A/N: Spoilers for 4x01. This can be considered a prequel to 'Cooking Lessons' or read as a standalone. Based off the season 4 trailer. Enjoy!

They'd been in Coast City for a little over a week when he'd caught Felicity curled in the corner of the couch looking at houses. Peeking over her shoulder she didn't see him at first as she slowly scrolled from one picture to another, going back to take a second look at a living room with a stone fireplace and bright white walls.

"Find something you like?" he asked teasingly, only feeling a touch guilty when she jumped, emitting a small squeal of surprise.

"I thought we talked about that!" she said through gritted teeth, settling back in her seat, and quickly closing the app she'd been using.

"House hunting?"

"No. I just like to look sometimes. I never had a real house growing up. Just apartments. And then the dorm and more apartments." she said with a little shrug, "My townhouse was the closest I got to a house. I had a tiny yard."

A look of wistfulness crossed her face as he came around the end of the couch and dropped down beside her, one arm going around her shoulders. "What is it?"

"You'll think it's silly."

"I won't, I promise."

"I just...I've never had a mailbox. I mean obviously I've gotten mail but it's always been in one of those big shared metal things. I've never lived in a place that had a mailbox at the end of the driveway where you get to put the little red flag up when you have mail that needs to be picked up." her eyes had brighten while she'd talked, "So sometimes I just like to look at houses like that. The kind that have mailboxes." at his silence she shook her head, "See, I told you it was silly."

"It's not silly." he said softly, brushing his lips against her temple, "Show me your favorite."

She hesitated for a second before opening the app, going back to the house with the fireplace.

He took his time going through each picture, reading through the information about the neighborhood and the HOA fees and the more he looked the more he realized he was imagining them living there.

Decision made he powered off the tablet and pulled Felicity to her feet, "Come on, there's an open house until three, we can still make it."

She stared at him dumbfounded as he stuffed his wallet in his pocket and grabbed a jacket.

"Oliver…"

"You want a house with a mailbox, right?"

"Well yes, but one day. I didn't mean now." she looked confused and slightly hopeful and all he could think about was making sure she had a mailbox.

"Why not now?"

"Because-" she stopped herself, staring up at him at a loss for words.

"I like it here. We could stay. If you want."

Then he felt like he'd run into a brick wall. This was no longer a vacation. This wasn't them just running off together with a couple of suitcases. This was everything else beyond that next line.

"Oh." her eyes went wide at the suggestion and after what seemed like an eternity but was probably only a couple of seconds she was right there in front of him.

"I think I'd like a mailbox."

And just like that his heart started to beat again, all the air rushing from his lungs in one great exhale as he huffed out a laugh, gathering her into his chest because she never failed to amaze him.

"Okay."

They got there half an hour before the open house was scheduled to be over. As the real estate agent led them around he barely heard a word she said, instead he watched Felicity as she fell in love with the house. The way her hands trailed over the countertops in the kitchen. The way she'd ran up the stairs and leaned over the balcony with a loud laugh that echoed in the empty space. The way she'd grinned when she saw the mailbox right at the bottom of the driveway.

He'd known they were going to buy it before they made it up the stairs to see the bedrooms. Three of them. He didn't know why they needed so many.

Felicity was paused in the door of the second one, walls still pink and green from the little girl who had lived there before. He didn't say anything as he wrapped himself around her from behind, chin resting on her shoulder as they stared into the room. Words were unnecessary.

They dutifully finished the tour, but Oliver already had his phone out, hanging back to ensure the money for the house could be wired the next morning.

When they ended up back in the kitchen they didn't even need to discuss, they both knew this was really happening.

"Have you looked at many other properties?" the agent asked while she waited for them to finish signing the forms.

"No, just this one." Felicity answered.

"Really?" the agent replied, surprised at her response. "Well what made you decide so quickly then?"

Felicity raised her eyes to his to give him a private smile, "I just really liked the mailbox."