There was a loud knock on Felicity's door.

"Felicity." It was John's voice. Felicity frowned. Shouldn't he be on watch? She pulled her pajama shirt over her head and went to the door.

"John what's wro-" She jumped back as he pushed his way inside her quarters and looked around. Then he looked over at her.

"Are you okay?" He said, examining her. She flushed and tried to pull her shirt lower; she hadn't intended to let him in and now she was in front of him in her underwear.

"John, what the hell?"

"Detron, is he here, did he try anything?" John said.

"Detron?" Felicity frowned. "The Marisian? Why would he be here?"

"Hal said..." John trailed off, understanding dawning on his face. He closed his eyes and stepped back.

"Yeah, there in lies your first mistake." Felicity crossed her arms. "Trusting anything that Hal says." She fidgeted, stepping from foot to foot. John was looking anywhere but her.

"I should-" He motioned to the door.

"Why-" Felicity said at the same time.

They both stopped, staring at each other.

"Why would Detron be here?" Felicity said. "He's a jerk."

"Hal said he hit on you the other day." John said. "And rejection for Marisians-"

"Is a sign that they need to redouble their efforts and kidnap their mate, holding them hostage until they say yes." Felicity said, smiling at the look of surprise on John's face. "A very smart Lantern suggested that I interest myself in the customs of my fellow lanterns." She shrugged. "I've been reading. It helps when I can't sleep."

John nodded. "So you can see why I was worried." He said.

"No." Felicity said. "Marisians have very strict views about homosexuality. So when he tried to ask me out the other day, Arisia and I pretended to be a couple. He freaked and has stayed far way from me since." She grinned. "He thinks it's contagious." She whispered. John snorted.

"I feel stupid." He said.

"You should." Felicity said. "Because on my planet, pushing your way into a lady's room is rude, even if it was done out of chivalry."

John smiled. "You have a weird planet." He said. "And I would know, I lived there."

Felicity couldn't help the laugh in response.

"I should go." John said. "You must be exhausted, considering..." He didn't want to mention the attack. "Get some sleep. You don't have to come to training tomorrow morning." He went to the door.

"John." Felicity said, he stopped and turned. She knew if he walked out, they'd continue dancing around the issue. "I..." She didn't know how to start. "I'm about to say something, and I'll probably mess it up or say something entirely ridiculous and I want you to hear me out and try to interpret what I mean, which isn't exactly what I say because 5 years ago I met someone that I really care about, but I waited and things got really messy and it was never the right time, until it definitely wasn't the right time and then I got yanked halfway across the universe. Which is why I know that, even if things are crazy or scary right now I can't let that dictate my actions, because if I don't say anything, I'll regret it and I don't want to sit around waiting for something that may be amazing, so..." She took a breath trying to figure out what to say. He was looking at her, silently; an intense look on his face that she didn't know was positive or negative, but she'd gone too far to pull back. "John... I-"

In two strides he was across the room and kissed her, stealing the breath from her lungs. Dizzy, she hung on to his neck, trying to steady herself and keep her footing, she tried to stand on tiptoe. John pulled her up, lifting her off the ground, one arm bracing her lower back as she brought her legs around his waist. This wasn't the reaction she'd been excepting, she thought as she closed her eyes, and gripped the back of his lantern uniform, but she wasn't going to complain. Then John's tongue brushed against her lips and her brain blissfully shut itself off, letting her just feel. Too soon he pulled away.

"Is that what you were going for?" He asked.

"Uh huh." Felicity nodded, trying to form her thoughts into words. "Your arms are big." Was the best she could come up with. John grinned as she flushed and pressed her face into his neck, her legs, flexing slightly and tightening around his waist.

"Felicity." He murmured. "If Sinestro finds out-" She silenced him by pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. He shut his eyes and took in a shuddering breath.

"Let him." Felicity said. 'Every lantern is a target, he doesn't get to force us to live our lives in fear."

John nodded. "Do you want me to stay?" He asked. Felicity pulled back and looked at him in shock. He was serious. There was no hint of humor in his eyes, he was searching her expression for an answer.

"John, I am literally climbing you right now." She said, shaking her head. "What does that tell you?"

He closed his eyes and let out a small huff that sounded like a laugh. "I'm just making sure." He muttered. She laughed. He was always so exact and composed. She'd enjoy trying to break through that military composure. John moved and they fell on her bed, Felicity letting out a yelp.

"You're wearing too many clothes." She complained tugging at the neck of his uniform. He shook his head, amused, reaching for the zipper of his suit as he moved off the bed. Felicity swallowed, her mouth going dry as she watched him pull it off.

"That should make it even." He remarked, standing in front of her in his underwear. Felicity sat up, reaching for him. "Ah ah." He held back her hand. "Fair is fair." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her hand, kneeling on the bed between her legs, he slowly lifted her shirt, going slow. She squirmed, the air feeling hot on her skin. John pulled her shirt off. She closed her eyes, her breath coming in small gasps. Every touch burned, she ran her hands on John's back, feeling his neck and back muscles as he moved, pressing his lips to her neck, her collarbones. She arched up, shivering. John was steady, reserved. Not giving into her pleas to go faster.

"John." She breathed. He pushed his hips forward, grinding against her core. She gripped him, "John." She moaned, tugging at his boxers and pulling them down.

"Wait." He murmured, lifting his head. She whined at the loss of contact. "We need condoms." They looked at each other.

"Are there even any on Oa?" She asked.

"I wouldn't know." John admitted.

"We could ask Hal?" Felicity suggested. John squeezed his eyes shut and groaned in disgust. "And I've killed the mood."

"No." John said, pulling back up his boxers. "It's okay. We shouldn't risk you getting pregnant..." He smirked. "Plus we don't know what Detron could have given you." He ducked as Felicity grabbed a pillow and hit him across the back of his shoulders.

"I never touched him." She snapped. "and am I really supposed to believe that after 8 years you never once seduced any grateful female alien whose planet you saved?"

John laughed and blocked the next strike from the pillow. They struggled for a bit. Felicity trying to pull the pillow back while John held it in place, looking amused at Felicity's efforts. She huffed and dropped it, annoyed. "I didn't." He said. "I don't go in for the whole grateful damsel routine." He met her eyes again, she was suddenly painfully aware of her lack of clothes and drew her legs up. If nothing was happening it would be a good idea to make things difficult. He seemed to be thinking the same thing, leaning his hand on the bed, her brushed his fingers against her ankle.

"Don't start something you don't intend to finish." She said, her eyes fluttering closed. John traced his fingers up her legs, nodding.

"I never do." He promised.

Notes:

The rest of this chapter is on AO3. It has no bearing on the plot, so you won't miss anything.