Chapter 13

A sharp pain shot through Oliver's side as he shifted in bed. He couldn't seem to get comfortable no matter what position he took. If it wasn't the wound in his shoulder acting up, it was his ribs. If it wasn't his ribs, it was the wound in his stomach. His body was broken and bruised, but what drove him crazy the most was having to stay put all day long. There was only so much he could do in the loft, especially when he was confined to his bed.

It had been a week since returning to Starling from Corto Maltese. Oliver had spent a couple of days in the hospital before the doctors allowed him to be discharged. They'd passed by in a blur with all of the pain meds he'd been on. Even though he'd been in and out of consciousness, he knew that either Felicity or Diggle was always by his side. It was probably why he'd been able to get the rest that he needed. Oliver would never admit it, but it was comforting to know that he wasn't alone-not like that night he'd faced off with Merlyn. Immediately, Oliver banished that thought from his mind. He couldn't deal with that when the experience was still so raw.

Felicity and Diggle had been just as eager to return home. The farther away they could get from Petrov the better. The crime boss would probably consider Oliver's sudden departure and refusal of his drug deal an insult, but he didn't care. As long as Oliver held Anatoly's favor, they couldn't touch him.

Sighing, Oliver threw back the covers and moved to get up. He'd barely placed his feet on the ground when Felicity walked in. She held a tray of food in her hands. The stern look on her face said it all.

"Oliver, don't you dare," the blonde warned.

"What?"

"Don't you 'what?' me. The doctor said you have to give your body a chance to heal. That means staying put for at least two weeks."

"What if I have to go to the bathroom?"

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?" she challenged, calling him out on the lie.

"No," Oliver sulked. "I can't just sit here and do nothing, Felicity. The city needs me."

Felicity placed the tray on his nightstand. "Oh, that's exactly what you're going to do. Because taking on criminals in your condition is not only bad for your recovery, it's more likely that you'll end up getting yourself killed. You can barely stand without being in pain."

"I'm not talking about fighting. I need to know what's going on."

"Diggle and I have that covered," Felicity informed him. "That's what partners are for. If something big comes up, we'll let you know. Until then, back to bed, mister." Felicity pointed to the bed, placed her hand on his non-injured shoulder, and gently pushed him back into the mound of pillows. For someone so usually small and sweet, Oliver thought, she sure knew how to take charge when she wanted to.

Felicity lifted the tray once more and placed it in Oliver's lap. "Lunch and don't forget to take your pain meds afterward. You need to have them with food."

"Yes, mom," he grumbled, giving her a tiny smile despite himself. Oliver wasn't used to having someone fret over him. The only person who ever did that had been Moira. Oliver thought he would be sad or annoyed that someone was trying to fill that role, but the opposite was true. Felicity was simply a nurturing person, and he was appreciative of everything she did-even if he was a cranky patient.

"When you're done, I'll change your bandages."

"Where are you going?" he inquired when she turned to leave. The slightly needy sound of his voice made him want to cringe. This confinement to his room was starting to mess with him.

"My lunch is in the kitchen."

"Why don't you bring it in here? We can eat together."

The offer took Felicity by surprise. "Um, okay." Aside from making sure that Oliver was resting and had everything he needed, she hadn't spent an extended amount of time with him-let alone in his room. "I'll be right back."

Oliver watched her leave before looking at his food. He must've been hungrier than he thought, because his stomach grumbled when he smelled the hot grilled cheese and side of tomato soup. There was also a bottled water and large chocolate chip cookie. Felicity was an expert in comfort food.

A couple of minutes later, Felicity walked back into the room with her own tray. She paused for a second, wondering where to sit, and felt her cheeks burn at the only real option. Oliver didn't have much furniture or personal items in his room. There was a bureau, bookcase and desk. The desk was across the room, which meant the king-sized bed would have to do. Picking up on her hesitance, Oliver patted the empty side of the bed. It was meant as nothing more than a casual, friendly gesture but coming from Oliver, who looked sexy even in his injured state, it made Felicity's mind drift to more heated scenarios.

Inadvertently, she thought back to that night on the beach. The feeling of his rough yet gentle hands and warm, strong lips would forever be seared into her brain. She dismissed the memory for now. They'd agreed that what happened in Corto Maltese would stay in Corto Maltese. If that meant acting as if nothing had happened, then so be it. She was good at pretending. She'd done it for five years. Felicity walked around to the other side of the bed, kicked off her shoes and sat down like it was no big deal.

"I can't remember the last time I had grilled cheese."

Felicity shrugged. "It always made me feel better when I was a kid."

"I used to sneak into the kitchen and climb the counter to reach the cookies my mom hid in the cabinet."

"I can totally picture that," Felicity said, grinning. "It was like early Arrow training."

Oliver chuckled. "Yeah, it kind of was."

"Did you ever get caught?"

"Not directly. My mom must've known, because we would run out pretty often. She started switching the hiding places after that. It was like an unspoken game between us."

"Nice." Felicity took a bite of her grilled cheese and sighed happily at the warm, cheesy goodness.

Oliver's phone beeped on his nightstand. He picked it up to check it. "It's Thea again." She'd been concerned ever since she heard about his "accident." The story was that Oliver had crashed a motorcycle while on vacation. Oliver hadn't planned on telling her. He'd only informed Tommy, because his friend was planning an event at Verdant and wanted Oliver to attend when he got back. Being so out of it, Oliver had missed a few texts from Thea. She became concerned at his silence and had reached out to Tommy instead. Tommy then told her about the accident. Oliver couldn't even be mad at his best friend, because he knew Tommy was only trying to look out for Thea.

Thea, after the verbal lashing she gave him for not telling her, had wanted to come home and take care of Oliver. It took a lot of convincing to talk her out of it. Oliver was forced to tell Thea that he had a friend staying with him who could help. He wasn't sure if it was something in his voice or if Tommy had spilled the beans, but Thea immediately assumed that this "friend" was a woman. Oliver refused to get into the details, which made Thea all the more curious and vowing to get to the bottom of it when she returned home for Thanksgiving break in a couple of months.

Oliver wasn't going to worry about it. A lot could still change by then. Merlyn and Cooper could be caught, which would mean Felicity no longer needed to stay with him. The whole awkward situation could be avoided. Strangely, the scenario of Felicity being officially gone bothered Oliver more than having to keep up the ruse at home in front of his sister.

"She's just being a good sister. She's worried about you."

"I told her I'm fine," he stated and involuntarily hissed at the sharp pain in his wounds when he moved.

"Mm hmm," she hummed in disbelief. "Might be time for those pain pills now."

"I hate them. I can't think straight when I take them."

She offered him a sympathetic smile. "You get sleepy, which is what you need to do-rest. You should see me on painkillers. Way worse. It's like I'm drunk."

Oliver stared at the pills in his hand, hesitating. On the one hand, his injuries really did hurt. On the other, he was sick of "resting."

Felicity cleared her throat and nodded to the pills, prompting him to take them. When he sat unmoving, she warned, "Don't make me play bad nurse." Oliver's eyebrow quirked at that, and within seconds she realized how sexual that sounded. She put a hand to her head and shut her eyes in embarrassment. "Ugh, my brain thinks of the worst way to say things. Whatever. You know what I mean."

Fighting a grin, Oliver took the pills without another word of protest. They ate in silence for a couple of minutes until Oliver asked Felicity about QC. He'd been getting daily emails from Carrie keeping him informed of what was going on. The vice president was picking up the slack in his absence, but there were still things that Oliver had to sign off on.

Felicity cleared away their trays before getting the medical supplies to change Oliver's bandages. She sat beside him on the bed and waited for him to pull off his t-shirt. It didn't matter how many times they'd done this routine in the last week, the sight of his naked chest always made Felicity's heart beat a little faster. Of course she kept a straight face; she would die if Oliver knew the effect he had on her.

Starting with the wound on his stomach, Felicity pealed off the old bandage. Oliver watched as she proceeded to clean the area around the sutures. Her touch was light and gentle, yet it radiated throughout his entire body. It was the only bright spot in his day, and Oliver didn't know what that said about him.

"Can you do me a favor when you go to QC today?" he asked, needing to distract himself from her touch and keep his body from reacting in a way that would embarrass them both.

"Sure." Felicity carefully reapplied the bandage before moving on to the wound on his shoulder.

She had to get closer and lean over him. Oliver noticed her lip between her teeth and her brow furrowed in concentration as she repeated the process.

"I have paperwork to look over and sign. Can you get it from Carrie before you come home?" Carrie had offered to bring it over herself, but Oliver didn't feel like seeing her. She'd called him as soon as he'd sent the email about his injury and had sounded hysterical on the phone. Carrie had since calmed down, but Oliver knew that she'd start all over again when she saw him. It was hard enough being in such a vulnerable state. He didn't need anyone outside of his inner circle seeing him like this.

Felicity nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. The way he'd said "home" so casually, as if she truly belonged there, took her by surprise. Oliver had been very generous in letting her stay with him. Their situation was one of necessity and convenience, but lately Felicity had started thinking of this place as her home-or as close to a home as she could have for the time being. Besides the Foundry, it was the one place where Felicity felt safe and like she could be herself. She had never gotten even close to that point with Cooper and the guys, which was ironic considering how much they depended on her. The fact that Oliver was so accepting of her presence meant a lot to Felicity.

"All done," she announced as she secured the last bandage.

"Thank you."

Felicity replied, holding his gaze, "You're welcome." Realizing that she had no reason to stay so close to him, Felicity pulled back. "Diggle should be here any minute. Is there anything else you need before I go?"

"No. I'll just rest," he said the last word petulantly.

"Good. And if you actually keep your word, then maybe I'll give you another cookie for dinner," Felicity teased. "Now that you've told me your greatest weakness, I am not above employing it to make sure you heal properly."

Eyeing her, Oliver good-naturedly shook his head. "Touché, Miss Smoak. Although I wouldn't say cookies are my greatest weakness."

"Huh, interesting. What is it then?"

"It wouldn't be the best strategy to tell you. I have to keep some secrets to myself."

"That's a shocker," she playfully mocked. Oliver Queen was the biggest mystery Felicity had ever encountered. The guy was practically a steel trap when it came to his past.

"Though if someone could figure it out, it would probably be you." His voice had gotten deeper at that last part. The playfulness that existed between them seconds before shifted into something much more intense. They were so distracted that neither noticed Diggle enter the room.

Diggle nonchalantly cleared his throat, breaking the spell. "Reporting for duty."

Felicity abruptly gathered the supplies and stood up. She smiled at Diggle, trying her best not to act as if she'd just been caught gazing into Oliver's eyes. So much for keeping things professional. "Great. I'll be back in a few hours. Make sure he doesn't get up too much." She then mumbled a "see you later" and exited the room.

Diggle glanced at Oliver with that questioning look in his eyes. Oliver shrugged his shirt on and casually laid back down. "I should probably get some sleep."

Diggle appeared anything but convinced of his innocent act. "Right." He added with a knowing expression, "Sweet dreams."

Felicity scrolled through the proposal on her tablet. QC was in the process of developing a new workflow system that would increase productivity and simplify communication between departments. The troubleshooting tests had begun, which was producing a lot of useful data.

"What do you think?" Joe, the IT director, asked when she didn't say anything right away.

"I think it's off to a promising start," Felicity answered. "The new CMS might need to be altered, though. The metadata isn't being properly identified, and it's slowing down access."

"Mr. Palmer thought the same thing. We've already started working on it."

Felicity gave Joe a couple of suggestions on how to fix the bottlenecks. He wrote them down in the report to be added later. "I'll tell my guys," Joe stated when she was finished. "You leaving for the night?"

Checking her watch, Felicity realized how late it was. "Oh, yes. I should get going. Sorry if I held you up."

"Don't worry about it. I've got some more work to catch up on. You going to be in tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I've got to check my schedule." What she really had to do was make time to work in the Foundry. Traveling to Corto Maltese and then Oliver getting hurt had set her back in finding Cooper. Laurel's tip a couple of weeks ago about some of Cooper's records disappearing had given her an idea. If she could back-trace the hack, then maybe she could find the source. That would lead her straight to Cooper. It would take some time, but Felicity knew she could crack it.

"Have a good night."

"You, too." Felicity left his office and walked down the hallway to the elevators. The doors opened to reveal Ray.

"Oh, good," Ray exclaimed. "I thought you'd already left."

"You just caught me on my way out." She stepped inside and pressed the button to the executive floor. "What's up?"

"I thought you were leaving," Ray pointed out, confused.

"I am, but I have to stop by Oliver's office first. His signature is needed on a few things."

"How's he doing?"

"He's okay." She smiled to herself. "I might need to tie him to the bed to make sure he rests, but he's recovering nicely." As soon as the words left her mouth, Felicity wished she could take them back. That was the second time today her words were dripping with innuendo when it involved Oliver.

"When do you think he'll be back?"

"Possibly next week." She could only keep him stationary for so long.

"Give him my best, would you?"

"I will. So, was there a reason you were looking for me?" The elevator beeped, and the doors opened. Felicity stepped out with Ray behind her. She inwardly groaned when she saw that Carrie hadn't left yet. She'd been hoping the documents would've been left on the desk with a note-no interaction required.

"Mr. Palmer. Ms. Smoak," Carrie greeted. "Can I help you with something?"

"Oliver needs that paperwork to sign. He said he'd emailed you about it."

Carrie was all smiles. Felicity didn't believe the sweet facade for a second. "Yes, he did. Let me get everything together. With Oliver out, it's been hectic. I've spent so much time fielding calls that I haven't gotten a chance to do much else."

Felicity turned to Ray while she waited. "Sorry. What were you about to tell me?"

Ray's eyes widened. They always did that when he was excited about something. "I'm working on this new plan that I think could be beneficial to both QC and the city. I was literally brushing my teeth this morning when it came to me. Have you heard of a process called cogeneration?"

"It's a repurposing of waste heat given off by electricity production."

"Exactly," Ray exclaimed, grinning. "I knew you'd get it. It's a principle of thermo-dynamic efficiency. It occurred to me that it can be applied to a building which generates over 240,000 watts of electricity. A building like Queen Consolidated."

"Huh. Interesting," Felicity commented.

"I did some preliminary calculations while I was at lunch with some colleagues." He pulled a napkin out of his pocket and handed it to Felicity. "Great guys but all terribly boring. They kept droning on and on about these new theories in nuclear fusion, which haven't even been substantiated. So I don't get what the big deal is. They're really-"

Felicity interrupted in an attempt to get him refocused, "You want to sell QC's energy back to the city."

"If by sell you mean give away for free, then yes," he declared with a boyish grin. "Energy is something that should be given freely to the masses. Don't you think?"

"It's definitely worth exploring."

"I'm glad you agree, because I could really use your expertise on this. I was thinking we could grab dinner and talk it over. I know this great sushi place. You like sushi, right? I think I've seen you have it for lunch a couple of times."

"Oh, yes. I love sushi," Felicity replied, a little caught off guard at the offer.

"That is if you're free. So, are you free?"

Felicity snuck a quick peek at Carrie, acutely aware of her presence. The redhead looked busy shuffling around papers, but Felicity knew without a doubt she was eavesdropping. The last thing Felicity needed was another rumor spread about her at the office.

"Well, I can't tonight. I have to check in on Oliver and make sure he gets those documents signed."

"Oh, okay." He sounded disappointed. Felicity had come to notice that Ray tended to get very intense about his projects. As soon as he got an idea, it was usually full steam ahead.

"But I'll be back tomorrow," Felicity assured him. "We can go over it then." She would have to push her time in the Foundry back. Ray wouldn't be able to wait much longer.

He brightened at that. "Awesome. It'll give me a chance to run some more numbers."

"Great. Do you want to meet in your office around ten?" She pulled up the calendar on her tablet to add it in.

"Ten is perfect. I'll see you then." Ray took the napkin from her. With one last charming smile, he wished her a good night and was on his way. Felicity doubted he would grab dinner and was instead off to his office to think further on his project.

"Wow, you certainly don't waste any time."

Felicity turned to Carrie. "Excuse me."

"First Oliver and now Ray. I can understand having a thing for powerful men, but you take it to a whole new level."

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a 'thing' for anyone," Felicity declared, making air quotes.

"You might have Oliver fooled, but I know all about your kind. I see it all the time. Tons of vapid, beautiful women are always throwing themselves at him, and he indulges them for a while. But it isn't long before they're cast aside and you want to know why?" She didn't give Felicity the chance to answer. "Because as much as Oliver likes to have his fun, his company and his family's legacy means more. So whatever connection you think you have or special moments you think you shared on your little romantic getaway, you can kiss them goodbye. You weren't the first, and you certainly won't be the last. Which I'm assuming you already know or you wouldn't be so keen on catching Palmer's eye. Every gold digger needs to have a backup plan, right?"

This hostility had been brewing between them for a while. Felicity had put up with Carrie's attitude for Oliver's sake, but now the redhead had crossed a line. No way was Felicity letting her get away with that.

"You've been Oliver's secretary for a few months and suddenly you think you know him?"

"I was his mother's executive assistant first," she stressed. "So I know all about Oliver."

"Actually, you don't. Because no matter how long you've worked for him or his family and how many office hours you share, you only get to see one side of him. I'm not some random gold digger. I'm here at QC because Oliver and I are friends, and I'm damn good at my job. But even if the rumors were true and we were romantically involved, that would be none of your business."

"If you're such good friends, then why did Oliver pretend not to know you that night at Verdant?" Carrie challenged.

"It was Verdant's opening night, and Oliver wanted the focus to be on the club and its donation. Neither of us wanted to create a media circus like what happened at that charity dinner," Felicity smoothly lied. It was much easier to do when she didn't like the person.

"I don't believe you."

"I frankly don't care what you believe. If anyone is delusional here, it's you. Despite the huge and wildly inappropriate crush you obviously have on him, Oliver is your boss. You are his employee. You have absolutely nothing to do with him outside this company. What's even crazier is you thinking that you actually have the right to shame me, because you can't seem to get your own way. I suggest you take a good look in the mirror, honey, because you're the one with an ulterior agenda. Not me," Felicity finished and yanked the pile of papers out of Carrie's hands. "Now is this it? Because I need to be getting home to Oliver."

Carrie stood behind her desk with her hands balled into fists on top. The scornful narrowing of her eyes was proof that she was seething.

"Well, this has been lovely. Let's not do this again sometime."

"Bitch," Carrie called after her retreating form.

Felicity simply turned and smiled, clutching her tablet with pride. "Bitch with wi-fi."

Oliver cautiously took a seat on the couch in an effort not to pull one of his sutures. Tommy and Laurel sat across from him on the loveseat. They'd stopped by to check on him. Oliver threw on a pair of sweats and a hoodie while Diggle warned him about moving around too much. He was almost as bad as Felicity. Oliver told Diggle that he'd be fine. He was going downstairs, not jumping off of rooftops. Diggle finally relented but said it was totally on him if Felicity came home and caught him.

"Where does it hurt?" Tommy asked.

Oliver grunted in response. "Everywhere."

"I thought you were supposed to be good on a motorcycle," Laurel said, taking a sip of her coffee. Diggle had been nice enough to make it for everyone. Oliver offered to let him join them, but Diggle took a seat at the kitchen table and flipped through a newspaper instead. Oliver suspected that Diggle wanted to give him some privacy with his friends.

"Yeah, well, I underestimated the quality of the roads in Mexico."

"That's why I stick to limos and town cars," Tommy declared.

Laurel placed her coffee cup back down. "Where was Felicity?"

"Probably either by the pool or in her room at the hotel."

"So you had separate rooms?" his best friend probed. "I guess my theory was wrong."

"Yes," Oliver emphasized, sending him a look. The irony was that Tommy wasn't completely wrong. He'd joked that Mexico was a prime place to get either laid or engaged. Only they weren't quite in Mexico. Instead of sex, there'd been a kiss. Instead of an engagement, they'd had to pretend to be married. It was an ironic twist and if Tommy knew the truth of what happened, Oliver would never live it down.

Laurel shifted in her seat. "Other than the accident, did you have fun?"

"It was good to get away from Starling, but now I have a lot of work to catch up on."

With a nod of his head, Tommy acknowledged, "Being an adult sucks."

"What about you guys? Anything happen while I was gone?"

"Just the usual. Crime sprees in The Glades and me putting away the bad guys," Laurel answered. "Too bad the vigilante has been MIA. As much as my father is annoyed with his interference, I think he'd gotten used to finding criminals strung up and ready for arrest."

"I agree with your father. That guy is bad news," Tommy stated. "He should get out of their way and let the cops do their job."

"The Arrow saved you once," Laurel pointed out.

"By killing everyone. If he'd left the kidnappers alive, the police could've gotten more information out of them."

Oliver felt his muscles tense, which wasn't good for his injuries. "Better us alive than them, I say," he interjected.

"Exactly," Laurel agreed. She smiled at Tommy and placed her hand on his arm.

Tommy stared back for a few seconds before looking away. Laurel removed her hand and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. There was no mistaking the tension that existed between them behind the smiles and friendly banter.

"I've got more important concerns," Tommy said, changing the subject. "Lots of meetings at Merlyn Global and that event at Verdant."

Oliver was just as eager to talk about something else. "How did the event go?"

"It was good. I was showing some people around the club and you know that door down that back hallway? It's the one that's stuck."

"Yeah. What about it?" Oliver already didn't like where this was going.

"I was thinking we should have a contractor come and look at it. It's got a keypad that works, but it won't open. We could use more storage space."

"I already looked into it," Oliver replied. "The basement is all flooded. Even if it was cleared out, that part of the building is so old there's no guarantee it wouldn't happen again. It doesn't seem worth the investment."

Tommy shrugged. "Oh well. It was worth a shot."

They were interrupted by the sound of keys jingling and the door unlocking. Felicity walked in and paused at the sight before her. "What are you doing out of bed?" The hand that wasn't carrying her purse and a small pile of paperwork was placed on her hip. She looked to Diggle expectantly.

"Don't look at me," Diggle said, holding up his hands in surrender. "It was all Oliver."

"We have guests," Oliver excused.

Felicity said a quick greeting to Tommy and Laurel before eyeing Oliver disapprovingly once more. She took off her coat and dropped her items on the side table. "If you're 'feeling better,' then you can look over these tonight," Felicity said and placed the papers on the coffee table. "I'll bring them back to the office tomorrow."

"We're sorry, Felicity," Tommy apologized with that charming smile of his. "We just wanted to pay Oliver a visit and make sure he was still alive."

"Oh, I don't blame you. This one is stubborn." She plopped down on the couch next to Oliver. "It's like he's allergic to his bed."

Oliver rolled his eyes in response. "I'm going stir crazy."

"It's only been a week."

"One week is long enough."

"That's not what the doctor said," Felicity countered. "Can't you binge watch Netflix like a normal person?"

"I already caught up on Mad Men."

"Great show," Tommy agreed. "Wish I could get paid for being sloshed at work."

"You do when you're at Verdant," Laurel teased

"Huh, I never thought of it that way. Good point," he said, grinning. "Speaking of, we're supposed to head over there tonight." Tommy stood up with Laurel following suit.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay? I was just about to make dinner," Felicity offered. She didn't want them to think she was kicking them out. As peeved as she was that Oliver was unnecessarily straining himself, Felicity could tell that seeing his friends was good for him.

"Thanks but we already ate. See ya around, buddy." Tommy bumped fists with Oliver, not wanting to pat his shoulder or any other area that was probably already in pain. "I'll stop by again and whip your butt in video games."

"Good luck with that."

Laurel leaned down to hug him gently. "Bye, Ollie."

"Felicity, it was good seeing you again." Tommy pulled her in for a friendly hug. The blonde wasn't expecting it, but it was nice all the same. It was almost like they were becoming friends themselves. "I'm leaving my best friend in your very capable hands."

Felicity led them to the door. Just before stepping out, Laurel turned to her. "Felicity," she began quietly and somewhat awkwardly, "if you ever have a free moment, maybe we can get coffee sometime."

"Do you need to talk to me about the Brother Eye case?" The thought filled Felicity with dread.

"No. Nothing like that. You and Oliver seem to be spending a lot of time together, and I know Tommy really likes you. It might be nice if we got to know each other better, as well."

"Sure. I'd like that," Felicity replied with an encouraging smile. If Laurel was willing to make an effort, then so would she.

"Good. I'll talk to you soon then."

"What did Laurel want?" Oliver asked after Felicity shut the door behind them. He'd noticed the exchange between the two and was curious.

"We're going to get coffee."

Her answer surprised him, especially since the two had gotten off to a rocky start. "That's nice."

"Yeah, it is." Felicity had never had many girlfriends. Going for coffee didn't mean she and Laurel would suddenly be BFFs, but it was a step in the right direction.

"I'm going to head out, too," Diggle announced.

"Dig, you're welcome to stay for dinner."

"I would, Felicity, but I'm supposed to be meeting someone."

Felicity perked up at that. "Ooh, a lady friend?"

The only evidence that she'd guessed right was the hint of a smile on Diggle's face. "I'll see you both tomorrow."

"You're no fun," Felicity called after him. She turned to Oliver. "Looks like it's just you and me. You might as well stay there for now," she said when he attempted to stand. Felicity handed him the remote control and walked into the kitchen.

"What's for dinner?" He was starved. Felicity might not like to cook, but she sure was good at it.

"Pasta." Felicity shuffled around the kitchen getting everything she needed. "Hope you like fettuccine Alfredo."

Oliver felt his stomach growl. "Sounds good to me." He clicked through options on Netflix. He'd worry about the documents Felicity had brought him after dinner.

"Ooh, can we watch The Princess Bride?" Felicity requested just as he passed it. "It was one of my favorites growing up."

"Mine, too. I always wanted to be a pirate, so I could carry a sword." The memory brought a smile to his face. "I haven't seen it in years."

"I wanted to be a princess and experience true love's kiss. Not that you really have to be a princess to fall in love. It just seemed like a nice perk," Felicity babbled, feeling herself flush. Mentioning kissing around Oliver probably wasn't the best thing to do right now. Platonic, platonic, platonic...

Oliver clicked on the movie, and it began to play. Every couple of minutes he would peek over at Felicity. In between cooking dinner, she would be watching the TV and mouthing or smiling at the lines. They had never done this before-casually hang out-since it was rare they were both home at the same time. It was different but a good different. He watched Felicity twirl a strand of hair from her ponytail around her finger as she stirred the pasta in the pot. The gesture was kind of adorable.

The thought brought Oliver up short. Whatever he'd felt in Corto Maltese was supposed to stay in Corto Maltese. Starling was the real world, and any type of feelings had consequences. He needed to shut that part of him down for both their sakes. Catching one more glimpse of Felicity twirling her hair and biting her lip, Oliver knew it would be easier said than done.