A/N: Sorry it took so long but I was ill last weekend and the only moments I can work on this are weekends and then I can upload it on mondays/sundays so ugh anyway here goes!

Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or any characters from the comic book series or tv series.

Chapter Five

x

As usual, on Wednesday, Oliver was late. Actually, he had been late every day up until now, Felicity realized as she looked at the check-in schedule. She pushed the schedule away from her. So far, she had not really cared. But then, it hadn't meant she could've slept a few extra hours on those days.

Instead of getting worked up about it, though, she looked at it from the bright side. It meant she had some time to chat with Diggle and Thea and some extra time to wake up. Also, since Thea and Diggle were on shift today and she wasn't really needed, Felicity could just pull up a high chair next to the counter and listen to the both of them while drinking a perfectly brewed Americano. In all fairness, though, it had to be said that that Americano contributed an immense amount to her ability to keep seeing things from the bright side.

Soon enough, Felicity felt awake enough to converse and immersed herself in the conversation. With Thea present, it didn't come as a surprise that the current subject was their new recruit, Roy. The girl was seriously obsessed, Felicity decided. Still, Felicity started exchanging information about the boy with Thea and Diggle listened to them attentively. When they got to information on his love life and whether or not he liked Thea and came up with nothing, they turned to Diggle. Surely Roy would have told another man about it, or so Thea and Felicity thought. That cliché was put down immediately, however, since Diggle met them with a blank face. In response to their disbelief, Diggle complained loudly about Thea bribing Felicity regarding the work schedule and Roy's obvious reluctance to tell him things since he and Roy barely knew each other. When both girls agreed he barely would have had the chance to talk to Roy, Diggle suggested going for a drink soon to amend the situation. Thea supported that idea- Felicity thought it might have to do with her Roy crush – and within seconds, the drink had become a top of the bill staff dinner. Felicity smiled at Thea's antics.

"I'll make reservations and take care of it all," the Queen prodigy said, eyes shining at the thought of all the possibilities. Then she shared a look with both Digg and Felicity. "And I'll get my brother to make sure my mom pays."

She held out her hand to Diggle for a high five and received one, complete with a broad grin. Felicity watched them.

"Nice," Diggle spoke. "Who's coming? Are we inviting Sarah too?"

Shaking her head, Thea replied.

"I love Sarah but this is a staff dinner. That means no Sarah… But what about Oliver joining? You guys like him, don't you?"

Diggle and Felicity looked at one another, but the answer was pretty clear to them both.

"Of course," Diggle said as he counted out the last of the sugar cubes. With a nod, Felicity agreed. "Plus, as long as he gets Moira to pay, he's more than welcome any time."

"Awesome," Thea cheered. "When are we going?"

Felicity pursed her lips in thought.

"We have that police annual meeting here on Saturday, so it will have to wait a week," she said. Thinking, she tapped her finger on her knee. Then she stopped and pointed the digit at Diggle, who was looking at her, opening his mouth to say something. "For which I still need to walk through the menu with Moira, I know, John. …But we could do it next week?"

Diggle nodded, content with the fact that she hadn't forgotten.

"You sure we can't do it this week," Thea asked with a frown.

Felicity doubted that for a second, looking at the counter next to her. When she looked up, Thea and Diggle were standing next to each other. Upon closer inspection, Felicity saw that even Diggle looked hopeful, probably because he hated cooking just for himself. He clasped his hands together as if begging her and when Thea joined, Felicity rolled her eyes.

"Oh, fine. I'm free on Thursday night," she gave in.

A chorus of yes's filled the half-empty store and Diggle and Thea high-fived. Felicity rolled her eyes at the childish behaviour and turned to the door to the kitchen, mentally preparing for a meeting with Moira.

"I'll see you in five- I'm going to get that menu sorted," she told Diggle and Thea.

"Good luck," he said, glancing at Thea behind him who was doing a victory dance with a smile. Then he turned back to Felicity and patted her shoulder solemnly. "Remember, she gave birth to Thea, she can't be inherently evil."

Felicity chuckled at his words, re-knotted her apron and pushed up her glasses. Time to face the fury.

/

Surprisingly, Moira was in a good mood and handled deciding upon the menu pretty well. She even considered Felicity's input, which was a first. She only considered two of the twelve options Felicity had given, but that was still more than the usual zero. Though the conversation was difficult as always, they handled it and got a nice menu out. Afterwards, Moira retired to the garden for a break and told Felicity she was in charge for ten minutes.
When Moira was out of sight, Felicity discretely checked the ovens for any cakes that could burn to a crisp while she was gone. Better to be safe than sorry, Felicity had learned in her time here. When she had checked them all and deemed it safe, she walked towards the door to the shop. She put a hand on it to push, deep in thought. She stopped when she heard the distinct, deep voice of Oliver.

"This Thursday? It's a bit soon, isn't it?"

His voice sounded doubtful.

"Yeah," Thea's voice replied matter-of-factly. "But if we don't, it will have to wait another week. Think we can get mom to pay for it, Ollie?"

There was a pause in the conversation.

"But isn't this something other companies decide on weeks before they go?"

There was a dark chuckle that Felicity recognized as Diggle's.

"Other companies don't have Thea," he replied.

"Exactly," Thea's voice exclaimed.

After a barely discernible chuckle, Diggle announced he would go check if the people in the maze needed anything. Felicity tugged at her apron while she heard Diggle leave, ready to go in during the slight pause in conversation. Before she got to push the door, though, Oliver started talking again.

"And everyone's free on Thursday?"

He sounded sceptical.

"Roy, Diggle, Felicity, me, I hope you are, and mom's not invited," Thea's voice counted cheerfully. "Are you free, though?"

"I might be," Oliver's voice drew out teasingly.

"You'll join, Ollie, won't you? I thought you, Diggle and Felicity were becoming friends?"

"We are," his voice agreed. "Which reminds me, does this whole shop hate Vanilla syrup?"

Thea laughed and the words put a smile on Felicity's face, too.

"Kind of," Thea answered. Then she continued, voice growing softer. "Anyway, come, will you? These people are different from your old crowd; they want to have you around, they care."

"Some of the old crowd care," Oliver's voice snapped back, voice raw.

It was silent for a second. Felicity's hand dropped from the door.

"Some of them did," Thea's voice amended. She was silent for a second and then her voice continued. "I'm just saying they're more like Tommy, Sarah and Laurel here. Not like Isabel."

As listened intently, Felicity wondered who Isabel was. On the other side, a sigh could be heard.

"I know, Speedy. Thank you for worrying."

A silence followed but there were a few muffled sentences that made Felicity suspect Thea had hugged Oliver. One sounded suspiciously much like 'm happy you're back'.
The act itself seemed to have cheered up Thea because she started laughing soon after. When she started yelling for Oliver to stop, though, Felicity realized he was probably tickling her. When the laughter had subsided, Thea spoke again.

"So you'll take care of it? Your schedule and mom and all?"

There was a chuckle.

"Eyes on the prize, right? Of course I'll be there."

Thea cheered happily.

When nothing more was said, Felicity realized the conversation was over. Silently, she stood in front of the door, wondering about Oliver's old friends. Their names seemed familiar. Sarah- was that her Sarah? The one that lived near and had been a waitress here? Wasn't Laurel her sister, though?

Shaking her head, Felicity glanced at the ceiling. Seriously, if that was true, why had all these people not mentioned Oliver before?!

/

Due to the fact that walking into the shop at that time would have significantly increased the possibility of Felicity becoming a second version of her inquisitive mother, Felicity had decided it was better not to walk in straight away. Instead, she had almost obsessively cleaned 'her' part of a countertop on the right side of the bakery, where she kept the order files and work schedules.
After ten minutes her irritation had subsided, though, and she decided it was time to get out there and show her face. She was here to work, after all.

So, she pushed open the door and walked into the shop.

Instantly, she spotted Oliver to her right, making juice, and Thea taking orders in the front of the shop. When Oliver glanced up at her with a smile, she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I see you've decided to grace us with your presence," she mocked Oliver.

Oliver continued blending his smoothie.

"Better late in this world than early in the next," he called out over the sound of the machine with a smirk.

Felicity watched as he put the mixture in a jug, added some sugar to the whole and then swirled it with a spoon.

"Maybe, but the rest of us would've liked to know we could have slept an hour longer," she muttered darkly.

The man in front of her glanced up, eyes big and innocent. He put the jug of juice in the fridge, washed his hands, then turned his body her way and looked at her seriously.

"Sorry. I'll call next time," he assured her.

Before she could answer him, Diggle got back to the counter and asked her about the menu on Saturday. So Felicity sent Oliver a grateful look instead while she explained the menu to Diggle. When Diggle had voiced his approval, she turned to Oliver. Without further ado, she pointed at the maze and grabbed her laptop bag at the same time.

"Right, shall we go digitize and prioritize," she asked, starting to walk. Then she stopped, a horrified look on her face. "Oh God, that sounded so nerdy it isn't even funny anymore. I should stop talking to Ronald and Donnie at work."

Diggle laughed at her in the corner and she scowled at him as she walked away. Oliver just grinned. When they got to the office, Felicity spotted the cleared out space Oliver had created on the desk and the scanner he had put there. When she had put down her laptop, she glanced sideways at him.

"Ready," she asked.

"Ready," he confirmed.

She sat down.

"Right, so I've made a rough list of requirements for the program," she started and pulled out a paper from her laptop bag as the computer in front of her booted up. She handed it to Oliver. "Can you check if it fits what you want from it?"

Oliver pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. He had his legs parted and was leaning back as he read it. Felicity focused on the computer in front of her and started writing the script.

It didn't come as easy as it usually did, though, courtesy of Oliver Queen's closeness. Did he really have to put the chair close enough for their shoulders to touch?
The feel of his warm skin against hers was driving her crazy, his scent invading her personal space more and more. Thankfully, he had no idea how many mistakes she was making in the script.

She breathed in deeply through her nose, trying to find out what it was about the smell, exactly, that she liked. She couldn't find out, though, because Oliver leaned sideways, grabbed the pen from behind her ear and scribbled some things on the paper. Then, he moved to put the pen back behind her ear again and she couldn't help but hold her breath. When he pulled back his hand, his fingers grazed her ear.

"This should be it. If you can't manage the last things in time, that's fine."

Felicity turned to look at him, realized what he had said and then turned back with an indignant huff.

"I am seriously starting to wonder if you know what it means to have a degree in something."

Oliver shook his head with a grin while looking at the screen in front of them, fascinated at how fast she was typing the script. He didn't reply, however, and Felicity got lost in the world of IT for some time. After a while, Oliver bumped his shoulder against hers softly. When she averted her eyes from the screen to look at him, she found him staring back at her. Her skin heated up when he kept gazing into her eyes.

"Are you going to the dinner on Thursday," he asked. Felicity nodded, her eyes flitting to his lips. Oliver smiled at her. "Good. Thea said so but she was trying to convince me so you never know."

Felicity shrugged, focusing on the conversation.

"I wouldn't miss it, they're my friends."

Oliver nodded and looked at the computer for a second.

"You have a lot of friends?"

She shook her head. Only one other, really.

"Next to these guys, I have a friend from high school from back home. I don't have that many, really. You?"

Oliver looked in front of him in silence for a while.

"I used to," he said with a quiet voice. "But it turned out they weren't all good ones."

His quiet reaction made her wonder if he was thinking about the woman Thea had mentioned before. Nevertheless, she kept the conversation going and nodded.

"There are many people like that. It's difficult to find the good ones."

Oliver agreed.

"The problem is, I didn't know that when we were friends so when they just let me fall, I was all alone. Except for my best friend, Tommy and my ex Laurel. They kept in contact."

Squinting her eyes at him, Felicity slid to the edge of her seat and decided to just ask.

"Laurel Lance? As in the sister of Sarah Lance, who worked here?" Oliver nodded and Felicity fell back in her chair in surprise, hands off the keyboard. This was unbelievable. "How is it that all these people never spoke of you!? It just doesn't make sense! I mean if your ex and Sarah didn't speak of you it would have been one thing but your mom and Thea? Seriously?"

Oliver had tilted his head to the side and was silently observing her reaction. She groaned in frustration and looked back at him, challenging him for the answer. He, however, seemed too stubborn to give in. The tension between them became palpable in the air as they continued their staring session. After what seemed like forever, Oliver looked away and sighed.

"Has anyone ever told you it's hard to keep secrets around you," Oliver asked.

Felicity smiled sweetly and started typing again.

"Might be because I hate mysteries."

Oliver shook his head and looked at the screen again. Though she was still typing, Felicity had gotten maddeningly curious and could only just about reign herself in enough to not just ask after the mystery. She did, however, tap with her foot as she typed. After a minute of silence, Oliver sighed again and shook his head.

"Do you- do you know the Rochèv business?"

Felicity remembered their semi-regular who had told her about it. Apparently, the woman's daughter owned the company.

"Weren't they lawyers or something?"

Oliver pulled a face and nodded. The face reminded Felicity of how Thea had looked when they slipped lemon juice in her coffee, one time.

"The point is, I slept with their CEO, Isabel."

Felicity frowned in remembrance and she turned her head away from Oliver. The fingers of her right hand tapped on an empty part of the keyboard in thought.

"Isabel Rochèv, isn't she the daughter of that semi-regular that comes here?" When Oliver nodded, she continued. "But I thought she was married?"

A curt nod. Oliver stopped her tapping hand by putting his on it and when he moved his arm to cross the distance, a waft of his scent invaded her personal space again. She tried to ignore it and focus on the issue, but it was hard. He lifted his hand from hers again but from where he'd touched her, she felt the fire spreading quickly. Oliver sat back again.

"Yeah, I got to know her via her mother. I became Isabel's… aside. But I didn't know she was married. When the press found out, they went berserk. I had my own place and they were convinced she'd bought it for me with company money. Overall, I was big news."

Nodding, Felicity pulled off her glasses and tried to get away a smudge on the glass with the fabric of her skirt. She remembered hearing the rumours but she'd never really been into following the stars so she hadn't seen pictures or connected names and dots. She would have, naturally, if she'd researched him like she normally did with people. But she'd been busy.

Suddenly, she remembered a piece of information about the case she'd stored away as well.

"But I thought that man worked with her?"

Oliver smiled sadly and shook his head. When he looked up at her, she could see how he held the hurt at bay in the way he was clenching his jaw. Sincerity swirled behind his eyes.

"No, that was a rumor. After people found out, life was crazy. But the problem was that I did not know what was true or not because I couldn't meet her. Media followed me everywhere. In the end I found out she was married and I broke it off. But it was awful to be here with all the paparazzi around me so I went to family in Central city and then, after earning some money, decided to travel. I asked all friends I still had to keep their mouth shut about me and where I was so I could be at peace. I think that's why you've never heard about me. They kept their promises."

Felicity was silent for a while after she had listened to and watched him. Lines of pain and difficulty were etched on his face and when he was done, he clenched his teeth together in resilient anger. She recognized the feeling. Without really thinking about it, she reached out and put her hand in his.

"Ah, that explains it."

Surprised, Oliver turned to their entwined hands on his knee. He looked up at her with raised eyebrows and she squeezed his hand in hers. Biting her lip, she contemplated if she wanted to explain her actions. When Oliver's thumb started making soothing circles on the back of her hand, though, she couldn't help but give in.

"I know a thing or two about things in the past that hurt," she explained, moving up their hands.

Oliver squeezed her hand and she revelled in the feel of his rough hand in hers.

"Really," he asked, turning his body her way.

She nodded.

"My… mother was a waitress in Los Angeles and she – we did not get along. As you can see, I tried to get as far away as possible," she said.

She glanced up after the explanation and saw that Oliver had cocked his head to the side.

"Your mom didn't want you to study?"

Felicity frowned at that and gazed down at their hands. His thumb was still caressing the skin on the back of her hand.

"No," she explained. "But she wanted me close and I wanted to get as far away from her as possible."

Oliver nodded when she looked away and didn't explain. She was frowning and biting her lips as she did so, so he knew that she was not telling him something. But he knew that trust had to grow. Just because he knew via Thea that she was trustworthy, did not mean that she knew that about him. So he let it be and just gazed at her face until she shyly peeked up at him. When their eyes met, he felt that familiar pull in his gut towards her again and squeezed her hand. He watched her long blonde hair, pulled in a ponytail and her thick-rimmed glasses. She had the bright lipstick on she sometimes wore and he found he loved the colourful addition to her face. All of it still looked the same, yet the girl in front of him now was different from what he knew from the shop. Sure, she was self-confident and sure, she had the ability to win any verbal argument he started, still, but there was something different about her here, in this room, with him. Maybe it was the fact that she had listened to his story and had supported him instead of judged him. Or maybe it was because both of them now knew something about the other that had been buried very deep. Either way, it strengthened the pull in his gut and it made him lean in a bit more.
He wrecked his brain to think of something to say that would lighten the mood and get that frown off her face.

"Talking about people wanting you close, we never continued that conversation about Mr. Knyazev," he realized aloud.

Felicity's eyes flitted from his to the table.

"Didn't we," she answered, embarrassed.

Oliver shook his head slowly, moving his head sideways a bit to capture her eyes. She shrugged and looked away, but Oliver pulled on her hand. When she looked back at him, she did so over the rim of her glasses.

"You never told me if he had the right to be jealous," he said.

Felicity squinted her eyes and looked at him through slits.

"I never did, did I," she answered, joining the game.

Oliver shook his head slowly, moving closer. He was now consciously invading her personal space and he revelled in the shiver that passed through her body. His breath fanned out against the crook of her neck as he whispered in her ear.

"No. Care to enlighten me?"

Felicity felt like she could have melted into a puddle right then and there. It was maddening to be this close to him and not touch him more. His lips had touched the shell of her ear and the touch of his thumb on her hand was still making fire shoot up her arm and body. Not to mention his breath hitting her neck and his stubble scratching her cheekbones. She made a small sound, unsure of what to say. Oliver chuckled in her ear.

"What's that?"

He moved his head and his lips ghosted over the shell of her ear slowly, driving her crazy. She moved her hand to his arm and held onto it as he kept chuckling into her ear. God, the deep voice, the proximity of his body to hers and the smell… she had died and gone to heaven.

But she still had to answer. She wrecked her brain for something to tell him. When he moved his head away from her ear for a second, she replied.

"Well, I would tell you but I'm not really sure yet," she challenged.

When he leaned back and saw her biting her lip while smiling, he snapped. He growled and took her head in his unoccupied hand and crashing his lips down on hers.

The feeling of his lips against hers did not come as a surprise but the sparks that raced up and down her body, did. Drunk on the feeling, Felicity followed his lead and was just reaching up to finally touch his face when the door opened. They parted as quickly as they had collided.

"Oliver, could-" Diggle stopped what he was saying as he looked at the two deer that had been caught in his headlights. Both rosy-cheeked, red lipped and holding hands. With a grin, he raised his hands.

"Never mind."

He moved to close the door but then high heels clicked on the floor behind him and a high voice called out at him. He half-turned.

"Diggle, would you tell Oliver to get to the back? His guests are here," Moira called.

Grimacing in the doorway, Diggle turned back to the two of them. They looked the exact same as a second ago.

"Seems like I really need you to come out," he apologized.

Oliver looked from Diggle to Felicity and back. When Diggle didn't budge, Oliver moved his thumb over her cheek and sent her a sad smile.

"Sorry," he said to her only.

Felicity shook her head, not even wanting an apology. It wasn't his fault, after all.

"It's okay," she said, moving her head back so his hand fell away on its own. "Which guests?"

Oliver glanced at Diggle, who had turned around in the doorway to give them some privacy.

"People who sell the coffee beans we use. I'm trying to get a cheaper deal," he explained. Felicity looked down at her knees for a second, a bit disappointed to let him go. He squeezed her hand, mischief in his eyes. "And if you could bring us a cup of coffee that would be awesome."

Felicity instantly glared at him and pulled her hand away from his.

"Let me remind you," she retorted. "I've not worked my ass off just to become your personal secretary."

Oliver chuckled and raised both hands as he stood up. He gave her head a pat and she frowned.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said. He walked over to Diggle and turned around for a second, there. "I'll check in on you later, okay."

When he had sent her a broad smile and she had nodded in return, he turned around and walked through the door before Digg, moving his hand through his hair and adjusting his shirt. Behind his back, a grinning Diggle gave Felicity a quick thumbs up before reaching for the doorknob again and closing the door with a wink.

/

A/N: Have I mentioned I love the way Diggle and Felicity are with each other in the series? I have this headcanon where between season 1 and 2 they kind of bonded over searching Oliver and became really good mates!

Either way, there was action! Hope you guys still like this stuff, I think it's going to be an 8-chapter one so stay with me =) Almost there!