Title: The Next Dance
Words: 2282
Genre: Romance
Pairing: Laurel/Oliver
Status: Done
Summary: Laurel and Oliver go to a charity event together as friends at Poison and they're are some mishaps along the way and they understand that feelings are kind of complicated.
"Laurel, are you ready? We're gonna be late. And I don't want to give him the satisfaction of the fact that we're gonna be late," Oliver bemoaned.
The him in question was Daniel Davies, Felicity's new boss and boyfriend and Laurel chuckled as she put on her earring. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you sounded jealous of Daniel." Laurel said as she came out. " with her purse and jewelry done up, her hair perfect in its updo.
"You look beautiful," Oliver said and outstretched his hand for her to hold, he smiled. "You ready to go to Poison?"
She took his hand and kissed the knuckles a little. "As ready as I'll ever be,"
"Thank you for doing this for me by the way." Oliver said, "It'd look really suspect if I came alone to this thing."
Laurel rolled her eyes. "You could have picked anyone Ollie. You just want to make Daniel jelly."
"Do not," Oliver looked absolutely scandalized by the notion. Laurel's eyebrow rose just a little and Oliver deflated, "okay, maybe a little, but I also don't want to go with anyone else. You're my best friend."
"Oh, I know, which is why I agreed to these shenanigans." She told him with a bit of a laugh as they exited her apartment.
At Poison there was a line of people waiting to get in and Laurel and Oliver stood there laughing a little at each other's jokes, enjoying each other's company.
When they got near the front of the line, they saw who was at the door, checking IDs. "Well, this is gonna be fun. Since we're technically banned for life." Oliver said through gritted teeth.
Laurel smacked him with the back of her hand. "Just be nice. We were invited. And I'm sure Max won't be too much trouble for us, since Daniel is working him some major publicity."
"You know I still don't trust that guy." Oliver said.
"You only don't trust him because he's dating Felicity and he's doing it before you are."
Oliver narrowed his eyes at her. "You're putting a lot of stock in that theory you know?" He grumped.
"I wouldn't if it weren't true," She said with a plastered smile on her face as they got to the front of the line.
Max laughed as he saw the two of them at the front of the line. "You have to be kidding me, right Lance?" He asked. "You came with this guy?"
"Yes, I did," She said as she straightened her spine.
Max chuckled, "You know you can do a lot better than him. You know, I think I'm gonna bet on your dance." He said with a wink.
"You think you wanna go easy on her, Max?" Oliver asked, annoyed.
"Why?" Max smirked, "Afraid someone else will steal her out from under you? Wouldn't that be a change?" He asked. "So Lance, I heard you do some great legal work, given a lot of people hard time, maybe if you're lucky, someone will reverse the situation for you," He winked at her.
Laurel entwined her fingers in Oliver's and squeezed. It signaled to him that she was uncomfortable. "You know you can bid on her all you want, I'm gonna win that dance with her. I'm not gonna let anyone else get the dance with my date," He said as he squeezed her hand a little in return. "Now are you gonna let us in?" He asked.
"Well, I don't know why I should, you are banned for life here at Poison, but maybe Lance can change my mind," He said as he leered at her.
"Please Max, just let us in,"
He smirked, "Beg me again, sweetcheeks," He said to her. "I just might,"
"Hey," A voice came behind Max.
Max looked over his shoulder, and saw Julian Iver. "Hey Jude,"
"Why you holding up the line?" Julian asked, with a none too pleased expression.
Max chuckled nervously, "Well, you see, these two, they are technically banned for life, because he banged my fiancee and she well, she is also very banned for life."
"Why is she banned for life?" Julian asked, perked up.
Laurel smiled, "Yeah, Max, why don't you tell him why I'm banned. Or I can. You know, it's a fascinating story, Mr?"
"Iver. but call me Julian," He said. "What'd you do to get banned for life?" He asked.
Oliver couldn't quite deal with this, "You know, we'd like to get in, me and my date, Miss Laurel Lance," He said.
"Ollie," Laurel said as she smacked him lovingly as she wrapped her body around him. "We can wait a minute. Anyway Julian, I'm banned from Poison because Max decided that he and three of his guards wanted to kick Oliver and another dear friends ass and they were doing a pretty good job of it when I came in and showed them all a thing or two, especially Max."
"No way!" Julian said as he smiled gleefully, "You got your ass kicked by a girl Max?" He asked.
"Yes," Max clipped out. "And now she's banned for life."
Julian rolled his eyes. "Are they on the list?" He asked.
"Well, yes, but…"
"No buts, come with me Miss Lance and Mr. Queen. Mr. Davies told me to tell you that he and Miss Smoak are very sorry they can't be here tonight, but unfortunately Mr. Davies father is very sick and they wanted to make sure that he was comfortable in the hospital." He said as he led them to their table. "But they mentioned that you two were are specific guests of honor for this, so you have this table up here." He said as he showed them a table with the celebrities. "Mr. Davies was moved by the story of Miss Lance and this is to help you rebuild the legal system."
Julian pulled out a chair for Laurel and she sat as he pushed her back in. "Thank you, I'll have to give my regards to Mr. Davies when I finally meet him," Laurel said as she blushed. She couldn't believe it.
"When does the auction start for the dances?" Oliver asked as he put his hand on Julian's arm.
Julian nodded. "They started the second people walked in the door and were checked in. Actually, everything will be controlled via the two tablets on the table. You just select a picture of the person you want to bid on and it will put a bid in. It will also inform you when someone has beaten an offer of yours." Julian told them. "Is there anything else you want to know?"
"Yeah," Laurel asked with a smile. "How many dance are there gonna be?" She asked.
"Well, if all goes according to plan, two. One for the men to bid on the ladies and one for ladies to bid on the men." He told her.
She nodded to him. "Thank you so much," She said.
He smiled and left. "I forget how much people like you sometimes," Oliver said with a smile. He looked at her, enamored with her beauty.
"Oh?" Laurel asked. "What brings this up?" She asked with a mischievous smile.
Oliver looked shocked. "You didn't just hear Julian and Max both hitting on you?"
Laurel dismissed it. "Max was just doing that to get under your skin. And Julian, he was just being nice for Daniel."
"No, he wasn't." Oliver said.
"I mean he was cute, but not really my type." She told him as she smiled as she looked down at the tablet. "Besides, he heard you use the words my date. I thought this was something we were coming to because we were friends."
"Truthfully?" He asked.
She nodded. "Truthfully."
"You were the only person I wanted to take to this fancy shindig." He said. "And you know, it's always been a little bit more complicated than just friends with us." He told her with a sad smile.
Laurel put her hand on top of his, "Well then, Oliver Jonas Queen, is this a date?" She asked with a smile.
Unbeknownst to Oliver and Laurel there was a camera snapping a couple of pictures of them. "Yes, Dinah Laurel Lance, my heart, my idealism, this is a date," He told her as he linked their fingers and his whole demeanor changed as he looked at how perfectly they linked together.
"And you're not just saying that because Max Fuller tried to flirt with me?" She said.
He shook his head. "No," He told her, "Although, it certainly didn't hurt to keep you away from Max."
She picked up her tablet and smiled as she tapped the picture she wanted.
Oliver picked up his and looked at her picture, she was taking a fair price, but if there was one thing that he didn't do it was share his lady while he was on a date and so he was willing to pay any price for her dance.
They mingled a little bit as she held the glass of champagne in her hand as they talked. Oliver held her by the waist and kept their tablets in his other hand. When one beeped, he tapped the increase bid. He didn't care if he ended up paying for both of them, but for her to have a good time, it was all worth it.
"Dinner's about to be served and after dinner bidding will be closed," Julian said from the stage as the band continued to play lightly.
Oliver guided Laurel by the waist back to the table and put the tablets down. The waiters brought out the food and smiled, "Mr. and Mrs. Queen?" They asked.
Laurel blushed.
Oliver smiled, "Yes, that's us."
"Ah," They said as they put the risotto down, "Mr. Davies sends his regards. He hopes you enjoy the meal."
Oliver nodded, "We have been enjoying his hospitality so far." He said as they left.
"It's always a little weird to be called Mrs. Queen. I think they it intentionally sometimes." She told him.
They ate dinner and Oliver told Laurel a funny story and it actually felt like a date. It felt like they were nineteen again and they were going to one of his father's charity events. It was just them and no one could convince them otherwise.
"Well, I hope everyone had a good dinner, it is now time for the first dance, on the tablet you've been assigned, it should show who you are to dance with for the first dance."
It took a moment as they held the tablets in their hands, but it showed the picture pretty clearly. It was Oliver. Laurel smiled.
Oliver put his hand out, "May I have this dance, m'lady?" He asked and she gave him her hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.
"So how much did you pay to have this dance?" She asked him as she straightened his tie for him.
He wouldn't admit it, but the shiver that ran through him when she did, it was not from the cold, it was from something very very different. "I paid more than enough for it, but it was worth it. I dance the best with you." He told her with a smile and the music started.
"You know, you're gonna have to deal with your feelings for Felicity." She told him as they danced.
He spun her out and then spun her back in. "I can't act on them. Even if I did have feelings for Felicity." He told her as they took steps backward and then forward.
"You know, you had time." She told him. "She had a crush on you forever,"
"I was a little bit preoccupied with someone I couldn't have. Because she was a mourning." He told her. "It wasn't until it was too late and she realized that her new boss was amazing that I realized that maybe I wasn't acknowledging all of my feelings." He told her as they danced.
She stopped. okay, he wanted her. "And the thing about being with my sister?" She asked him. "Again."
He shrugged and tugged her forward. "I admit, that one was stupid, but it was a way to be close to you without being with you. She was comfortable because she knew everything that happened on the island and we could just do this thing."
"And what about now?" She asked him.
He twirled her around in a circle. "Right now, I'm on a date with a beautiful girl who I am in love with. But who also knows that I have feelings for someone else too."
She nodded. "Well, you know, I need you to deal with that before I get with you."
He nodded his head once. He looked into her eyes as the song started to die down, "You never told me," He said, realizing it, "who you bid on to dance with."
"But why?" He asked. "You could have had anyone. Anyone would have been lucky to have you."
She blushed, "Because I'm a little bit in love with you. Always and forever and the like, you know?" She asked him as her lips quirked up and she gave him a soft kiss as she let go of his hand and stopped dancing and held his neck in her hands. "I am willing to wait the universe over to be with you. Maybe, I'll date around, but it will always be you."
"People are gonna stare, ya know?" He asked.
She shook her head. "I don't really care, Ollie. We've been through it all before."
"Ready for the next dance?" He whispered.
She closed her eyes for a moment and nodded. "I'm always ready when I'm with you."
