Title: Thunder
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Note: Hello! I thought I'd jump aboard the Olicity drabbles train and post my drabbles here as well. The title of the collection comes from the Taylor Swift song, State of Grace.
This one was inspired by the s3 premiere trailer that was aired during Comic Con. ~SPOILER ALERT~ Seeing Oliver open up to Felicity made me really emotional and had me thinking about a time in his life when he'd be more comfortable to share about his past with the people he trusts.
As always, comments are much appreciated, thank you!
She jumps when she hears the thunder, nearly dropping her burger as the sound echoes in the foundry around them.
"Wow, that was a loud one."
"Scared?" Roy teases playfully from the other end of the table.
"No!" Felicity says quickly, glaring at him. "And even if I was, having a fear of thunder and lightening would be totally fine. It's called astraphobia, for your information."
"Nerd." The fond look is evident on Roy's face as he playfully insults her, even when Felicity throws a fry at him.
"Now, now, kids," Diggle chides paternally from his chair. "Play nice."
"I'm not scared of thunder like I am, say, heights, or landmines, or mirakuru super soldiers-"
"I wonder what the phobia name for that is," Roy jokes, and even Oliver cracks a grin at that.
"-and even if I was, it would be a perfectly legitimate fear," she concludes. "Besides, it's so loud." Felicity shudders dramatically.
"I don't blame you," Oliver tells her with a soft, reassuring smile. "It's worse when you're out in the open."
"The open?" Roy asks absentmindedly as he focuses on getting the right amount of ketchup and mayo on his burger. "Like you mean camping?"
"The island," Oliver explains. Roy looks up in horror, clear apology on his face at the subject he's brought up, but Oliver continues to speak. "It would feel like it was coming from everywhere, echoing all around us. It would be hard to hear anything else, to know if anyone was headed our way."
Roy and Diggle still at this confession, staring at each other in surprise at the memory that Oliver relays so calmly over burgers and shakes.
But Felicity doesn't look surprised at all, nodding at his words as if this is just another part of his past that she's tucking away, a facet of himself he's shared with her so generously that she wouldn't dare to refuse.
"That must have been terrifying, Oliver." She moves her chair closer to his, her knees bumping into his, but it's not enough so she leans in closer, resting her head in the crook of his neck, staring up at her boyfriend with all the world's affection in her eyes. Oliver wraps an arm around her, fingers toying with her hair as if he can't resist touching the strands, as if he's gaining comfort from that gesture alone.
"I would never be able to sleep those nights," Oliver says absentmindedly, as if he's forgotten about those long, terrible nights of restlessly shifting from one side to another, always keeping an eye open for any sign of intruders, be they animals or armed men.
There's a moment of silence at the table, as if the entire team mourns for the sleepless nights their fearless leader faced. He's in front of them now, rested and rejuvenated, but the vulnerability he's revealed hangs in the air between them, a fog they're fighting to see him clearly through.
Then Felicity, ever radiant Felicity, smiles and leans in, kissing her boyfriend on the cheek and murmuring just loud enough for his ears only, "You slept fine enough last night."
Oliver grins, a quick flash of brilliance as he turns his face to drop a quick kiss on her lips, long forgotten laugh lines appearing on his face more easily now that he has the remarkable blonde in his life in every meaning of the word.
"You done?"
"Sir, yes, sir," Felicity chirps brightly, standing up and tugging on his hand, waiting for him to toss his burger wrapper in the trash can on the other side of the foundry. "Show-off," she says lovingly, shaking her head at his perfect throw. "Bye, guys, we're heading home," she says over her shoulder to Digg and Roy.
Her words seem to remind Oliver that there are other people in the room, and he offers the guys a nod and a "good night" as he waits for Felicity to grab her purse, then takes her hand and follows her out the door and into the night.
"Did he just-" Roy begins.
"Yup," Diggle says, the shock still evident in his tone.
"-talk about the island? Like, normally? Over dinner?" Roy elaborates, hands flying as he continues to point in the direction Oliver just left. "Like... did he just do that?"
"I believe he did," Diggle confirms with a thoughtful nod. "Huh. Good for him."
the end ~
