So, with a few people following this story, (and me apparently) I take that as a sign that my story was liked and that a follow up chapter was liked . I've had so many stories in my head, and can't really put into words how awesome I feel when I get those 'put into favorites' and 'following' mails in my inbox. Please keep sending me your reviews, and your likes, and I'll reward you with new chapters (or new stories )

When she woke up, he was gone. With her eyes searching the room, she wondered if it hadn't really been a dream. It could have been, it's not like she's never had a dream about Oliver before. But then, as she reached for her glasses on the table by the bed, she noticed a single red rose and a note.

Felicity,

I didn't want to wake you, but I had some work to do. I'll be back tonight. Don't do anything I wouldn't do.

-Oliver

She snorted. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. That meant little, coming from a guy who had done just about anything, at least once. But she caught the underlying sentiment. She thought.

She let her mind go back to the previous night. A little smile tugged at her lips. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and cringed when a bobbing pain shot through her head. Oh, right, shaking one's head after surgery, not the best of ideas.

He was at his desk, staring at hers. He'd come up to do some work. A little damage control in the wake of what Isabel and Slade had done. But it was hard keeping himself concentrated. Especially when he was looking at her empty desk. He wondered if she was awake already. If she saw his note. If he should call or text. Now that he finally admitted to her, and to himself that he needed her, there was no going back. He needed her always, to help him cope, to ground him, to remind him.

She really knew the Oliver underneath the personas. He wasn't solely the billionaire CEO of QC or the vigilante with her. He was both, and something more. Even though she didn't yet know all about those 5 years, she'd never push him to spill it all. Despite the curiosity he knew she had. Curiosity was as much a part of Felicity as was her glasses and her tablet. She'd let him share with her on his own terms, and he was unendingly grateful for that.

After mindlessly staring for what felt like hours (but was in fact only about 15 minutes) he took out his phone.

OQ: you awake yet?

FS: yes, I got awoken by a cranky nurse holding something that she described as breakfast.

OQ: what would you describe it as?

FS: dirt on toast.

He laughed when he read that. It's true, hospital food was rarely edible, and Starling Memorial's food definitely fell in the inedible category.

OQ: how about I bring over real dinner with me tonight, and we talk a little.

FS: nothing good ever follows 'we need to talk'

OQ: unless it's 'we need to talk' with delicious dinner. Don't worry so much!

FS: can't help it. Nothing to do here but worry.

Oliver pondered about that a while. It was true, when Felicity had noting on her hands, she tended to go into pessimist mode. Well, he was just going to have to provide her with an adequate amount of distractions to keep her busy today.

*knock knock*
She looked up to see John standing in her doorway. A little smile formed on her lips when she saw what he was carrying.

"So I've heard somebody is going a little stir-crazy in here?"
"Now, where would you get a crazy idea like that. Me? Stir-crazy? Never!"
She let out a little giggle, and John chuckled.

"What did you bring me?"
"Well, your laptop of course. And a blueberry muffin, and a cup of hot chocolate."
"No coffee?"
she pouted. She'd been dying for a little caffeine jump.
"No coffee. I've been told caffeine and head injuries don't mix to well, so I figured cocoa would be best."
"Oh, right. Head injury. I keep forgetting that."
She absentmindedly rubbed the back of her head with one hand, while taking the chocolate in the other. She glanced behind John, wondering if there was going to be another guest. When she saw the hallway was empty, her shoulders fell a bit.

"He's coming over later today."
"Hmm.. Who? What are you talking about?!"
Damn that John, always the observant man.
"Oliver. That's who you were looking for, isn't it?"
"I haven't got the slightest idea what you mean. Why would Oliver be here at this moment at my bed? Not that I think he doesn't care that I'm in here, because I do think he cares. Not for me per se but about me being here…"
She sighed. Always that damn babbling. She looked up to see John staring at her, an amused look in his eyes. Uhow, this was going to get awkward. Well, more awkward.

"Felicity. I might not be on the same level of genius as you are, but I am not a foolish man. Nor am I a blind one. And I most certainly can read between the proverbial lines." She looked up at him, a little confused.
"I would never ever say you aren't a smart man John, because I know you are very, if indeed not as tech-savvy. But what proverbial lines are we talking about, exactly?"
"Well, let's see. Oliver calling me at eight this morning, asking me to bring the spare clothes he has at the foundry. Oliver changing in the bathroom at the office. Oliver asking me to bring you something to do and something to eat. And, most of all, Oliver not being his moody self this morning. The morning after I told him to put on his big-boy-boots and come clean about his feelings."

"Big-boy-boots?" Felicity giggled again. The things John could get away with, saying to Oliver, would never cease to amaze her.
"Did you really say that? To Oliver? The Oliver we both know? The one with the very short fuse and a mean right hook?"
"I did. Granted, he was a little hung over at the time, so his right hook didn't scare me as much at that time."

She looked at John, wide grin on her face. She was so going to use that against Oliver, every chance she would have.

"So you know?"
"I know enough. And it's not really my business per se, except for the parts that happen around the foundry. But you both need the chance to figure – whatever this is- out between yourselves. You make each other better Felicity. Embrace that."

And with that said, he squeezed her shoulder and left the room. And she was left staring at the now empty space in her room. John Diggle might be a lot of things, but foolish, no she would never ever use that word to describe him. She shook her head, gently this time and focused on her blueberry muffin. And her laptop, oh boy, did she miss her laptop.

Oliver looked up to the upper right corner of his screen. 7 pm. That was a respectable hour to leave one's office, wasn't it? He'd gotten to work after those texts to Felicity, because working would make the time go faster. He'd hoped. And he'd been right. When he got into it, he kept going, not even bothering to have lunch. And now, most of his work was done, and he could go home for the weekend. Home, would mean, in this instance, the hospital. Where Felicity was. His home, or so he hoped. They had had a conversation about his living arrangements before she got shot.

He thought back to that day, before she had left the 'lair' as she so affectionately put it.
"You know, you should really get your own place." She had startled him with her words, having been lost in his training.

"Hu, what?" he replied, while picking up a towel and moving a little closer to her.

"Well. With all that's been going on with your mother and Thea, you've been sleeping in the lair. And, granted, a man of your age should really not be living with his mother anymore, not that there is anything wrong with a grown man still living with his mother… " She stopped to take a breath, and get her foot out of her mouth.

"What I mean is. People are going to start to wonder where Oliver Queen sleeps, now that he is not living at the mansion anymore. We don't want them to take to close a look at the club now do we? Besides, having a house or apartment of your own, is what normal people our age tend to do."

He had thought about that. She had a point, he didn't want people wondering what Oliver Queen was up to at night, and having a place to go to would certainly help with the appearance he was trying to keep up toward the public.

"I've sort of found the perfect building while I was scanning the neighborhood." He had looked up at that statement. A questioning look crossed his face as she motioned him closer. "It's not that far from here, an empty warehouse you could transform into a loft." She'd been putting a lot of thought in this, he figured.

"What's so special about this particular building?" He'd asked her, looking a little skeptical.
"Well, for one, it's not far from Verdant, and of course the lair. It's in a neighborhood that is being developed and there are at least 5 A list Starling City residents that have commissioned a warehouse repurposing in the last 3 months. The building I'm referring to is also already property of QC, so no need to actually buy the building. But, the most important reason of all: It links with Verdant by way of decommissioned overflow tunnels, so you could travel between the two buildings unseen."

He shook out of his musings, and logged off the computer. While he hadn't looked into the warehouse, because of the shooting, he had made contact with a contractor. He was going to meet the man on Monday. He couldn't wait to tell Felicity. But first, Chinese food!

She'd been napping a little in the late afternoon, because, let's face it, who didn't want to take a nap in the afternoon. But she woke when an amazing smell wafted through her room. Without opening her eyes she took a little whiff. Chinese food. Her favorite. She would have been amazed he knew that, if they hadn't spent so many late nights eating take out in the lair.

"You like?" His voice startled her a little, because of its proximity. She didn't hear him come so close to her, but then again, half of his activities were centered around stealth. She opened one eye, so see Oliver leaning over her, just inches away from her face. A smile crept over his mouth, and he dipped to place a sweet, soft kiss on her lips.

"Hi." He murmured, pulling back and sitting on her bed, facing her.
"Hi. Can you wake me up like that every time?" She asked him softly.
"With Chinese food, or with a kiss?"
"Well, as much as I like Chinese food, I really have no desire to eat that at 7 in the morning, so I guess I was referring to that kiss."
"Good to know you want me around for future awakenings."
He smiled that breathtaking smile at her and her breath caught a little.

He liked that look on her face. He couldn't get enough of it. And he especially liked that it was he who made her look that way. The awe and love that shined in her eyes even made him a little soft in the knees.

"Only if you want to be. I mean, I'm not pressuring you or anything, you only just told me your feelings yesterday and I wouldn't want you to…" He had placed a finger on her lips, to stop her rambling. Usually he really loved her ramblings, but she sounded a little insecure right at that moment.

He looked her in the eyes and softly said: "I would move heaven and earth to be able to kiss you every morning, noon and night and all times in between. Whether it is to wake you up, to say goodnight, or just to show you my feelings, when I can't put them in to words."

Wow. Just, Wow. When he says things like that, it makes everything really silent in her otherwise very noisy brain. All her worries and doubts disappeared and there was only him and her. She leaned forward and placed a hand on either cheek. She looked at him, diving deep into those blue pools and said: "How about you start right now."

He placed a peck on her lips, and one on her cheek and said: "Well, I wouldn't want all that food to go to waste." He straightened up, got of the bed and brought over the bag of deliciousness that he left on the table by the window. He put everything in front of her on the tray table by her bed. He needed a little distance, because, the feelings and desires he had coursing through him at that moment, were really not going to help her to heal. And god knows, he needed her to heal.

They settled in for dinner, chatted about everything and anything. About the warehouse and his soon to be loft. About movies and shows and everything in between. And it was good. The best night ever. Best. Night. Ever.