Blinded by Love and Daring 11/?
Author: dettiot
Rating: T for now
Summary: Five years have passed since Oliver Queen or Felicity Smoak published anything. The world thinks it knows why-a shipwreck and an attack. But the truth is much more intense than anyone realizes . . . not unlike the connection that exists between Oliver and Felicity. Publishing/writer!AU slow burn Olicity. Third in the ink in my pen ran dry series.
Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow. No copyright infringement intended.
Author's Note: Heeeee. Everyone is so excited for the book tour! But first, there's some things that Oliver and Felicity have to take care of, together and separately. But never fear, the tour starts in this chapter . . . and I think everyone will like the cliffhanger I'm leaving you on. ;-)

XXX

With the way he was rubbing his thumb and fingers together, he wouldn't be surprised if a flame burst from his hand. But what else could he do, when he was so nervous and excited and worried?

Because what if Felicity calling him, setting up this meeting at Jitters, wasn't about moving forward? What if she wanted to go back, back to when they weren't friends? She might want to make this strictly professional, especially since they had the prospect of spending a whole month together.

Oliver took a slow sip from his cup of coffee, trying not to smile a little. A month with Felicity. Seeing her every day, getting to listen to her talk, seeing her in action with her fans . . . no matter how much he tried to rein this in, for once his ability to see the glass as half-empty was getting trumped by his daydreams. It wasn't like him to feel so positive, but something about the deadline he had set for himself-that by the end of the tour, he would know how he felt about Felicity and do something about it-was letting him go off on flights of fancy.

It didn't make any sense, really. To get lost in daydreams like this. He knew that. But for now . . . for now, he wasn't going to overthink this or block himself from feeling what he felt. It was strangely freeing, and a bit scary, to let the leash off himself. And also eye-opening. After all that he had experienced on the island, in Hong Kong, and beyond, he had thought he was irreparably damaged. Broken in some essential way which prevented him from ever having anything more than his mission.

But somehow . . . he wasn't. He had his family, even though there were still distance between himself and his mother. He had his friends, standing by his side whether he was Oliver or the Arrow. He had a career that he had built by himself, one that his name and his money wasn't wholly responsible for.

And then there was Felicity. This spark in his life, this source of unexpected connection and understanding, wrapped up in a woman who shouldn't be real but was.

He couldn't understand how he had gotten so lucky, how he had managed to actually be something close to a whole man. But he had, and he knew he was only getting started.

The sight of Felicity stepping into Jitters made his heart actually clench in his chest. Because . . . she was beautiful, and he hadn't seen her for weeks, and she just looked so Felicity in her purple coat and red dress, her glasses perched on her nose and dangly earrings swinging against her neck as she looked around. And when her eyes locked on his, he just barely held back a wide, goofy smile.

There was still work to be done to make things better. Explanations and apologies to be made, a relationship to be mended. But in this moment, Oliver felt like he could do anything, because Felicity was giving him another chance, even though he didn't deserve it, and he wasn't about to waste it.

He slid out of the booth as she approached. "Hi. Let me get you a coffee?"

"I was the one who asked you here-I should be buying the coffee . . ." Felicity said, her fingers playing with one of the buttons on her coat.

"Consider it part of my apology," Oliver said, gazing down at her.

She gave him a long look, then a small smile appeared on her face. "Okay," she said softly. "Grande vanilla latte, please."

Nodding, Oliver smiled back at her quickly, trying to keep himself under control, then walked over to the counter. He had never felt like this before: it was a bit like anxiety, but without the worry and fear that normally accompanied that emotion. It might be anticipation, but it felt stronger than that.

Rather than get distracted trying to figure out what he was feeling, Oliver made himself focus on his upcoming conversation with Felicity. On figuring out how much he could reveal to Felicity, when he was still hesitant to think too deeply about how he felt. He knew he needed time to work up to this. Because Felicity deserved a man who was all in, but right now he wasn't sure that was him.

But how could he explain that to her without giving her the wrong idea? Making her think he wasn't interested in her at all?

The few minutes it took to get Felicity's coffee, carry it back to their booth, and wait for her to take her first sip wasn't nearly enough time to figure this out. So Oliver just took a deep breath and tried not to make things worse.

"I want to apologize for what happened, Felicity," he said quietly, looking at her.

She eyed him over the rim of her mug. "What exactly are you apologizing for, Oliver?"

Was it odd that he wanted to smile at how she was pinning him down? That he wasn't irritated by her request for clarification?

"For having Thea and Tommy come along and not letting you know. It was impolite to have them come without asking you first," Oliver said. He paused, knowing that wasn't all of it, but not sure if he should say it. But he knew Felicity's anger wasn't just about his sister and his best friend, so he said quickly, "Especially with the timing."

Felicity set down her mug but kept her hands wrapped tightly around it. "I didn't mind meeting Thea. I've been wanting to meet her, in fact, with how you talk about her. And it was nice to see Tommy again, even if it was briefly." He sensed she was picking her words carefully. "But from my perspective, it looked like you were throwing up barriers to us talking. Because of what happened the night before . . ."

"I realize that now," Oliver said, leaning forward. "It wasn't like that, though. Tommy wanted to drop by and say hello to you-he told me that. And I was going to tell you, first thing that morning, that he would be showing up. But then Thea asked to come along with me, and there wasn't any reason for me to say no. I didn't think to text you and let you know, but . . . but it just didn't cross my mind."

When she didn't say anything, looking lost in thought, Oliver suddenly understood what it was like to be her. Because the silence between them felt so empty and vast, he wanted to fill it up. Say something, anything, that would get her to forgive him.

And that need for her to forgive him made him all the more determined to at least get them back to being friends. Because he wasn't sure how he felt about her. He had never felt like this before and wasn't sure if he could put his feelings into words. He wasn't sure if there could be more between them. He wouldn't blame Felicity for not wanting to change what they had or being unwilling to take a chance with him. But he knew now that he had to have her in his life, somehow. Maybe he would realize that friendship wasn't enough-but it would be better than nothing.

She sighed softly. "I'm mad at you for something I could see myself doing, you know."

"What?" he said, feeling confused.

Her shoulders shrugged and she gave him a sheepish smile. "This wouldn't be the first time I misread someone's intentions. Thinking it was a date when it wasn't, thinking it wasn't a date when it was . . ." Her hands relaxed around her mug. "When I was at MIT, this guy in one of my classes asked me to get some coffee with him. I was standing there with a friend of mine when he asked, so I turned to her and said she should come along, too. And she gave me this look-"

Felicity paused to laugh and Oliver let himself smile. "That 'are you crazy, don't you realize he just asked you out?' look?"

"Exactly," Felicity said, nodding and grinning.

And just like that, Oliver felt a weight lift off his shoulders. They could do this. They were actually talking, making progress. Like normal people did after a misunderstanding.

But all his relief got swept away when Felicity's grin faded and her face grew serious. "So I can forgive you for Thea and Tommy. For them showing up unannounced and you not thinking to give me a heads-up. But, Oliver . . . I have to ask."

She paused, worrying her bottom lip. The longer she took to come up with her question, the more nervous he got.

"What exactly did you mean that night? Saying that-that you couldn't do anything but help me?"

XXX

If she didn't think she would pass out first, Felicity would hold her breath while waiting for Oliver to reply. Because this felt like one of those pivotal moments, the kind where if her life was a movie, "Felicity" would be holding her breath. Holding her breath and gazing at "Oliver" while looking prettier and taller than she really was.

But this wasn't a movie. And while Oliver was certainly handsome enough to be a movie star, he wasn't some perfect romantic hero. He could be distant and he was definitely keeping things from her and he seemed to prefer nonverbal communication to actually talking about how he felt.

So she was nervous about asking him flat-out what he meant. It wasn't what a girl in a romantic comedy would do. But again-this wasn't a movie. And she needed to know if she was dooming herself to loving someone who thought of her as just a friend.

Her first glimpse of him, when she walked into Jitters, made her stomach swoop. Because . . . of course she loved him. He was handsome and gorgeous and charming. But even more than that, he was thoughtful and inspiring and caring, a man who made her feel better about herself while also working so hard to be a better man. He wasn't the spoiled frat boy he used to be-and not just because of those five years he was gone. It was all the things he had done since he had come back that had turned him into Oliver. Into the person with whom she wanted something more.

It was amazing she hadn't immediately started babbling. But when she saw him, there wasn't just a confirmation of how she felt. There was also the echoes from their last meeting, echoes of hurt and disappointment. And until they dealt with that, until she knew what was going through his head, she had to keep the brakes on her feelings. Had to slow the train down.

Oliver took plenty of time to respond. She could almost see the wheels turning as he formulated his answer. When he spoke, she noticed how his fingers were rubbing together, in his nervous little twitch. The one about which she didn't think he was fully conscious, or else he would have stopped himself from doing it.

"It wasn't until the words were out of my mouth that I realized what I was saying," he admitted slowly. "And that . . . that there could be a deeper meaning."

Felicity felt her mouth go dry. He was letting her down easy. Trying to say he hadn't meant what he said, that he just wanted to be friends-

"It-it was just-it's what friends do for each other," he said, talking faster. "They help each other, you know? But-" He paused, his eyes locking on hers and Felicity felt like the rest of the world had vanished. It was just her and him, and so maybe this was like a movie.

"But not only friends, either."

What was he saying? Was he telling her he . . .? She couldn't even finish the thought. Couldn't do anything except stare at him.

He leaned back and ran his hands over his face. "I know this is a dick move, but . . . but I don't really know what I meant, other than you're important to me and I don't want you to doubt that. I just-with what I've been through, I'm not exactly a normal guy and . . ." His voice trailed off, his shoulders slumping and his hands falling onto the table.

If it was anyone else, she would think this was some line. A way to keep her on a string, pulling her close when he wanted and then pushing her away. But it wasn't anyone else. It was Oliver. And she knew he had darkness in him-darkness he must be scared of. Because when you went through something life-changing and traumatic, it took away a part of you, a part that could seem lost forever. It would make you gunshy of taking risks, especially with your heart.

So she got that. She really did. But . . . but where did that leave him, and her, and them?

Slowly, Felicity let her hand inch across the table, until her fingertips touched his. She did her best to ignore how her skin tingled when she made contact with him. Because she couldn't let her hormones distract her from getting this worked out.

"After I was attacked," she started, noticing how his head immediately lifted, all his attention on her. She let her eyes drop to their hands as she kept going. "I felt so . . . lost. I was recovering from my injuries and it took a while for me to realize that it wasn't just my body that needed healing. My-well, my soul or spirit or whatever you want to call it-my soul needed to get better, too. And it was hard. I always buried things down, when something was bothering me or stressing me out, but I couldn't bury this."

She paused, chancing a quick look at him to see his reaction. His face was relatively stoic, with only his lips pressing together and a slight tension in his jaw. But his eyes-oh, if she kept looking at him she would never finish this. So she looked back down at the table and cleared her throat.

"I saw a therapist for a while and that helped. My mom stayed with me, even though she got fired from her job. And Laurel and Captain Lance worked together to bring Sara into my life-she started off as a kind of bodyguard for me, did you know that? So I would feel safe."

"Felicity," Oliver said, his voice low and strained.

"Please, just-let me get through this," she said quickly, glancing at him again. She waited until he nodded.

Taking a quick sip of her coffee, Felicity tried to center herself as she prepared for what she was trying to say. "I still push down a lot of emotions-I let myself get focused on something else, something that will let me ignore whatever I'm worried or stressed about. I always choose flight over fight. But it's not healthy, and it's something I'm always going to work on. And that makes me second-guess myself a little. So . . . so I can understand if you're not sure about things, Oliver."

Her heart beat faster as she looked at him. No quick glance now-no, this was their eyes meeting, blue on blue, and Felicity felt her palms go clammy over how much she had already revealed of herself and how he had listened to all of this, not interrupting or giving her platitudes or anything. Just . . . listening.

"For now, it's okay," she said, trying to smile. "If you're figuring stuff out. But-but I just hope that when you do make up your mind, you, y'know, let me know where your head's at, so I can know? I mean, so we don't have some weird awkward thing where we don't know where we stand and it's awkward and-"

"Felicity," he said, a quick smile flashing across his face.

"Just-just be honest with me and we'll be good, okay?" she said quickly, feeling grateful that he had interrupted her now and amazed at how he could bring her back to herself so easily by just saying her name. And slightly embarrassed at how much she had said and kinda turned on from touching her fingers to his which shouldn't be normal.

He gently lifted his hand and tapped his fingers against the back of her hand, making her look back up at him. "Being honest with you is the least I can do." He smiled at her, one that had teeth and everything, and the breath was knocked out of her. "And you'll be the first to know when I've got things figured out. I won't drag it out, Felicity."

It was probably her own feelings, the ones she might be alone in feeling, that made her want to read something into his words. Something that seemed like a promise. But that was how they had ended up here-not taking words at face value-so Felicity wasn't going to do that again. No, for now, what they said was all there was. And Oliver was showing the friendship and respect he had for her.

Taking a deep breath, Felicity smiled and nodded. "Okay." She lifted her coffee and took a large swallow, just as her stomach rumbled. Her cheeks went red as she covered her belly with her hand.

Oliver grinned at her, and God, this was going to be a problem. Focus!

"How about I get you a muffin?" he asked, starting to rise even before she said anything.

"No, I'll get it," she said, reaching for her purse. She stood up and something made her give him a quick wink. "You're not the only rich person at this table, Mr. Queen."

His eyebrows shot up. "What?" he asked, sounding surprised and confused.

"I'll tell you after I get my muffin," she said, feeling saucy. "Let's just say I'm going to be getting the fanciest, most expensive muffin available today, because I'm celebrating."

As she walked towards the counter, Felicity felt giddy. Because yes, things were still uncertain with Oliver-but in a way that made her tingle. And she had to be thrifty with her advance, because there were bills to pay and gifts to bestow and charities to support.

But right now? She was going to splurge on the chocolate chip and macadamia nut muffin that she normally just looked at longingly, and she could feel Oliver watching her as she walked away.

Why wouldn't she be giddy with all that?

XXX

Publisher's Lunch, February 13, 2014
Hachette Acquires Scientific Magic by Felicity Smoak

The first novel by Felicity Smoak, tech goddess, has been snapped up by Hachette with a six-figure advance. They're high on the prospects of Smoak making a splash in her fiction debut. Publication is slated for the fall; deal was brokered by Laurel Lance.

Starling City Times, March 4, 2014
Social Page: The Queens Enjoy A Family Dinner

One of Starling's first families were seen in public together for the first time in months. Happily, it's not due to discord. No, with Moira drawing rave reviews as the new CEO of Queen Consolidated, Oliver building a new career as an up-and-coming author, and young Thea the assistant manager at nightspot Verdant, the Queens are back to being movers and shakers in this city. Yet they found the time to reconnect over dinner at Table Salt, as pictured here.

XXX

"Oliver, are you sure about not having Mr. Diggle accompany you on your book tour? I don't like the idea of you being unprotected," Moira said, taking her coat from the cloakroom attendant.

"Mom, nothing's happened since that attack right after I came back. You don't have anything to worry about," Oliver said, helping his mother into her coat. "Besides, I'd feel better knowing that Digg was here to keep an eye on you and Thea."

Thea rolled her eyes. "Like I get into a tenth of the trouble you do, Ollie."

"Or you could just be better than me at hiding it, Speedy," he said, smirking at her.

"I'll never tell," she said, leaning up to hug him before kissing Moira's cheek. "I have to get to Verdant. I'll see you later."

Oliver watched her go, feeling a swell of emotion at seeing a happy Thea. His sister was special. He had always thought so, but now . . . he was so damn proud of her. With how she had a job and a stable relationship and everything.

"If she put her mind to it, Thea could be running the company in two years," Moira said wistfully, taking Oliver's arm. "Look at what she's done with that nightclub."

Nodding, he looked down at his mother. "She's the best of us."

As he turned to make sure Thea got into her cab, he could feel his mother's eyes on him, heavy and dark. He waited an extra moment after Thea left before looking back to Moira. "What is it, Mom?"

"I don't know how you forgave me. For making you get on that damnable boat."

Having this conversation in the lobby of Table Salt: it wasn't where he thought it would happen. But if Moira was willing to open that can of worms, he was going to let her. But he wasn't going to hold back.

"I'm not sure I can say I've forgiven you. More that I've chosen not to think about it," Oliver said quietly, gazing into the eyes that were just like his own. "Otherwise . . ."

Moira pressed her lips together and nodded. "I understand. But since I have never said this before . . . I do regret my actions. Not simply because we lost your father and what you experienced afterwards, but because I didn't agree with Robert's course of action. He argued we had been too lenient-that I had been too lenient, especially after that business with that girl."

He sucked in a breath, feeling a wave of shame. He hadn't even thought of Sandra in so long . . .

Giving his head a small shake, he swallowed. "Well, it was all a long time ago. And it worked out. In a way."

She clutched his arm. "Oliver . . ."

"Let's get you into a cab, Mom," he said, noticing how they were attracting attention. Moira nodded, allowing him to propel her out of the restaurant. But he didn't miss that instead of kissing his cheek as normal, his mother hugged him tightly before getting into a cab.

Once his mother was gone, Oliver sucked in a breath and hailed his own taxi. There were only a few days left before he was leaving, and he needed to get to the Foundry.

Diggle had somewhat reluctantly agreed to wear the hood a few nights a week, to keep up the illusion that the Arrow was still patrolling. But Sara would be doing the lion's share of the work in the field, with Digg providing backup and Tommy helping out in the Foundry when he could.

Oliver would be lying if he didn't have moments of worry and guilt over this course of action. He had done his best to keep them to himself, because he didn't want the others to feel like he doubted their abilities. He didn't . . . but none of them were the one who started this. They weren't the ones with the mission to carry out.

The closer he came to leaving, the more selfish he felt. For wanting to get away, for wanting a break, for wanting something for himself other than life as the Arrow.

It had been Diggle, last night, to try and make him see things differently.

"You're a soldier in a war, Oliver," Diggle said, giving him one of those long, level looks. "To keep your edge, you have to take time to refine it. And you do that in the down time. By letting yourself rest, recover from physical injuries-" Digg looked pointedly at Oliver's knee before continuing. "By reminding yourself that you're still human under that hood."

"Intellectually, I know that," Oliver had said, sipping the tea made from his island herbs and trying to hold back his grimace at the never-pleasant taste. "But emotionally . . ."

Digg nodded. "I get it. Emotions are tricky."

Oliver looked at Diggle, remembering their conversation last month. "How did you do it? Manage being married and going on missions with your wife?"

"I didn't, in the long run," Digg said matter-of-factly. Oliver quirked an eyebrow, not letting him off the hook, and Digg sighed. "Having Lyla . . . she was something to fight for. If you go into a battle without anything to fight for, it's too easy to give up. But knowing I was watching her back? Knowing I had her to live for?" He shrugged. "You can stare down death with something to live for, or not. Something to live for is better."

Ever since last night, Oliver had been turning Diggle's words over and over in his mind. Wondering what he had to live for. It wasn't that he had to search for reasons to fight. There was the mission his father had left him, the goal to save Starling and be part of its renewal. And there was his friends and his family.

But Oliver was pretty sure Diggle meant there should be one person, and one person alone, that Oliver was fighting for.

And he couldn't deny it. Not with how his thoughts were never far from Felicity. Even with the limited contact he had with her over the last few weeks, he felt close to her.

Felicity had thrown herself into her work, of course. She had mentioned at their now-weekly coffee session that she was trying to get This or That revised quickly, and there was also a lot of work to be done on her novel. Oliver, who had finally finished his book, sympathized with how frazzled she must be. Add in all the emails they were each receiving from their agents and Ex Astris, and Oliver wasn't the only one to feel like there weren't enough hours in the day.

Yet neither of them were willing to repeat what happened before, when they went so long without seeing each other while Felicity was working on Scientific Magic. So they had coffee once a week, and talked on the phone, and sent texts back and forth all day long.

It was probably for the best, Oliver thought, as he paid the cabbie and got out in front of Verdant, bypassing the line and heading to the side entrance to the Foundry. If he saw Felicity more, it would be too easy to get swept up in what was crackling between them.

If he thought there had been a certain tension between them before . . . now he could practically feel the electricity whenever he was with her. And there was flirting. A lot of flirting.

Only a week to go before the beginning of the tour. When he would have a near-unlimited amount of access to Felicity. Oliver wasn't sure how it was healthy, the amount of pleasure that thought gave him.

But before the tour began, there was still plenty of work for the Arrow to do. So Oliver reluctantly set aside his thoughts of Felicity, preparing himself to be the protector of Starling City. Preparing himself to be a man who was fighting for his city.

Preparing to be the Arrow.

XXX

"I still can't believe you're going to stay here in Starling City instead of coming on tour with me," Felicity said, lifting her glass and drinking the last of her very nice red wine.

Sara sighed. "If you keep saying that, you're gonna make me feel guilty."

"Good-you should feel guilty," Felicity said, trying to sound firm, only to break down into giggles. Sara laughed too, and Felicity couldn't help savoring this moment. Feeling free and light and safe.

Ever since she had sold Scientific Magic and reached an understanding with Oliver, Felicity had felt so good, thanks to the feelings of relief and anticipation. For the first time in years, she felt hopeful about her future. Excited. Not weighed down, wondering how to pinch her pennies.

That was why she and Sara were enjoying lunch in this nice, pretty bistro, instead of at Big Belly. Not that Felicity would ever give up Big Belly, but . . . it was nice to have options. She wondered if this was how Oliver felt: like the world was limitless and anything was possible.

Not that she was anywhere near as rich as Oliver. Although he'd never really made a big deal out of his money, she had to give him that. For a billionaire, he drank the cheapest coffee you could get at Jitters: always a small black coffee.

The clearing of a throat made Felicity jerk back to reality. Sara was smirking at her, her chin resting in her hand. "So what was Ollie wearing in whatever fantasy you just drifted off into?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"First off, he's kind of your ex-it's weird for you to ask me that," Felicity said, wrinkling her nose. "And I wasn't fantasizing about Oliver."

Sara raised her eyebrows. "Really? You were looking pretty dreamy-eyed there."

"I was just . . . thinking about him. That's different from fantasizing," Felicity argued weakly.

"Mmm-hmmm," Sara said, swirling the wine in her glass. "Maybe I should go on the tour-just to watch you two moon over each other. Because if you're this giggly now, I can't imagine how you'll get with constant access. And Ollie is just as bad, too."

Felicity let her eyes drop to her plate as she dragged her fork through the remainder of her pasta. Sara was probably right: she was acting like a girl with a crush. But she couldn't stop acting like this. Because things with Oliver were . . . she had never felt like this.

"I can't seem to help it," Felicity said quietly, glancing up at Sara. "It's kinda scary, when I think about it. Because this isn't like me. And because . . . because he doesn't know what he wants, and what if he decides he'd rather be friends?"

"I don't think that's what he wants, Felicity," Sara said gently. "I mean, I haven't talked to him about this, but from the way he's acting-he's smitten. I've certainly never seen him like this."

The bubble of hope, the one that waxed and waned inside her, grew so large at Sara's words that Felicity felt breathless. The connection between Oliver and herself was just so potent, so magical, that her heart couldn't seem to stop wanting this. Wanting him.

"If you came on the tour, you could be our chaperone," Felicity said, trying to smile. "Like at school dances."

Sara snickered. "Leaving a foot of space for the Holy Ghost, huh?"

"Something like that," Felicity said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Listen," Sara said, her voice growing serious, "you should have fun on this tour. You're going to meet so many of your fans, you'll get to talk about your books . . . this will be good for you."

"I hope so," Felicity said. "I've worked really hard over the last six months. It'll be nice to relax a little. Not that I won't be working just as hard on the tour, but I'm hoping it'll be fun."

Nodding, Sara topped off her glass of wine and held the bottle up towards Felicity. She set aside the bottle when Felicity turned down a third glass. "I know you're nervous about spending so much time with Oliver, but-"

"I'm not, actually," Felicity interrupted. "That . . . that part is good. A little nerve-wracking, but the good kind of nerves, you know?"

Sara smiled softly. "Yeah, I know."

Felicity took a few more bites of her pasta, not wanting to waste such good food. It let her observe Sara, who was looking a lot better than she had a few months ago. It seemed to Felicity that someone knowing her secret was making things easier for Sara. Whether it was because she didn't have to hide with Felicity, or she appreciated the 911 app Felicity had created and loaded onto Sara's phone-something she could use if she got into trouble while being the Canary-Sara was definitely happier.

With a quick look around the restaurant, Felicity leaned forward and spoke quietly. "How . . . how are things going with the Arrow?"

"Things are good," Sara said after taking a sip of wine. "We work together pretty well."

"Is he why you're not coming on the tour?"

It was a question that had been nagging at Felicity ever since Sara had turned down her offer. Her friend had explained she couldn't be away from the dojo for so long, couldn't go without any money coming in for a month. But even Felicity's offer to pay Sara as her assistant hadn't swayed her.

Sara looked at Felicity, her lips pressed together. Then she nodded. "He asked me to stay. To help him protect Starling."

"Oh." Felicity took a deep breath. "That . . . that's good? That he's willing to ask for help, I mean. And that he feels like he can rely on you."

"Yeah, it's good," Sara said. "I'm sorry I can't come, Felicity-"

"No, no, I understand," Felicity said quickly. "It makes sense. You must be really close to him."

Shrugging, Sara threw back the last of her wine. "I guess."

"Do you even know who he is?" Felicity asked, frowning a little. "I mean, by now I'd think you would know, but maybe he's the ultra-paranoid type and no one knows. Wait, he is a man, right?"

Sara laughed quietly, her body relaxing. "Yes, he's a man. Believe me, the leather pants should have given that away-I can't wait to tell him about this."

"Oh, God, now I'm babbling to people I've never even met," Felicity said, feeling her face go red.

"You're cute," Sara said with a grin.

Sighing, Felicity ducked her head. The embarrassment over her babbling was at least helping to move the conversation away from the Arrow. But since she had figured out that Sara was the Canary, she had sometimes wondered about the green-clad archer. Wondered who he was.

With a shake of her head, Felicity looked at Sara. "Did you want dessert? I was hoping to work off lunch with some shopping, and then maybe ice cream. If you were interested . . . "

"Hell, yes," Sara said with a smile. "Looking for anything in particular?"

"Just some new things . . . maybe a new pair of magic shoes," Felicity said, accepting the bill from the waiter with a smile.

"Magic shoes?"

Digging through her purse for her wallet, Felicity said distractedly, "Yeah . . . the shoes I wore to that book signing at Star Books? The ones Laurel gave me?"

"Oh, right, those. You want a new pair?"

"I like the idea of having double the magic," Felicity said with a grin, setting down enough bills to cover their check and leave a good tip for the waiter. "Ready to go?"

Laughing, Sara stood up and swept a deep bow to Felicity. "Magic shoes await!" She was quiet until Felicity started walking with her, then she whispered, "And you can pump me for intel on what Ollie might like."

"Sara!" Felicity yelped, turning to look at her friend. And that just made Sara laugh harder.

Now she was regretting just how much she had told Sara. Not that it was all that much, but Sara took crumbs and built a wedding cake out of them. Felicity felt her face go crimson at the direction in which her mind had gone. Because that was really going too far.

There was only a week before the tour would start. She had a lot of work to do, tons of preparations to make. The last thing she could afford was getting lost in daydreams of Oliver.

But it was getting harder and harder not to.

XXX

Felicity Smoak Facebook page, March 5, 2014
I'm Coming To You!

I am so thrilled to officially announce that I'm going on tour! Over the next month, I'll be visiting twenty-five cities in the US, speaking and doing signings at bookstores and college campuses. If you click on the events tab, you can see if I'll be coming to a city near you. And you actually get two for the price of one, since Oliver Queen will be joining me on this tour. What could be better?

Publisher's Lunch, March 7, 2014
Ex Astris Tour Kicks Off Soon

Newly independent Ex Astris is already establishing how it's different from its former self. Going against their previous philosophy, a new focus on marketing is evident with the announcement of the authors being sent on tour by the publisher: Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak. In a joint tour of compelling authors, Queen and Smoak will visit twenty-five cities, promoting their forthcoming titles. Full details are available at the Ex Astris website.

XXX

Oliver was man enough to admit that if he wasn't standing on the tarmac at Starling City International Airport, completely out in the open and exposed, he would be pacing. But he could see a few paparazzi lingering just out of eyeshot and he didn't want to give them anything more than absolutely necessary. Especially if the rainy, foggy conditions delayed their departure and they had to go into the main terminal.

Diggle would be arriving with Felicity at any moment. Oliver had suggested having Digg pick her up and bring her to the airport, to help conceal his surprise for her. He knew Felicity had anticipated taking a commercial flight to New York. But since this was the longest travel leg on their trip, and he was a billionaire, why not have a little bit of comfort to start? And that meant using the Queen Consolidated jet to take them to New York.

Deep down, Oliver knew that this was about more than comfort. It was about pampering Felicity. Giving her something special, something memorable. He could do that for her-and he wanted to do it. She had done so much work for the tour, taking point on most of the questions that Ex Astris had put to them. It wasn't like she pushed him aside or didn't ask his opinion: she just had a take-charge nature and a gift for organization. Plus, she still knew so much more about the publishing world than he did, even with his work to learn about the business he was in.

And maybe he just wanted to see her face when she saw the jet.

Smiling to himself, Oliver craned his neck as he searched for the car. When the silver Bentley turned the corner and approached him, he felt his smile widen at realizing Felicity was sitting in the front seat next to Digg.

As soon as the car stopped, he opened the passenger door and leaned down. "Wow, I didn't know people could ride in the front seat of this thing."

Felicity rolled her eyes. "Diggle was horrified when I insisted on sitting next to him. But Oliver, what are we doing here?"

Oliver offered her a hand to help her out of the car, a hand that she just barely brushed against as she stepped onto the tarmac. She was a bright spot of color in the gray twilight in her purple coat. "If the jet doesn't get used, why bother having it? So . . ."

Behind her glasses, Felicity's eyes went wide. "What?"

God, she made him want to smile all the time. "I thought we could take the Queen Consolidated jet to New York. Start the tour off with a bang. Surprise."

It was only now, with Felicity gaping at him, that Oliver suddenly realized that maybe he shouldn't have done this. That he shouldn't have kept this from Felicity, that he was doing the same thing all over again-

"Oh my God! I've always wanted to see a private jet! And we're going to fly on it? Really?"

And then he had an armful of Felicity, pressed up against him as she hugged him. "Thank you! Oh, this is awesome!"

His arms hung awkwardly at his sides as he tried to get his brain to start working. Because she had never been this close to him before, and it felt really good, even with all the layers between them, and no, the layers were a good thing. Because her arms were holding him tightly and he could catch a whiff of something citrusy that could be her shampoo or perfume or just her, and-

Before he could do anything like reply to her enthusiasm or hug her back, Felicity went rigid. She pulled away quickly, taking two large steps from him and nearly bumping into Digg, who was carrying her suitcases towards the jet. Even in the chilly air, her face was flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry, Oliver."

He almost shook his head, like a swimmer trying to get water out of his ears, because he didn't understand what she had said. "What?"

"That!" she said, her hands gesturing wildly between them. "The-the tackle hug."

"The . . . tackle hug," he repeated, feeling his lips quirk upwards. "How is that different from a normal hug?"

She looked totally thrown, especially when he stepped closer to her. "It-it's all . . . you know, like tackling someone. As if you were a quarterback and I was a guy on the other team and I was trying to, you know . . . tackle you. But with a hug included." She bit her lower lip, looking up at him once he came to a stop in front of her, and then gave him a small smile. "Thus, tackle hug. Get it?"

"Mmm, yes," he said, lightly cupping her elbow and turning them towards the jet. "You made it very clear. And you don't have to be sorry."

"I was just really excited about the private jet, okay? I never thought I'd get to fly on one," Felicity said, her eyes beseeching him. "But you probably flew on one of these before you were even born, so I guess it's no big deal to you."

"Are you okay with this?" he said, pausing at the base of the stairs that led up to the jet. "With me surprising you like this? Because if you aren't-"

Of all the reactions he expected Felicity to have, rolling her eyes and tilting her head to one side wasn't on the short list. It wasn't on any list. "Oliver," she said, giving him a small smile. "I really appreciate you doing all this, because it was very sweet and thoughtful of you, and I'm really excited about this flight, more than any flight I've ever taken, except maybe the first one I ever took. I was just surprised, you know? Sometimes it's hard to remember you're a billionaire."

"What?" he said, letting out a soft bark of laughter. "Really?"

"Really!" she said, smiling up at him. "I mean, you drink boring coffee, you wear jeans and henleys most of the time, you never talk about buying cars or small countries or anything . . ."

He snorted. "Small countries?"

Felicity raised her shoulders in an elegant shrug, her smile still in place. And Oliver couldn't help but just look at her for a long moment, soaking up this feeling. This giddy, loose, relaxed feeling. Being with her just felt so fun. After months of thinking and deliberating his every move, it felt so fucking good to let go and do whatever he wanted when it came to Felicity. Smile at her, flirt with her, touch her . . .

Slow down there, Queen, he told himself. Honesty, remember?

The last thing he wanted to do was give Felicity mixed messages. She had given him an incredible gift by letting him wait to put his feelings into words and allowing their relationship to stay undefined. He wasn't about to dishonor her trust by going farther than he should go.

Even if he was already thinking about how he could find an excuse to hug her.

"Well, I am kinda a billionaire," he said, gesturing to the jet. "So are you ready to see what my family spends their money on?"

"So ready! Do you think the pilot could give me a tour and explain everything?" Felicity asked, starting to talk quickly as she climbed the steps into the plane.

And as he followed her, Oliver couldn't help giving his head a small shake. Felicity was one in a million-no, one in a billion. He had the feeling that the next month was going to be something special.

XXX

With a blissful sigh, Felicity flopped down on the bed in her hotel room. Even though she had experienced a cross-country overnight flight and a full day of publicity, she felt like she was on cloud nine. And it wasn't just from the fluffy duvet and the even dozen pillows on her bed.

She had a suspicion that Oliver had done more than arrange the jet for their flight-he was probably responsible for this very luxurious hotel room, too. Normally, all this would make her feel uncomfortable. Like he was throwing his money around, trying to impress her. Like he thought she couldn't carry her own weight. That was why she had always insisted on paying him back when he bought her coffee. Felicity Smoak stood on her own two feet.

But . . . it was nice to feel this pampered. And she knew Oliver's heart was in the right place. He wanted to make the start of the tour a good one. He had made sure of that on the plane last night, as they nibbled on a light dinner. Reassuring her that he had only gone 'overboard', in her words, while they were in New York, and that everything else was as she had arranged.

Honestly . . . he had looked so nervous, so concerned about how she'd react to these surprises, and so determined that she knew he understood her perspective, her misgivings had been immediately set aside. It made her want to beep his nose and tell him he was adorable-and also wrap her arms around him and kiss him.

Felicity threw an arm over her eyes, but couldn't help smiling even as her cheeks went pink. She had hugged Oliver. It was just a heat of the moment type of thing, because she was so caught up in the excitement of going on tour, of being with Oliver, of getting to fly in a freaking private jet, that she was hugging him before she even realized what she was doing.

But then she did, when she felt just how amazing his body was. Because . . . damn. It wasn't just his shoulders and arms that were impressive. His whole torso felt like it was solid muscle-like he was a mountain that couldn't be moved. She had felt butterflies in her stomach as her mind came up with several crisp, vivid images of how those muscles would feel against her, without coats and other clothing between them.

That was what made her step back. The way her body had reacted, she needed to put some space between them and get her bearings. After the heat that came off him in waves-how was he so warm?-the cold air was a shock to her system. But it let her recover, even with babbling about the tackle hug and Oliver's utter amusement at the term.

And when she told him she appreciated what he had done, the look on his face . . . well, the cold air didn't feel so cold anymore.

With another sigh-this one more thoughtful-Felicity pulled herself off the bed and went to her oversized bag, rummaging through it. Her beloved but ancient tablet had run out of charge in the late morning-she really needed to figure out which of the newly-announced-at-CES tablets would be the replacement. Spending the day without her tablet and having to squint at the tiny screen on her phone had given her a headache. Since Oliver had made dinner plans for them, she was hoping a nap and a shower would help relieve her eye strain.

Grabbing her tablet and charger, she plugged it in before stretching a little. She set the alarm on her phone, kicked off her shoes and set her glasses down on the nightstand before pulling back the covers on the bed. It was all she could do not to groan with pleasure when she slid between the sheets, marveling at the high thread count.

"Mmm," she said happily, closing her eyes and relaxing back against the pillows.

Even though she was wrapped up in softness and warmth, her brain wouldn't fully shut off. But Felicity just let herself drift along in a doze, not really caring where her thoughts went. She had discovered a long time ago that if she couldn't sleep, this kind of napping was good enough to keep her going. It was how she had been able to finish her senior year at MIT while writing her first book, when sleep was at a premium.

Today had gone so well, too. The tour would kick off tomorrow night, with both her and Oliver speaking and signing at an uptown Barnes & Noble. The following two days would see smaller events at various indie bookstores around the city, before the tour commenced in earnest with their next stop. Then it would be a whirl of twenty-four more cities in thirty days, ending in Starling City.

It would be good. Challenging. Even if the next-to-last stop was Las Vegas, which meant there was every possibility Oliver would meet her mother. Because there was no way that Donna Smoak would miss Felicity's signing.

Rolling over, Felicity curled up against the pillows and batted away those thoughts. She had nearly a month before she'd have to consider her mother and Oliver interacting. There was plenty of time to worry about that. For now, she was just going to enjoy her nap, take a shower, and get ready for dinner with Oliver.

And that sent her mind off into a wildly impractical daydream about Oliver, herself, and chocolate-covered strawberries that was too sappy even for a romance novel. Felicity's eyes popped open when she realized what she was imagining, feeling her face go red. So maybe bed was the wrong place for her right now.

The alarm was set to go off in ten minutes, so Felicity pushed aside the covers and got up. Sara had recommended she do yoga during the tour, so she awkwardly did a few downward dogs, feeling the stretch in her calves and back. A quick check on her tablet showed it had charged partway, so Felicity turned it on, setting it to download her emails and Facebook messages while she showered.

Like everything else in this room, the shower was ridiculously lavish. Yeah, it didn't get her any cleaner than the tiny little shower enclosure in her bathroom at home-but it was a hell of a lot more comfortable, she thought with a grin.

There was even a docking station, complete with iPod, in the bathroom!

Felicity hummed along with the eighties playlist she had selected on the iPod, even dancing a little as she dried her hair and applied lotion. With one of the ultra-fluffy robes wrapped around herself, Felicity went to her tablet to see what had happened in the world during the last eight hours, before she got dressed.

And what she found made her mouth drop open in shock.

"What-how . . .?" she spluttered to herself, before pressing the tablet to her chest and darting out of her room. Her mind was in a complete whirl and only one thing registered. She had to talk to Oliver.

He was in the room next to hers-the smile as he looked at her when they stood in front of their respective rooms, unlocking the doors, was burned into her memory-so she padded along the soft carpet and knocked loudly on the door.

"Oliver?" she called out, hearing a slightly-frantic note in her voice. She was probably-no, she was definitely overreacting, she knew, but this-all these websites-what would people think? What would his family think? And her mother?

Felicity balled her fist up and banged on the door once. "Oliver!"

No sooner had she finished saying his name a second time than the door opened. "Felicity?" Oliver asked, sounding confused and worried.

But Felicity couldn't really come up with an answer for him. In fact, her fist was still lifted in the air, ready to pound on a door that wasn't there.

Because Oliver wasn't wearing a shirt. He was standing in front of her shirtless and she was not prepared for what she was seeing.

XXX

Just Jared, March 17, 2014
Oliver Queen On An Actual Runway

People Weekly, March 17, 2014
A New Romance for Ollie?

Us Weekly, March 17, 2014
Mystery Blonde with Ollie Queen!

It's been too long since we had anything good on Starling City's hottest son, Oliver Queen. Imagine our delight when we got these photos of Ollie, outside his company jet and getting hugged by quite the lovely nerd. Note how the well-renowned playboy is just standing there and not making a move!

If you like romance, though, just check out the heart eyes on Ollie before he leads his new lady love onto the jet. We guess smart is sexy! But who's the woman? Our sources say it's Felicity Smoak, well-known author and fellow Starling City resident. The same Felicity Smoak who's kicking off a book tour with Ollie this week and has been seen with Mr. Queen in a certain coffee shop in Starling City quite frequently over the last year.

Starling City, looks like your Prince Charming may be off the market, because he's definitely found his Cinderella.

End, Chapter 11