Author's Note: Thank you all for your patience with this update. I was out of town again these past few days with very limited internet/computer access. In addition I also work two jobs and am preparing to move in less than two weeks. Like I said earlier, I try to give you updates as soon as my other responsibilities and priorities allow it. I wish I could update every week but that's become a very low possibility given my busy life. However, I am trying my best to stick with an every other week schedule. If you want to keep up with updating news, you can follow me on Tumblr under the same name (theirhappystory).

Both Felicity and Thea's outfits for the gala can be found on my Polyvore page (theirhappystory).

….

Chapter 15: Comes Tumbling Down When You Least Expect It

If he ever were to get tired of his usual workout regimen, moving furniture might be a suitable stand in. It's Tuesday night and Oliver, Diggle, and Tommy are currently spending their evening rearranging the furniture in his newly furnished apartment. The movers brought all the stuff in earlier today while he was at Queen Consolidated, overseen by both Thea and his mother. However, they hadn't placed everything due to his absence.

"Babe, is this centered?"

"A little more to your left. No, no your other left. My left."

Laurel directs them from her place at the kitchen island, chatting with Thea and Felicity while the boys do the heavy lifting. To their credit, the girls had helped with what they could but all that's left are the larger pieces of furniture such as the entertainment center and the oversized couch the three men currently have in their arms.

"How's that, Laurel? Better?"

"That's a little too far. Move it back some to the right."

A huff of laughter leaves Oliver's mouth as Tommy releases an exaggerated groan. The girls quietly snicker, Felicity's delighted laugher rising above the others' and making Oliver's heart swell. This is what things would be like everyday if he and Felicity were a normal couple, spending time with friends and enjoying being together without worry.

"Better?"

This time Felicity is the one to answer Diggle's inquiry.

"Perfect! I think you three have done enough moving and shaking for the night. Plus, the only thing left to arrange is the office that we all know Oliver will barely use."

None of them object to that one. The three men make their way to the kitchen, quickly snatching up the beers left for them on the counter. Oliver watches his best friend walk around the other side of the island to join Laurel, carelessly slinging an arm around her shoulders and planting a loud kiss on the side of her head. Laurel rolls her eyes in mock exasperation before smiling fondly at her fiancé and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

Oliver catches Felicity's gaze over the top of Thea's head and gives her a small smile. The look in her eyes, however, causes his stomach to drop. She's sad. It's a small glimpse of an emotion, merely a passing wave in her endless depths, but it's enough that he notices. Surprisingly, a voice inside of him answers her in kind, echoing that small sadness, that longing for something they may never have. The ease with which Tommy openly touches Laurel, who returns the affection in kind, isn't an option for them. Their relationship stays in the shadows, in the quiet spaces of their lives, away from the rest of the world and its inhabitants. That includes keeping it hidden from the people they love and whom love them.

Oliver reaches behind the barstool his sister currently occupies to briefly run his fingers down Felicity's forearm, squeezing her wrist in gentle reassurance before letting go. She brightens at the contact, the sadness behind her eyes dissipating almost as quickly as it came. At least for now, the simple contact is enough.

"Ollie?"

Laurel's soft questioning draws Oliver's attention from across the counter.

"Hmmm, what? I'm sorry I must have been zoning out or something."

"That's okay you've been hard at work. I was just wondering how things are going with Applied Sciences. I'm sure everyone is in overdrive preparing for the arrival of the investors and the gala on Thursday. Raisa probably has her hands full with all the extra housing staff."

"She and my mother have it under control. Although it would be much easier if the fundraiser wasn't being held at the mansion. Moira insisted we hold it at the house though, something about being more welcoming so the investors and executives would feel more connected to the project."

To be truthful, the details are sort of lost on Oliver. Moira is always at the head of planning any QC function while everyone else follows her lead. It's worked thus far and there's really no use fixing something that isn't broken.

"Well I think it's a great idea. The investors will feel a lot more comfortable and at ease since you are literally inviting them into your home. It's a much more intimate venue than some fancy museum or ballroom in a five star hotel."

And of course, Felicity uttering the word 'intimate' sends Oliver's mind into overdrive. Ever since their time in his shower four days ago, the thought of being with her has permeated almost every one of his thoughts. They haven't gone any further since then, never having enough time for anything more than a good make out session and that one time he'd made her come apart with his fingers while his parents had been out at dinner with some of Starling's finest. To say that he's sexually frustrated is an understatement. The tension between him and Felicity is so palpable to Oliver that he's shocked no one else has picked up on it. Even now with Thea sitting between them and Tommy and Laurel on the other side of the counter, Oliver aches to reach out and touch Felicity, to feel her skin against his and claim her as his own as well as be claimed by her.

This kind of pull is not something he's entirely familiar with. Sure, there had been women, copious amounts of them in his youth. There had even been some whose company he genuinely enjoyed outside of sex, Sara Lance being a prime example. But there was no one like Felicity. No one who made every fiber of his being come alive with just a look, who inspired him day by day to be the best version of himself, who believed in him and his capability even when he himself did not. There had been one who had come close… but for all his experience, no one measured up to Felicity. So in a way, this is almost as new to him as it is to her, at least emotionally.

"Oh wow, is it that late already? We should probably get going, Ollie."

It's Laurel once again who brings Oliver out of his musings as she tosses her phone into her purse, then slides the leather bag up and over her shoulder. A glance at the digital clock on the oven reads that it's almost ten o'clock and they all have work to do tomorrow.

"We should go, too. You ready to head out, Lissy?"

Felicity nods her head, grabbing her own bag and checking through to make sure she has everything. Her rustling becomes a little more erratic as she continues to search for something that apparently isn't there, although it is a rather large bag and Oliver wouldn't be surprised if the item is simply hiding in its deep, dark depths.

Digg gives the blonde a questioning look before speaking aloud.

"Everything okay, Felicity?"

"Yeah, I just… I thought I had something…"

She doesn't finish the thought, instead trailing off as she shakes her bag around a little. Suddenly her eyes alight with realization as her head pops up.

"Oh! I left it in Oliver's room when we were unpacking things. I'll go grab it and then we can all leave together. Be right back!"

Various forms of amusement float through the room at Felicity's exclamation as she pushes off the barstool and quickly darts down the hall and out of sight.

"Twenty bucks says it's that intern kid."

Oliver's head swivels around to look at his best friend, eyebrows scrunched together and eyes squinting in confusion. In the barstool next to him, Thea leans back, arms crossing in front of her chest as her gaze bounces back and forth between the room's occupants.

"What?"

"Dude! The guy who left that giant hickey on her neck after her birthday party, the one who has her all happy and weightless, well more than usual, I think it's your intern assistant."

Damn it. He really hoped Tommy had forgotten about that. Apparently not.

"Maybe she's just really happy to be home for the summer."

It's such a lame excuse and Tommy barely even acknowledges it, shaking his head before taking a swig of his beer. Digg is quietly leaning back against the stainless steel refrigerator, all-knowing smirk firmly in place at Oliver's obvious discomfort.

"We've talked about this, man. Boy smile."

The conversation is effectively put to rest as Felicity comes bouncing back into the room, oversized bag hanging off her shoulder. Diggle speaks up when she turns expectantly to the group.

"Find everything okay?"

"Yup! Exactly where I left it. Ready to go?"

Everyone replies with varying forms of the positive as they gather their things and begin making their way towards the door. Felicity hangs back for a split second, reaching out to take Oliver's hand in hers and give it an affectionate squeeze, one he returns in kind. Then she lets go and everyone says their goodbyes as they step onto the private elevator, heading down to the parking garage.

It's not until the doors slide shut and the apartment is engulfed in silence that Oliver realizes how truly tired he is, both physically and mentally. His actions barely register as he throws away the half finished beer bottles and places Thea and Felicity's glasses in the sink. He sluggishly moves down the hallway to his bedroom and collapses on the bed, deciding to put showering off until tomorrow morning.

About halfway through stripping out of his clothes, Oliver notices a folded up piece of paper peeking out from beneath one of his pillows. Curious, he reaches for the paper, surprised to find it weighed down by something cold and a little heavy placed inside. As Oliver unfolds the note, a piece of jewelry slides out and onto his down comforter. It's the ring Felicity never takes off, hanging on a long golden chain. He quickly gathers it in the palm of his hand before reading the accompanying note.

Incase you get lonely.

There's no signature. He doesn't need it anyway.

Pulling out his phone, Oliver quickly scrolls through his contacts to the F's and pulls up a blank message before he begins typing.

I think you left something behind.

He doesn't have to wait too long for the reply. He definitely doesn't spend what little wait there is grinning like a fool and playing with the ring turned necklace.

It's okay. I took something of yours to replace it.

There's a picture attached to the message and Oliver enlarges it a little too eagerly.

His breath catches and his cock twitches at the sight before him. Felicity is standing with her back to camera, body clad in one of his Army T-shirts with his last name printed across the back. As far as Oliver can make out, she's not wearing anything else with it.

Are you trying to kill me?

Jesus, the longer Oliver looks at the picture, the harder he gets. Seeing his name on her like that… Well, the possessive side of him is very pleased by it even though he knows damn well that Felicity belongs to no one but herself.

No, just giving you an idea of what's to come. Ah, I really didn't mean for that to sound as dirty as it did. I'm gonna go to bed before I embarrass myself further. I'll see you tomorrow in the office. Sweet dreams!

The text reads so clearly in her voice that Oliver can't fight the grin spreading across his face. He quickly taps out a reply before plugging his phone into its charger and reaching over to turn off the light, sinking into his down comforter as he drifts off to sleep.

They'll mostly be about you, now that I have that image in head. See you tomorrow.

….

"We need to talk."

Those were not exactly the words Oliver was expecting to hear when he met with Felicity and Digg in the lobby of Queen Consolidated during his Thursday afternoon lunch break. A lunch break he was incredibly grateful for until those four words slipped out of Felicity's pretty pink mouth and caused him to stop short, leather shoes scuffing against the ground at the sudden halt in motion.

"Oh, oops, that sounded really bad. I mean we, the three of us, need to go talk. Away from here. In private. About things."

It's then, with the small flourish of her hands, that Oliver registers the manila folder in her possession.

"What's in the folder?"

"That would be what we need to talk about. So, lunch?"

Nodding his head in agreement, Oliver falls into line next to Felicity, Diggle flanking her other side. As they head towards the elevator that will take them to the parking garage, both men meticulously survey their surroundings. Felicity may not be concerned by the mediocre security at QC, but both Oliver and Diggle are.

"So, where are we going? Burgers and fries sound really good right now. Oh! And a mint chip milkshake!"

Diggle chuckles at Felicity's enthusiasm before answering her.

"I know just the place."

Fifteen minutes later the sleek black town car slides into a parking spot back behind a brick building lined with windows. The circular emblem checkered in red and white reads Big Belly Burger.

"Here we are. Best burger joint in the city."

"My knight in shining armor."

It takes them another ten minutes before they're situated in a booth towards the back of the restaurant, food ordered and drinks on the table. It's then that Felicity pulls out the manila folder, slapping it down on top of the checkered tablecloth.

"I found the connection. My mom was working for Bertinelli, or at least someone in the mob."

Oliver quickly snatches up the folder, flipping it open to look over the documents inside as Felicity further explains.

"A couple of years ago my mom asked me to set up a secure, automatic back up between her laptop and an external hard drive so I wrote this program that copies the exact content of the laptop onto a hard drive via cloud. Essentially I cloned her computer. Lucky for me, I installed a backdoor so if anything were to happen, I could go in through my own system and secure the cloned content."

Oliver's head is already spinning at the information she's rattling off at a rapid fire pace, like it's nothing more than a commonplace grocery list. He knows Felicity is smart, everyone does. She was valedictorian at the prep school that all of Starling's elite had their children attend. But he didn't realize just how capable she was or how far her skills stretched until now.

"So I was taking a look at some of the older files and transactions that my mother was a part of during the time that Bertinelli's company was drafting their contract with Kord. In addition to the deal with Bertinelli, my mother authorized an investment in a small start up company named Spyral. It was an LLC, offshore, very private. So private, in fact, that it doesn't exist. There's nothing registered with the secretary of state, no federal tax records, no patent applications filed. Nothing, Nada. Zilch."

The server interrupts Felicity from her explanation, setting their food down on the table in front of them. Oliver barely pays the girl any attention, still trying to process all the information being thrown his way. There's a feminine clearing of a throat and he glances up to find an amused smirk on Felicity's face. He tilts his head in question to which the blonde replies with a small nod of her head in the waitress's direction. Looking up, Oliver finds the young girl giving him what he assumes is supposed to be a seductive gaze. She just sort of looks like she forgot to put her contacts in this morning and is squinting to see him clearly.

"Are you sure there isn't anything else I can get you?"

"That'll be all, thanks."

"Okay. Well, let me know if there's anything else I can do."

From across the table Oliver can hear Felicity snort in amusement and he just catches the end of her eye roll as he turns back to look at her.

"Is this really how you guys discuss the illegal workings of large scale embezzlement? Over burgers and shakes and flirtatious waitresses?"

"Was she flirting? I didn't notice."

"Oh yeah, she was definitely hot for you."

Oliver leans forward, looking Felicity straight in the eye as he says his next words.

"Too bad there's only one girl I'm hot for."

"Alright, can we get back to crime fighting please?"

Both Oliver and Felicity sit back in their seats, unaware of how close they had gotten during their exchange. Clearing his throat, Oliver gives Digg an apologetic shrug before directing his attention back to the files on the table.

"So you were saying something about a nonexistent company?"

"Right. Yes. Spyral. Well around the same time that the deal fell through with Bertinelli and Kord, Spyral was liquidated and its remaining assets redistributed to another offshore account. But here's the real kicker, all the transactions were being shadowed. They felt a little hinky to me so I started looking for traces. Whoever was monitoring it was good, really good. But I'm better. I couldn't pinpoint a source of origin but look at what I found."

Felicity reaches forward to rifle through some of the files before pulling out an enlarged picture of a logo. The same one that had been engraved in the bullets the cops collected at the first shooting.

"Bertinelli."

"Bingo."

The trio sits in silence for a moment as Felicity allows the two men to let what she's discovered sink in. Digg is the one who finally speaks up.

"Well I'll be damned. You found the missing link."

Oliver leans forward, forearms resting against the table and eyebrows pinched together in concentration. He's pretty sure he knows what this all adds up to but needs to say it, hear it out loud to be sure.

"So if you're mother was embezzling money for Bertinelli, then… "

"Then he's using me as a warning. I don't think those shots missed me on accident. I think they went exactly where they were supposed to go."

Diggle jumps in, putting two and two together just as Oliver is doing.

"It's a threat."

"It's a promise. If my mother talks…"

If Karen talks Felicity is as good as dead.

The thought stops Oliver's heart in his chest and makes his blood run cold. Ice creeps through his veins, turning them fragile, breakable and it feels like his body has quit on him. Ever image of this exact outcome that's ever invaded his thoughts floods Oliver's mind. He can't breathe. He can't see straight. He can't.

"Oliver?"

In his thoughts she screams out for him. He can't reach her.

"Oliver!"

Suddenly there's a pressure against his side and two cold hands frame his face.

"Hey, shhhh, shhh, shhh. Hey, it's okay. Nothing's gonna happen to me. I'm right here with you. Safe."

Safe. His heart clenches at the word, restarting its beating as he drags in a stuttering breath. He reaches up to grab Felicity's wrist, feeling for her pulse and sighing in relief when he finds it. He uses the steady rhythm as a guide for his own, erratic beating.

"Felicity."

"Right here."

The room comes back into focus and Oliver's suddenly very aware of their public setting. Luckily, they had asked for a more private table in the back and there weren't many patrons in the restaurant at this time of day, it being a little later than the average lunchtime hour.

A few more deep breathes and Oliver begins to calm enough to pull himself together.

"Here, drink some of this."

Felicity reaches a hand out to grab her milkshake and holds it up to Oliver in offering. His lips close around the end of the bright red straw as he takes a pull of the creamy mixture. A burst of mint and chocolate floods his taste buds, cold liquid settling the hollowed sickness in his stomach.

"Mint is a very soothing and calming ingredient. That's why it's my go-to for stress eating, that and because it's delicious."

Of course Felicity is smart even when it comes to her binge-eating habits. It's not surprising in the least and that little piece of her helps Oliver to center himself. He takes one more sip of the milkshake before setting it down in front of him, one hand dropping down to find hers beneath the table and tangle their fingers together.

"Better?"

Taking another deep inhale, Oliver runs his gaze over Felicity as a final reassurance that she's okay.

And she is. She's fine. She's okay. They're okay.

His eyes sweep across their surroundings again and land on Diggle who's sitting on the other side of the table. The older man has an inquisitive expression on his face, taking in the couple across the booth with careful consideration, as if he's really looking at them for the first time. It's a little unnerving to have someone peeking in on such an intimate moment but Oliver simply nods to Digg and returns his attention to the blonde beside him.

"Better. Thank you."

"Anytime."

A beat of weighted silence passes between them as the tension dissipates.

"So, what's our best course of action? Should I call my mom's lawyer? Set up a meeting in Central? I'm supposed to go down there anyway for a pretrial conference pretty soon but this seems like the kind of thing they would want to know sooner rather than later."

The questions are directed more towards Diggle than him. Oliver can't tell if it's because Digg is the one primarily in charge of her security or if Felicity is trying to save him from having another panic attack. Regardless, he's grateful for the chance to breathe and process and to let someone else he trusts take care of things for once.

"Yeah, contact her lawyer. I'm going to need to talk to her about security details. It will probably take us a few days to get everything set up and secured. Until then it's best to just carry on with our very calm, very normal lives."

"Right, because blackmail, near death experiences, and charity galas just scream normal."

...

Glasses clink together in salute, people laugh at horrible jokes, the band leads a moving rendition of some old-time jazz song in the background. It's your typical evening function for the lot of Starling's finest, made only more exclusive by the intimate venue.

Oliver would rather be anywhere but here.

The gala has only just begun and already he's been hit up by sleazy business owners and hit on by their high society wives. The latter makes up his current company. She's an older woman in her late forties, tall super model stature with a touch too much Botox. Her hand grips Oliver's upper arm as she laughs too loudly at something he just said. They've been talking for the past ten minutes but his gaze began searching the room for an out during minute four.

"So, what's a young, successful businessman such as yourself doing at your own function unescorted?"

"Well, I… uhm…"

Of course, life very rarely plays out twice the same way. Last time this happened Felicity came to his rescue and offered to be his dance partner. It seems Oliver is in no such luck tonight. The woman, whose name he's forgotten, waits patiently for a reply, acrylic fingernails scratching along the top of his arm in what he assumes is meant to be a stimulating manner. The only thing it stimulates is his instincts telling him to run for the hills.

"I figured it would be better to avoid distraction this evening. We have a lot of projects to raise money for tonight and I wanted to take the time to personally speak with each possible investor, answer any questions they may have. It would be unfair of me to ask someone to stand by my side all evening and not give her the attention she deserves."

"How very considerate of you, Mr. Queen."

Great. He's somehow succeeded in furthering the woman's interest. Oliver is about to make an excuse about checking on the wait staff or the band or something when by some act of divine intervention an older man joins them. His arm wraps around the woman's waist as he pulls her into his side.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Queen, I would like to take my wife for a spin on the dance floor."

There is a God.

"Of course. Have a wonderful evening."

Oliver quickly gets the hell out of there and makes his way towards the open bar, signaling the bartender for two shots of vodka. He knocks back one, then the other without batting an eye, the liquid burning his throat on the way down. His tolerance before joining the Army had been borderline unhealthy to be honest and although that would never be attainable again, Oliver's built up a pretty steady resistance since his return.

"Trying to drink yourself under the table, Ollie? You haven't even made your speech yet. My suggestion would be to nurse a glass of wine or maybe some champagne. The bubbly this evening is fantastic, if I do say so myself."

Turning to face Thea as she joins him in her all-over sparkling ensemble, Oliver raises a judging eyebrow.

"And how would you know that?"

"Just a hunch."

His sister's grin is innocent, a little too innocent, and Oliver decides against any further questioning. As long as she's being smart and responsible, he really can't say anything about it with his track record.

"So, what are you doing over here? Don't you have some schmoozing to do?"

"I have schmoozed, as you so aptly put it, for the past hour. I've earned this."

Tilting her head to the side, Thea brings a finger up to lightly tap at her bottom lip while giving Oliver a considering look.

"You know, I think I read somewhere that's how alcoholism starts."

"Thanks for the fun fact, Speedy. You look beautiful, by the way."

She's dawned a sunset orange, floor length gown for this evening's event. The dress is intricately beaded, sparkling as she shifts in the soft light of the Queen's oversized sitting-turned-party room. She looks so grown up.

"Aw, well thank you, big brother. Speaking of beautiful people, have you seen Felicity yet?"

Surprisingly he hasn't, although it's not without trying. Investor after investor wanted to speak with Oliver and every time he thought he spotted Felicity across the room, his attention had been drawn elsewhere and by the time he was free she was nowhere in sight.

"No, I haven't. Do you know where she is?"

"If you turn around you might find her."

Oliver turns quickly on his heal, air vacating his lungs the second his eyes land on Felicity's advancing form. He had only been able to see the back of her head in the crowd earlier and even that took him awhile because her hair was in neither of her usual styles this evening. She had somehow styled and pinned her natural curls into a loose pile on the back of her head, a pearl headband keeping stray pieces from falling into her face. Now however, Oliver can clearly make out her entire, petite frame wrapped in a flowing dark blue gown with a plunging neckline that makes his mouth water, yearning to kiss a path down the exposed skin of her chest. His eyes travel back up to her face and Felicity smiles coyly at him, having caught his wandering gaze. Oliver's only response is to grin at her as she makes her way over to him, stopping with an appropriate amount of space between them that does nothing to quell the sudden need he has to pull her close and feel her body against his.

"Hi."

"You look stunning."

A smile graces her bright red lips, painted to match her nails, and for a moment he's lost in the sheer happiness he finds in her eyes. The rectangular frames of her glasses are absent this evening, giving him an uninhibited view of their gray-blue depths. Deep charcoal lines her eyes, making them appear larger than normal.

"Thanks. Thea helped me pick out the dress and did my hair for me. She also helped me with the make up a little bit but I drew the line at winged eyeliner. It's not really my thing. Not that it isn't gorgeous on other people but it always looks wrong when I do it."

Oliver's grin widens further at her endearing ramble and he reaches out to take her hand in his.

"You're perfect. Dance with me?"

"Are you sure? In front of all these people?"

She has a point. He's choosing to ignore it.

"We've danced together before, Felicity. It's nothing out of the ordinary."

She glances around to see if they've drawn anyone's attention. When she seems satisfied that they haven't, Felicity squeezes Oliver's hand gently before letting go and nodding towards the makeshift dance floor.

"Okay. But I'm warning you now, this dress is backless."

With that, she turns towards the already dancing couples, giving Oliver a full view of her exposed back. Aside from the crisscrossing straps that connect with the dress at her waist, Felicity's back is completely bare down to the top of her tailbone and Oliver realizes that there's no way she's wearing a bra right now. The thought alone is enough to make his cock twitch in his dress pants and he wills with everything he has for it to stay calm as he joins her on the dance floor.

They don't go straight to the middle, instead making an unspoken decision to place themselves inconspicuously amongst a group of couples on the side. Oliver's hand finds the small of her back, hovering over it for a moment before smoothing against her naked skin at the base of her spine. His left hand moves to take hold of Felicity's right one, pulling her in closer than a standard hold but not close enough to draw notice. Her free hand lands on his shoulder and slides up to cup the back of Oliver's neck, playing with the short strands of hair and causing his eyes to slide shut as another wave of desire crashes over him. The affect the action has on Oliver must be visible because Felicity quickly withdraws her hand and places it back on top of his shoulder.

"Sorry. I wasn't thinking for a second."

They begin to sway to the soft chords playing in the background, a slow, low-key melody that seems only to heighten the electricity in the room. Or are they the only two who can feel it?

"You don't need to apologize. If anyone does, it's me for all the thoughts running through my mind right now."

Felicity's breath catches in her throat as she gazes up at him with rapidly darkening eyes.

"And what thoughts would those be, Mr. Queen?"

Taking a look around to make sure no one is watching, Oliver ducks his head close to Felicity's ear and whispers against it.

"Thoughts about how badly I want to get you out of that dress and worship your body until you scream my name."

Her hand tightens in the fabric of Oliver's suit jacket and his fingers flex against her skin as he growls out the last three words. He pulls back to gaze down at Felicity, her blown pupils and heated cheeks mirroring the desire rolling through him. Her tongue peeks out to run across her full bottom lip before she tugs at it lightly with her teeth.

Fuck it.

"Meet me in the library on the main floor. Make sure no one sees you."

With that, Oliver abruptly releases Felicity from his hold and heads towards the entryway to move down the hall. Luckily no one stops him to talk, warned away by his purposeful gait. He's on a mission and no one is going to get in his way.

As he reaches the library, Oliver checks to make sure no one is around before entering the room and shutting the door tightly behind him. Restless energy shoots through him as he waits, pacing back and forth in front of the antique leather couch. It only takes Felicity maybe five more minutes to get there but when the door handle turns and she steps inside Oliver is on her in a matter of seconds. His arms slips around her petite waist, pulling her inside before he closes the door and presses her up against it, his chest flush against her naked back.

"Took you long enough."

The words come out low and rough against her neck as he bends down to place hungry, openmouthed kisses against the sensitive skin.

"I had to – ah – make sure no one would get suspicious."

"Mhmmm…"

Oliver hums against Felicity's neck as his hands slide from their spot at her hips around to her lower abdomen, pulling her against his growing hard on as he presses into her backside. The action causes Felicity to gasp and grind back against Oliver in response, pulling a strangled groan from his throat.

"I've been so riled up these past couple of days. You have no idea, Felicity."

"I think… I think I have a pretty good idea. I woke up three nights this past week needing you."

His hands fist in the smooth fabric of her dress as he bites down on the side of her neck, laving the delicate flesh with his tongue.

"Fuck, baby, that's so hot."

Felicity pushes back off the door and turns in Oliver's hold, arms coming up to wrap around his neck and pull him down for a soul-searing kiss. White heat consumes him as he walks her back towards the couch, hands sliding along her back and beneath her dress to cup her backside, her very naked backside.

"Are you serious?"

"What? I figured if I was going braless I would just forego all undergarments. Go hard or go home, right?"

"Oh, something is definitely going hard right now."

To punctuate his statement, Oliver presses his hips forward into hers, drawing a whimper from her mouth.

"God, that was so bad. I can't believe you just said that."

"Shut up."

Felicity's knees hit the edge of the couch the next second and Oliver lowers her down onto it before climbing on top. His lips travel down her jaw and neck, over her collarbone where he pauses to suck at the area just above it, careful not to leave any visible marks. Felicity writhes beneath him as he makes a path down the center of her chest and breastbone, left bare by the deep neckline of her dress. Her hands on his shoulders shift from pulling Oliver tightly against her to pushing him away and he pulls back to look at her questioningly.

"You have far too many clothes on. The jacket needs to go. It's only fair."

Oliver happily obliges, stripping his arms out of the jacket of his tux and throwing the garment somewhere over the back of the couch. He quickly unknots the bowtie around his neck and does the same, watching as Felicity's eyes widen from her position beneath him. She takes in his form without the jacket and bowtie, hands running down the straps of his suspenders.

"Holy shit. You should only wear suspenders. Like ever."

His amused chuckle cuts off as Felicity yanks on the straps, bringing his mouth back to hers in a hungry kiss. Her hips begin to undulate against him, causing his to buck in response as they pick up a satisfying rhythm.

"Oliver, I want you. All of you. Tonight."

Felicity's words bring Oliver to a halt. He leans back to survey her features, making sure he heard her correctly.

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

He leans down to kiss her with renewed vigor, fire igniting every fiber of his being. It's a declaration and a promise and an elation all wrapped into one.

That's when the door swings open.

"Oh, Oliver, sorry man I didn't realize you were in here with someone. Laurel said she saw you walking this way but she didn't say anything about you being with… Felicity?"

Oh fuck. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh holy fuck.

For a long, suspended moment everything is frozen. Tommy stands in the doorway, eyes squinting in confusion like he's trying to fit the pieces of a puzzle together that just won't match up. Oliver remains hovering over Felicity, hands braced on either side of her head as he stares at his best friend, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlight. Beneath him Felicity gasps before frantically shoving at his chest. The action brings everyone back to the present and Oliver quickly scrambles off of the couch, stuttering for an explanation.

"What's going on here?"

"Tommy, I can explain. I uh… Felicity and I… It's not what it looks like."

It's not what it looks like. That's what his mind comes up with. It's every cliché in the book. But what they don't tell you about this particular cliché is the feeling of absolute terror that floods through your veins with it.

"I'm not quite sure what it looks like. Because it looked like you and Felicity were playing tonsil hockey but that can't be right. So someone please explain to me what the hell is going on."

Both Oliver and Felicity stare at each other with twin expressions of absolute horror and utter helplessness. Neither of them knows what to do, what to say. They've been caught red-handed.

"Are you fucking her? Felicity, is he taking advantage of you?"

Oliver inhales sharply and Felicity gasps beside him before they both blurt out their responses.

"NO! Tommy, no, it's not like that at all!"

"I would never do that to her. We haven't even had sex yet."

"Yet? What the fuck do you mean by yet?"

Tommy takes a threatening step forward, fists clenching by his sides. But Oliver doesn't back down. He holds his ground, comforted slightly as Felicity slips her hand into his. The action does not go unnoticed by Tommy, who glances down at their intertwined hands, eyes widening in realization.

"Please tell me you're joking."

Oliver glances at Felicity beside him, silently asking for permission that she grants with a simple nod of her head. He can feel her hand shaking in his and rubs his thumb across the back of it in an attempt to comfort her. Then he looks back at Tommy and steels himself for what he's about to say.

"Felicity and I are together, Tommy. It didn't start until after she was eighteen. Everything we've done has been fully legal."

His friend's scrutiny moves from Oliver to Felicity, eyes softening as he looks at her imploringly.

"Did he pressure you into this?"

"No! It's not like that. We care about each other. A lot. Everything about our relationship has been consensual and, like Oliver said, legal."

Tommy scoffs at that, bitterness seeping back into his voice as he takes another step towards Oliver.

"Your relationship? That's what this is? What happened to Felicity being like a little sister, Ollie?"

"I never actually said that. Tommy, neither of us asked to feel like this, okay? I tried staying away, trust me I did, but we couldn't prevent what's between us from happening no matter how hard we resisted."

Tense silence pulses around them as Tommy takes everything in. His icy cold gaze bounces back and forth between the couple before landing back on Oliver.

"When did it start?"

"… The night of her birthday party."

Apparently that was not the answer he was looking for. Tommy's eyes widen as he advances on Oliver.

"You couldn't even wait a full twenty-four hours! You son of a bitch!"

Oliver takes a quick step to the side as his friend takes a swing at him. Undeterred, Tommy angrily whirls back around and grabs Oliver by his dress shirt, getting in his face as he raises his voice.

"She's a child, Oliver! You're almost twice her age! Man, you did some pretty messed up shit when we were kids, we both did, but nothing like this. You're sick!"

Tommy pulls his arm back as Felicity raises her voice in the background, demanding them to stop but to no avail. Oliver shuts his eyes in preparation for the blow, unwilling to hurt his friend in a maneuver to prevent it, when an authoritative voice sounds from the doorway.

"What on Earth is going on in here?"

Three heads snap towards the room's newest occupant, Moira Queen.

"Mom."

Tommy roughly lets go of Oliver, shoving him backwards.

"At least I'm not the only one who was unaware of this twisted affair."

Moira casts a calculating look throughout the room, eyes finally coming to rest on her son.

"Twisted affair?"

"Mom, I… Shit, none of this was supposed to happen this way…"

"You're not making any sense, darling. What's happening?"

Oliver stares helplessly at Felicity, searching for some sign of what to do. But she's just as lost to this as he is and they both stare wordlessly back at Moira. Realization begins to wash over the older woman's features, eyes growing wide with shock as she takes better notice of both Oliver and Felicity's disheveled appearances; his missing jacket and bowtie, the headband slipping off her head and her rumpled dress.

"Oh."

"Moira, I know it looks bad but if you could just let us explain, please – "

His mother holds up a hand, effectively cutting Felicity off before she begins to speak.

"We have very important guests in our house this evening. Now is not the time or the place to talk about this. Felicity, find Mr. Diggle and take him upstairs with you. Get some rest. You've had a long couple of weeks. Oliver, I'll make an announcement that you ate something bad for lunch and had to retire for the evening. Your father or I will give the speech to the investors instead. I think it's in the best interest of everyone here that you take the remainder of the night to yourself."

The worst part is he can't get a read on how Moira feels about the information she's stumbled upon. Her demeanor remains calm and collected, giving no indication of how she's taking the news that her son is dating a girl she's practically taken in as her own these past few years.

Oliver takes a deep breath in before releasing the air in a long exhale. He collects both his jacket and bowtie from up off the floor and makes his way towards the door. Pausing to look back at Felicity, he tries to muster up a reassuring smile. She does her best to mirror it but Tommy takes a step in front of her, effectively blocking his view. Oliver swivels his head to look at Moira, imploring her with his eyes to understand.

"Sweetheart, I don't know what's going on with you, but right now is not the time to figure it out. We will talk tomorrow when the environment is less… hostile. However, for now I think it's best that you leave."

Moira's words ring with finality, leaving no room for discussion as she gestures towards the door. There's nothing left for Oliver to do but bite his tongue, fists clenched, and make his way out of the room.

….

Author's Note: Some people said they were excited for Tommy to find out about Oliver and Felicity… I feel like you might be regretting that a little bit right about now. But this was bound to happen sooner or later. It can't all be sunshine and rainbows because that's just not realistic.

Also, I'm sorry for cockblocking them again. It's just not in the cards for these two, apparently.

Let me know what your thoughts and feelings are! The next 24 to 48 hours will be spent by continuously checking my email for feedback. I wish I was joking. Writers are their own worst critics I swear.

Until next time! Thanks for reading!

- Bri