Previously…
"Do you want to know what scares me the most Felicity?" Oliver asked softly, almost in a whisper. He spoke to her just above her ear, his lips touching her hair. "It scares me to know that you're lying right here beside me still thinking that I lied to you when I told you that I loved you."
Oliver leaned even closer, facing her, their cheeks almost touching. She couldn't see him but she could feel his breath warm against her lips.
"And it terrifies me knowing that I didn't," he said hesitating, waiting for her reaction.
"Oh," Felicity said softly, not elaborating any further.
Oliver suddenly understood why people always said silence could be deafening. He counted the breaths between them. He stopped counting when he realized that she appeared at a loss for words.
"Is that all you have to say?" He pulled away from her slightly. He really wished that he could see her face in the darkness.
Felicity waited a moment to reply. "I'm not sure what it is that you want me to say Oliver. I'm not even sure what I can say. Part of me is still having a hard time forgetting what happened that night."
Oliver cringed inwardly.
Felicity took a breath and continued. "Do you know that I have spent the better part of the last few months trying to deal with the fact that you only said that you loved me in order to take down Slade. Not to mention trying to process our incredibly awkward conversation on the beach of Lian Yu." Felicity exhaled slowly.
"I'm not trying to make you upset Felicity. I just wanted you to know. I've wanted you to know for a while now. That's why I didn't say anything that day on the beach. I couldn't. I was too scared."
"I don't understand Oliver, then why tell me now?"
"I don't know. When I'm with you like this it's hard for me to think of anything else. Do you remember when I told you that because of the life that I lead I thought that it was better for me not to be with someone that I could really care about?"
"Yes." She said cautiously, memories of Russia and Isabel flashing briefly through her mind. She stiffened involuntarily.
"I truly believed that. I still believe that. The problem is that it's too late Felicity. I already care about you. We're already involved. There's a reason Slade was so easily convinced that you were the woman I love. I didn't have to sell it Felicity. I just had to acknowledge it."
"The way I look at it now is that I'm really only left with two options. To let myself be with you, face my fears and deal with the consequences." He paused, his fingers lightly stroking the side of her waist. "Or I have to let you go completely."
"Oliver..." Felicity's breath caught in her throat.
Oliver brought his hands up to cradle her face. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. "I'm too selfish to let you go completely. I couldn't if I tried."
She trembled slightly and he paused for a moment.
"I don't just love you Felicity, I'm in love with you. Do you understand?" He whispered the words to her, much like the night weeks ago in the mansion.
"Yes," Felicity said mirroring her original response. She leaned forward until she could feel Oliver's breath against her face. Their foreheads touched and they rested against one another. Her hands were balled up against his chest and she could feel the slight quickening of his heartbeat. Time seemed to stand still for a moment.
All talk between them ceased as Oliver's mouth closed lightly upon hers. Her lips parted at the gentle pressure and his tongue delved into her mouth meeting hers for the first time. One of his hands caught her hair and pulled her closer, while the other moved slowly to the side of her waist sliding up and underneath the bottom of her tee shirt. His hand ventured upward no further than her ribcage, his thumb gently stroking lines across her bare stomach. Felicity shivered, a shiver that had nothing to do with fear or cold. Her hands spread out against him. Slowly she began to explore, feeling the muscles in his chest contract beneath her palms.
"Oliver... Felicity..."
Calls from the darkness pulled them out of their embrace. They could see the reflection of light coming from flashlights shining along the tops of the trees in the distance.
They both stood up quickly.
"We're here!" Oliver called out, striking a match and fumbling in the darkness for the emergency kit. He found the kit and quickly lit the emergency signal flare inside. As the flare ignited it produced an arc in the sky casting orange shadows around them. They took a moment to observe one another. Felicity gave Oliver a tentative smile. The light from the flare filled her face with a soft glow. He reached forward to take her hand.
The moment was interrupted as Dig and Roy came crashing into the site looking tired and out of breath. Oliver and Felicity blinked rapidly as the bright light from the flashlights temporarily blinded them.
Roy caught his breath first. "Why didn't you guys just stay at the crash site? It took us forever to find you out here."
Notes: Flash Fiction style. I'm sorry it's a bit of a short chapter. The 60 minutes went fast on this one. I didn't want to change writing styles 4 chapters in though so I went with it. Thanks for reading as always. Reviews always welcome :)
