The first time they're out in the field.
It felt familiar. They work together like a well-oiled machine because that's what they are. That is what three years of this journey had made them. They're soldiers and when they are at war it all comes naturally.
They fought together for the first time since he returned. Moving in sync and trusting that the other had their back. Arrows and bullets zipping through the air and hitting their targets with pristine precision. He returned to the lair with hope in his heart that he finally had his best friend back.
But when they returned he received the same cold stare that he had for weeks.
"It doesn't change anything, Oliver," he told him stoically, "I'm here to save the city."
The second time he dared to hope was when Felicity told him that they had been invited over to celebrate Sara's birthday.
He knew that his family was the most important thing to Dig, so being allowed to enter their home was the greatest olive branch that he could have offered him. But when he arrived he was greeted with folded arms and an invitation through gritted teeth.
The night was tense and it became clear that it was orchestrated by the women.
The cold shoulder only intensified his guilt and he shied away from Lyla, Sara and particularly Diggle the entire night, volunteering to help with everything in order to avoid the room. He was in the kitchen refilling wine glasses when Lyla interrupted him.
"I don't blame you," she said, reaching out to him.
He gave her a questioning look, even though he knew exactly what it was she was referring to. He didn't want to voice it for himself.
"I understand why you did what you did," she told him, "and forgive you. You wouldn't be here tonight if I didn't."
"How?" He whispered, his voice cracking. "How can you forgive me?"
"John and I are soldiers, but you're not" she stated, "You're a general. You have to make the hard decisions and sometimes those decisions are at the cost of your soldiers."
"But Dig can't see that," he countered.
"I know," she acknowledged with a nod of her head. "But he hasn't worked for Waller like we have," she smiled. He chuckled along, remembering every questionable call that Waller had made.
"Thank you, Lyla," he pulled her in for a hug before they returned to the living room.
Felicity gave him an 'are you okay' look as he handed her a glass of wine. He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze and he relaxed for the first time that night.
The third time, the two of them had been alone in the lair. They'd gotten there earlier than everyone else and began sifting through intel.
Not a word had been spoken and, once again, Oliver could feel the tension in the air.
Oliver knew that he had to be the one to reach out, that he had to trust Dig to get him to trust him back. "Hey, Dig," he tried.
The response was curt, "What is it, Oliver?"
"I know where Damien Darhk gets his power."
Oliver proceeded to tell Diggle everything that he knew about mystical powers and the things that he seen in the years that he was missing. He shared with him things that he hadn't even entirely shared with Felicity. It felt so foreign to him being so open and vulnerable. It was so strange talking about all the things that he wanted to forget.
Even though it was awkward and unchartered territory for him, Oliver found it strangely liberating to reveal to the man, that promised to protect him from the darkness, all the darkness that plagued him.
Diggle in turn shared what Floyd Lawton had told him about H.I.V.E. and the two of them finally had it all out on the table.
When he was done, they absorbed the silence, feeling the weight of all that had been revealed. There was an understanding, a comradery that they didn't have since he had come back. They went back to analysing the intel in light of all that was revealed, except this time it was a comfortable space in which they worked.
By the fourth time, the two of them had settled into a comfortable rhythm. They were back to the Oliver and Diggle of old.
After another encounter with The Ghosts, the team had retired back to their respective houses. Oliver was in the loft making dinner for Felicity, who had a board meeting at Palmer Tech, when there was a hard precise knock at the door.
Instinctively he made a mental note of exit points and weapons before discovering Diggle through the peephole. His shoulders relaxed as he let his friend in.
"You dropped that," Diggle said, throwing an object in the air as he walked inside. Catching it on instinct he felt the familiar curves of the engagement ring that he had been holding onto. Grimacing at having his secret discovered, Oliver followed Dig into his living room, sitting on the couch opposite him.
"I was going to tell you," Oliver started, hoping that this would not do any damage to their newly reformed friendship.
"It's okay, Oliver," Dig assured him, "I'm not angry. I just want to know why you haven't asked her yet."
"Everything's changed," he sighed, running his hands over his face. "I was going to ask her the night Laurel and Thea brought us back. And now I'm back in this life with all the dangers and all the darkness. What if she ends up like my mother or Tommy or Sara?" Oliver was terrified of this life and all that it could cost him.
Diggle sighed, he had this conversation too many times with his best friend over the last three years. "Oliver," he started, "will it hurt more if she's your wife?"
No. If there was one thing that he knew in this life it was that Felicity is the most important thing in the world and if anything happened to her he would be devastated and he was sure that he wouldn't recover. In truth, there was one thing that terrified him more.
"What if she ends up like me, John?"
And there it was; his greatest fear permeating the air. He was scared to death that somehow he would corrupt her innocence and her light.
"Do you remember when I first joined your crusade? I told you that I would remind you of who you are." Oliver nodded. "But I, like you, had been damaged by war. I could never pull you out of the darkness, but Felicity, she pulled us out. She was the one that reminded you of who you are and everything that has happened since has not changed that."
The words rang true in Oliver's ears as he turned the ring in his hands.
"Before Sara was born," Diggle continued, "you did everything you could to protect me and my family and even though I was angry at you for a long time, I know that you didn't harm my family." Oliver smiled a rare smile as Dig finally acknowledged that he had gotten over what he did. "And I promise you, Oliver, that I will do whatever it takes to protect your family just like you did mine," he vowed, holding his hand out just like he did when he first joined Oliver's crusade.
Oliver shook his hand firmly, matching the sincerity in the other man's face, renewing the partnership between the two friends.
Their moment was interrupted by Felicity bursting through the door complaining about supposedly smart people. Her antics brought a smile to both the men as she rambled on not having noticed the addition to their household.
"Oh, John," she startled, "I didn't know you were here. Are you joining us for dinner?" She asked looking between the two men.
"No," he replied, as they helped Felicity with the multitude of files she was holding, "Lyla's waiting on me. Raincheck?"
"Definitely," was her enthusiastic reply, "you can bring Lyla and Sara to try Oliver's amazing cooking."
Oliver walked him to the door and they shared a hug before he left.
"Don't wait too long, Oliver."