Title: Choking on Your Alibis
Words: 2177
Pairing: Barry/Laurel and Oliver/Felicity
Genre: Romance/Angst
Status: undefined.
Summary: Oliver wants Laurel to come over and "approve" of his relationship with Felicity, but she won't come without him getting her a date. He surprises her with Barry. And the whole dinner surprises all of them.
Laurel stared at him. "You cannot be serious right now," She told him as she shut the refrigerator door and went around to get a knife to start cutting the fruit she got out for a fruit salad.
He chuckled nervously. He didn't expect it to go this badly. Sure, he understood she might have some objections, because she was single, but she was one of his girls. He needed her to see how he worked with Felicity. "Come on, you do this all the time for me. I need you. You're the one that knows me the best, please?" He begged a little.
She shook her head. "No, I'm not being a third wheel on a date with you and Felicity. I have been on double dates with you. I have given you advice. But I'm not having dinner with you while you make googly eyes at another girl," She said as she pointed her knife at him and went back to chopping.
He thought about it for a moment. "What if you didn't have to be a third wheel? We could make it a double date." He told her.
"Are you even listening? I'm not dating right now. I don't have time for that. I'm the youngest district attorney this city has had for 100 years and you know it's not exactly easy when you're a woman and you have to deal with a whole lot of bullshit in this government from the men." She said as she took a bowl out of a cabinet and put the fruit she had cut up in the bowl.
He groaned. He actually had a thought though. He knew the perfect guy for her. Actually would be amazing. Would do all the things that would be perfect for Laurel. "I have a guy in mind. Please, Laurel? Come on, I need you to do this for me."
She narrowed her eyes at him. He wasn't going to give this up. Laurel sighed. "If I go on this double date, you owe me big time. I'm serious. This is the last time I'm doing this kind of thing, next time you're on your own. And this guy better be good," She told him.
"I promise, I will, last time, and he will," He told her as he kissed her on the forehead and smiled. "Have a good time at the benefit," He told her as he left the apartment and took his cell phone out of his pocket and went to call Felicity. "Hey, do you have Barry's number?" He asked.
"Uh, I do. Why do you need something from China?" She asked as she clacked her keyboard and smiled to Ray. "You know, I can get it to you in a minute, but I need to get back to the things I'm doing,"
He winced, hearing her talk about work when he couldn't be there. "Is Ray giving you a hard time?" He asked her.
"No, Ray's great. We're just kind of in a busy swing of things. So what did you need Barry's phone number for anyway?" She asked him.
He chuckled. Well, at least she was having a good time at work. He was a little jealous he wasn't the one there for her, but he couldn't provide that right now. "So I went to talk to Laurel about having dinner."
"Yeah, how'd that go? Did she go all crazy?" Felicity asked, making a joke out of jealousy.
He frowned. Laurel had never been for jealousy and he hoped that Felicity knew that, but apparently she didn't. "No, she didn't. But she was uncomfortable with the idea of being a third wheel. And so I promised her I would get her a date. And I thought that Barry would be perfect," He told her.
"Right, well, you know better than I do about Laurel, so I'm just gonna agree with you, but look, right now, I need to get off this phone, so I can deal with a mini crisis." She said.
"Are you okay?" He asked her.
She nodded, "Yeah, it's gonna be fine, but I just need to deal with things. Once I get off with you, I'll send you his contact information." She told him. "Bye," She trailed off as she hung up with him.
Laurel knocked on Oliver's door, which opened to find Oliver and Felicity in the kitchen, kissing and a new stranger. "Oh, hello," She said as her eyes widened, she managed to smile, "Are they okay?" She asked the mysterious stranger.
"You must be Laurel," He said as he opened the door a little wider.
She blushed a little, "I am. And you are?" She asked with her eyes twinkling a little.
"I'm Barry Allen. And they seem unnaturally comfortable with public affection. I mean they have literally been going at it for like five minutes." He laughed a little. "And I must say, you look absolutely stunning in that dress,"
Laurel laughed a little. "Why thank you," She said as she smiled at him. "So I brought my famous apple braid," She said a little louder and held it up for him to see. Oliver and Felicity broke apart, embarrassed and Oliver wiped his mouth.
Barry leaned over and whispered in her ear. "I'm so glad you're here. Because that was awkward." He said with a cheery smile.
She nodded to him. "Oh, don't worry Barry, I don't think it'll get that heated again," She said as she looked Oliver straight in the eye and raised her eyebrow to him and he wiped his mouth again and looked at his shoes.
"So, Oliver told me you're the district attorney for Starling, that must be really hard. But also really awesome. I mean you do direct work with...justice." He said animatedly and then it got awkward.
She laughed and touched his shoulder. "Don't worry, Barry. I know what you mean by 'justice.' My dad's a cop. And Oliver's my ex. We talk." She told him reassuredly and winked at him.
"So, you and Oliver Queen? I mean I can certainly understand the appeal of a buff guy like that, but if I had a beautiful woman like you I'd have never let you go. He's an idiot for doing so," Barry said and then he looked at her with eyes wide. "Did I just say that?"
She laughed. "Oh, he wasn't always so buff. And yeah, you did. I'm a little surprised you said it when your flirting partner is his date tonight." She said as she put the apple braid down on the table.
He rubbed his neck, "Yeah, well, you know, between you and me, you're a much better flirting partner," He whispered to her.
"You're not bad yourself," She said with a grin that bared her teeth, but didn't look predatory.
He smiled back and looked over to Oliver. "Can I use your restroom?" He asked.
Felicity kissed Oliver quickly and smiled, "I'll show you to the restroom, Barry," She told him as she led him down a hallway.
"So do you like him?" Oliver whispered in Laurel's ear.
She smiled as her eyes followed Barry. "Well, it's certainly not the worst date you've ever set me up on. Also, really making out in front of him, way to make him feel welcome."
"We got carried away," Oliver admitted.
Laurel laughed. "I could tell. You need to stop that though. It's gonna get you killed in the wrong situation and not for nothing, but I really don't want to attend more funerals for awhile. Also that display is affection should be only for you and her." She told him with a furrowed brow.
"You never minded when it was us," He told her.
She shook her head. "I'm not doing that Ollie. Not tonight. You have a girlfriend. and I have a date. And we're not going there."
Felicity came back and looked to both of them and Laurel just nodded. Barry came back and smiled jovially. "So when do we eat? I'm starving. And you said that there was going to be some amazing food." Barry babbled.
"About ten. Why don't you guys sit and talk for awhile?" Oliver asked as he looked at dinner and got a bowl out of the fridge.
Laurel looked to Barry, "Hey, could you show me where that bathroom is?" She asked him.
"Oh yeah," He said as he took her around the hall and as soon as they weren't in sight of Felicity and Oliver, liberated from what she saw earlier, she took his face in her hands and kissed him with force.
He gasped and grabbed her face too and suddenly and without thinking about it, he kissed her back with all the air in his lungs. And when he had no more he pulled back and looked into her eyes and touched her forehead with hers. "What was that about?" He asked, as he panted.
She shrugged. "Just something I thought I might like," She told him with a beautiful smirk.
"And did you?" He asked.
She pulled him closer and put his hand on her chest and her hand on his waist, "Believe me, if we didn't have to be out there in ten minutes, I'd take you into that bedroom behind you, and well, we'd jump headfirst into this thing."
"Really?" He asked. "We could do it, you know?" He told her.
She shook her head and smiled. "What you can do, though, is put your hand around my waist and kiss my neck, and we can watch the insecurity on both of their faces," She told him as she put his hand around her waist and smiled up to him.
He looked to her. "Are you sure?" He asked. He wasn't sure about the plan, but Felicity was asking weird, and if he guessed anything it was that Oliver was acting weird with her.
She smiled at him and gave him a small peck. "I'm sure if you're sure," Laurel told him. "Come on, this is exciting," She told him with a squeal.
He had to admit that he was pretty eager to see how Felicity and Oliver would react. He nodded. "Well, we should go out there, or they'll probably come looking,"
Felicity and Oliver looked at both of them and they both giggled like schoolchildren. "You guys were in there for awhile. I thought maybe you fell into the toilet," Oliver said as he looked up from the oven.
Barry kissed Laurel's neck and she smiled that smile that could cure the world of all its problems and suddenly, Oliver hadn't felt so hot about setting them up. Felicity looked over to them. "So you two are having a good time?" She asked.
"Yeah," Laurel said as she looked up to Barry and kissed him on the cheek. He gave her a peck and she smiled. "How are you two holding up?" She asked, finally looking away from Barry.
Oliver looked up and glowered. "We're doing well. Dinner's ready if you two want to sit down." He said.
Laurel smiled and gave Barry another kiss and patted down his tie. "I need to get a drink, real quick. But I'll be right there," She told him and he grinned at her.
Laurel went into the kitchen as Felicity took out the salad out to the table and Oliver took her by the arm. "What the hell is going on with the two of you?" He asked in a hush.
She raised her eyebrow. "You want to talk about public displays? I like Barry. He likes me. And we want you both to know it, because we are worth so much then your attention to us." She told him as she took a glass of wine from the counter.
He looked to her and looked at the drink he poured for himself in her hand. "I thought you weren't drinking," He said, angry.
"Well, I've dealt with my problem. And now, in moderation," She told him as she wrestled herself out of his grip. "Don't touch me, you should save it for your girlfriend."
She took another drink for Barry and turned away and smiled to him as she sat down. "Are you okay?" Barry asked.
She nodded to him and smiled. "I'm fine. But when dinner's over, I think we should go find somewhere to get to know each other a little better," She said as she kissed his cheek and looked to Felicity. "So what are we eating?"
"Ugh," Felicity blushed. "Well, Oliver said that you loved Beef Wellington and that just happened to be one of my favorites, so that's what he made for us tonight,"
Barry smiled as he sat as close as he could to Laurel. "I've never had Beef Wellington before."
"I think you'll enjoy it," Laurel said with a smile.
He grinned. "I've enjoyed all the other new experiences I've had so far today," He kissed her on the nose and she wrinkled her nose.