Bound but not Restrained
"Digg, uncuff us right now otherwise I swear on every one of my computers, I will make you peniless."
"No, not until both of you figure it out because I have had enough of showdowns for a lifetime. If I have to hear both of you have a scream match again I will return home partially deaf so both of you stay cuffed until I say otherwise."
Felicity looked down to the handcuffs joining Oliver and her. She had nothing to figure out with Oliver, especially since he had turned into a high-functioning jerk in the past few week so she looked back at Digg with the most ferocious looks she could muster hoping that he would spare her this charade but he didn't budge. That's how she found herself, an hour later, handcuffed to Oliver as she ran her search on their next target, with Oliver sitting in the chair beside her literally drilling holes in her computers by his gaze.
This was getting ridiculous. In the past one hour of being cuffed together, Oliver hadn't said a word to her about what an ass he was to her the past week. Not only did he make her work through the whole night almost everyday last week, always coming up with another person to send to prison as soon as he was done with the previous one, he even acted as a total jerk to her at QC by making her work overtime on presentations and projects that weren't due for months all together. Felicity sustained his dominance for a week but when Oliver asked her to research on his new target who had 6 months of sentence left in jail, Felicity lost her cool. She hadn't slept properly in a week, her weekend had passed buried in QC files, her date with her boyfriend had been rescheduled twice but Oliver wanted her to waste her time on monitoring some crazy dude's activity who hadn't even seen anything expect bars for three years? So she screamed at Oliver calling him out on his charade of torturing her and his reply was just a shrug. He just shrugged without even bothering to explain why he had turned into Mr. Jackass all of a sudden. The shrug had only flared her temper so she took it all out on Oliver and soon it turned into a screaming match. Roy had instantaneously backed out from the lair looking at Felicity's foul mood and Digg simply joined Roy after cuffing them together. Felicity could feel the cool of the metal at her wrist as they were cutting into her everytime she tried typing with both her hands as Oliver was being plain uncooperative and not moving his hand to help her in the typing process. So she typed whatever she could with one hand and waited for her search to give her something useful.
After what seemed like a decade but was only one and a half hour, Felicity finally decided that she is going to suck it all in and break the ice. So she scooted her chair an inch closer to his, finally getting a response from him as he turned his chair around to face her. Felicity took Oliver's cuffed hand in hers and tried searching for his eyes but he kept looking at their hands so she brought her hand to his face and lifted his head and was surprised to see a whirlwind of emotions in his eyes including an apology written all over his face.
"Oliver, what's wrong? I am right here for you, you know that right? You don't have to cage me to keep me close, I will always be there."
Oliver finally spoke, his voice deflated and defeated.
"I know, I know you and I am really sorry about the way I have been acting this past week. I am sorry Felicity, you need to know that."
"Do you want to tell me what's wrong? After that we can decide which bottle of wine do I deserve from the Queen wine cellar along with a big fat bump in my paycheck."
This got a smile out of Oliver which Felicity welcomed because brooding superhero with too much man pain was enough to handle for a week. He still had to tell her why he acted the way he did but she didn't push him. They sat there with holding hands till Oliver was ready to talk.
"I broke up with Laurel."
Laurel. Felicity should have known that this was the only reason which can make her hero, sorry Starling's hero, to brood. The perfect, dazzling and almighty Laurel. Felicity loved Oliver for a long time and after Oliver had told her that he loved her, even though it was all a ruse to take down Slade, she had felt that his words were more than a lie. The same lie he had been feeding her everytime she said that he deserved someone better. But Laurel came in and swept Oliver off his feet again and Felicity accepted their relationship and moved on from loving Oliver and always hoping for something more. She got strung up in a few relationships until Matt, who she had been dating for a year now. Matt was a nice and comfortable guy, an IT professional like her and she really loved spending her time with him. So all she ended up saying to Oliver was an Oh..
"I broke up with her a week back. It's over for good this time."
"That's what you said the last time too. No wonder you have been sulking like Granny-Pants. I thought you guys were doing great, maybe even take your relationship to the next stage. What did you do this time, huh?"
"I broke up with her this time and I don't plan on getting back together. And the reason for my sulking is something else."
"Oliver, are you sure? I don't want to advice you on who to date or not date but if you love someone you have to go all in without being afraid of anything. You never know when they might not be there anymore. So if you love her, go all in, damn all the consequences."
"Do you love him? The guy you are dating?"
"His name is Matt and I like him enough. What has that got to do with any of this?"
"Just humour me. Do you love him, Felicity?"
"Oliver, I can't say whether I love him or not. It's too early to tell but I do like him, like a lot. He is a great guy, maybe a bit simple but a good man and I still don't understand why you are asking me this so let's just stop it here. Speaking of Matt, I had better call Digg back. I am supposed to be meeting Matt in another hour. I will tell Digg we solved everything out."
Felicity tried taking her hand out from Oliver's hold but his grip became stronger.
"Let go, Oliver. I need to go."
"Before you go,I need you to listen to this."
Felicity was getting late but right then the man in front of her needed her more so she put her other hand on top of his and squeezed it letting him know she wasn't going anywhere, she will be right there with him. Oliver looked down at their joined hands and without meeting her gaze started talking.
"Before I went to the island, I was a different man. I was an Oliver Queen who was haughty, self centered and a cheap low life as a whole. I caused pain to so many but on that island I decided I won't be that Oliver anymore. So I held onto a picture of the woman I thought I will make amends to. I became a killer of many and before I knew it I forgot what love and goodness looked like. Taking a life changes you in so many ways that when I came back from the island I was a killer, a murderer and the woman I thought I loved wasn't the one I knew because I was a changed man. I had only darkness and nightmares with me and I never thought I could ever smile."
Oliver then looked up searching Felicity's eyes and a slight smile spread across his face as he continued on.
"But then, out of nowhere, I met this girl. When I saw her, without even realising it, I smiled. For a moment I forgot what I was so I kept on coming back to her. I kept on making excuses to see her. Slowly and steadily, she started creeping into my life and the darkness which I once thought was going to take away everything good, it started to fade. I became a hero for her. She made me better but when I told her I loved her and even though it was an act that's when it became too real for me. So I made up another lie and convinced myself not to love her. But now, I can't be afraid because no matter how much I try, I can't help but love her. I love you Felicity, from a very long time and I am sorry for taking so long. I know I might be too late but I need you to know that I will love you, forever and always."
To say Felicity was dumbstruck was an understatement. She could not see Oliver because of the tears forming in her eyes. She could feel his words ringing in her ears. Oliver has just told her he loved her. The Oliver Queen she had loved for so long, the one who was her hero and above all one the bravest and kindest man she ever knew, just told her he loved her. And all she could do was cry, stupid tears, they didn't seem to stop flowing.
"If you are going to cry like this, Felicity, if someone sees this they will think I just broke your heart."
Felicity had been looking down trying to get a hold of herself but on hearing this she looked into Oliver's eyes, which were watering up too, and gave a teary smile.
"Do you have any idea Oliver Queen, what a nuisance you are? Who gives a confession like that, huh? You just made a perfectly normal girl an emotional wreck."
"So, do you still love me? Or do I loose to an It guy whom I can employ? Don't forget that fact while making a decision."
Felicity could see Oliver smiling now, giving her a 'I-dare-you-to-choose-otherwise' expression. Felicity simple laughed getting her tears under control and then standing up to sit on Oliver's lap which took Oliver by complete surprise but he relaxed beneath her and put his hand around her waist.
"I always thought, I mean a part of me knew, that those words were real because you never denied them but as time passed, I thought that maybe it was all in the passing. So know this, I will always love you and believe in you. You are never too late."
And with that Felicity brought her lips onto Oliver's. He was taken aback but he relaxed and started kissing her back. His hands explored her back but the handcuffs restricted their movement.
"Eww, what are you two doing in the lair? Digg, mom and dad are making out in the lair. Come fast."
Felicity smiled into Oliver's lips before finally breaking apart. When she turned to Roy, frowning on their make out session but Digg gave her a knowing look. He walked up to them and took out the keys to the cuff.
"I knew these cuffs would be handy. At least, it got you two crazy cats to finally realize what all of us have known for so long."
"What do you mean all of you?"
"Oliver, come on. Even Slade figured out you love Felicity. You have to be a retard to not understand the longing looks you two give each other."
Felicity just smiled without getting off Oliver's laps. They still had a long way to go, lots of things to figure out and many things to overcome. But right then, they had each other.
I was planning something else with this but it turned out this way. We all know that this is bound to happen but Oliver will need a push when it comes to saying the truth that his I love you to Felicity will always be more than just a ruse. Honestly, he would have been surprised too how much he meant those words. Anyways, thanks for the prompts and reviews everyone. Hope you enjoy this one because this one came from a special place.
