Author's Note: Thank you for all of your support! I am so pleased that everyone is enjoying this story! A little correction on this: When I originally started writing and posting this on Ao3, I had no idea Zachary Levi was no longer married to Missy Peregrym. But, since I already wrote it in, I'm leaving it. It was my fail that I hadn't looked into that before writing this. ANYWAYS. Enjoy. Don't forget to leave reviews! :D
Felicity stares at her phone, waiting for the specifics she had requested hours ago. The TV flashes in the background, the Comic-Con coverage blurred as she scrolls through her textual exchanges with Oliver Queen, wondering if she had done something wrong. Did he think I actually meant to get in touch with my people? I'm not that famous. She eyes his name with a mixture of annoyance and obsession, wondering if this might be how every woman behaves when Oliver Queen shows them the slightest bit of interest.
Finally she snaps out of the spell. "Get it together, Smoak! He's just a guy." She tosses the phone to the end of the bed, burying herself under the covers and retrieving her pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream from the side table. She dips the spoon into the green depths to find the ice cream melted, all of the chocolate chips congregated at the bottom of the carton. She shrugs and tilts the pint to her lips and takes a swig. It's basically a shake now. Then as if on queue, she imagines Oliver watching her, amusement written in his eyes and spread across his lips in a cocky grin. She glances down at the carton in her hand and sighs, setting it aside. It wasn't that good anyways...
She turns her attention to the TV, finding the entertainment news experts losing it over Oliver's date proposal at the show's panel. She grabs the remote and turns up the volume. "Yesterday the buzz was about Queen's interest in guest starring on Smoak's hit television show. Now we're all unable to contain ourselves over the question he asked her at the show's panel earlier today." It cuts to a clip from the panel, featuring Oliver in his perfectly tailored suit and that overly confident playboy grin. She watches his expression change when she gives her answer, the embarrassed flush flooding his cheeks. Now he understands how it must feel for me to be around him...
As the show speculates over Oliver and Felicity's status as a couple and whether or not they'd be good for one another, there's a knock on her door, making her jump. She rushes to the door and glances out the peephole, finding room service. He did not do it again, did he...?
She opens the door to find the server not pushing a tray, but carrying an arrangement of beautiful asiatic lilies. The pops of pink at the center of each petal brighten her evening instantly. "Who are these from?"
The server shrugs. "I was instructed to deliver them, not explain their origins. Sorry."
She smiles and reaches out for the flowers. "Thank you," she says, then hands him a few bucks for his trouble.
He bows his head, then holds up a hand. "There's a card, I'm sure that will explain everything!" he points to the center of the cluster of lilies and then leaves. Felicity shuts the door and leans in, inhaling the gorgeous fragrance.
"Well, Mister Queen, it seems you know my favorite flower..." She sets the arrangement on the table and retrieves the card, gazing down at the floral pattern embossed in purples and pinks on the front. The texture is perfect and intricate, exactly what she expects from a card sent by Oliver Queen. She flips it open and once again marvels at his handwriting. Each curve of the letters. Each clear flourish of the pen. Most men wouldn't take the time to handwrite a note for someone, and none who do would have handwriting so perfect. Felicity smiles at the care he's taken in sending her this arrangement and card.
Our evening will begin at 6pm. A town car will arrive to escort you to our secret rendezvous an hour from here. I recommend dressing warmly; the night air can be quite chilly where we'll be and I want you to enjoy yourself. I'll see you then. -OQ
She reads the note over and over, feeling giddy and not at all nervous. She rushes over to her luggage and shuffles through the many outfit options she brought with her. Having grown up in Las Vegas, she's never trusted herself to pack lightly with only clothes for expected weather. Even though it is summer in San Diego, she's packed for multiple weather scenarios. She digs out a black leather jacket, knowing for certain she'll wear it. She finds a pair of black jeans and pairs them with a pair of ankle boots. Last she scrounges up a comfortable sleeveless pink button up top. If he wants me to enjoy myself, he better expect comfy clothes... not just warm ones.
She hears her phone going off. Twitter notifications... She groans and plops onto the bed and grabs her phone, eyeing the multitude of tweets directed at her, all asking the same thing: Will you be at Oliver Queen's Nerd HQ panel tomorrow?
She's uncertain what they're talking about. She goes through and finds a link to the website selling tickets to his panel. All proceeds go to charity and all of the seats have already sold out, leaving the rest standing-room-only. She's shocked, but intrigued. She instantly pulls up Zachary Levi's twitter and private messages him with her number and interest in the panel.
She goes back to watching the television, now playing a re-run of some crime show she's never watched before. Halfway through the episode, her phone begins to ring and she's met with a number she's unfamiliar with on the caller I.D. She answers it. "Hello?"
"Hey! Felicity Smoak? This is Zach. Levi," the cheery voice on the other end announces. She laughs.
"Hey! I'm sorry to bother you. I know you got a lot on your plate with Nerd HQ and all. But I had a question regarding Oliver Queen's panel tomorrow. I was wondering if-"
"If you could crash it?" he interrupts with a chuckle.
"How'd you know?"
"Well, he kinda sorta crashed yours, so why not return the favor, right?"
She nods and laughs again. "Exactly!" She stands up and begins pacing the room, her excitement building. "It that possible?"
"Most definitely. We had Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman crash Richard Madden's panel in twenty-thirteen, and that wasn't an issue. It actually made things so fun. What I'd like to ask is if you wanna join Queen for a Smiles for Smiles after the panel?"
"That'd be amazing! I'd love to!"
"Great!" Zachary Levi exclaims and then begins getting serious. "His panel starts at one, so I'd imagine you should crash it about halfway through. You'll need to be there before it starts, but keep yourself hidden. I'll have my wife keep you company while you stay away. That okay?"
"Definitely!"
Felicity arrives at Petco Park with a few minutes to spare, texting Zachary Levi to let him know she's enroute to the panel. He answers that he's sending his wife to her. Within moments Missy Peregrym is rushing over, chattering about how awesome it is that she's crashing the panel like Oliver did to her. Felicity is taken into a room that leads to the panel and finds it broadcast on a screen for volunteers to watch.
Oliver Queen is dressed casually in a forest green henley, tight-fitting jeans and pair of gray oxfords. He's incredibly handsome, smiling at each fan reciting their questions and answering with an air of relaxed admiration. He cares for his fans just as much as she cares for hers, and she finds that trait not just likable, but ridiculously sexy. Keep thoughts of sexiness out of your mind, Smoak! Now is not the time.
"Huh," Missy begins with a chuckle. "You guys match... are you sure he doesn't know you're coming?"
Felicity looks up at the screen and then down at her top and groans. Both of their shirts are forest green, perfectly matched in shade. She shakes her head. "No. He doesn't know I'm here. No one does." Then she retrieves her phone. "Well, one person does. My best friend. I warned her ahead of time to watch the livestream of the panel 'cause I'd be crashing it."
"Well, that's a crazy coincidence then."
A few minutes later, Missy tells her it's time to move in. They go over to the door and Missy motions for Felicity to stay hidden in the shadows while she opens the door and interrupts the flow of the panel. "Sorry!" Felicity hears Missy say. "But I think we have a visitor."
"What do you mean?" Oliver asks, confused.
"We may have a panel-crasher here today, buddy." Zachary says, his voice full of excitement.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah... I think this crasher should just come out now."
Felicity follows her cue and runs out. Once Oliver sees her, his smile widens and he stands up from his chair. The crowd is cheering and Zachary and Missy are laughing. Once she reaches Oliver, he opens his arms, drawing her into a hug that she didn't know she wanted until now. His cologne wafts over her and she sighs, loving the scent. Can he go anywhere without being perfect?
"Well," Oliver whispers into her ear. "This is certainly a surprise."
A volunteer rearranges the stage to allow for two chairs to occupy the center, and Felicity collapses into the chair and folds her legs. Criss-cross-applesauce, she thinks out of childhood habit. "Hi, everyone!" she says into a mic another volunteer brings her. She glances sideways at Oliver and finds him eyeing her outfit with a curious smile.
"I guess I deserve this after crashing your panel, huh?" he asks with a chuckle.
She nods. "Fair is fair." The crowd laughs. "But don't mind me, guys," she continues, looking out into the audience. "You're here for Mister Queen."
"Next question, please..." Zachary points to a girl at the very back waving a microphone. "You there!"
She stands up and waves. "Hi! My name is Candace, and my question is for Oliver."
"Hi Candace!" Oliver says with a wink. Felicity can't help but roll her eyes. Does the charm ever go away?
"Hi," the girl giggles, then quickly composes herself. "I was wondering if there's one literary, classic film or comic book character you'd love to play and why?"
Oliver chuckles as he bows his head and contemplates his answer. Felicity watches him, catching him glancing her way from time to time. Each tiny bit of eye contact sends waves through her, making her feel warm and -once again- giddy. Nope... the charm never goes away. Is he a warlock? He must be a warlock!
"Well," Oliver begins, thoughtfully. "I'll answer all three for you." The audience cheers a bit, then falls silent to hear his answer. "For literary character, I think it would be amazing to play Gatsby. But, of course, Leo DiCaprio already stole that one. For classic film, I'd love to play Paul Varjak in a Breakfast At Tiffany's remake. As for comics... hmm. I wish I could have played Magneto in First Class. But I think they picked the perfect actor for that role. So the only plausible character would be Varjak in this case."
Felicity smiles, remembering the first time she watched that film and how much she adored Varjak. "There needs to be a remake of that film," she says into her mic, bringing out a surge of agreement from the crowd.
"I agree, wholeheartedly," Oliver says, eyeing her with a mixture of glee and flirtation. "I have to say, Felicity, that it seems we match today. How is that possible?"
She shrugs. "No idea."
"It must be meant to be."
Girls in the crowd giggle and sigh, his statement too romantic for them to handle. Imagine being me! Felicity thinks, feeling her heart picking up speed to hammer in her chest. She glances over at Zachary and he nods. "Next question, down front, Thor shirt."
"Hi! My name is Andrew. My question is for Oliver. Have you been contacted to appear on SNL?"
Oliver lets out a hearty laugh. "Oh, Andrew. I wish! That has been a dream. For some reason, no one has even remotely asked me about appearing or hosting. So I think all of you should start contacting the writers and producers. That's how tons of actors have been chosen to host! Get on it!"
"Next. You, with the first year Nerd HQ shirt!"
"Hi! My name is Emily. My question is actually for Felicity."
"Hi, Emily. You do know this is Oliver's panel, right?" Felicity teases.
"Yeah, well, I have to ask this. What is it like having the attention of Oliver Queen?"
Felicity's smile fades and she falls completely still and silent. She senses the Oliver's amusement, feels it cascading off of him and drifting over to her. It irritates her and excites her all at once. She clears her throat and puts on her best smile. "Well, it's very weird. I'm just a plain girl. I have no idea why a mega star like him would find interest in me. But hey, I guess I should sit back and enjoy it, right?"
The audience lets out a cheer and Oliver chuckles. "You should definitely enjoy it," he mutters for only her to hear.
"We have time for one more question, then these two lovely people will be doing Smiles for Smiles outside."
Felicity looks in the mirror, eyeing her outfit of choice. Her jeans hug her curves and give length to her legs. Her button up top is loose and detailed with adorable Regency patterns that accentuate her figure. She slips into her boots and clicks the heels together, wondering if she's dreaming but knowing for certain that she should go with it. Enjoy how your luck has turned, Smoak. She goes back to the mirror with a tube of pink lipstick and spreads it over her lips, blotting away small imperfections with a tissue. Once that is applied, she grabs her jacket and takes one last look; a final once-over. He had insisted on warmth and wearing what would ensure her enjoyment of the evening, and this outfit hits the nail on the head. Own it.
She glances back at the arrangement of lilies and smiles, a blush flooding her cheeks. When she had returned from Nerd HQ it had dawned on her that no one else had ever given her flowers. Well, except my dad on special occasion.
She walks over and inhales their lovely scent, closing her eyes. As she straightens and begins heading for the door, her phone goes off. She pulls it out of her cat face purse and reads the message.
Oliver Queen: The car has arrived. I'm not in it, but I will be with you on the drive to our rendezvous via text; I have to make sure everything is ready fro your arrival. How has the rest of your day been?
-5:56pm
She grabs a bottle of water, remembering the length of the car ride and then leaves her room, walking down the hall while staring at the message, feeling her nerves building. She reaches the elevator and pushes the buttons. The doors open and she jumps in, pressing the button to close the doors faster. As she descends, she types her own message and hits send.
Me: It's been great. I had no panels or junkets. It was heaven to do things for myself. I hope it was okay for me to crash your panel...
-5:59pm
The doors slide open and she rushes to the entrance, finding the car waiting with polite driver waiting with the door open and a smile on his face. "Miss Smoak," he murmured as he helped her in and closed the door gently behind her. As she settled in and buckled her seatbelt, she received another message.
Oliver Queen: It was fantastic having you there. The fans loved it. And it was nice seeing you.
-6:01pm
Her cheeks warm with the words and she feels butterflies fluttering in her stomach, leading her to wonder why they are called butterflies and not flutterflies. That's ridiculous. She types another message.
Me: It was nice seeing you too. Though it makes this date less special, don't you think?
-6:01pm
She leans her head back on the seat and closes her eyes, feeling the sway of the car as it pulls out onto the highway. She pulls out the pair of headphones she tucked into her purse, plugs them into her phone and turns on her favorite playlist, letting the music filter out the world. She mouths the lyrics and taps her fingers, letting everything else fall away. Then the music falls silent for a second as Oliver's message is received. She looks down and smiles.
Oliver Queen: You won't think that once you see the location.
-6:06pm
The car exits the highway and Felicity rolls the window down, letting the ocean breeze brush across her cheeks, sending her hair flying every which way. The car parks along a line of boats in a private marina. As the door opens and she leaves the shelter of the car, she sees which yacht she'll be boarding. A massive vessel compared to the others bobbing along the dock, with fairy lights dangling all about the decks, mimicking the candlelight that would be too dangerous to allow onboard. The name of the vessel is Queen's Gambit II, reminding her of the scandal that had rocked the Queen family and all of Starling City a few years ago. This boat's namesake had sunk off the coast of China under mysterious circumstances, leading many to believe it to be foul play. No evidence could be found as to the cause of the sinking, and the crew that had lost their lives were memorialized outside of Queen Consolidated headquarters. Felicity had always kept with the theory that someone had assumed the family had been onboard.
She stands and feels the chilly breeze along her bare arms and is grateful for his instructions to dress warmly. She tugs on her jacket and then allows the driver to escort her up the gangway to the middlemost deck of the yacht. As soon as her boots hit the deck, Oliver is there, all smiles and a glass of champagne. "You made it here in record time," he exclaims as he hands her the glass and pulls her into an embrace. The thick fabric of his forest green pea coat is soft against her cheek and warm from his natural heat. She relishes contact for a few moments more before he steps away, letting her look up at him. "So, this is our secret rendezvous."
"You really like that word."
He nods. "I've never had reason to use it. This is the first time."
She giggles. "Well, I'm glad I could be your first." Her eyes widen at her words. She catches the glint of humor in his blue eyes and feels panicked. "Not that I'm your first. I'm sure you've had many before me. Not that I'll be one in that many... Just that... Oh. Never mind."
Oliver bursts out into laughter, his face crinkling to show off the illusive laugh-lines she wished he'd show more. "Relax, Felicity. No need to feel embarrassed." He steps aside and allows her access to the stairway up to the top deck. She makes her way up, feeling him close behind her.
Easy for you to say, she thinks as she pushes her glasses up higher on the bridge of her nose and sighs, taking a quick sip from the glass in her hand. You don't suffer from chronic word-vomit.
Behind her, Oliver lets out a low chuckle and she knows instantly that she had spoken her thoughts out loud. "Damn it."
Once she reaches the top, Oliver takes her arm and turns her to face him. "Felicity, seriously. Relax."
The intensity of his gaze sends her out of her nervousness and into a whole other emotional sensation entirely. She's longed for a man to look at her with those eyes, that expression, since she was a child. She had always assumed it was something only seen in movies, and she'd acted alongside such expressions time and time before. But to experience it for real, with no scripts asking for it or cameras waiting for it. Now that Oliver Queen is showcasing it in all of its glory, she's awed and confused and feeling it right down to her toes. He reaches out and touches her elbow, running his thumb in calming circles as he smiles. Oh yeah... the charm is definitely magical. He is a warlock. Without a doubt.
He leads her to the table at the center of the deck just as the boat begins moving away from the marina and out into the sunset mirroring waters, keeping his hand at her elbow. He pulls out her seat, letting his hand fall after just one more circle and a gentle squeeze. She smiles and takes a seat. He sits across from her, and she can feel him watching her as she hangs her purse on the back of the chair and then turns back. His eyes are alight with genuine excitement and interest, leading her stomach into freakish somersaults and her heart into a pounding drumbeat. "So," she says, looking at the table covered in twinkling lights and another arrangement of lilies. "What's for dinner?"
"Nothing too fancy," he admits, glancing over to a group of servers. They come over with covered trays. The first one is uncovered to reveal a loaded salad, lightly tossed with a vinaigrette. The next server uncovers his tray to reveal a basket of delicious-looking breadsticks. The last server lifts the lid off his tray to reveal a large pizza steaming with cheesy goodness.
"Pizza... really classy, Mister Queen," she teases him, letting her eyes linger in an intimate gaze for just a moment before looking out over the water.
"Well, I figured no one can go wrong with pizza."
She nods. "You're right. Though, if it were a bag full of Big Belly Burger, you'd have me weak at the knees."
"Noted," he says. "There's always next time."
She returns her eyes to his, amazed by his confidence. Not ten minutes into the date and he's already thinking about the next one. She turned his words over in her head and realized she was already hoping for a second date. He's willing to feed me pizza, for crying out loud!
Oliver waits for her to take a slice, but she doesn't make a move. "Please," he says, gesturing to the food. "Dig in." She nods with a grin and then takes a slice of pizza, discovering it is simply plain cheese. "I would have chosen something a bit more... substantial for the pizza, but I was unsure what toppings you liked."
She raises an eyebrow at him. "You know my favorite flowers but somehow have no clue what pizza toppings I prefer?"
"Lilies are your favorite flowers?" he asks, surprised.
She drops the slice of pizza onto her plate, her mouth falling open at his words. "You mean you didn't know?"
He shakes his head. "Not at all. It was a guess." He takes his own slice and then begins scooping up some salad and transferring it into a bowl. He holds out a hand for hers and she gives it to him. "My mother loves lilies, so it was really out of habit. Though I've always loved the smell of them, since I was a boy. Our home was always full of them." He gives her bowl back and she lets their fingers brush lightly, unable to deny her desire to feel his skin on hers.
"I wish I could have had flowers in my house growing up," she says, pulling a breadstick out of the basket. "The Vegas desert is a little too unforgiving for lilies, I think."
He nods. "They are delicate," he says.
They sit in silence for a few moments, then Oliver lifts his piece of pizza and takes a gigantic bite, melted cheese stretching away from the slice as he pulls it away from his face. He breaks it with his fingers, chuckling. Felicity follows his lead, taking a small bite of her breadstick, savoring the garlic butter slathered on the top. She chews for a few moments and then speaks around the bite. "Garden vegetable."
Oliver sets his fork down with a clump of lettuce skewered onto it. "What?"
She swallows the bite and then washes it down with a sip of champagne. "My preferred toppings..." she says, setting the glass back down with a smirk. "My preferred toppings are garden vegetable... And I can't deny myself the occasional meat lover's."
He nods. "Noted..." he mumbles, keeping his eyes locked with hers. "For next time."
"Of course." So confident. Warlocks get everything they want, clearly.
"My preferred toppings are considered a bit weird and gross to most people."
She raises her brows once more. "Oh really?"
"Yeah. While I love meat lover's and Hawaiian is great, I love mushroom and broccoli."
She bursts out laughing in disbelief. "Really?" She shakes her head, unable to accept his answer. "I used to order that at one of the malls in Vegas when I was a kid! I could never find it anywhere but that one mall."
He stares at her, dumbfounded. "You like that kind too?"
"Not so much anymore, but it is really good regardless!"
"There's a pizza parlor in Starling City that serves an amazing one. Maybe you could visit sometime and I'll take you there."
They stare at one another with the words sitting between them. The boat rocks against the lull of the ocean and the sun dips below the horizon, shrouding the world in night. The twinkling lights above and around them cast heavenly shadows upon everything. To Felicity, Oliver is somehow more handsome in this light, his muscles and perfect bone structure defined divinely. She finally works up the courage to look away, letting her eyes fall down to her plate. She takes another bite of her breadstick, then stabs some salad. They remain silent for a little while longer before Oliver finally breaks it.
"You look beautiful tonight," he says, reaching across the table to take her free hand in his.
She glances up through her lashes and blushes. "Thanks," she mumbles. She can't help the fluttering in her stomach, and she can't help the feelings soaring through her veins. She knows she would go to Starling City in a heartbeat if he asked. She simply didn't want to leave his company.