Chapter 29
The mood in the Foundry was far from relaxed. Everyone was on edge, and it wouldn't take much of a catalyst to cause a fight to break out. Once it was clear Malcolm had been invited, that led to Diggle putting his gun away, but he didn't relax. He watched the Dark Archer carefully, and he didn't exactly hide his contempt either. Sara was on the same page as Digg, and she was eyeing up the elder Merlyn. It was obvious that she was hoping that he'd do something that would allow her to beat him into the ground.
"One big happy arrow family," Felicity couldn't help but mutter at the scene unfolding before her. Neither ex-League members seemed to be overly talkative about their past experiences, and Oliver looked ready to dock someone because of it. He had asked a fairly simple question, but Sara and Malcolm looked to be waiting for the other to start.
"This is helpful," Digg couldn't help but comment.
"Figure this out," Oliver growled to his teammates referring mostly to Sara and Malcolm. "We are going to work together." He stepped away for the moment and lightly grabbed Felicity's arm. This probably wasn't the best of times for a conversation, but he had heard Felicity's comment. Diggle and Sara were not on his side concerning Malcolm; he needed to have someone in his corner.
Since the Foundry was a bit overcrowded at the moment, Oliver led Felicity back upstairs to the club level. It was still empty since the officers had left, and he took her to the back room where they wouldn't be interrupted. Releasing her, Oliver stepped away and considered his IT girl. She didn't look too ruffled considering he dragged her here, but she didn't look happy either. Her lips were pursed, and she had her arms crossed in front of her.
"I need you," he stated bluntly, and that caught her off guard. The aggression in her gaze faded, and she relaxed a bit. He wasn't even talking about the previous night, but she seemed to understand that. Felicity had always been like that; she was exceptional at reading between the lines. "That's the only way this will work."
"Maybe you shouldn't have shoved us all into a room with no warning then," she explained. She attempted to look angered; instead, it mostly came off annoyed at the situation. "He killed a lot of people, and you want us to work with him… like it didn't happen?"
"No, of course not," he sighed. He rubbed his face wearily. "But I don't know what else to do. My usual method of 'putting the fear of God' into them won't work here. The League… they're not common criminals." He knew he didn't need to explain it to Felicity, but he had the urge to say it aloud. Perhaps, he was still trying to convince himself he had taken the right course of action. "I," he began again, but Felicity closed the distance effectively silencing him. He watched her wearingly.
"Oliver," she said softly. "It's not that you decided to work with him. I think even Diggle could have gotten behind it if you had given us any heads up about it." She was close enough to touch him, but she didn't. "Why didn't you tell us? Did you not trust us?"
"Of course, I trust you," he frowned. Last year, he had made that choice, and he hadn't rescinded on it yet. "To tell you the truth, I didn't think you'd agree with me." He lowered his gaze and head towards the floor. He had been so worried of the fight that would ensure if he had told them, he hadn't stopped to consider the fact they could have sided with him. Instead, he forced them together, and he began to regret his timing of his actions.
"You should have trusted us," Felicity repeated. "Trusted that we had your back." She could tell when something was eating Oliver on the inside, and she hated watching him suffer for it.
"I just couldn't risk Thea," he whispered. With a snort, he added, "The Island was easier than this."
"I thought…"
"Five years, and it was always easy to tell who the enemy was," he said truthfully. He could feel Felicity's body heat from where he stood, and he glanced up to catch her worried gaze. "Everyone… everyone on the island was the enemy. Just occasionally you had to make a deal with the devil to live."
"Malcolm isn't the devil," Felicity offered weakly. "Considering his body count, he could be, but he's not. Not in this situation."
Oliver cocked his head to the side and tried to understand where Felicity was coming from. In his mind, he had practically signed his soul away when he let Malcolm into the Foundry. There were no others, but she seemed stubborn enough to contradict him.
"If you had made that deal with the League," she explained. "Handed Malcolm over to," she said as she shuddered, "that knowingly." It was true; the League was a demon in disguise.
"Would you have stood behind me then?" he asked. He had thought about it, and if the League had told him it was Malcolm or Thea, the decision would have been made. As it was, he had a hard time not giving the Dark Archer over to them in exchange to protect Sara.
"Of course," she smiled. "I would have told you that you were being an idiot and a stubborn one at that, but I'd have your back." He waited for some odd and awkward comment, but for once, she looked to have control of her words. Unable to help himself, he pulled her into a hug; she seemingly always made the situation better even unknowingly. "Well you are still a stubborn…"
"Felicity," he chuckled, "shut up." He meant it as a joke and not mean; she understood and tightened her grasp on him. As they pulled away, he looked down on his IT girl and smiled softly. He was half tempted to run back to the Foundry, but she deserved better. They had to talk about it even if it was to agree that it should never happen again… which Oliver would detest. "Last night…" he began.
"Don't worry," she beamed. "It's already forgotten." She figured that's what he wanted to hear, and when she turned to leave, her heart hurting, she was shocked when he snatched her wrist and pulled her back into him.
"I don't want it forgotten," he said, holding her gaze and tilting her head up. "I don't think it was a mistake Felicity… unless you do."
"Well, um, it was a mistake in that you didn't mean to kiss me I'm sure," she bumbled. "It was heat of the moment. Heat, sweat, and you were wet… Oh god." She closed her eyes as the images of a half-naked Oliver assaulted her brain.
"Felicity," he murmured, and his quiet tone caused her to open her eyes and see he had a look of determination. "I never do things… by accident."
"So you, you meant to kiss me?" she asked as her mouth formed an 'O'. She had thought that perhaps after the week Oliver had that she happened to just be the closest warm body… but then again, she thought back to that night and wondered if that had been the night he had spoken with Malcolm… she quickly shook the thoughts from her head and focused on this moment. "But…"
"I need you Felicity," he said again, and this time he meant more than in his corner. He watched the different number of emotions run across her face, and he tried to discern what she had to be thinking.
"But you and Sara… aren't you two," she said motioning with her hands… something. "I thought…"
"She's a tie to who I was," he said with a shake of his head. Him and Sara had never defined what they were, but he did know that they weren't a couple. They used each other as a way to forget the past and to try and live in the present; that was made all the more difficult by the fact they seemingly only remembered how they were from the Island. They both weren't those people anymore, but it was hard to look past that darkness that corrupted both their souls. The things they did on the island would haunt them, and while they used the other to try and forget, it was hard considering that the other was a blatant reminder of what happened.
"What am I?" she asked unsure if she wanted the answer.
"You're my girl," he answered with a smile. More than anything, he wanted to lean down and kiss her again. He had always thought of Felicity prior to this as a friend, but after watching the Count threaten her, Viper poison her… he began to realize exactly how important she was to him. If it was a choice between her and Malcolm with the League…
"Not to interrupt," Digg said poking his head into the room, and he looked immediately embarrassed by whatever he had obviously walked in on. Felicity and Oliver pulled away, both reluctantly. This conversation would have to continue. "But you have two assassins downstairs ready to claw the other's eyes out."
"Wonderful," Oliver muttered and wondered exactly where he placed his bow. He wasn't sure if he was more annoyed by the fact Sara and Malcolm were ready to go at it or if was because their potential fight had interrupted something between himself and Felicity. He turned to the IT girl, but she was already walking briskly away. "Felicity," he said, a hint of an unknown emotion tinging his voice.
"They better not hit my computers!" she said as she pushed past Oliver. Her emotions were all over the place, and she wasn't sure what to think. Oliver and her had spent so much time together prior to the kiss, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to become another 'notch' on Oliver's belt… immediately, she felt bad for thinking that; she knew he wasn't that kind of man anymore. Still, she wasn't sure if she was ready for their relationship to evolve. How could she be? They had been partners, then friends… and how could she wrap her mind around Oliver Queen actually wanting her. She just needed a moment to process this all, and then, she could decide what she wanted to do.
She heard Oliver call her name, but she continued down the stairs. Once they reached the bottom, she watched as he switched from focusing on her to staring down Sara and Malcolm. He stalked away from her to go and deal with them, and she let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.
"What had that been about?" Digg asked pointing up and referring to what he had walked in on.
She frowned and said, "I don't know."
Note: Well that was a fun chapter to write. I must say Oliver/Felicity can be difficult to write as I don't want to rush either of them... However, they like to just argue with me and go about things their own way. Anyways coming up, we learn a bit more about the hunters and what to expect when they return. Felicity and Oliver continue to step on thin ice around the other, and a test of trust for Malcolm and Oliver when Cyrus returns (I can't remember when he shows back up in the show, but I'm just making an entirely new situation for the mirakuru infused guy to screw with our hero and sort of hero).
ALSO a huge THANK YOU to everyone that's reviewed. I saw that its over 50 reviews finally, and you know what I might write this, but you guys really inspire me to keep on going. It makes me happy to know that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy typing it. So thank you again!
