A/N: Hello Readers! I did mention that I love the idea of Tommy and Thea as a couple, but that I didnt think that it could work in the current arrow-verse since Thea is still so young and needs to mature. Therefore, I decided to set the story after "Home" since I feel that enough time has passed for both characters to make the relationship more believable.

FOR NEW READERS: This story is set AFTER my first Arrow fanfic telling Oliver and Felicity's story. It's called, Home. Feel free to check it out first if you like continuity.

Thanks for reading! I hope you review.

LadyG

Thea Queen was adjusting to life back in Starling City. For three years she'd been at the International Fashion Academy in Paris honing her skills as a designer and aspiring entrepreneur. Her decision to not venture into the family business had been received surprisingly well, a thing she suspected her brother had a lot to do with. The idea of sitting behind a desk in a plush office at Queen Consolidated had never appealed to her. Her stubborn nature combined with her creative flair demanded that she follow her own dreams and not allow her life's path to be dictated by the weight of expectation.

It was a bright summer's morning, the birds chirping merrily, the world filled with endless possibilities. While sitting at the kitchen counter scanning the latest edition of US Weekly and cradling a cup of freshly brewed coffee, Moira Queen entered. "Thea, there you are. I'm going to visit Felicity and Robbie this afternoon. Would you like to come along?" Her mother was dressed in a pale grey designer suit, en route to work.

"I have an appointment with a realtor this afternoon. We're going over some potential space for my new boutique. Maybe it might be better if I meet you there?" Thea didn't actually want to go with her mother. She had a tendency to hover which Thea found more than a little annoying.

"Oh. You're moving fast," Moira commented as she dropped some paperwork into her briefcase.

Thea recognised her mother's tone – a mixture of curiosity, concern and disapproval. Steeling herself for a potential clash of wills, she turned to face her parent. "I've been home for a month, Mom. I think it's time to start planning my future."

Moira looked at her uncertainly. "Are you sure this is what you want?" She carried her purse over to the counter and stood beside Thea's chair. "You know that there will always be a place for you at Queen Consolidated if-"

Thea put a hand up to silence her mother. "Mom. Stop. We've already discussed this a thousand times. I know what I want. I didn't decide to go to school for three years just to come back and slip into a role you've tried to mould me into since I was a child. I'm not interested. I'm never going to be."

Moira opened her mouth and then shut it. Thea could tell she was choosing her words carefully. "It's not that I doubt your interest in…"

"Design. You can say it, Mom." Thea stood up and closed her magazine, the flapping pages causing her naturally wavy brown hair to sway against her shoulders.

"Thea-" Moira began, apologetically.

Her green eyes flashing with irritation, Thea grabbed her magazine in one hand and her coffee in the other. "Why is it so hard for you to accept me as I am? Why are you always trying to fix me? To change me? I'm trying here. I've always tried to please you without losing myself in the process. But no matter what I do, or say, or try…it's never enough!"

Moira placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just-I don't want you to make a mistake."

The sincere look in her mother's eyes soothed her temper somewhat. "This is not a mistake…and even if it is, it's mine to make. I need you to accept that." Her tone was pleading.

Running a hand over Thea's hair, Moira smiled at her. "I am proud of you. I hope you know that. I'm sorry if I've been a pest, it's a mother's prerogative. One day if you're ever fortunate enough to have a daughter, you'll understand."

They hugged. "I love that you care, but you have to let go."

Moira smiled sadly. "I'm trying. Just have a little patience with me?" They drew apart. "Now, I need to get to the office. I'll see you at Oliver's later?"

Thea nodded. She probably wouldn't be there by the time her mother arrived, but she wasn't going to get into an argument about that. "I'll see you later."

"Alright. Good luck with the realtor."

Thea sighed heavily. She was relieved that her mother hadn't offered to help. Chances were they'd probably disagree on everything and wind up at each another's throats.

Walking up the stairs, she made her way to her bedroom. A lot had changed in the years she'd been away from home. Ollie had gotten married midway through and now had a son, she'd gained a sister who she got along with famously and her mother had settled into life without Walter. There'd been no news on his disappearance despite all their best efforts to find something, anything.

Closing her bedroom door behind her, she flopped onto her bed, her mind wandering. She'd been a little surprised at seeing Tommy Merlyn at her mother's birthday party. Not because it was unusual for him to be invited to a Queen gathering, but because she hadn't seen him since Ollie and Felicity's wedding day. At the time he'd also been with Laurel Lance, but he'd seemed happier then than he had the other night.

She thought back on the fool she'd made of herself at seventeen, throwing herself at him in a drunken moment, shortly after Oliver had returned from the dead. He'd behaved like the perfect gentleman afterwards and never mentioned it again, but Thea couldn't forget. She'd had the biggest crush on him as a teen and the opportunities to see him had been plenty since he and Ollie were best friends. Then the accident had happened that had killed her father and left her brother stranded on an island for five years. Those had been dark times for everyone.

She hadn't seen much of Tommy then, but based on tabloid reports, he'd been boozing, drugging and spending way too much time in the company of questionable women. Then Oliver returned and Tommy was back on the scene, back in her life.

They'd always had a good relationship, but she knew he'd only seen her as an extension of Oliver – the kid sister – and he'd treated her accordingly. A thing she'd resented as she grew older, but inevitably accepted and then forgot about once she left home.

She hadn't thought about Tommy Merlyn in that way in a long time. Her life had moved in a different direction and with so many new and exciting things afoot, the crush she'd once had had faded to a dusty memory.

Pushing those thoughts from her mind she climbed off the bed and got ready for the day ahead.

"You can place those crates over there, please." Tommy directed a delivery boy as he checked the incoming stock. Verdant was doing really well, the club a popular spot for the young and trendy. Signing the delivery notes, he headed toward the back office. There was a lot to do before they opened that evening, the most important being confirming the booking he'd make for the entertainment.

That done, he took a moment for himself. He'd spent the previous night at the Merlyn Mansion, still not quite sure why. Laurel had expected him to stay over at her apartment, as he'd done most nights since they started seeing one another three years earlier; he'd practically moved in. However, he hadn't felt like it. They talked, but rarely about matters that were particularly important to either of them. He didn't know when their relationship had changed from the exciting, supportive one it started out as to what it now resembled: stale, safe and indifferent.

He loved her, always had, since the time they were kids. Even when she'd been with Oliver, he'd harboured his secret feelings but never thought anything would come from it. Then Oliver had disappeared and he'd spiralled out of control. In an attempt to escape his grief he'd mixed with some dangerous people and made some really bad decisions. After a long internal struggle and many paternal interventions he'd finally cleaned himself up. Laurel had been instrumental in making him see that he could be better, that he was better than the billionaire bad boy image he'd been perpetuating.

However, instead of growing together and having their relationship strengthen over time, their lives had diverged. He'd got caught up in the club and his ambiguity around getting involved in the Merlyn Global Group and she'd taken on a bigger case load, her job consuming most of her time and her head space. They started living past one another and the reality had only hit him once he'd seen his best friend's happiness and compared it to his own.

Oliver and Felicity were a team, in more ways than one. There was a deep love between them, tempered by understanding, humour, respect and patience. The only thing he and Laurel had been for a long time was occasional bed partners – and even that had become more an automated act based on a need rather than a way of expressing their love for each other.

Shaking his head to dispel the gloomy thoughts, he was about to check his email when Oliver walked in. The other man looked so happy Tommy felt a pang of envy in the pit of his stomach. "What are you doing here? Didn't your wife just have a kid?"

Oliver gave him a goofy smile. "Felicity and Robbie are resting peacefully. I thought I'd stop by." Oliver sat down in the vacant chair opposite Tommy's, throwing his jacket over the desk.

"All good here. Most of the prep's done for tonight. Everything should run smoothly, as usual."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "I'm not checking up on you."

"Never thought you were. Besides, if I wasn't here, you wouldn't know where to begin." Tommy grinned.

Oliver laughed. "Whatever happened to your vow to become more mature?"

"This is a part of my progress. I'm learning to be like you. What does Dig call it? Confidence with a dash of arrogance?" Tommy smirked.

Rolling his eyes, Oliver replied, "Since when do you quote Diggle?"

"Whatever."

"Now you sound like Thea."

Tommy's mind flashed briefly to the last time he'd seen Oliver's sister, her eyes dancing with merriment, her smile sassy. "How's she settling in?"

"Okay, under the circumstances." At Tommy's curious look, Oliver explained. "My mother's probably underfoot, second guessing her every decision, being generally overbearing."

Tommy made a face. "I'm sure that's going well." Thea's stubborn streak was bound to chafe against her mother's pushy nature.

"Yeah. I wanted to ask her to come and stay with us, but Felicity reminded me that my mother would probably be offended at the suggestion."

"Probably," Tommy agreed. "What are her plans now that she's back?" He felt strangely curious to know what the girl he'd once known had decided to do with her life as a woman.

Oliver's phone vibrated. He smiled apologetically at Tommy. "It's my wife. I'm needed back home." He stood and reached for his jacket. "Why don't you come over for dinner sometime this week? Let me know when you're free. I'll ask Thea to come too. You can catch up."

Tommy waved at his friend as he exited the office. Perhaps he would take Oliver up on his offer. He was eager to see Thea again, her candid nature and unique sense of humour having always appealed to him. Satisfied with his choice, he went back to work.