The Cliche
Chapter 4: The jerk
Olicity is one of my all-time favourite OTPs.
Rated T for now, but later it will be rated M as the story progresses.
This story takes place in High School so both Oliver and Felicity will be teenagers.
I don't yet know how many chapters this story will contain, but I'm planning on at least 10.
I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or any of its characters.
Hair in place? Check. Cologne perfectly musky? Check. Sniffs underarms? Check. Shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows? (He knows that always drives the girls crazy) Check.
Oliver was standing in front of the entrance to the school library, preparing to make the perfect entrance. It was time to charm Felicity. He had a bet to win after all.
Felicity may be a bit different from the girls he would usually go for. Personality wise. Plus, he has a thing for brunettes. But he didn't think it was going to be too hard since he pretty much has perfected his system. Flash the baby blues, give the crooked smirk, mention his name and every girl turned to putty in his hands. It was always the same. He ached for a challenge. For something to happen to change the predictableness, he encountered day after day. But he highly doubted one would come anytime soon.
As Oliver opened the door to the library, he instantly noticed the dim lighting. The library smelled….old. That was the best word Oliver could think of to describe the smell. The red patterned carpet was soft under his shoes and muffles the sound of his footsteps. Something he appreciates. Because this means Felicity doesn't hear him coming, and it gives him the opportunity to observe her.
She is sitting in the same chair at the same table as yesterday. Her hair is up in a loose ponytail, with a few rebel strands falling in front of her face, obscuring her eyes. He can tell that she has been running her fingers through it and her uniform is slightly rumpled. No surprise there since it has been a long day and it is currently 15:30 on a Tuesday. When school starts at 8 every day and you have to deal with 4 different modules of 95 minutes, listening to the teachers droning on and on, it gets boring, fast. What does he mean gets? It´s constantly boring. Not that he actually showed up for the first module. Or the second, but he had a good reason. After the fight with his dad, he went up to his room and played online video games with Tommy til 3 in the morning. Maybe not the smartest move, but he needed to take his mind off things and it´s not like missing a few classes would kill him.
Anyway. Back to focusing on the blonde in front of him. Her legs are crossed at the ankles, under her chair, and she is leaning over the table. She seems deeply engrossed in her book. It looks like it´s all ones and zeroes and a bunch of other figures that he can´t even begin to decipher the meaning of.
He clears his throat multiple times and when she doesn´t seem to hear him he says her name. Her head snaps up so fast, that her dark purple glasses slip down her nose.
She pushes them back up whilst a blush spreads across her cheeks. "Oliver. Don't you knock?"
"Felicity. This is the library. It´s not the ladies room." He can´t help but chuckle as her blush deepens. He sits down on the chair opposite her and drops his bag on the table. Has he pulls out all of the books required for the days tutoring session he can´t help but watch her reaction.
She smiles at him and praises "Wow. You remembered all of your books. I´m impressed. Not that remembering all of your books qualifies as impressive but it´s an improvement from yesterday. Not that you can´t do much more impressive things, I mean your arms speak for themselves and…" she stops abruptly, biting down hard on her bottom lip, as she realizes what she just said. Her blush flares again and Oliver grins at her. Pleased with the sudden and a bit surprising turn her ramble took.
She sits up straight and brushes a strand of hair behind her ear before reaching out and grabbing his algebra book. She opens the book up to a page with a bunch of scary looking drawings.
"We´re starting with fractals," she says whilst scooting her chair around the table, so she is closer to him. She places his book back in front of him and puts her own book next to his. When she finally looks at him and sees his completely blank expression she launches into a rather confusing – for Oliver – description of the subject.
"Fractals are a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be subdivided into parts, each of which is a reduced copy of the whole."
At his still blank look, she continues. "It´s basically a set of points whose fractal dimension exceeds its topological dimension."
"Felicity, I have no idea, what the hell you´re talking about" he huffs out, hating that feeling of being completely lost. He expects her to roll her eyes at him, or laugh or give a pitying look or even get frustrated at his lack of knowledge on the subject.
But she doesn´t.
Instead, she gives him a small smile, one that makes her face look unexpectedly kind, and points at a funny looking doodle in his book. She then proceeds to explain it to him in a manner far more understandable. For the next hour, Oliver learns more about algebra than he has in every lesson he has ever had. Maybe that is exaggerating it a bit but holy shit, this girl is amazing he thinks. She never gets frustrated no matter how many questions he asks, or things he doesn´t understand. She is patient with him but at the same time, she keeps pushing him to fully understand every single aspect. She won´t let him just glaze over something because he thinks it´s to difficult to even try.
When an hour has passed Oliver feels a bussing in his trouser pocket and checks it discreetly. It´s a text from Tommy asking him how his "charms" are working. That´s when he realizes that he has completely forgotten all about the bet. It confuses him for a second.
How did he manage to forget?
When he glances at Felicity he sees her lift her hands up to her face and adjust her glasses. She does that a lot he notes. That and bite down on her bottom lip, softly. And then it hits him. He forgot the bet because for this one hour he didn´t feel a need to charm her with his usual system. He didn´t feel like trying any of his usual moves or slightly cocky words. Because he had a feeling, deep down, that it would never work on her. And the idea of doing all that made him feel almost… sickeningly fake. Like she would see right through him.
That thought freaked him out.
Like really freaked him out.
What the hell was happening? What was going on with him? He never questioned his system. He never felt the need to do….what? Do better?
So as the fully matured genius, he is. He pushes all those ridiculous thought and feelings down and pretends that they don´t exist. He goes full-on Oliver Queen playboy billionaire mode on her and leans closer.
"So, Felicity" her eyes meet his with a slight look of apprehension, at his playful tone. "That´s a beautiful name."
"Uhm…thank you. My uh mum. She gave it to me" she blinks, slightly confused. "But as I was saying before, when you calculate the…" she starts, but he interrupts her.
"As fun as Algebra is" he leans even closer to her at tucks one of her blond locks behind her ear, a slight blush appears on her cheeks at the movement. Her eyes lock with his again and Oliver loses his breath. Her eyes are really blue and as he stares into them, they get darker. He somehow knows that his own eyes mirror her desire and he feels something flutter in his stomach. The unfamiliar feeling brings him out of whatever moment he was having with her, and he forces himself to continue.
His smile feeling fake as he grazes his hand down her cheek, down her arm, ignoring the small Goosebumps he feels appear. His hand lands on top of her knee and he whispers, his throat feeling tight, but he ignores it. "There are a lot more fun things we could do together."
Her reaction is instantiations.
She narrows her eyes at him and shoves his hand off her knee, as she stands up. "I was actually starting to believe that you weren´t a complete jerk and then you just you…you prove me wrong" she laughs humourlessly.
Oliver stands up too and he immediately regrets his actions. Because she doesn´t just look angry she looks hurt and…disappointed. Like she is disappointed in him and that is the last thing he ever expected. Actually, that´s not true. The last thing he expected is to feel this bad about disappointing her and he wonders yet again. What the hell has gotten into him?
"Felicity, I´m sorry. I didn't mean anything by it" he looks at everything other than her as he mutters that in an impossibly small voice. " I just meant that…what I was trying to say is that…I just…" he huffs, irritated at his lack of words. This has never happened to him before. He´s not exactly sure what to do now. So he goes with something he hasn´t tried before.
He tells the truth.
"I´m just, surprised I haven´t noticed you before." He finally looks up at her feeling a slight weight lift at finding the right words. But his relief is short-lived as he sees her expression.
She looks exasperated and very annoyed. Her adorable blush, long gone.
"We have had English and gym together for two years Oliver, and you have never, not once, spared me so much as a glance. So save all your fake Oliverness" she gestures at him and scrunches her nose. "I´m not interested in being another name on your playlist."
She turns around and throws an "I will find you another tutor, because I´m done trying" over her shoulder, and then she´s gone. All there is left is the lingering scent of green apples, and a bright fuchsia pen, with black ones and zeroes on it in a weird pattern. She must have forgotten it in her haste to pack up and get as far away from me as she can, Oliver thinks, bitterly.
His nails bite into his palms as he clenches his hands into fists, desperately fighting the urge to punch something.
His father's words from the night before, echoes in his ears, making a pit form in the bottom of his stomach. Damn it. He really screwed up this time. And the worst thing is. She saw right through his pathetic attempt, at ignoring the voice in his head. He doubts she knows why he did it. She probably just thinks he is in fact, a complete jerk. But the truth is, she saw through him. No one has ever done that before. He is torn between wanting to ignore that truth and avoid her at all costs or this growing need to figure out.
Just who is this girl?
Walking up the steps, potted with a dozen different coloured flowers, to her house, Felicity can´t help but think about her day. Since she woke up, she had been a tiny bit nervous. Emphasis on a tiny bit. It was only because she had to tutor the biggest playboy in the school. Not because said playboy, is unbelievably gorgeous. With all those muscles and those blue eyes that, despite what his reputation said, always seemed…kind. Almost like there was something more, hiding under that appalling -in her opinion – playboy exterior.
Her fingers pause with her keys in the lock, as those exact eyes enter her thoughts. She had seen kindness in them. In him. She had seen appreciation too, every time she answered one of his questions. She could tell that she surprised him when she never lost her patience.
Until she did.
But that was only because he was so out of line. She shakes herself out of her thoughts and turns the key. She kicks her shoes off and pushes them to the side. She welcomes the smell of takeout, coffee, and candles, that always calm her down because it´s the smell of home.
The Smoak's frequently lived off takeout because, no matter how hard they tried, both her and her mum, sucked at cooking. They would always burn it and then the smoke would set off the fire alarm. She was on a first name basis with the chief of Starling City Fire Department. He had personally called them after one to may close calls, and strongly suggested, that they give up on home cooking, and instead get used to a life of takeout.
The coffee smell came from her obsession. One her mother has never fully understood. What´s so hard to understand? Coffee gives you life. It gives you the energy to deal with all the annoying people you encounter every day.
Every. Freaking. Day.
The name Isabel came to mind. Isabel had made it her mission to make high school miserable for Felicity. Why? She had no idea. Some people are simply just evil, and evil is putting it lightly when it comes to her.
As she moved into the kitchen, she puts her ever heavy bag up on the table. Her tie is then the first thing to go. That stupid thing is always a pain in her neck. Pun intended. She takes off her shirt and is left in her white under top. Her skin thankful for the sudden absence of the scratchy material. Getting comfortable the second she comes through the door, is routine. She does it now automatically, not even thinking about the movements.
She takes her computer out of her bag and is just about to start her homework when her mum walks through the door.
Despite being at work all day, the woman still manages to look impeccable. Not a hair out of place nor a single smudge of makeup. How she managed this day after day, Felicity would never know.
"Mum. What are you doing home so early?" she asks, surprised, as she hurries over to hug her hello.
Her mum hugs her back tightly and then let's go with a smile. "It was a slow day and I wanted to come home as soon as possible, so I could ask you about your day." Donna often asks Felicity about her day but her teasing tone gives her the impression that it´s not so much her day, she wants to know about. No Felicity knows her mum's curious eyes want every detail of her tutoring session.
When she told Donna that she was tutoring Oliver Queen, she was ecstatic. She believes her exact words were "OH MY GOD, my baby is going to date a billionaire." Felicity then had to explain in a very exasperated voice that no, tutoring is in fact, not dating. It´s just that. Tutoring.
But of course, Donna being Donna, refused to believe her. She insisted that Felicity, would show Oliver how remarkable she is and then he would fall head over heels in love with her.
Yeah right.
Like that would ever happen. Felicity laughed at the mere thought. But again Donna wouldn´t budge, so Felicity just lets her have that pathetically unrealistic dream.
"My day was fine mum. How was yours." She decides to feign ignorance, but at her mothers raised eyebrows, she knows that she has failed.
"The tutoring is over mum. Tomorrow I am finding him a new tutor."
"What! Why?"
"It wasn´t working mum. He turned how to be exactly the jerk I thought he was." The memory of Oliver tucking her hair behind her ear, flashing before her eyes. He had paid attention to her. She could tell he was trying to learn the material and he kept smiling that little smile. The smile that would soften his face and make him seem just so…real.
Real. That word the complete opposite of what she associated with Oliver. It was going well despite all of her reservations, but then something changed. From one second to the next. She saw the change. It was like this mask came up and his trademark air of indifference appeared. It was disappointing.
For a second she had thought that he was….something. Whatever, it doesn´t matter. He was just fooling her. For some reason.
A soft touch on her on her shoulder brings her out of her thoughts. Her mother steers her over to the sofa and sits her down.
"Talk."
"There is nothing to talk about. Like I said. He is a jerk."
"What did he do?"
"Nothing. He was just being Oliver Queen." Felicity makes a face as she puts emphasis on the name.
Her mother strokes her hair and pulls her close. "Remember that you don´t know his story. Maybe being Oliver Queen, isn't as great as everyone thinks. Everyone is fighting their own battles. Ones we know nothing about. You may find out there is more to him if you give him a second chance."
Donna Smoak can be quite wise when she wants to be. Well let's face it, her mother can be anything she wants to be. But her words spikes something in Felicity, because for a moment, and only a moment, she really had thought there was more to him.
"I don´t know if I want to." It´s not like Oliver Queen even cares about her opinion of him or a second chance. She is sure that he is happy she quit tutoring him. He probably thought she was weird. Like everyone else does.
"Just think about it baby girl." Donna pats Felicity on the knee as she gets up and walks over to the drawer full of takeout menus. "How do you feel about dumplings?"
As Felicity falls asleep that night, the last thought on her mind is the mystery that is Oliver.
But of course, she tells herself that it doesn´t mean anything. Why would it?