Time For A Talk

by plaidchameleon

Part 3 of my What If Series of one-shots, though technically the prologue to Felicity Want To Play A Game. Felicity Smoak is feeling lost and alone and she's not sure where to turn. Finding herself at Thea's apartment she finds a friend willing to talk and a story about what could have happened between her and Oliver Queen if they met at the Queen Christmas party.

Time For Us To Talk

A/N: Most people who commented on Diggle's story said that they would like to have the prequel to Felicity Want To Play A Game, aka Thea's story, so here it is. I hope everyone enjoys it. I would like to thank evilelmo666 who has joined me by being my beta.

Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or any of its characters.

Felicity didn't want to go home. Not to the loft. Not after the night she had. Not after the date she had. And frankly the lair didn't feel like the right place to go either. It was empty anyway. Cisco and Caitlin weren't expected for another two days with all the new equipment that was needed to make the lair what it was before Darkh and his men attacked. Was it only three months ago?

With nowhere to go, Felicity was lost. Something she hadn't felt in a very long time. Not since she was brought into the Arrow fold. John was gone, reenlisted back into the Army. Laurel was dead, forever lost to them all, which was tearing Felicity's mom and Quentin slowly apart. And then there was Thea. She decided that leaving the team was for the best. Thea wanted to find herself again and Felicity couldn't fault her reasons. Since Thea became an adult she had been pulled in so many directions by each and every one of her family members, never letting her become the woman she was meant to be. It was with thoughts of Thea that Felicity headed off in that direction, still lost in thought.

With no one around but her and Oliver, tension abounded. Felicity half wanted to quit herself but there was nothing left for her but the team, what little of it there was. She had lost her job as CEO of Palmer Tech, so nothing else of her remained but her job with Oliver. And she hated being alone. It left her too much time to think about Havenrock and the chaos she hadn't been able to prevent. Only she couldn't count on Oliver being there either. Now that he was mayor, he wasn't always at the lair. He had other duties to see to, even if he half put them off to take care of Arrow business.

For half a minute, Felicity had sincerely considered Caitlin's offer to come work with them at Star Labs in Central City. If she had maybe Felicity wouldn't have had to worry about what had happened over the past year. Her split with Oliver, despite the fact that she still loved him. She probably always would, but that didn't mean that she could live with him. The loss of her job, leaving her at loose ends. And the constant ache of knowing that everything and everyone changed since Laurel's death.

Lately when Oliver went out as the Arrow, he became out of control. Sometimes, he reminded her of Roy during his Mirakuru days. Uncontrollable. Angry. Ready to kill. Oliver was very much like the man who had come back from Lian Yu. Physically he was in Star City, but mentally, he was back on the island and Felicity was unsure of how to reach him without compromising whatever sort of relationship they still had left.

It was a relief to know he was supposed to be out of town for a few days. She even allowed herself the opportunity to go out. Last night she shared dinner with Curtis and his husband. And tonight she had gone out on a date, her first since her breakup with Oliver. A date that shouldn't have put her in such a funk.

Christopher was a really nice guy. And the fact that Quentin vouched for him was one of the few reasons that Felicity had decided to go. Well, that and the fact that she was sick of her friends insisting that she needed to get out and move on with her life instead of pining over what she lost with Oliver. What they didn't realize was that it was more about her guilt over Havenrock that had her living inside the bubble she put herself in. Plus, everyone else had moved on, she couldn't be the only one who stood still.

Felicity looked up and realized she had reached Thea's building. Laurel's old apartment. With the need to not be alone, Felicity decided to head up to see if Thea was at home.

OQFSOQFSOQFS

A knock sounded on Thea's front door. She rose from where she sat tucked up on her couch enjoying a movie, or trying to. It was still hard for her after months of not running around as Speedy to lead a normal life. How did people do this on a daily basis their whole lives? How had she?

Thea opened her front door and her mouth fell slightly open as she stared at her guest. "Felicity. Oliver isn't here. He had mayoral business in Central City."

Felicity's eyes shot around Thea. "Oliver's staying here? I thought he still slept at the lair."

"You didn't know?"

The blonde shook her head and took a step back. "I can leave."

Thea's hand shot out and grasped Felicity's arm. "No. Please stay. I could use the company."

After a brief moment of indecision, Felicity followed Thea inside. "It's still weird to think Laurel lived here."

Thea glanced around. "Oliver has had a hard time about that too. I've been here so long now that it just feels like home." Walking over to the couch, Thea settled herself back into her cozy spot. Thea pointed to her full wine glass. "There's an open bottle of red in the kitchen if you want any."

"Thanks." Felicity set off for the kitchen and returned with a glass of wine and the bottle. "What are you watching?"

"The Bourne movies. Sad I know. It's the only action I see anymore."

Felicity sat on the other end of the couch and pulled the extra blanket from the back over her legs. It still amazed Thea how easily Felicity adapted to everything around her. The changes with the team didn't seem to faze her. She was the only one who stood by Oliver's side. Villains coming and going in and out of her life. The loss and reuse of her legs. And most importantly, her relationship with Oliver still sustaining even through their breakup.

"Thea, I would love to say that you are more than welcome to come back to the team but there's not much to come back to. Oliver still goes out, even though I still have yet to have the lair rebuilt to its fullest capacity. And everyone else is still gone. I'm not going to tell you that Oliver doesn't need the help, because he does, but I know you need time. I remember when I thought Oliver was dead. I needed time too."

"How is the lair coming?"
"Almost there. Cisco and Caitlin are bringing the rest of the equipment on Tuesday. I was

there earlier today and it still feels so empty. I actually sat in my chair and cried. It's probably more about the loss of the team then the changes to the lair." Felicity reached over and picked up her glass. She swirled the wine around in her glass as her eyes drifted off before she raised the glass to her lips. "Sometime I realize how lonely it is down there now. I even started having Curtis come in with me so it doesn't feel so empty and alone."

Thea sighed. "In a way, I think we're all still reeling from what Merlyn and Darkh stole from us."

"We let them," Felicity said with conviction as she set her glass back on the table in front of them. "We lost hope. And while I'd love to believe that it's not the end, it's beginning to feel exactly like that."

With a soft smile, Thea reached over and patted Felicity on the leg. "It's not all gone. You and Oliver are talking again right? It's not always about business is it?"

"Actually, that's about all we talk about. Trying to get the team back together or how to fix the lair." Thea watched Felicity's eyes turn sad. "I wish things could be simpler. Easier."

Thea stared at the woman who should have been her sister-in-law by now, studying her. "What would you have done if you met Oliver before you found out he was the vigilante?"

Felicity laughed. "I did. He kept coming to me, asking me to look things up on the internet for him. First with the bullet-ridden laptop. There was also the time with the armored cars that were being robbed and Merlyn's arrow. Vertigo was the last thing he asked me to look into before I found out who he was." Felicity laughed again. "He brought it to me in a syringe and tried to convince me it was an energy drink."

Thea laughed with her and sipped her own wine before reaching over for the wine bottle and refilled both of their glasses. "Sounds like Ollie. Yet what if he hadn't? What if you met under normal circumstances? Would you still have even noticed him?"

Felicity cocked her head, her blue eyes showing amusement through her glasses. "Really?"

Now that had both of them in a fit of laughter. Thea was still chuckling as she rose. "This conversation will need more than one bottle of wine."

Thea walked to her kitchen and grabbed a couple more bottles of red and a bottle opener. Then she strolled back to the living room and opened one of the bottles to let it breathe as they talked. Their conversation turning to Thea's place within Oliver's mayoral staff and Felicity's plan for the future.

"This is nice," Thea told Felicity an hour later. "I always wanted a sister. Not that I didn't love Ollie. It's just you can't exactly have a heart to heart with him."

"You can," Felicity told her. "It's hard for him to let people in. But when he does, he keeps you close, no matter how suffocating that can be."

"Sad that you know my brother better than I do and you too still haven't gotten married." The second the words were out of Thea's mouth she wished she hadn't said them. "Sorry."

Felicity raised a hand. "No. It's okay."

"How can you be so casual about it? There are times I would really love to slap my brother."

"You and me both."

Thea considered this. "Back to what I mentioned earlier. What do you think would have happened if you met Oliver at say the QC Christmas party instead of how you met?"

Felicity stared at her wine. "I doubt he would have even noticed me. And half the time I never showed up at those things or if I did only long enough to show my face so I wouldn't have to hear about it from my supervisor."

"I think he would have. Noticed you," Thea noted. "How could he not? The way you two love each other, I honestly believe you would have met no matter what."

Felicity let out a delicate snort. "Your brother fought it for so long, it really shouldn't have been a surprise he messed it all up by not letting me in."

Thea smiled sadly and swirled the wine in her own glass. "I think he would have had no choice but to notice you. I believe when Oliver threw the Christmas party at the mansion you would have showed up just to appease your curiosity."

Felicity nodded at that. "Maybe. Though to be honest, I met Oliver one time at Big Belly Burger because I was too scared about going to the mansion. Your mother wasn't exactly the most welcoming as far as I was concerned."

A bigger smile spread on Thea's face. "I remember overhearing mom talking to herself one time. I think you scared her. She knew you were helping Walter discover her secrets. And she probably thought you were a threat to her son's heart, something she didn't have to worry about with any of the other women in Ollie's life, even Laurel. If anyone could tell something like that, it would have been my mother."

"She warned me away from him," Felicity said. "Moira told me not to tell him about Merlyn being your father or I'd lose him forever."

Thea paused, her smile fell from her face. "You knew?"

Felicity nodded. "I told him the day that your mother announced her candidacy."

That explained a lot of what happened that day. But if what Felicity said was true then Oliver hadn't known about Merlyn as long as Slade Wilson led her to believe. "That's why Ollie acted so strange that day. I thought he was going to blow the whole thing but I should have known because after that the two of them practically stopped talking to each other." Thea shook her head. "But enough about my mother. I want to tell my story."

"Okay," Felicity said as she settled back into the couch. "I want to hear this. How would Oliver and I have met if he hadn't come to my office that day?"

Thea refilled their glasses again. "It all started at Ollie's Christmas party…"

OQFSOQFSOQFS

"Great turnout," Laurel told Oliver once Tommy went to get another refill on their drinks. "Are you sure the Fire Marshal won't come knocking on the door asking exactly how many people are here?"

Oliver laughed. "From what I hear, most of the general employees at QC only show up to say they've been here. It should thin out soon or so my mother led me to believe. Though, Thea told me that there hasn't been a party since… well, since I left, so maybe we should be prepared for the water hoses."

"Water hoses?" Tommy asked as he handed them drinks. "It's a little cold for a wet t-shirt contest."

All three of them laughed. Oliver recalled the last wet t-shirt contest they all participated in and frankly it was one of his better memories.

"We were talking about the fire department showing up," Laurel explained. "Because so many people are here."

"We'll plan a wet t-shirt contest for the next party, Tommy," Oliver promised. "I don't think most of the women here would appreciate their dresses becoming drowned."

Oliver watched at Laurel's attention was caught by some guy in a suit who he didn't recognize.

"If you two will excuse me," Laurel indicated the man and his date who strolled through the room. "I need to talk to them about some CNRI business."

Tommy pressed a kiss to Laurel's cheek. "Go get them."

Oliver sipped his scotch. "So, how are you and Laurel doing?"

"Good. I'm still trying to convince her I'm completely serious about this relationship but we're doing well." Tommy turned and considered him. "You're still okay about this, right?"

Oliver clasped his friend on the shoulder. "If the two of you are happy, I couldn't be more thrilled."

"You know you should try this."
"The scotch?" Oliver lifted his glass. "I already did."

"No. Being a reformed playboy. It's not as bad as I thought."

Oliver let out a low chuckle. "I only just returned to Starling City a few months ago after being stuck on a deserted island for five years. I don't think settling down is in my future for a while."

Tommy nudged him and nodded to off the side. "Not even with her?"

With a glance in the direction Tommy indicated, Oliver noticed a leggy blonde standing next to a slightly smaller one with glasses. The latter seemed awfully nervous. Her body language screamed she wanted to be anywhere but inside his childhood home. His interest piqued, Oliver excused himself from a grinning Tommy and walked in her direction.

There was no reason for Oliver to have noticed her, except for the ready to bolt at a moment's notice look. Her gold mini dress was less flashy than many of the others that surrounded her. Its neckline and cut modest in contrast to the woman next to her, whose little black dress was better suited to a club than a work function, even if it was a party at the Queen mansion.

"Hello." Oliver held out his hand to the blonde who held his interest the whole way across the room. "I'm Oliver Queen."

Her small hand was eclipsed by his larger one when she placed it into his. "I know who you are. You're Mr. Queen."

"No." Oliver shook his head. "Mr. Queen was my father."

The woman snatched her hand back and held it behind her back. "Yes, but he's dead. I mean he drowned, but you didn't, which means you could come here and listen to me babble. Which will end in three… two… one."

Oliver felt a genuine smile lift the sides of his mouth. "And you are?"

"Felicity Smoak. And I'm Aimee Stocker," the other blonde chimed in from his side. Her hand brushed over his arm as if she was thinking about wrapping her arm around his.

Pasting the fake smile he had perfected since coming home on, Oliver turned and extended his hand to the other blonde. Her hand limply shook his as her eyes ate him for dessert. "Do you work for Queen Consolidated?"

Aimee nodded. "I'm the secretary for Miss Smoak's supervisor," she told him with a haughty air as if she was better than Felicity for just that reason. "We're in the IT Department if you ever want to stop by my desk and say hi."

Oliver gritted his teeth through the smile desperate for the patience to deal with this woman. Funny how the years on the island changed him so much. Pre-island Oliver would have quickly taken the woman up on her very obvious offer while ignoring Felicity. Speaking of, he noted to himself, as he reached out and snagged her to his side so she couldn't escape right as she tried to secretly stroll off. "Excuse us."

He directed Felicity to a quiet corner. "Is she always like that?"

"You do have that effect on people."

Oliver eyed her surprised after her babbling that she would be so blunt. "What about you? What kind of effect am I having on you?"

"I'm not sure. You make me nervous." Oliver saw her eyes take in the grandeur that was his childhood home. "This whole house does. And intimidated. Yet, there is this small part of me that feels like I can trust you."

"You can trust me," he assured her.

She cocked her head. It was adorable. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head, evaluating him and his words. "I believe you. How weird is that? I don't even know you. And what I do know about you should make me feel the exact opposite right now that you have me here in a corner alone. Why is that?"

"I have that kind of face," Oliver joked with her but his smile fell at her serious and condescending expression. He could see that she was about to leave and he stepped to the side so she couldn't. "Sorry."

"Out of everyone here, why did you pick me to talk to? I've noticed in the short time I've been here you have hardly spoken to anyone but close friends and your family, so why me?"

"I don't know."

"That was honest."

Oliver smiled at her. "I would ask you if you wanted to dance but…"

Her blue eyes studied him through her glasses. "But what?"

"I don't dance."

"I'm surprised. I would have figured you were the kind of guy that's danced with a lot of women."

The way that her words fell, made Oliver think of much more than dancing. And it was too easy to picture Felicity there with him. He smiled and winked at her in an attempt to keep things light-hearted and his mind out of the gutter. It was a sensation that was new and unique for him and if he was honest with himself he wanted to feel this way again. "So, the IT Department?"

Felicity shrugged. "I enjoy it. I love working with computers. I have since I was seven."

"Now that I think of it, my laptop needs an upgrade."

Felicity smiled at him. "The one that you couldn't have had more than a few months? If you are thinking of excuses to see Aimee, that's not a good one."

Oliver reached out and captured Felicity's elbow as he stepped closer. His head bent down as he told her, "I wasn't really planning to see Aimee, unless I needed directions to your cubicle."

"O..office," Felicity stuttered and swallowed hard. Her voice became a little defensive once her eyes met his. "I have an office."

He took another step forward and was disappointed when she took one back. "Your office, then."

She shook off his hand and pushed up the brim of her glasses. "I thought you were too busy to even come to the Queen Consolidated offices." Her blue eyes seemed to stare into his soul and now it was Oliver who stepped back. "Everyone was talking about your speech during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Applied Sciences building. It made quite an impression."

"Is that how everyone at QC sees me? Some playboy too busy for the company?"

Felicity nodded. And Oliver didn't know why but the thought that she might see him that way hurt. "Good."

"But you're not."

"Good?"
This time she shook her head. "The playboy you want everyone to believe you are."

Oliver's back straightened. What did she know? Did she somehow discover his secret? "Why do you say that?"

"You're trying too hard," she pointed out. "You've been away for five years. From what I've heard five lonely years on an island away from everything and everyone that you've ever known. It had to have changed you. The challenges and loneliness alone would change anyone. And yet, here you are, trying so hard to fall back into the very life that you led before you left and doing it so well that everyone is fooled."

"But not you."

Her shoulder barely lifted in a half-hearted shrug. "Maybe even me."

"Sir?"

Oliver heard Dig's voice and turned. Dig had a phone in his hand and was holding it up. "What is it?"

"There is a problem with your liquor shipment. You may wish to take this."

Oliver turned back to Felicity. "I'll be right back. Don't move." Without waiting to see if Felicity would comply, Oliver followed Dig over to an alcove and accepted the phone knowing there was no one on it. "What's going on?"

Diggle gave Oliver the details. And Oliver sent Dig back to the lair with every intention of meeting up with him within the hour so he could suit up for his nighttime job. When he turned back he realized that Felicity had left the area where he had last seen her. However, it didn't take long for his eyes to find her amongst the crowd. She was like sunlight in a crowd of over decorated Christmas trees.

"Felicity," Oliver called out as he caught up with her. "Where are you going?"

Her eyes looked worried as they shot around the room. "I was trying to find Walter but I can't find him anywhere."

Oliver was confused. "Why do you need my stepfather?"

"I needed to tell him something. It was the only reason I even came to the party but now I can't seem to find him."

"Can't it wait until Monday?"

Felicity shook her head so strongly the curls in her hair bobbed violently. "No. It's important."

Oliver reached out and captured one of the catering staff as they walked past. "Have you seen Walter Steele?"

"No, Mr. Queen. I believe he left. You can check with the household staff but I think I heard someone say he was heading to the offices."

"Thank you." Oliver let the waiter go and turned back to Felicity. "I can give you his cell phone number if you need to call him."

"I already have it. Thank you." He watched as she opened her purse and pulled out her phone. "I really do need to talk to him. It was nice meeting you, Oliver."

He couldn't help it. Oliver followed her out of the house, listening to her conversation with Walter.

"Mr. Steele, I really need to talk to you about who might be next." There was a pause as Walter spoke. "We can't be certain that it doesn't have anything to do with it," Felicity insisted. "How much of a coincidence can it be?" Another pause. "Okay. Just call me back as soon as you can."

Oliver waited for a moment before he approached her. "Hi. We meet again. I'm on my way out to take care of that liquor shipment problem. Is everything alright?"
Concern laced her eyes. "Everything's fine. I still need to talk to your stepfather but he was getting on an elevator so he should be calling me back."

"Do you have a ride home?"

Felicity nodded. "I drove. I'm waiting for my car to be brought around."

Oliver laid a hand on her shoulder. "If you need anything. Let me know." He spotted his own car coming around. "I have to go."

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Queen."

"Oliver," he corrected.

"Oliver."

He stood there for a moment as he enjoyed his name on her lips. "Merry Christmas."

"I'm Jewish," she informed him.

"Then Happy Hanukkah," he told her before he accepted the keys to his car from the valet.

OQFSOQFSOQFS

A day later, Oliver stumbled down to the lair where Diggle waited. One of the guys Oliver chased earlier had tagged him with a bullet to the leg.

"I have some bad news, man," Diggle told him as he approached. "Walter has been kidnapped."

"What?" Oliver's eyes swung over to his new partner. "Are you sure? Was there a ransom?"

"No, not yet."

"What do we know?" Oliver inquired as he hung up his bow.

"The last person he spoke to was Felicity Smoak, the woman you met at the Christmas party," Diggle told him as he turned toward the computer. "She works in the IT Department of Queen Consolidated. And her search history is pretty incriminating." Diggle stood and went over to the printer and pulled a paper off the top of it and handed it to Oliver. "I had an Army buddy of mine go through her computer history, even the history she tried to scrub. That's what he found."

"These are some of the names from the book," Oliver noted as he scanned the page.

"What are the chances that the same woman who last spoke to Walter is the same person who is investigating the book?" Diggle crossed his arms and sat on the edge of the desk. "I think we need to look more into her."

"She had nothing to do with Walter's kidnapping." Oliver slammed the paper on the desk next to Diggle and began to strip off his jacket.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I was with her when she spoke to Walter."

"With her with her or with her?" Diggle's eyes accused him more of the second point than the first.

"I was near her. She didn't know I was there. It was right after you left and before I did. I happened to overhear her conversation." Oliver flung his jacket over a chair and grabbed his suit to go change. He needed to get home and find out what he could. "She seemed worried about Walter. I doubt she had anything to do with it."

"You are defending her, just like you defend Laurel. Is there something you would like to tell me?"

Oliver came back around the corner after he changed and stared down Diggle. "There is nothing going on between me and Felicity."

"Good. Then you won't mind paying her a visit tomorrow and finding out what she knows about the list."

"You want me to go after her as the vigilante?" Oliver crossed his arms. "Why are you so certain that she has anything to do with this?"

"I don't." Diggle stood and squared off with Oliver. "But neither do you. If you were thinking with your head you'd realize that she is our best chance to finding out what happened to Walter."

"I am thinking with my head," Oliver told him as he turned to head out of the lair.

"Yeah? Which one?" Diggle called out as Oliver slammed the door.

OQFSOQFSOQFS

"Felicity Smoak."

Felicity trembled as she turned around to face the deep modulated voice. The Starling City vigilante stood feet away from her, an arrow at ready as it aimed at her heart.

"What do you know about Walter Steele's kidnapping?"
Shaking her head, Felicity raised her hands. "I don't know anything. All I know is that when I last spoke to him he was about to get on the elevator at QC. That was the last time I spoke with him."

"What did you speak to him about?"

"Nothing. I didn't get the chance to tell him about… about the project we were working on."

"What project is that?" the man under the green hood growled.

"I can't tell you." Felicity almost screamed as the man stepped closer and the bow drew back further. "What I can tell you is that I think the things he had me looking into might have been what got him kidnapped."

"What were the things he had you looking into?" the man's voice commanded, making Felicity tremble.

She shook her head. "I can't tell you. I wish I could." Felicity lowered her head slightly before she raised it back to him. "I'd rather talk to someone in the Queen family about this first."

"Who?" he demanded.

"Oliver Queen. I met him recently and I think I can trust him." She hoped she could. More than that she hoped what she told the vigilante would be enough.

"You can." The bow lowed and the tension released. "You need to be careful. Whatever you investigated is dangerous."

"I will."

She watched the vigilante nod in acknowledgement before he returned his arrow and selected a new one. He shot it up to the ceiling and appeared to ride the cable attached upwards out of sight. Felicity stumbled the rest of the way to her car and sagged against it. Not for the first time, Felicity was scared.

OQFSOQFSOQFS

"I guess that's when I got in touch with Oliver and gave him your mother's notebook," Felicity said to Thea as her story finished.

Thea nodded and smiled. "And he was so impressed by you that he brought you into the team and into his life." Thea reached out and grasped Felicity's hand. "This story is sans Sara coming back."

Felicity let out a large yawn, unable to hold it back as late as it was. "I'm more tired than I thought."

Thea glanced over at the clock. "Oh! I didn't even realize. It's almost three am. I'm so sorry for keeping you up."

"It's fine." Felicity stood and stretched. "But I really should get home."

"No." Thea reached out and stopped her from going. "You should stay. Ollie's not here and we're both tired. And, more than that, it's too late for you to head home. Ollie would skin me alive if he knew I sent you back at this hour when there is a perfectly good bed upstairs."

Felicity glanced downwards at her outfit. "I don't even have anything to sleep in. It's probably for the best if I just go home."

Thea smiled at her. "Grab one of Ollie's shirts to wear. I'm sure you have before."

Felicity blushed at the memory of the last time she had on one of Oliver's shirts. He had come home after a night out being the Green Arrow and she had only just gotten out of the shower. One of Oliver's grey shirts had been hanging over the towel rack and Felicity had thrown it on so she could run down and greet him. She hadn't worn the shirt for long. That had been only a day or two before her mother found the ring that Oliver had hidden inside the Christmas decorations.

"I can't… I mean I have but he's not here and I would feel strange…." Her cheeks reddened further. "It's wrong for me to use his things without asking."

"Ollie won't mind and even if he did, he's not here," Thea insisted as she pushed Felicity toward the hall that lead to the bedrooms.

"Fine," Felicity conceded. "But I'll let you grab one while I make up the couch."

Thea shook her head. "Nope. You are not going to sleep on the couch where there is a perfectly good empty bed."

"But…" There was no way that Felicity could sleep in Oliver's bed.

Thea steered Felicity right into Oliver's room. "He's not here. Ollie's not even expected back until late tomorrow morning. And according to his schedule, he will be heading straight to City Hall from the train station." Thea began to close the door behind her. "We're drunk and tired. Sleep."

"If you're sure…"
The door opened up almost as soon as it closed. "Felicity, its fine."

Felicity found herself nodding at the closed door. It was then that Felicity realized that Oliver's smell dominated the room. She scanned the small space that Oliver had made his. Outside of the smell there was hardly any indication that Oliver stayed there, except for his hoodie which hung from the footboard and a t-shirt that peeked out from a drawer. Felicity walked over to the bed and raised the hoodie to her nose, hugging it.

It felt like so long since she and Oliver had lived together and yet it had only been less than a half a year ago. Nights like this, she missed him desperately. His smell, the closeness they shared, his strength, the way he took care of her even if he knew she could take care of things herself. Yet, it seemed they both clung to their insecurities more than they clung to each other and that was what led them to this moment.

Setting the sweatshirt down, Felicity walked over to the drawer where the t-shirt exposed itself. She tugged on it and found it to be one of Oliver's ever present grey t-shirts. It could have been the very one she had thought of earlier. She rubbed the soft fabric across her cheek before she started to head back to the bed to get dressed. Felicity really hoped that Oliver wouldn't mind her wearing it.

After stripping down to her underwear and folding her clothes, Felicity slipped the grey shirt over her head. Another yawn escaped her lips. Felicity tugged down the sheets and slipped between the cool fabrics. It was then as she began to close her eyes that she realized she didn't have her phone. She would have to look for it in the morning. She was too tired right now to go stumbling around to look for it. Her eyes slipped closed once more as the enveloping scent of Oliver Queen relaxed her into a dreamless sleep.

OQFSOQFSOQFS

Felicity was hungover and groggy when she woke the next morning. All she wanted right now was a Bloody Mary and a pretzel. And maybe her phone. She needed to find it. Felicity had a second job interview that afternoon with Kord Industries and her phone had all the pertinent information she needed. Which made feeling this way and not having her phone some of the worst things to happen to her.

"Frack," Felicity said to herself as she walked out of Oliver's room. "Thea, have you seen my phone?"

"Check the couch," Thea called out from the kitchen before the blender turned on.

Felicity held her head for a moment at the loudness of the sound. It practically rang through her as if she was listening to it via headphones. Walking over to the couch, Felicity leaned over from the back of it to start investigating the cushions.

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Oliver hated being on the road by himself. Vacation was barely in his vocabulary and work meetings even less so. There were times when being mayor seemed like the worst idea Oliver ever had. The truly sad part was that it made him feel old. And considering he jumped from buildings on a daily basis, being old was not something he liked to think about.

Pulling his keys from his pocket, Oliver stared at the door. Laurel's door. He still hadn't been able to wrap his mind around that. But that was the least of his worries. Thea hadn't shown up for their lunch date and he was worried about her.

"Thea," Oliver called out as he opened the door. "I thought you were…"

The loud sound of the blender would have made him stop talking anyway, but the sight of a bright pink posterior wiggling around over the top of his couch had his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

The bright pink boyshorts outlined the curve of a perfectly round ass. One he recognized. And if Oliver wasn't mistaken that was one of his shirts that they tried to hide behind. And those underwear left lots of legs for his perusal, long limbs that could and had wrapped around his waist. The bare feet shifted causing her butt to wiggle a little more. Oliver swallowed hard, wishing all the saliva hadn't dried up in his mouth.

Oliver propped himself against the wall because he wasn't sure if his legs would support him for much longer. He swiped a hand over his face in an attempt to convince himself he was dreaming. It didn't work. He prayed for the strength to look away from the temptation that was before him but that required him to break eye contact and now that he knew he wasn't dreaming he refused to do that.

"I found it, Thea," Felicity announced as she rose. "You were right. It was in the couch cushions." Her loose blonde hair bounced to her back as she straightened. It still looked tousled from sleep despite the fact that it was past noon. Oliver loved that look on her even more than her usual ponytail, especially when he knew he was the reason it was that way.

He barely took notice of Felicity's phone tucked inside her hand as his feet led him toward her. Before he could even process what he was about to do, he swung her around and captured her lips with his own. It didn't matter that their relationship was still tentative. That he had walked on egg shells around her for months not wanting to scare her away further than she already was.

When she stayed behind, after everyone else had left and given up on the team, hope had blossomed in his chest. Slowly, he tried to get her to trust and believe in him again. There was nothing else in the world than he wanted more than those two things. Not just with their business dealings as they had been doing, but on a personal level. Except for right now. Her lips moving with his had to be added to the list.

"Oliver," she breathed out when they came up for air. Her eyes grew wide when her blue eyes met his.

He returned the look of wanting before he scanned the body that was next to his. "You're wearing my shirt."

"I needed something to sleep in. I hope you don't mind."

She seemed nervous and he didn't want that. There was no reason for her to feel like he would be mad at her for sharing his things. Things he had shared with her before without question. "It always looked better on you."

"Oh good, you're here," Thea said as she entered the room with two Bloody Mary's in her hands. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed how close Oliver and Felicity were. "Oh! Sorry!"

"It's okay, Speedy," Oliver assured his sister as he released Felicity.

"Is it?" Thea glanced between the two of them, her eyes unsure.

Felicity nodded as she backed up to the couch. Her hands twisted nervously around her phone. "Now that I found my phone, I better get dressed."

Oliver's eyes followed her from the moment she grabbed a Bloody Mary from Thea's hand until he couldn't see her anymore. What he didn't notice was Thea walking up and standing by his side until she spoke. "Ollie? You okay?"

He glanced down at her and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He cleared his throat and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I expected you for lunch. When you didn't show I got worried."

"Felicity came by last night. We got to talking and we had a few drinks. Since you were out of town, I told her to stay here in your room." Thea shrugged and stirred her Bloody Mary with the straw that peeked out of it. "I hope you don't mind. It was late and I told her you wouldn't want her to go home by herself intoxicated."

Oliver groaned at the visual image of Felicity in his bed. Her laying there in his t-shirt and her bright pink panties. The only way the image in his mind could be better was if it was a memory of him in bed with her. "She slept in my bed?"

"Yes. She offered to sleep on the couch…"

Oliver interrupted her. "No. She should have used my bed." Mentally, he willed the erection that had been forming since the moment he had spotted Felicity draped over the couch down. "I'd rather she sleep here than something happen to her."

"You're taking this better than I expected." Thea gazed at him in concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm serious. I'm fine. Felicity and I have started to talk more now that the team left." Oliver let out a half-hearted chuckle. "We kind of had no choice." At Thea's intrigued look, Oliver denied her unasked question. "We haven't done any more than talk up until I walked in here. I'm trying to win her trust back. It's harder than I even dreamed possible."

"You hurt her bad, Ollie, but I don't think you were left with much of a choice." Thea sipped from her drink. "You can't change it now either way. You can only move forward and show her that you have changed."

"I did have a choice," Oliver ground out. "I just chose to take the easier one."

Thea set her glass down on a nearby table and reached out and hugged him. "She'll come around. And by the looks I just saw on both of your faces when I walked in here it may be sooner rather than later."

Oliver released his sister and smiled ruefully as he pointed to the couch. "That was…"

"Uh-huh." Thea patted him on the chest. "Keep telling yourself that, big brother."

"She was in my shirt," Oliver mumbled under his breath in his defense.

When Thea's smile grew wider, he knew she had heard him. "I would have given her some of my pajamas if she insisted but I honestly thought she'd be more comfortable in something of yours."

Heels sounded on the bare floors indicating Felicity was about to enter. Oliver took in her outfit. A frilly purple blouse stood out on top of skin-tight black jeans. He felt his mouth grow dry again and he reached out to grasp Thea's drink. He raised the glass full of red liquid to his mouth and skipped the straw as he drank deeply.

"I can't believe it's so late already. I need to head over to the loft. I have an interview in less than two hours."

Thea walked over to Felicity and hugged her. "Thanks for coming over, Felicity. It was fun," Thea told her as she walked her over to the door.

"It was," Felicity admitted. "We'll have to try to do this again." Felicity's eyes met Oliver's over Thea's shoulder. "Maybe at my place. I mean your place. I mean the loft."

"Definitely," Thea agreed as she opened the door. "Maybe this time you will have a story of your own to share."

Thea turned and winked at him. Oliver never wanted to be included in a girl's night more in his life, especially when he saw Felicity blush. He was going to find out what they had talked about the night before even if he had to torture it out of his own sister.

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A week later, Felicity slipped her shoes from her aching feet. She spent the better part of the day inspecting the Technology division of Kord Industries. Felicity had accepted a temporary job inside of their company and she was happy to have less free time to think. But right now, all she wanted was a glass of wine, a relaxing bath and comfortable clothes, not necessarily in that order.

She went into her bedroom and the first thing she noticed was the folded grey t-shirt on her bed. She lifted it up and pressed it to her nose inhaling Oliver's signature scent. Felicity sat down and enjoyed the comfort the smell afforded her.

She missed Oliver. If the shirt was the only part of Oliver she could have, she would see to it that she could come to terms with that. On that note, she hugged the shirt close, wishing that it was really Oliver.

"Anytime you need a new one, all you have to do is call."

Felicity jumped from the bed, the shirt falling to the floor. Oliver stood there propped against the doorjamb of her bedroom with the shirt sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up. A smile lit up her face as she approached him. "And what if I want more than a shirt?"

She almost laughed as a shocked expression spread over his face. He stood straighter. "What are you asking, Felicity?"

"I'm not asking for a hoodie." Her hand reached out and ran up his chest. "I'm asking if I can have you back."

"In a heartbeat." He clasped her hand to his chest right over the Bratva tattoo that was etched on his chest.

"Can we trade?"

His eyes darkened. "Me for the shirt?"

Felicity nodded as she bit her lip unsure if he would bail now that she boldly told him what she wanted.

One of Oliver's arms snaked around her waist while the other cupped her cheek. A smile began to lift his lips. "Deal. And I'll even let you keep the shirt."

His lips gently touched hers and Felicity was lost. When his hands slid down and lifted her thighs, she wrapped her legs around his waist. Oliver walked them in the direction of her bed, their bed. Felicity smiled. Maybe for tonight the bed wouldn't feel as lonely as it had for way too long.

THE END