There were plenty of things Felicity wanted in life, but the two that were currently at the top of her list included taking off her heels and dress and changing into shorts and a tank top, and collapsing on her bed and not moving- and not necessarily in that order. Unfortunately, when she went into her apartment, she was met by the sight of Oliver sitting on the chair in the living room.
Oliver looked angry- which, despite her exhaustion, sent a little thrill through Felicity- but before he could speak, Felicity said, "I am too tired to argue with you right now, Oliver."
It took a few seconds for Oliver to reply, in which time Felicity kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the couch. "Felicity, where were you?"
Internally, Felicity rolled her eyes, but said, "On a blind date. With...Cisco Ramon. It was really nice- I might go out with Cisco again."
And okay, she was kind of exaggerating- the date had really just been nice. Cisco was kind of cute, and was also able to keep up with her computer-and-fandom-related babbling, but there was also absolutely no spark whatsoever- Cisco couldn't really compare to Oliver, and he was also nursing a major crush on a certain blond-wig-wearing vigilante.
To be perfectly honest, Felicity was only emphasizing the date because she and Oliver hadn't been on an actual leave-the-house kind of date in weeks. Something about "disapproving family/friends" and "too many enemies" and "people would talk" - which were probably all true and reasonable and stuff- but they'd been dating for almost six months, goddammit. Was it too much to ask for a dinner at a restaurant or a picnic or going to see a movie?
"And why were you on a blind date with Cisco Ramon?" Oliver growled. "What if something had come up and I needed you?"
"One- nothing came up, so don't use useless hypothetical situations," Felicity replied. "Also, if anything had come up, you could have called or texted, which you didn't. And two- because maybe, just maybe, I'm tired of having all of my daily and nightly activities revolve around you. Because last time I checked, taking one night off to go on a blind date that your concerned friends set up isn't a crime."
"It- that's not the point, Felicity," Oliver said slowly. "I don't think you should go on dates with other people."
Felicity could only gape at Oliver. "Why not? It's not like we've been out on any dates in over two months," she eventually replied. "What on earth gives you the right to control my dating life? And don't say it's because we're dating- you've been on dates with people that aren't me, even while we were dating. So be honest with me, Oliver- what on earth is the big deal?"
"I love you!" Oliver said, before getting up from the chair and walking over to the window. For a few seconds, Felicity couldn't move- this was the first time Oliver had said those words to her when they weren't part of a deception.
Felicity got up from the couch and walked over to Oliver, hugging him from behind. "What, and I don't?" she said, and her heart gave a twinge as she saw Oliver hang his head. "Because I love you too. And honestly, I the only reason I even went on the date was because I was tired of feeling- unwanted, I guess."
"Felicity- I will never not want you," Oliver replied fervently as he turned around, and pulled her into a kiss that set her heart racing. "I just wanted to protect you, and-"
"Less talk about protecting me, more kissing and getting me out of this dress," Felicity said, and Oliver grinned before eagerly complying.