Prompt: someone (whoever you want) outside of Team Arrow sees just how much Felicity truly means to Oliver. Please write this. Thank you. :)
It was time, really. The inevitable could no longer be pushed off and delayed, could no longer be one of those "I'll do it tomorrow." type deals. It was time, Felicity knew. Even without Oliver's near-constant reminders and daily hints that Felicity was positive he no longer even tried to be subtle about. She could be as stubborn and resistant as she wanted to be, could deny it all she wanted, but Oliver was right.
It was time for Mini to go to that big junkyard in the sky.
The day arrived like any other. It was barely past dawn, pastel pink shot through with gold and lighting the world as the sun rose in the sky, and Felicity was already fighting with the stubborn lock of her driver's side door, which refused to open without at least five full minutes of coaxing and muttered curses. Ever since the key fob shit the bed and Felicity found a literal deficit of time in which to fix the stupid thing, she'd found herself having to leave her apartment nearly ten minutes early just to be sure she arrived at QC on time.
There'd been more than a few times where she'd been forced to call Oliver for a ride while her little red Mini sat moodily on the side of the road, unable or unwilling to carry on. Hell, there was even that one memorable occasion in which the car refused to start after Felicity spent close to twenty minutes fighting with the locks and another five trying to convince her seat to slide back so that her knees weren't jammed up under the steering wheel. Felicity had dissolved into frustrated tears by the time she called Digg to come get her.
Too annoyed to bother digging in her heels just to avoid another phone call, Felicity kicked the tire within easy striking distance before muttering under her breath as she dug through her bag and dragged out her cell, already holding down the speed-dial.
There was a barely audible grunt of acknowledgment and then Felicity's mouth was off and running. "Hey. Look, I know that it's early and you don't have to be up for another hour at least but my stupid car is the Devil and is refusing to let me in. It's too early and I'm far too pissed off to bother trying to sweet talk Satan into letting me drive to work."
When she took a pause to breathe, Oliver cut her off. "Felicity. Don't worry about it. Give me half an hour, okay?"
Felicity sighed in relief as the tension sagged out of her shoulders. "Thanks, Oliver."
"Always." he assured her softly before he disconnected.
True to his word, Oliver pulled up in front of Felicity's apartment just a hair over half an hour later. Felicity slipped off the hood of her temperamental car just as Oliver eased himself out of the black SUV he favored when shepherding his blonde assistant from place to place.
"Don't even say it." At Oliver's cocked brow Felicity elaborated, "If you say it, if you so much as think it kind of loudly, I will wipe out the vacation account you think no one knows about."
Oliver snorted as he snatched Felicity's keys from where they dangled around her finger. "One, I'd be a complete idiot to think you didn't know about that account. And two, go ahead and drain it. Then you can explain to Roy why he doesn't get to go to Hawaii next month."
Felicity blinked, slightly stunned and more than a little confused. Oliver chuckled to himself while he slid the key into the lock and tried to charm the door open.
"Your vacation account was for Hawaii?" Felicity questioned as she ran through probable scenarios in her head, trying to find the best set of circumstances to explain such an idea. "For Roy?"
Oliver chuckled again, shifting his weight from foot to foot while he continued to work the lock. "Yes and no. I thought that it might be nice if-"
"More car trouble?" A voice called, stopping Oliver mid-sentence.
Oliver's head lifted, his eyes searching out the interruption. His gaze found a tall man with dark hair that tickled his ears standing at the end of the walkway of the building next door. The guy had his hands in the pockets of his low slung and unbuttoned jeans, his slim but well muscled torso on display through the open front of his button-up.
"Oh, hey Brian." Felicity smiled widely at the man as he made his way toward them and made a gesture that encompassed both Oliver and the car. "I hope we didn't wake you."
Brian rolled his eyes and offered Oliver a smirk before his dark eyes trailed slowly and appreciatively over Oliver. "Please. I'd hardly stepped out of my dancing shoes when I happened to see the beautiful congregation taking place right outside my door." Brian grinned, his eyes never once leaving Oliver.
Felicity coughed to cover a laugh and then waved a hand between the two men. "Oliver, this is Brian Kinney, my neighbor. Brian, my boss, Oliver Queen."
The two men shook hands, each of them sizing the other up.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Oliver." Brian grinned. "I've heard a lot about you."
"I wish that I could say the same." Oliver cast a sideways glance at Felicity, who was quite obviously amused by the whole situation. "Felicity never mentioned that the CEO of Kinnetic lived right next door."
Brian's grin widened into a full blown smile. "You've heard of me."
"Everyone in Starling has heard of you." Felicity laughed, taking the car keys from Oliver to once more try her hand at opening the door.
"I make it a point to know when big fish are moving around within my city." Oliver told Brian, smiling his playboy smile.
Felicity wondered if Oliver had heard everything there was to hear about Brian. The charming smile lent itself to the negative.
"Well, I am most definitely big fish." Brian crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the car, hooking his legs at the ankles and rolling his jaw as he looked between Oliver and Felicity. "So, did I hear something about Hawaii before I so rudely interrupted?"
Felicity huffed down at the still locked door and tossed the keys back to Oliver, leaning beside Brian and mimicking his pose. "Oliver was apparently planning a trip for our friend Roy."
Brian arched a brow, a bright glint lighting his eye. "A romantic vacation for two?" he asked.
Felicity snorted and had to clap a hand over her mouth to stop from giggling when she heard Oliver curse and the car keys hit the pavement. "Roy is dating Oliver's sister." Felicity explained. "Though, why that gets him a trip to Hawaii I have no idea."
"Hawaii isn't for Roy." Oliver shrugged, a gesture meant to convey how insignificant his words were. His tight jaw and purposefully careless demeanor gave him away, though. "He's just the only one who knows about it."
"I've always wanted to go to Hawaii." Felicity mused aloud. "The volcanoes, the cuisine, the beaches-"
"The men." Brian tossed out, winking at Felicity before flicking his eyes toward Oliver just in time to catch the clench of his fist against the car door.
Felicity sighed dreamily. "Someday."
Just then the sound of metal grinding against metal reached her ears and Oliver gave a grunt. "Got it." he announced, pulling open the driver's door and sinking into the car.
"My hero." Felicity smiled, shoving herself away from the car to stand beside the now open door.
Oliver was only inside the car for a minute before he reemerged, Felicity's sunglasses and a file folder in hand. He shut and locked the car door behind him and Felicity could only gape at him as he went to drop his cargo onto the passenger seat of his SUV.
"What are you doing?" she questioned, waving a hand at the re-locked door of her Mini. "You just got the stupid thing open! Why would you-"
"You're not driving that deathtrap." Oliver informed her, his face set in a determined scowl. "Not anymore."
Brian swallowed back the laugh in his throat at the angry flush rising in Felicity's cheeks. "I concur. This lunch box on wheels has seen better days." he agreed with Oliver, mostly to see the flush darken.
"Funny how either of you thinks I can afford to just run out and buy a new car. And that you," Felicity jabbed a finger at Oliver, "somehow still think that you get to tell me what to do."
"If the words, 'You're not the boss of me' pass your lips, I will judge you." Brian smirked, ducking the smack aimed at his head.
"Shut up." Felicity said without heat.
"Come on, Felicity." Oliver tried to reason with her. "I know you love your car, but it's time. You need something that's safe, something reliable that will protect you."
"I couldn't agree more." Brian nodded sagely, a wicked edge of something sharp in his gaze as it met Felicity's. "You should listen to your... Boss, Felicity."
"Right." Felicity closed her eyes and threw her hands out. "You two can gang up on me all you want, I still can't afford to buy a new car. Not even with a trade-in."
"I'll buy it for you." Oliver shrugged one shoulder, as though offering to buy his assistant a new car wasn't wholly inappropriate on multiple levels.
"No!" Felicity denied emphatically. "You are not buying me a fucking car, Oliver!"
Brian couldn't help the laugh that bubbled in his chest. He'd been Felicity's neighbor for just over a year and had never once heard her curse with such vehemence.
"Your birthday is next month." Oliver reminded her. "Consider it your birthday present."
"A birthday present is a new piece of tech, a day or two off, or maybe a shiny bauble for me to wear to events. A birthday present is not an automobile, Oliver!" Felicity argued.
"A birthday present is whatever the gift giver wants it to be." Oliver shoved fisted hands into his pockets. "I get to decide what gift I deem fit to give. You don't have to accept it, obviously, but I reserve the right to give it." Felicity sighed, her eyes still flashing, but Oliver pressed on, his voice taking on an air of pleading. "I need you safe, Felicity. I need to know that I've done everything within my power to ensure that you are as safe and protected as possible. Let me do this for you. Please."
Brian watched the two of them stare each other down. Oliver was desperate, Felicity was indignant and prideful, and Brian wondered if either one of them realized they were head over heels in love with each other. Brian would know, of course. After the romantic whirlwind that was Ben and Michael, and the epic saga Brian and Justin had been through, love was something Brian could spot from miles away.
Brian knew for a fact that Felicity was in love with Oliver. A few drunken conversations in his loft with Felicity and Justin had put any question of that fact to bed. And if Oliver Queen wasn't stupidly, hopelessly, madly in love with Felicity Smoak, Brian would pack up and move back to Pittsburgh.
Felicity growled under her breath, a hand shoving angrily through her hair. "Look, I appreciate it, Oliver. Really, I do. But I can't let you-"
"You can, and you will." Oliver's mouth turned up slightly at the corners. "Besides, a new car will cost less than what I was planning on giving you."
Felicity gawked at him, shock making her eyes wide and glassy. "Jesus Christ, what were you planning on giving me? My loft? No, wait! The building my loft is in? Oh my God, Oliver, were you planning on buying up my entire block?"
Brian chuckled and Oliver rolled his eyes.
"My bet's on Hawaii." Brian muttered, surprised when Oliver seemed to hear him even though Felicity didn't.
Oliver's eyes caught Brian's and the surprise evident in those soft blue orbs told Brian that he hit the nail right on the head. Oliver met Brian's stare head on, asking him without a word to keep that little tidbit of information to himself. Searching and apparently finding what he wanted to see, Oliver returned his attention to Felicity.
"It doesn't matter. The point is that you need a new car and I need you to let me buy one for you. You've been stubborn about this for long enough, Felicity." Oliver told her.
"I'm not being stubborn for the hell of it, you know." Felicity pouted, crossing her arms around her middle. "I don't want our rel- friendship to net me special favors, Oliver. I'd hate to feel like I was taking advantage of your generosity."
Oliver laughed loud at that, his head thrown back and his shoulders shaking. Pulling himself together, Oliver took a few steps closer to Felicity, closing the distance between them and taking both of her hands in his. "Our relationship is special, Felicity. You are special. Don't you know that yet?"
Brian bit his lip to stop from smiling at the softness in Oliver's tone and the way Felicity's breath visibly caught in her throat.
"You take care of me in ways that I can never thank you for." Oliver continued. "Let me try to return the favor." he said gently, his thumb grazing the edge of her jaw.
With a heavily put upon sigh Felicity's resistance crumbled. "Fine." she breathed. "You can buy me a car for my birthday. But! We're trading in Mini and you have no leg to stand on when I give you presents from now on."
"Deal." Oliver agreed immediately.
Felicity let her eyes linger on his face for a long moment before she seemed to snap herself out of it. "Now, if you'll both excuse me for a minute, I drank a lot of coffee this morning and need to pee before we leave for work."
"The dealership." Oliver corrected as Felicity made her way toward her porch. "We're going to pick out your car first."
"My birthday's not for weeks still!" Felicity called back over her shoulder as she let herself into the house.
"Consider it an early gift." Oliver smirked and called back.
Felicity huffed as she shut the door behind her, disappearing into the building.
After a moment of silence in which both men stared at the building, at the doorway Felicity had ducked through, Brian asked, "She's still going to Hawaii, isn't she?"
"Whether she likes it or not." Oliver nodded seriously, but smiled despite himself.