Chapter 4

Kissing Cousins

A Scare brings up a question the couple isn't ready to answer

Despite what Katie originally thought, sleeping in a tent, in a sleeping bag on the ground wasn't really that bad. The next morning, she cracked open her eyes to Oliver and despite herself she couldn't help but smile. For some reason he thought he was the only one hurt by the distance she had placed between them. The truth was, she missed him too. Miss the moments like this where she woke up, and the first face she saw was his, and somehow the sight alone just made her happy. She looked down to his hand, that even in his sleep still cradled her belly. Her eyes went back to the man and without really thinking, she brought a hand to his cheek. The touch alone seemed to stir the man who soon opened his eyes to her, a tired smile coming to his lips.

"Good morning." his husky voice spoke, and Katie soon realized why she didn't want to sleep so closely to the man. Because with just two words she wants to tear all his clothes off and just forget about time and fixing the broken. She pulled back her hand and turned away from his eyes. "Twinkie-"

"I want pancakes." she said suddenly before glancing over to the man.

"Ok." he replied before sitting up. "I guess we can head out and stop somewhere for breakfast."

"Great." she replied sitting up as well,but soon wishing she hadn't. "Oh-" she groaned her hand going to her back.

"Hey." Oliver says moving in closer to her. Any sign of pain or discomfort from the woman really scared him sometimes. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just realizing why pregnant woman don't sleep on the ground." she said trying to rub her sore back. "I'm fine."

"Wait, let me." the man said sliding his hand across her back, and gently rubbing the small of her back. It was at this moment that Katie realized just how close the act brought them. Oliver's face, was inches from her as he focused on trying to relieve some of the soreness of her back. She once again fell into the hypnotism of the man's eyes, the feeling of his hands on her and she soon forgot about her sore back. His eyes turned back to hers. "Better?" she couldn't speak right away, too afraid she'd just say the things she really wanted to say in this moment. After a moment she turned away and gave a nod.

"Yeah, much better." she turned back to the man with a soft smile. "Thanks."

"Anytime." the man replied, not even attempting to pull away from the woman. They sat there for a few moments in silence and Katie just knew that if he leaned into kiss her this very moment, she wouldn't pull away. A part of her wanted him to, but the man cleared his throat before finally pulling away. "I should go pack up our stuff." and just like that the man was up and out of the tent. Katie let out a sigh, lying back in her sleeping bag.

The mood was totally different from the previous day, and they figure that had much to do with them finally getting some things out in the open. They found themselves back at the familiar diner in the small town near their campsite.

"So I promise to never take you camping again." Oliver said, glancing over to the woman sitting across from him. The woman chuckled as she turned to him.

"It wasn't all bad. It's just probably not for me." she turned back to look out the window. "Maybe it's something you and baby Twiver can do together." she glanced over to the man who shook his head with a smile. "I still haven't wrapped my head around it. In three months, we will have a baby." the woman let out a sigh. "what do you even do with a baby?"

"I'm sure we will figure it out." Oliver said looking over to the woman, just as the waitress brought over their food.

"Well here you are. One stack of pancakes for the mom to be and a Denver omelet for her husband." the waitress said placing the food down in front of them.

"Oh, he's not my husband." Katie spoke immediately, not missing the look on Oliver's face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just assumed-"

"Don't it's ok. It happens all the time. We're actually cousins." Katie said and Oliver nearly choked on his juice. "By marriage." the waitress just gave a nod before turning and heading back to the kitchen. Katie turned back to Oliver who stared at her with a shake of his head. "What?"

"Not a funny bone in your body." Oliver replied unable to not lightly laugh. "I think I will be fine with being called your friend." the woman couldn't help but laugh as she grabbed her fork.

"Nah you were right." the woman said glancing over to the man. "This trip is about us getting back to being us, and I think we've been doing that. I guess I didn't want to press my luck you know. I'm not ready to fall completely into the Twiver romantic bubble and get lost because that's when things can hurt the most if it goes bad. That doesn't change the fact that I love you and I really do want to fix this." she gave the man a smile. "So Mr. Queen, wanna go steady?" Oliver laughed, but nodded without hesitation.

"I would like that." the man replied watching as the woman began eating. It was a sight that both amazed and made him happy. Oliver just had the feeling that things were only going to get better for them. He grabbed his own fork about to start eating, when Katie dropped the fork in her hand. He looked over to her eyes tightly closed. "Twinkie-" the man rushed from his side of the booth, kneeling in front of her as he placed a hand on her stomach. "What's happening?"

"Contractions, I think." the woman said and Oliver's eyes went wide.

"What? It's too soon, right." the man became instantly nervous, knowing this moment wasn't supposed to happen yet. "Should we get to the hospital."

"Oliver, calm down." Katie says opening her eyes and turning to the man. "It's just braxton hicks. It happens sometimes and it's totally normal. I've gotten them a few times before, but I just felt this one a little more I guess."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Oliver asked still too nervous to even move from her right now. "Are you sure we shouldn't go to the hospital?"

"Oliver I will be the first person to tell you when we need to go to the hospital. I promise. This was just one of those weird things that can happen and are totally normal." the woman replied placing a hand on his cheek. "I'm alright."

"You sure?" she could see how worried he was, which is why she never mentioned them to him before. Oliver seemed to worry over every little thing with her often. He even looked at her cautiously if she sneezed too many times.

"I am, I am also sure I have to pee. Now help me up." Oliver nodded before standing to his feet and holding out a hand to the woman who took it before springing up to her feet. The moment she did, she felt dizzy all of a sudden, practically falling into Oliver's arms.

"Twinkie?"

"Is everything alright?" the waitress asked ,and Oliver glanced over to see her and the rest of the patrons now watching them.

"It's fine. Pregnant women get dizzy." Katie said looking up to Oliver who shook his head. "We're going to the hospital, aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are." Oliver said, never letting the woman out of his grasp.

Oliver found himself forced into the waiting room of the hospital. He should've known it was coming after hovering over the shoulders of every nurse and doctor that came into their room. He paced back and forth, his fingers twitching at his side. Everything had to be alright. It's what he kept saying over and over again in his head. The words couldn't be more true, because if they weren't alright, he doesn't know what he would do.

"Mr. Queen?"

"Oliver stopped walking and rushed over to the doctor who called his name.

"Is she alright? Can I see her?" Oliver asked.

"How about we take a seat first." the doctor replied which made Oliver more nervous. "I promise we just need to have a little talk and I will let you see her. C'mon, sit."

Oliver found himself sitting beside the doctor, his knee nervously bouncing waiting for the man to just let him see Katie.

"I see a lot of first time dads come through here." the man said looking over to Oliver. "You're cautious, and that's a good thing." Oliver turned to the man and waited for him to just say. "But Ms. Robins is fine, and so is your baby."

"She said she was having contractions, and then she almost fainted." Oliver replied.

"I know it seemed pretty scary at the time, but I promise you at this point in her pregnancy, it is very normal. It can happen with women who are very active, as I found out the two of you are. Ms. Robins told me about your extended vacation."

"Is that what caused this?"

"Mr. Queen, don't misunderstand. Travel during this stage of pregnancy is fine, as long as she's getting enough rest, and keeping a good diet. Now I did notice her blood pressure was a little high, and that concerns me. High blood pressure for pregnant women can get serious if not treated properly. At this point it hasn't gotten to the serious point, but it is something that should be monitored."

"Well what should we do?"

"It may be time to finally buckle down somewhere. Start preparing for this baby that will be here soon. Maybe it's time to head home." The doctor gave Oliver a pat on the shoulder. "She is in room two, when you're ready to see her." the doctor stood to his feet before walking down the hall.

Oliver sat there for a few moments longer, thinking over the doctors words. Go back home wasn't something he was sure he was ready for. He had hoped that before they went back to Starling, they would've fixed their relationship. At the moment it was happening, but it wasn't completely fixed and he's afraid going back would just ruin their progress. Oliver dropped his head because he knew the truth in the matter was he would do anything to for that woman and that baby, even go back home. He finally stood to his feet and headed down the hall until he found her door. When he walked inside, he found her lying on her side, her back to him.

"I said I'm not hungry." she grumbled and a smile came to his lips.

"Well you didn't finish your pancakes, I'm sure you could eat something." the man said walking over to the woman who turned over to see the man. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Liver." she replied with a light smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better." he replied dropping to the seat beside her bed. "I don't think I've ever been more scared of anything in that moment." he slid a hand across her belly, feeling the relief at the gentle fluttering underneath his fingers. He looked back over to the woman. "Did you talk to the doctor?"

"I did. He said my blood pressure was a little high and that maybe it's time to stop moving around." she turned away from the man to look up to the ceiling. "I don't think I'm ready to go back."

"Me either." Oliver replied and Katie turned meeting his eyes. "What if we didn't?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean-" the man shook his head. "I don't know what I mean. Right now you need rest and relaxation and we will figure out the other stuff later."

"What were you thinking?"

Oliver wasn't an island guy, for obvious reasons, but some things he would just get over for the smile on the woman's face standing beside him on the sandy beach as they looked out to the clear blue waters.

"This is your summer camp story Mr. Queen." Katie says looking over to the man. "You didn't have to bring me here."

"I know, but I remember you once saying how you wanted to take a vacation, with a beach." Oliver said smiling over to the woman. "Plus you like it."

"I do. I really do." Katie says smiling out to the water, never seeing anything so beautiful as the setting sun in the distance. "This can't last." it was a truth, both knew, both accepted, but neither really wanted to think about.

"I know, but we have it now." Oliver says reaching over and taking the woman's hand in his. They knew at some point they would have to return to Starling, have to face the demons they left behind. Neither of them was ready just yet, so right now they would live for right now. "You know since we're like steady-" the man gently pulled the woman closer to him. "that means we should make it official. Seal it with a kiss."

"You think you've earned that kiss, Mr. Queen?"

"I don't know, but I guess it's really up to you." Oliver said, and they woman turned away in thought, her eyes looking out to the water.

"I just-" she turned back to the man who couldn't take his eyes off her. "Oliver we've been working at this, trying to get back something we lost, but I'm not sure I want it." Oliver dropped his head, and she placed her hands on the sides of his face and brought his eyes back to hers. "Oliver, this can't be like before. It has to be different. It has to mean something different for us. It has to mean we will do everything possible not to break the other's heart."

"Twinkie, I promise you-" he brought his face close to her, dropping his forehead against her. "No I swear to you on my life, I will do everything and anything possible to never break your heart again."

"God help me, I think I believe you." she said lifting her eyes to his. She slid her hands up his chest, letting out a light sigh. "Are you going to kiss me or what?" Without a second thought, Oliver leaned in slowly, having thought about this moment for so long, he just had to soak up every second of it. He brushed his lips against hers, and his breath halted for a moment.

"I love you." three words did little justice for what he really felt for this woman, but they were the only words in the realm of existence that came close. He finally brought his lips to her in a kiss he'd waited months for. Soon the world around them disappeared, as it always did. There was something different in this kiss though. Something more intense that both felt, but neither could explain...not that they wanted to.

"We're officially kissing cousins now." Katie muttered against his lips.

"Still not funny." the man replied, deepening the kiss in hopes of stopping the woman from ruining this moment with her attempts to be funny.

That night Oliver glanced over to the sleeping woman in bed, before quietly slipping out of the bedroom, and heading out to the deck of their beach house. He looked out to moon that reflected against the crashing waves, a light smile coming to his face as he dialed a number on his phone.

"Hey, Nancy, it's Oliver Queen. I know it's pretty late, but I needed a your assistance." Oliver says glancing back into the beach house. "I heard you were in real estate, and I'm actually in the market." a smile pulled at his lips. "We're expecting a baby soon and we're gonna need a place to call home."

Author's note:

The Twiver love story is coming full circle. I believe there will be on more chapter to this short fic, that will lead to the next story in the series. And because I wuv you all, there will be a big reveal that ends this story.