CHAPTER 38
He ties the shoe laces of his shoe and traces his fingertips over the embroided words on his socks. The same socks Felicity gave him on Christmas to keep his feet toasty warm….if she only really knew how much he loves her and how much he's wanted this day to arrive and it's finally here. They made it. They are getting married today. The thought makes his heart skip a beat. There was a time he didn't think they would ever get to this day, but as he listens to the hustle and bustle down stairs the excitement stirs in his stomach, making him aware of the butterflies that have been passive right up until this moment.
With a broad grin on his face he gets up from the bed in his old bedroom. In a way it's fitting that he's getting ready in his childhood home. Even though he hasn't been living at home for a while now, being here today is almost like a sendoff – a goodbye, the one he didn't have the guts to do properly when he moved out a few months ago.
He stands in front of the floor length mirror and fastens his suspenders, ensuring they are secure. He also checks his 'OJQ' engraved cuff-links his dad gave him for his 21st birthday. A pinch of nostalgia overwhelms him. He misses his dad, especially today and he can't help but wonder how his mom and Thea are coping.
"You ready?" Diggle asks, walking into the bedroom with a bottle of Scotch and two tumblers, placing them on the desk.
"Almost." Oliver answers as he puts on his jacket and turns to John who is filling the tumblers with Scotch.
"Nervous?" he asks handing him one of the tumblers.
"No, just anxious to see her. It's been a long two days and….I just really can't wait to see her." he gives a shy smile thinking of his wife to be.
Diggle nods in understanding and raises his tumbler. "To you and your lovely wife to be. May your story be one for the history books."
Oliver smiles and clinks his tumbler against John's, then takes a generous sip of the brown liquid.
"Sorry to interrupt you ladies," Lyla walks in in the middle of their bromance moment, "but Thea gave me the signal, they are ready for you."
Oliver feels like he can roll his eyes right now, he loves his baby sister but she can be a real pain in the ass sometimes. Although he wants to give her a piece of his mind, he decides that nothing is going to ruin this day, not even his bossy little sister.
After Lyla pins the buttonholes to his and John's jackets he takes one last look in the mirror, straightening his bow tie and takes a deep breath.
"Let's get this show on the road." he says and starts walking towards the door, pausing for a moment when he reaches John. "Do you have the rings?" he asks making John snicker.
"Of course I do." he answers with a reassuring smile and once Oliver is out of ear shot he mumbles under his breath, "not nervous my ass." earning a swat against his arm from his chuckling wife.
Oliver walks towards the staircase and just as he's about to descend he sees his mother standing at the bottom of the stairs fiddling with her wedding ring. The familiar pang in his chest returns and he wishes he could give her the person she's longing for right now, even if it is just for a little while.
When he reaches his mom he immediately hugs her. "Mom, you look incredible." he whispers hugging her even tighter when he can feel how her fingers grasp his jacket.
After a long hug, they finally pull apart and he can see the tears shining in his mother's eyes. She's trying her best not to let them spill, probably to preserve her make up. "Thank you sweetheart, you look very dashing yourself." she answers with a sad smile, straightening his jacket so that all the possible creases she just created are not visible anymore.
"I wish he was here today mom." he finally admits out loud and can feel the lump forming at the back of his throat.
"I know, I do too, but you know honey, he would be so incredibly proud of you, because I am so incredibly proud of you."
"Thank you mom. I love you." he confesses and gives his mom a kiss on her cheek, bringing her closer for another hug.
"And I love you sweetheart. How about we get you married huh?" she whispers in his ear giving him another squeeze before she lets him go.
He holds out his arm for her and she takes it as they make their way to the ballroom.
When they enter the ballroom they are welcomed by the soft music played by a string quartet. The off white tiffany chairs are packed in neat rows and already filled with their guests. He watches as John and Lyla walk down the red carpet to the front and John has a quick word with the officiant waiting in the front. He walks his mother down the aisle and takes his place next to John.
He looks over the hall and takes in the reaction of all the guests. His attention is caught by the wedding coordinator standing at the entrance of the ballroom, who gives him the signal that they are about to begin. He can feel John's hand on his shoulder and he makes sure to take deep regular breaths as he prepares himself for what's about to happen.
Just before the music starts, the officiant requests the guests to remain seated when the bride makes her way down the aisle.
The string quartet starts to play Pachelbel's Canon in D Major. A few moments pass when the music starts to pick up and Sara enters in her princess dress, as she described to Oliver on various occasions, with the basket of dusty pink and white rose petals. She starts walking down the aisle throwing the flower petals on the red carpet in a very meticulous manner, and he can't help but chuckle at the lines that form on her little forehead in the huge concentration of this important task. Once she reaches the front she attempts to wink at Oliver, but both her eyes close making both Oliver and her dad laugh. Lyla intercepts her from the first row and she willingly takes her seat next to her mother completely engrossed with the remaining flower petals in her basket.
Thea is the next one to walk down the aisle. The moment his eyes lock with Thea he once again realises much to his amazement how his sister has matured into a remarkable young woman. She looks radiant in her dusty pink dress and although she sometimes makes his life really difficult he couldn't love her any more than the way he loves his sister at this moment. She keeps his gaze until she reaches the front and he can see her eyes swimming in tears. He walks forward and gives her a quick hug and a kiss on her forehead. He knows it's probably not the right thing to do as far as etiquette goes but he decides it's his wedding and he couldn't care less about what people think.
Once they break their hug he moves back to his position and his breath is taken away when he sees her.
The long blonde locks cascade down her shoulders as she graciously walks down the aisle towards him. Blue meets blue and in this moment he realises that she's not just walking towards him, she's walking towards their future.
He's in awe at her breathtaking beauty. There's nothing that can compare to how much love he finds in her eyes while she moves towards him. His heart swells with emotion and he struggles to keep his emotions at bay.
Once they reach the front Donna gives Felicity a kiss on her cheek and Oliver kisses Donna once she places Felicity's hand in his. It feels so good seeing her again, feeling her touch again, "you look….perfect." he says feeling his breath catch in his throat when he takes her hand in his. "Let's never be without each other for so long again." he suggests with a whisper to her while they walk the last few steps towards the officiant.
"Deal." she whispers back and smiles up at him.
All he wants to do is kiss her luscious lips and never ever let her go again, but for now he has to behave. He has a lifetime of kissing her awaiting him, and of course the most important kiss waiting for after the 'I do's'.
Once they reach the front he has trouble keeping his eyes and attention on the officiant. He can't stop looking at her. She's like a magnet and he only registers every fifth word spoken by the officiant. He can almost hear the teasing from John and Lyla about how his heart eyes totally took over his concentration but he doesn't care. He has the most beautiful woman next to him and he has no idea how he ever got to deserve this.
"Would you please give each other your right hand." he hears the officiant saying and with that his attention is now on Felicity turning to Thea to hand over her bouquet.
He takes Felicity's right hand in his and looks back at the officiant willing himself to pay attention before he messes up this important part of the ceremony.
"The couple has prepared their own vows for today. So Oliver, let's start with you?" the officiant suggests.
Oliver nods in response and takes a deep breath as he tries to get rid of the lump forming in his throat before he speaks, but it's near to impossible.
"Felicity, before I met you I had this idea of how my life should be. I was ridden with guilt of the man I'd become, of the choices I made, but the day you walked into my life you changed everything. You showed me that I was capable of being the person that everyone was always able to see. You showed me how to love unconditionally and to be willing to receive love in return. Felicity you have turned my life upside down and right now I feel like I have won the world because you are standing right here choosing me with all my faults and failures. I promise you that I will continue to work at being the man that you deserve, the man that you've always managed to see and believe in….I, Oliver Jonas Queen, choose you Felicity Meghan Smoak to be my lawfully wedded wife. I promise to remain right by your side, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for richer or poorer till the day I give my last breath. I love you beautiful."
Tears stream down his beautiful bride's face, but it isn't sadness, the love still continues to shine out of her eyes and he feels like the luckiest man alive. This moment will forever be embedded in his brain as one of the best memories of his life.
Thea hands Felicity a Kleenex and she carefully dabs it on her face making sure she doesn't smudge her make up.
"Felicity, when you're ready." the officiant prompts.
She takes a deep breath and he can see her swallow thickly as she tries to get her emotions under control before she speaks.
"Oliver, I've always worked very hard for everything in my life, because I knew that if I wanted to achieve something I wouldn't get it unless I worked for it. For this reason I did everything alone because I was scared that I would be let down. When I met you my first instinct was to push you away, I didn't want to make myself vulnerable because I was scared, but you pushed passed every single wall I've ever managed to put up and you showed me that it was okay to trust, that it was okay to trust you…and I did, I fell and I fell hard and it's been the best decision I've ever made in my entire life. I can't promise you that our life will be smooth sailing or that it will be easy, but I do know that whatever life throws our way, good or bad, I want it all as long as I have you and we are together….I, Felicity Meghan Smoak, choose you Oliver Jonas Queen to be my lawfully wedded husband. I promise to remain right by your side, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for richer or poorer till the day I give my last breath. I love you so much."
"May we please have the rings." the officiant asks looking over at John who then in return retrieves the rings from his jacket pocket and hands it over to the bridal couple.
Oliver takes Felicity's wedding band and places it on her finger next to her engagement ring and Felicity does the same with his as they both recite, 'with this ring I thee wed'.
Once the rings are on their fingers, their hands remain entwined, neither of them wanting to let the other go.
"By the power vested in me by the laws of our country, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Oliver, you may now kiss your lovely bride."
He doesn't need to be told twice. He gently takes a moment to just look at her, tracing the outline of her face, earning a shy smile from his blonde beauty before he moves closer and gives her the sweetest of kisses. They are in front of an audience after all and if he loses himself to his emotions he might have to send Sara to therapy. His lips linger for a moment as he memorises her taste, her scent in this exact moment but it's cut short when the officiant starts to speak again.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Queen."
They turn around with their fingers entwined and face their guests. The applause is deafening but all he can think about is he is holding the hand of his wife. She's his wife! He just married the love of his life and now that she's his, he's never letting her go.