"Ollie can you please stop."
"No I can't. I'm not staying here." especially not with her. He was tired of her pressing him to move in together. He wanted to have fun he didn't want to settle, not just yet, anyway.
The night air clear his head just enough for him to remember where Tommy was.
Starling City was his world, like his own fishbowl and he was a big fish. A group of girls giggling went by. One of them was cute but when they moved in flocks, he needed his wingman, he needed Tommy.
He got to the bar and walked to where the party sound was harder, sure thing there was Tommy.
"TOMMY"
"OLIVER"
"I thought you were at the Gala with Laurel."
"It was lame and boring, much rather be here."
"Plenty of opportunities…" Ollie looked around. At first he was disappointed. He already knew all the interesting girls, but then two girls walked in. Those he never seen before, he would remember if he did.
"Do you know those two?"
"No. Not bad though."
Not bad at all.
"Ana everyone is staring."
"No, their not."
"Why did I ever agreed to this?"
"Felicity, you are beautiful why are you so damn self conscious."
"DON'T…" she pouted.
And Ana just laugh.
Oliver was looking at both of them and was having fun watching their exchange.
"Ana, is a customer, the other they really don't know who it is."
"Who's Ana?" he wished it was that small pouty blondy one.
"The dark haired one."
"Can you get me an introduction?"
Tommy looked puzzled "Why?"
Oliver didn't know why but he didn't feel comfortable on going there and dropping his usual lame lines. And they were lame, he was quite aware of that.
"Humor me, please." he just looked at Tommy and it was enough. They were friends for so long words were almost unnecessary.
It took a few minutes but they were now both acquainted with both Ana and Felicity. A perfect name for the little blonde he thought.
"How come we never meet before?"
"I just arrived in Starling two days ago."
"Are you liking the city?"
"Yes. Quite the social life, Mr. Queen."
"Please call me Ollie."
She smiled and his heart just skipped a beat.
"Don't think so."
He didn't expect the answer.
"May I ask why?"
"Your fame precedes you, Mr. Queen."
He should have guess that would happen. He was turning into a cliché like the Big Bad Wolf every mother warned their daughters about.
"Maybe you are the one that is going to change me." every woman had the illusion they could change the stray ways he had.
Felicity just laugh "I'm not Tinker Bell or the Blue Fairy, Mr Queen. I'm just a normal regular girl."
No she wasn't and that was becoming a real problem. He wanted in, into her affection, into her life even if just for a few hours… no, not hours it had to be more. He took his glass and drank he had to break the train of his thoughts. He turned to her with the only smile he could conjured, the fake playboy smile he always used. He knew it was the wrong thing to do but he was too confused and too nervous to work it up to the real smile he wanted to give her.
"And why did you move to town?"
"Work. I just finished MIT. It's my first job."
"Oh." she looked too young to have finnish MIT already "I thought you were younger."
"Don't like older woman, Mr Queen?"
He was starting to hate the fact she only called him Mr Queen. It was too formal and set her so far away from him when he wanted to be closer.
"It's not that. I just thought you were younger that is all. Can you please call me Ollie, Mr Queen his my father."
"I made you feel bad, it was offensive and uncalled for. Sorry. Yes I am younger than the regular MIT graduate. I finished early."
"You are a genious then?"
"I wouldn't say that but I have been called that before."
She glimpse at her watch "It's late. I must go."
Please don't go, not yet "Night is still young."
"I have to work tomorrow. It was a pleasure to meet you, Oliver."
Oliver sound so good when she said it. What was this girl doing to him?
"Would you give your number?"
She turned serious.
"We both know I'm not you type."
"My type?"
"I don't roll over when you ask. I won't be a fun for the night hook up. Not your type."
Was that what women thought of him?
"I would still like to have your number, Felicity."
To his surprise she did give it to him.
"Thank you"
"That girl right there as been looking at you since you sat with me. She seems to be your type. Goodbye, Oliver, and good luck."
Ollie just followed her with his eyes and then turned to the girl Felicity pointed him to. She was cute and it looked like she was definitely up to some fun and games but he found out that she wasn't his type, not anymore.
"Dad I have plans."
"Son, I worry about you. You keep dropping out, you need to do something out of your life and I need your help at QC."
"For what, dad? I don't know what to do there."
"You will learn from me, from Walter. And I will get someone to work with you that will help you."
"I really don't have a choice do I?"
"No Ollie you don't."
And that was how he found himself sitting in a highrise corner office.
"Ready to work?" he knew that voice. But if his hearing could be deceiving when he turned his vision confirmed.
"Felicity?"
"Felicity Smoak, Mr Queen. See I was right."
"What?"
"You didn't need my number."
"You knew?"
"Mr Queen talked to me yesterday about this new position. By the way you were right too."
"About?"
"It's weird having two Mr. Queen's."
He laugh. She was there within reach and he was just the happiest he had ever been in his life.
"So just call me…"
"I refuse to call you something that sounds like dangerously like "Oily"."
She was too funny to be real.
"Call me Oliver, like you did last night."
"Okay, Mr Oliver."
"Just Oliver, Felicity."
With her help he started to get small things done by the end of that day. And over weeks passed, months passed. His parents were happy and Laurel was ecstatic.
"You are working now, can make our own life together."
He knew what she wished for but it didn't felt right.
Oliver was so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear Felicity come in. "Oliver. Oliver?"
"Yeah, sorry."
"Are you alright?" he looked at her like he had been doing for the longest time both awake and dreaming.
"No."
"What's wrong?" her concern was clear in her voice and he was lost.
"I love you."
The glimpse he saw in her eyes lasted just a split second but it was enough.
"I need you, Felicity. I love you."
"Oliver, you love Laurel."
"No, I don't. I don't think I ever did."
"Oliver, please don't do this."
"Why? Are you going to tell me you don't feel anything for me. That's not what I saw in your eyes just now."
"I value myself and you enough not to lie when the situation is this serious. Yes I do have feelings for you but Laurel is your family already."
"She's not…"
"I didn't lie to you please don't lie to me, Oliver."
"You're right we are an item and even though we are not formally married everyone assumes we I can change that."
"Your parents would make me disappear so quickly that I would be lucky if any country in the World would take me." her sad smile and her words make his heart break.
He came to her and took her into his arms.
"I wouldn't allow them."
She knew better. She knew how things work she had seen it more than once in Vegas. She also knew there was no point in telling that to Oliver. She just took comfort in his arms.
"Ollie, I saw the perfect house for us."
"I didn't know you were searching for a house?"
"Only because you haven't been listening. Besides I already found it."
"Good for you."
"Ollie… what's wrong with you?"
That was it the final drop he had been easing it, getting out of her life slowly, trying to get to the point that she would accept they were through in a less shocking way. But just when he thought they were getting there she and found a house… for them… there was no them. It hadn't been a them since months ago much before he and Felicity were lovers.
"Laurel tell me this how long has it been since we are together alone? How long has it been since we talked? How long has it been since you ask about my life and me about yours? And last but not least, how long has it been since we had sex?"
"It has been a while… it's just a phase, Ollie. It will all get better when we move to our own house."
She was still living the illusion. This was going to be hard.
"Months, Laurel. Since the day I left you alone at the Gala, remember? The moment I understood you don't love me, you love to belong to the Queen family and that is quite a different thing altogether. More importantly the moment I understood I didn't love you, with you I'm a terrible person and you just let me, you allow me to do everything I want even when it's wrong. I don't want that for me, Laurel. I'm sorry."
Laurel was in tears "Are you breaking up with me?"
No he wasn't it was much sadder than that "No, Laurel, I'm informing you we are not and item for sometime now. I know it, I think my family knows it to, the tabloids sure do because they keep publishing names as my new love interest, I'm guessing your family knows it too… only you didn't notice."
Laurel left Queen Mansion in tears while Oliver just took his hands pressed his eyes.
"It was hard, son, but it had to be done."
"Dad? Mom?"
"I'm sorry we eavesdropped."
"It was being too much. She kept taking me back, to who I was. I don't want to go back."
Moira was sad for Laurel but she could see how her son had changed, for the better.
"And we wouldn't wished you to, Oliver."
"When are you going to bring her here?"
Moira turned to her husband "Bring who?"
"Felicity. She's a wonderful girl, a genius in fact."
"You knew?"
"First meeting I had with the both of you together."
Oliver smiled "Soon."