Emma – Chapter 22: The Banquet

A/N: I didn't want you to wait so long. ;-) Enjoy!

"Hi," Felicity greeted Oliver at the door.

Her shy smile imitated his own, though he wasn't really aware of it. He was much too overwhelmed by the sight of her; he couldn't find the words to speak.

Instead of greeting her back, he took a step towards her and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. He just couldn't help it. He completely forgot to give her the bouquet of flowers he'd kept hidden behind his back. Felicity was pleasantly surprised at his gesture; she really didn't mind.

As her skin lost contact with his lips when he pulled back, she cleared her throat and said, "Come on in. We should both say goodbye to Emma."

Before he went in, he finally found the words. "Thank you for letting me take you to the banquet tonight. You look absolutely… beautiful."

She was. He hadn't seen her all dressed up like this for a decade, and yet, she looked more elegant and stunning that night than the night he had taken her to her senior prom many years ago. They were so much younger then, but she seemed to have only become prettier with age. He wondered if she thought the same thing about him.

Oliver gave her the flowers, and after she found a crystal vase to put them in, she went to get her purse from her bedroom. Oliver went through last minute reminders with Thea. He and Felicity said good night to Emma, telling her that she might already be asleep by the time they got back.

"Now you be a good girl for Aunt Thea. Okay, Emma?" Oliver said to the little girl as he pulled back from kissing her on the forehead.

"I will, Ollie," replied Emma. "Thanks for letting me and Aunt Thea sleep over here tonight. I want to see Mommy first when I wake up tomorrow. She looks so, so pretty!"

"She does, doesn't she?" Oliver responded, looking up to see Felicity staring at them, a blush creeping up from her bare neck to her face. He smiled warmly at her and then shifted his gaze back to Emma and said, "When you wake up tomorrow, I bet she won't be in her pretty dress anymore. And she won't be wearing make-up, but I'm sure she'll be just as pretty in the morning."

"Oh, please…" Thea said after groaning at his sappiness. "Just go, you two. I can't take much more of this… whatever this dance is that you've been doing."

"Mommy and Ollie are going to a dance?" Emma asked, confused and curious at the same time at her aunt's remark.

When Oliver stood up, clearly about to reprimand his sister, Felicity decided to intervene. "It's called a banquet, Emma, a formal party, where people dress up in fancy clothes, eat really expensive food, and enjoy each other's company. Though, I'm pretty sure there'll be some dancing as well." She winked at her daughter, who was listening intently to her every word in wide-eyed wonder.

Emma's smile soon fell as she realized something. "But, Ollie doesn't dance. I mean, I've never seen him dance," she said with her crinkled eyebrows, turning to her older brother as she finished her sentence.

Felicity eagerly corrected Emma's misconception. "Just because you haven't seen him dance, doesn't mean he can't. If my memory serves me right, he's a really good dance partner. Even without the music."

Oliver blushed at the compliment. Coming from Felicity, it was as if he had won the state lottery. It had been quite unexpected – the way she suddenly remembered some of his most unforgettable and priceless moments with her, one fond memory in particular.

He had danced with Felicity during parties since childhood and all throughout high school. He had danced with her at prom twice – that is, first at his prom and then again at hers. But none had been more magical than the last dance they'd shared under "their tree" in the sunset before she left for her freshman year at MIT. No one else had been there. They had danced to the music of the wind, the rustling autumn leaves, the gentle symphony of a few crickets, and the calm beating of two hearts as they held each other in a tight embrace. Hearing Felicity allude to that memorable dance in particular was precious to him. He took it as a sign that they were moving in the right direction, and that made him confident that the rest of the evening was going to go just fine.

When Felicity realized the implications of what she'd just said to Emma, she quickly averted her eyes from Oliver and her daughter in embarrassment. Locating the nearest clock, she changed the topic faster than Thea could tease a second time.

"We'd better get going. Dr. Wells is a stickler about coming on time," said Felicity. She bent forward and kissed the crown of Emma's head.

Oliver guided Felicity to the door, waving goodbye to Thea and Emma. They left for the banquet, both eager to enjoy the evening – their first date in a very long time.

Oliver sat in silence at the dinner table next to where Dr. Harrison Wells and the board of directors of STAR Labs were seated. Felicity had excused herself and gone to the ladies room, and he'd assured her that it was perfectly fine for him to sit and wait all by himself. They knew who the other occupants at their table were going to be – all Felicity's friends and colleagues – but they were still mingling with other guests and hadn't seated themselves yet. He sure was relieved that he finally had the chance to get a breather.

The preliminary introductions and pleasantries had been exchanged earlier. In the beginning, Oliver had been a little bit tense and nervous about being introduced to Dr. Wells and to Felicity's superiors and co-workers. He was glad that Felicity had been by his side the whole time, never leaving him to fend for himself; it had helped make him feel comfortable. Caitlyn, Cisco, and surprisingly, even Ray Palmer, had also welcomed him cordially, asking how Emma was doing and sending regards to their favorite little girl.

What he had appreciated most was the way that Felicity had introduced him to everybody as her "best friend." To those who seemed a bit more curious than most people, she had described him as her best friend from childhood with whom she had grown up, lost touch for some years since college, but had, since a year ago, been very close friends with again. Felicity had introduced him to Dr. Wells as the wonderful older brother of Emma, who had single-handedly raised her daughter since her adoptive parent, Moira Queen, passed away. For Oliver, that had been the best introduction of all. And it wasn't just because her words had made him look good before others; it was more because her words were palpably sincere. Whether she was aware of it or not, Felicity had made him feel special and appreciated. He couldn't feel prouder.

"Everything okay?" Felicity asked as she came up from behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Looking up at her, Oliver answered, "Everything's fine." He stood up and seated her like the courteous gentleman his mother had raised him to be. Moira used to tell him that cowboys and ranchers ought to have manners, too.

Soon the empty seats at their table were filled and dinner was underway. The food was delicious and the company was great. Felicity's friends were very nice people, especially Caitlyn, and he learned to appreciate that even more. He felt very happy for her, and at one point in the conversations, he leaned towards her and softly told her so. That had earned him one of her sweetest smiles plus a gentle touch on his forearm.

Later on, as they were finishing dessert, Dr. Wells gave his speech and offered a toast to many more years of success for STAR Labs. He then declared the dance floor officially open and complimented the live band for the exquisite entertainment they'd been providing ever since the guests started to arrive. When the applause died down, slow dance music began to play.

"Felicity, would you like to dance?" Oliver asked.

Felicity smiled. "With you? Any time," she replied.

Oliver took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Couples were already starting to sway to the music by the time they stepped on the parquet floor. Less than a minute into the dance, they both recognized that they still remembered everything their mothers had taught them when they were younger. (Moira and Donna both had loved to dance).

He was, however, impressed that Felicity's movements had become more precise, refined, and graceful. "I see you've gotten better at this," Oliver remarked with a smile.

She replied, "Well, this isn't the first time I've had to attend functions like this. Dr. Wells is fond of throwing parties and galas to impress investors, partners, and clients. And you?"

"I'm afraid Emma's quite reliable with her information earlier," he answered. "I haven't been to formal events in a really long time. John's not much of a dance partner, and so is Speedy… or the cows at the ranch." They both chuckled at that.

"Then I guess it's a good thing you came with me tonight. Like I said earlier, you're a really good dancer. It would be a shame to waste such talent and keep it from the rest of the world." Her eyes shone with pride as she complimented him.

Emboldened by her delightful remark, Oliver said to her, "Well, the rest of the world can wait… because my feet will only dance with you."

Their radiant faces could not glow brighter as they stared deep into each other's bright blue eyes. Felicity's hands moved as though they had a mind of their own, and her palms both landed on his chest. Not knowing what else to do with his hands, Oliver placed them lightly on waist, and when she did not flinch, he knew that he'd been granted permission to touch her as more than just a dance partner.

"I wonder what Emma would do if she saw you dancing right now," Felicity said.

"Knowing her," Oliver replied, "she'd cut right in." Felicity laughed softly, and so did he.

Caught up in the moment, he instinctively pulled her close, and she did not mind it at all. In fact, she slid her palms down and around his torso and rested her head on his broad chest. The gesture made Oliver sigh contentedly, as he rubbed her partly bare back up and down while they swayed to the music. She could feel his heartbeat on her cheek. He could feel the goose bumps on the skin of her back. They both wished that the song the band was playing was a medley of sorts, because they both did not want the dance to end just yet.

But it did.

Felicity was the first one to pull back when the music started to fade, and with the applause of everyone on the dance floor, Oliver led her back to their table.

"Do you mind if we step out to the deck for a while for some fresh air?" asked Felicity.

"Not at all. Lead the way," said Oliver.

They walked across the huge exhibition hall of STAR Labs, which had been conveniently and very elegantly transformed into a banquet hall for the occasion. As they did, Oliver picked up two champagne flutes from a waiter's tray. Out on the third floor deck, they stayed in companionable silence for a while as they drank their champagne, enjoying the other side of the city's evening skyline from afar. Halfway through their drink, Felicity put down her flute on a nearby cocktail table and went straight to the railing that lined the edge of the deck.

"I come up here every now and then when I need a break from work," she said, wrapping her arms across her upper body when she started to feel a bit chilly. "It's quiet and peaceful. And the view of the city is lovely."

Oliver had already removed his coat and moved closer to drape it around her. As Felicity turned to thank him for his thoughtful gesture, he was quick to respond to her last remark. "Maybe. But it's not half as lovely as you," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oliver, you're such a sap," Felicity told him. She was not about to admit that she was about to give in to flattery.

"Maybe. But it's true." Oliver really hoped she understood how sincere he was. In his eyes, no one was as lovely as the woman standing beside him. Not before, not now, maybe not ever.

Felicity rolled her eyes and shook her head. But then she smiled at him, and she saw that he was serious with his compliment. There was something more in his eyes, and she was positive that it was more than fondness; it was affection, pure and unadulterated affection.

With a sudden surge of courage, she looked straight into his eyes and dared ask him, "Oliver, what are we, really? I mean, of course I know we're good friends, and we agreed to help each other raise Emma the best way we can. But, these past few months, I feel like… And please, feel free to correct me if I'm reading it wrongly, because I certainly could be. But I sense that something is radically shifting between us, and I'm wondering if… if you can sense it, too."

Patience was a virtue, and Oliver was definitely glad that it had finally paid off in his favor. He shifted between his feet, unsure of how to tell her his innermost feelings, feelings that had been bottled up inside him, simply waiting to be expressed, unleashed.

He took a deep breath and began to reply with a balance of wit and earnestness, "I really don't see the need to correct you, because yeah, I do sense that something is shifting. But I'd have to disagree with you about something."

Her eyes grew wide for fear that he was going to tell her that he didn't feel the same way. But she reined in her emotions and bit her lip to keep herself from impulsively responding with a ramble.

Oliver went on to say, "Felicity, whatever it is that's shifting, it isn't shifting between the two of us. We've both changed, that's true. But my feelings for you haven't changed through the years, even during the time when I was hurting because of what happened between us. Wait. That's not quite right. The way I feel about you has changed. It has grown… through the tough times… and especially now that we've become friends again and gotten to know each other better over the past year. And I'm not just saying this because we both have Emma in our lives."

"Felicity, I used to be madly in love with you. But now, I can really say that I love you. It's a choice I made the day you came back to the ranch to make things right. It's a choice I made the night you told me the truth. In spite of everything you've been through, I love you. And I've been waiting for you to give me the perfect opportunity to express what's been in my heart all this time."

Felicity was dumbfounded. She had had an inkling that Oliver had feelings for her; she just did not expect for his feelings to run so deep and for his intentions to be so earnest. It seemed he had been waiting for quite some time to be able to tell her how he felt. Oliver wasn't really one for long speeches, so he must have really meant every word he said.

"Oliver, I…"

He closed the gap between them and reached up to cup her cheek tenderly with his hand. "Felicity, if there's any shifting that's been happening these past few months, I think it's happening inside your heart. I just hope that it's along the lines of you feeling the same way about me. You don't have to say it back if you're not ready; in fact, you don't have to say anything just yet. If you need more time to think about it, then take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

Her eyes welled up with tears, and he was ready to pull out his handkerchief from his pocket just in case she needed it. Instead, she blinked away the tears and sighed. She held the wrist of his hand that held the side of her face, caressing his pulse point with her thumb, and then she leaned forward until their foreheads touched.

"I do feel the same way about you," she whispered.

She then pulled back to get a good look at his face. "Well, maybe not as passionately as you do. Not yet, at least. You've had a head start. And I've had a lot to deal with for years. But give me some time. I catch up pretty quickly. And it's not just because I'm a certified genius. It's also because I've been rediscovering how such a wonderful man you truly are. I mean, you're not perfect, perfect. But I'd be a fool not to fall in love with you twice over. Because I do. I do love you. Especially since-"

Oliver cut off her adorable babble with a kiss. It was soft and chaste at the onset, but it grew more passionately as their lips and their bodies suddenly remembered how amazing it had always been to share a lover's kiss in such close proximity. It felt like the last nine years of estrangement between them had never happened. It felt like coming home.

A/N: This here is really my special holiday gift to all of you, dear readers and followers. I really hope you liked it, because it was positively emotional for me to write it out. Shout out to mjf2468, weird-but-wonderful, malafle, CaptainSammyAngel, KasumisMom, highlander348, Mione-angra, and Camilinha! Happy Holidays!

I'm aiming to finish this story before New Year's and to post a chapter every other day. Just three more chapters to go, so here's hoping I can post the epilogue by January 3, 2019. Tall order. But I have a work-related seminar coming up, and then the holiday break is over, so I want to get this done.