He felt the blade go through his chest and the blood dripping from his mouth before he realized the sword had even been taken from him. He knew Ra's was saying some kind of prayer, but Oliver wasn't paying attention. He could only think about those he loves that he was about to be reunited with and those he was leaving behind. He first saw his father; a man who had murdered someone then turned the gun on himself just so Oliver could live. He would be seeing him soon. Then he saw his mother; strong, loving Moira Queen who had made so many mistakes and cost so many lives just to keep him and Thea safe, only for Oliver to fail her. He couldn't protect Thea. That was who he saw next. Not the woman who had been under Malcolm Merlyn's control while she killed Sara, but the girl who greeted him when he first came home from the island. His Thea. The most important woman in his life. The reason he was up here, slowly dying. Then he saw Felicity. The second most important person in his life, behind only Thea. She was his light. His love. His girl. She had been the first person he saw as a person after the island. The woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, but couldn't because of his promise to protect Starling City. It took all of the strength he had to leave her in the foundry after finally professing his love for her the right way. He had finally told her he loved her in the most direct way he knew how, only to never be able to say it again. He wondered if she would forgive him for breaking the promise he had made her the previous year. You're not going to lose me. Those words echoed in his head as he accepted this would be his end. As Ra's raised his boot and shoved him over the mountain, Oliver's last thoughts were of a red pen, a fern, and a beautiful blonde woman he would never see again.
The next two months were filled with pain, agony and yearning. Maseo had saved his life in Hong Kong countless times and again after he was thrust off the mountain. Oliver was believed to be dead by the League of Assassins thanks to Maseo and he owed the man more than he could ever repay. He found Oliver on the side of the mountain and carried his body to the nearest cave, where Oliver spent the next two months slowly healing and getting his strength back. Once he was ready to go back to Starling, he thanked Maseo with a promise to come back for him one day and left. It was time to go home.
Oliver wasn't sure what he was expecting when he arrived back in Starling City. He didn't know how the team would react to him being back. Would they be happy? Relieved? Confused? Of all the possibilities that ran through his head, he never even thought of anger.
He quietly opened the door and the first person he saw was Diggle, who was training with someone. Must be Roy, Oliver thought. Oliver knew when he left that Diggle would continue helping the man who had become a partner to him. A legacy, in a way. He was about to start descending the stairs when he heard Felicity speak for the first time in two months. He would've smiled if she had said anything except what she said.
"I've gotta head to work. Ray needs me to finish this project we're working on, but it won't take long so I'll be back."
Oliver's heart sank at the mention of the man. But what did he expect? That she would just wait around for him? They had all probably assumed he was dead and had moved on with their lives. Oliver shouldn't hold that against them, but he couldn't help the ache he felt in his chest at the thought. Was he even wanted here anymore? The question plagued him. For the past two months, he had only ever dreamed of coming back and being reunited with those he considered his second family. Now that he was standing there, he wasn't sure what to do. Did he just walk down the stairs like nothing had ever happened? Like he hadn't disappeared for two months? Or did he leave and never come back? Let the people he loved continue in life without him?
He heard the muttered goodbyes to Felicity but his mind wasn't focused. If it was, he would've realized Felicity was walking towards the door to leave. The door he was standing in front of.
Just as he had decided to leave and placed his hand on the door handle to head out the way he came in, he heard a gasp and a whispered "Oliver?" behind him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn't have to turn around to know that was Felicity. How long had he waited to hear her say his name again? It was the sweetest sound to ever reach his ears. His heart pounded in his chest and reminded him it was still there. That it still beat for the woman who had kept him from completely losing his humanity while he was away. It reminded him that no matter what he did, his heart would forever belong to her.
He turned around to find Felicity staring up at him at the bottom of the stairs like she was seeing a ghost. Like she couldn't believe he was here. It was the first time he had laid eyes on her in too long. He drank her in like he was a man stranded in the desert with no water. She was wearing a short, black dress with her hair up in her signature ponytail and a red jacket folded over her arms. Just like every time he saw her before he left, she took his breath away. He noticed she had dark circles under her eyes and briefly wondered if he caused them before dismissing the thought. It was probably because of the project she was working on with Ray Palmer.
Palmer. Oliver internally cringed just thinking about his name, but now wasn't the time to think about him. It wasn't the time to over-analyze the kiss he had witnessed between the woman he loved and a man who had taken his company from him.
He shook his head, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind and finally started descending the steps to the woman who had been in every single dream while he was away. Diggle and Roy came to see what caused Felicity to be frozen in place and joined her in shock when they saw Oliver. He was about three steps from the bottom of the stairs when Felicity snapped out of it.
And to say he didn't expect what happened next would be a huge understatement.
Felicity blinked out of her stupor and Oliver noticed there were tears in her eyes. Shouldn't she be happy he was back? That he wasn't dead? Maybe they're happy tears, Oliver thought.
Oliver raised his hand to her shoulder, but before he could touch her – before he could experience that small piece of heaven that touching her allowed him – Felicity slapped him across the face with all of her strength and stormed past him, up the stairs, and out of the foundry without a second glance.