A/N: I wasn't going to post this so soon, but after last night's episode, I thought it would be a nice distraction. If anyone wants to PM me, I am looking for someone to discuss the episode and bask in the angst with.
Chapter Seven
Felicity Smoak lost her sense of control. Her values slipped from her grasp, and her pride dissipated into nothingness. It was all too good to be true. Oliver had reason. He took money from her department, because his only other option would have been to fire an insanely large number of people. He didn't do it because he could, or because he wanted to mess with her.
He had reason.
But not only that, he also shared the reason with her, making her understand. It was a secret, one she knew could basically destroy the company if any of the workers decided to retaliate- and judging by the way they handled news here, they would. He'd finally told her the only possible thing that could have kept her from kicking his ass right then and there.
So, she'd kissed him.
And it wasn't just any kiss either. She'd gone straight for it, all in. And Oliver took her in, scooping her up and holding her to him as if she were weightless. She could feel his want, his body responding to her so fast, she knew he'd thought about it plenty of times before. Her body yearned for him, too, bumping and grinding beyond even her own control. It seemed, her body had a mind of its own when it came to him.
She never wanted to stop kissing him. He was just so damn good at it, and kissing him felt like magic. Her emotions were finally at the surface, and she was just so close to confessing to him all of the things kissing him had made her realize. She'd realized that she had feelings for him - real feelings, and not in the friendly kind of way. She'd realized that she'd reached her capacity on sexual arousal with just one swipe of his tongue against her own - not completely relevant, but extremely important. And she'd realized that she wanted him, she wanted to try with him.
He'd spoken her name, his want searing her skin and making her heart race when she saw that he couldn't stop touching and kissing her. He kept trying, so she took pity on him, breaking away. He told her how badly he wanted her, and just like that, everything snapped into place for Felicity.
It was all about the sex for him.
He wanted her on a physical level, yes, but that was the only level there was. His claims that she was his was a territorial thing. No one got to play with his toys, especially if he hadn't gotten the chance to play with them himself first. And in that moment, she refused to be one of his toys. She refused to screw him up against that wall, because she deserved better than that.
He was confused when she pushed him away, and for a second, she thought he looked hurt. She looked away, not risking the chance of being drawn back in by him. He'd worked so hard to get her like that, and she wasn't going to fall for it a second time.
Because she wanted more with him, and he wanted something strictly physical.
She raced back to her office, ignoring the looks of concern Barry shot her way. She didn't give herself time to break down. There just wasn't enough of it now that more money was going to be extracted from her department. She could cry when she got home, and had a pint of mint chocolate chip to help her through it. No, now was the time for Professional Felicity.
She took out her notepad from the meeting, going over her notes and scribbling down ideas for how to fix what Oliver had broken again. She would figure something out.
She always did.
Felicity didn't want to go to the gala. It had been a few days since her and Oliver's last encounter, and she was still sickened by the thought of seeing him again. She had no idea how, but she'd managed to not catch even a glimpse of him at work the rest of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. She guessed that he must have made that happen on purpose, since the only reason she saw him around in the first place was because he made an effort to be seen by her.
It didn't really matter what the reason behind him staying out of her way was. All that mattered, was that she didn't have to see him. She did enough of that in her head now that she knew what it was like to kiss him and to be kissed by him, because she couldn't shake the urge from her head. Damn her moment of weakness!
Anyways, Felicity Smoak did not want to go to the gala, but it would have been rude of her not to come and show her support. Especially, since she held such an important position at the company. She promised herself earlier - once realizing that it couldn't have been avoided - that if she was going to go, she was going to go all out. She was going to make Oliver Queen a fool, because damn it, he'd missed out.
She'd taken Friday evening and some of Saturday afternoon assembling her outfit for the night, deciding to wear an assortment of newly purchased items only. Anything she'd worn in the past was forbidden, which really sucked since there was a pair of heels she'd been thinking about wearing to the event before the hot make-out session between her and the bane of her existence.
She bought a pair of black stilettos, ones that made Sara look twice, so she knew they were killer. There was a small store she stumbled upon in her search for the perfect dress, and she did find what she was looking for. The dress was tight in all the right places, and revealing enough to still be able to call it eloquent. She'd bought it without any hesitation, and knew she'd made the right call when she saw it on with her heels.
Felicity even took it that next step, and bought herself an all new pair of black panties, with the lace bra to match. This wasn't for the benefit of anyone but herself. Looking hot made her feel good, and if she was going to attend that gala, then she definitely needed to. She'd tried the whole ensemble on the night before, feeling a surge of confidence at her appearance.
Now, she stood at the entrance to the gala, really wishing she'd taken Sara's advice to bring someone with her. But no, Felicity had assured her she'd be fine on her own. And it wasn't like she wasn't fine right now, she just hated walking into events by herself. Especially this one, where Oliver was already inside, along with a hundred other rich people who looked down upon her.
A hand on her shoulder broke her out of her thoughts, and she turned around to come face to face with Ray Palmer. He was smiling at her, and she resisted the urge to pull away from him since he had some weird crush on her. Shaking her head, she scolded herself. He was just being nice. Truthfully, she was thankful he was standing there, probably more than willing to enter the gala with her.
"Felicity, I hoped I'd run into you here," he said, and his eyes subtly ran over her.
"I was debating whether or not to come," she admitted, getting the feeling that Ray wouldn't judge her for saying it. "Hopefully tonight goes well."
He nodded. "Well if Queen Consolidated doesn't receive any donations for their cause, then they can at least depend on one from me. I plan on making a sizable donation tonight."
She considered his words, finding them more thoughtful than anything else. "You've already done a lot to benefit this company. I appreciate all of it, I promise."
He shrugged as if dropping thousands of dollars were no big deal - and to him, it probably wasn't. Deciding the conversation was over, Felicity gestured towards the door, shifting awkwardly.
"Do you want to go in?" she asked.
"Whenever you're ready," he returned, and she opened the door to step through it.
The room was filled with people dressed in the most expensive dresses and suits, all chatting together so comfortably. In the center of the room, some people were dancing, and Felicity took notice of the live music in the right corner of the room. Tables covered in fancy food lined the space, with people helping themselves to modest servings.
And as Felicity's eyes took in the entirety of the floor, they got caught on someone. Oliver Queen was on the opposite side of the room, his eyes already on her. Unlike Ray, he didn't even try to hide his appreciation for her attire. His eyes hungrily raked over her, and even from across the room, she could see them darken. Her skin flushed, hating how he had that affect on her.
She was paying so much attention to him, that she caught the exact moment he noticed who was standing next to her. Immediately, a deadly, venomous look filled his eyes. His jaw locked, and Felicity found herself panicking. She glanced up at Ray, finding him already looking at Oliver, a smirk planted on his face. She figured it didn't take Ray too long to figure out that Oliver had some sort of attraction towards her, considering he was a genius and all.
"I'm going to get something to drink," she told Ray, just needing to be away from his side.
Things hadn't changed since the last time she'd seen him. She still wasn't attracted to him in the slightest, yet there he was, reacting as if they really were here together, and she really was involved with him. Though pissing Oliver off brought her great joy, she didn't want anyone else in there getting the wrong idea about them.
"Let me go with you," Ray imposed, his confidence almost repulsive now.
She didn't object, but only because she didn't see the point in it. There was no way in hell she was spending the whole evening with him, so tolerating him for a little while longer didn't seem like that big of a deal. Plus, she didn't need anymore awkwardness. There was enough of that already.
They made their way to the refreshments table, where a bottle of champagne sat, nestled in a bucket of ice. Ray took the liberty of pouring Felicity a glass of the fine bubbly, getting some for himself as well. It tasted absolutely amazing to Felicity, and she had to remind herself to take it easy. She still had to drive herself home after this.
There was another touch on her arm, and she was really fed up with Ray thinking it was okay to lay a hand on her at all. Quickly, she turned around, ready to give him an earful on why she wasn't okay with him touching her so intimately. Instead of finding Ray standing behind her, she saw Caitlin, her friend from one of the other departments. She looked taken aback by Felicity's expression, and relaxed when Felicity calmed down.
"Jeez, I didn't think you scared that easily," she joked, making Felicity laugh at herself in embarrassment.
She glanced around, surprised to find Ray on the other side of the room, speaking with an older man. "Sorry, I just thought you were someone else," Felicity explained.
"I wouldn't want to be them," Caitlin muttered, taking a sip of her champagne, and changing the subject. "You look hot. I feel like a pile of garbage next to you."
"Thanks, but I think that's highly inaccurate," Felicity argued. "I think that if you were standing in a pile of garbage, you'd still look like you belonged on the cover of a magazine."
She blushed, grinning at the compliment. "So, what's been up with you?"
Felicity shrugged. "Nothing much. I've just been dealing with the budget cuts for my department."
"Oh yeah. Barry told me that was really stressing you out."
Felicity gave Caitlin a weird look, because she had no clue her friend and Barry spoke to each other. They'd met through her a few months ago at one of the office parties, and Felicity couldn't even remember if they'd gotten along or not. If they'd kept in touch this entire time, then why didn't she know about it?
"I didn't know you still talked to Barry," Felicity informed her, trying to be as subtle as possible.
It didn't matter what Caitlin told her next, because Felicity knew everything she needed to know by the pinkness that washed over Caitlin's skin. She broke out into a grin that she tried to hide behind her glass, looking to the side. Felicity couldn't help but smile, wondering to herself why she didn't figure out her two nerdy friends would be perfect for each other.
"Yeah, Barry's great," Caitlin finally replied, and she'd gotten her blush under control. "Speaking of boys, how are things going with you?"
Felicity sighed. "Well, at the moment I have one boy who can't take a hint that I don't like him, and another who is extremely possessive over me."
"Wow," Caitlin murmured. "How'd you meet them?"
Felicity swallowed, folding her lips. "Work."
"Anyone I know?" Caitlin questioned, suddenly ten times more interested in the topic.
Felicity didn't want to lie to her, because everyone in that freaking city knew who Oliver Queen and Ray Palmer were. So, she just told Caitlin she didn't want to say, and then changed the subject. Felicity stayed by her side most of the night, losing track of her two billionaire headaches and actually having a good time. Before she knew it, an hour had flown by and Caitlin was telling her she needed to start heading home.
Felicity told her goodbye, watching her leave, and then standing by herself again. She spotted Ray on the other side of the room, his eyes landing on hers at the same time. He made it obvious he was excusing himself from the middle of a conversation, and began to make his way over to her. A figure slid into place next to her before she could react to Ray, and she glanced up to see Oliver standing there, his eyes piercing through her skin.
"Want to dance?" he asked, his eyes so hypnotizing, she was almost compelled to say yes.
Instead, she stood her ground, remembering that she never wanted to speak to Mr. Physical again. "No."
His expression didn't change, and she swallowed. "Felicity, after the way you left things last time, I think this is the least you could do."
Oh, the audacity of him! She couldn't believe he'd really just told her that. She didn't owe him a damn thing. How affected he was after the last time they'd interacted was his own damn fault. She wasn't going to apologize for thinking better of herself than just some sexual outlet. But, if him getting a dance out of her is what it took for him to leave her alone for good, then she'd do it.
"Fine," she agreed, walking into the center of the room where couples were holding each other close.
Oliver was right behind her, and when she turned around, she nearly crashed into his chest. He steadied her with his hands on her elbows, waiting until she caught her balance before sliding his hands away. One held her right hand, while the other rested high on her waist. Well, at least she wouldn't have to knee him in the groin for getting grabby.
Placing a hand on his shoulder, she let him take the lead, purposefully looking away. Her eyes fell on Ray, who stood in place halfway to where she'd just been standing. He watched her with careful eyes, and she looked up at Oliver to avoid looking at him. Oliver's eyes were already on her, studying her, paying such close attention to every little detail.
"You look stunning tonight, Felicity," he told her, his eyes trailing down the rest of her body.
She kept her face neutral, though his compliment made up for any last doubt she'd had about wearing it before. "Thanks."
He spun her around, and on her way back to him, he pulled her closer, forcing her to look up at him. His gaze was dark, his jaw locked tightly. She knew that look already. He was either jealous or aroused. And judging by how strange he was, he was probably a little bit of both. His voice was rough when he spoke, sending chills down her spine.
"Did you come here with him?"
She blinked, debating whether or not to tell him the truth. Then, another realization struck her. "You just don't get it, do you?"
He stared at her, his voice hard. "Explain it to me."
"I don't like you," she lied, but managed to keep her voice steady.
He snorted, seeing right through her bullshit. "After what happened in my office a few days ago, I find that very hard to believe."
"That shouldn't have happened," she said, hating how he could get to her so easily.
"Then why did it? Why were you all too willing to have me pressed against you like that? Your legs were around my waist, Felicity, and I know you wanted it. I know it from the way you moaned when I applied pressure to just the right places," he started, and she swallowed, her skin overheating. "I know it from the way you rubbed into me, encouraging me to continue. And I know it from the way you looked at me, just so surprised by how I was making you feel."
Shaking her head, she broke eye contact with him. "I was confused-"
"No, you were scared," he interrupted, clutching her hand tighter. "You were afraid because of how sure you were. You were afraid because of the fact that you weren't confused at all. You knew what you wanted, and you couldn't handle it."
"You think you know me, but you don't," she responded, refusing to believe she'd felt the way he'd described. "I was confused, and I pushed you away, because I came to my senses. I realized what was happening, and I left while I still had some dignity."
"You left, and went straight to Ray I see," he muttered, hatred lacing his words.
A rush of anger flowed through her at his jealousy. "I didn't go straight to anyone. I was fine on my own."
"Why do you like him, Felicity?" he asked, brows knit together in both confusion and frustration. "That guy is a dick. He told me tonight that I was going to fail at running my company, and then, he had the nerve to tell me to back off from you."
Felicity was even more pissed now, but she'd worry about Ray's sudden possessiveness in a minute. "Oh, but it's okay when you say things like that?"
"Yes, because you are mine, Felicity," he repeated, even more sure sounding than the times before.
"Yeah, I'm yours until you've taken what you've wanted, and then Ray can have me," she bit out, pushing down the urge to cry at how hurt she truly was that Oliver saw her as nothing more than a physical opportunity.
He surprised her when he pulled her as close as he could get her, his eyes boring down into hers with that normal possessiveness, and another substance that was making her question everything. "Felicity, I'd let him take this damn company before I let him take you."
Her lips parted, his eyes dropping down to them. She had no idea how to react. She'd been wrong. Oliver did want her in a sexual way, but this want extended much further than that. His company was the most important thing to him - or so she had thought. But apparently, he'd give it up for her. He'd give away a multi-billion dollar company without a second of hesitation for her, and she could only register that as one thing.
Love.
Her entire body froze at the realization, and he only continued to gaze deep into her eyes, peering through her entirely. Three weeks seemed like a short amount of time to feel something that strongly, but there was just no other explanation for it. She wasn't going to fight this anymore. She wasn't going to run from it, because she deserved to give this a shot.
Felicity let go of his hand, moving it so that it was resting on her other hip, and locked her wrists around his neck. His eyes held a question in them, but he remained quiet. They swayed for a bit, before she covered his hands with her own, sliding them further down her body. His big hands paused over the start of the curve of her ass, and she saw his eyes flash.
"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice breathy.
She locked eyes with him, replacing her hands around his neck. "I'm showing him that I'm not available. Is that okay?"
He swallowed, his eyes darkening beyond shades she'd even seen before as he nodded fast. "Yes," he answered. "Does this mean that we're... something?"
"Is that what you want?" she asked, needing to make sure she hadn't just read everything completely wrong.
He gripped her hips tighter, making sure he had her full attention before answering. "That's all I've ever wanted since the moment we spoke. Fuck, I can't... You hating me is completely intolerable, okay?"
He bent his head forward, burying his nose into her hair. His grasp on her was more desperate than sexual, as if he needed to make sure that this was really happening. She couldn't believe how wrong she'd been about him. He'd wanted so much more than she ever could have thought, and she wanted it, too.
"I didn't really hate you as much as I made it seem," she whispered. "You just... frustrated me."
He pulled back to look at her, so vulnerable now. "I know you wanted me to stay away, but I couldn't. Not seeing you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Do you know how difficult it was for me to sit in my office, knowing that I could be sitting in yours, with you, within the span of two minutes?"
Everything was coming out now, and there just wasn't any stopping it. What's worse is that neither of them actually wanted to.
"I didn't like the days where I didn't see you," she admitted, and he looked relieved. "One time, I actually left my office, hoping I'd run into you. My days were longer without your infuriating visits, and as much as you pissed me off, I missed you."
She expected a smile out of him at that, but he only clenched his jaw, his eyes staring at her intensely. "I lose all sense of rationality when it comes to you, Felicity."
She swallowed, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but there. She'd almost forgotten that they were in a room full of Starling City's elite, and Oliver's mom was probably mingling around somewhere. Plus, Felicity was sure Ray's gaze was still on them, and that was just strange. She looked up at Oliver, frowning.
"I think I should be heading home now. A lot has happened tonight, and I really don't want to be here anymore."
He looked rushed, his eyes flickering with ideas. "Let me give you a ride," he offered. "I don't want to say goodbye just yet."
She flushed, his words shooting her straight through the heart. "But I drove my car here."
He looked up, probably cursing himself for not thinking of that. She didn't want to say goodbye to him either. She just couldn't stay in that place for any longer before she lost her mind. Suddenly, an idea came to her, and she brushed his arm with her hand.
"There's a diner I like to go to sometimes. We could go grab a burger there," she suggested, remembering that not everyone was always up for greasy food in the middle of the night. "I mean, if you wan-"
He took her hand in his before she could even finish, leading her out of the door without so much as a glance back. She was grinning so wide, but she didn't care who saw it. She hadn't promised him anything, and he wasn't expecting anything. He only wanted to be with her, getting to know her in the way she hadn't allowed back when she thought he was the devil himself.
And she was looking forward to it.
A/N: Reviews make me happy!
