Unsteady Hands
"Your hand's shaking."
"I know."
"Oliver, why's your hand shaking?"
"I'm… I'm afraid that if I touch him, I'll hurt him. Felicity, these hands, they've done so many bad things in the last ten years, how can I touch something so innocent, so pure, when all these hands have done are torture and kill people?"
"Oliver, stop it. You're a good man. Everything you've done, you've done to survive or to protect others. You're not a cold blooded murderer or psychopath."
"But-"
"No Oliver, you're not going to harm your son by touching him, or by holding him. Now stop being silly."
"I can't."
"Yes you can. You're going to hold him eventually so you might as well start now… you think I'm going to let you get out of diaper duty and midnight feedings? Now take him."
"But he looks so comfortable in your arms, I don't want to wake him."
"Oliver! Do you want me to use my loud voice on you here, in the hospital with your son in my arms?"
"What if he starts to cry?"
"Babies cry, Oliver. If he starts crying, you rock him gently till he stops. Come on, take him."
"Hey buddy, I'm your dad. But you probably already know that because you recognize my voice, I hope, from when I used to talk to you every night while you were in your mommy's tummy. Well almost every night…"
"Awww look at that. Who would've thought that a tiny human would reduce the mighty Green Arrow to a huge babbling puddle of goo. Hon, you do the Smoak name proud."
"I love you, Felicity, both of you. Thank you."
"I love you too."
Fin
