A/N: This story is now sort of a series of post-finale scenes. If I write more I'll probably post them here.
I didn't think I would write more post-finale ficlets but this conversation was stuck in my mind and ended up writing it down. To the ones that have already read this story, I've shifted the chapter's order to the correct timeline, since as I kept writing I realized some events happened before than others and it could get confusing.
Hope you like it!

LIGHT OUTSIDE

They walk into his house at sunset. Two flights before Diggle parted ways, a silent car ride after she noticed her phone and keys were still in the manor.

Deafening silence meets them inside, the echo of the door closing being the only sound. It's still empty, furniture few and scattered around. Power is down, Slade's men's doing; yet sunlight streams through the large windows, bathing the room in a warm light.

He walks ahead of her, bee lining to the camera in the foyer and crushing it without hesitation. She watches his stance for a moment, the tension in his shoulders, the sorrow in his eyes; then wanders into the library and retrieves her phone from where she'd stashed it earlier. She takes a second, leans on the empty bookshelf and collects herself, memories of the last few days rushing through her mind.

When she goes back through the corridor to the entrance he's no longer there. A quick look around propels her to the living room where she finds him by the window. Light shines brightly against his skin, lightening the darkness he's usually around.

Oliver turns to her; apparently she's not as stealth as him. A surprising smile tugs at his lips, as if beckoning her forward. She does, softly padding through the room until she's by his side, light shining on her as well.

They both ponder in silence, eyes lost in the sunset outside, a sight so beautiful and hopeful, a stark contrast to what life had been like these past few weeks.

He moves first, facing her again, her face turning sideways to meet his eyes. She doesn't even think about it, it's like magnetism that draws her to him, mirror his every move.

"I want… I need to thank you, Felicity" his voice breaks the silence, calm, collected.

She is taken aback.

"Why?"

"For saving my life." The intensity he puts forth in his voice and the look in his eyes takes her breath away for a moment. Then her coping mechanism kicks in, the one that shields her for reading too much into it.

"I think we did that part together. Granted, I would've liked you filling me on the plan beforehand, maybe cluing in the rest of the team too; but hey, it worked."

He smiles warmly at her.

"It did."

She gives him one of her best Felicity Smoak smiles, the kind that can light up a room, even if it's filled with angst ridden vigilantes.

"That's not all I was thanking you for though."

Her brow furrows, and he makes up his mind; taking a step forward however small it may be.

"You believed in me when nobody did. When… Laurel told me I was a cold-blooded killer you said I was a hero. I never saw myself like that, I just saw myself as–" a pause, eyes lost in the distance. "broken."

She can see death and pain playing in his features, his shoulders slumping visibly. She hesitates, her hands itching to lie on his arm, trying to offer comfort in a way he wouldn't turn her down. But she waits, curious eyes studying the play of emotions he displays, his mask clearly torn over time and completely discarded now before her.

"If it weren't for you… honestly I have no idea where or who I'd be right now. But I know it wouldn't be safe, whole… I'd be probably dead even."

Breath hitches in her throat at the mere thought of losing him; the fact he had been willing to give up on life in favor of all of them still troubled her mind. She didn't understand how he could see himself as anything short of a hero.

"Please, don't…" she breathes, burying the sight of a lifeless Oliver from her mind.

He takes her reaction in and reaches for her, his right hand now pressing firmly on her shoulder. Blue eyes flutter open and meet his, lighter than she's ever seen them before. A burden's been lifted –a very threatening Australian-sounding burden to be precise– and she couldn't be happier to see him acknowledging who he is, who she's always seen his as.

"You are a hero, Oliver. Not only to me but to Starling."

"I believe that now. I didn't understand how you could think that of me, how you could see a part of myself I wasn't even sure was there."

His palm slides down her arm, his gentle touch sending warmth through her body. She barely registers as he takes a step forward, the space between them scarce yet too much as the same time.

"Thank you for making me the man I am today."

She manages to give him a slight nod, her lips curling up into a soft smile that he can't help but return. A beat passes as they stare into each other's eyes, searching, not sure for what, but finding it nonetheless.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you, having you in my life."

"I think living in purgatory for half a decade does it." She quips, drawing a full on smile from him.

His hand stops at her hand, fingers caressing the back of it before taking it in his. Blue meets blue as a silent conversation goes through, one of many they'd shared over time.

'I meant it', 'I know', 'I'm not ready', 'I know. One day we will be'.

'I can't wait.'

Thanks for reading! As always, encouragement or constructive criticism is greatly appreciated :)