Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow or DC Comics. Obviously.

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You're Banging My Bedroom Wall

XXVI. An Affair to Remember

Oliver followed closely behind Felicity, his hand firmly settled on her lower back, as they walked with Sara to the open bar situated near the back of the large ballroom of the hotel they were in for Laurel and Tommy's engagement party.

"Why did your sister ask me to be one of her bridesmaids?" Felicity asked Sara while they waited for the bartender. "We're not that close. Doesn't she have any other friends?"

Sara shrugged, leaning across the bar and attempting to draw the bartender's attention when she thought he was taking too long. Felicity rolled her eyes at her back, making Oliver chuckle, and tugged the hem of her dress back down before she flashed everyone. "I don't know," she finally said, standing back up. "Probably because you know more about her than any of the people she claims are her friends. Did you say yes?"

"She showed up at work two days ago while I was on my lunch break with a gift basket full of fancy chocolate and a bottle of my favorite wine. What else was I supposed to do?"

The bartender finally came to take their orders and Oliver curled an arm around Felicity's waist while they waited. She leaned into him and snuggled against his chest. "If we see the happy couple, this night's going to be a lot more awkward than when Diggle walked in on us in my office," he whispered against her hair.

Felicity sighed against him, fingers tightening around the strap of his suspenders beneath his jacket. "Well, we survived that so we'll be able to survive seeing them," she responded. "Besides, I'm part of the wedding party now so we better be."

Their drinks finally arrive and the three of them move to stand around one of the many tall round tables set up around the ballroom with large pink and white flower arrangements dominating the surface. They chat for a few minutes and Oliver lets Felicity and Sara dominate the conversation. His arms wrap around her waist from behind and Felicity automatically leaned back into his chest. A smile curved at his mouth and he pressed a kiss to her head as she responded to whatever Sara was saying.

It had been a couple weeks since Oliver had introduced her to his parents and they already adored her, perhaps almost more than he did if his mother was any indication. She had suddenly made it her life's mission to constantly pester them about getting married and giving her grandchildren. If he was younger and it was any woman other than Felicity, then he would have been embarrassed and trying desperately to get rid of the girl he was dating. But he found that the pictures that his mother were painting were something that he actually wanted as long as Felicity was by his side in them.

Oliver was broken from his thoughts as Malcolm Merlyn suddenly joined them. He greeted the girls with kisses to both of their cheeks and a wide smile. "Lovely to see you both as always, ladies," he said. His attention shifted onto Oliver then and recognition lit up his eyes. "Oliver, my boy! I don't think I've seen you since you were a teenager sulking in the corner with my Tommy at the charity events Moira and I used to put together for the foundation. It's nice to see you again."

"You too, Malcolm," he returned.

Malcolm's smile widened when he saw his and Felicity's intertwined hands. "Ah, young love—I wish you all the best." He paused suddenly, looking around them, and turned to Sara with a frown. "Did you come alone, dear? I thought you were dating Nyssa still."

"We broke up months ago," Sara told him. "We ended up wanting different things in life, but we're still friends. Nyssa and I still have our weekly kickboxing sessions like we always did though."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out for you two, dear," he said, gently grasping her hands in his own. "If you're alone tonight, do you at least have a date for Tommy and Laurel's wedding?"

She frowned at him. "The wedding's not for months, Malcolm. They haven't even set a date yet."

Malcolm nodded in agreement. "Yes, but you know your mother. The moment Tommy and Laurel are declared husband and wife Dinah will descend on you demanding to know when you'll be next if she sees that you don't have a date that day. Better to start looking sooner rather than later."

"God, you're right," Sara agreed with a grimace. "Do you know anyone? You were the one to introduce me and Nyssa in the first place and we were pretty good together."

Malcolm turned to look around the packed ballroom before settling his gaze on someone standing on the other end. "He might look a little worse for wear at the moment, but he'll do the job, I believe," he said.

Oliver followed Malcolm's gaze and Felicity swore beside him, expressing his thoughts exactly.

"No. God, no. Not that fucker," Sara spat. "What the hell is he doing here? He shouldn't even be allowed to fucking walk around."

Malcolm stared at them all in confusion and Oliver jumped to explain. "There was an unveiling party at Queen Consolidated for a project Felicity was heading and we were leaving when we heard Palmer attempt to hurt a woman in the parking garage. We were with one of Felicity's co-workers when this happened and she went crazy on him," he began.

Felicity picked up where he left off, still glaring in Palmer's direction. "She gave him a black eye and a few good bruises by the time the security guard showed up. He went to call the police and Oliver stepped aside to call his dad down to the garage. Carrie had a done a number on Palmer, so we didn't think he would try anything else, but the moment we turned our backs on him, he grabbed me from behind." She glanced at Malcolm, a slight smirk lifting the corner of her mouth. "And you know me—I reacted. Broke his wrist and knocked him on his ass. Quentin showed up a few minutes later and they carted him away to jail."

"For like three days, though," Sara snorted derisively, crossing her arms across her chest. "His daddy bailed him out and had the entire incident swept under the rug like he always does apparently. And that's not the only thing he's fucking done either! The motherfucker has a history of this kind of crap a mile long, including stalking Felicity and a bunch of her co-workers. God, Dad and Laurel were so pissed when they found out he'd gotten away with so much shit."

Malcolm grimaced and gently gathered Felicity into his arms, pulling her into a hug. "Oh you poor girl," he murmured before turning to Sara. "And to think I thought he would be a good match for you." Malcolm's expression hardened and Oliver watched as a dark look clouded his eyes as he focused his gaze on Palmer. "Don't you worry – I'll take care of him."

They watched as Malcolm stalked off through the crowd in Palmer's direction where he stood out with his black eye standing next to his father. "I feel like the Jaws theme should be playing," Felicity said, making Oliver and Sara nod in agreement.

"Malcolm's going to ruin him and his father before the night's over and then they'll be nobody's problem anymore," Sara remarked with a grin as she took a swig from her beer bottle turning back to face him and Felicity. Her gaze slid past them and her brow furrowed. "Laurel's frantically waving us over."

Oliver let Felicity drag him through the crowd as they followed Sara as she elbowed her way through until they stood with Laurel and Tommy in an awkward circle.

Tommy looked around at everybody and nodded once. "Well, this is awkward," he drawled out.

"So, uh, congratulations on your engagement, guys," Oliver said, hoping to diffuse at least some of the tension surrounding them.

"Thanks, man," Tommy readily returned, "I appreciate it."

Sara turned to her sister, arms crossed. "So, what's up?"

"We just wanted to talk to some familiar faces after spending the last forty minutes talking to people we'd never met before," Laurel responded. "Mom and Dad disappeared somewhere earlier."

"Yeah, letting my dad have free reign over the party was a bad idea in hindsight," Tommy admitted. "The man knows, like, the entire city."

There was another awkward pause and then Sara said, "So, since we're all in the know…You guys still fucking other people?"

Chaos erupted in their small circle almost immediately.

"You promised!" Laurel gasped out while Tommy froze up beside her before frantically looking around to see if anyone heard her.

"Sara!" Felicity hissed out and Oliver swore, shaking his head to himself.

But Sara only shrugged. "What? It's a valid question, Smoak!"