Felicity stared at Oliver wide-eyed. "Are you serious?"
"C'mon," Oliver mounted the bike and held the helmet out to her. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Felicity was still hesitant.
"Do you trust me?" Oliver asked his eye intently on her.
"Yes," there was no hesitation in her answer. Of course, she trusted him. That shouldn't even be a question.
"Then trust me," he held his hand out to her.
Felicity thankful that she was wearing jeans today placed her hand in Oliver's.
His hand tightened around hers and he gave it a little tug.
She stepped forward placing her hands on his shoulders, she swung her leg over the back of the bike, sliding in behind him. "How close do I need to be for this?"
"Close enough for you to wrap your arms around me. You're gonna need to hold onto me."
"I always dreamed about you saying that to me," Felicity said.
"Yeah? In what context?" Oliver looked over his shoulder at her.
Felicity flushed in embarrassment. "I can't believe I said that out loud."
"That doesn't answer my question," Oliver replied, his eyes on hers. "What context?"
"It definitely wasn't platonic," Felicity confessed.
She gasped when she suddenly felt Oliver's hands on her thighs pulling her forward until her front was flushed against his back, her thighs pressed against his.
"Good," Oliver said, he moved his hands to her arms and pulled them around him. "Hold on tight."
Felicity nodded, unable to speak with Oliver's perfect muscular body in between her legs, feeling his abs beneath her hands and the heat of his body seeping into hers.
"You want to know something? Something that I never said out loud to anyone?" Oliver said, a glint in his eye.
"What?" Felicity asked, she leaned closer instinctively, feeling like they were sharing a secret.
"I've imagined telling you that in so many different ways. Not a single one of them was platonic." Oliver's voice was low.
Felicity's breath hitched and she bit down on her lip, unable to believe what she just heard him say.
Oliver's eyes flickered down to her lips, he wanted so bad to kiss her but he wasn't sure it would be right.
What would his Felicity think?
He turned around and made sure Felicity's grip on him was tight before starting the bike and started their journey to Big Belly Burger.
Oliver grabbed them a booth while Felicity went up to the counter to make their order. He didn't want to but he knew it was important not to crowd her, still, he remained vigil, watching anyone who so much as looked at her.
He was only able to relax once she slid in the seat across from him.
"It should only be ten minutes or so," Felicity said. "Then we can head back to the others."
"I am in no rush to get back to a crowded foundry," Oliver said.
"Are you saying that because you can't get along with yourself?"
"Well, yes, and I just want to have lunch with you and no one else," Oliver answered honestly.
"You keep saying sweet things like that I might actually believe them to be true," Felicity said with a nervous smile.
"I mean every word I say to you," Oliver said.
Felicity couldn't fight back a smile, she ducked her head then looked back at him, pushing her glasses up her nose. There was this light feeling in her chest.
She was happy. This Oliver had a way of putting her at ease and making her feel like she mattered more than anyone in the world.
It was an amazing feeling.
Felicity never thought she would be at the other end of the famous 'Oliver Queen' charm. Yet, here she was as he managed to convince her to stay and eat lunch at the diner.
And he asked her questions that her Oliver never asked her, what it was like growing up in Vegas, about her family, still being just a kid in college. Apologizing for the rumors at QC. Telling her stories about Thea when she was little, the trouble he and Tommy got into that didn't involve girls, about Raisa and how sometimes she had been more of a parent to him than Moira or Robert ever were.
Felicity felt like in the short time they spent having lunch in the diner, she got to know this version of him more than she did her version of him in the last year.
And while yes, she enjoyed it, she couldn't help but wonder why things couldn't be this easy with her Oliver?
"What's on your mind?" Oliver asked.
"Nothing," Felicity shook her head.
"Felicity, I know you," Oliver began. "You are always thinking and you're doing that thing with your forehead and eyebrow when you're trying to figure something out."
"It's weird that you know about that," Felicity said.
"It's not weird. I just pay attention when it's you." Oliver told her. "It's impossible not to. Talk to me,"
"I was just thinking that my Oliver, I mean, the other you, present you, he's never once asked about my family. We've just shared a meal and talked like this, he doesn't show the same interest in me that you do."
"He thinks you deserve better than him than us," Oliver told her. "And he's not wrong. You're are the smartest person I've ever met, you're selfless and kind and you care about others with your whole heart. There is not a more beautiful person in the world inside and out than you. You deserve more than a guy incapable of making a long-term relationship work with five years of baggage and a responsibility to fix everything that was wrecked by people with the last name Queen."
"Oliver," Felicity's voice caught with emotion. It wasn't the first time he praised her with sweet words or the first time he spoke badly about himself but it hurt more for him to be so hard on himself when she can see how changed he is from the man she first met whose only goal was crossing names off a list. "You are so much more than you think. Those five years of baggage have made you who you are and that is someone that inspired me to be more than an IT girl. You showed me how one person can make a difference if given the chance. Your parent's mistakes are not yours. And as for relationships, I think maybe you just haven't let yourself reach the point of being happy because you think you deserve to suffer for things that were beyond your control. You have this terrible habit of carrying everything on your shoulders and blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong especially when it's not your fault. You're not cursed, you're not your father or your mom, and contrary to your belief you are not a killer."
She leaned forward catching his gaze, reaching across the table for his hand.
"Oliver, you are a good man. You're a hero."
Oliver exhaled his breath, her words, her belief in him meant more to him than she could ever know. He lifted her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips over her knuckles tenderly.
The touch was so soft and tender it sent a shiver through her entire being.
"I wish I could see myself the way you see me."
"I'll remind you every day," Felicity promised. "And one day you will see yourself for the amazing man you are."
It was on the tip of Oliver's tongue to tell her he loves her, he loves her more than he thought he was capable of loving someone but he held the words in.
It wouldn't be fair to tell her he was in love with her when he would be leaving.
"One day he's going to see what's in front of him and I hope he doesn't make the same mistake I did. He'll tell you everything and you will be the most important person to him just like you are for me."
Felicity was speechless. She reached out and tightened her hand around his. Something shifting inside her. She felt like her heart was opening in ways she didn't know were even possible.
Oliver heard the door and waited, seeing Felicity walked down the stairs with his future self hands clasped in her, their interlaced fingers had his stomach-turning.
His future self leaned in whispering something into her ear and Felicity laughs. A god to honest laugh and it hurt.
He couldn't remember ever making her laugh like that.
When they reach the bottom of the stairs Felicity turned to smile up at his future self, they were standing so close together they might as well have been breathing each other's air.
He watched as his eyes flicked to Felicity's mouth, the way he lifted his hand to cup Felicity's cheek, his thumb moving across her delicate skin.
"What took you so long?" He asked when he saw Felicity lean into the touch.
Felicity jumped back from his future self, blushing, "We ate at the diner."
"Like a date?" Oliver's eyes narrowed.
"Yes," Future Oliver said at the same time Felicity said, "No," her voice higher pitched than she intended.
She grabbed the bags from Oliver's hand and set them on the med bay table. "We got burgers and fries for everyone,"
Future Oliver stepped up behind her, reaching around her body into the bag and setting the food out as John and Roy joined them.
Felicity turned her head toward him, their faces inches apart, and the way they looked into each other's eyes, made anger simmer in his gut and his skin hot.
He didn't want anyone looking at Felicity with such intensity and he wanted to be the one to make her blue eyes darkened and that flush to crawl across her skin as she smiled.
If they stood any closer they would be plaster against one another, yet Felicity didn't seem bothered by the close proximity,
Oliver watched as his future self, swept his hand down Felicity's back as he stepped back and Felicity reached out, placing her hand over his chest, a smile dancing on her lips.
Oliver's stomach turned, he cleared his throat, cutting between them purposely making them take a step back from each other.
He quickly grabbed some food and placed himself between them, he forced a smile Felicity's way before slowly turning to stare his future self in the eye.
Future Oliver didn't so much as flinch, meeting his glare head-on. He recognized that look in himself. He was jealous. However, he only had himself to blame.
He hoped that soon he would get his head out of his ass and admit his feelings to Felicity and not make his mistakes.
Felicity stepped back, moving toward her station and his future self followed her like they were two magnets being pulled together.
Again, he watched as his future self found some excuse to touch Felicity, taking her hand in his own and Felicity smiling up at him, so at ease with his touch.
There was a closeness between them that wasn't there before. He didn't like it.
It left him feeling like he was looking at a possibility for himself and Felicity if he could only get past the fear of losing another person he loved.
But the life he led only put the people around him in danger.
His future self was fucking living proof of that. He came back here to save her.
It was a lot harder to overcome his fear, knowing that Felicity was supposed to die because of him in just a few weeks.
"Concentrate," Oliver snapped at his future self.
He had jumped at the opportunity to spar with his future self. Really, he just wanted any excuse to hit him.
What he wasn't expecting was that Felicity's presence would be that distracting to them.
At least he however was trying, he couldn't say the same for the Oliver from the future.
"I can't," Future Oliver grunted.
Roy had suggested that Felicity get more training than self-defense. This whole ordeal had done a number on him knowing in the not too far in the future Felicity dies to save him.
He wanted to give her all the skills he could to change the outcome of her fate.
She was already one of the most badass women on the planet but this would hopefully help her. It would at least ease his mind a little.
Felicity was dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a workout bra, there was this light sheen of sweat, and God, future Oliver could not concentrate, he could do nothing but watch her every move.
Oliver looked over and he faltered, as he lost his own battle to focus as Digg acted as a combat instructor for Roy and Felicity.
"This is your fault." Oliver accused his future self. "Why do you have to wave your connection with Felicity in my face, showing me what my future could look like? I was fine living in denial."
"It's called enlightenment." Future Oliver told him. "I see what's in front of me and you need to do the same preferably before she realizes that she can do so much better."
Heels sounded across the floor but no one really took notice.
Laurel reached the bottom of the steps, she opened her mouth to call out to Oliver but stopped short, stunned at the sight of Oliver.
"What the hell is going on here!?" she exclaimed.
Everyone stopped to turn and look at her.
"How are there two Oliver's," she moved toward the two men in question. "Last I check you didn't have a twin."
"It's complicated," Felicity said, chancing a look at both Oliver's coming forward.
"I am more than capable of understanding complicated, Felicity." Laurel retorted, an edge to her voice. "Just tell me what in the hell is happening?"