Oliver was met with grey eyes, definitely not the shade of blue he was expecting to see. Tommy greeted him with agitation. Confusion, recognition, and anger flared through Oliver's bones causing his thumb to rub against his index finger in a relentless force.
"What are you doing here?" Oliver and Tommy said simultaneously, traces of displeasure and apprehension laced in their tone, respectively.
"Is Felic—"
"I was jus—"
Both men started explaining at the same time.
Just then Felicity emerged from behind Tommy. "Who's at th— Oh. Oliver! What are you doing here?"
Thankful that the question has been directed to Oliver, Tommy chimed in, "Yeah. I thought you got back later today?"
"Honeymoon cut short. I had to take care of some paperworks. What are you doing here?" Oliver redirected to Tommy, evidently taking in his shirtlessness.
"I- um, No. It's not. I was just—" How does one exactly explain that he showed up to one of his best friend's house because his other best friend married the unrequited love of his life?
"Oh! Um Tommy crashed at my place last night." Felicity interjected, trying to save Tommy's ass. At that Oliver's eyebrows shot up. "Oh no. Not like that. Oh nono. He was just— He was just you know, making sure I was okay. I wasn't feeling good so he came over."
"Shirtless?"
Felicity just then recognized Tommy's state of clothelessness and immediately turned pink, realizing how her explanation must have sounded like a lie.
Oliver shook his head not taking the explanation, "I was actually hoping to catch you, Felicity. In private. But seeing as this may be a bad time, I'll just set up a meeting later at Queen Consolidated."
"Yeah. Okay. Just let Barbara let me know what time."
Oliver took one last glance at Felicity and Tommy and exhaled, "Okay."
At that, Oliver started walking back to his car where his driver, John Diggle, held the the door open. Soon after the car left in an unnecessary haste.
After the car was out of sight Felicity closed her front door, put her back on it and slid down until her butt hit the ground.
"Ugh. That's so painful! I mean, how can someone even pretend that they're okay when the love of their life marries someone else? And then they show up at your doorsteps! How tragic. Super tragic. Granted, he didn't show up here for romantic purposes he showed up here for business purposes," Felicity waved off her own explanation, "But that's beside the point, the point is—"
"That was strange," Tommy said in amusement, interrupting Felicity's babbling.
"Huh. What? What was strange?"
"The way Oliver was acting. Did you see his hands? He was doing that thumb thing again and he only does that when nervous or mad. And definitely did not seem nervous."
"So he was mad? Is that what you're trying to say?" Felicity questioned.
"Well, yeah. He's mad. I think he even may been mad at me."
"Yeah right," Felicity scoffed. "What for?"
"I don't know. He has no reason to be…"
"Exactly Merlyn. Stop being paranoid. He doesn't know about your little one sided romance with his wife, okay?"
Felicity pushed herself up off the ground remembering the eggs she was cooking and hastily making her way into the kitchen.
"Frack! The omelette. Oh and put a shirt on Tommy. I don't wanna see your boobs."
Tommy chuckled.
"Yeah well, this might have been the reason Oliver was mad a me," Tommy whispered to himself.
Tommy made a mental note that after he jeopardizes his life with Felicity's cooking, he needs to stop by at Queen Consolidated to have a little chat with Oliver.
*5 years ago*
"OWWWWW!" Oliver yelled. "You don't have to pinch that hard! You don't even have to pinch at all!"
"Well this is what you get. I told you the swings were a stupid idea."
Felicity was hunched over a shirtless Oliver, trying to take out the little shard of wood embedded in his skin. A couple of minutes after the swing fiasco, Oliver started to feel a little discomfort on his right shoulder. Of course at first he tried to shake off the feeling, blaming soreness from hitting the ground. But then as the hours rolled by, he couldn't stop the pain he was experiencing. To much of his dismay, Felicity had him take his shirt off so she could examine his shoulder. And there it was, three splinters digging deep in flesh.
Getting hit with a baseball? No biggie. Getting tackled by a 295 lb dude? Survivable. A hangnail or a splinter? Agonizing. Complete torture.
"Are you sure you're supposed to be pinching it out?"
"Well, it's either that or i try and take it out with a needle and I don't think that you nor I would end in such a good place with a needle."
Oliver gulped. "Okay. Jus— just try to get it out okay?"
"1… 2..—"
"FUCK FUCKING HELL." Oliver shouted.
"Got it! I got it!" Felicity cried as she then used a pair of tweezers to fully pull put the splinter.
"Good god. Okay, I promise. Never again." Oliver said as he raised two finger in the air, "Scout's honor."
"You're not a boyscout," Felicity rolled her eyes.
"Exactly," Oliver smirked.
Felicity glared at him. He smirked right back.
"Fine. You can put the antiseptic and bandage on yourself," Felicity said marching the other way, straight to the door.
Oliver quickly got up to close the distance and get ahead of her.
"Okay okay okay. I was just kidding." Her laid his hands onto her arms and eyes straight to hers, "I'm sorry Felicity. Never again."
Something in his defeated demeanor edged off Felicity's exasperation. That and his missing shirt.
"Okay," she breathed.
For the second time that day, they caught themselves staring into each other's eyes as whole world possibilities danced in the moment with them.
"Hi Barbara. Is Oliver in his office?" Tommy asked Oliver's assistant.
"I'm sorry Mr. Merlyn, but Mr. Queen is in a meeting at this moment."
"Well you wouldn't happen to know when he gets out of that meeting, would you?" Tommy flashed his mega-watt smile.
And of course, it totally works.
"Umm. Actually the meeting should be over in about 5 minutes."
"Ahh. Thank you Barbara."
Tommy proceeded around the corner, spying Oliver making his way back into his office. Just as Tommy spot Oliver, Oliver spot Tommy.
"Tommy? What are you doing here?"
"Hey I was just going to talk to you about earlier."
"Earlier? I don't think there's anything to be discussed," Oliver dismissed.
"Oh I think there is," Tommy said matter-of-factly.
Oliver weighed the situation. "Come on in my office."
The two men made their way into Oliver's office, Tommy taking a seat on Oliver's couch while Oliver sat in his chair.
"Soo about this morning…" Tommy started.
"What about this morning?"
"It's not what it seemed like it was." When Oliver didn't respond Tommy continued, "I was hammered last night and I crashed on her couch. That's all. Nothing happened."
"And you happened to have no clothes on?"
"It was only my shirt! And no. My shirt stank courtesy of alcohol and as I was right about to change when you doorbelled. Didn't really put much thought about answering the door."
Oliver stewed over Tommy's explanation, going back and forth if she should believe his best friend or not. He should, shouldn't he? But this newfound jealousy is making him run in circles.
"Goodness Tommy if you two did what I thought you did—" Oliver said running his hands over his face.
"Then you would have what?" Tommy challenged.
At that Oliver remained quiet. He was letting his emotions get the best of him and Tommy definitely is starting to take notice. Get a hold of yourself Queen, Oliver thought.
Tommy scoffed in disbelief. How fucking great. Who was Oliver to tell him who he could be with and who he couldn't be with considering…
Tommy shot up, anger palpitating through his body.
"It's not your place to get mad at me! I get it okay. I understand that I wasn't there for Felicity when she needed us the most and you were, but I have tried repeatedly to make up for it! She's forgiven me, why can't you?!"
"Because!" Oliver retorted, unable to say what he really wants to say.
"Because what Oliver?! BECAUSE WHAT?! YOU'RE MARRIED!" Tommy pointer, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING TOMMY!"