Hello everyone! I found out about Arrow a few weeks ago and it took me less than a week to finish the entire season and exactly 3 episodes to stat shipping Olicity, so yes you guessed it, this is indeed an Olicity fic. This takes place in the same universe as the show but with slight alterations, the undertaking hasn't happened yet and the story line and who knows what will become clearer if the story progresses.

Anyway, those of you who know my other works, probably know that I'm as bad as Felicity when it comes to babbling in A/Ns so I'm keeping this short as not to scare the new readers off, but be a sweetheart and read the A/N at the end please.

Although I wouldn't mind owning Oliver Queen, I sadly don't. Nor do I own anyone or anything else in this story.

P.S: credit for the fic's icon goes to whoever made it (awesome job!) because I didn't.

Enjoy!

There may have been a time in Oliver Queen's life where the flash of cameras and the presence of paparazzi didn't faze him. At that time, he'd have given them a smirk as he passed by and a few remarks on his latest escaped that would draw some gasps and leave him satisfied that he was still Starling city's number one playboy. This wasn't the case anymore.

As Oliver headed into his newly opened club, he noticed the pap lurking around and snapping shots of unsuspecting guests, who for some reason didn't seem to notice the man at all. Oliver knew it was good promotion for the place but the idea of a stranger with a camera around his neck, going around the building and finding things he shouldn't, didn't sound too appealing –and call him paranoid but it sounded outright suspicious.

He frowned as he reached the door, the bouncer there greeted him with a nod and Oliver returned it, then with his normal Oliver voice he said "see that man over there," he nodded discreetly while smiling at people passing them "he has a camera and I don't want him disturbing our guests."

The bouncer nodded at that, getting the message right away, and moved towards the other guy but Oliver didn't stick around to see the outcome; he still had to make an appearance in the club before he could get down to the lair and start his mission for the night. That thought alone was the only thing to keep him going.

An hour later found Oliver heading down the stairs to the hidden basement with a frown itched to his forehead.

"You look grumpy," remarked Felicity, who was standing with Diggle by the weapons' table "as opposed to your usual cheerful self that is" she finished and Digg smirked.

"I ran into some old friends in the club," his tone suggested they were anything but "it took a little longer than I thought. I should have been out by now" his tone was stern and he knew, by the quick glances Digg and Felicity exchanged, that he must have sounded a bit too harsh.

"You okay, man?" Digg wasn't normally the one to voice concern –that was Felicity's job- so it took Oliver by surprise and made him think over this encounter, because yes he was tired and he was as far from okay as humanly possible, but if it was showing then he must have been even more tired than he thought. It was his problem alone and letting it show wasn't an option at the moment.

"Yes," Oliver nodded with a flat tone "great." He knew this would put an end to Digg's questions and would let the other man know that Oliver didn't want an interrogation at the moment. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate his friend's concern; it's just that keeping it bottled in was easier. Much more practical.

Diggle gave Oliver a long look before heading towards the computers to pull out a window with information about the drug dealer they were after, and Oliver was relieved.

However, as he moved forward Oliver discovered that he has forgotten one little blonde problem that would stand in his way. Quite literally, too.

Felicity crossed her arms and stood directly in front of Oliver, not allowing him another move in the direction of the computers. He could easily sidestep her or just ignore her presence. He could also glare her down until she moves out of his way, but if Oliver has learned anything in the months that Felicity Smoak has worked with him; it was that the IT girl was as stubborn as he is, and their glaring matches could very well go on for hours. Not that he minded having a glaring contest with the blond girl –it secretly amused him- but he was somewhat short on time here.

"What do you want Felicity?" his tone was low, threatening. It made it clear that he was in no mood for games. Anyone else would have backed down but Felicity, to her credit, only wavered slightly before straightening herself more and jutting out her chin stubbornly.

"You don't look okay to me," Felicity said slowly, then picking up speed she said "actually you look very tired, like someone who was run over by a truck. Not that being run over by a truck would leave you tired… It'd leave you with broken bones probably. Which is nothing that hasn't happened to you before, I suppose. Which is also not the point," she took a breath there and Oliver felt his lips twitch slightly.

Damn Felicity and her cute ramblings that made him smile when he didn't feel like it.

Wait, did he just call Felicity cute? Okay, it must be his tired brain speaking. Tired. Right.

Oliver just ignored that last thought.

"The point is" Felicity said after a little pause "you look like death warmed over"

"I'm fine," he said and it came out with an involuntary sigh that wouldn't have escaped if it weren't for Felicity's babbling softening him "Just tired a bit" he planned to stop there but the words kept tumbling out, as if they've been waiting the opportunity to escape him "things aren't that great at home."

Oliver internally cringed for letting out that bit and he could already hear his internal voice chastening him for slipping. The voice sounded like The Hood's not his.

"Oh, Ollie" Felicity said and reached out a hand to brush his upper arm in comfort. He allowed the contact for all of five seconds then gave her a half smile –that felt bitter even to him, and stepped around her and towards the computers.

Diggle was standing by the screens and giving him and Felicity an odd look. The look has become somewhat frequent over the past couple of months but it was another thing Oliver chose to ignore. He couldn't bring himself to think of its implications, let alone figure out if they were true. No. he was much better off not knowing.

"So," Oliver started and his voice has become steadier and deeper, his mentality becoming more The Hood and less Oliver "what do we have on him?"

Diggle went through the info on the screen at that, reciting the address they were heading to and the type of resistant they could encounter. Felicity went over the satellite maps of the place and showed the less guarded points they could use for entry. There was no special drug deal going on tonight or something out of the ordinary for that place, so they didn't really have a timeline to stick to but Oliver wanted to head there, put some arrows into those criminals then get back home and sleep –or at least try to.

Except, a little voice said you can't just put your arrows in them. There has to be only a warning first. Killing isn't a necessity here. And that voice sounded more Oliver than The Hood.

Oliver flexed his jaw and had to fight the urge to physically shake the thoughts out of his head. Sometimes it felt like he was going crazy, other times it felt like he really had two –if not three- people living inside of his head.

His expression must have stayed stony and controlled while he thought, because Diggle and Felicity were both busy preparing the tiny comm devices and neither of them was reaching for their phones to call a mental institution to throw Oliver in.

Good, he thought. It'd be a pain to make the asylum into a lair; too much package to move. Would be hard to be the Vigilante there as well, maybe you could change from green to white. It'd match your cell's walls.

That last bit sounded like old Oliver and it was a testimony to current Oliver's mental sanity that he didn't laugh out loud at that. Or scream. Or both.

He slightly shook his head and it earned him a raised eyebrow from Felicity but no more. She must have seen something in his face that kept her away and that was good. Felicity Smoak may be the only thing that scares Oliver more than his own mind and keeping her away has been his plan for quite some time now. It was also another thing he didn't allow himself to think about. A dangerous topic, that.

"Anytime you're ready," Oliver said to Digg as he headed to retrieve his bow and slip into his hood. Digg in turn grabbed his gun and jacket off of a chair then moved towards Oliver.

Before Diggle could make it another step however, Felicity grabbed his arm and rose on tiptoes to whisper something in his ear and if the quick glance in Oliver's direction was any indication, he was pretty sure she was telling Digg to keep an eye on him.

Digg nodded once to whatever Felicity had said then made his way up the stairs with a quick glance that told Oliver to follow.

"Oliver," Felicity said hesitantly "Just.. be careful"

Oliver wanted to feel annoyed about with her comment but despite his stoic expression on the outside and his insistence that he was just tired, he did feel worn out and on edge on the inside and it was nice to have someone care enough to remind him to stay safe. He could feel every nerve ending he has tingling, every emotion boiling but he didn't want to think of the why or who behind those feelings. He just wanted to take it out on criminals who well deserved it.

"Don't worry" he answered softly then made his way up the stairs after Diggle.

As he headed up the stairs, Oliver thought that Felicity's fears were unfounded because his enemies may have been dangerous and fetal –but they weren't the ones he was scared of; it wasn't them who were going to kill him. He knew for a fact that his secrets would manage to do that first. Tear him open from the inside out. Throw him back into that island and drown him again and again until he couldn't breathe. His secrets would kill him.

He didn't really care.

He just hoped they'll wait long enough for The Hood to finish his job.

A/N: First of all thanks for reading, you're awesome! Second, this chapter right here is the first I've ever written for a TV fandom or a TV show, I usually write for books only, so take it easy on me Arrow fandom and be nice please. I won't carry on this story unless I know for sure that it's being read and I really loved writing this chapter and I have lots of ideas for it and for Oliver's character.

I read many fics and noticed that Oliver is never given enough of a POV so I'm giving him one here, although next chapter would be Felicity probably. I really hope you liked this and I hope you'd tell me what you think. Should I go on with it?

Review?