Time was a fickle thing. It could pass by so fast, causing whiplash in its wake, or it could creep by agonizingly slow. In moments of joy and bliss, you want nothing more than for it to slow down to a snail's pace, and in moments of tragedy and loss, you're prepared to beg for its brevity.
Oliver Queen has spent a lot of his life begging for the latter, wanting to hurry time along and escape from its pain. It's become second nature by now, five years in hell and another three fighting for, and ultimately failing his family and city will do that.
He often thinks back to his pre-island days, shaking his head in disgrace at how little he appreciated the moments of happiness he had been afforded. He had everything, laid out before him, and he had sped through life, one inebriated state to another, discarding what the universe had given him.
Now, eight years later as he sat next to the love his life, hands clasped, breeze rushing past them as they literally drove off into the sunset, he finally wanted and craved for time to remain lethargic in its passing. He is finally content to rest, to stop moving forward, to stop looking for the next target to meet the receiving end of his arrow, no longer willing to let inertia propel him into action.
For Felicity Smoak, time moved by slowly. When she was six she sat in her bed, staring at her clock, watching the bright red numbers tick by as each minute brought her father closer to home, yet further away. When each numeral changed she would think to herself that by the next minute, by the next hour, he would walk back through their door, come sit on her bed and tell her tales of science and fantasy. That time never came, and Felicity felt each minute and hour in between the moment he left and the instant she realized he was never coming back.
She remembers watching Cooper get arrested, hauled off in cuffs by dozens of swat members. Time was apathetic, uncaring of her anguish, and as she watched them take him away from her in slow motion, she felt the pain just as agonizingly slow and unrepentant as it had been at six years old. Time was unrelenting, as she waited and anticipated Cooper's release from prison, only in the end it didn't matter.
Anticipation, waiting, was another instance when time could drag on, refusing to rush you to the finish line. Felicity thought she knew what patience was when she had sat waiting for her father for days and months on end, but three days waiting to hear about Oliver's duel, three weeks of dreaming and fantasizing about his return, was a whole new form of torture as time once again ignored her prayers and pleas for expedition.
Nearly four months later, Felicity was done waiting, done anticipating. She finally wanted to revel in the moment, hold on to it as tightly as she was squeezing his rough hand.
Everything around them came to life, their senses drinking everything in, savoring each drop of untarnished serenity.
Oliver felt each goose bump rise on her skin as his hand trailed up and down her thigh, felt each tingle of the warm sun on his bare forearm. He was acutely aware of the moisture beading on the inside of her creamy leg, hidden from the cooling breeze. Whiffs of vanilla and coconut assaulted his nose each time her shimmering hair whipped in the wind. The scenery flying by them was unfocused and blurry while the image of her leaning back into her seat, a sigh on her lips, was in overwhelming clarity and high resolution.
Felicity's skin tingled under his touch, as she felt a thousand goose bumps rise on her skin in her state of heightened awareness. Each ridge, each callous on the palm of his hand elicited a sweeping feeling of bliss. She watched the muscles move under the tanned skin of his forearm, each pass he dragged it across her thigh, twitching and cording, moving her hand with him. Licking her lips she could taste the sea, mixed with the residue of his lazy wet kisses from earlier. She watched his eyes twinkle as the glistening waves reflected off of his serene orbs of blue.
Felicity hummed a soft song as they moved along the coastline, watching the sky fade from vibrant oranges to dark purples, until the horizon was finally plunged into darkness, allowing the millions of stars in the heavens to show themselves.
Refusing to let the evening end, Oliver wound his was to a secluded beach, one he knew from family vacations of his youth, from happier times. As the car pulled to a stop and the engine shut off, a quiet stillness overtook the cabin of the Porsche. The air was thick and they could feel the humidity build around them, stagnant. Their flesh hummed and buzzed from the fading abrasiveness of the wind on their skin. In the distance, waves crashed on the shore, moving lazily up the sand, then drifting back to sea quickly.
Without words, the pair reluctantly separated their hands, and exited the precision instrument. They toed off their shoes and reconnecting they made their way across the sand, still warm from the day's heat. Soft smiles graced their features as they neared the water's edge.
Felicity bravely stepped forward, squealing with giggles as the cold water rushed over her feet. Oliver looked on, laughing as he was mesmerized by the goddess before him. She walked further from him, letting her hand slip from his grasp, causing his chest to tighten. She chased the receding tide, turning back quickly and running into his arms as a wave brought the cold waters back.
He pulled her up easily, saving her from her game of cat and mouse with the cold pacific sea. Her cooling legs wrapped around him, and she met him halfway for a searing kiss. Their bodies rocked together as Oliver walked further onto the wet sand, wading into the cool waters. Their lungs burned from lack of oxygen but their hearts burned with desire, a desire to let go of the past, to embrace their present, to join their bodies again for the first time since Nanda Parbat. They were starved for it. One time was all it took to become addicted, and the weeks since then had crawled by as usual.
An errant wave crashed against them, splashing their heated bodies, jolting them out of their passionate kiss. Oliver stared into her eyes, the pale moonlight reflecting back at him, her gaze unwavering. A shiver, not born from his now wet clothes, made its way down his spine, all the way to his sinking toes covered in sand and water.
Needing to break his gaze from her intense look of longing, his eyes drifted down to her chest, glowing under the starlight. Her chest heaved, moving the soft fabric of her white sundress. He made slow strides back to the water's edge as his hand roamed up her thigh. The knit lace and cotton of her dress clung to her skin, now see through as it hung from her waist in layers, weighted by the moisture it had collected. The wet fabric, plastered to her skin made it known that she hadn't bothered with underwear that day, and he moaned into her neck as he started to nibble her most sensitive spots.
At the knowledge of her exposed center, he tugged and pulled her against his hard member, letting the course material of his jeans rub against her soft mound. She gasped and her head tilted forward, landing on his shoulder. As she regained some control, she bit into the soft flesh at the edge of his collar.
Oliver hissed, and kneeled in the hard compacted sand, lowering their bodies to the wet surface. He locked his strong arms and laid above her, getting lost in the sight of her hair fanned out like a halo. She gripped his button down, pulling him down for another languid kiss. She whimpered into the kiss, feeling the cool water rush up their legs, ending at their waists. She opened her mouth to squeal, but he plunged his tongue between her swollen lips, thrusting in to her warmth, swallowing her cries.
She pulled and worked at the buttons of his dress shirt, letting it hang open as she finished with the last one. Her hands roamed slowly over the expanse of his warm chest, and she sighed into the kiss, content to feel his bare skin again.
He made his way back to her neck, licking and biting as he pulled the thin strap of her dress down, pushing the fabric aside to reveal her perfect breast. He kneed it a few times, causing her to arch into his touch. He was quickly reminded of her bare center as she met his clothed member in a rush to feel friction.
Her soft fingers made their way down his torso, sliding along the lines of his abdomen, stopped by the waist line of his jeans. She frantically undid his button and zipper, pushing his pants and boxers down as his hand raked up her thighs and pushed up her white dress.
He growled as she gripped his hard manhood, thumbing the head, then bringing her wet thumb to her lips. He pulled her hand away, lifting it above her head, and settled above her, teasing her entrance. Wetness dripped from her walls and their eyes met in a long stare.
Anticipation washed over them as they communicated a million thoughts, desires, and hopes in one piercing gaze. Time slowed for the lovers, and the stars aligned as Oliver slowly moved in her, her walls clutching and pulling him in, inch by inch.
He leaned over her, murmuring beautiful words into her ears, his baritone voice sending shivers through her body. He slowly pulled out, at a painstaking pace. Stopping just before he completely withdrew himself, he hovered momentarily, and as Felicity heard the sea crash behind them, he thrust into her in unison with the cold water dancing up their legs, reaching its peak at their joined centers.
Felicity cried out in pleasure, the sensation of his warm body contrasting against the rush of the sea, overwhelming her senses.
Felicity pulled him closer, the bare skin of his chest meeting her exposed breast. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, anchoring him to her, and they moved in perfect synch, their bodies meeting in a rhythm as old as time.
Oliver was lost in her softness, lost in her beauty. His lips searched out every inch of skin available as he worshiped her body with reverent kisses.
Felicity's eyes stared out into the night sky, millions of stars in her sight. The exquisiteness of the moment left her breathless as they continued to work toward their moment of euphoria.
Each wave that crashed along the shore and tangled with their bodies, drifted back out to sea, taking their painful pasts with it, leaving an open canvas of memories to be made by their love.
His strong motions started to waiver as both of them neared their orgasms. He heard her breathing accelerate with each hard jerk he made in to her. Sweat formed on his brow as he concentrated on her pleasure, pounding into her at an unrelenting pace.
Felicity bit her lip, coming so close to the edge of bliss, but not quite there. Then Oliver grunted into her ear, saying words she never knew could be her undoing.
"Come for your husband, baby."
Her body immediately tensed, her walls becoming a vice grip around his cock. He bit into her shoulder and as they both exploded, time stopped, for once granting them this moment of unity.
As the waves of her orgasm crashed around him, he continued to push them over the edge, drawing out their mutual pleasure. Spilling into her, he found clarity and saw the beauty of the universe and the way it worked in secretive ways, pushing and pulling souls towards each other.
He let out of cry of happiness, his mouth meeting hers as he whimpered into her soothing kiss.
Minutes or hours later, the two of them sat on the shore, Felicity nestled between his legs, leaning against his strong chest. They stared out into the dark vast ocean, seeing nothing but promise.
Their hands entwined together around her waist, their wedding bands glinting in the moonlight. They felt the soft breeze flitter across them, and got lost in the simplicity of holding hands.
Felicity briefly lifted her head from his shoulder, twisting to look at him as she whispered into the night air.
"I wish we could make time stop, go slower."
Oliver tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her as close as possible.
"I think, now that we've found each other, we've got all the time in the world. As long as we love each other, our time together will be infinite."
With that, Felicity hummed in appraisal and fell back into his warm embrace. They sighed together, which caused Oliver to chuckle as he nuzzled into her neck.
The content couple continued to talk into the night, savoring and appreciating each moment together, bathing in the sea, taking breaks on the shore, and time ceased to exist.
Time is a fickle thing.