Hello everyone, I wanna thank everybody for reviewing, following and adding the story to your favorites. It means a lot to me. I love hearing what you think.
Thanks goes to my beta reader x. imagine. x (take out the spaces) for sticking with me through the whole story and doing a fabulous job!
After a good vacation and a terrible Sunday (my flight got canceled), I'm finally updating again. I tried to update yesterday, but for some reasons it didn't work and I was too tired to figure it out then. Sorry for the delay. I will upload the new picture sets later today.
I will also publish my new story either today or tomorrow, depending on how long I can stay awake. Look out for 'Nobody said it was easy'.
Next one will be up on Saturday.
Find me on tumblr (katie-049) for picture sets of each chapter. The black and white ones are for the flashbacks.
April 25th, 2015
Limbs tangled together, Oliver and Felicity were lying on the sofa, their mouths attached. Felicity's soft lips moved in time with his, driving him crazy, making him forget all his noble promises. He couldn't stop from pressing further into her and when her tongue swept across his lips, raking inside his mouth, he clutched her shoulders, desperately hoping that his arms wouldn't give out, crushing her into the sofa.
Her hand slipped under his shirt, tracing his spine. The moment he felt the warmth of her hand on the bare skin of his back he groaned into her mouth.
"Felicity," Oliver breathed, burying his face in her neck, starting to nip at her throat. "Lily is going to wake up any minute."
"I know, just don't stop," she purred as he latched onto a spot just below her ear and began suckling hot kisses along her jaw line and down her neck. Squirming, she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling his hips flush against hers.
He took in a sharp breath, pressing closer to her, giving in to her need for more. A tiny moan escaped her lips, and Oliver felt all his blood shoot south, making him even more uncomfortable than he already was. Before he had time to think, their lips were pressed together once again, moving against each other quickly, as if trying to make the most of the little time they had left.
Unable to resist her any longer, he moved his hips against hers while slowly raising her shirt up, just enough to slip his hand under it. He felt her suck in a breath as his knuckles skimmed along her soft, warm skin. Getting lost in the feeling of her body pressed so close against his, moving with him and creating the much-needed friction they both craved, he stopped thinking about any consequences.
A shrill cry sounded trough the baby monitor and Oliver stopped moving. The sound cleared the fog of pleasure from his head and he half-heartedly slowed their kiss before letting his head sink into the crook of her neck. He felt Felicity's hand retreat from under his shirt, smoothing it down and placing her warm hand between his shoulders.
They were both breathing heavily and Oliver took a deep breath, pressing a soothing kiss to her jaw. "I told you she would wake up any minute."
"I'm sorry; I got carried away," Felicity apologized, threading her fingers through his hair. Her hot breath fanned across his ear, sending another wave of pleasure through him.
"It's not like I didn't want it," he replied honestly, pushing himself off her with a sheepish grin and sitting up on the sofa. He needed some distance between them if he was going to calm down. He offered her a hand, pulling her up as well. "I just need a minute."
Chuckling, she nodded, pressing an apologetic kiss against his cheek, before following the sounds of Lily's cries into her bedroom. Oliver remained in the living room, sitting back on the sofa, trying to calm down.
He felt his control slip more often these days, finding no strength or will to resist his instinct to have his way with Felicity. It wasn't the first time they were making out while Lily napped in the other room, but it always stopped him from taking it further. It was late April, a rainy Saturday, and six weeks had passed since the day they met.
They hadn't had a chance to spend much time alone together or even go on another date, which Oliver didn't mind most of the time. He accepted that Lily was part of his relationship and he enjoyed being around her. Days like today, though, made him want to have some time alone with Felicity. He knew that they were both ready for the next step in their relationship, more than ready actually, but he also knew that they weren't able to take that step as long as Lily was in the apartment with them. As much as he loved and adored her, he was in some desperate need of some alone time with his girlfriend.
Taking a few deep breaths, he skimmed a hand through his hair, closing his eyes.
Felicity emerged from Lily's room, pulling him out of his thoughts, a sleepy-looking Lily in her arms. They sat down next to him and he extended his arm, letting Felicity snuggle against his chest.
"Did you have a good nap, Lily?" He rubbed her back, pressing a soft kiss to her head. The little girl closed her eyes once more, relaxing in the embrace of her mother. "Aren't you a tired little girl, sweetheart?"
Lily didn't budge and silence filled the room. It didn't happen often that they had a quiet minute together. Usually, Lily kept them on their toes, but according to Felicity, she didn't sleep well last night and was apparently still catching up.
Much later, they were standing in the kitchen, alone again, cleaning up after putting Lily to bed. Felicity was standing in front of the sink, washing some of the dishes.
"When I found out I was pregnant, I also got a job offer from Queen Consolidated," she broke the silence in the room.
Stopping his task of wiping the table, he turned around, looking over to her. "Are you serious?"
Queen Consolidated didn't just sent out job offers to anybody. They were one of the best companies in the country for a reason. "How good were you exactly?"
He saw her still, placing the clean pot on the rack next to the sink. "I was top of my class. I wanted to do my masters in cyber security and they even offered to let me finish it online or at MIT." Turning off the faucet, she paused, drying her hands with a kitchen towel. "In the end, I declined. I was already struggling with the whole pregnancy thing and even though it was all I ever wanted, I knew that it wasn't the right time."
"Felicity, I'm sorry." Eliminating the distant between them, Oliver walked over to her, stopping behind her. His hand landed on her shoulder, smoothing over the exposed skin. She had lost much more than he realized in the two years, and yet she was still this amazingly strong woman.
"There is nothing to be sorry for, Oliver. It was my decision and I don't regret it. I love Lily and I wouldn't change a thing if I could," she replied fiercely, turning around to face him. "Working in the coffee shop is good enough for now and sometimes I fix computers on the side."
Just hearing her talk about money made Oliver uneasy. He never had to worry about not having enough and it made him admire his girlfriend even more. He knew that she wasn't earning a lot in the coffee shop, and even if she fixed some computers on the side, it would be just enough to pay the living expenses. A child was expensive, and although he never had a doubt in Felicity, he knew that at some point, money was going to become a problem.
Cupping her cheek, he gently angled her face towards his, meeting her compassionate, blue eyes. "You have me now, Felicity. I promise you that you will never have to struggle again."
A huff left her lips and she stared past him, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
"I know that you're a grown woman who is more than able to earn her own money and pay her way, but I want you to know that I would never hesitate to help you if you need anything," he tried to soothe her, his hand wandering from her cheek to her shoulder.
She exhaled loudly, uncurling her arms, letting them fall to her sides. "I know it's just that I'm not with you because I need your money. I mean you have billions and I'm not saying that some women don't find that attractive. I actually think half of Starling likes you just because of that." She stopped, closing her eyes for a second. "Not that it's the only thing people like about you. You are extremely attractive, even without your money." Stopping again, Felicity pressed her hand to her forehead, scrunching her face up and taking a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm not with you because of your money. I'm with you because you are a great man. You care so much and I see the way you look at Lily." Titling her head upwards, she looked into his eyes, placing a hand on his arm. "So yes, you might be a billionaire who doesn't have to worry about money, but to me, you're a man who loves his family and would do anything for them."
Through her whole speech, Oliver had held his breath and hearing her say those last few words, made his heart beat faster. Without hesitation or much thought, he said, "I love you."
As soon as his words were out, her eyes started to tear up and in the next second, their lips were glued together in a tender kiss and she was plastered to his body. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close to him.
When they parted, Felicity leaned her head against his chest, her arms winding around his waist, clutching his shirt in her hands.
"I love you too," she whispered into his shirt.
Oliver tightened his arm around her, feeling like his heart might explode any second now. His head was swirling and he couldn't form any words. Hearing her say those three words was more than he ever hoped for. When he first met her, he counted himself lucky to get her to talk to him. Now, she was in his arms and he was confessing his love to her. Nobody had ever managed to make him feel like this and now that he knew this feeling, he never wanted it to end. He would do anything and everything for Felicity and Lily.
For a long time, neither spoke, letting their confessions sink in.
"You know, I can also help you with getting into Queen Consolidated," he broke the silence, bringing the conversation back to its original topic. "If they sent you an offer once, I'm pretty sure they would do it again."
Breaking their embrace, Felicity leaned back until she was out of his reach. He immediately felt the loss of her warmth and wanted to step closer to her, but she lifted up a hand, stopping him. "I haven't even finished my degree, Oliver. Why should they hire me?" She turned toward the sink again, grabbing the sponge. "Don't get me wrong, it's really sweet of you, but I just don't think it would make any sense."
Her voice sounded strained and the way she squeezed the bottle of dish soap, putting a fair amount of it onto the sponge in her hand, told him that she was slightly frustrated with their conversation.
Ignoring her earlier warning, he stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle, letting his lips brush against her neck.
"Well for starters, it's my name on the building, so if I ask, they'll do it," he started, but he felt her tense in his arms once again. "Nobody knows that we are together yet, and I could just arrange an interview with the head of the IT department. If they think you are a good fit, even without your degree, we could talk about hiring you and maybe even helping you finish your degree."
She sighed, taking one of the remaining pots in her hands, scrubbing it rather forcefully. "Oliver, I know you mean well, but I'm not sure this is the right approach," she said with a strong, clear voice. "I appreciate you trying to help me, but I think I should do this on my own."
There was nothing left to say for him, so he pressed a kiss to her neck before letting go of her, leaving her to finish the dishes. Moving into the living room, he stared mindlessly at the baby monitor on the coffee table. His heart was thumping fast in his chest and he swallowed hard, feeling as if they just took a step back from their earlier confessions. Why did he have to push this on her?
He heard the faucet turning off and the soft tapping of her bare feet moving closer to him, before her arms wrapped around his waist.
Her head pressed into his back, her voice low. "I'm sorry. This is just a sore subject for me."
"You don't have to apologize, Felicity." His hands covered hers and he felt his muscles relax again. "I'll do whatever you want me to, just know that I'll support you in whatever decision you make. I mean I hope you don't wanna move back to Boston and even if you want that we will find a way to make this work." He stopped, catching his ramble. "I just want you to know that I was serious when I told you I loved you. And Lily. Nothing is going to change that and I won't think any less of you if you decide to work in the coffee shop for the rest of your life."
He felt her take in a shaking breath and he gently loosened her arms, turning around to look at her. Tears were pooling in her eyes for the second time today and he once again framed her face, pressing his forehead to hers. She seemed overwhelmed. "I'm sorry, Felicity. I know I can be pushy sometimes, but I'll try to stop, ok? I promise."
"That's not what this is about," she whispered, cupping his cheek with her hands. "I meant it, too. It's just that nobody ever cared about me this much." She shrugged her shoulders. "After having Lily, I never imagined finding someone who would accept both of us, but here you are, proving me wrong."
"Well, you better get used to it, Miss Smoak, because I don't plan on changing that anytime soon."
She lifted her head, connecting their lips, giving him a gentle kiss. "Just for the record, I won't move back to Boston. My life is here in Starling City now."
"Thank god, I thought I had to move Queen Consolidated's headquarters to another city," Oliver joked, breaking the tension between them.
"No, I'm happy right here," Felicity reassured him, tracing the neckline of his shirt with a red polished nail. "I don't think Lily would appreciate moving somewhere else either. She's really attached to you."
"I'm quite attached to her, too, trust me. There is nothing I wouldn't do to see her smile for the rest of her life."
