A/N: WELCOME TO THE MEGA CHAPTER that i've taken ages on to edit and write and all. I hope you guys like it! Only one more chapter to go! Thanks for joining on this awesome adventure guys!
Also I'm posting this today mainly because... all those lauriver hugs and none olicity.
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Chapter Six
x
After the door had clicked shut, Felicity had fallen back in her chair. Wide-eyed, she had spent a good hour staring at the screen in front of her, all kinds of thoughts going through her head. They had ranged from Oliver being too good to be true to is-it-marriage-material and the thoughts in-between seemed to know no boundaries. The fact that the kiss had happened at all, however, was the underlying thought that came back every few seconds and immediately after it came the memory of the feel of his lips on hers. Her lips still tingled when she remembered it. Even an hour and a half after he'd left, she could feel the warmth spreading from where he'd touched her body. She could remember vividly how his green t-shirt had pulled taut over his muscles and how those muscles in his arms had felt when she had held onto them. Though time had passed, she could still recall how he had smelt and how his stubble had felt against her skin. It was lovely and yet frustrating that she could remember something small so well. Because though it had been some time since she'd been kissed, she very well knew this had not been a proper kiss and the idea of kissing Oliver properly made her head swim. But, without getting too far ahead of herself, this situation in itself baffled her and it continued to do so for the rest of the day that followed.
Coincidentally, that day came with a surprisingly low amount of Oliver Queen-spotting, afterwards. More like no amount, Felicity thought bitterly. He came in once to wave goodbye at an early time but, since his mother was directly behind him trying to get in and have her say about the digital era, he closed the door again within seconds. So Felicity didn't really think that counted.
After his departure, Felicity had worked for another three hours non-stop. When the work for the day was done, she stretched and got up out of her chair. After she had sorted out the papers left on the desk, she came out of what had been lovingly called her 'techie spot' by Diggle and helped the others close the shop. She was welcomed warmly since many hands made light work and (most of all) because Thea was in a hurry. Not that she showed it, the way she was talking on and on about the staff dinner and Roy. But, as soon as they had locked the front door behind them, Thea stalked away to her car. She mentioned organizing the staff dinner on Thursday as she got in, opened a window and drove up next to them.
"As if you haven't planned it all, yet," Diggle said with a smirk. He gestured to Thea as he turned to Felicity. "I swear, all day she's been asking me about food preferences, napkins, quality – whatever you can think of, it's been asked."
On the other side of the car, Thea stuck out her tongue. Felicity even thought she had spotted an eye-roll, but it was hard to see in the dark.
"Hater," Thea said. Then she smiled at Felicity in assurance. "It will be perfect, though. See you tomorrow!"
Diggle winked at the young adult and Felicity gave her a little wave.
"Drive safe!"
Thea waved back, pulled away from the curb and then she sped away into the night with her black Audi.
Left behind, Diggle and Felicity walked to the back alley in silence. The only sound that was prominent was that of the gravel they crushed beneath their feet. In the background, though, they could hear cars and groups of people laughing. Felicity kicked against a pebble as Digg got his bike unlocked, thinking about her day.
Diggle watched her with a secretive smile inked on his face as he grabbed his bike to walk over to her. When he got there, she instantly headed the usual way. He walked next to her for a few minutes, continuing their silence. Then, he couldn't take it anymore.
"So, I guess you and Oliver, then, huh," he said, more to his bike than to Felicity.
Felicity tensed up, then sighed and looked at the wall on her right, which they were passing.
"If it wasn't an impulse and he doesn't fire me," she acknowledged.
Diggle raised an eyebrow at her since she knew very well how indispensable she was to the shop. This kind of thing could not in a million years get her job into jeopardy. She just smiled at his reaction and looked at the street for some time in silence. Before she could start up another waterfall of words, Digg chipped in, touching upon another part of the subject.
"And?"
Felicity turned her head to look at him. When she saw he was serious, she threw her hands up in frustration.
"And what, Digg? Yes, he's handsome beyond comparison, yes we kissed. It's not amounting to anything, that's what."
Diggle screwed up his face and looked into the distance.
"Hmmm... I think you guys could work," he thought aloud. "I can see it."
Felicity was silent for a bit and then groaned softly. Not because he was wrong, but because Diggle was affirming what she had thought herself. She looked at the sky in exasperation and then at Diggle. He was smiling, the light of the lanterns reflecting in his eyes. She wondered why he was so prone to asking her about Oliver every few days but instead of asking why, she changed the subject.
"Either way," she teased. "I think the same about you and Lyla. Better hurry up because I'd like to be godmother."
That made Diggle groan as he biked beside her slowly. She peered up at John, who had trouble keeping balance because of their slow pace so he wove his way over the pavement from left to right. He wasn't grimacing. Actually, she could see a lingering smile on his face and instantly knew he was happy with how things with Lyla were. She knew because he had looked that way when he was with Carly, too.
When they had gotten to the corner where they usually parted, Diggle asked if they should grab some dinner together. Something about not feeling like eating alone.
Felicity agreed, happy to share a meal once in a while.
In the end, they had no energy left to get out of the apartment again after they'd gotten there and so they had ended up eating spaghetti Bolognese. As per usual, they drank more wine and beer than water with their meal and after a lot of pasta they ended up on her sofa under warm blankets. Naturally, this, also, was accompanied by some wine, which led to honest yet interesting conversation.
As she sat in her corner of the couch and listened to Diggle ramble, Felicity cherished the moment. These moments with Digg, free of stress, Felicity liked the most. Those where they could joke, talk seriously and get to know each other more. Sure, she liked the shop, sure, she liked going out dancing, but it was on nights like these that she actually felt as if their friendship hung around them in the air, wrapping all around her and keeping her warm. When she had said as much, Digg rolled his eyes and went on a tangent about sensitive women – but she knew he felt it too. He was too sensitive a man not to, no matter what he claimed.
After said tangent (which Felicity tactfully ignored), Felicity and Diggle got to discussing love and relationships and how they had regarded them when they were young. It got Felicity to think about Oliver and so she blurted out her thoughts. Inebriated as she was, Felicity complained to Diggle about Oliver not coming to see her the rest of the day. When Diggle asked her why, she explained what happened and confessed her undying love for Oliver queen, his sexcapades, muscles and sexy stubble. This was something Diggle was immensely amused by and it led to many failed attempts at high-fives and exhaustion afterwards.
When Diggle tried to explain why Oliver had not had the chance to come visit her due to his mother's evil tendency to keep him busy, Felicity politely told Digg that those reasons could all go copulate with themselves and that if Oliver didn't talk to her soon, so could he. Diggle agreed. Instead of talking about that, though, he changed the subject and they discussed Oliver's chances of being successful in Beans Consolidated. They speculated until the late hours of the night and when Felicity finally threw Diggle out, she knew that she would be tired the next day. In exchange, however, she had had a lovely night, so she gladly suffered the hung over feeling it would cost.
/
Not that she felt that way the next morning, of course. After a double espresso, she felt a little better, though. In fact, when Felicity got to work, her mood could be described as cheerful. Straight away, Digg and Roy informed her that Oliver had called in to say he wasn't coming in due to a meeting in Central City, which was a surprise, really, because he was scheduled in for work today. He had said he'd be present at the staff dinner that night, though. Before Felicity could ask any questions, however, Moira came in and Felicity fled the scene, opting for the safe and loving environment of ICT and numbers instead of hell's wrath.
When she got to the office, she was once again hit by a wave of scent that smelt like Oliver, courtesy of him being there for so many days. She regarded the oak desk as the door fell shut behind her. It was hard to believe she had sat there a day ago, discussing her life story with Oliver. The fact that she had told him her story was rather rare, to be honest. Of her current friends, only Norah and Diggle knew. Even then, since she had known Norah from growing up, only Diggle had been confided in consciously. Norah had just… been present.
She had been Felicity's best friend since pre-school and Norah and her mother were the ones that raised Felicity, rather than her own mother. On most nights, she had slept there rather than at home. After one look at Felicity, Norah's mother, Michelle, had decided she was her second daughter and had taken it upon herself to raise her too. She still called Felicity often and vice versa. With Norah, Felicity kept in contact at all times. Whether in terms of internet, calling or seeing each other, it happened daily. They were so close, they had followed each other to Starling City, Norah pursuing a career as lawyer and Felicity as ICT-expert. In fact, they had even lived in Felicity's apartment together for some time. When Norah had met her current husband Jay, however, she had moved out. The so-called sisters still saw each other around three times a week, though, to eat together or just to chat. This meant Norah was fairly aware of Felicity's situation right now and, of course, she knew about Oliver too. And if Norah knew, her mother somehow knew, too. Not that Felicity minded.
In all honesty, Norah's mother felt much more like a mother than Felicity's actual mother. The warmth, the care, the open invitation to come live back home… She was the complete opposite of Felicity's actual mother Donna.
Then again, maybe Felicity wasn't the most objective person around. See, Donna Smoak had started drinking after the death of a dear friend, when Felicity was twelve years old, and in response Felicity had fled the house daily. There had been numerous promises of better lives and many bottles of alcohol drained in the sink but it was only at Felicity's eighteenth that Donna had finally given up drinking seriously. When that change had finally came about, though, Felicity lived at Norah's more than at home and only saw her mother obligatorily, courtesy of Michelle. She went home only to eat lunch and if she felt like it, dinner. In fact, Felicity had already applied to MIT, as far away from Donna as possible. Norah decided to go to a university near MIT and so though Donna protested since she was finally sober and able to take care of her baby, Felicity left. She went home every other holiday and got to know her mother better, but their relation during that period in time could not be called anything other than than strenuous. Some holidays she didn't even tell her mom she was home and just stayed at Norah's in order to have a good time. So maybe Felicity hadn't been the perfect daughter, either.
After two years of that life, Donna had met a nice man called John, who turned out to be a decent guy that made the situation somewhat better. It might have been because he had two children, himself. Felicity was her mom's bridesmaid when they married and ever since, their relationship had been much better. Fact was, however, that Felicity still preferred Michelle over Donna. This might be the result of Donna's recent tries to influence Felicity's choices in life, which were bothersome and way too late in Felicity's eyes. All in all, they made for some hard phone calls and pent up frustration. Which she only shared with Norah and Diggle, normally. But now, she had told Oliver. Which, admittedly, was a good thing. Not that she was purposefully keeping it a secret. She just did not like talking about it.
Felicity sat down behind the desk and sighed at her past. It was good she'd shared it with Oliver. Talking about it with men she liked was always a difficult thing.
As she started working on putting the numbers into the program and working through the stacks of paper next to her, she wondered what Oliver was doing right now. Diggle said he had not given any specific names of whom he was meeting, but there had to be an importance to it or else he would have made them come to the shop.
She frowned. Maybe he was avoiding her. But why?
Looking at the door, she pursed her lips together. Story of her life, really: find a nice man, get close enough and then lose him. Irritated, she pressed the keys extra hard as she tapped on. Seriously, it was one thing to kiss her out of the blue, but a whole other thing to not talk to her again, after. It was plain rude and she didn't deserve that. He'd better talk to her during the dinner. If he didn't, she would have to make him. Biting her lip in frustration, she continued to work. Well, either way, she would find out what was happening, tonight.
As she mused about what was coming, she worked through the stacks of paper around her and when Roy came to tell her it was time to go, she jumped at the sound of something other than her own tapping. When Roy had left the room again, she realized she had had most papers and she only had one stack left to work through. Proudly she filed away the papers, got her things and left the room, ready for whatever may come, tonight.
/
That night, Roy offered to bring her to her apartment in order for her to change and then go to the restaurant. It was a question of handiness, really, since Roy didn't want to travel all the way home to change and Felicity's house was on the way. So when they got to her apartment building, they ran up the stairs to the first floor together. Upstairs, Felicity fished in her bag for her keys. As she did so, she caught a glimpse of Roy putting his hand on the wall and bending over to catch his breath and she smirked. Roy noticed.
"Before you start," he warned with a grin. "You do know who's driving you to the restaurant, right? Who's not drinking just so you can have your wine?"
Snapping her mouth shut playfully, Felicity opened her door and flicked on the light. Without turning around, she pulled off her coat and hung it on the rack.
"Fine," she said, pouting and turning to see Roy close the door behind him. "Well, make yourself at home."
Roy waved her off.
"Yeah, go, I'll be fine. I only need to change my shirt so the living room is fine."
Felicity nodded and pointed at the open door to his left.
"Then that's the living room," she said and Roy nodded. She smiled. "Perfect. I'm going to change, see you in five."
She walked away and spotted Roy going into the living room as she entered her bedroom.
After a long internal discussion, a small, apple green dress became the clothing of choice and she added a red lipstick to give it some extra flare. The dress had a bunched up front but it had a very low back that worried her. Nonetheless, it was one of her nicer cocktail dresses and so she decided it would have to do.
When she had applied her make-up and combed out her hair, she walked into the living room and did a little spin. Roy, who had changed into a nice button-up shirt for the occasion, could not keep the surprise off his face. Felicity grinned.
"Ta-da!"
Roy shook his head.
"Man, who knew you would turn out to look halfway decent with your hair down."
Felicity walked past him as she looked for her bag. When she found it, she held up her bag and Roy gestured to the door. Felicity nodded and walked past him.
"By the way," Felicity told him as she did so, "You look okay too."
She smirked at Roy as she opened the door for him. Scoffing, Roy walked to the stairway and waited for her as she locked up.
"As if. I'm single-handedly upping the level of handsomeness between the two of us."
Felicity laughed and walked down the stairs slowly in her heels, careful to place them the right way. There were some nasty memories of forgetting to do so and falling down the stairs that she was consciously repressing.
"Hate to break it to you but the fact that you're too young for strong alcohol kind of ruins that fact," she observed.
"Nah, not really," Roy disagreed.
They looked at each other with a goofy shake of head as they exited the building and entered the car, giddy and happy. When they had both calmed down, Roy started the car and got them on their way to Diggle.
Five minutes later, Diggle had joined them in the car and the radio had been turned on. As Diggle and Roy conversed, Felicity watched the passing city lights for a few seconds, thinking about how nice it was that they could talk like that, like friends, even though it seemed Roy had only just joined the friend group. She watched a few take-out restaurants as they passed them and got to wondering about the night. The moment she asked where they were going, Roy sighed and explained it was Mosquito's Traveler's bar, because Thea wanted something different. They had food from all over the world, from snails to bugs. It made Felicity and Diggle roll their eyes.
"Always the 'different' with her," she agreed.
Roy took a hand off the wheel and waved it around in frustration.
"Tell me about it. I asked her out to dinner and she wanted to go somewhere 'different'. What the hell kind of a stipulation is that," he complained.
Not that Felicity could do anything other than smile, happy that Roy and Thea were getting somewhere and that her predictions were right.
"Yeah, she's a bit difficult like that," Diggle said
"Yeah," Felicity agreed. "Not to mention she's the daughter of our boss, who is very close to the personification of Lucifer, and her brother is the new boss but he is probably really protective of his sis-"
"Yeah yeah, don't remind me," Roy interrupted.
Felicity nodded and turned around again. She stopped halfway, though, curious.
"Where are you planning to take her?"
Roy shrugged.
"Restaurant in the Glades, I guess. It's less fancy but it's different alright."
Diggle grunted and with a nod, Felicity, too, voiced her agreement.
"She'll like that."
Happy, Roy revved the motor and sped away, Felicity holding onto the door handle frantically. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the bar slash restaurant in Roy's beat up old Mustang. They had picked up Diggle along the way and Roy had just dropped them near the entrance so he could look for a parking spot somewhere in the long street.
Since it had started to rain, Digg and Felicity dashed to the entrance of the restaurant holding their coats above them. In the lobby of the restaurant they stopped and caught their breath. Felicity's ankles were killing her and she wished she'd gone for the other pair of heels that went with the dress but were less high. Groaning, she reached down and met her leg halfway so she could rub her ankle. When she lost her balance and almost tipped over, she grabbed Diggle's arm to stay upright. Diggle silently held her up. He watched the street as he did so, but curiously glanced down to see what she was doing when she went for the other ankle.
"I thought you liked wearing heels," he asked, confused.
Felicity made a discontented noise.
"I do, but my normal heels are a few inches shorter. I'm not used to these heights and sitting crammed in a car for however long that was."
Diggle frowned.
"But then how do you drive to your other job three days a week?"
Felicity kept massaging her ankles, hoping to keep the blood flow going.
"Barefoot," she said distractedly.
Diggle looked down at her and then in front of him again. He shook his head.
"Women," he sighed.
Felicity opened her mouth to reply when Roy ran up to the restaurant and interrupted her. She put down her foot and righted herself as he neared them, waving.
"Right," Diggle said when Roy had joined them. "I guess this is where we go in."
Roy nodded gravely and headed to the cloakroom first. Apparently, two female rugby teams had decided they were eating out as well and let's just say they weren't too keen on staying in line.
As Felicity and Diggle tried to wait for their turn, Roy announced that he was going ahead and would put his coat on his chair. After a reassuring thumbs up from Felicity and Diggle, he went ahead and walked over to Thea, who was sitting at their table all alone, no Oliver in sight. She was wearing a deep red dress that had a low neckline and Felicity watched her greet Roy with a kiss on the cheek. She mentally cheered since Thea only did that to special people, like boyfriends. It was about time the two of them got together, really. Felicity had been giving them shifts together, had Thea introduce Roy to everything and even let them make food for tomorrow since Moira had her hands full with the party food. But, since Roy had said they were going on a date, it was safe to say they were something more than nothing. Felicity smiled as she saw Thea laugh at their conversation and touch Roy's shoulder. Yeah, they were something alright.
Diggle took her coat from her hands, and she watched him as he did so, then glanced back at the two lovebirds. She suddenly had a nagging feeling of déjà vu and looked back at Diggle to discover why. He didn't pay her any attention as he gave off their coats, but as she opened her mouth to ask if he knew, she realized why the situation felt so familiar.
The possible consequences of that realization made her smirk. Diggle turned her way just as she did and a feeling of dread found its way onto his face.
"What," he asked apprehensively.
"Nothing, I just realized you have to drink a Vanilla Coffee."
Diggle made a face, eyes going from left to right in confusion as he wondered how she had come to that conclusion. Felicity's smirk grew wider.
"You lost the bet," she clarified. "They're literally dating. Within three weeks."
Diggle cursed when he realized there was no way out of this and groaned as they approached the table. Just before they got too close, he said:
"Remind me to never bet against you again."
That made Felicity smile, since he always said that, but she nodded nonetheless.
Then Thea spotted them, ran over and hugged both of them enthusiastically. Felicity sat down after the enthusiastic reception, winking at Roy. Next to her on her left, Diggle sat down. Across from her were Thea and Roy and another empty chair, like the one on her right. She put her bag on the chair and did the same with Thea's when said woman handed it over from her side.
They ordered their drinks and some cheesy bread when the waiter showed, to still the hunger until Oliver would show. Felicity bitterly predicted he'd be late like he always was.
When the bottle of red wine arrived, though, her bitterness disappeared and she clinked her glass to Thea's with a bright smile.
"On a wonderful night!"
They all joined in and cheered happily. After the first sip, Felicity made an approving sound.
"This wine is divine," she said. Thea moaned in agreement but Felicity knew she rarely drank red wine. It was at moments like this she missed their former colleague Sarah, who knew a lot about wine as well. "I wish Sarah was here so she could taste it too."
Thea nodded and leaned over the table a bit since Roy and Diggle had started talking cars and they provided quite a lot of enthusiastic noise.
"Yeah, me too," Thea agreed. Felicity leaned forward to hear her answer. "Do you know how she is?"
The blonde shrugged.
"When I rang her a few weeks ago she was boarding people for a trip to Paris and she was fine," Felicity said. She looked at her fork as she continued. "Plus, nothing's been added to her police file so I assume she's doing okay."
Thea snorted and a smile crept onto her face. She shook her head.
"You're still keeping tabs on her?"
Felicity shrugged.
"I just never got her name off my alerting program."
Thea's smile turned into a warm, small smile instead.
"As if you didn't consciously leave it there," she stated, daring Felicity to prove her wrong. Felicity did no such thing, however, and with a small smile, she sipped her drink. Thea rolled her eyes at Felicity's silent answer and got a teasing grin on her face. "You sap."
The ICT-girl shrugged. From her left, Diggle chipped in.
"You're a fool if you think she's not keeping tabs on you," he warned. Thea smiled at Digg, not at all looking frightened. Diggle winked at her and turned to Felicity, joining their conversation. "Did she tell you how she liked the job? Or was it a short talk?"
Felicity pursed her lips together in thought.
"She said she liked it but she was working so she couldn't really talk. She said her and Laurel were busy getting a shared apartment in Central City."
Thea looked as impressed as the others did. When said Queen prodigy moved her glass up, Felicity poured out a new glass of wine for herself and Thea. Roy ate some cheesy bread in the lull of the conversation and the sight made Felicity's hunger surface. She ate a piece as well and sighed happily when she was done. Digg had just finished telling a story about Sarah to Roy, who never knew her. At the end of it, Thea looked at the entrance of the restaurant and then at her watch.
"Oliver's late," she sighed.
Diggle looked at his phone and pursed his lips.
"Not even fashionably, either," he answered in mock frustration.
Felicity turned to Thea after nodding at Diggle's comment.
"Not surprised, here," she answered. Thea looked up, a bit astonished. "Sorry, Thea, but he doesn't take after your mom in terms of punctuality."
Felicity raised her glass to her mouth and went for a sip. Then she detected people's reaction to her words. Instead of replying or giving any reaction at all, Thea was eyeing something behind her. On her left, Diggle was gazing from something behind her to her and back again. She let her wine slide back into the glass but held the glass close to her face. She tilted her head to the right a bit.
"… And he's right behind me, isn't he?"
A big, warm hand fell down on her right shoulder and she closed her eyes for a second, pursing her lips.
"Yup," Diggle chuckled next to her. Diggle reached around her and shook a hand. "Hey, man."
Felicity counted to ten and then looked behind her on her right. The hand on her shoulder did, indeed, belong to Oliver.
"Oliver. Hi," she said with a big smile. Oliver tilted his head at her reaction and raised his eyebrows. She pursed her lips again. "I should not have said that. I wouldn't have- if I knew you could hear."
Oliver frowned at that statement and Felicity hurried to amend it. The moment she opened her mouth, though, Oliver beat her to it.
"Would you really not have," he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.
Felicity pursed her lips together in thought and tapped her cheek, since her glasses were absent, as she looked at him.
"No, pretty sure I would have," she agreed.
Everybody laughed and Oliver sent her a big smile that made her insides tingle.
"Good," he said and removed the bags off the chair next to her.
As Thea welcomed her brother, he sat down. Felicity watched Oliver from the corner of her eyes, feeling on edge from the moment she laid eyes on him. He was wearing a neat, grey suit and a white dress shirt. He had opted to go without tie, something Felicity approved of. She looked at him for some time, but he did not pay her any attention.
Instead, he was conversing with Thea like nothing at all had happened between him and her, which aggravated Felicity. She didn't say anything, though, because she would not be that kind of girl. At least, she would not be in public.
She sipped her wine slowly and as she did so, Oliver's aftershave scent hit her. Upon closer inspection, she saw he must have trimmed his stubble and put on some aftershave just before driving over. She watched his angular jawline and registered the fond look he sent Thea when she told him about her university professors. In all the time she had known him, she realized, family had been very important to him. She vaguely wondered if he would ever look at her like that.
When Thea had told her story, they ordered their main course- or, well, Thea ordered their main courses. Something about trying new things that Felicity agreed with, just not up to the degree of eating bugs. As Thea ordered, Felicity grabbed her purse to look for a mirror and meanwhile mumbled to Oliver:
"If it turns out to be bugs tell her I've developed severe stomach ulcers and I swear I will serve you coffee for a month."
The corner of Oliver's mouth twitched as he watched Thea order. Then he opened it slowly and replied under his breath.
"Don't tempt me to change her orders."
Felicity snorted.
"If you would eat bugs in order for me to get you coffee you need to sort your priorities."
Oliver was having trouble keeping a smile off his face, now.
"Bugs are seen as a treat in China, you know. I may happen to like them," he answered softly.
Felicity made a face.
"Let me rephrase that," she murmured. "You need to sort out your life."
That made an earnest smile curve onto Oliver's face and he shook his head in incredulity. This woman must have been the most outspoken one he'd ever met. Felicity couldn't help but smile as well and Diggle, who had heard their conversation, was grinning too.
Once Thea had ordered for them, they all ordered a new round of drinks. When their waiter left, Thea focused on the group again.
"Actually, we were just talking about Sarah, Oliver. Your ex, remember," she said. Felicity's eyes widened and she keenly observed Oliver's reaction. He just nodded. "Have you spoken to her lately?"
Oliver shrugged.
"I rang her two weeks ago and she said she was doing fine," Oliver shared. "She said she's coming back to see the shop when I've taken over."
Thea clapped her hands together enthusiastically. Felicity couldn't stop a bitter reply from slipping past her defenses.
"Oh, so you can keep in contact," she mumbled more to herself than to all of them.
Oliver had heard, though, and sent her a confused look. The rest of the table had heard her as well, but Diggle saved Felicity from inquisitive questions by asking Oliver one.
"Yeah man, we needed you today. Where were you?"
Recognition dawned on Oliver and he looked around the table. Thea was smiling encouragingly, nodding.
"I went to pick up my degree. I'd left before the ceremony so I had to go and get it," he replied. Then he pursed his lips as if he had a nasty side thought and sought out Felicity's eyes. She was looking back at him without reservations and giving him a chance to explain. He reveled in her honest interest in him. "And when I was there I saw another ex again, suddenly."
Felicity frowned and put both her hands in her lap. As she opened her mouth, the waiter appeared with the main course and there was a moment of discord in which she chose to speak. Nobody seemed to hear her but Oliver.
"Isabella," she asked. He nodded, gauging her reaction. "What did you do with her? I mean- I'm not trying to say you two did anything but I mean- what happened?"
Oliver looked into the distance.
"We went for a drink and talked. It was good, nothing special."
Then the moment was over and they all had their courses in front of them. Felicity was happily surprised with a vegetarian lasagna, Oliver was eating some sort of exotic steak, Roy had gotten a dish with fish and Diggle and Thea had both gotten a dish that included rice and looked spicy. As they started to eat, both Felicity and Diggle let go of the issue of Oliver's absence. On topic, Diggle told them the story of how he had once, as a soldier, been offered a pig's ear as a treat and how he had eaten the whole thing there and had thrown up later. Roy and Thea compared that to eating food their mother had prepared, which triggered mom-talk.
During that part of the conversation, Felicity stilled. Not because she had never eaten Donna's food, she just didn't want to talk about her. Not now, not during a period in time where she was supposed to be happy. Talking about her mother and her whole home situation would ruin that. But in all honesty, she was thinking about it anyway, now, so her mood was already gradually changing. Instead of steering the conversation away from the subject, though, she quietly followed the rim of her wineglass with her index finger slowly. Sure, she listened and laughed where it was appropriate, but she kept her eyes on the glass and was quiet otherwise. When Thea mentioned her mother being drunk one time, Felicity froze and felt like standing up and walking outside, away from the conversation.
Suddenly, a hand slipped into her right one and squeezed.
She glanced down at her hand in her lap in surprise. It felt warm and rough, caring yet protective. Slowly, the warmth from the hand seeped into her soul and she unfroze. When she looked at the owner of the hand to thank him, Oliver was just telling a story about when he was younger and he squeezed her hand in response to her look. Felicity squeezed back slightly, happy someone had noticed her discomfort and wanted to help her.
Oliver finished his story and when Thea took over with one of hers, he peered down at Felicity. When she glanced at him, he squeezed her hand again and she felt a surge of affection shoot through her body and soul. She stared back into his static blue eyes when he grinned. She noticed he was doing so a second later and ended up stupidly grinning back. After what felt like an eternity, they looked away from one another and got back into the world of the living. Then, Oliver looked away and held up his other hand to end Thea's story.
"Enough about our parents, I want to know what's happening now! Roy, are you studying anything?"
Roy nodded but seemed reluctant to tell. Thea bumped her shoulder against his and smiled at him. He looked at her and then at the table again.
"I'm following a course on management," he spoke.
Felicity watched as he struggled with how to hold himself after he had told them. It was understandable, she thought, that he expected negative reactions from them. In the Glades, studying was a waste of time. But then again, Roy knew it was different with them, so Felicity guessed he was just preparing for anything. Not one to act disgusted by learning, she gave him a thumbs-up with her unoccupied hand. Her other hand was burning with the sensation of Oliver's hand in hers. Oliver himself was watching Roy in surprise as Diggle shook Roy's hand.
"Awesome," Diggle said. Then he smiled at Oliver. "Well, it looks like we'll have an intern next year, guys."
Roy's head shot to Oliver's.
"You- You'd do that?"
Oliver tilted his head to the side.
"Why wouldn't I? You're a decent guy. You need to intern, you come to me, okay?"
Grateful, Roy nodded and they all raised their glasses to Roy's new placement.
As the night continued on afterwards, the crew got more boisterous. Felicity could feel the alcohol in her system and she knew the others did, too. She needed some space, she decided. Space and fresh air. As she finished her glass of red wine after dessert, she started rubbing Oliver's hand with her thumb to steel his attention away from Roy, who had moved a chair to their side of the table to talk. After a few words, Oliver glanced over his shoulder. Felicity smiled and pointed at the doors leading outside.
"I'm going outside for a bit, I'm feeling hot," she told him as she slipped her hand out of his grip.
Across from her, Thea also shoved her chair back and patted Roy's head.
"I'm joining," she announced.
With her usual dramatic flair, Thea walked around the table and grabbed Felicity's arm. With big steps, they left the conversation and went outside. The men only rolled their eyes and went on with their conversation.
/
Once outside, Thea clung to Felicity because it was colder than she'd expected. But Felicity didn't mind. Soon after emerging from the restaurant, Thea sat down on the steps and pulled Felicity down too by putting an arm around her.
"Did you like the food?"
Felicity hummed in thought.
"I did, it was a pleasant surprise. You?"
Thea pumped her fist in victory mutely. Then she lowered it to answer Felicity.
"Yeah," she said. "But I like everything they serve, here. I just like to go here because it's all different recipes and cuisines all the time."
Felicity nodded in understanding. They sat on the steps in a comfortable silence after that. Thea's arm still hung around Felicity. The many people walking past the restaurant towards the city center occasionally waved or smiled at them, but most of the time they didn't notice the two young women. In their own respective worlds, both women only noticed some of them as well.
On the right, Felicity stared at the steps beneath them, wondering about Oliver and how Isabella would look. She really ought to do the regular background check on the guy. She would have, but she had not had time and to be honest, so far he had seemed okay and she didn't want to ruin that. Especially not by finding pictures of Isabella and discovering she was beautiful, smart and athletic.
She sighed and clasped her hands together.
Not that she didn't feel confident of herself. She just didn't feel like she could win from a Doutzen Kroes-kinda-girl. Maybe in ICT-knowledge. Felicity's temple creased and she bit her lip in resignation. Thea pulled her arm back from around Felicity's shoulders and mirrored her pose.
"Trouble," she asked.
Felicity shook her head. She did not want to lie to her friend but she was not about to tell Thea about her issues with her brother.
"No, just thinking about an assignment at work. You?"
Thea shook her head too.
"No," she drew out as she looked in front of them. "I just sometimes worry about Oliver but he seems to be fitting in fine."
Felicity glanced at Thea. She was scratching her index finger and watching it intently, avoiding Felicity's eyes. Felicity's face softened. She couldn't help but find it sweet how Thea worried about her brother. She patted Thea's hand in reassurance.
"He's fine. We all like him, don't we? At least, I and Digg do. I'm sure Roy likes him too, but they are just a lot like each other- very stubborn and all."
Thea snorted.
"Oh, I'm not worried about Roy and Oliver. They'll but heads, but Oliver would never hurt Roy without my permission," Thea answered. Felicity highly doubted that, but she let it slide as Thea threw up an arm and continued. "Besides, me and Roy haven't even gone on our date yet so why would Oliver do something now?"
The frustration that resonated through Thea's words made Felicity grin. Ah, there it was. The issue that was actually bothering her.
"Is that impatience I hear," she teased, bumping her shoulder against Thea's.
"Maybe," Thea said, then cleared her throat. "But I mean, he asked me out and now it's taking ages."
From the side, Felicity peered down at Thea, astounded. Thea was fidgeting with her hands, squinting her eyes in deep thought as she looked in front of her. Wow. She knew Thea had it bad for Roy but this was new, even for her. The fact that Thea was so emotionally invested enthused the blonde and so she put her arm around Thea's shoulders to calm her.
"Don't worry," Felicity told her. "Roy is not going to back down. He'll find something special."
Thea sighed.
"Yeah, well… he better make it soon," she murmured. Then, she waved her hand in the air and continued. "Whatever, the point is that Oliver has no right to protect my honor yet. Besides, if he does something horrid, I am so returning the favor."
Felicity smiled. She wondered how Thea would react when she found out the girl to be scared was Felicity. How she would look when she found out the two of them had been kissing. She couldn't help but grin at the idea. Next to her, Thea groaned.
"Not that I ever will because he's all about the Kiss and Ride. I think the last girl he's brought home as a girlfriend is… Laurel?"
Felicity noticed that Thea effortlessly lied, foregoing Isabel in her explanation.
"Really?"
Thea nodded resolutely and seemed lost in thought. Meanwhile, Felicity wondered about her semi-kiss with Oliver. Was that the same? Had that been a 'kiss and ride' event?
She bit her lip.
But he had held her hand just now and he had been nice to her. Even opted to sit next to her. It didn't feel very kiss and ride to her. Then again, if Oliver was used to using the technique, that might all be due to his perfect performance.
"Yes," Thea continued. "He did bring girls home all the time, though. Or he'd be out and about, having multiple dates a day…. It seems like he calmed down, though. He said yesterday that he's not dating right now."
Ouch. Okay, true, they weren't dating, but still. That hurt.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I asked him and he told me off saying he was too busy to worry about dating now, with the shop and getting to know you guys," Thea answered.
Felicity smiled uncomfortably. Well, at least he wasn't dating anyone next to her. Or he was and he had been able to keep that from Thea, too.
"Does the work really stop him from finding girls, though," Felicity speculated. "Or did he decide he should get serious?"
Thea looked at Felicity with a disbelieving look on her face.
"You are talking about the man who dated two sisters at the same time, remember," Thea reminded her.
Felicity cringed.
"At the same time?"
Thea nodded. Felicity shook her head slowly. Even though she knew Thea was purposefully omitting Oliver cleaning up his act when Isabel came around, Thea was not making it sound like an easy feat to be Oliver's girl.
"He broke Laurel's heart. I thought he had no heart when I found out- I was so angry! Who does that," Thea explained and she still sounded enraged about the whole situation. "So I wouldn't be too sure. He's calmed down but he used to bring the same girl home for weeks, maintaining they were not dating. Well, I slept in the room next to him and I can tell you they weren't dating but they sure as hell were getting down and dirty."
Slowly but surely, any hope Felicity was harboring was slowly fading.
"I do hope he settles down sometime, though. I'd like to be an auntie. I think he will – when he finds the right girl. I used to think it'd be Laurel but she's moved on."
"Not Sarah?"
For a second, Thea seemed to contemplate that.
"You know, I liked all the girls he formally introduced at home. I hoped the same for all of them. But he and Sarah went behind Laurel's back so I didn't think they deserved it."
Understanding that sentiment wasn't difficult for Felicity. She looked at a woman walking by with a particularly flamboyant hat as she passed. While she watched the woman walk by, she had a flashback to the times her mother had brought men home. Not that she had ever formally introduced them, but the phrase did make her remember the awkward situation. How she had stayed in her room and listened to their voices in the hallway until they got to her mother's bedroom and she couldn't hear them anymore. How she had hoped for a formal introduction even weeks after that, but how the men never came back.
There hadn't been many, that much was true. Four or five in a time frame of six years. For Felicity, the numbers had never been the issue. It had been the fact that the men never came back to their house after, because she had always hoped they were the princes that would save her mother. The men had ruined her image of love. It was something she used to blame her mother for. Now that Felicity was older, however, she knew her old ideas had been naïve either way.
Felicity twirled the bracelet she was wearing and looked at it. In her youth, she had always thought that with the right man, everything would be okay. But looking at Michelle and Denati and her own parents, Donna and John, Felicity knew it would never be perfect. Love wasn't just the sweet stuff. There was butting heads, doing things together, feeling hurt and misunderstanding as well. Most of all, love was work. Work and the courage to find a weak point and work on it. But, judging by the loving looks and secretive smiles she had witnessed, it would always come with a deep affection. It would be worth it.
Maybe that was what Oliver had dreaded all these years. All the hard work. Maybe that was why he had not talked to her yet, as well. He must not have known she wanted the whole deal. Felicity frowned in irritation because that was something he could have spotted from a mile away. He could have given her a wide berth, but no. Frustrated, Felicity made a fist out of one of her hands.
Next to her, Thea pulled one leg up to rest her head on as she turned her face to Felicity. Said blonde looked up at the movement and glanced at Thea with one arched eyebrow.
"How are Diggle and Lyla, for real," Thea asked, rubbing her leg to get warmer.
"Probably having eye-sex while making cocktails, still," Felicity lamented. "I keep telling him to make a move but he says he'll do it when it feels right."
Thea smiled.
"That sounds like Diggle alright," she answered.
"What sounds like Digg," a voice interjected.
Both Thea and Felicity jumped at the sound. They turned, watching Oliver stroll over to them slowly and sit down next to Felicity. When they had recovered, Thea replied to his question.
"Diggle still hasn't made a move on Lyla even though Felicity keeps telling him to do so," Thea said, reaching over Felicity's lap and patting Oliver's knee. "Hi, by the way."
"Hi," Felicity agreed.
Oliver smiled at both of them.
"Hello- not cold yet," he asked. When both shook their heads, he nodded and turned to the matter at hand. "Don't worry about Diggle too much. If he says he will, he will."
He sent Felicity a reprimanding look.
"I know, I know, I should mind my own business," Felicity acknowledged. "But let's be honest, I'm an IT-nerd and my friend group is limited to the people here tonight plus Norah. I think that is enough justification for me to be obsessed with someone else's life."
Thea snorted and Oliver chuckled.
"I'm sure Diggle disagrees," Thea said with a grin. "But that man needs some looking after, so I forgive you."
At those words, a vivid memory of how Diggle looked after he had had a flashback to his time in the army, while behind the counter, disturbed Felicity's thoughts and she nodded. Digg needed people to keep track of him, to make sure he was still on the right path. Silently, Felicity watched Oliver's knee, remembering how John had shivered when he had come back from his flashback.
"Right," Thea said. "I'm getting more alcohol. You guys want some?"
"Red wine, please," Felicity chirped, mood already significantly better at the promise of alcohol.
Oliver shook his head.
"No, thank you."
Thea promised to be back with the wine after she had said hi to Roy, but Felicity didn't believe a word of it. It was all the same to her, though. After Thea had left, she peered up at Oliver with curious blue eyes to find him watching the steady stream of people walking by. She watched him stare at them, wondering what could or would worry him, at this point. Roy and Thea? His mother? Taking over the business? Isabel? Her?
As the many thoughts came and went like the tide, she watched the shadows play chase on his face due to the many people walking past headlights. They only highlighted his handsome features and Felicity thought it wasn't fair that he was that handsome. When his leg moved, she watched it. Oliver was sitting with his legs opened a bit and his hands dangling between them. She glanced at them and instantly felt bereft of her breath as she remembered the rough texture of his skin against her skin. The warm feeling she had felt creep up on her inside, when he had held her hand, made itself known again. When she looked up at his face again, Oliver was just glancing at her and a broad smile spilled onto her face instantly.
"Hi," she said again, softer this time.
He smiled back.
"Hi," he answered.
They stared at each other for some time. Felicity's nerves started to act up as she gazed into his blue eyes. All the while, she couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to pull on his shirt until their lips crashed together.
In an attempt to calm her rabid thoughts, Felicity looked away. Oliver bumped his shoulder against hers softly when she did so. Reluctantly, Felicity glimpsed back and caught Oliver looking at her interestedly. So much for calming herself down, then.
"Are you feeling better yet," Oliver asked.
He scanned her face as she looked at her hands to form a reply.
"Yes, thank you. It was nice to have someone look out for me and change the subject."
His knee touched hers accidentally and she felt a spark shoot up her leg, her body remembering the last time they had been alone without fail. She looked at the material of his trousers pulling taut over his knees when he opened his mouth again to speak.
"Was your mother really that bad?"
Felicity turned to him immediately. In his eyes she could see genuine worry, interest and a faint sparkle of hope that it wasn't true. Doubt coursing through her, she looked at the stone steps beneath them. Did she really want to discuss this now?
It was silent while Felicity took her time to order her thoughts. Oliver observed her as she did so. Then, Felicity broke the silence.
"My mother wasn't necessarily… bad," she started. When Oliver did not speak in the few seconds that followed, she nervously picked up the story again. "But she doesn't feel like a mother, either. She was an alcoholic when I was in high school so I fled the house. I stayed at Norah's place and her mom… feels much more like a mother. Now, however, my mother has stopped drinking and wants to be my mom again but she's kind of overcompensating with extremely inquisitive phone calls and too many invitations."
There it was. That was the most she'd ever told anyone about the situation next to Diggle. When she looked up to see how Oliver was taking it, he was looking at the barely visible street lights behind the crowd.
"Is she on her own, now, back home? Or did she move in with family?"
Surprised, Felicity leaned back a bit. Usually, it would have been an I'm-sorry-for-you or a judgmental reaction directed at her mother. Nobody she had ever told about it, even in her hometown, had asked first about her mom's well-being, now. Oliver looked concerned, though, and she could see he was being genuine.
In reply, she shook her head.
"No, Donna got married to a John with twins called Anna and Luke. The situation is much better now, really. John really tries and I like the twins."
Oliver nodded.
"Good. And she stopped drinking?"
A shrug.
"Yes, completely."
Oliver nodded again and searched her face, then looked at a couple walking by. Felicity watched him, wondering what he was thinking but never really getting close. With a long sigh, she looked forward as well.
Without turning towards her, Oliver spoke again.
"But you still drink alcohol, right?"
Felicity peered up at him to see if that was judgment she was hearing, but when he didn't move, she nodded and turned back.
"Yeah," she replied.
She worried about how easily she entrusted these facts to Oliver and how comfortable she felt discussing them. It was strange how fast Oliver got her to bring down her walls.
"Why?"
She pondered the question in silence. As she glimpsed up, she wondered if it was so easy to bring down her walls because he was so understanding and gave her all the time in the world to answer.
"I think it's because I know I will never let myself go that far because I have seen what it amounts to. I trust myself with it."
Oliver nodded.
"It makes sense," he agreed.
They were silent for a while. Felicity felt vulnerable and raw, like she had just cut open old wounds without a care in the world, but Oliver's shoulder bumping into hers helped her realize she had not. She had just told him all there was to know.
When Oliver patted her knee for a second to calm her down, she decided that it had been the right thing to do. He could be trusted with this information, she realized. He cared about her stories, he cared about how she felt after telling them and he wanted to keep her happy.
Not that Felicity wasn't happy. In fact, she was so content with his attention that the place he had touched on her knee was growing hot to a degree where she wondered if it was slowly turning into lava and she had to put her right hand on the cold ground beside her to make sure she would not overheat.
On the pavement, a group of teenagers passed that whistled at them for being outside alone. Felicity rolled her eyes at their behaviour.
After the group had left, the wind picked up and Felicity started rubbing her arms. To share his warmth, Oliver moved closer to her, sitting shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee. The feeling of his tough muscled skin pressing against Felicity's soft skin kept distracting her as she watched the night sky. It made her temperature rise gradually, although there was nothing extraordinary going on.
With blushes as a result of the warmth she was harboring inside, Felicity wondered how she could find out if she was a kiss and ride for Oliver or not. Before she could come to a conclusion, though, Oliver spoke.
"So," he drew out. "What did you and Thea discuss."
"Mostly you," Felicity answered truthfully.
Oliver looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"All good things, I hope?"
She wriggled hers in a teasing manner.
"Maybe," she teased. When Oliver kept looking at her, she withered under his intense gaze. "She was worried about you in the staff group and she wants you to settle down."
Oliver chuckled.
"I see Thea is not reserved about her opinion around you."
She shook her head with a proud smile.
"Nope, not since our joint candy crush addiction."
Oliver grinned and she grinned back. Her body tingled as she tried to look at his lips subtly.
"I think I'm fitting in fine, don't you?"
Felicity hadn't stopped looking at him and couldn't stop an endeared smile from showing. When he looked back at her, she answered.
"Well," she said. "You're not putting the fear of God into us, like we thought you would, so that's a good thing."
Oliver chuckled.
"I guess so."
Felicity nodded. Absent-minded, she touched her curled hair, missing the feeling of her ponytail bobbing up and down as she nodded.
"And you're talking and acting interested so you're good."
Oliver followed her hand with his eyes and nodded distractedly. When Felicity let go of her hair, he focused on the conversation again.
"What did she say about settling?"
Felicity raised her eyebrows at the words. He wanted to discuss his slutty ways with her? Not good. Or was it?
God. With those piercing blue eyes on her she couldn't even think a single solid thought through.
Because she was bad at lying under pressure, Felicity told him the truth.
"She hoped you'd stopped sleeping around and were ready for the real stuff to start," she explained.
Oliver stared at her yet grinned at the honest words. She met his gaze, unimpressed, but had not anticipated the depth of his eyes once again and got lost in the ocean of emotions swirling behind them.
"What did you say," Oliver wondered aloud, scanning her eyes, nose and lips. She wetted the latter unconsciously.
Felicity tried really hard to form a coherent reply while Oliver leaned in, but his closeness was making her head swim. She opened her mouth and closed it.
He moved in even more and only a few inches separated them. His breath fanned over her face and the feeling reminded her of the last time they sat like this and the aftermath of it.
The situation caused alarm bells to go off in her head but she could not remember why due to the sparkling blue eyes in front of her. She moved her head back a bit to remember and to answer his question even though Oliver frowned at the action. Suddenly, she recalled what it was, what she had been wanting to say to him.
"I told her you would have to explain where the hell you were the last two days, first," she answered.
Oliver sat back, astonished by the answer.
"The last two days?"
So she was a kiss and ride, then. She rolled her eyes.
Nice to finally know.
"First you kiss me, then you don't show for two days," she reminded him.
Oliver frowned, realization setting in.
"Thea… was supposed to tell you where I was," he said, confused.
Felicity frowned and looked at her hands, embarrassed by her own possessiveness now. She was silent for a while.
"Well, she didn't," she answered stubbornly in the end.
Oliver grinned.
"Well, if you must know- I was getting my diploma and having a drink with Isabel," he teased.
Felicity threw back her head.
"Don't remind me," she groaned, leaning back more in mock-anger.
When she glanced at him, his blue eyes had started sparkling again. As she watched him watch her, she wondered if he felt that intoxicating yet lovely nervous feeling she felt, now that he was close. She scanned his face and wetted her lips slowly.
Oliver leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"Why, are you jealous?"
He was chuckling and the deep sound of it made Felicity's temperature spike. She bit her lip in response. His breath was hitting her face again and his smell was invading her senses. She felt like she was slowly drowning in the man in front of her, while he was innocently grinning at her.
She opened her mouth to reply, but instead started babbling in nervousness.
"Maybe- well, I mean, she does have millions in the back and I don't. Being an ICT-genius doesn't pay well, I'll have you know. It is a severely underrated occupation. Although, if I got a dollar for every suspicious look I get from our supervisor I might be rich. I guess he has a right to be suspicious, I do often play Candy Crush-"
Oliver leaned back again.
"Felicity."
"-during work hours but let's be honest, I finish any job in an hour so I'm allowed to take breaks. I mean, Ronald, on the other hand, should not even be allowed toilet breaks because he only wrecks my systems and-"
"Felicity," Oliver demanded in an urgent tone.
She snapped her mouth shut and peered at him worriedly. Nerves swirled around in her stomach and she closed her eyes for a second, trying to calm them. Something bumped against her forehead as she did so. She opened her eyes immediately.
In front of her, only a few inches away, were Oliver Queen's eyes, shining brightly. Had she mentioned how pretty they were? Because man, they could win contests.
Oliver was pressing their foreheads together and smiling at the way her breath hitched when she had opened her eyes.
"Trust someone who knows, Isabel's got nothing on you," Oliver said.
At first, Felicity just stared at him. Then, she let go of a breath she didn't know she had been holding.
"Oh," she answered.
Grinning, Oliver circled his left arm around her waist and then put his right hand on her shoulder to gently toy with her hair. Felicity purred at the gentle tugging and put both hands on his chest in response, grabbing his shirt to have something to hold onto. When Oliver leaned in the last two inches to kiss her, though, she splayed out her fingers and stopped him.
There was one more thing she needed to get sorted.
"Wait," she urged him. "I just- I want you to know I'm not like those other girls."
A blank look for the longest time and then, Oliver nodded.
"I know."
When he moved in again, she repeated the action. It was hard, what with his proximity and the whisper of his skin against hers whenever he toyed with her hair. But she had to do it.
"No, really," she said, remembering her mother's one-night stands. "I want more. A date, flowers, the whole deal."
Oliver sent her a small endeared smile and brushed his thumb against her neck slowly, which sent shivers down her spine.
"I know, Felicity," he whispered. "You will."
Satisfied, Felicity smiled at him and kissed his cheek. She stopped pushing against his chest and when she leaned back up to look him in the eyes, he captured her lips with his. Their lips melted together and she felt like she had been swept off her feet.
Felicity grabbed onto his shoulders as she spiraled down into a bliss she'd never known before. She couldn't stop a delighted sound from escaping at the realization of what was happening. Her whole body felt on fire, like every place that touched Oliver had been ignited upon contact and was sending her whole body into overload. When Oliver pulled her against him some more, she squirmed in delight. She pushed into the kiss and Oliver pressed back, both of them eager to show the other how much they had longed for this.
Oliver's hand started making circles on her lower back and she purred into the kiss, relishing in the feel. As Oliver slipped his hand under her shirt and continued, wanting to hear more of her delicious moans as the feel of skin on skin contact drove both of them crazy. When Felicity moaned softly, Oliver grinned and moved in to gently bite her lip. Wanting to reciprocate, Felicity slipped a hand over his chest to his back and up to his head, gently pulling the hairs she found there. Her other hand moved around to his back, discovering the vast expanse of it through massage. Oliver groaned and moved a hand to the side of her ribcage to move up and down torturously slow, sending slow pulses of need through Felicity time and time again.
When he scratched her back with a nail on accident, she gasped and Oliver took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. He mapped her mouth with searing hot precision and she returned the favor in kind. Felicity tasted faintly like the food she'd eaten but the dominant flavor had to be the red wine she had been drinking all evening. Oliver, on the other hand, tasted a bit like the whiskey he had been drinking and Felicity happily got drunk on his taste while their tongues battled for dominance.
Suddenly, overtaken by the need to touch and be in contact, Oliver moved one arm under her legs and one behind her back and he swiftly moved her to sit on his lap sideways. Felicity broke the kiss to look around for a second, then smiled down at Oliver.
His arms circled her waist again and pulled her as close as possible, their bodies touching wherever they could. She moved her arms over his shoulders, letting them dangle there as they looked at one another. When Oliver looked at her, Felicity grinned back at him.
Slowly, painfully slow, Oliver leaned in again and kissed her, their tongues dancing together. Felicity moaned in delight. She bit his lip playfully, which he returned in kind and then let go of her with one arm to let his hand move to the outside of her thigh. He started rubbing the area teasingly. When she swatted away his hand because it was too much, catcalls could be heard from a group of boys passing by. They paid them no mind, however, in a world of their own.
When Oliver's hand had been swatted away he placed both hands on her sides and started running them up and down there, causing Felicity to squirm in pleasure. He let go of her mouth and placed butterfly kisses all along her jaw, ending just below her ear. He kissed her there, making her moan into his ear silently as she didn't want the whole restaurant to look up. When he bit her earlobe, she gasped and he chuckled cheerfully. She could feel his chest reverberate as he did so and kissed his neck as well.
After a groan of delight, Oliver bit her earlobe again and then moved back to her lips and claimed them once again. Felicity couldn't believe she was actually kissing him and pinched her own hand while she did so. The very real jab of pain travelling up her arm made her realize this was not a dream and she smiled against his lips happily. Oliver slowed the intensity of the kiss and moved away from her. He gave her a questioning look.
"What?"
Felicity grinned.
"Nothing," she said, pecking him on the lips. "Just thinking you've more than made up for your absence."
Oliver grinned and looked at her lips, red from all the kissing.
"Good," he answered cockily.
Felicity punched his chest softly.
"I still want a date, though," she said, sending him a mock-glare.
Oliver laughed.
"Well, when are you free," he asked.
Felicity pushed her forehead against his shoulder with a smile.
"Sunday."
"So, pick you up Sunday at seven?"
Felicity smiled.
"I'll be there," she assured him.
Oliver made a content sound and moved his head to the side to peck her cheek. Felicity moved up instead and pressed her lips against his, silently thanking him for the date. When she let go, she got up and sat down next to him again, adjusting her clothing and fanning her face.
Next to her, the man to be held accountable for her high temperature was chuckling. She smiled knowingly and looked back at the entrance of the restaurant.
"We should go in soon," Felicity said, her feeling of dread apparent in her voice. "Dessert is probably almost there."
Oliver nodded as she leaned her head against his shoulder. They sat like that for a while.
"Well, we can always continue this on Sunday," he offered cheekily.
Felicity flushed and slapped his knee, but smiled either way.
"I'll have you know I don't put out on the first date," she said, though she highly doubted the validity of that rule in combination with Oliver Queen.
Oliver just smiled in response.
"I kind of thought so."
She moved away and squinted her eyes at the man.
"That better be a tone of admiration," she threatened.
Oliver grinned.
"I wouldn't have you any other way."
Felicity gave a satisfied nod. Oliver winked at her and stood up, holding out his hand to the blonde.
"Ready," he asked. Felicity nodded, got up with his help and smiled as they walked in together. "Time to get food."
"God, I hope you say that after every kiss," Felicity whispered dreamily, swinging their hands back and forth as they walked.
Oliver tilted his head at her response and one corner of his mouth moved up.
"Careful," he reminded her. "I learned to eat bugs in China, remember?"
Instantly, Felicity moved away from him, dropped his hand and made a sound that sounded suspiciously much like 'Yuk'. Before Oliver could reassure her, though, the table came into view and Thea waved at them, pointing at the desserts that had been served.
"Hey, I was just coming to get you guys," she said happily.
Both of them smiled and Diggle looked from Felicity to Oliver, then sent Felicity a knowing look. She hit him as she passed by.
"You shut up," she hissed.
Diggle just grinned even more when Oliver's hand grabbed Felicity's under the table and her eyes widened minutely.
"I wouldn't dare," Diggle replied.
But the rest of the night, neither Diggle nor Oliver stopped grinning and it irritated Felicity to no end. Although she couldn't quite stop smiling herself, either.
#
A/N: Ugh, I don't know why but I feel I've lost the playful essence of this story. Maybe that is because Felicity had to be a bit introspective, this chapter. Will try to get the playful elements back in the next chapter.
ALSO THANK YOU FOR READING THROUGH THIS IMMENSE AMOUNT OF WORDS.
I would have cut it into two pieces but I didn't know where to begin and I liked all scenes and didn't want to leave even more out.
Yes. So. What did you think?
One more chapter to go =)