Hi everyone!
As I said before, please, forgive me if I make any mistakes, but I'm Spanish, so I'm not totally proficient in English.Also, thank you so much for reading and commenting! It makes me so happy!
Sacrifice. Effort. Enthusiasm. And patience, especially pacience. That was all Roy needed to survive the training Oliver made him do. He wanted to learn quickly and without doing such silly exercises, like smashing water for hours. However, that didn't seem to be happening any time soon. Sure Oliver had taken him to some missions, but they were not that important. Other than that, he only trained with Oliver. Well, and he tried his best not to let Thea be suspicious, which sometimes was rather difficult. Even though everything could seem complicated, there were good aspects of his new life. For instance, now he understood Oliver's weird attitude (which usually let his family down) and, of course, he got to meet Diggle and Felicity. Roy really had fun with them, especially with Felicity, who he was getting very close to.
"Are you sure you want to touch that?", asked felicity seeing Roy touching Oliver's arrows.
Second thought, he left the arrows alone. He didn't want to piss Oliver.
"Right,"he answered. He was waiting for Oliver to continue with his training, but Oliver was late. In fact, an hour late, and Roy was already desperate.
"So... how are things with Thea? I mean, regarding your new condition in the Arrow Team", said Felicity trying to entertain him while Oliver arrived.
Roy rested on the table. "Sometimes it's difficult to make up a story to explain where I've been, but generally speaking we're good".
"Oliver makes you train a lot, doesn't he?" Felicity half smiled.
"Yes, I'm a little bit fed up with it."
"Do you want me to intervene? Because I could talk to him, thoug he wouldn't listen to me..." she said amused, making Roy laugh.
"No, he wouldn't listen, so don't waste your time. But thank you."
Suddenly, Diggle and Oliver came in, visibly angry. Felicity stood up and approched her friends.
"Are you ok? How was it?"
"It could be said we failed this city," Diggle joked.
"Why so?" Felicity insisted. Seeing Oliver so pissed off, she turned closer to him. "Oliver, are you injured?"
"I'm fine, but the drugs dealers got away," he roared.
However, Felicity found some scratches on his hand, so she proceeded to treat his injuries. He sat down and let Felicity do.
"Well, don't worry, you will catch them another day," she tried to comfort him.
"Yes, I guess so..."
That's when oliver realized Roy had been waiting for him.
"I know I'm late, we'll start in ten minutes, so get ready", he told Roy.
Diggle looked at Oliver and Felicity and couldn't help but make a comment: "Felicity, don't worry about me, I'm ok too..."
She thus noticed she had only worried about Oliver. How could she have forgotten about Diggle? Well, obviously he was fine, but she always checked them both.
"I'm sorry Digg, I was just about to see if you were ok..." she said, but nobody bought it.
A mobile phone rang. It was Oliver's. Saved by the bell.
"Oliver Queen. No, I didn't have time to... WHAT? Are you serious? Ok. I'm on my way,".
"What's wrong, mate?", asked Diggle.
"Queen Consolidated has been hacked. We're bankrupt." He asserted.
Felicity covered her face with her hands, totally overwhelmed.
"OMG, this is my fault." She immediately said, going to her computers to verify the information.
"Felicity, I need something to work on. We have to stop this." Oliver was clearly furious.
"I know, I know. But I can't find him. Or her, why do we always refer to this person as a man? A woman could perrfectly be after this. We shouldn't be so sexist, it bothers me and it is-
"Felicity! Focus." Shouted Oliver, who didn't seem to have time to listen her babble.
"Yes, right."
Diggle put his hand over Oliver's shoulder. "Do you want me to take you to Queen Consolidated?"
"Yes, I have to meet the committee".
"Including Isabel?", asked Felicity at the same time she typed incredibly fast.
Oliver looked at her and remained silent.
"After what happened this morning and now this, she is going to die." She said a little bit amused. "Well, actually, she's too mean to die. I won't be that lucky".
Oliver put his hands on Felicity's desk and look at her seriously. "Felicity, it's not a good moment to joke, I need something useful."
"I understand, but having you right next to me shouting and stressing me out does not really help, you know that?"
Oliver sighed, exasperated. "I have to go. Tell me if you find out anything."
"Sure."
He went away accompanied by Diggle, his official driver. Roy, who had seen the whole scene from behind, came closer to where Felicity was.
"I guess I won't be training today."
She got to laugh. "It seems so."
"Is he always so stresful?" Roy asked referring to Oliver.
Felicity looked at him just for a second, but that glare had said everything. "Yes, always."
"You know, you're kind of funny."
"Define 'funny'."
"I mean... one moment you're fighting and then you're so kind to each other... you look like a married couple."
This time, she turned to stare at him. "Excuse me? We're not married. Well, of course you know that. Because if we were married I'd live in the Queen's Mansion and you've been there so many times and I wasn't there, so obviously I'm not Oliver's wife and... what am I even saying?"
Roy chuckled. "Does this usually happen to you?
"What do you mean?"
"Babbling."
Felicity approached more the screen. "Unfortunately, yes."
CLING. A strange noise came from the computer. Roy didn't know what was going on, but it couldn't be any good thing since Felicity had become pale. Rapidly, she called Oliver.
"Shit, he's forgotten his mobile phone".
She tried calling Diggle, but he appeared to be out of signal.
She took her bag and the keys of her car. "I've got to go to Queen Consolidated. Take care of our lair in the meantime."
"Understood."
Felicity needed to talk to Oliver. She had found something. An address. A place. She cursed Oliver for forgetting his phone: now she would have to get in the middle of the committee's meeting and she hated that idea. Especially knowing Isabel would be there. But she knew Oliver would like to know the new information now, so there was no other options. She walked in and saw the committee in Oliver's office. She tried to catch her boss' attention, but he seemed very far away that he didn't notice her.
"Damn it, Oliver..." she wishpered. She sent him a text message, but that's when she remembered he didn't have his phone with him and she couldn't help but smile at her bright idea.
Suddenly, she saw Isabel talking to Oliver and he immediately looked at Felicity. She indicated him to come out, which he did, causing everyone to stare at Felicity. She obviously blushed.
"Do you know this tiny thing called mobile phone? It's very useful, you could try and take it with you!"
"I must have left it at Verdant."
"Don't tell me... and by the way, couldn't you be more attentive? I almost have to totally interrupt the meeting."
"Do you have anything?" He asked, realizing that if he got along with her comments, they could spend hours like that.
"Yes. I found an address: 1000 Fort William Road."
"Great job." He said leaving.
"What? Wait! You can't just leave the meeting!" she blurted out, grabbing him by the elbow.
"Tell them I got a family emergency or whatever you can come up with. And tell Diggle I'm out."
At that moment, she was all alone right next to her usual desk, being looked by all the members of the committe, who appear to be shocked by Oliver's leaving. She went into the room to give them an explanation.
"Good evening... uhm... I'm sorry, but Mr. Queen has a family issue..."
"How can anything be more important than Queen Consolidated's bankrupt?" Isabel spat.
"I don't really know, Ms Rochev, but whatever it is, I'm sure it must be of high importance for Mr. Queen to leave..." she tried to take care of the situation.
"Of course you know what happens."Isabel roared. "After all, you two share more than an office, don't you?"
Felicity was wide-eyed. What was Isabel implying?
"Sorry, I think you're –
"Don't try to conceal it. It is perfectly understandable that a simple IT girl sleeps with Oliver Queen. Look at you now! You're the CEO's secretary. He must pay you a lot, doesn't he? I mean, for your company work, not other things."
The committee members smiled faintly and Felicity was red with embarrasment.
"Well, I guess the meeting is over. I suppose you're seeing him tonight, so could you tell your beloved boss to call me?"
Slowly, everyone in the room left. Isabel was the last one, dedicating Felicity a nice comment: "Good night, darling. And don't worry. At least now everyone is sure of how you got so highly promoted and the rumours will be done."
Felicity was by herself. She sat down in the chair Oliver had been using and she began crying out her eyes. She had been holding back tears for so long, that she had exploded. After such a scene, everyone would think she was going to bed with Oliver Queen and that was the reason why she had been promoted. As if her life at Queen Consolidated wasn't hard enough already... She was sick of Isabel. She was sick of rumours. She was sick of mean replies. She was sick of being criticized about something she hadn't done. She needed time for herself, so she stayed there, just looking anywhere, still crying but trying to calm herself down. She hated crying, but sometimes it was inevitable.
It was late at night. Oliver had checked Felicity's address, but there was nobody there. He looked for any clue, but it was all in vain. Frustrated, he came back to the Arrow cave, where Diggle and Roy were training.
"Nothing."he said disheartened.
"I bet Felicity will finally find something", Roy tried to comfort him.
"Yes. Speaking of... where's Felicity?"
Diggle and Roy exchanged a look and Oliver know something was wrong.
"Digg?"
Diggle sighed.
"I guess she is still at Queen Consolidated. She told me to leave. She wanted to be alone." Diggle explained.
Oliver frowned. Then, he changed his clothes (from Arrow's to Oliver's) and went directly to his office. He saw Felicity through the crystal walls. She was in the meeting room, sat down. He entered the room. She had not looked at him yet, but he was sure she knew he was there. She looked serious, and as if she had been crying. Finally, he approched her. Touching kindly her arm, he said "Hey..."
She met Oliver's eyes. "Hi... Did you find anything?"
"Nope."
"Next time, then".
"Yes..."
He took a sit next to her and stared at her. "Are you ok?"
Felicity laughed, though not happily. "It must be obvious I've been crying and you ask me whether I'm ok?"
Oliver felt like an idiot. She was right. She was always right.
"What's wrong, Felicity?"
"Nothing you should care about."
He nodded. "If it's important to you, I care."
Felicity looked away.
He gently held her chin to make her look at him in the eye.
"You know you can count on me, do you?" he said sincerely.
They kept looking until she said "Everybody thinks we had sex. In fact, everyone thinks I got promoted because of our love affair."
Oliver was confused. He wasn't expecting this.
"What? Why?"
"Isabel made a scene in front of the committee."
Then everything was crystal clear for was his fault.
"Im sorry..."
She shook her head. "Don't, it's not your fault."
"Actually it is".
She turned her eyes to Oliver, shocked.
"What do you mean?"
He looked down, ashamed.
"This morning I told her you were my girlfriend."
She totally freaked out. "You did what?!"
"I know it was a bad idea, but she was bothering me and she was insulting you, and I couldn't help myself..."
"Are you kidding me? Among all the things you could have said and you told her I was your girlfriend? Are you trying to ruin me? Because you're on the good path..."
He grabbed her by her shoulders. "Felicity. I'm sorry. I made a mistake, I know. That won't ever happen again, I promise."
"Oliver, do you have any idea of how hard I worked to be here? And I don't mean being your assistant-secretary or whatever, I mean being in the IT department of this incredible company. I wore myself out working to get this job and now all my efforts seem to have been in vain 'cause now I am not the genius IT girl I used to be, but just one more girl on Oliver Queen's love list."
Both of them were stood, looking agitated. She was doing her best to hold back her tears, but it was clear she wanted to cry, and that broke Oliver's heart. He caressed her face and he wishpered "You're not another girl. You're Felicity Smoak, the strongest, bravest, most honest and craziest person I've ever known. I'm sorry for what I did, but what does rumours matter? We know the truth and we know how much you're worth it. That should be enough."
She sighed. "I'm tired of these fake identities... Sometimes I wish I could always be in the lair."
"I understand, but it's the only way, Felicity."
She was still mad at him, but he looked so repentant and his eyes were so deeply blue and beautiful that she could not reply anymore.
"I know."
Oliver knew she was still upset and he didn't want her to go home like that, so he suggested something. "Do you feel like eating ice cream?"
She looked amazed. "Ice cream? Seriously? At 3 a.m.?"
He smiled and she captured that moment in her retina. "Yes, why not?"
He offered her his hand and, after some seconds of deliberation, she accepted and took his hand.
"So now tell me, how are gonna do to find a shop which is not actually closed at this time? I mean, you're a billionare, not a magician." She joked, breaking the tension.
"Really? I am Oliver Queen. The whole world would open up for me." He said acting on purpose like the playboy he used to be.
They both chuckled and after exchanging glances, they left the office.
