically perfect, soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, had ever had this kind of effect on her.
Good god, did she wish she was single in that moment. It would be kind of a dick move to send Eddie a break-up text right now, wouldn't it?
"You okay?" Oliver's deep, rumbling voice interrupted her dangerous train of thoughts.
"Huh?" Very smooth, Smoak.
His lips were pulled up into a curious smile. "You spaced out for a minute," he explained his question. "And you look a little flushed?"
Of course, she looked flushed! Images of their night together kept invading her brain, and if it weren't for Eddie, she would've climbed Oliver like a tree already.
She cleared her throat sheepishly at being caught fantasizing about what could've been between the two of them. "Uh, yeah, I'm okay. Must be the wine," she tried to laugh it off. "I haven't had dinner yet and it must've gone straight to my head."
"I have some leftover pasta from earlier if you'd like."
"Oh, no, I don't wanna steal your food."
He huffed out a breath and shook his head, already standing up. "It's not stealing if I offer," he pointed out over his shoulder.
"But I already crashed your evening enough as it is. Heck, I even woke you up. I should probably leave and let you rest a little more." Why, oh why, was she arguing about this with him? Leaving was literally the last thing she wanted to do.
She heard him rustling around in the kitchen, so she finally got up from the couch and followed him to where he already placed a loaded plate in the microwave.
"I honestly couldn't be happier that you woke me up, Felicity! I'm glad we can reconnect and if it's still not clear by now, I really enjoy spending time with you," he told her with a bashful smile. "Plus, I've already had dinner and this would all just go to waste because I'm leaving tomorrow morning."
Just as he finished, the microwave beeped and a steaming hot plate of delicious looking pasta was placed in front of her on the breakfast bar she was standing at.
"So, how about I get both of us a refill and you dig in?" he said in such a charming voice that she just couldn't find it in her to argue anymore with him. Plus, she really was kind of hungry. Guilty conscience be damned.
The pasta was absolutely delicious and she tore through the plate way faster than would probably be deemed lady-like, but it was just so good.
"You'll have to tell me where you got this," she announced after taking the last bite, just barely resisting the urge to lick the plate clean. "This will be the only restaurant I'll eat at for the rest of my time here in New York."
"Well, that'll be a little tough," he mused, taking a sip of his red wine, "because I actually cooked this."
"No, you didn't," she shot back automatically, staring at him with wide eyes.
"Yes, I did. You look almost more surprised at the fact that I can cook than that I became a vet."
"Well, I mean… both of those facts are quite astonishing if you think back to how you were when we met the last time," she defended herself half-heartedly, picking up on his teasing tone. "But in all seriousness, this was incredibly, Oliver."
"Thank you," he replied quietly, a tell-tale blush settling on his cheeks. "It actually tastes even better when it's made fresh, so I think I need to cook this for you again when you're in Starling, so you can get the full experience."
Oh, she'd love to get the full experience.
Once she'd broken up with Eddie, that was.
⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ARROW ⁂ ⁂ ⁂
She had changed quite bit over the years. Gone was the jet black hair with a single purple streak, and gone was the sassy, angry-at-the-world attitude. She'd changed so much, but at the same time she still seemed to be the same.
She was still the beautiful human being she'd been ten years ago.
Still as smart and quick-witted. Still as kind and remarkable.
He'd never be able to adequately thank her for what she did for him so long ago. She'd managed to get through to him when everybody else had failed. She'd shown him that he had something to offer to the world. Something that wasn't tied to his family's legacy.
Hearing her story had shown him that everybody, no matter how gifted or talented, had to work their ass off to realize their dreams. There were no hand-outs, no free passes.
Whatever he decided he wanted to do with his life, even if it was working for his family's company, he'd have to work hard to be successful.
He'd taken her words to heart, mulled them over for a few weeks before making the decision to leave Harvard and push the reset button in Starling City.
"So, do you have your own clinic?" Felicity interrupted his thoughts, looking at him with genuine interest.
They'd moved back to the couch, a new bottle of wine sitting already halfway empty on the table next to them. Felicity had kicked off her heels a while ago, folding her legs under her body while leaning against the back of the couch. They were definitely sitting closer together than before, but he was not going to complain.
If she hadn't mentioned being in a relationship, he would've probably made a move on her already.
"No, I've only been out of vet school for a couple of years and I still have a lot to learn," he told her. "Our family's vet was kind enough to take me under his wing and show me the ropes of owning and managing a vet clinic. Since I have quite the nest egg of a trust fund to fall back on, I'll probably buy him out in a few years when he's ready to retire."
She smiled brightly at him, clearly looking impressed, which boosted his ego quite a bit. "So, you're officially Dr. Queen, huh?"
It wasn't even funny how hearing her say his name like that went straight to his groin.
He cleared his throat and shifted a little uncomfortably, glad he had a pillow sitting in his lap. "It's a bit less formal around the practice, so it's usually Dr. Oliver, actually."
"Oh, that's kinda cute." She rested the bulbous red wine glass against her temple, studying him intently. "So, what made you come out here to New York if you don't mind me asking?"
Of course, he didn't mind. She could ask him just about anything and he'd happily answer if that would just keep her with him for a few minutes longer.
"I attended a conference and then met with some of my friends from vet school to talk about this project we're doing." When her eyebrow rose in interest, he continued, "We started a non-profit organization when we got out of vet school that aims to provide funding for medical procedures for abandoned pets that end up in shelters and on euthanasia lists."
Her eyes widened and he feared he'd destroyed the light-hearted mood between them.
"Oh, wow…" she breathed out heavily, when he couldn't find the words to fill the loaded silence. "That's… wow." She rested her free hand on his, squeezing gently. "That's incredible, Oliver."
Judging by the sudden heat in his cheeks, he was definitely blushing. Way to take a compliment, you moron, he chastised himself. But then again, it had been happening all night. Something about Felicity praising him, or even just looking at him with that soft smile, made him seem to turn into an awkward teenager.
"Thank you," he said, honestly chuffed by her praise and the admiration in her eyes. "We still got a long way to go, but our network of doctors and partnering shelters is getting bigger and we're gaining more attention on our YouTube channel which is another way to generate income. So, slowly but surely we're growing."
"How can I help?"
The question was so direct and unexpected that he just blinked dumbly at her for a few seconds.
Her fingers curled around his to get his attention. "Come on, Oliver. What do you need? I could write you a check," she suggested eagerly. "Do you have a homepage? I can definitely help with that. Or I could organize a fundraiser! Well, truth be told, I'd let my assistant organize a fundraiser. She's way better at knowing what kind of hors d'oevres all those fancy business people like."
Her enthusiasm and willingness to help was almost overwhelming. Most of the time when he told people about the project, they gave him measured smiles and asked if his time and money wouldn't be better spent saving children.
"Oliver?"
"You don't need to do anything," he assured her.
"But I want to do something!" she insisted, furrowing her brows before she nudged him playfully. "Can't let you save the world on your own."
"I'm not. Believe me there's a ton of people helping me already." Quickly amending his statement when he saw her face fall in disappointment, "Crap, that sounded like I don't want your help. I really appreciate the offer, Felicity, I just don't want to put even more on your plate with your move to Starling City and everything."
Her eyes widened and she excitedly slapped her free hand against his chest. "Starling City. That's it. We can kill two birds with one stone. Which, now that I've said it out loud, is a terrible metaphor when discussing saving animals. Anyway, I'm having a gala in Starling when we move there in two months to celebrate the new chapter for the company. We can make it into a fundraiser for your non-profit!"
He just stared at her, captivated by the passion and excitement in her eyes and tone. After all this time, she was still the amazing human being he remembered.
Once again the thought occurred to him that if she hadn't mentioned her boyfriend earlier, he would've kissed her right then and there.
"Say yes, Oliver," her silky voice urged him. "I want to help. And this is something that can be easily done since we'll just adapt the planning of the gala a little bit, so you won't even have to feel some misplaced sense of guilt for 'burdening' me," she added, using her free hand to mime quotation marks, "or whatever it is that is keeping you from agreeing with me."
When he still couldn't get his brain to come up with a response the air between them turned awkward, prompting Felicity to speak again, her voice now hesitant. "Unless you don't want me to help? Or you don't want to see me again after today?"
"Of course, I want to see you again, Felicity," he assured her, trying to find the right words. "And I would love your help. And, yes, you're right, I don't want to burden you with anything or make you feel like you have to help just because I told you about it." She saw her start to protest, but cut her off by squeezing her fingers gently. "But since I distinctly remember a very passionate ramble about you always wanting to make your own decisions, I will not be stupid enough to stand in your way."
Her jaw dropped. "You remember that?"
"Your faith in my memory is astounding," he teased her. "But yes, I do remember. 'My life, my choice" is what you said, right? So, I'll gladly accept any help you offer and say thank you!"
She shook her head slightly, like she was trying to get rid of an errand thought. "You're welcome. Now tell me more about this whole thing."
⁂ ⁂ ⁂
Hours later, when the second bottle of wine was empty and they'd raided Tommy's snack drawer, they were sprawled on the couch, Felicity's head nestled into the crook of his neck, snoring softly. The little puffs of air tickled across his skin and left his heart stuttering in his chest, as he watched the lights of the neighboring building illuminating the dark night sky. This was so reminiscent of how he'd held her during their night together... albeit with less clothes that time.
He couldn't help but feel a yearning deep inside his chest.
He considered himself a lucky man. He had a family that despite some bumps along the way had always loved and supported him, he had more money than he could spend, he'd never had to worry about student loans and flunked out of four Ivy League schools that others would've killed to get into. He had amazing friends that he knew he could absolutely count on, he was healthy, and he'd traveled all over the world. By all accounts, he had the perfect life.
But the one thing he'd never really had was love.
Yes, he was loved by his family and friends, and he loved them back, but he'd never shared that with a woman. Not to the degree where you could call it being in love.
He'd had several girlfriends in the years following his one-eighty, with varying degrees of seriousness. Upon closer inspection he hadn't been in love with any of them. Nor did he believe that any of the women had truly been in love with him.
And it was all because he compared his feelings toward them with what he'd felt during that night with Felicity. Even years after their one and only night together she remained the norm no one else could reach. He'd never found that spark, that excitement and happiness, with any other woman.
"You okay?" The words were mumbled into his skin, making a shiver run down his spine.
"I'm sorry if I woke you," he said, dipping his head to look at her.
"I've actually been awake for a few minutes, you were just too spaced out to notice," she teased him, pressing her nose into his throat.
"Well, then I'm sorry for not paying you any attention," he amended with a chuckle.
"What were you thinking about?"
Debating for only a second if it was a good idea to be totally honest with her, he licked his lips and said, "You... and me."
A blush crept up her cheeks at his confession and she squirmed slightly against him, before a smile settled on her lips.
"Am I a terrible person for liking the sound of that?"
His heart stuttered in his chest and he only managed to shake his head.
She sighed and frowned a little, bringing a hand up to rub at the creases that had formed between her eyebrows, answering her own question, "I think my boyfriend would disagree."
Right to the point.
Her boyfriend. The lucky bastard.
She tilted her head a little to the side. "Which actually reminds me that I don't even know if you're in a relationship right now."
"To make things even more complicated?" he chuckled. "No, I'm not."
Felicity nodded, her brows still drawn together in a thoughtful frown. "If I told you that I'll be single very, very soon..." she trailed off, licking her lips as he held his breath. "Would you consider going on a date with me? Once I'm in Starling?"
Holy crap. She was serious about this. She was willing to break up with her boyfriend, so she was free to date him?
"You... I... really?" he stuttered, rather sure that his brain had short-circuited.
"Unless you're not interested," she said and shrugged. "I mean, I was already planning to break up with Eddie before I came over here today and met you again, so I'll do that regardless of your answer."
So his earlier assumption that things weren't exactly great between her and her boyfriend had been correct. It felt like a shitty thing to think, but it kinda made him happy.
"Are you sure?"
"Definitely."
He licked his lips and nodded slowly, his brain still being incredibly slow to process this new information. "Well, then I'd love to take you on a date when you've moved to Starling."
"Perfect," she grinned at him happily, her shoulders relaxing.
Had she really thought he'd say no? Better clear that up, Queen, and leave no doubt.
"Or maybe even before then since ten years feels kind of like we've waited long enough?" he asked, raising a hopeful eyebrow.
"What do you have in mind?"
"I did promise Tommy to come back for a weekend soon, so we can catch up," Oliver told her with a small grin. "I could make a long weekend out of it and cook for you."
"Just tell me when and it's a date."
⁂ ⁂ ⁂
"When's your flight tomorrow?" she asked as they stepped out of the lobby and into the cool night air.
They'd spent a while longer curled up in each other's embrace on Tommy's couch before Felicity had finally announced that she should go home. He'd reluctantly agreed, still not quite believing that meeting her again wasn't just a dream.
This time around they knew they weren't saying goodbye forever, the promise of a date hanging in the air, but that didn't make the prospect of saying goodbye any easier.
"At 8. Why?"
"Hmm… is there another one a couple of hours later that you could take by any chance?"
"I really don't wanna sound like a spoiled brat, but I kinda took my family's company jet, so I should have some wiggle room. I'll just need to push some of my appointments in the afternoon back," he told her, even though he didn't understand what difference his departure time would make. "Why, Felicity?"
"I want to see you again to say goodbye." There was a pleading, almost desperate tilt to her voice.
"As much as I'd like to see you again in a few hours, why not say goodbye right now? It's already taking every last shred of my self-control not to throw you over my shoulder and bring you back upstairs so I can spend the rest of the night with you in my arms," he admitted, only half joking. "I'm not sure I can withstand the temptation of dragging you on that plane with me to take you back to Starling if given the chance."
"Please, Oliver," she essentially begged him, her wide eyes boring into his.
He stared at her, trying to figure our why this was so important to her, before he finally relented, "Okay. I'll let the pilot know to push the flight back a couple of hours and send you a text with the new time?" He raised a playful eyebrow at her, cutting through the intense moment, fully aware that now that he'd been given this incredible second chance with her, he'd never be able to deny her anything. "Happy?"
"Very," she told him before stepping into his space and wrapping her arms around him.
He gladly mirrored her movement and tightened his arms around her back, pulling her infinitesimally closer.
⁂ ⁂ ⁂ ARROW ⁂ ⁂ ⁂
A cold breeze greeted her when she stepped out of her car at the private airstrip Oliver was using to fly back home. Instead of meeting him in the city and saying goodbye there, she told him she'd rather meet him out here. Not mentioning that on her way she'd make a stop to break up with Eddie.
She'd sent him a message when she got home last night and asked to meet as soon as possible. When they'd sat down in a cute little café this morning, he'd taken the break-up well, almost looking like he'd been expecting it, without even questioning the how and why. A reaction that had only affirmed Felicity's decision and squashed any remnants of guilty feelings for just ending things so abruptly.
With that weight lifted off her shoulders, her mind had immediately jumped back to Oliver. Or maybe she had never really stopped thinking about him since last night.
She still couldn't quite believe that she'd met him again. And what was even more unbelievable was that the connection and spark she'd felt between them all those years ago was still there. Heck, it was even stronger than before.
And she was damn sure to make use of this improbable second chance the universe had given them. And if they found out in a few weeks or months that nostalgia and the memory of their intense, passionate night was all that was left between them, at least they would've given it a valiant try.
"Hey, stranger," Oliver's smooth voice ripped her out of her musings.
Her gaze slipped over his body and, hot damn, even wrapped in a thick winter coat he looked like he just stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine.
"Hey, stranger," she shot back, cocking her head to the side.
"Will you tell me now why you wanted to meet again this morning?" he cut right to the chase, his eyebrows rising up with curiosity.
She nodded, taking a step towards him, raising on her tip toes and pressing her lips against his.
The surprised intake of breath only momentarily halted Oliver's response before one of his hands grabbed her waist to pull her closer, the other softly cradling her face.
And yup, her memories of his superb kissing skills were spot-on. And, also yes, the passion from ten years ago was still very much there.
Groaning when his teeth nipped at her bottom lip, she leaned further into him, gripping the lapels of his coat tightly in a vain attempt to keep him right there in that moment forever.
A few seconds –minutes– went by before they were able to separate but not before connecting for a few more gentle pecks.
"Felicity?" he whispered against her lips, his brows furrowed, a million questions going unsaid.
"I'm officially single as of an hour ago, and I really didn't want to wait a few weeks or even months to kiss you," she rushed out all at once, breathing out heavily. "We've waited long enough, don't you think?"
He stared at her with wide eyes, drawing back so he could really look at her. "You're single?"
She smiled and nodded, watching in fascination as his bright blue eyes seemed to darken ever so slightly.
A second went by and nothing happened. He just kept staring at her, lips slightly apart.
Another second went by.
Just when doubts about her actions started to slowly creep in, daring her to rethink and question everything that happened between them last night, he snapped out of his paralysis.
A smile turned his lips upwards just as the crease between his brows smoothed out. "You're single." This time it wasn't a question.
He leaned forward, kissing her softly. "So, I get to do this more often now?"
Whenever you want, her brain screamed.
"Mhh-huh," she hummed against his lips.
"I like that," he whispered, pulling back to look at her. "I really, really like that."
"Good." She grinned, tightening her grip on his hips. "Because I plan on doing that a lot."
"You won't hear me complain," he chuckled, "unless I have to wait too long until the next time this happens."
"Well, I was thinking about that on my drive over here," she started, thinking back to an idea that had hit her earlier, "and I realized that with my move to Starling coming closer, I should really make a trip there and check on the office reconstruction progress and have a look at a few apartments."
Oliver's eyes lit up with excitement, but he tamped down his smile to nod semi-seriously. "That sounds like a very smart idea. Don't want to find out too late that there are any hiccups that could delay your move. As the CEO you definitely have a responsibility to make sure everything is done properly."
"My thoughts exactly," she agreed, bringing one hand up to cradle his cheek. "So, if I were to be in Starling in, let's say, a week or so, do you think there'd be a chance for a handsome vet to take me out to dinner?"
"I'm pretty sure that could be arranged." He turned his head to press a quick kiss to the inside of her palm. "I can't believe this is actually happening."
"I know, but I'm so happy that it is. That we get another chance after all this time."
He framed her face with his hands, looking at her adoringly. "I don't know what will happen with us, Felicity. But I'm so excited to be with you and find out."
"Me, too," she told him honestly. "Let's just see where this goes. No pressure, no expectations. Just us."
And with the next kiss, they did just that and lived happily ever after.
⁂ ⁂ ⁂ The End ⁂ ⁂ ⁂
What do you think? Let me know in the comment section below or come talk to me on Tumblr (new url is bri-617!) ;) Always happy to hear your thoughts!
The idea that Oliver's charity work is based on comes from the YouTube Channel VetRanch and The Abandoned Pet Project.