A/N: So I've been so scared of not living up to the expectations of an Olicity Date that this has taken me all week to write... and I'm still not sure it's quite right. I would have probably scrapped the whole thing but I really wanted to give you another happy chapter before I hit episodes 21-23. So here it is, warts and all. Hope it was worth the wait!
Also this chapter does have a pretty big pay off if you read "Wedding Favours" so if you get confused go back and check out that story.
Disclaimer: I make no money off of this, it all belongs to CW and DC.
"Ok whatever you get, don't get black." Janna had met Oliver when he had escorted Felicity to Robin's wedding the week prior. She was also the front runner in the 'When will Felicity and Oliver make it official' pool that had started the same evening. Currently she was acting as fashion consultant. "Everyone who works at the place will be wearing black and you don't want someone throwing you off your game by asking for directions to the washroom."
"Right" Felicity flipped past a black dress she had been considering and aimed towards a few more colourful options. Oliver hadn't said where they were going yet, she was pretty sure he hadn't gotten that far anyways. "Argh, why is this so difficult? Why isn't there something on this rack just jumping out at me?"
"Because you're thinking too hard. The shopping gods only respond to calm nonchalance. This is why I'm currently holding three tops that Todd will kill me if I buy. But, I'm trying them on anyways." Janna stepped into the change room as Felicity moved to the next rack. "So when did this thing with Oliver leave platonic land?"
"For him or for me?"
"Let's start with for you." Janna walked out in the first shirt, a pink checked button down. Felicity tilted her head to the side slightly. "No good huh?"
" A little too country night at the frat house." Janna closed the door again. "Non platonic feelings probably started back around Christmas." Christmas had been the first time he had called her remarkable. "I never thought anything would happen though. I mean, it was Oliver Queen, you know?"
"So was the wedding the first time you figured out he felt the same way?" Janna walked out in the second shirt, a black short sleeved cashmere sweater. Felicity gave it a thumbs up.
"More like the wedding was the first time I let myself believe it." Janna walked out wearing her original shirt and put the checked shirt and third option on the reject rack next to the change room. "What happened to shirt three?"
"Not fit for public consumption." Janna flipped through the rack just to see what was there before stopping suddenly. "I think I fixed your shopping karma."
Oliver looked in the mirror one last time before heading out of his room. He passed Thea who was heading up the stairs with a massive bowl of popcorn. "Have a good movie night. I'll see you later."
"Wait," he stopped and turned to see her pointing at him. " That's your date suit! You have a date!" Oliver rolled his eyes.
"Thea... how is this my date suit?"
"Because it makes your arms and your butt look good and it's just a hair shinier than your other grey suit. Stop stalling, who's the girl? I won't tell Mom I swear." The minute Moira found out about one of her children dating someone, an awkward dinner/interrogation invitation wasn't far behind.
"Her name is Felicity." Thea thought for a minute then let out a little gasp.
"Felicity as in the girl who's been doing all the tech for the club?" Oliver nodded. "That's great, except for the fact that I now owe Roy ten bucks. Seriously though, good on you." Oliver smiled and opened his wallet passing his little sister a twenty dollar bill.
" Keep the change." He winked and ran down the stairs "Night Speedy!"
Oliver knocked on Felicity's door at exactly seven pm. When it opened he smiled wider than he had in days. She was wearing an orange sleeveless dress with two small cut outs on either side just over her hips. Her hair was down in loose waves and she had switched into her contacts. "Wow! Remind me to let you go shopping more often." He flirted. She stepped out and locked the door behind her. She turned around to find Oliver standing in her space. She looked up as he leaned in and he kissed her briefly. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
"Who said I minded? Though I haven't eaten since like ten this morning so we should probably get going before I start chewing one of our arms off." He offered his hand and she slid hers into it. "And that would be a shame because these are really nice arms." He smirked remembering Thea's earlier comments.
"I'm not sure I'm completely used to you flirting with me yet."
"I've been flirting with you since we met. Now it's just intentional." They walked out of Felicity's building and turned to where the car was waiting.
They pulled up and Oliver left the keys in the capable hand of the valet. The restaurant was in an older neighborhood near the harbor that had become the tourist district of Starling City. The building had once been a mansion that would have rivaled the Queens', but it had been sectioned off and divided into eateries and boutiques. "I've been told this place has the best wine list in the city." He said as he walked her in with his hand on the small of her back. The door was opened by an eager hostess.
"Mr Queen, welcome to Twenty." He nodded as a second hostess met them inside the crowded foyer and guided the couple past all the waiting diners to their table. Felicity's anxiety started to bubble in her stomach. What the hell was she doing here? She didn't belong here. She was going to wake up in her bed any second now and realize this was all just the best dream she ever had in her life. It took almost walking into a railing to pull her out of her trance. They made their way to a table by the window facing a beautiful garden, which she assumed doubled as patio seating in warmer weather. They sat down and looked at the menu. Before long the waiter arrived at the table, a bottle of wine already in his hands.
"I took the liberty of pre-ordering a bottle when I made the reservation." Oliver's eyes glinted mischievously as the waiter presented it to Felicity for inspection. She read the label, a grin spilling across her face.
"Lafite Rothschild, 1982." She repeated.
"I may be a terrible liar, but at least I deliver." The waiter opened the wine, let Felicity taste it then poured them each a glass once she signaled her approval.
"Ok that is liquid heaven." She exclaimed causing the seasoned staffer to stifle a grin. He disappeared to give them another minute or two with the menu. Once they ordered Felicity looked around "This is beyond great. Have you been here before?"
"Not when it was 'Twenty'. I think last time I was here it was a raw food restaurant." Felicity raised her eyebrows in surpise.
"You don't seem the raw food type." Oliver shrugged.
"We were mainly here because Tommy was trying to date the waitress, but the food wasn't terrible."
"Ah I see. Sounds very similar to how when Robin first met Mark, we all became tea connoisseurs so she could stalk him at his dad's shop."
"The things you do when you are young and bored." Oliver smirked. "Speaking of young, there is something I've been meaning to ask you since the wedding."
"Sure," Felicity was confused and nervous. What could have been weighing on his mind this long?
"Why don't you like to be called Cici?" Felicity gasped and her eyes narrowed.
"Who told you that name?" Oliver lifted his hands up in mock surrender.
"For their own safety I will leave the party unnamed. But I'd really like to know the story."
Felicity sighed and signalled for Oliver to pour her more wine. He nodded and did as instructed. "So remember that I told you that Robin went the sorority route and I didn't?" Oliver nodded again. "That wasn't the whole truth. I rushed the sorority, I even got in. They gave me a nickname." She gestured to imply that this was the origin of the evil name. "I was a horrible sister. I sucked at everything. But I was so scared to fail and maybe lose Robin as a friend that I got desperate. So I maybe went a little too far in the annual prank war." She paused and sighed. "I maybe, just maybe because they never proved it and I fixed everything the next day, used some of my hacker powers and had all the other sororities bankrupted." Oliver had chosen the wrong moment to take a sip of water and ended up choking slightly at her confession. "Some people still use that name to get a rise out of me or because that's how we were introduced. It's not a time I'm very fond of so it has become strictly verboten."
"Like you said, you keep my secrets."
They were driving back to Felicity's apartment when she pulled out her phone and muttered "Crap!"
Oliver glanced over "Something wrong?"
"I hate to ask, but can we make a stop? I was supposed to pick something up today and I forgot." Oliver shrugged.
"Sure" She gave him turn by turn directions. Before long Oliver found himself parked in front of a comic book shop. "You need to pick something up here?"
"The owner, Phil, is an old family friend and I've been helping tutor his son in math and coding. His final coding project is due Thursday and I was supposed to pick it up today to look over it and then meet Taylor on Tuesday to discuss tweaks and corrections."
"For the record, you do sleep sometimes right?"
"About as often as you do." She deadpanned. "Coming in?" He turned off the engine and got out of the car following her inside. Felicity approached the counter and the young clerk asked if he could help her. "Evan, it's me."
"Felicity! I didn't recognize you! You look-"
"If you say I look like a girl in a way that implies I don't usually, I will totally beat you. Phil was supposed to leave an envelope for me?" They talked about some upcoming dvds and books while Evan located the package. Oliver enjoyed watching Felicity speak confidently and banter with the clerk and a couple of customers she obviously knew. It amused him the same way watching her concentrate when she was busy hacking did. He browsed the shelves of games he was standing in front of before he felt an arm snake around his waist and his arm placed around a slim shoulder "I'm ready to go now before you die of boredom." They walked out and he opened the car door.
"I was fine, besides I should get used to places like this. Never know when I feel like buying someone a gift." He Kissed her playfully before walking around the car to get in on his side.
"Did you break the computers and not tell me? Because that will definitely require a complete series box set of something."
"No Felicity, I didn't break anything. But it's good to know what the penalties are for that."
"I'll send you my Amazon list. That way you can always order the gift before you tell me what you broke. Soften the blow."
"Deal, though if I do buy you something just because try not to hyperventilate thinking I crashed the servers or something."
"I don't hyperventilate" She paused "Do I?"
"Do I wear green?"
"Touché Queen, Touché."