"I can't believe you made a chart," Iris said from where she sat cross-legged on Felicity's couch, studying the notebook balanced on her knee with intense concentration. She had a hand over her mouth to stifle a grin, and her dark eyes gleamed with amusement.
"It's not funny, Iris," Felicity huffed, resting her hands on her hips.
"Actually, it kind of is," Iris argued. "And you said that Oliver is the one who sucks at feelings. It's a good thing I'm here." When she'd heard about how the situation with Oliver had progressed, she'd declared that she was getting on the next train to Starling City and had shown up outside Felicity's door that morning with the sort of look in her eyes that Felicity knew from long experience knew meant there'd be no moving her off of her current course.
"I didn't ask you to come," she mumbled.
"No, you didn't," Iris agreed. "But clearly, you need me here right now. I'm amazed that you thought laying this all out in neat little rows would help. It's your feelings, Felicity, not some piece of complicated code."
"That's what it feels like," Felicity said defensively. "And anyway, I had to get my thoughts down on paper. They were too messy and tangled in my head to make sense of."
"I don't think you're getting the point I'm trying to make," Iris said. "This isn't a problem you can approach with cold logic. Relationships are about what you feel in here"- She put a hand over her heart- "Not what you think in here"- She pointed to her temple. Felicity stared at her in silence, for some reason not quite comprehending what she was getting at. Iris sighed.
"What is your heart telling you?" she asked, not ungently.
"I don't know," Felicity replied, a note of distress creeping into her voice. "It's led me astray so many times that I'm not sure I know how to follow it anymore. Or that I even want to."
"Alright, then let me try and lay it out for you," Iris said in a soothing tone, trying to calm her friend. After a pause, she asked "Do you love Oliver?"
"Yes," Felicity answered without hesitation.
"And does he love you?"
"Yes."
"Then what's the big deal? Make a move. Get your ass out there and go get your man."
"Iris," Felicity pleaded, sitting down on the couch and taking Iris' hands in hers. "Iris, please. You don't understand. If I do this, if I take that step, I could lose Oliver. I can't lose him, Iris. I can't. I-" Her voice cracked. Her breath hitched as she fought down the tears suddenly threatening to choke her.
"Hey, calm down, it's going to be okay," Iris reassured her, her eyebrows creasing together with concern. "What do you mean, you could lose Oliver if you take that next step?"
"His friendship is really important to me," Felicity managed to explain between deep, calming breaths. "And I'm afraid that if we date and things go south between us, and we break up, that friendship will end up as collateral damage. As much as I want to be with Oliver in...that way-"
"Romantically?" Iris interjected. Felicity nodded.
"Yes," she confirmed. "But I don't know if it's worth the risk of our friendship ending."
"And you've told Oliver all of this?" Iris asked. Felicity nodded, though she knew that she had already told her something to that effect, though not, until now, the whole story.
"And what did he say?" Iris asked.
"He told me to take all the time I need to figure it out," Felicity replied. "And he said he'd wait for me forever." Iris whistled, a grin spreading across her face.
"Wow, looks like you've got yourself a keeper," she said. "Do you have any idea how rare it is for a guy to express that level of commitment, let alone be willing to follow through on it?"
"Barry would," Felicity pointed out.
"Yes, but that's not the point," Iris said dismissively, though she smiled fondly at the mention of her husband. "Barry's not like most guys. And neither, it seems, is Oliver." Felicity smiled in spite of herself at the thought.
"Ah, there's that beautiful smile of yours," Iris said with a smile of her own.
"Oh, stop," Felicity said with a laugh, swatting Iris on the arm. Her face felt warm, and she was sure that she was blushing.
"Never," Iris replied, flashing her a grin. "Getting a smile out of you when you're feeling down is a best friend duty that I take very seriously." After a pause, she said, "Getting back to the matter at hand though, I really think you should just go for it. From what you've told me about the state of things between you and Oliver, I can't think of any reason why a romantic relationship between the two of you wouldn't work. And besides, what's life without a little risk?"
"Safer, typically," Felicity muttered. "Less likely to lead to heartbreak." Iris cast an exasperated look in her direction.
"Come on, Felicity," she said. "You know what I mean. You've got the chance at what could be an amazing relationship sitting right there in front of you, but if you don't take that chance, you'll never know."
"You make a valid point," Felicity admitted. "But I'm not…" She trailed off, at a loss for the right words with which to articulate her point.
"You're not what?" Iris prompted.
"I'm not like you, Iris," Felicity replied. "I can't just dive into things headfirst the way you do. I'm not great with risk. I need to give myself time to consider all the possible outcomes of a decision before I go through with it. You know that."
"I do," Iris said, nodding. "I was just letting you know what I think."
"And I appreciate the insight," Felicity replied. The pair lapsed into silence. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Iris burst into giggles.
"What's so funny?" Felicity asked.
"I'm just picturing all those trashy tabloid magazines trying to dig up dirt on you if you and Oliver ever do end up dating," Iris said between peals of laughter. "Your life is completely empty of scandals, and it's going to drive them crazy." That said, she collapsed into more fits of giggles. Felicity smiled. It did present a rather amusing picture, even if she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about Iris switching from thinking her and Oliver dating was a possibility to thinking it was a surety within the span of a single sentence.