Title: Until I wrap myself inside your arms (I cannot rest)
Series: If I Was a Better Man
Category: Arrow
Genre: Romance/Drama/Humor
Ship: Felicity/Oliver
Chapter Rating: PG-13/Teen
Overall Rating: NC-17/Explicit
Notes: This is a sequel to a story based on an AU idea where Felicity and Oliver met before he was stranded on the island; it's pretty important that you read that too or you'll be confused.
Word Count: 9,175
Summary: Oliver Queen has returned from an island of purgatory to avenge a city in need of justice. Finding balance in his life is made all the more difficult with a book of names to strike off and a remarkable woman to convince he's worth her time. Fighting crime as the Hood keeps him busy, but getting Felicity to fall in love with him? Now that'll take a whole new level of dedication.
Until I wrap myself inside your arms (I cannot rest)
I.
"Did you see the news?" he asked from the doorway of her office.
Felicity rolled her eyes. "Hello to you too, Tommy."
"I think pleasantries can be skipped when long lost friends who seemingly drowned at sea suddenly pop back up like a too-good-to-be-true scene in an 80's movie."
Raising an eyebrow, Felicity turned to look up at him. "I saw the news. Oliver's alive and should be on his way back to the mansion as we speak." She half-smiled. "It's kind of hard to miss."
He stared at her searchingly. "That's it? That's all I get? No overwhelmed crying or jumping for joy? Not even an unnecessary but touching ramble about how worried you are that I now have my childhood best friend back and I won't have any reason to keep you around?" He tossed his hands in the air dramatically. "Have we lost our spark already? Has the shine worn off that quick?"
Standing from her chair, she sighed, circling the desk to reach him. "I know you're happy, and I'm happy for you. I'm happy for Thea and Mrs. Queen and the whole family. I'm also nervous and I can feel this weird twisting in my stomach that kind of feels like nausea but not quite." Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "There's also a really large part of me that thinks I'm dreaming and I'll wake up tomorrow to find you passed out on my couch, expecting a Bloody Mary and a warm pretzel. So yes, I'm feeling something, I just don't know what feeling to focus on. So I'm working and it's helping."
His shoulders slumped a little as he half-smiled at her. "There's the rambly you I remember."
With a snort, she shook her head. "What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be staked out on his lawn with a Welcome Home banner and a car full of strippers?"
He grinned. "That was my next stop."
Smiling despite herself, she hiked her brows. "Don't let me stop you."
Reaching for her, he cupped her elbows and gave her a little shake. "Felicity, this is Oliver. I've officially been given the best news I've had in five years…" He paused, his eyes darting away. "Except for that one time when the test was negative."
A short laugh escaped her and she pointed a serious finger at him. "That was great news for me too, Merlyn. No way was I ready to be a godmother. I'm not a kid person. I'm a 'don't let your child and its sticky fingers anywhere near all my sparking wires' person…"
He smirked. "I think god-motherhood would have suited you just fine," he argued. "Who knows, maybe with your influence he wouldn't have been corrupted young."
Crossing her arms over her chest, she nodded. "You're right. I could've had a hand in raising the first female president…" She frowned. "Although, if it takes us that long to elect a woman to the White House, I may just fold up my flag and hand in my patriotism."
"Spoken like a true American!"
Felicity smiled up at him. "All right, since you're all energy this morning, why don't we see what the break room has to offer in donuts? And you can tell me all about how you plan to throw Oliver a Welcome Back bash to put all others to shame… A party I will no doubt be convinced to participate in putting together and will absolutely not be a part of."
He snapped his fingers and swung an arm around her shoulders, directing her out of her office. "See? This is why we're friends. I come up with half-assed plans, you make sure I execute them properly, and—"
"You take all the credit," she finished, poking him in the chest.
"Did you honestly want the credit for last year's Spring Break party?"
"You mean the one you had over Thanksgiving weekend that ended with you being arrested for public nudity...?"
"Alleged public nudity," he denied.
"Tommy… It is an age of camera phones…" She looked him up and down, her brow raised. "I've seen more of you than I've ever wanted to." Stepping out from under his arm, she continued down the hall.
Grinning after her, he called out, "You're welcome."
When she rolled her eyes back at him, he laughed and hurried to catch up. "So I was thinking something classy…" he started. "But I also think a wet T-shirt contest may be necessary…"
Felicity smiled as her phone beeped yet again and turned her attention from the stack of files she was currently going through to thumb open her text messages. She shook her head, amused, as she saw one after the other from Thea.
They ranged from just before the news broke: So I think we should have a spa weekend because my toes look sad… :(
To directly after she found out: Call me! CALL ME RIHGT NOWW!
Followed by a play by play of everything that was happening since finding out Oliver was alive, of which there were so many she wasn't sure she even had time to put a dent in reading in them.
Finally, to her latest: June wedding? Shotty maid of honor! :D
Rolling her eyes, Felicity thumbed 2 on her speed dial and waited.
"Seriously!? It takes a wedding to get you to call me?"
"I've been busy, I'm sorry," she replied, helpless to the smile pulling at her mouth.
"Busy? Uh no, no way! Just go tell your boss that the big boss has given you the day off and then get over here, asap. He's gonna be here any minute! I need emotional encouragement like, yesterday."
"Thea, you're fine. It's Oliver, there's nothing to worry about. He's home and he'll be ecstatic to see you."
"But what if he's changed? Or deformed? Or what if he has like, island amnesia or something!"
Felicity blinked. "What is island amnesia?"
"I don't know, that's why I need you here!" she whined. "To Google for me!"
She laughed, shaking her head. "As flattering as that is, I really think this is a family moment… I already talked to Tommy; I think we should let him settle in. Tommy wants to have a big Welcome Home party, so I'm sure I'll see him then."
"What?" The disbelief and disagreement in her voice was obvious. "No. No way. First of all, if this is a family thing, you should be here. You've been like a sister to me for five years! And you're probably going to be my sister-in-law, so I don't see why we should put it off any longer."
Biting her lip, she shook her head, hugging the stack of files in her arms close to her chest. "Thea, we've talked about this…"
"You moved on, you were two different people, he probably doesn't even remember you, blah blah blah… Trust me, okay? No way does he go through everything he did to get you only to forget you because what? Because he was marooned on an island! Pfft, what even!"
"Yes, right, because marooned on an island happens every other week…"
"Okay, fine, so it's kind of a big deal. Don't tell him that though. If I remember correctly, and I do, my memory is top notch—"
"We've yet to have that tested."
"—then he has a big enough head as it is, so we don't need to fill it with anymore hot air."
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how much are you freaking out right now?" she wondered.
"Like a big, fat 12."
"But it's a good 12?"
"It's a 'so good I could cry' 12."
Smile softening, she nodded. "I'm happy for you."
She groaned. "No, because you're saying that like things are going to change. And they aren't. Or, okay, they are, but they're going to get better! Because Ollie's back! And everything…" She sighed happily. "Everything is always better with Ollie."
"Okay, you're right." Felicity nodded, pasting on a smile to help convince herself. "But I'm still not coming over."
"'City, come on…!" she complained.
"No," she said seriously. "This morning, it's all about you and the shortlist, all right? Tommy is already planning on having dinner with you guys, so give Oliver the morning to see you guys and adapt. We don't want to overwhelm him, right?"
She huffed out a long sigh before agreeing. "Fine… But I expect you at dinner tonight!" Thea's tone brooked no argument.
"Sure, okay, I'll be there."
"Okay… And I'll be texting you everything that happens, so don't think you can ignore me. I want a reply to everything, even when I give you a play-by-play of the car coming up the driveway."
She laughed under her breath. "If I can, I'll reply. I'm not going to promise because, in case you haven't noticed, the prodigal son has returned and the company is kind of freaking out about it."
"All I heard out of that is 'I will reply, work, work, blah, blah, Thea you're the best, blah.'"
"That is some… impressive selective hearing you have there," she praised, rolling her eyes.
Catching sight of one of her employees waving frantically for her attention, Felicity sighed. "But I really do have to go, okay? You can tell me all about your reunion on my lunch break. I'll call you."
"All right, fine, leave me to deal with this increasingly emotional reunion on my lonesome…"
"Uh-huh, I'll talk to you later, Thea."
Exchanging their goodbyes, Felicity finally hung up her phone, but before she could turn and give her full attention to her employee, she paused, and scrolled back up through Thea's many texts to stare at one in particular: He's back! HE'S REALLY BACK. OMG!
The words repeated in her head over and over again. It still didn't seem real, but between Thea and Tommy, she knew that was exactly what it was.
Oliver Queen was back…
And she was expected to share dinner with him that very night.
Letting out a groan, she pressed the screen of her phone to her forehead, only to take a deep breath, gather her strength, and then put on a brave face for her employee.
"All right, what've we got, Joan?" she asked, walking toward the worried woman a few feet from her.
The house seemed larger than Oliver remembered, but it'd been five years of trying to nail down the exact details in his mind and always coming up short. Old, grey stone built a castle-like mansion that he'd spent the majority of his life growing up in, and now it seemed just as distant, just as foreign as everything else he'd returned to. Still, as he gazed up at the structure while the car circled the driveway, he felt a warmth spread through his chest. Home. He was finally, truly, home.
As he climbed from the car, he intercepted the driver as he reached for the only item he brought back with him, an army munition trunk, the wood long faded. "I've got it," he assured the driver, a hand on his shoulder while the other gripped the handle.
His mother was ahead of him, already throwing the thick wood doors open to the house while he carried the trunk at his side, his eyes quickly scanning the area, looking for any details that might be different. He once knew this house like the back of his hand, but a very strong part of him demanded that he look for every exit.
"Your room is exactly as you left it," Moira told him, walking toward the table in the center of the foyer, dressed in family photos. "I never had the heart to change a thing."
"Oliver," a jovial, male voice calls out, and his head raised, searching out the source.
He put his trunk down as the man, familiar but not enough to spark a name in his mind, walked toward him.
"It's damn good to see you."
Oliver stared, brow slightly furrowed, and looked him up and down, waiting for an explanation or a memory to pop up.
His smiling mother moved to his side and seemed to read his confusion in his lack of reply.
"It's Walter," the man told him gently, reaching out to shake his hand. "Walter Steele."
Moira put an encouraging hand on Oliver's shoulder. "You remember Walter, Oliver, your father's friend from the company."
He glanced back at Walter, seeing a small smile, but his attention was quickly taken by Raisa, standing just off to the side, smiling at him. He moved toward her, smiling. "It's good to see you, Raisa."
She was nearly breathless as she looked up at him warmly, taking his hands in hers. "Welcome home, Mister Oliver," she told him, her Russian accent just as thick as ever. She cast her eyes past him toward Moira and Walter. "Mister Merlyn phoned, he wants to join you for dinner."
"Wonderful," Moira exclaimed.
A door above opened then and Oliver turned his head expectantly.
"Oliver, did you hear that?"
He couldn't be bothered to reply as he was sure he knew who was coming to greet him then.
He moved toward the stairs, his lips already turned up at the corners. And then she was there, standing tall at the top of the stairs, her hand still on the banister. She wasn't the skinny, little pre-teen he'd left behind; she'd grown into her long legs and arms. Five years had gone a long way and there was a sort of elegance and confidence about her that had been missing when he'd last seen her.
"Hey, sis," he said lightly, smiling.
She paused, just staring at him, and then she let out a breathless laugh and started down the stairs, her expression open and happy, full of excited hope. "I knew it." Her steps hurried. "I knew you were alive." She leapt into his arms, squeezing him in a tight hug. "I missed you so much."
He held her close, stroking her soft, brown hair. "You were with me the whole time."
Thea laughed under her breath and he held her a little tighter, his heart squeezing in his chest. He'd missed this; missed her. But he was going to make up for the time they'd lost, he assured himself. He was going to be the brother she deserved.
Felicity was exhausted. Between fixing problems around the IT floor, training her new floor manager, and fielding questions about Oliver's return, she was due for an early lunch. Or she would be, if she wasn't already well past what her usual lunch break would be. She was massaging her temples of the migraine that had set in as she walked toward her office.
"Miss. Smoak?" a voice called, causing her shoulders to slump.
But as she turned, she found it was just her assistant, Rudy. Unfortunately gaining the name Rudolph from his parents, the affable young man had taken to using a nickname as quickly as possible. He was a good assistant, if a bit of a gossip. He managed to keep all of her meetings in order and learned her coffee order his very first day. Better, he learned to read her moods, and often knew just how to react to each of them. Like now, standing just a few feet from her with a glass of ice cold water and a bottle of aspirin.
"You are a God-send, have I mentioned that?" she wondered, reaching for the water first and taking a long gulp as he poured two Aspirin out into her palm.
"You have, and I'm under strict orders by Mr. Merlyn to let him know every time you do… He takes it as a compliment for introducing us."
"This is the one and only time I won't argue with him for stroking his own ego," she muttered, before tossing back the pills and following them with another gulp of water. Giving her head a shake as she swallowed them down, she finally sighed, hopeful at the possibility of some reprieve from the pounding in her head.
"I'm taking my lunch," she informed him. "So please, for all that is holy, let me have just an hour without interruption."
"Done," he agreed nodding, only to shake his head a moment later. "Except…"
Her eyes narrowed. "Let me guess… Thea."
"She called ahead around ten and had me write her in for lunch."
"Fine. I'll call her as soon as I sit down."
"Uh, well, about that…" He shifted his feet. "See, she told me to call her as soon as I thought you were going to take your lunch, so I did, about an hour ago. I warned her you still had a few kinks to work out on some of the executive servers that I knew you wouldn't let just anybody touch, and then there was Patricia, who I know you've been struggling to train…"
"Rudy, I already have a headache. Cut to the chase."
He offered a half-smile, hoping to avoid her wrath as he told her, "She's here. She brought Thai. I'll put all other calls on hold." And with that, he fled, like the intelligent little minion he was.
Dropping her chin to her chest, Felicity turned on her heel and started toward her office, all the while lamenting the fact that a seventeen year old girl could finagle her way into a last minute lunch without her even knowing. Yes, fine, so she should be used to it by now. She'd known Thea since she was a demanding little 12-year-old who was already bending the world to her will, and that had only seemed to increase over time. Thea was aware of how much power she possessed being a Queen and while she often used it to her benefit, Felicity had to admit, she didn't use it as selfishly as she could. Thea understood there were boundaries, or, at least, she learned there was over time. She wasn't going to claim the top spot for reasons why Thea wasn't a selfish, self-destructive, trust-fund baby, but she'd like to think she had a positive effect on her life over the years.
Pushing open the thick, double doors of her office, she stepped inside to find Thea sitting behind her desk, in her chair. Well, reclining with an air of ingrained superiority might be a better way of describing it.
Felicity had an amazing view from her bay window. It was one she'd worked her ass off for over the years. And, to be honest, she owed part of that to Oliver. Not his disappearance, obviously, but his tenacious attitude had rubbed off on her and she'd taken to heart just how stubborn he'd been when she knew him. So instead of getting passed over for promotions or locked away in the dark depths of the overlooked sections in the IT Department, she put herself out there and she made herself and her knowledge known. Which was why she was the youngest operator of the IT Department, overseeing every transaction and monitoring every project.
This was why she was training Patricia, however; there was only so much one person could do and, she had to admit, she didn't always trust her employees to do the job as well as she could. So she had two options, continue overworking herself by doing their jobs for them or train somebody to make sure that the IT employees were meeting and exceeding expectations. Of course, until Patricia was where she wanted her to be, that just meant Felicity had one more thing to do in her already busy day, but she had faith that, eventually, she would spend more time overlooking rather than fixing.
Crossing her office, the click-clack of her heels echoed on the hard-wood floors. The only area wearing a rug was beneath the two armchairs placed facing her desk, a small, round table set between them. She'd spent a considerable amount of time designing her office after she'd earned it. One wall was almost completely covered with books, with track lighting on either side of the five, ceiling-tall bookshelves, hemmed in on either side with flourishing green plants. On the opposite side of the room was a small entertainment center, a stereo and remote equipped with her favorite soothing music for long days. Beside it was an overstuffed loveseat that she often found Tommy sleeping off a long night on, an end table within reach, regularly dressed in a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol. Beside that was a large, flat-screen TV that was almost permanently on a channel dedicated to latest tech, though it was muted much of the time.
"You know, when I agreed to talk at lunch, I thought it'd be over the phone," Felicity said in greeting, plopping down on the chair adjacent to her desk. "Mostly because I didn't think you'd want to let Oliver out of your sight."
Thea shrugged, twirling the chair around so she could face her. "I spent the morning with him, but it's a little hard to get in much bonding when mom doesn't let him get three feet away…"
"She's adjusting. I'm sure after a few days, she'll loosen the leash a little and you two can have some brother-sister time."
"Yeah, I know." She leaned forward in the chair and reached for the bags of Thai food that were sitting on the corner of the desk. She started taking it all out for them, her brow furrowed.
Felicity let her brood silently, accepting the food she was offered before she leaned back in her seat and relaxed, kicking off her heels for comfort's sake. They ate in peace for a while and Felicity felt her migraine ebb with the aid of the Aspirin and the peace and quiet.
But after Thea sighed one too many times, Felicity finally took the bait. "All right, what's up?"
She raised her head from where it rested on her upturned fist. "Nothing." She shrugged, frowning down at her food. "It's just… He… He looks the same, but… not."
"Okay… No offense, Thea, but you're not the 12-year-old you once were either."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's not what I mean, okay? I mean... He—He's all… buff and— And don't get me wrong, okay? Because he worked out all the time. He was pretty vain, actually. But this is different. Now he's like… He's solid. And it's weird. It's like, I dunno. I guess I was expecting Castaway, you know? Like kind of undernourished and scruffy. Not… Tarzan."
"Well, that's good though, isn't it? I mean, he had to survive some way. It's not like how it is here. He was stuck on an island. We don't know what he saw there or what he had to do…" A little furrow dug between her brow then, worry gnawing at her gut. But she shook it off suddenly, not wanting to worry Thea any. "I'm just saying, he might not be exactly the same, but he's still your brother. You're both going to have to adapt to things. Right?"
She nodded slowly, picking at her food. "I know. I just… I guess I was hoping when he came back, we'd just go back to normal…" She sighed, ducking her head. "Which is stupid because… how are we supposed to be normal with dad gone? Nothing's going to be like it was."
Putting her food on the table beside her, Felicity stood from her chair and moved around her desk to kneel next to Thea, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "You remember when we talked about this a few years ago? You said you didn't care what it took, you just wanted them back..."
Thea stared at her searchingly before finally nodding.
"Okay, well, you didn't get them both. Frankly, it's a miracle you got Oliver. Five years is a long time, and I know even you were starting to lose hope." She smiled up at her lightly. "But you were right, Oliver's back, and he might not be exactly who he was when he left, but he's still Oliver. He's done a lot of growing up, just like you, and now you've got to find a way for you guys to fit together again. He's going to need your help, you know? I mean, five years is a lot to catch up on. Who knows, he might think Paris Hilton is still relevant."
She snorted. "Let's be serious, Paris was never relevant."
Felicity chuckled under her breath. "Come on." She stood up. "Let's finish lunch and then you can give be a play-by-play of your morning, all right?"
"Deal." She leaned back in her chair, plucking up her food once more and Felicity rounded her desk to retake her seat. "And then we can talk about what you plan on wearing to dinner tonight because you are definitely not getting out of it."
Wincing, Felicity frowned at her friend, grumbling under her breath as she picked up her lunch.
"You know, you have to go home eventually… and I could still come down with something. In fact…" She let out a pitiful fake cough. "I think I feel something coming on."
Scoffing, Thea raised an eyebrow. "Keep it up, Smoak, and I'll personally escort you home and dress you myself."
"You're a bit of a tyrant, you know that?"
She grinned widely. "And proud of it."
Felicity shook her head, but filled her mouth with food and admitted defeat to herself. There really was no arguing with Thea.
It was easier on the island, to ignore the blatant differences in him. Vanity had long been ingrained him, but he hadn't had time to worry about the scars and the burns when he was constantly running for his life. Now that he was home, he couldn't help but stare at them, letting his fingers run over the puckered flesh that would always be raised. Showering was a nice distraction in some ways; hot water was a luxury he hadn't had in far too long. The grit of the island had long been washed away over the last few days, but there were some things that would always stay with him. Like the stain of blood on his hands, the tally of lives he'd racked up, the losses, the wins, if he could even call them that. They would always be with him, and he wasn't sure he wanted it any other way.
Leaving the steamy confines of his bathroom, he ventured into his bedroom, a towel wrapped tight around his waist, water still dripping down his skin. He gazed out the window onto the surrounding property. A storm was brewing outside, just the beginnings of a drizzle now, but he could smell it, he knew the signs. Soon enough water would be pouring down, wind battering against the windows, making the tree branches whip around, and an eerie whistle sing to his darkest nightmares.
He pulled himself from the window and stopped at the full body mirror to gaze at the torn flesh he'd been wearing for what seemed like a lifetime. Gone was the lanky man he'd once been, narcissism no longer the only reason he went to the gym each day. The muscle he'd packed on over the last five years had been in an effort to survive, and now it would serve an even bigger purpose.
Pulling himself away from his thoughts, and the mirror that mocked him, he quickly dressed. Tommy was coming to dinner; now that was a memory he was happy to get lost in. Sure, he wasn't the same man Tommy would be eager to welcome home, but that didn't mean he hadn't missed his best friend and his easy-going ways.
As he left his room, he paused outside of Thea's bedroom; he could hear her moving around inside, muttering under her breath. She'd left earlier, shouting to him and their mother as she hurried toward a waiting car that she would be visiting a friend for lunch and she'd see them later. Oliver had spent much of his afternoon walking around the property with his mom, letting her fill him in on what had been happening in high society. She hadn't asked about the island, though he could see it in the set of her lips that there were a thousand questions begging to be answered. She wanted to give him time, to let him adjust, but eventually, he knew she would want to know. They all would.
Continuing down the hall, his feet were silent on the stairs, his gaze bouncing around the large foyer. The lighting was darker in the mansion than he remembered, mixing with the dark wood paneling and banisters to give the room a glow. He wasn't sure if the fire roaring in the grate added to the effect or not.
Waiting on his guest, he found himself standing by the table that wore all the family pictures and scooped up a familiar one of himself as a toddler and his father as a much younger man. Growing up, his mother often commented on just how much he'd taken after his dad, especially when it came to his grin. 'You're so handsome,' she'd tell him, 'just like your dad.' He'd taken it as a compliment, of course. In fact, he'd never seen his father as anything less than a shining example of a hero figure. Not until it became very clear that 'hero' was not what Robert Queen had been at all.
The door swung open behind him and Oliver raised his head, his body going tense immediately.
"What'd I tell ya…? Yacht's suck."
Oliver felt a faint smirk tug at his mouth as he relaxed, placing the picture frame back down and turning to see him.
Laughing under his breath, Tommy grinned elatedly as he advanced for a hug.
"Tommy Merlyn," he said with affection.
They patted each other on the back as they embraced.
"I missed you, Buddy," Tommy told him.
Oliver sighed, relaxing into the hug for a few long seconds before they let go. Stepping back, he rested a hand on Tommy's shoulder and just stared at him for a moment. He looked about the same, except for a more modern haircut. But Tommy was still the same, boyish man he'd left behind. There was a natural lightheartedness that surrounded him and while Oliver couldn't help but appreciate that, he could also admit that some part of him lamented the loss of the same in himself. But that was a long time ago. It'd been ages since he could say, with all honesty, that nothing in the world bothered him.
"What? No post card?" Tommy teased, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm afraid they didn't have a postal service where I was. But if you want, I can stop by the gift shop at the airport and fake one for you."
"Well, don't put yourself out." He took a step back and then cast his eyes around. "Am I the first one here?"
Oliver's brow furrowed. "I thought you were our only guest tonight…" He paused. "Besides Walter."
Pointedly avoiding his gaze, Tommy opened his mouth to reply, but his attention was quickly grabbed. "Thea!" he exclaimed, with more excitement than strictly necessary.
She half-grinned at him as she walked down the stairs. "I just saw you a few days ago, Tommy. Not that I don't appreciate a little love here or there."
He rolled his eyes and walked toward her, meeting her on the bottom step to sling an arm around her shoulders and squeeze her. "A few days is like a lifetime without you," he claimed dramatically.
"Uh-huh." She turned her attention back to Oliver. "What's the ETA on dinner?"
He shrugged. "Soon, I guess."
"Great." She ducked out from under Tommy's arm and moved to the door, closing it after Tommy left it wide open, a cool breeze quickly chilling the area. "Come on, if we get there early enough, Raisa might take pity on me and pour me a small glass of wine." She held her hand up, her fingers a tiny bit apart for emphasis.
Oliver half-smiled down at her and wrapped an arm around her as he led her down the hall toward the dining room. "Aren't you a little young to be hitting the bottle?"
"Really? You want to talk about too young to drink? Because, let me tell you, Tommy already cheesed you out. He gave us all the details about your under-age drinking days, Ollie."
Casting a glare back at Tommy, his lips twitched when his best friend merely held his hands up and shrugged in a 'what can ya do?' manner.
When they stepped into the dining room, he found himself looking around much like he had in every other room. There was something distant about the house, as if it'd been so long since he lived there that everything seemed new, even the antique furniture that outdated even his great-grandparents.
The table was dressed with candles and multiple vases of brightly color tulips. Bowls of salad and dressings were placed on either end, soon to be replaced with platters of food for them to dish out at their discretion.
At the end of the table sat his mother and, to her right, Walter. Thea's seat on the left side of the table was kitty-corner to where he was set to eat, directly across from his mother, while Tommy and another table placement took up the right side. As everybody took their seats, he found himself staring at that empty seat curiously.
"Were we expecting someone else?" he wondered as salad was served.
Tommy and Thea quickly looked at each other, their eyes wide and their eyebrows making jerking motions in silent conversation.
"Thea, I thought you said she agreed she'd be here?" Moira wondered, her brow furrowed. "It isn't like her to be late."
Walter dabbed at his mouth with his cloth napkin, finishing a bite of his salad. "I can call, see if she hasn't gotten caught up." He briefly patted Moira's hand, a faint, affectionate smile turning up his lips. "You know how easily distracted she gets."
"Of course," Moira agreed, nodding.
"I'm sure she's fine," Thea told them, shaking her head. "I talked to her like, an hour ago. Wardrobe change, you know?"
"We can wait…" Moira offered, though she'd already dressed her salad and had a bite ready on her fork.
"No, it's fine." Thea shook her head. "She'll be here. She promised. She'll just… miss out on the appetizers."
"Yeah," Tommy agreed, nodding. "She's been really busy lately, it's not unusual for her to be late." He reached for his glass of wine. "She woke up late this morning, something about an evil alarm that's holding a grudge against her for accidentally throwing it at the wall one time too many…"
Oliver looked between everybody, feeling left out of something that seemed obvious. "I'm sorry… Who are we waiting on?" he wondered, his gaze bouncing from his mother to his sister to his best friend, the last two of whom avoided his gaze once more.
"Oh, Oliver, you'll love her," Moira told him happily. "She's been an amazing support for Thea and Tommy, she's just been wonderful. She works at Queen Consolidated, you might have met her before..."
Just then, Oliver heard a voice coming down the hall, mixing with Raisa's distinct accent, and then the click-clack of heels grew nearer until finally their final guest had entered the dining room.
Oliver nearly knocked his salad into his lap as he laid eyes on the one woman he'd spent five years trying not to forget. He didn't have a picture of her to rely on, only his memory, but he thought she might be even prettier than what his mind had cooked up. When he'd first met Felicity Smoak, she'd been a mix of business and a flair all her own. She still modeled her love for bright colors in the electric blue of her dress and the paint on her nails, but there was something more polished about her between the white lace high heels, diamond and pearl earrings, and the studded white belt that hugged her waist. This was a woman who had spent a considerable amount of time and money on her wardrobe than the IT tech he'd first met.
He'd stared at her for so long he thought his eyes were beginning to itch. Words were lost on him. He'd imagined this a thousand time. Not here, not in front of his family, but he'd imagined what he'd say when he saw her again and now he felt like it was all for nothing. All of the suave charm he'd once wielded was missing, he didn't have a line that would make her laugh, and she'd managed to catch him so off-guard that he felt like he was gaping in awe rather than showing off in an attempt to regain her attention.
"I'm not saying the weather man was lying, but I distinctly remember him promising clear skies this morning," she said in greeting, stepping further in the room. She paused by Tommy, her hand on his shoulder as she ducked to kiss his cheek, and then took her place in the seat beside him.
Suddenly, his chest felt heavy. What had Tommy said…? That she'd woken up late that morning. A ball of lead filled his stomach as he looked between Felicity and Tommy. Five years was a long time. His gaze fell, staring at her hands, searching for a ring, a sign, something that would tell him where she was at in her life. There was a stab of relief when he didn't see an engagement ring or a wedding band, but it didn't settle the uncertainty inside him as much as he wanted it to.
"You should write them an angry email," Thea suggested. "One with pictures."
Felicity hummed, taking the napkin laid out on the table and spreading it over her lap. "The last time I did that, they sent me an apology basket of cheese."
"Mm…" Thea shook her head negatively. "No, they sent back a really vague apology letter that Tommy found, you know, when he was illegally going through your mail… Tommy sent you a basket of foreign cheeses to make you feel better."
Holding up his fork, Tommy turned to Felicity and said, "In my defense… you moped about that for like… a week."
"It was two days and that was because I had to cancel a trip due to false weather-casting." She frowned. "And I thought we talked about the mail thing."
"You talked… I played Grand Theft Auto and nodded a lot."
She paused, her lips turned down. "That sounds familiar."
Thea snorted. "It's your own fault for not locking up the Xbox."
"He's twenty-eight years old, he should probably be past this at this point."
He shook his head. "No, I plan on being as immature as humanly possible for as long as I can milk it."
Rolling her eyes, Felicity turned her attention to Moira and Walter then. "I'm so sorry I was late for dinner. I always drive slower in the rain, so I didn't quite get my timing right."
"It's perfectly all right," Walter assured. "Not that you're here, though, I was hoping we might talk about a few new programs that have passed my desk."
Moira held up a finger. "Ah, no work-talk at dinner," she reminded, looking between them.
Oliver watched the interactions with curiosity, taking in every facial tick and the telling signs of body language. Felicity was familiar with them, in a way he'd never expected upon returning. When he'd left, she'd only known Tommy, and even that was a newly acquired friendship because of him. But here she was, sitting down to dinner with them, and she fit. She looked at everyone like she'd known them for years, like she'd sat at this very table and eaten meals with them countless times.
He wasn't sure how he felt about that.
When he'd thought about his return, he'd gone over various ways they'd meet. Maybe he'd stop by her office one afternoon, surprise her with lunch like he used to. Or maybe he'd see if he could bump into her outside of her favorite coffee shop, buy her one of those pumpkin spice muffins that they specialized in. But never had he imagined that she'd be here, ensconced in his family. In fact, some part of him had thought to keep it completely separate. He would come home and he would have three distinct parts of his life happening all at once. His home life, with his family, his love life, hopefully with Felicity, and then the other, much darker part of him, that nobody here would ever learn about.
But it seemed what he had planned wasn't going to come to fruition. Now he needed to find an alternate plan; he needed to figure out how this was going to work, how he was going to meld two parts of the life he'd planned out in his head. It was obvious that his mother didn't know he knew Felicity already. So as close as she was to the family, she hadn't shared that tidbit. It was just as obvious that Thea did know about his history with her, and that Tommy was well aware that he might be confused about her being at dinner, but hadn't bothered to warn him ahead of time. What did that mean?
It was clear that Felicity and Tommy were close. They were affectionate and comfortable with each other. Tommy talked about her as if he was deeply ingrained in her life and had spoken about her morning as if he was there. But was he? Or was that just something she'd told him about? The idea that Felicity and Tommy might be lovers made his stomach twist up unpleasantly.
Five years was a long time, he reminded himself. He had no right to judge. He had no claim to her. Hadn't he been the one to jet off to China with another woman, all the while making promises to her that when he got back, he would be a better man, the right man for her? But was he? He wasn't sure. He was different, yes, but not every facet of him was better for it.
He hadn't touched his salad. It was replaced with a plate of dinner, but even that went barely touched. The succulent roast, broccoli with cheese sauce, and roasted potatoes were too rich for him still. Even the robust scent of it left him a little nauseas. Instead of eating, he watched. He took in the way Walter gently touched Moira's hand. How she leaned over to talk to him; the natural intimacy between them was obvious. He watched Felicity as she cut up her dinner, her pink lips curled up at the corners. She traded banter with Thea and often rolled her eyes at whatever funny thing Tommy was sharing with them next. Tommy was more than happy to be the center of attention.
"Okay, what else did you miss?" He waved a finger toward him and then swallowed what he'd been chewing, his napkin gripped in his hand. "Super bowl winners: Giants, Steelers, Saints Packers, Giants again. Uh, black president, that's new. Oh, and Lost… They were all dead… I think."
Oliver's eyes darted toward his mother, who raised her glass for Walter to top off with wine, smiling at something he whispered for only her to hear.
"We've watched the series three times, how are you still confused about this?" Felicity wondered, sighing.
"It's a confusing show," he told her defensively. "Also I keep falling asleep… To be honest, the only thing I really remember is that Juliet was hot."
"And Sawyer," she told him, waving a potato speared on her fork in his direction.
He rolled his eyes.
Oliver's eyebrow raised.
"What was it like there?" Thea wondered suddenly, her arms braced on the table as she peered at him curiously.
The table went still, cutlery no longer moving. Tommy even stopped chewing as his attention moved to him.
Oliver's face was carefully masked; his eyes fell to the table briefly before raising to meet hers. He answered honestly, if a little vaguely, "Cold."
Thea stared into his eyes a long moment until Tommy's voice broke her concentration and then she blinked her thoughts, her worries, away.
"Tomorrow, you and me, we're doing the city. You've got a lot to catch up on." Tommy nodded, pointing to him with his butter knife.
"That sounds like a great idea," Moira agreed, smiling.
"Good," Oliver said. "Then I was hoping to swing by the office."
Walter paused, his glass raised to his lips but unmoving.
Moira hummed, her head tipped with surprise, brows raised.
"Well, there's plenty of time for all that," Walter assured. "Queen Consolidated isn't going anywhere."
"When I do…" Oliver turned his head, his gaze focusing on Felicity. "Maybe you could show me around, help me re-familiarize myself…"
She stared at him, her bright blue eyes wide, her fork raised just short of her gaping mouth.
"We can start with the coffee room."
A faint flush filled her cheeks, but before she could offer a reply, Raisa moved toward the table, tripping as she went.
Oliver reacted instinctively, catching her, and balancing the bowl of pears she was holding.
"I am so sorry, Mister Oliver," Raisa apologized quickly.
"Ni dlya kogo ne volnuites, Raisa."
She gazed down at him in happy shock.
"Dude! You speak Russian!" Tommy laughed in surprise.
"I didn't realize you took Russian in college, Oliver," Walter said, his brow furrowed.
"I didn't realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter," he replied calmly.
Felicity choked on her wine, quickly raising her napkin to cover her mouth.
The room went quiet once more, with Walter's face falling and Moira staring at her son, her eyes a little wide with surprise. A few tense seconds passed before she turned her attention to her daughter, who laughed awkwardly.
"I didn't say anything," Thea defended, shaking her head and dropping her hands to her lap.
Tommy folded his lips and turned his attention to his plate.
Felicity looked between Moira and Walter and Oliver. Though his gaze still hadn't left his mother, he could see her head swiveling from his peripheral vision. He wondered if she was chewing her lip like she used to.
"She didn't have to," Oliver said, removing the blame from his sister.
Moira raised her chin proudly for a moment before pressing her lips in a thin line and nodding. "Oliver… Walter and I are married," she explained, reaching for her husband's hand and squeezing. "And I don't want you to think that either one of us did anything to disrespect your father."
His gaze fell then, staring down at the food that filled his plate, only to cool as it was left untouched.
"We both believed that Robert, like you, was, uh…" Walter stumbled for the right word before finally settling on, "gone."
"It's fine," Oliver assured, offering a faint, uncomfortable smile. And then he rose, pressing his seat back. "May I be excused?"
Slowly, Moira nodded.
He moved to leave, taking only the pear that Raisa had left behind with him. He patted Tommy's shoulder as he passed him.
"Hey, don't forget about tomorrow, buddy," Tommy told him, patting his elbow in return.
Oliver cast a wink over at Thea before he found himself just inches away from Felicity. He wanted to reach for her, to touch the delicate skin of her bare shoulder, to lean over and take in the light scent of her perfume or the floral aroma of her shampoo. He wanted her to look at him and for him to look back, to meet the blue eyes he'd dreamt of for years. He wanted to tell her he had the keychain still and that he'd kept up part of his promise, even if he'd fallen down on the big parts. But he didn't, he couldn't. He wasn't sure what she knew about his time away, but he knew she was probably aware of Sara by now. If her reaction to him, to desperately try and ignore he was even at the table, was anything to go by, he had an uphill battle against him.
Tonight would not be the night he tried his hand at winning her affections. He was on information overload and he wasn't sure what to focus on first. His mother had remarried, his sister had grown up, the woman he'd been desperate to reunite with for five years was close with his family and, possibly, even closer with his best friend. It was too much for one evening and he needed some time to himself.
But he promised himself as he walked away that tomorrow he would do what he set out to. There were a lot of cogs in the machine that had to be set into motion, but this one took the utmost dedication. He would find out what Tommy and Felicity's relationship was tomorrow and, if it was only friendship, then he'd set out to do what he'd promised himself he would. He'd convince Felicity that he was a changed man, and that he was ready to be with her.
Tossing his pear up into the air only to catch it, he made his way down the hall and climbed the stairs to his bedroom. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day. When he thought about her tinkling laughter, a welcome sound after all these years, he knew it would be worth it.
Felicity felt like she was going a little heavy on the wine, but dinner felt awkward. He was only a few feet away and, well, Thea hadn't been wrong. He looked… bigger than he had before. Muscular in a way he hadn't been prior to being marooned on an island. She tried not to look at him. Really, she did. She focused on Thea and Tommy, their banter always a nice end to her day, but there was only so much to be expected of her. So she glanced. She noticed the scruff that hadn't been there before, which was somehow more attractive than the cleanly shaven look he'd rocked previously. His face was more angular, losing the soft, boyishness it once held. His hair was shorter and there was something… edgier about him. He was very still, as if every movement was calculated. He reminded her of an animal, one that was carefully mapping out every movement of its prey. That should've bothered her, worried her even, but there was this soft affection whenever he looked at the people around him. This was his family, and it was clear how much he loved and missed them.
That didn't meant there wasn't something off about him. But it was a little difficult for her to figure out exactly what that was when she was only glancing at him for a split second before she turned her attention elsewhere.
He was still handsome. Maybe even more handsome. And that was… Well, that was somehow both exciting and disappointing. Why could he come back like Thea had suggested, all Tom Hanks' Castaway? Then again, she probably would've still fallen for the malnourished thing too. She was the kind of person who shouldn't be allowed near phones when those Sarah McLachlan commercials for the SPCA and abandoned or hurt animals came on, because she would drain her own bank account trying to help while she wept over a carton of ice cream. In fact, as ashamed as she was to admit it, Tommy had talked her out of doing that a few too many times over the years.
But she was getting off topic. Oliver was back and he was better looking than ever, even if he was unusually quiet. Tommy seemed to be trying to make up for whatever he wasn't saying by filling in any gap in conversation, which didn't seem to bother anybody.
Only then he was talking, and he was talking to her. He was looking directly at her and asking her for a tour of Queen Consolidated.
She was pretty sure she stopped breathing.
"We can start with the coffee room."
Oh God, what was she supposed to say to that?
Raisa slipped then, taking the attention off of her and it was the perfect time for her to regain her senses.
No, no, she wasn't falling for that. His charm wasn't going to change anything. They were going to be friends, maybe even just acquaintances depending on how things went. She was friends with his family, with Tommy, but that didn't mean she and Oliver had to be spending any significant amount of time together. No, sirree...
Was it wrong that she was relieved when Oliver's attention was turned to Moira and Walter's marriage? Probably. But self-preservation had to come from somewhere. She did feel terrible though. It was clear from Oliver's expression that it was one change he wasn't quite prepared for.
Five years was a long time though, wasn't it?
For instance, feelings she might have once harbored for him were long gone. There was nothing but happiness at his return. Happiness for his sister and his mother and his best friend. They got him back, and that was all that mattered.
Right, exactly, because anything else was pointless. Oliver was just reminding her that he remembered her; that was all. He wasn't flirting, it wasn't anything but polite conversation, an acquaintance asking for some help to get readjusted back home. So maybe she would show him around QC, or maybe he'd never follow through with that particular suggestion. Whatever happened, she promised herself she wouldn't let it sway her in any way. She would not get caught up in him.
As far as she was concerned, Oliver Queen would be playing no significant part in her life except that of Tommy's other best friend and Thea's brother. She would keep her distance but remain polite. As long as she did, she was sure they could be civil toward each other. Maybe one day, eventually, they'd be friends. She could handle that. Whatever happened, she would be prepared, because she wasn't expecting anything to come of it.
But as he walked away from the table, needing some time to process what he'd learned, she found herself turning, her gaze tracking him as he moved.
He really was incredibly handsome and, for a second, when she'd first walked in, she could've sworn he'd struggled to tear his eyes from her.
But that was ridiculous.
Wasn't it?
[Next: Chapter Two.]
Author's Note: Hey guys, so sorry for the long wait. Life caught up to me between school, an unfortunate six-week lock jaw incident, and just general stress. I'm so glad that Arrow's back on though as it'll definitely encourage my Olicity love enough to keep me writing more frequently.
Thank you everybody for your wonderful reviews; I've had such an amazing response to this story and I really hope you'll enjoy where it's going. I know you were probably expecting something bigger for the first time they meet, but that'll come next chapter, where they'll have some one-on-one time and won't be under the scrutiny of others. /wink
Thank you to everyone who's reading, please leave a review, they're a huge encouragement to keep writing.
- Lee | Fina
