Being a vigilante came with a full schedule: bad guys to catch, bullets to dodge, and a city to save. Sometimes, when things got really crazy, days blurred together and Oliver would often find himself unsure what day of the week it was. After all, keeping track of the date was a lot less important than staying alive and relatively unharmed.

So when the current nutso trying to blow up a city block had flower petals and paper hearts sprinkled in among the blocks of C-4, Oliver just figured it was a case of obsession gone very wrong. He wasn't about to let the situation drag out longer than it needed to, so he tuned out the guy's crazy ramblings, and ten seconds later the detonator was on the far side of the room with an arrow through it. Roy started trussing up the nutjob, and only then did it dawn on Oliver why the guy had chosen that particular day to finally snap.

"...and she wouldn't even look at me, so I had to do this, man," the would-be bomber moaned. "I just wanted to give her a Valentine's Day present she'd remember."

Oliver mentally kicked himself.

Today was Valentine's Day, and he'd completely forgotten. No wonder Felicity had given him such an odd look that morning when he'd told her he was planning to stay late at the foundry that night and sort through his stash of trick arrows. Since they were finally officially a couple (and had been for a few months now), she'd probably been expecting some sort of date. You know, the sort of thing couples generally did on romantic holidays.

Oliver groaned. He hadn't even bought her flowers.

His comm was still on, and Felicity's voice chimed in his ear. "Everything okay there?"

"It's under control. We'll be home soon."

Just as soon as I figure out how to save Valentine's Day...

Leaving Felicity to call in the bomb squad and Roy to drop the love-sick psycho on the police station steps, Oliver trotted down the alley to his motorcycle. He had a stop to make on the way home.

It was getting late, and most of the shops had closed an hour or so ago, but Oliver kept his eyes peeled, hoping to find what he needed. Then, there it was: a florist shop with the neon 'Open' sign in the window still glowing. As Oliver pulled his bike up to the curb, it occurred to him that he was still in his Arrow garb, but desperate times called for desperate measures and he didn't really have time to change and come back.

He ducked inside the shop, switching on his voice changer. The proprietor wasn't immediately visible, so after a moment, Oliver reached out and rang the bell on the counter.

A middle-aged lady came hurrying out of the back room. "And how may I help you... Oh!"

For several seconds, she just stared at him, seemingly frozen in place. Oliver decided to help her out.

"A dozen red roses, please?"

The shock on her face didn't really disappear, but she did manage to find her voice. "Would you like those in a box? To protect them while you're, you know, saving the city?"

To be honest, Oliver hadn't really thought through the logistics of transporting flowers via motorcycle, but a box sounded like a good idea. "Yes, thank you."

With shaking hands, she carefully boxed the flowers, then slid them across the counter to him. It was then that Oliver discovered a serious flaw in his plan: the Arrow suit wasn't exactly equipped with pockets for carrying cash. Weaponry, yes, but money, no.

Embarrassed, he started to slide the flowers back to the owner. "I'm sorry, I don't actually have any way to pay for these right now..."

But she stopped him right there. "No, no, you don't owe me anything. For the Arrow, they're free."

Nodding his thanks, Oliver gathered up the package and strode out of the shop. Behind him, he could hear the owner dialing someone on the phone.

"Jamie? It's Laura. You'll never guess who just came into my shop!"


The foundry was quiet when Oliver arrived. Felicity was still sitting in front of her computers, but she wasn't really working on anything, just absently scanning the screens. Spinning in her chair, she came to face him as he crossed the floor toward her.

"Roy and Diggle went home for the night, so it's just us."

Nodding, he stopped in front of her, the bouquet of roses hidden behind his back. She tried to peek around him to see what he was holding, but he stopped her. "I have something for you, but I want to say something first."

She sat back in her chair, her eyes fixed on his face now. Clearing his throat, Oliver went on. "When I first met you, I was certain that the life I'd chosen meant there were things I couldn't have. But somehow, you changed all that. I know it took me long enough to realize it, but having you by my side as a partner, a friend, and the woman I love has been the best thing to ever happen to me."

With a flourish, he pulled the roses out from behind his back. "I know that I don't always tell you just how much I appreciate you, but I want you to know that even when I forget things like Valentine's Day, I never forget how much you mean to me. I love you, Felicity Smoak."

Rising from her chair, Felicity threw her arms around him, and murmured into his chest, "I love you too, and I don't care if you forget every holiday ever, as long as you're here." Then, pulling back a bit, she finished with a grin, "But the flowers are a nice touch."

Oliver smiled - the impromptu stop at the florist had been worth it.

And after Felicity stuck the roses in water, they had their first Valentine's Day date right there in the foundry, making sure to take full advantage of the bed in the corner.