Tommy's face dropped the second he and Diggle entered the elevator. Felicity was lying so still in his arms. He felt if Felicity could be in any place other than his arms, she would just jump at the chance and funny there is nothing more he wanted than Felicity in his arms. He knew he screwed up. Hopefully, today he will get a chance to make it up to Felicity. Diggle was stoic as ever and did not utter a word.
Before exiting the elevator, Diggle stopped him and asked him to wait in the elevator while he brings the car around. At first Tommy thought, Diggle was just making sure they were safe but when Diggle returned with an wheelchair he understood that Diggle was making sure Felicity was safe from him. Tommy never wanted to hold onto to someone more in his entire life but knowing Felicity would prefer the wheelchair, he gently placed her on the chair.
She was looking at anywhere but him. There was a shiny glaze to her eyes. He knows she was trying so hard not to cry in front of him. He never intended to hurt her but did nonetheless by kissing her and not doing anything about it and letting Laurel flirt with him. He only know one way to make someone's hurt go away. His mother always did that to him when he was sick or was feeling bad.
He knelt before Felicity and was eye to eye with her, then slowly put his hands on her face. He felt her stiffen, even if it was only minimally. Just looking at this most remarkable woman who was his friend and tried everything she could to just make his life a little bit easier right now sitting dejected, made tears well up in his eyes. With one hand still, holding her face, he gently caressed the bandage in her head. Tears freely flowed from his eyes and with all the sincerity he gently pulled her face to him and kissed the top of her head.
Her hair was so soft and felt like silk. There was the unique flavor of Felicity and the hospital smell of antiseptics. "I am so sorry Felicity." The words slipped out of him even before he could stop it. Felicity immediately stiffened and when he tilted to look at her face, there was a smile pasted on her face that was as fake as Laurel's concern for Felicity. Her lips were trembling. He knew whatever he did, he just made the situation worse.
Felicity could not bear to be near Tommy. How could she have believed that Tommy actually liked her. He probably kissed her because he was lonely, maybe even to shut her up as a joke. She saw the way Laurel looked and him and knew in her heart that it is only a matter of time before he gets back with The Gorgeous Laurel. If Laurel wasn't staking her claim at Tommy today, she did not know what it was and she was just so tired.
When Tommy lifted her up, all she wanted was to curl herself into his chest and inhale him. He had very strong arms and lifted her like she weighed nothing. She remembered how he lifted her and held her against the car and ravished her mouth. While all she wanted was to snuggle into him, she also remembered that he is in love with Laurel. He risked his life for Laurel and all of this is because of his reaction to Oliver and Laurel together. He really did not want her. There was a nasty thought brewing in her mind that maybe he was just using her to make Laurel jealous.
She did not speak to him and did not want to talk to him right now. She was feeling uncomfortable and just wanted to go to her home and sleep in her bed. Diggle bless him noticed her discomfort brought forth a wheelchair from somewhere. She did not expect the gentleness from Tommy when he set her down. She knew she is going to get burned by him. She needed time and space from Tommy and was about to tell him to go when he kneeled before her and forced her to look at him in the eye.
There were tears in his eyes. He was framing her face with his hands and was gently pulling her towards him. Part of her was screaming at her to pull back and that this was a bad idea and the other part of her earnestly wants to just close the distance and kiss him senseless irrespective of what happens, heart break be damned. She was startled when he caressed the bandage which was throbbing right now. She did not take the pain medication offered to her and was planning to take them once she gets home.
When he kissed the top of her head and said he was sorry, she knew he is breaking it to her gently because Tommy is a nice guy although there was nothing to break. She forced a smile on her face and hoped it was convincing and said "it is okay Tommy, you can go. I can manage by myself. I am not sure when I will be in to the office tomorrow but I will make sure everything that needs to be done is done. Diggle will drop me and I will call if I need anything."
"I am sorry Felicity, I don't think I heard you correctly" was the only thing that came out of Tommy's gaped mouth. "Did you think I would just leave you when you have a head injury. I know I am a jerk Felicity but not that much of a jerk." Diggle warned him of Felicity's temper and not to do anything stupid to have it directed at him and he understood why. Felicity was a vision, her hair was bristling, her eyes were glowing with fire in them. He understood the phrase if looks could kill.
With extreme sugar in her voice, she managed "I am so sorry Mr. Merlyn. As I said before, I can take care of myself. I am more than prepared to take care of myself. I am not an invalid" and with each I she managed to jab him in the chest. Tommy just knew there is going to be small round bruises wherever she was jabbing him. For someone so tiny, she really packed a punch with her jabbing and that was with her single finger, he was happy Oliver did not teach her to fight or something.
All the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with her and she slumped forward. Before Diggle can even take a step forward, Tommy caught her and held her tight to his chest. "I just want to be your friend Felicity. Please just let me be your friend tonight." She just nodded with all the fight draining out of her. Diggle cleared his throat and rolled his eyes to heaven in thoughts of the ridiculousness he has to endure being Felicity's friend. He did not know what happened before the hooded men invaded the office with Tommy and Laurel, but Tommy was on the last of his rope right now. If he make Felicity shed any tears anymore, he just might find out what exactly Diggle did in Afghanistan.
After making sure Felicity was alright and comfortable, he drove them to Felicity's house. Little did the 3 of them knew, they weren't alone and they were watched by 3 people who were having varied reactions to what they saw. To Thea everything was simple, Felicity was her hero. The woman did not have to keep her safe. She got hurt because she wanted to protect Thea. Thea lost that feeling of safety when Oliver and her father were lost to her in the sea. Even when Oliver came back, they did not connect. She knew Oliver tried his best to connect with her but she has changed too much from the Speedy he knew. Today in one instant, the woman she never even knew existed before yesterday gave her that feeling of safety. Felicity was like a lioness standing before her and blocking her from the masked men. Even as she was bleeding, she was reassuring Thea that she was going to be okay and Oliver would do anything to get her back.
Thea always looked up to Oliver growing up. Whatever he did, she wanted to do. She wanted approval of her big brother and craved it. She wants to look up to Felicity and wants to do everything to make her proud. Since her other source of information left with Felicity, she turned to her brother to ask him what kind of coffee Felicity like and the breakfast she may prefer and was met with the face of a stranger.
Oliver's face was completely blank. His mind was racing. He wanted to bust Tommy's teeth when he carried Felicity in his arms. When they got down after getting Thea's prescriptions, they saw Tommy kneeling before Felicity and was caressing her face. The look on his face was so tender that Oliver never has seen before. When he saw Tommy kissing her on the head, something his mother did for him, which to his knowledge he never did to anyone, Oliver felt a pang in his chest so sharp that it was a punch to his gut.
He is well aware of what he and Laurel did to Tommy. When Tommy with absolutely no regards for his safety came for Laurel, he thought what a mistake he and Laurel made. He is still clinging to his past, praying that if Laurel had forgiven him and if they made it as a couple, then there is hope for him that may be the island did not break him beyond repair. It did not work, a small part of him even blamed Laurel for accepting him so easily when all he did was cheat on her continuously.
When he saw Tommy holding Felicity to his chest, he wanted to rip his friend's limb one by one. He cannot explain why he is feeling this way. Felicity was his friend. He does not want her to get hurt. If Laurel's actions tonight are anything to go by, he knew she and him are over and Laurel will go for Tommy again. If Tommy hurts Felicity, then maybe just maybe he will end up with the pointy side of arrow in his ass.
Laurel watched Tommy kiss Felicity in the top of her head and cursed herself for not charging the masked vigilantes. If it was her who was the one who got hurt, then Tommy would have stayed by her side. She vowed to herself to take more self defense classes. She sent a message to Tommy saying she would love to have lunch with him but her message ended up unread all night. She was going to get Tommy Merlyn back no matter what.