A/N: Glad everyone is liking Oliver's POV. This one matches with chapter 2 of the original 'Above and Beyond'. Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think!
Oliver watched, eyes drawn tight, as Felicity finished her rant and stalked from the training room. He hadn't meant to bait her, but he was exhausted from training all night, and stressed from everything whirling through his head. Hearing that she was going to see Mason again so soon was more than he could handle at the moment.
With a sigh that quickly devolved into an aggravated growl he glared at Digg, daring him to say something. Smartly he stayed quiet, and exited the room as well.
Oliver fell back into training, and when Digg returned later he was feeling slightly more human.
"She's scared out of her mind, but she'd too proud to show you." the other man said, breaking the silence.
Oliver didn't answer.
"Do you even know what you're doing? You're confusing the hell out of her and that's the last thing she needs right now. She's doing her best to be strong. For you. But you're too busy acting like a jealous jackass to notice."
Oliver's eyes flew to Digg's. "I'm not jealous." he said automatically, and Digg scoffed.
"Oliver, I know you've got issues. And you know what, you probably should. But stop lying to yourself. That girl is the best thing that's happened to you in a long time. And I think you actually know that. And I think it scares the hell out of you. But if you keep this up you're going to lose her. She's too tough to put up with your bullshit. Ironically, that's what you like about her."
"She has no idea what she's gotten herself into." Oliver ground out, pointedly ignoring most of what Digg had said.
"I think you're right about that." Digg agreed, "All the more reason for you to stop being something else she has to worry about."
Oliver stalked the perimeter of the space as he went over everything Digg had said. The words he'd had inscribed on the clip kept floating to the forefront of his mind.
"I didn't expect her. I wasn't looking for...anyone. And then she snuck in, with her ponytail, and upgrading my system, and telling me no. And now I'm supposed to just sit back and watch while...this happens." he spun on his heel and faced Digg. "If this was Carly how would you be reacting?" and Oliver stopped dead as he realized what he'd just admitted, and how he'd just compared himself and Felicity to Digg and the woman he'd made no qualms about loving.
Oliver allowed himself to fall back against the wall and slide down. He rested his head in his hands as he waited.
"I'm having a hard time dealing with it because it's Felicity, and I care about her. If it was Carly...I can't even go there man because I'd probably be sitting in a dark room, with torn up knuckles, trying to figure out how to even function without killing the piece of shit." he'd described Oliver's current state precisely, "But it's happening, and you have to find a way to deal because she needs you. I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but right now, that girl needs you."
He sat in the dark for hours after Digg left. What Oliver had said was true. He hadn't expected her. He'd spent five years on the island with his focus solely on Laurel. When he'd returned they were both so different, but she was all he'd known for so long he didn't know how to think about anyone else. And then she'd been with Tommy. Until she wasn't. Oliver hadn't wasted any time. But when he'd heard Laurel screaming for Tommy the night the Glades fell, and when he'd held his best friend as he died everything else fell away.
In the five months he'd been gone he'd spent a lot of time thinking about Tommy and Laurel and everything that had happened between the three of them. Not once had he factored Felicity into any of it, until he returned and realized she'd been there the entire time; supportive, and strong, and being the foundation he needed even when he wasn't aware of needing one.
He could do this. He could treat her like a member of the team, and trust in her abilities. He could be the support she needed, without causing her more problems, because it's what needed to be done.
But he didn't have to like it.
The date loomed nearer, and soon enough he found himself on the back of his bike, following her to a new location. They'd managed to make it through the mission prep without him being a colossal jackass, which he felt was a major improvement. The looks Felicity kept shooting him let him know she'd noticed and was confused about this turn in his behavior.
The dress she wore that night almost made him cringe. She'd be beautiful in anything, but that dress she had chosen specifically for Mason in order to look cheap, and easy. It took away from her, and that made him angry.
He picked a spot on a side street under a street light that wasn't working, but had a direct view of the front of the restaurant. As he listened to her greet Mason and begin the motions of her 'date' he did his best to tramp down the flares of rage that tried to make themselves known.
Digg made some quiet suggestions when she began to go off on a tangent about shoe shopping and she corrected accordingly. Oliver's heart rate returned to a normal pace while they ate dinner, but it was short lived.
Mason's canned line about not being able to keep his hands off of her made Oliver roll his eyes and scoff. "I didn't even use that line when I was a teenager." he muttered under his breath, forgetting for a moment that she could hear him.
The next comment from Mason got a different reaction. Oliver sat up straighter on his bike, and he even heard Digg grumble something about how the man needed to keep his damn hands off of her.
But it was Felicity that made him almost bust down the door. When he heard her throaty whisper saying "That felt amazing, do it again." he found his helmet off, scrambling madly for his bow. It was actually Digg's incensed reaction that brought him back down.
He stood frozen, back so taut it felt like his spine was a metal rod. Felicity was moaning. The sound of lips on skin transmitted over the ear piece. His jaw locked tight, his teeth clenched so hard he may have done damage.
"Oliver, you need to keep yourself under control." Digg's voice came over his comm only. But control was something he was quickly losing.
Felicity let out a startled screech and he was on the move, standing directly across the street from the entrance to the restaurant now.
"I couldn't help myself. I needed to know if you were wearing anything under that dress." Mason drawled, and Oliver exploded.
"Felicity! Get out of there! I will kill him! I will put arrows in every one of his limbs before I break every bone in his body, and only then will I allow him to die!" There could have been a crowd around him and Oliver wouldn't have known or cared. He was across the street now, stalking straight for the door unaware of anyone or anything else.
It was Felicity that made him stop. "Oliver, how could you!" she shrieked. If she was yelling at him she wasn't around Mason, and for that reason he stopped. "Stop acting like a jealous boyfriend and let me do my job!"
He was incapable of speech just then. A low, predatory snarl emerged from his throat instead.
Felicity wasn't through yelling at them though. "Both of you need to stop with the noises, and comments, it's distracting! This is hard enough as it is. I swear to god if you keep it up I will take out my ear piece, do you understand me!"
Oliver froze and fear rolled through him. She couldn't take out her comm. They wouldn't know what was going on with her and Mason and he wouldn't be able to respond if she was in trouble.
"I wouldn't advise that if I were you." it was impossible for him to say it calmly, she was lucky he didn't tear right into the restaurant and haul her out.
He heard a huff of irritation before she spoke, "Well done, mister, you just blew it!" and before he could speak all he could hear was static.
"Felicity! Turn it back on!" he demanded but there was nothing there.
"Oliver, get back on your bike." Digg's voice was dangerously low.
"She took it out, Digg." he growled. Anger, frustration, and fear were all competing within to see which one would win out.
"Get back on the damn bike and watch the door. We'll deal with her taking out the comm later. Right now you need to watch over her."
Digg's final words resonated with him. Watch over her. That's all her could do now.
With heavy steps he walked back to the motorcycle and waited.
It took half an hour before they exited. A half an hour that felt like days.
The relief he felt at seeing her walk out, safe and whole almost took his breath away. He watched her look around furtively and wondered if she was looking for him. Everything in him said to grab her up, put her on the back of his bike and drive off. But he couldn't do that. He had to sit there, and watch as Mason held her in his arms and then kissed her.
"Oliver, what's going on?" Digg asked, and Oliver distractedly wondered what he had said or done to alert Digg. He couldn't remember.
When she was safely ensconced in the car he let out a sigh of relief. There was light traffic and he pulled out two cars behind her, waiting a few blocks before he zipped around them.
She drove the last half a mile faster than usual and by the time she'd peeled into the back parking lot of Verdant he was worried. He watched as she ran from the car, punched in the security code as fast as possible and disappeared down the stairs.
"Shit," he muttered and tore after her. The door shut and relocked just before he reached it. By the time he had it open she was at the bottom.
"You shouldn't have done that." he heard Digg say.
The half-hysterical scream that came from her made him stall halfway down the stairs. "I don't care!"
He caught only a flash of yellow and blue as she shoved past Digg and ran for the training room.
"What in the hell happened?" he demanded as he joined Digg at the bottom. The other man just shook his head and handed Oliver the purse and shoes.
"We screwed this one up." Digg said and retreated to the desk.
"Something happened to her in there, didn't it?" Oliver didn't know why he had to speculate out loud, but he did.
Digg didn't answer, and in a way that was worse.
In unspoken agreement they ended up in the training room, waiting for her to emerge from the shower.
Not another word passed between them. Oliver contemplated beating the hell out of something but he settled for pacing.
When he heard the water turn off he came to stand next to Digg and waited.
She finally emerged, looking small and frail. She wore one of his forgotten t-shirts and the sight of her in his clothes stirred something in his chest. It hung off her slim frame, one shoulder exposed, the hem skimming mid thigh. Her eyes were focused on the floor and she didn't see them at first.
When she did she gave a weary sigh and ran a hand over her damp hair. "Are we doing this here?" her eyes cut over the sparring mat and she gave a small shrug, "Appropriate I guess."
She looked like she'd been defeated and he hated it.
Digg stepped forward first, apologizing for how they'd handled their end of the mission that night.
All Oliver could remember was the fear he'd felt when he had no contact with her. "You shouldn't have taken out your comm." he blurted out, ignoring the glare Digg shot his direction. Speaking it aloud brought it all back. "That is the only way we had to know what was going on and if you were safe."
She couldn't look at him. "I'm sorry," her voice was quiet, "It won't happen again, alright?" she tried to step around them but he could't let her go. Without thinking he blocked her escape.
"Did something happen?" his tone was hard, but he had to know. She was hiding something.
"No," she answered quickly, and still refused to meet his eyes. His Felicity would have gone toe to toe with him for blocking her like that.
A cold fissure of fear grew within him. He stepped forward until they were only half a step apart. She still hadn't moved. With one hand he reached out and tipped her chin up until she had no choice but to look at him. "Felicity, I need to know if something happened."
Her eyes flashed for a second, and he was glad to see some life in her. "Nothing happened." she bit off, "He kissed me, ok. It was...unpleasant. I didn't like it. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Was that it?" he was surprised, based on what he'd overheard he wouldn't have been shocked if Mason had tried more than that.
However, when she spoke he knew she had misunderstood him.
"Is that not enough?" the hurt and shock she felt was stark. She wrapped her arms around herself and took a step back from him. "He was touching me. His lips were on me. His hands were...places I didn't want them." her watery eyes locked on his. "I had another man's hands on me, Oliver, how is that not enough?"
His heart was in his throat at her words. Had she even realized what she'd said. He felt his hands clench as he tried to keep a hold of the visceral reaction he was having to her fear.
She was shaking, her fingers digging into her arms in an attempt to get herself under control. And he understood instinctually that she was doing it because of him. She was trying to keep herself from flying apart because of how he would react if she did.
"I'm sorry," he said as evenly as possible. "If this is too much for you..."
She shook her head and cut him off. "It's not. I can do it. I just need you to get over whatever it is that's been wrong with you, because I can't deal with that too."
Guilt swept through him. "I didn't want you to do this because I knew what was going to happen. I know the kind of guy Mason is. I know how he runs through women, and what he thinks of them. So if I've been upset lately it's because I knew, at some point you were going to be standing in front of me, barely able to keep yourself together because of what he'd done to you. And I didn't want that to happen." he hadn't meant to say so much, but her helplessness drove him.
He'd taken her by surprise. When she tried to speak whatever she was going to say came out as a choked cry. Oliver didn't hesitate, he did what he had subconsciously wanted to do since the moment she'd stepped out of that bathroom. He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. One of his hands splayed across her back, needing as much contact as possible, the other stroked over her wet hair.
She didn't cry. All she did was cling to him, her hands fisted in his shirt.
"I'm sorry, I just didn't want you to get hurt." he mumbled into her hair.
"I know. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be." she said quietly
"You can quit. We can find another way in." and he meant it, but he knew she wasn't going to go for it.
"It'll be ok. If you can promise to keep quiet. Just mute the comms like I do."
He pulled back to look at her in surprise, "What do you mean?"
"You're not the only one that worries." she admitted. And for a moment he considered what his missions had been like for her. He tucked her back under his chin in response.
They were quiet for a long moment. Felicity was the one who pushed back and gave him a smile.
Her expression lit up suddenly, "Oh, I almost forgot. I got a third date. A charity gala on Tuesday."
A possessive wave washed over him and he quickly buried it. "Tuesday?" he repeated, the date jogging a memory. When he realized what it was he smiled down at her, "Thea and I will be there as well."
All the air left Felicity's lungs as once. "Oh thank god!" she exclaimed and threw herself back into his arms.
"We'll do better next time. Promise."
"We'll all do better." she agreed, and he knew it was her way of showing him she regretted taking the ear piece out.
"Ok, I need to get home." she said pointedly, stepping back from him and making to head out of the room.
"Felicity...I..." before she left he needed her to know he was sorry for how he'd behaved.
"I know." she cut him off gently and disappeared out the door.