The story's title is from the song "One Day" by Kodaline. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.
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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.
Tell Me That You Want Me (And I'll Be Yours Completely)
July 2014
Felicity lifted her glass to her mouth, taking a sip of her pomegranate martini. She sat at the bar of the Columbus Hotel in Manhattan where she was attending a tech conference for her new boss, and after a long day surrounded by a bunch of other computer nerds, she decided she needed a night off. So, she bought a new outfit and headed down here for a much-needed drink after the year she'd had. She lifted her glass to take another sip. "Felicity?" a familiar voice asked, surprise evident in their tone.
Setting her drink down, she turned halfway around in her stool. Her mouth opened slightly, "Tommy?"
The man in question smiled and made his way over to her, tugging her into a tight hug. "Lis, what are you doing here?"
"Me? I live one state away. What are you doing here?" she pulled away, still in shock.
Tommy laughed, "Laurel is here for some law thing and I tagged along. Let me guess, you're here for that techy meeting I saw a sign for. Wow, Lis, you look so different; still beautiful, though. Did you cut your hair?"
"Yes, I am. And thank you, I decided it was time for a change. It's so crazy running into you right now."
"A nice surprise," He smiled and dragged out the stool next to her, taking a seat and flagging down the bartender. "So what do you say we catch up? Have some drinks like the good 'ol days," he smirked.
Felicity barked out a laugh, "Tommy, we both know that partying and drinking was more your thing. I was just an innocent bystander-turned-babysitter."
"That's because you were such a lightweight. Seriously, one sip of anything stronger than cough syrup and you were wasted. Remember that time you threw up on Carter Bowen?"
"Sadly," she cringed. "Lucky for you, I've learned how to hold my liquor."
Tommy smirked just as the bartender placed four shots in front of them, "We'll see about that."
Two hours later and Tommy had proved that Felicity could not, in fact, hold her liquor. Apparently, neither could Tommy anymore. They stumbled around the corner, falling into the wall causing another fit of giggles to bubble past Felicity's lips. He lifted a finger to his mouth, "Shhh! Lis, we're gonna get in trouble if you don't keep it down."
She clutched onto his shirt tightly, trying to keep her balance while attempting to remove her heels, her earrings swaying with her choppy movements. "Don't be such a scaredy cat." After a minute, her feet were finally freed and she shoved her shoes in his hands, a wicked glint in her eyes.
"Felicity," Tommy warned, scared of what she might do.
"Let's go swimming!" Before he could even blink, she darted across the hall and to the staircase, running up to the floor that housed the indoor pool. He had no choice but to follow, bursting through the door with panting breaths to find his blonde friend already stripping, her strapless black bra visible where her dress pooled around her waist.
"Lis," he set down her shoes, hands braced on his knees as he breathed deeply and tried to channel the last 5% of his sobriety to think clearly. Usually the rationalizing was Felicity's job, not his. "The pool is closed to guests. We're gonna get arrested."
"Don't be such a baby!" Finally stepping out of her dress to reveal her matching black panties, she turned around and attempted to dive into the pool, though she ended up doing a very ungraceful, painful-looking belly flop. Tommy cringed at the noise but when she resurfaced, she seemed totally unscathed, pulling out her hair tie and giggling. "C'mon, who's gonna know?"
He huffed a laugh but relented, unbuttoning his shirt and slipping off his dress shoes and jeans until he was left standing in just his boxers. Tommy ran towards the pool, speed only increasing at the sound of her laughs, before he jumped in, his body curling to form a cannonball.
"See? This is fun," Felicity smiled innocently once he resurfaced, splashing him lightly in the face.
"You're right, as usual. Since when did you become such a rebel, Lis? Boston's changed you," he teased, wading closer to her until they came to a stop at the stairs, both leaning back against them.
"Don't tell me you've gone soft on me now that you're in a committed, grown-up relationship. You and Oliver used to do this kind of shit all the time," Felicity joked and then immediately regretted her words, the air shifting noticeably at the mention of their mutual best friend. She stared down at the water, hand slowly wading back and forth causing the jewels on her bracelet to twinkle in the room's low lighting. Clearing her throat, she kept her eyes downcast, "Speaking of Oliver… How is he?"
Tommy glanced at her with sympathy, "Good. Really good, actually. Living at home, working at QC. But, how are you? How's Ray?"
The blonde let out a bitter laugh, "I wouldn't know. He dumped me a couple months ago because I'm still so pathetically in love with someone who hates my guts."
"Lis," he whispered, sliding an arm around her and pulling her close to him so that her head could rest against his shoulder.
"I'm really glad I ran into you, Tommy," Felicity confessed with a sigh, her eyes closed.
A small smile pulled up the corners of his mouth, "Yeah. Me too."
March 2018
Sara sits against the hard plastic chair, leg bouncing rapidly as she bites on her thumbnail. Nyssa appears from around the corner, holding out a styrofoam cup to her wife, "Here. Coffee."
The blonde takes it with a grateful smile, the warmth immediately making her feel slightly better while they wait. Just as Nyssa is about to sit, a doctor comes into the nearly empty waiting room. "Family of Felicity Smoak?"
Sara stands out of her chair so quickly it nearly topples over before making a beeline for the middle-aged man in scrubs and a lab coat. "Me! That's me, I'm her emergency contact."
"I'm Dr. Carmichael. I'm sure you know that Miss Smoak was attacked earlier outside of a diner. The assailant seems to have hit her in the head with a weapon, most likely a gun. A witness says she lost consciousness quickly at the scene. She had a small laceration from the hit just above her left eyebrow that only required a few stitches. We've done a CT scan and an MRI, and have found some minor swelling in her brain. However, I'd like to keep her here overnight and at least one more day until the swelling resolves itself."
The women stay silent for a moment, taking everything in before Nyssa speaks, "So she's going to be okay?"
"Yes, she will make a full recovery once she wakes up."
Sara lets out the breath she'd been holding since the doctor had walked into the room, squeezing Nyssa's hand tightly, "And when will she wake up?"
"That would be up to her. It could be minutes or a few hours, but it's nothing to be concerned about," Dr. Carmichael smiles, "Your friend is going to be fine. You can go into her room now, but only one visitor at a time."
"Thank you," Nyssa says before he walks away towards the counter. After a moment, Sara gasps loudly next to her, her hands flinging to cover her mouth and her eyes wide. The brunette becomes worried, "What? What is it?"
"Oliver! I have to call him," Sara moves to where her bag sits on the floor by her abandoned chair, searching frantically for her cell. "Oh my god, I am a terrible friend! She could be dead and he wouldn't even know! Where is my damn phone?!"
Nyssa hurries over to her, grabbing her wrists and holding them still, "Sara!"
She freezes, taking in a few deep breaths. "Sorry."
"It's alright. Just calm down. Felicity is not dead, okay? You heard the doctor, she is going to be fine. Now let's calmly find your phone and call Oliver. Calmly."
"Okay," Sara slowly goes back to her bag, locating her phone right away and finding Oliver's number in her contacts. The phone rings a couple times and she taps her foot slowly, one hand on her hip. "C'mon, pick up," she whispers and then the phone stops ringing.
"Hello? Sara? It's the middle of the night."
She breathes a sigh of relief at the sound of his voice before bracing herself for what is bound to be his freak-out. "Oliver, something's happened. You need to come to the hospital."
Oliver runs through the doors to the third floor, not even out of breath after sprinting up the stairs. Everything that he's done since he picked up that phone has been like he's on autopilot, like he hasn't even had to think.
"Hello? Sara? It's the middle of the night," he grumbled, running his free hand over his eyes.
He heard Sara release a sigh at the sound of his voice before she spoke, her voice not completely steady, "Oliver, something's happened. You need to come to the hospital. Felicity was attacked tonight, we're on the third floor. She's -" her voice cut off as he abruptly hung up the phone. Felicity was attacked. She was in the hospital. She was hurt. Oliver stood up, ignoring his slightly throbbing head, not even bothering to change out of his suit that he'd fallen asleep in after coming home from Verdant, before practically running out his loft to get to her.
Turning around the corner, Oliver is about to ask a nurse where he can find Felicity when he sees Nyssa and Sara, the latter standing up abruptly upon seeing him. He makes his way towards where she stands, wringing her hands together in a worried manner. "Sara, what the hell happened?!" Oliver nearly yells, trying to remain calm but quickly beginning to lose it at the thought of Felicity hurt, bleeding or worse.
"She was mugged outside of Big Belly Burger. He just took her purse and then hit her in the head. My dad is already on it and the doctor said she has some minor swelling in her brain that should resolve itself in a few days, but Oliver," she reaches out and grabs one of his hands in her own smaller one, "She's okay. She'll be fine once she wakes up."
Oliver sucks in a sharp breath, "Where is she?" Sara gives him a small smile and turns halfway, pointing to one of the rooms in a nearby hallway. He nods stiffly in thanks before pulling his hand from hers and making his way in the direction of her room. When he reaches the door, he takes a deep breath to brace himself before finally looking through the small window, his breath catching in his throat. Oliver tentatively sticks out a hand, connecting with the doorknob and turning it, and the door is suddenly closed behind him and he's standing in her room. He doesn't even remember taking the remaining steps, his eyes focused solely on the blonde lying unconscious in a hospital bed. She looks peaceful, and he would think she is sleeping if not for the large white bandage taped to the left side of her forehead.
His vision blurs with unshed tears and he closes the remaining distance between them, dragging the chair in the corner right up next to her bed and sitting in it. Felicity shifts slightly, turning her head towards him, almost like she can sense that he's there. He leans his elbows forward on the edge of the bed, breathing out a sigh of relief when he encases her small hand in his two large ones. Her skin is soft and warm, reassuring him that she's alive, though he won't truly believe that she's okay until she is awake and babbling.
Oliver sucks in a deep breath, clearing his throat before attempting to speak, "Felicity…," he whispers, quickly lifting a hand to wipe away a falling tear before surrounding her hand once more. "I am so sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn't been such a jerk, we would have been together and this never would've happened. I could've protected you. I promise you that when Captain Lance finds this guy, he's going to regret ever being born," his jaw clenches at the thought of the low-life that hurt his girl. "I don't care about you and Ray, or you and Tommy. I just care about you."
She makes a small mumbling sound and for a second he thinks, hopes, that she might be waking up, but she doesn't; she just rubs her cheek against the pillow. Once she falls silent, he continues to speak. "God Felicity, when Sara called me and said that you were hurt I… my heart stopped. It actually stopped beating at the thought of living without you. I've lived that life before and I refuse to do it again. I love you so fucking much. And I know that Sara said you were gonna be okay, but I won't believe it until you open those beautiful blue eyes of yours and take my breath away like you've been doing for the last eighteen years. Open your eyes so you can see this, for real this time."
He reaches into his front pocket, pulling out the familiar worn velvet box. Staring down at it, he releases a breathless laugh, "I've been carrying this around with me for five weeks, ever since we got back together. I've just been waiting for the right moment, the perfect moment to ask if you would make me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife, because that's what you deserve." Oliver covers his face with his hands and lets out a sigh, "I am such an idiot."
"Ol'ver?"
His head whips up at the mumbled sound of her voice, a smile gracing his face at the sight of her eyes slowly blinking open. "Felicity," he breathes out before basically attacking her, smashing his lips against hers. She releases the cutest little noise of surprise before he shifts in exchange for a hug, burying his face in the space between her neck and shoulder, his fingers entwining with the soft strands of her hair. "Thank God you're okay. You are never allowed to scare me like that ever again, do you hear me?"
"What… What happened?" she asks, deeply confused by where she is and why he's crushing her.
He pulls away slowly and foregoes sitting back in the chair, instead situating himself on the side of the bed so he can cradle her cheek, his thumb running back and forth over her smooth skin. His brows draw together slightly, "You don't remember? Baby, you were mugged outside Big Belly. I am so sorry; this is all my fault. Earlier you were trying to be open and honest with me, and I was an ass. I'm so sorry." His voice cracks at the end, the guilt evident in his eyes as he stares down at her.
Felicity reaches up a hand to his jaw, fingers carding through the scruff covering his skin. "Stop. Not everything is your fault, y'know." He huffs a laugh at the small smile she gives him before it disappears from her face. She gazes up at him, eyes still a bit glassy from sleep before she whispers, "Yes."
His brows draw together in confusion, "What?"
"Yes. I'll marry you."
Oliver's eyes widen slightly as his mouth falls open, "You - you heard that?"
She grins and nods her head slowly, "I did. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear you ask me that. And it only took me being in the hospital to make it happen," she jokes.
A small smile plays at the corners of his lips, "Well technically, I didn't actually ask you."
Her brows furrow softly and the most adorable little pout Oliver has ever seen comes across her face. "You should do that. Soon, because I feel like I might pass out again."
He laughs again before reaching out to grab the discarded box from the chair he once occupied, staring down at it in his hand. He's had this box for so long and he never thought he'd ever get the chance to give it to someone, because if it couldn't be Felicity, it wouldn't be anyone else. Sighing, he turns the box towards the love of his life before flicking the top open, revealing the most beautiful ring.
Felicity's eyes well up with tears, her hand ghosting over the ring without really touching it. "This is the same ring, the same one I found all those years ago. You kept it all this time?" she asks in disbelief, her voice just above a whisper.
"Of course I did. A part of me always knew you'd end up wearing it one day." Their eyes connect and he smiles, taking a deep breath. "So. Felicity Megan Smoak, will you marry me?"
She nods her head vigorously, ignoring the pain it elicits as tears finally leak from the corners of her eyes. "Hell yes."
Oliver smiles so wide it hurts his cheeks before he leans down, both hands bracing the sides of her face as he connects their lips once more, seeing his life with her flash before his eyes and feeling so utterly complete.