Thank you for reading and taking the time to review. I truly appreciate it.

LadyG

Having just left Adam's office, Felicity found herself at Big Belly Burger to collect a latte before heading back to Queen Consolidated. Stepping inside, she placed her order before casually perusing the late afternoon crowd. Only a few tables were occupied and mostly by loners. She was about to focus her attention on her cellphone when a pair of all too familiar blues locked with hers. Automatically, her stomach rose into her throat.

Oliver.

They hadn't talked much since the charity event mainly because Oliver had been out of town on QC business. She'd heard via Diggle that he and Sara had broken up. The news had surprised her since she'd always assumed that Sara was the kind of woman who was exactly his type. Apparently not. Surprising too, was Sara's behavior. She appeared to be completely okay with it. There were no mood swings, irrational anger and absolutely no signs of pining. In fact, she didn't seem upset at all.

Feeling ridiculous standing at the counter when he'd clearly seen her, she stopped fidgeting, took a deep breath and walked over to his table.

"Hi," she said, awkwardly. Dressed in a light grey suit, he wasn't wearing a tie. Not that he needed one. Oliver tended to exude a natural command and magnetism that didn't require the trappings of the corporate world.

"Hi there," he replied, his pen dangling from his calloused fingers.

She smiled uneasily. "I'm just grabbing a latte, not ditching work in the middle of the day. Or rather, late day? Because it's afternoon - closer to 4pm than 12pm so I know it's outside of my lunch break…which I should confess I sort of took later today because I had-"

"Felicity," Oliver interrupted, an exasperated laugh following closely behind his words.

She closed her eyes and cursed. "Sorry."

Silence descended. "Please," Oliver said softly, "join me."

She gulped, desperate for an excuse not to. "Oh, err no, that's okay. I don't want to disturb you." She gestured toward the papers lying before him.

Grabbing them and making a neat pile, he put them aside. "I'm all yours."

Their eyes met and her cheeks bloomed with colour. Obviously he didn't mean it that way. Because she didn't have much of a choice, she shrugged out of her favourite red coat and took a seat opposite him. Almost immediately her latte arrived.

"So, how was your trip to New York?"

"Excellent, actually. I'm glad I went. How are things with you? Dig mentioned that you're working on some new tech?"

Small talk. This was good. Feeling more comfortable, she elaborated. "Yeah. I've been trying to improve on one of my earlier gadgets. I don't want to say too much until I've perfected it, but I think you'll like it."

He grinned, glancing down at the black liquid in his cup. Felicity took the moment to look at him closely. There was something about him that seemed different. Less restless? She couldn't exactly pinpoint it. "I'm sure I will." He looked up so suddenly she flushed, sure he'd caught her staring. "Thank you, Felicity."

Confused, she frowned. "What for?"

"Your hard work. Telling you my secret was one of the best decisions I've ever made and that's saying something because I've made so many foolish ones." The last he said almost to himself.

His admission took her slightly aback. Perhaps because it wasn't in his nature to flatter unnecessarily and also because his words were uttered with an absolute ring of sincerity. Add the fact that he was looking at her in that rather intense way that always set her nerves on edge; she was definitely wading in dangerous waters. She laughed self-consciously to cover her unease. "Anyone with a bit of savvy would have done."

A tad sharply, he countered. "No, I don't believe that. Your obvious skill and intelligence aren't your only attributes Felicity."

She could feel her face growing warm again. She hated that he had this effect on her. "Well, thanks. It's nice to hear."

"You're welcome." He ran a hand absently over the stubble splattered across his lower jaw. She'd always liked the look on him, far more than the clean shaven one he often sported on more formal occasions. Fascinated, she watched as his palm swept across his lips. She'd never noticed how his cupid's bow…

"You broke up with Sara?" she blurted. She'd rather field his shock at her daring than continue with that inappropriate train of thought. Shaking herself mentally, she sat up a little straighter. "Err, Dig mentioned something."

"Is that the only way you and I communicate these days? Via Dig?" he asked, the corners of his mouth tipping up in amusement.

"Of course not," she replied instinctively, affronted before acknowledging that he was actually right. Over the last few weeks Diggle had been the proverbial middleman. She grinned. "Technically, we also text and email."

Oliver chuckled and she realized how much she'd missed hearing that sound. How much she'd missed him. "Touché," he remarked, saluting her with his coffee cup before taking a sip.

Feeling pleased with herself, she relaxed into her chair.

"Sara and I are no longer together," he admitted quietly.

"Why?" She knew it was none of her business really, but she had to know. Had he met someone else? That had to be the reason. Oliver didn't just break up with someone unless there was someone else waiting in the wings. She knew she was being harsh and perhaps even unfair, but she couldn't help it. She resented the pangs of disappointed that stabbed in the region of her heart.

"It was the best decision for both of us. I-" he paused before finishing his sentence, "need some time alone."

So there wasn't someone else. She ignored the relief that coursed through her. "But you still work together," she reminded him.

He nodded. "And we'll continue to do so."

That meant that it hadn't ended badly. To be fair, Sara's behavior seemed to confirm that. Again, she was surprised. In all the time she'd known Oliver, every one of his relationships had resulted in loads of drama once it had run its course. This had to be a first. Interesting…

"I'm sorry," she said, meaning it.

He shrugged, then hesitated. "You and Adam?"

She looked at him sharply, her eyes searching his, expecting a hint of mockery. She was surprised when all she saw was curiosity. "We're good."

Oliver looked away. "I'm happy for you."

He wanted to mean it. He desperately did. But he'd be lying to himself if he pretended that the thought wasn't somewhat repugnant to him. Yes, he genuinely wanted Felicity to be happy and he accepted her relationship (sort of), but that didn't mean he was overjoyed about it. It only meant that he wasn't going to interfere.

He knew his attitude was confusing her. From the moment she'd seen him, she'd wanted to escape, to avoid having to converse with him. It was only her sense of politeness that had brought her over. It had amused him to see her trying to think of an excuse not to sit down and eventually capitulating when she realized she didn't have one.

She looked pretty. He'd noticed that too. Her hair was down and she wasn't wearing her glasses, a thing he'd observed the second he'd recognized her at the counter. Was it for Adam's benefit? The thought made him shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"Alright. What's going on?" She was glaring at him through narrowed, suspicious eyes.

He returned her stare, trying to force his mind back to the present. "What do you mean?"

"Oliver Queen, do not take me for a fool. Since when are you happy about my relationship with Adam? All you've done since you found out is behave like a high-handed jerk. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Her gaze was guarded, her previous reserve gone. If he hadn't known that she was dead serious, he might have laughed at her audacity. "Felicity, look, I know I behaved badly bef-"

"Badly?" Her voice raised an octave before she remembered where they were and leaned in closer to him to make sure he heard her every word. "You were insufferable and-"

He exhaled slowly, knowing he deserved her censure. "I agree."

"completely and utterly out of line." One crimson fingernail stabbed the table repeatedly.

"I know."

"Not to mention disrespect-" She stopped mid-sentence. "Wait. What? You're agreeing with me?" She looked at him as though he'd sprouted a second head.

Swallowing his amusement, he nodded somberly. "You're right. I was all of those things and I apologise. I had no right to dictate the terms of your personal life. Who you choose to…associate with is completely your business." He ignored her gaping mouth. "I can't promise not to look out for you because I care about you, Felicity." His tone warmed considerably. "But I promise to stop interfering."

If an alien had landed right next to her, he doubted that she would have noticed. She looked shell-shocked. Then suddenly, she blinked. "Oh."

He raised an eyebrow. He'd apologized and all he got was an "oh?" Perhaps he deserved that too. "I'm really sorry."

She visibly swallowed, running her hands down the front of her black and white checkered dress. "A-Apology accepted."

"Thank you." He meant it. He had behaved appallingly toward her and had she stormed out without so much as a backward glance, he wouldn't have blamed her. But he knew Felicity and she wasn't the kind to hold onto grudges. She wasn't built that way, a thing he was eternally grateful for. In the end, he realized he was getting off a lot easier than he deserved. He wouldn't take that knowledge for granted.

Then, without warning, chaos ensued.

Felicity's phone rang, permeating the already tense atmosphere between them. The unexpectedness of the jarring sound caused her to jump in her seat before hastily reaching for her purse. Her hand, oddly unsteady, knocked against her cup, sending the remainder of her latte flying through the air, landing in a sticky, wet mess across his paperwork. Instinctively grabbing the reports to shake the liquid off, he unfortunately ended up liberally sprinkling his designer shirt with light brown stains instead.

Felicity, yelping and muttering "I'm sorry" a million times in varying degrees of chagrin, grabbed a napkin and dabbed the front of his chest vigorously, essentially only succeeding in spreading the stains even further. Oliver, frozen at the rapid speed at which the situation had gone from bad to worse, attempted to grab her hands to stop the strangely disturbing pat down he was being subjected to. "Felicity," he started. Clearly oblivious to his discomfort, she spotted some discolored blots on the tops of his thighs. Zeroing in on them, she swiped her hands dangerously close to a sensitive part of his anatomy. Choking, he grabbed her wrists firmly in his. This had to stop.

"Felicity!" he grated, finally catching her attention.

He knew the second she realized what she'd been doing. Mortification flooded her face, her cheeks redder than a candied apple. Avoiding his gaze, she stumbled back, rubbing her wrists where he'd held her captive.

Instantly concerned, he moved closer, reaching for her. "Did I hurt you?"

Her eyes widened, recognizing his intention. "No! Err no, no, I'm okay. I should go." She grabbed her coat and purse.

A waitress arrived and efficiently mopped up the spill, collecting all the crockery and neatly stacking it on a tray.

"Let me give you a ride to the office."

"No!" she exclaimed again, unable to look at him. "I have to go to the drug store."

He knew it was a lie. "Felicity-" But she was already hurrying across the diner and out of the door before he could finish his sentence. Annoyed, he grabbed his sodden paperwork and shoved it into an envelope before calling Diggle to pick him up.

If he hadn't been so wrapped up in his own muddled feelings, he might have realized that Felicity Smoak was not as indifferent to him as she pretended to be.