A/N: I fully acknowledge that I suck hardcore. It's been like a month and a half since I last updated this, and I swear I had planned to update it within days. I ended up taking an unexpected hiatus due to some issues in my personal life-unfortunately, I have become half of my own Olicity situation. This story became torture for me to write because my Oliver isn't going to overcome the issues keeping him from being with me, and it was impossible for me to write a happy ending for someone else. Fortunately, I'm finding my way past the heartache and am looking forward to continuing this story. Sorry for the drama, the TMI, and the impossibly long wait, but hopefully this is worth it. :)
When Oliver woke up the next morning he had to quickly smother a laugh as he caught sight of Felicity, her tablet clutched to her chest, her glasses still on her face but knocked askew, and her remaining hand resting on the keyboard of the laptop that was perched on the bedside table. She'd still been intent on her search when he'd drifted off to sleep the night before, and apparently she'd just kept at it until sleep won the battle they'd waged. He debated waking her up, but then he decided to let her sleep as long as she could. It was the only day they didn't have something scheduled out for them, and he didn't see any reason to disturb her.
Carefully, he slipped her glasses off her face and reached over her to place them on the table beside the laptop. As he settled back onto his side of the bed Felicity grunted in her sleep and rolled over, flinging her arm across his chest. He smiled as she snuggled into his side, tucking her head beneath his chin and mumbling his name.
His generous intentions were thwarted a mere second later when the laptop let out a loud chime, signaling a search had come to fruition. Felicity bolted up in bed, clipping him on the chin and causing him to bite down hard on his tongue. He swore as blood filled his mouth and she looked mortified.
"Oh God, Oliver, I'm so sorry!" she bleated, grabbing for the box of tissues on the side of the bed. She held them up to his mouth and he spit, neither of them flinching as the snowy white tissue turned red. "I didn't realize you were there, I mean I was asleep and didn't realize anything except the noise meant my search results were in and oh my God, the search results are in!" She cut off her own babbling a split-second before Oliver could open his mouth and interrupt her on his own.
He grinned at her despite the pain in his tongue, watching as she twisted abruptly away from him to jam her glasses on her face and grab the laptop that was still perched precariously on the bed stand. She pulled it into her lap and nibbled at her lower lip while her eyes rapidly consumed the data displayed on the screen. "Raymond went to college with a woman named Kody Carron. They met their sophomore year in Advanced Chem and their schedules pretty much matched exactly for their remaining two years at… Wait." She frowned, and Oliver tensed. "They went to MIT, both were class of 2006. How is it possible that we were there at the same time and I don't recognize either of their names or faces? Although actually, Kody does look kind of familiar to me."
She tilted her head slightly to the side, narrowing her eyes as she studied the picture of the bland brunette staring out at her. Oliver moved closer to her and leaned in to examine the picture as well. His lips skimmed her shoulder and then her cheek, not at all by accident. His lips curved upward as Felicity shivered. "Stop it. You're distracting me."
"Maybe I meant to," he murmured, his teeth closing around her earlobe and tugging gently. She moaned and leaned toward him slightly. "After all, my hopes for last night did not include watching you duel with your laptop until I fell asleep."
"We have plenty of time for that," she said faintly, engrossed in the feel of his beard scraping across the skin of her upper arm as he trailed kisses down it. "But the clock is ticking on our mission. Following up on a lead is more important than sex. Even sex with you, and oh my God I can't believe I'm saying that, especially not with that thing you're doing right now because how in the world could I possibly think that thing isn't more important and oh my God, Oliver, stop! You have to stop or I'll be, I mean we'll be too distracted to figure out what this new information means!"
Oliver pulled back, a petulant scowl on his face. "You're right," he conceded reluctantly, his tone slightly growly.
Felicity giggled at his sullen demeanor before refocusing her attention on the computer. "Neither Kody nor Raymond had grades that set them apart from the rest of the pack, they didn't win any awards or honors, which explains why their names didn't pop for me. I started at MIT the same year they graduated and I wasn't in any of their classes because I was taking freshman- and sophomore-level classes while they were seniors, not to mention their degrees were in Chemical-Biological Engineering and mine is in Computer Science and Engineering so we weren't exactly on the same track anyway-."
"Felicity." She stopped, looking at him questioningly. "I don't blame you for not recognizing Raymond. You don't have to justify it to me."
She took a deep breath, nodding. "I think it's pretty clear now that Raymond is part of this. The CB Engineering degree is too much of a coincidence, especially since he's claiming to be a therapist. Speaking of which, that Psych doctorate from UC-Berkeley is obviously a fake." She frowned as she tried to concentrate on the pieces of the puzzle that were flying in her head and refusing to fit together. "So who is this Kody person, and what does she have to do with the weapons? She was obviously here on Sunday. Is she still here? Is she lurking somewhere around the Tipton, or is she just here on the island?"
A knock on the door interrupted Felicity's musings. Oliver reached out and slammed the laptop shut with a sharp click, and she shot him an outraged glare. "Oliver Jonas Queen! You do not treat valuable computer equipment so disrespectfully!" The knock sounded again and Oliver chuckled as Felicity stomped over to the door, flung it open, and barked a very irritated, "What?!" at a startled bellhop.
"I have a message to deliver to you," the bellhop explained quickly, thrusting an envelope toward her made out of heavy, cream-colored stock with the names "Oliver and Felicity Queen" embossed in gold on the front. Felicity accepted it with a perplexed expression and the bellhop darted away, anxious to get out of her line of sight.
She carried the envelope back to the bed and handed it to Oliver, who examined it thoroughly before determining there was no threat. He opened the envelope and removed an invitation printed on the same heavy stock. In fancy gold script were the words, "You've been invited to a day of romantic indulgence. Be in the lobby at 10:00 am for a horse-drawn carriage ride, followed by a couple's spa afternoon complete with a sensual massage. Dinner will be served al fresco at 6:00 pm on a private terrace."
Oliver could see the hopefulness in Felicity's eyes swell and then immediately dim. "We don't have a whole day to spare," she said reluctantly, skimming her fingers over the satiny gold lettering wistfully. "We have to figure out who Kody is and what she has to do with the couriers."
He leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers briefly. "We'll talk more about that over dinner. Today, we're going to enjoy ourselves and not waste this opportunity." He pulled her off the bed and tugged her toward the closet. She gave him an amused half-smile as he rifled through the clothing hanging there and pulled out a coral-colored dress and handed it to her. "Here. This is perfect. Go shower and get dressed and stop thinking about the couriers for a few hours. We will figure this out in time, Felicity. I promise you."
She beamed at him and threw her arms around his neck, and he took advantage of the opportunity to slide his hands down and cup her ass, fitting her tightly against him. "Have I mentioned what an amazing boss you are?" she said jokingly, her words muffled against his skin.
Oliver grimaced. "Please don't call me your boss when I'm touching you like this," he grumbled. "It makes me feel like a total cliché."
Felicity released him and stepped back, grinning impishly. "I kind of like it," she said, a teasing lilt in her voice. "The wicked CEO who makes his EA stay late for all sorts of shameless reasons." Oliver's eyes darkened to a midnight shade and hers widened as she realized she was about to push him too far. "And now it's time for me to get in the shower." She winced. "Not like that. Not because I need a cold one or anything, although actually, I really kind of do, but because I need to shower before we leave and you already told me to, and-."
"Felicity." His voice was patience laced with amusement. "Go get in the shower." She immediately disappeared into the bathroom, flinging his T-shirt out a moment later and allowing him a brief glimpse of her naked back before she shut the door firmly.
Oliver stripped off his sweatpants, leaving him in only his underwear, and waited for a few minutes after the water finally shut off to open the bathroom door. Felicity was standing in front of the sink, a towel wrapped around her body while she brushed out her hair. Her eyes caught his in the mirror and he thought she might have flushed, but he conceded it might have been the steam in the air, too. He walked nonchalantly to the shower, grabbing a towel and throwing it on the hook beside the bathtub, acting as if this was a normal part of their daily routine. He didn't have to look at her to know she was watching his reflection in the mirror as he peeled off his briefs and stepped behind the curtain.
It was dangerous, but knowing she was a mere few feet away with only a single sheet of fabric between them heightened his need for his usual morning personal time. Wondering if he hoped she didn't hear him, or that she did and decided to join him, Oliver quickly took himself in hand. His strokes were firm and it didn't take more than a couple minutes before his cock began jetting out his release, instantly swirling into the stream from the shower head and washing down the drain. He let out a quiet groan as the last of the aftershocks trembled through him. Oliver thought he heard Felicity go still, but he couldn't be sure over the sound of the water.
By the time he was done showering, Felicity had exited the bathroom. He quelled his disappointment by reminding himself that today was going to be a day for just the two of them and they would have more opportunities by the end of it. Toweling off briskly, he dressed in a simple pair of black board shorts and a T-shirt with vertical black and blue stripes, and rejoined her in the bedroom.
His temperature shot up at the first glimpse of her wearing the breezy, romantic dress he'd selected. Each shoulder had three spaghetti straps that crossed over it and twisted together in a knot in the back, then fanned out over the golden skin that was accentuated by the deep coral color. The skirt was long in the back, brushing her calves, and short in the front, hitting several inches above her knees, and the top was a very low scoop neck with a sheer piece of ombre fabric gathered loosely over a generous display of cleavage. It was floaty and feminine and tantalizing, and he wanted to admire it for another five seconds before ripping it off of her.
"Are you ready to go?" she asked brightly, and he lifted his gaze to see her grinning happily at him. He tamped down his desire and offered her his arm and a warm smile. She wrapped her hand over his bicep and curled against him, and it struck him that they no longer needed to playact for the others. Their feelings for each other were genuine and now, they were out in the open. They didn't have to wait until they were around other people to touch each other affectionately.
Oliver led Felicity down to the lobby, where they were greeted by a liveried coachman. He guided them outside to a beautiful, sleek black carriage which was ornately carved and accented with antique bronze trimming. A team of four dappled grays were hitched to it and they pranced in place, tossing their heads and shaking their long manes. Oliver cast his gaze down at Felicity and his heart beat faster at the joy shining in her eyes. She glanced up at him and the joy deepened, and in that instant Oliver couldn't have loved her more. The world shrank to occupy only the space she did; she might as well have been the only person alive, because she was the only person who could possibly matter to him.
He helped her into the carriage and then settled into the seat beside her. She immediately cuddled into his side and laid her head on his shoulder, while he wrapped his arm around her, inhaling the scent of her hair. They were comfortable in their silence as the driver snapped the reins and the grays surged forward smoothly, drawing them toward a cobblestone path behind the Tipton.
Neither spoke for the first several minutes; both were content to enjoy the feel of being wrapped up in each other without it being a charade for the benefit of others. Finally, Oliver reluctantly spoke up.
"I'm sorry about deleting Barry's text," he began, and Felicity shook her head.
"I know, Oliver," she interrupted gently. "I'm not saying it was okay, but I understand why you did it and I know you feel badly about it. I overreacted a little, too, if I'm honest."
He felt even guiltier that she was so quick to let him off the hook. "I promise not to do anything like it again."
She snorted indelicately. "Come on, Oliver, we both know better," she said bluntly. "You overreact when you get emotionally involved. I've seen your jealousy come out to play and that was before you confirmed you have feelings for me."
Oliver mentally acknowledged the truth of her statement. "Then I promise to try to calm down after I overreact, before I do something stupid."
Felicity pulled away from him and tilted her head back, beaming up at him. "I'll take it." They both fell silent again, but this time it was her turn to speak up first. "You realize we're talking like we're a couple," she pointed out. "And yet, to my recollection there's been no such discussion about our future."
He debated on how best to respond to her, and the silence stretched on to the point of awkwardness and discomfort. She winced and opened her mouth, but he cut her off before she could launch into what he was sure would be a memorable ramble. "I think I always felt that this was the inevitable conclusion," he said honestly. "We don't need to go on dates to get to know each other. We don't need to build a relationship from scratch. We're already there. The only thing we needed to do was acknowledge and be ready to accept it."
Felicity stared at him. "I think that's the most you've ever said at one time about relationships," she said finally, a slight smile curling her lips. "But you're right. It was always there between the two of us. Someone just needed to pull his head out of his ass," she added impishly, her eyes twinkling.
Oliver groaned and slid his arm around her again, absent-mindedly cupping her elbow. "Okay, okay. It's all my fault. I was wrong to try to deny my feelings for you."
"And what feelings might those be?" she countered, raising one eyebrow.
He growled and she winked up at him. He gripped her chin lightly with strong fingers and tipped her face up to his. "I love you, Felicity Meghan Smoak," he said quietly. "I meant it when I said it for Slade's benefit two months ago, and I mean it even more now."
Tears filled her eyes at the passion in his voice. "I wanted to believe that you meant it," she responded in the same low tone. "But then afterward it was like it never happened."
He sighed. "My opinion on the danger you'll be in as my girlfriend hasn't changed at all. After the issues with Slade, I was too afraid to put you in that position again." He hesitated. "I still have dreams about the blade of his sword pressed against your neck. It would have taken half a second for him to have sliced right through you, and I see it in my nightmares more often than I'm comfortable with. Not that I'd ever be comfortable with it, but you know what I mean."
Felicity's face was uncharacteristically somber. "I understand," she said softly. "You know, though, that I'll always be in danger as long as we work together, right? Whether we're together romantically or not?"
He nodded, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly. "That's the only thing that finally allowed me to give in to this," he admitted. "I'd rather have you with me, where I have a better chance of protecting you against any threats, than to not have you at all."
She frowned a little. "I don't like the implication that I need your protection at all times, but I'll let it slide. For now," she added, making it clear that it wasn't a carte blanche pass for him to play the caveman role.
Oliver lifted her hand to his lips and ghosted them over her knuckles, a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth. "I'll take it," he said, echoing her earlier words. Her answering smile blinded him with its brilliance and he pulled her into his lap, not satisfied with her merely sitting next to him.
Felicity looped her arms around his neck and slid her lips along his, reveling in the fact that she had the freedom to openly express her love for this man. His arms banded around her and crushed her to his chest, and she could feel him harden underneath her as she wiggled in his lap and deepened their already passionate kiss.
"Easy, tiger," she whispered teasingly against his lips after they broke apart. "We have a full day ahead of us, and I don't think we're going to have an opportunity to indulge either of our fantasies for quite awhile. But after dinner…" She let her words trail off enticingly, and his eyes darkened noticeably at the sultriness in her voice and gaze. "After dinner we're going back to our room, locking the door, and ignoring anything short of the Tipton burning down."
Oliver inhaled sharply at the promise in her eyes. "After I get my hands on you? It just might."
A/N 2: I don't normally ask for reviews, but they fell off a lot for chapter 9 and now with it having taken so long for you to get chapter 10, I just want to make sure you're all still with me and still want to see me continue this story. Please let me know if you're still reading and enjoying!