With Our Backs to the Wall (The Darkness Will Fall)

by theirhappystory

5 years ago Oliver Queen made a choice to enlist in the Army. Now he's back and things are very different. His parents barely talk, his best friends are dating, and his sister isn't the spirited little girl he remembers. She's grown up and so has her best friend, Felicity Smoak. When a threat is made on Felicity's life, Oliver finds that keeping her at arms length won't be easy.

6. Green Doesn't Look as Good On You

Author's Note: So the general consensus seems to be that Felicity really needs to turn 18 already…. Unfortunately that's not going to happen this chapter. But we are getting closer!

Felicity's brunch and fundraiser outfits as well as Sara's fundraiser outfit can be found on my Polyvore account. I have the same user there as I do here and the collection title is "With Our Backs to the Wall (The Darkness Will Fall)".

Also, sorry I didn't get this up sooner. This site wasn't letting me upload anything into my Doc Manager.

….

Chapter 6: Green Doesn't Look as Good On You as It Does On Me

As Oliver begins to stir, he is surprised to find that the reason for his waking is not the usual terror of memories turned nightmares. Instead, it's a steady stream of sunlight that beams through the small opening in the curtains and onto his face that wakes him from his sleep. That's the first thing he notices that is out of place.

The second, and more conspicuous of the two, is that there is a warm body pressed against his side and a blonde head lying on the space between his shoulder and his chest. Felicity. Sometime late into the night, or early depending on how you look at it, they must have both fallen asleep and shifted their positions. The distance he was sure to keep between them is now completely eliminated as she snuggles into his side with a hand on his chest, right above his beating heart. His left arm is tucked underneath her shoulders and wrapped around her tiny frame, palm resting on her ribcage over the fabric of his sweatshirt.

She's soft and warm against him and there is absolutely no chance of controlling his body's reaction to her. It is morning after all.

Oliver tries to shift slightly and prays to God that she is a sound sleeper. Maybe then he can slip away and avoid the awkward situation that is sure to come up, he groans at the unintentional and completely inappropriate pun, when she wakes. Luck, it would seem, is not on his side because the second his arm starts to move from underneath her, Felicity shifts closer. Her left knee rises slightly to rest on his outer thigh, dangerously close to where he is beginning to strain against his pants. Her skirt from last night has disappeared, revealing more of her bare skin, which might just cause him to hyperventilate.

Felicity turns further into him, pressing her body even closer to his and sighing in contentment as she settles. It would be sweet if he weren't busy worrying about his growing arousal and what her reaction would be to finding it.

He needs to wake her up. Right now.

"Felicity." Gently he shakes her shoulders, trying to rouse her as gently as possible. "Felicity, wake up."

"Ten minutes…"

He chuckles lightly at her refusal to fully wake up. Her brow crinkles and her nose scrunches in the most adorable way as she pulls herself even closer with the hand curled in the front of his shirt and the leg she has draped over his.

"It's already ten o'clock. Come on, Felicity."

"Thea… don't care 'bout stupid sale… lemme sleep."

Thea. That causes him to freeze. His sister will most definitely be looking for her best friend soon. It's Sunday and his parents will be back for brunch which means Thea will most likely want to play dress up with Felicity. If she saw them like this…

"I'm definitely not Thea. But you do need to wake up and go back to your room before she realizes you're not there."

That seems to do the trick because Felicity's eyes snap open and she pushes so far away that she nearly falls off the bed. Oliver takes this opportunity to quickly pull the duvet over his lap to hide his straining erection from her.

"Oh my God, Oliver! I am so sorry! Oh I really hope I didn't drool on you. Not that I drool a lot in my sleep but you know that's always what people worry about in books and movies. That would really be so embarrassing. And wow I basically cuddle-attacked you in your sleep. Did I mention I was sorry?"

"It's okay. You didn't drool on me. Don't worry. But you do need to get back to your room before Thea realizes you are missing and comes looking for you."

"Right, because she would probably assume that me and you… you know what never mind I'm just gonna go."

Felicity quickly scurries over to the couch to grab her sandals and skirt; thankfully it appears she was wearing shorts under it last night. Then she's rushing out of the door and down the hall.

This was getting out of hand. Last night when Oliver had found Felicity crying he didn't think, he just acted. He forgot the distance she had put between them, forgot how it was supposed to be a good thing. All he had wanted to do was make her smile again, to see that hurt expression disappear.

Then he let her sleep on his couch. He really should have known better. Sleeping in the same room as the girl that you uncontrollably fantasize about is never a good idea. Doing that when you're prone to nightmares that wake you up screaming is an even worse one. There was no way of controlling things from there and somehow Felicity had turned the tables and ended up being the one to comfort him. It was so very Felicity of her that Oliver can't say he's surprised.

What does surprise him is how much he shared with her. The scars he bears on his body speak of his trials and his struggles. The only people who know all of the stories behind them are dead, except for Diggle. They hold his secrets and his stories that until last night, he was unwilling to share. He's still not willing to tell her everything, as was evident by his reaction when her hand grazed the tattoo on his shoulder.

Oliver quickly stops his thoughts from wandering to how her soft hands felt on his bare skin. He's already hard as a result of the morning and her impromptu cuddling session. The last thing he needs is to think about the way her hands trailed across his back and up his side. Or how her breath felt, hot and warm, against the back of his neck. He stiffens further at the memory and decides that a cold shower is definitely necessary. His mind flashes to her leg pressed up against his thigh as he attempted to wake her up. Yeah, he's going to need the coldest setting.

As he sits up and swings his legs over the side of the bed his door flies open and slams back shut with a bang.

"Oliver Queen, you hypocrite!"

He just about jumps out of his skin at the sound of Thea's angry shout as she charges towards him.

"Do you know what I just saw? No, don't talk, I'll tell you. I just saw Felicity leaving your room in your sweatshirt!"

"Thea, it's not – "

"Shut up I wasn't finished. Who do you think you are to go around criticizing me for having some fun with a boy my age when you have Felicity in your bedroom?! I know you liked to sleep around a lot before but seriously, Ollie? Felicity? She is my best friend!"

"Speedy! Whatever you think happened, you're wrong."

He needs to nip this in the bud before it gets any worse.

"Oh, so it wasn't Felicity sneaking, well trying to, out of your room wearing your sweatshirt with her shoes and skirt in hand?"

He reaches up to rub his temples with the thumb and forefinger of his right hands as he feels a headache start to set in.

"No, it was. But not for the reason you are thinking."

"Then please, explain what happened because it looked awfully suspicious to me."

"You know that guy you invited from her school who lives around here?"

"Ed? Yeah, I thought it would be good for Felicity to get some action since she's usually all work and no play with her internship and everything. Why?"

Momentarily Oliver is distracted by the thought of Thea calling this boy for Felicity as a, for lack of a better description, booty call. Anyone who makes her that upset shouldn't be allowed close enough to touch her like that.

"Well, I found her crying because of him. I let her stay in my room and she fell asleep watching TV on the couch. She was in my sweatshirt because it was cold and I gave it to her so she would be comfortable. That's all."

Thea looks Oliver over skeptically, assessing if what he is telling her is the truth or an elaborate lie. Whatever she sees must convince her that he isn't lying because her scrutiny lessens. His gut unknots in his stomach and he relaxes slightly. What he said was the truth. He just failed to mention what happened later in the night.

"Okay. Maybe I overreacted a little bit. You would never do that to Felicity. She's practically family and like half your age."

Thea's comment leaves him unsettled and puts a sour taste in his mouth.

"No, she's not. She's almost eighteen."

"Eighteen, thirty, it's still a pretty big age difference. Anyway, that's not important. The reason I was on my way to your room was to tell you to get ready. Mom and dad got back about an hour ago and apparently we're having guests over for brunch."

"Great. Anyone I know?"

"Does the last name Bowen ring a bell?"

"Ah, Carter Bowen, the perfect son."

Also, a complete pretentious douchebag in Oliver's opinion.

"The one and only, according to mom."

Thea smirks at the running joke she and Oliver shared as kids and he replies in a mock interpretation of their mother.

"Carter Bowen just won the national chess championship. Carter Bowen is anchoring the debate team."

"Oliver, Carter just got accepted into Harvard AND Princeton."

"Well that's because he got a perfect score on his SATs."

"Now, how did he manage to study and cure cancer?"

They laugh together at that and for a second Oliver thinks that maybe things between him and Thea aren't as bad as he thought.

"Now don't even try to get out of this because I already did. Mom shot me down and made me promise that you, Felicity, and I would all be there. Although I don't think Felicity has the same problem with Carter that we do."

She says the last comment offhand and with a roll of her eyes but it stops Oliver short.

"What do you mean?"

"She used to have this silly crush on him when we were younger. I remember one time when we were I think fourteen the Bowens came over for dinner and Felicity blushed the color of a tomato when he greeted her. I tried to tell her he was a total asshat but whatever I'm sure she's over it now. Anyway, go get ready. Mom said they would be here around eleven."

With that Thea leaves the room, crisis averted. Only now he's occupied with a completely different situation. Felicity had, might still have, a crush on Carter Bowen. For some reason the thought causes Oliver to tense up. He doesn't like it and he's not entirely sure why he feels like this. But he does.

At least he won't have to take a freezing cold shower anymore.

….

Thirty minutes later Oliver walks down the stairs to find his family and the Bowens gathered in the parlor, mimosas in hand aside from Thea and Felicity. He avoids eye contact with the latter.

"Good, Oliver you're here. You remember the Bowens, don't you?"

Moira places a hand on Oliver's back and gently ushers him forward to greet Janice and Carter Bowen.

"Of course. It is lovely to see you again, Mrs. Bowen."

"Oh we are just happy you made it back safely. You know so many young people go off to war and unfortunately don't return – " Moira cuts her off midsentence.

"Yes, well, we're glad he's home."

"Mhm, and returning celebrity, too."

Oliver accepts Carter's offered hand of greeting. He may or may not grip it with slightly more force than necessary.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Raisa enters the parlor then to inform them that brunch is ready to be served. As the group makes their way to the dining room Oliver can't help but sneak a glance at Felicity who he finds smiling at Carter with a pink tinge in her cheeks.

"Billionaire scion returns a reformed man after five years fighting for our country. There must be a bidding war for your life story, at least that's what my agent says."

He watches as Carter catches Felicity's gaze and winks at her to which she turns away and blushes deeper. It would seem that her little crush had survived the years. Oliver's hands clench tightly at his sides and they only tighten further as the group takes their seats around the table, Carter pulling Felicity's chair out for her and taking the seat beside her. What a fucking douchebag.

"Agent? I thought you were a neurosurgeon."

"It's crazy how things turn out. One minute I'm publishing a book on how long term potentiation initiates the creation of a slow moving protein synthesis and the next there's an agent trying to make me the next Dr. Oz."

Felicity practically coos in her seat as she leans her head into her hands and it makes Oliver want to vomit. Apparently Thea feels the same way because he catches her eyes as she makes a subtle choking noise and mimes throwing up. He lets out a soft laugh at that.

"I just really think it's our duty as Starling City's more fortunate to help those in need. "

"What other kinds of research have you been doing, Carter?"

Felicity speaks up from where she sits. The way she says his name, all breathy, irritates Oliver more than it should.

"Well currently I'm looking into setting up a free clinic in the Glades. It's not exactly ground breaking scientific research but I feel as though someone should do it."

The line is delivered with practiced humility that Oliver could see through a mile away.

"No, I think that's wonderful. The conditions there are horrible and I think the people would really benefit from a facility like that."

"I'm glad there are people as enthusiastic about it as I am."

They're interrupted then as the food is brought out and placed on the table. No one talks as they tuck into their first few bites of the delicious gourmet meal.

Robert speaks up for the first time that morning.

"So, Janice, Carter, will we be seeing you this evening at the CNRI fundraiser Tommy is hosting?"

Right, that was tonight. Oliver had all but forgotten about the event his friend was hosting, the event during which Tommy was planning on proposing to Laurel. There was no doubt in Oliver's mind that she would say yes. From what he heard over the years and has seen in person these past few weeks, his best friends are happy and they work well together. Tommy's fun-loving and humorous personality balances out Laurel's serious, no nonsense demeanor and vise versa. They are actually kind of a perfect match.

"Of course, Mr. Queen. The work that CNRI does is inspiring. It has the full support of the Bowen family and we wouldn't miss it for the world."

Great. Now he is going to be spending his evening watching Dr. McDouchebag fish for compliments and not so subtly brag about his work. Admittedly the mental nickname is childish at best but it's an apt description in Oliver's eyes.

Felicity lets out a small sigh from where she is seated.

He doesn't feel so bad about the nickname anymore.

….

"I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Tommy, stop freaking out. She is going to say yes."

"You don't know that!"

Oliver, Thea, and Felicity stand to the side of the simply decorated ballroom with Tommy who is in the midst of a breakdown over his proposal plans. It's ridiculous that he is acting this way. Tommy and Laurel have been together for nearly four years. Oliver would be shocked if she didn't already know about his plans for the evening.

"You said she has been dropping hints for months."

"She has. Tommy, last week she asked me and Thea for our opinions on winter versus summer weddings."

Felicity tries to assure Tommy as he shifts his weight, his right hand fidgeting with the velvet box in his pocket.

"I could have misinterpreted what she was saying. Maybe she really did just think that townhome was nice or that Kate Middleton's dress with the lace back was pretty."

Thea rolls her eyes at Tommy's logic. No woman talks about that with her boyfriend unless she's considering it. Especially not a woman like Laurel.

"Pull yourself together, Merlyn. I'm pretty sure she would have dumped you by now if she didn't want to marry your ass."

Oliver places a supporting hand on his best friend's shoulder before looking him dead in the eye.

"Laurel loves you, Tommy. She will say yes."

"Okay…"

Tommy lets out a deep sigh and beings to relax slightly. Then his eyes grow wide and stares at Oliver in horror as if something awful just occurred to him.

"What if she doesn't like the ring?"

"Oh for the love of God! I need a drink just talking to you."

Thea snags two champagne flutes off of a passing tray and hands one to Felicity while keeping the other for herself. Oliver throws his sister a disapproving glance but she only raises an eyebrow in challenge before taking a sip. They have other things to deal with right now so he turns backs to Tommy.

But he keeps an eye on Thea and Felicity, who hasn't taken a sip yet and seems content just to hold the glass in her hand.

"It's your mother's ring. She's going to love it."

"Who is going to love what?"

The group whips their heads around to find the woman they were just discussing walking up to them. Tommy's eyes zero in on her and Oliver can see that she has his full attention. He can also see that Tommy's nerves are getting the best of him so he speaks up on the behalf of his friend while Felicity hands Tommy the drink she's holding. He needs it more than her.

"Oh, Tommy was just worried that you wouldn't like the decorations, that's all."

"Babe, everything is perfect. I love it." Laurel places a hand on Tommy's chest and leans up to softly press her lips to his. "And I love you."

"I love you, too."

Seeing his best friends now, Oliver is glad they finally came together. The love between them is obvious and he's seen how they've both changed for the better since their initial hook up. There is no way in hell that Laurel would turn down Tommy's proposal.

"Oh, God, sis don't get all mushy like that when there's company around. Poor people's teeth are probably rotting just from looking at you two."

He turns at the sound of the familiar voice to find Sara joining their circle.

"Jerk."

Laurel laughs teasingly at her sister but doesn't step out of Tommy's hold.

"Ollie, since these two are being complete saps why don't I grab you for a dance. This is your only offer of rescue so I suggest you take it."

"Well how can I say no when you asked so nicely? Excuse me, Laurel, Tommy."

Oliver takes Sara's offered hand and leads her to the dance floor. One of his hands remains in hers while the other moves to rest at her waist. The black lace dress she is wearing clings to her like a second skin and where once it would get his blood pumping and result in him dragging her to the nearest room with a lock, now he only appreciates her beauty.

"You look beautiful, Sara."

"You don't look so bad yourself. Now spill, what's going on with Merlyn?"

Sara was always perceptive. It really shouldn't surprise him that she picked up on Tommy's distress so quickly.

"He's just a little… anxious about everything going smoothly this evening."

"Oh, so he's finally gonna pop the big question?" He raises an inquisitive eyebrow at that. "Tommy has never been one for subtlety. I was in their apartment a couple months ago. Idiot had left the ring box on their dresser. He's lucky I found it before Laurel did."

Of course Tommy would do that. Oliver can't help but laugh at his best friend's slip up.

He doesn't even try to deny Sara's deduction and they continue their dance until the song ends. When the music fades they pull apart and their attention is drawn to the stage at the front of the room where Tommy is currently standing, one hand holding Laurel's who is standing next to him and the other holding a microphone to his mouth.

"Excuse me, everyone. If I could have your attention for just a moment, please."

The room quiets as everyone turns to look at what is happening.

"First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who has come out tonight to support CNRI." He pauses as people applaud politely. "We have already raised so much money to help this organization keep doing what they are doing. I know that the wonderful people there really appreciate it. I may be a little biased but I think that what they do over at CNRI is pretty amazing."

Oliver watches as his best friend's stance quickly changes. Where just seconds ago he was the confidant Tommy Merlyn, charismatic businessman who knows how to command a room, he now fidgets and shifts his weight around, a sure sign of nerves.

"There is also something else I would like to say. You all know Laurel Lance, defense attorney at CNRI and my beautiful girlfriend of nearly four years. I just want to take a second to talk about how incredible this woman is and how lucky I am to have her in my life."

"Laurel, we've been best friends since that time in kindergarten when Oliver pulled on your pigtails and you pushed him down while telling him it wasn't nice to tease people who were smaller than him. I never told you this but I thought it was so cool that a girl did that. I'm pretty sure that's when my crush on you started and I don't think it ever stopped. Sure I dated other girls as we grew up and I never acted on my feelings, but I cared about you through it all more than almost anyone and I still do. You stuck by me and Ollie through thick and thin, even though you should have given up long ago. But that's what you do. You stand by the people who need you the most, even when others would have given up and I love that. Actually, I love everything about you. And I want show you that I'm going to stand by you for the rest of my life, too."

Laurel gasps as Tommy places the microphone back in its stand and slides down on one knee. He reaches into his pocket to pull out the velvet box that his fingers have been smoothing over since he placed it there while they got dressed early this evening. Gingerly he lifts the lid to reveal his mother's diamond engagement ring and Oliver can see tears begin to well in Laurel's eyes as she raises a hand to her mouth.

"I love you, Dinah Laurel Lance, and I want to spend the rest of my life by your side. So will you please do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?"

At this point tears are streaming down Laurel's face. She removes the hand from her mouth to reach down and cup Tommy's cheek as a smile spreads its way across her face. Frantically she shakes her head yes and Oliver can just make out the form of the word leaving her mouth in a whisper. Then Tommy slides to ring on her finger before standing to kiss her as loud applause and small shouts ring throughout the room. An arm wraps around Laurel's waist while the other reaches up to support her head as he dips her and she laughs into the kiss.

When they break apart and right themselves Tommy leans towards to microphone to speak.

"Wow, I didn't think she was going to say yes." The crowd laughs and Laurel lightly swats at his shoulder. "Thank you everyone for being here tonight and enjoy the rest of the party."

The music starts back up and Oliver watches as Tommy pulls Laurel to the dance floor. He's about to offer Sara another dance when Carter steps up to join them.

"That was quite the proposal. It's so nice to see Merlyn finally straightening out and settling down." It might just be him but Oliver thinks that maybe Dr. McDouchebag was taking a shot at him. "Sara, right? You're Laurel's sister?"

"Sara, you remember Carter Bowen from the academy, right?"

He might as well be the bigger person and get the introductions over with.

"Yes, it's great to see you! Last I heard you were off curing cancer or something."

Carter takes Sara's offered hand and kisses the back of it. The nickname still stands.

"Not quite. I'm actually considering opening a clinic here in the Glades. But that's not what I came over here to talk about."

"Then what did you come over here for?"

"Well, I saw a beautiful woman in a stunning dress and was hoping I could steal her away for a dance and maybe a drink."

Oliver expects her to say no. Sara can see through Carter's bullshit for days. So he's surprised when she accepts and lets him pull her towards the dance floor. It doesn't bother him or make him jealous. The relationship he has with Sara, if you can call it that, is nowhere near romantic in nature. They're friends, they fuck, that's it. It was always like that before he enlisted and their tryst after his homecoming was the same. Oliver is just shocked Sara is willing to put up with the jerk.

Just then, Moira arrives at her son's side with a man somewhere in his late forties to early fifties in tow.

"Oliver, sweetheart, there is someone I would like you to meet. This is Frank Bertinelli. Mr. Bertinelli has expressed an interest in the defense technology project."

Frank Bertinelli, the man Oliver suspects to be connected to the Italian mob and the attempt on Felicity's life, is standing right before him. There are only two reasons someone with this close of a connection would approach him. One is that Bertinelli really does not have anything to do with what happened the other night. The other is that this is part of his plan and that he is confident in the police's inability to pin him to it because of how well he has covered his tracks. Oliver is betting on the latter.

Unease begins to settle within him and eyes scan the room for Felicity but he can't find her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Oliver."

They shake hands in greeting, sizing each other up.

A part of him begins to fill with panic because he still can't spot Felicity anywhere in the room. He searches for the gold dress and forest green heels she was wearing when he saw her earlier but finds nothing.

"The pleasure is mine. I'm glad to hear people are interested in the project."

Oliver attempts to suppress his panic and focus on the conversation. Digg is here with them tonight and Oliver is more than confident in his friend's ability to take care of her. If something happened he would have found Oliver and told him so.

Right?

"I think it's a great thing that DefenseTech is trying to do. I was glad to hear that a locally based company was taking on the challenge."

"It's not all set in stone yet. We're working on the first prototypes and will be presenting the plans to DefenseTech within the next month or two and hopefully sign with them to get our funding and development underway."

As his eyes once again scan his surroundings, they land on the form of John Diggle crossing the room to Oliver. His stance isn't tensed and there's no urgency that Oliver can see in the way he moves. However, he knows Digg and he knows the man can put on a convincing front.

"Well, I was hoping that maybe we could come to a sort of business agreement. My company would like to extend an offer for a partnership of sorts on the project."

Diggle has made his way over to where they stand and clears his throat to catch their attention.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Queen, but I need to run a security detail by Oliver if you don't mind. It's urgent."

Oliver turns to Bertinelli to dismiss himself, the uneasiness that he suppressed moments ago returning fast.

"I'm afraid it looks like our conversation must be cut short. Maybe we can meet some other time to discuss your offer. Enjoy your evening."

He quickly follows Diggle as he crosses the room to an inconspicuous door on the other side.

"Diggle, what's going on? Where is Felicity? If something happened you need to tell me, now."

"Relax, Oliver, she's okay physically. However, I think she may have indulged herself in some of the refreshments."

Indulged herself in the… Oh.

That was Digg's subtle way of saying that Felicity was drunk. That's… strange. He's never associated Felicity with the irresponsible young teenager type. But then he remembers that she is a teenager and he was doing much worse things at her age than getting drunk at fundraisers, much worse things that landed him in the local precinct more than once.

As they push through the door, Digg leads him around a corner to a stairwell. Felicity sits on the steps, head leaning against the wall and shoes kicked off her feet, lying at the bottom of the stairs. Her bottom lip juts out slightly and her brows are drawn together. She almost looks like she's pouting. It's kind of adorable.

"Felicity."

Her head snaps up to look at him and a smile spreads across her face.

"Oliver!" The smile disappears and turns back into a pout when she glances at Digg standing behind him. "Digg put me in time out."

He grins at her obviously inebriated state and turns to his friend.

"I can take it from here. Do you mind standing outside the door?"

"Sure thing, man."

Diggle exits the stairwell, leaving Oliver alone with Felicity. He takes the seat next to her on the steps and she immediately leans against him, sighing softly.

"So, what did you do to get put in time out?"

"I was bad. I think I drank a liiiittle bit too much."

She holds her fingers up to show him how much a little bit is before letting her hand fall on his shoulder and resting her chin on top of it. It brings their faces close and he can smell the slight hint of alcohol on her breath.

"Wasn't Tommy's proposal great? Laurel was so happy. I bet Tommy was too. Oh and Sara. She'll probably get to be maid of honor. Are you gonna be Tommy's best man? That was silly, of course you are! Oh that probably means you're going to escort Sara. Gorgeous, badass, older Sara…"

He watches Felicity as she babbles on, her eyes growing sad as she trails off.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong I'm grrrreat! Everything's great. Great, great, great."

"Felicity…"

She looks away from Oliver but he reaches out to gently turn her face back towards his.

"Sara is sooooo pretty."

He's surprised by what she chooses to tell him but decides to go along with it. Felicity almost always comes back to her point, even when her thoughts get away from her.

"Yes, she is."

"Do you like her?"

"I do. She's a very old friend and a good person."

Felicity shakes her head exaggeratedly which causes pieces of her hair to fall out of its loose up do and into her face. She clumsily reaches up to part the fallen strands and tucks them behind her ears.

"No, I mean do you like her like her? I didn't mean to interrupt the other week. I know why she was over. I'm eighteen, well not really but I will be in less than three weeks it's the same thing, not blind. Carter likes her, too, you know? I saw him dancing with her. I saw you dancing with her. Everyone wants to dance with her. Gorgeous, badass, older Sara…"

Her words aren't jealous or bitter or resentful. They hold no ill will or spite. They come out simply, stated like facts. The only emotions Oliver can detect are melancholy and he thinks wistfulness.

"Felicity, Sara and I are just friends. That's all. And Carter? He's a gigantic ass. He's not worth your time."

Not to mention the mere thought of the good doctor having his hands anywhere near Felicity cause a flash of anger and something else to run through him.

"Are you?"

Felicity's hands slide to his shoulders and then to the sides of his neck. Her fingers lightly brush through the small hairs there. He can feel the smooth palms of her hands on his skin and the heat they emanate sends bursts of electricity through him.

"Are you worth my time?"

Part of him wants to say yes. It wants to grab onto her waist and close the distance between them, to pull her into his lap and meld his lips with hers until he hears her moan. He wants to feel her fingers run through his hair and scrape at his scalp, tugging him closer. He wants to know what she feels like, what she sounds like, what she tastes like.

But she's drunk and even if she weren't it would still be wrong. He realizes now that she may not find him as creepy and repulsive as he thought and that's not good, even if something inside him disagrees. He needs to draw a line. One that even though he mentally will cross probably a hundred more times will resonate with her and stop whatever this is between them from progressing any further, from going anywhere beyond the small crush she might have on him. What he says next has to giver her the impression that he is completely uninterested in anything other than friendship with her. He's going to have to do the one thing he has never done with Felicity. He's going to have to lie.

"Felicity, you're like a little sister to me. I would never waste your time."

Oliver watches as Felicity's entire demeanor falls. She pulls her hands away from him and lays them in her lap, shoulders hunching slightly. It's possible he even sees a tear fall down her cheek.

"Oh."

That's all she says as she avoids eye contact with him.

He wants to take it back. He wants to tell her that he lied, that he sees her as anything but a sister. That ever since he first saw her after getting back it's been a constant struggle to control himself around her. He knows he can't.

"You must be getting cold in here. Why don't I have Mr. Diggle take you home?"

"Yeah, okay."

Oliver stands from the stairs and offers Felicity a hand, which she ignores. Instead, she leans over to pick up her shoes and slip them back on before walking out of the stairwell with him.

"Hey, can you take Felicity back to the mansion?"

One look at the young girl is all Diggle needs to know that something is wrong. He doesn't question it, only nods and places a comforting hand on her back.

"Come on. Let's get you home okay?"

He guides her to the exit but not before throwing a glance at Oliver that tells him that he will be questioned on the situation later.

A sinking feeling forms in the pit of his stomach as he watches Felicity walk away. Her usually upbeat posture now defeated and crestfallen. He hates himself for being the cause of it when all he's ever wanted was to keep her safe and happy.

Oliver knows he's no good for her, that a relationship with him would bring ridicule and disapproval. Not to mention that Felicity deserves someone much less damaged and hollow than he is. He tells himself that she's young and she'll move on, that it was probably just a result of the innocent crush she had on him when she was younger. The crush he once thought was kind of adorable and loved to tease her about.

"Is that Felicity leaving with Mr. Diggle?"

Oliver turns to find Thea looking at the aforementioned pair in concern as they make their way to the exit.

"Yeah. She said she wasn't feeling well."

That's another lie to add to the list this evening.

"I'm going to go with her, make sure she's okay. Will you let mom know that we left?"

Thea is already walking away and headed over towards Felicity as she finishes her question, which is more of a statement really.

"Sure thing, Speedy."

Oliver watches as his sister catches up to her best friend. He can tell the second that Thea catches on to Felicity's downtrodden mood. She wraps an arm around the blonde's waist and squeezes, resting her head on her shoulder as they walk out the door. At least Felicity will have someone to be with her and cheer her up, even if it's not him.

Turning away from where his sister and Felicity just left, Oliver spots Tommy and Laurel a few feet away. He joins them to congratulate his best friends and distract himself from the girl whose heart he may have just broken.

It doesn't work nearly as well as he hoped it would.

….

Author's Note: Please don't hate me or Oliver! It had to be done at some point.

Also, sorry this didn't end on a happy note. After this week's episode, I wish I could have changed it to do so.

Please let me know what you think :)

- Bri