A special thanks to a post by emilybuttrickards on tumblr for inspiring this fic :)
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Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.
Sunlight peaks through the half open curtains and Oliver stirs awake as the rays heat up his face. He scrunches up his eyes and rolls over onto his stomach, expecting for his outstretched arm to drape across another body when it flops onto cold sheets. Lifting his head off his pillow, he opens his eyes to take in the empty bed and his stomach drops. She left. Again. Sighing, he sits up in bed, the covers pooling low around his naked waist when he smells something coming from downstairs, wafting over the lofted banister. That's when his eyes spot her shoes at the foot of the bed and her clothes discarded across the floor from their night of passion. He exhales in relief at the realization and rises to his feet, moving to his closet and stepping into a pair of dark sweats.
As Oliver heads out of his room, he tugs a t-shirt over his head while walking down the stairs. Rounding the corner and maneuvering through the living room, his eyes land on her figure standing in front of the stove. A smile tugs up the corners of his mouth as he drinks in her appearance, traveling up her long legs, eyes pausing briefly at the hem of his shirt she is wearing that stops just below her butt before continuing up over her silky, lavender waves. He can't help but stand there in silence for a few moments to just admire her; she truly is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. And not just because of her crystalline eyes, or the slight slope of her nose, or her smooth curves, but because of her. Before he'd met her, he hadn't thought much; yes, he had thought she was gorgeous and extremely talented. Anything he knew about her personality was from interviews and tabloids, although he knows better than anyone that the media can warp things until it portrays what they want it to portray. Now he knows that she's so much more than the scandals they show. She's… Felicity.
"Shit!" Felicity hisses as she removes a pan from the stovetop and tosses it into the sink, flicking the tap until a heavy stream of water floods out.
Oliver, pulled from his blatant ogling, barks out a laugh at her antics, and she peers over her shoulder before shutting off the water and turning to face him completely. "Don't laugh at me," she pouts as he approaches her.
"What are you doing?" he asks with a grin, wrapping his arms around her waist and hers immediately circle his neck.
"Well, I was trying to make pancakes, but I burned them. Actually, they somehow started on fire." Felicity glares down at the crusted pan, "I don't know what happened, I followed the instructions online."
"Aw, you tried to make me breakfast?"
"Tried and failed," she chuckles at herself and her infamous inability to cook. Leaning up on her tiptoes to eliminate the few inches between them, she connects their lips in a slow kiss that quickly heats up as she forces her tongue into his mouth. After a few seconds, a lack of air causes her to pull away, but she doesn't go far. Her fingers absentmindedly play with the short strands of hair at the base of his neck and she gazes up at him under long lashes, "Hi."
"Hi," he returns her smile and brings up a hand to tuck a strand of messy hair behind her ear, "I gotta say, when I woke up to an empty bed, I thought you ran out on me."
She knows he is just teasing but can sense an undertone of worry to his words, so she tries to convey everything she is feeling through her deep blue orbs, "Not this time."
Seeing the truth to her words, Oliver decides to lighten the sudden heaviness surrounding them by raising a brow and smirking down at her, moving his hands down her body to finger the hem of his shirt, "I see you found your way to my closet."
Her grin grows and her eyes sparkle with mischief, "Yeah well, I thought that it might look better on me. No offense."
"None taken, you were right," he ducks his head, and his lips connect with her pulse point before he travels underneath the dark blue Henley to squeeze her ass in both hands. He smiles against her skin when she cranes her neck, and her breath hitches in her throat.
Oliver is just about to lift her onto the counter when there is a knock at the front door, and he groans. She chuckles at the irritation on his face as he pulls away. "Who would be here this early?"
"Probably just the door man, I ask him to deliver larger envelopes right away instead of putting them in my mailbox. I'll get it, and then I will make you pancakes so that the building doesn't burn down."
"Shut up," she pushes at his shoulder as he moves around her and out of the kitchen. "Hey, where's your bathroom?"
He turns to look at her, walking backwards towards the door and pointing, "Just around that corner." Watching as she nods and heads towards where he directed, Oliver can't stop an easy smile from forming on his face, a happiness flooding him that he hasn't felt in a while after everything that's happened with his family. Another knock sounds and he takes the few remaining steps before unlocking the door and pulling it open, ready to accept the envelope from Frederick when his smile falls slightly at the person standing in front of him. He gulps nervously, "Laurel?"
"Hi Ollie," she smiles shyly, her eyes brightening at the sight of him, and she tightens her grip on the strap of her handbag.
"What, uh," he clears his throat, "What are you doing here?"
Laurel reaches up to tuck a brunette lock behind her ear, "I wanted to talk. I know that we left things sorta rough at Verdant, and I just… I miss you, Ollie."
He sucks in a sharp breath as uneasiness fills his body. This is what he was afraid of. "Laurel, I -"
"- wait," she interrupts, "Can I finish first?" At his small nod, Laurel takes in a deep breath and continues, "I'm so sorry for the way I've been treating everyone recently. My dad, Sara… You. Ollie, I still love you. And I know that you broke up with me because of my drinking, but I've been going to AA meetings." She reaches into her bag and pulls out something small, round and red, turning it over in her fingers, "I've been sober for thirty days. So I thought that maybe… Maybe we can go get coffee or something and try to work things out, because I still believe that we're supposed to be together, Ollie."
The rock in his stomach sinks with each of her words and Oliver stares at her with sad eyes, trying to think of a way to respond without completely crushing her heart, when a voice coming from inside the apartment finds the words for him. "Hey, do you have any sprinkles? I know it sounds weird, but funfetti pancakes are amaz -" Felicity halts her steps at the sight in front of her, her half naked form in clear view to the other woman, "- ing," she finishes lamely. "Sorry, I didn't know someone was here."
Laurel's smile falls immediately as her eyes dart between Oliver and Felicity. After a few seconds, Felicity decides to break the extremely awkward silence by closing the distance between herself and the other woman, sticking out her hand with a smile, "Hi. I'm Felicity Smoak." Deciding to make a bold move, she clarifies, "Oliver's girlfriend."
The brunette is visibly shaken by the title but tries to hide it, forcing a fake smile and grabbing her hand to shake it in hello, "I'm Laurel Lance -"
"- Lance," she finishes in unison and chuckles when Laurel looks to her in surprise, "You look a lot like Sara."
"Right," she pulls her hand away and sucks in a sharp breath, eyes flitting back to Oliver, and he can see the pain behind them. "Well, sorry to interrupt your day. I guess I'll see you later Ollie." Taking a step back, Laurel offers a little wave, "Nice meeting you, Felicity."
The couple watches as she disappears around the corner towards the elevators and Oliver slowly closes the front door, cautiously turning to face Felicity. After a few seconds, the natural blonde breaks the silence surrounding them, "So… What did your ex want at 10:30 in the morning on a Saturday?"
Her voice conveys a false casualness, and he can see right through it. "Nothing, she just wanted to apologize for how we left things because she's sober now." He narrows his eyes at the small nod she gives and takes a step forward, unable to keep the growing grin off his face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're jealous."
Folding her arms across her chest, Felicity scoffs, "You wish, Queen."
His grin only widens until it's a full-blown smirk, "My girlfriend, huh?"
"What?" she questions before her eyes widen and she remembers that she actually said that. Out loud. In front of someone else. In front of his ex. Oh god. Her arms fall back to her sides, "I didn't… I mean, I'm not… You're not… I mean, we're not…"
Finding her stuttering incredibly adorable, he closes the distance between them and grabs both of her hands in his. She meets his eyes at the feel of his warm skin against hers, and he rubs his thumbs back and forth across the backs of her hands. "Felicity," he smiles. "I think that the word 'girlfriend' sounds pretty accurate."
"Oh," she breathes out before a shy grin tugs up the corners of her mouth. "Okay."
Oliver starts walking backwards towards the kitchen, dragging her along with him, "So, what were you saying about funfetti pancakes?"
Finishing off her third helping of pancakes, Felicity drops her plate into the sink before venturing upstairs in the direction Oliver had gone a few minutes earlier. Rounding the corner into his bedroom, her brows draw together at the sight of him tugging a shirt over his head and she rushes over to him with extended arms. "No, no, no! What are you doing?"
His mouth falls opens slightly as he stares at her, "Uh, getting dressed?"
"Why?"
He chuckles, "Because it's almost noon. Don't you think it's about time I take you home?"
"I guess," she pouts. "But first, I need to shower." He nods his head over his shoulder in the direction towards the bathroom and she shakes her own, raising a suggestive brow as a smirk forms on her face.
A grin tugs up the corners of his mouth, "Felicity Smoak, you are gonna get me in a lot of trouble someday."
"That's the plan," she giggles and fists his shirt in her hand, tugging him closer and connecting their lips. Just as her palms begin to scrape under his shirt and across his warm, chiseled abs, a frantic knocking against the front door sounds from downstairs. She pulls away with a groan, "Why do people keep showing up just when things start getting good?"
"I'll get rid of them," he assures quickly, feeling the same frustration as her.
"Good." Felicity begins moving backwards towards the bathroom, teasingly pulling up the hem of the shirt she is wearing, "Better make it quick or I'll have to start without you." She chuckles as he quickly rushes out of the room and proceeds with tugging the shirt over her head, carelessly tossing it on the tile floor. Dropping her panties to the floor and stepping out of them, Felicity opens the glass door to the shower and leans in to turn it on. She steps back, allowing the water to warm up, and turns to face herself in the mirror. Sighing, she takes in her reflection and can't help the genuine smile that finds its way on her face, because for the first time in a long time - maybe ever - she feels happy and hopeful and worthy.
About halfway down the stairs, Oliver hears the water from the shower turn on and picks up his pace, ready to get rid of whoever the hell is at his door preventing him from taking a very dirty shower with his new girlfriend. Without even looking through the peephole, he opens the door about to speak but is immediately pushed backwards into his apartment. "What the hell?" he narrows his eyes, realizing the man on the other side of the door is Tommy, and that he does not look happy.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Tommy growls, slamming the door shut behind him and shoving a magazine into his best friend's face. "What the hell is this?!"
Moving his head back slightly so that he can see, he sighs and knocks Tommy's arm out of his face. Oliver fixes him with a bored gaze, "I can explain."
"Explain what? Why there's pictures in here from last night of you making out with Felicity?! I told you that she was off limits!"
"I know and I'm sor -"
"- Sorry?" Tommy interrupts with an incredulous laugh. "God, I can't believe you! I can't believe you would try and make a move on her, especially after I told you how fragile she is!" He shoves him again, not hard enough to actually hurt him but aggressive enough to make him collide lightly with the wooden dining chair behind him.
Clenching his fists, Oliver takes a threatening step forward, "You should keep your hands to yourself before you do something you'll regret, Tommy."
"Like what?" he steps in his face and they're almost chest to chest, "Kick your ass?"
He narrows his eyes and is about to respond when the soft pattering of feet hits his ears followed by her familiar voice, "Hey, are you okay? I was getting lonely in the shower and then I heard some weird noises, it sounded like something might've fallen." Felicity's smile falls slightly at the sight and she comes to a stop near the bottom of the stairs, tugging the incredibly tiny bath towel tighter around her naked body, her lavender hair dripping where it hangs down her back in wet curls. "Uh, Tommy. Hey."
The brunette takes a step back and his eyes rapidly move between his client and his best friend, settling on the latter. "Are you kidding me? You slept with her?!"
"Tommy -"
"- After you promised me that you wouldn't?!"
Her brows furrow and she takes a step forward, "Wait, what?"
The two men continue arguing, not acknowledging her words. "I only said that to get you off my back, I would never actually promise something like that. C'mon, man. You're overreacting to this."
"No, I don't think I am! Ollie, she's friends with Thea. Thea. She's only twenty-one!"
"Hey!" Felicity points a finger at him, careful to keep one hand holding her towel closed as she closes the distance between them even more. "I'm twenty-two, thank you very much, and Thea is awesome. And I don't appreciate you trying to control who I date. You manage my career, not my sex life."
Tommy cringes at her word choice before scoffing, "Who you date? What, you guys are dating now?"
"Yeah," Oliver answers confidently, straightening his back to stand taller. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about us sooner, but this isn't just some one night stand. I have real feelings for her, Tommy."
He scoffs again and shakes his head, "This is unbelievable."
The magazine catches Felicity's eye, and she reaches forward to grab it out of his hand and examine it. It's a copy of today's People and not for the first time, a picture of her is on the cover. Except this time, there is an inset picture of Oliver and a headline about their kiss last night. She can't help but chuckle as she reads over the headline, "Starling's Newest Power Couple?" Both men's eyes fly to her at the sound of her amused voice. "Our new fave couple. Huh. Olicity," she tests the word out on her tongue. "Y'know, I've heard worse." She is brought back to the situation at hand by the silence and lifts her chin to see them staring at her. She shrugs, "What? Obviously they like the idea of us together, I don't see what the big deal is. This is good publicity so as my manager, you should be happy, right? Or are you only happy when it's something that you control?"
Tommy narrows his eyes at her challenging tone, "I'm only happy when my friends don't lie and completely blindside me. I know you both, and I know that there is only one way that this so-called relationship can end. And that is not something that will be 'good publicity'."
"What is that supposed to mean?" she huffs, offended at what she knows he is implying.
He sighs, "Felicity."
"No, please. Tell me how you think this 'so-called relationship' will end."
"With cheating and anger and heartbreak. And it'll damage your career."
Oliver notices the way Felicity's jaw clenches in hurt, and he steps in between her and his best friend, hands in tight fists at his side. "I think you should leave."
He scoffs once again, "Seriously?" At Oliver's continued silence, Tommy shakes his head in disbelief, "Fine. But we're not done talking about this."
The couple watches as he turns and leaves the apartment, the sound of the door closing echoing behind him. Facing Felicity, Oliver closes the distance between them and runs his fingertips over the exposed skin of her arm, "Are you okay?"
Her eyes come back into focus and she forces a smile, "Yeah. Are you? I mean, he's your best friend…"
"Yeah, I'm… I don't know."
"Well, look on the bright side. Apparently, the country thinks we make a good couple. 'Power couple' to be exact." He lets out a chuckle, but she senses that it isn't completely genuine. Wanting to cheer both of them up, she immediately remembers what they were doing before they were so rudely interrupted moments ago. A smirk tugs up the corners of her lips, and she tosses the magazine onto the couch before casually loosening her grip on the towel, allowing it to pool around her feet. He sucks in a sharp breath at the sight and she shrugs a shoulder, raising a brow, "Oops."
Eyes darkening, Oliver lunges forward and wraps his arms around her waist, lifting her feet off the ground. He tosses her over his shoulder and jogs towards the staircase, her laughs bouncing off the walls of the open space as they go.
