Chapter 3

"Step, two, three, four. And again, three, four," Felicity instructed as Roy tentatively led her around the empty floor of the nightclub.

"You need to hold her like you mean it," Diggle instructed from the side. He had heard the music from the basement and came up to see what was going on. That was twenty minutes ago and he was now seated on a stool at the bar, eating crisps while watching the amusing sight of Felicity teaching Roy how to dance. Roy was surprising awkward for someone who had the grace of a fighter and Felicity was unsurprisingly flustered at the whole situation.

"Not helping, Diggle," Felicity called out.

"Sorry!" Roy said as he stepped on her toe.

Diggle took pity on them.

"Stop looking at your feet, man," he said, standing up and joining them. "You have to lead her and not the other way around." He looked at him critically, "Have you ever seen someone do the waltz?"

"Wasn't really paying attention to the guy."

"Fair enough," Diggle chuckled. "Watch this."

He grabbed Felicity's hand with an accompanying "What? Hey!" from her and proceeded to twirl her around the room in time to the music. "See, it's the same steps, you just have to lead your partner. Don't worry if you do a wrong step, just seem confident," he called as he and Felicity danced in a circle around Roy. "And then maybe you can do some moves." Diggle dipped Felicity, who shrieked.

"Let me up," she demanded, though she couldn't fully suppress her smile.

Diggle pulled her up. "Thank you for the dance, Miss Smoak," he said, bowing over her hand.

"You're welcome, John," she laughed, curtsying.

Roy took a breath, "Okay, I think I've got this."

There were a few mistakes, but between Diggle and Felicity, Roy managed to successfully waltz his away around the floor.

"Alright, I need a break," Felicity said after another two songs, "and a drink."

"But I nearly had it," Roy complained. "Just another song."

"In a minute," Felicity agreed, "but I think now is a good time to try on your tux. It'll be slightly different dancing in it."

"Do I have to?"

It had taken a considerable effort to get Roy to go shopping for a tuxedo. He had just wanted to rent one, but Felicity pointed out that this would probably not be his only formal event with Thea. Plus, Oliver would be paying for it, because a tuxedo would no doubt be useful what with the Hood's more exclusive targets. In the end Diggle had ambushed Roy and taken him to a tailor's.

"Come on, Roy, I'll teach you how to tie the bowtie," Diggle said, pushing him towards the basement.

"I thought you said a tie would be fine!"

Felicity watched them go before heading over to the bar where she hoped to find a bottle of water.

She found one waiting for her, as well as Oliver siting on a stool in the shadows.

"How much did you see?" she asked suspiciously taking the seat next to him and a bottle of water.

"Don't worry, Felicity, you're an excellent dancer."

She groaned. "This is your fault, you know."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Your company hired me and then decided to throw balls for its employees so I apparently am the only woman Roy knows that is capable of surviving these events."

"Well I'm truly sorry that my company offered you a job. I can fire you if you like?"

"No, that won't be necessary," she said haughtily then smiled normally, "besides, I've already taught him how to dance. The worst is over."

"You did a good job," Oliver said sincerely.

"Thanks. I bet you're a good dancer. How many of these balls and the like have you actually gone to?"

"Too many to count. But speaking of going to balls…"

"Yes?" Felicity asked, curious as Oliver didn't often hesitate.

"This ball Roy is going to, it's for charity, and Thea and I have to go to boost the Queen name and all that." He took a deep breath and put on the smile that he reserved just for Felicity, "I was wondering if you'd like to go with me, as my date?"

It took a second for Felicity to register what Oliver had just said and another second to make sure she had heard right. "I…Oliver…What?"

He shrugged, embarrassed. "I thought it would be fun if we went together. It's not often that I can be myself at these events."

"I…" She was surprised, and instantly happy, she never thought Oliver would see her as anything else but the quirky IT girl, but then another thought struck her. "What about Laurel?"

That surprised Oliver and he said the first thing that came to mind. "She's going with someone else."

"Oh. Okay. No, well, thank you for asking me. I'd love to go with you, it will be fun."

Oliver watched as she smiled stiffly, stood and walked away. He was a bit surprised that she had kept her words to the minimum; usually she would have been going a mile a minute, saying something accidentally inappropriate. He had been prepared for a torrent of words, not a quiet Felicity. He wondered if there was something wrong. He had known for a while that Felicity liked him, but was content with friendship. He had just needed to take time to sort out his own life to realise that Felicity was not a girl he should let slip away. That Felicity was slowly but surely becoming the centre of his world.

Diggle and Roy walked forward from where they had caught the last few sentences of Oliver and Felicity's conversation.

"You're an idiot," Roy said flatly.

Oliver went to protest but Diggle cut him off. "He's right, man. You really are."

Tommy looked up with a smile when Felicity walked into his room. There was something so genuine about Felicity that she grew on you until you couldn't imagine not being friends with her.

"So, did anyone get hit with a shoe?" he asked, expecting a laugh and a story about how the dance lesson went. Instead he watched as Felicity's face crumbled and she started crying.

It took a while for Tommy to find out what had happened. Felicity calmed down quickly and apologised, but she refused to tell him because it had to do with Laurel and Oliver and she had sworn she wasn't going to bring that up with Tommy. Whether intentionally or not, Felicity had just put Tommy in exactly the right position to open up himself.

"If I tell you about me and Laurel, you have to tell me about you and Oliver. Deal?" Tommy asked reaching over to squeeze her hand.

Felicity nodded in surprise.

He explained that half of the problem with Oliver and Laurel getting together, while Tommy and Laurel were split up, was that Tommy couldn't talk to his best friend about it because his best friend was involved. It got more complicated when you factored in all the other issues, but essentially it was because his best friend wasn't who Tommy thought he was.

"I just don't know what made him go from denying that he and Laurel had a chance to sleeping with her," Tommy finished.

"I might," Felicity said quietly.

"What?"

"This is something you should speak to Oliver about, but from what I can tell that was around the same time that Oliver realised that the Hood thing could end, soon. That he could stop."

Tommy sighed wearily. "I suppose that makes sense."

"You two really should talk."

"Don't," Tommy snapped. "Please, just don't." He took a calming breath and turned concerned eyes on her, "Now, it's your turn, what did Oliver do now?"

Felicity reluctantly told him how she had had a crush on Oliver since she had first met him. She then told him how he had asked her to the ball.

"I was so happy," she sighed. "For once he saw me as more than a friend. And I know he wasn't asking me as a friend, because he said it was a date and not a friend date. Right?" she asked, suddenly unsure.

"No, definitely a date-date," Tommy agreed.

"But then I go and stick my foot in it and ask about Laurel. He said that she was going with someone else which means he already asked her and she turned him down."

"He's an idiot."

She sniffed lightly, "I already knew that."

Tommy reached over and squeezed her hand. "It will work out, you'll see. Just promise me you won't wait for Oliver Queen if you find someone else that makes you happy."

Felicity smiled but didn't make the promise. She didn't like the odds of finding someone else who made her feel like she did around Oliver.

"Fine, but at least let me take you out on a date if Oliver doesn't pull his head out of his ass by the time I'm out of here."

That got a genuine smile. "Deal."