And here is the last chapter of this story (heh, it ended up being posted faster than I got it written — 5 days vs 2 full months). I hope it won't disappoint. Be warned: there's a good layer of jealous!Oliver ahead. Thanks to everyone who reviewed (guests especially since I can't answer you!). This chapter is set during the summer between season 2 and season 3 and is as canon as possible. There are a few short references to what happened in the comics (Arrow 2.5) but nothing that'll prevent anyone from understanding the chapter. Now without further ado…
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
PART V.
"So he took the wrong woman. I love you."
— Oliver Queen, episode 2.23
AUGUST 2014
Oliver tried Felicity's cellphone for the fifteenth time as he got off his motorcycle and left his helmet on the seat. Again, her chipper voicemail welcomed him immediately.
"Felicity, it's me again. I'm getting worried and parking at your place. Call me."
As he turned, Oliver witnessed Diggle parking in a spot right behind him and getting out of the car looking surprised.
"She's still not answering," Oliver explained. "Do you have her spare key?"
"We are not using her spare key unless she's not opening her door and we get reasons to worry," Diggle sighed.
Oliver felt bad for waking Diggle up on a Saturday at ten. But he and Felicity had plans to review the papers from the lawyers in order to prepare for the hearing about QC that was coming up at the end of the month. He knew technically Felicity had not gone to law school but she was very good at finding precedents and training him at answering lawyers without snapping at them.
"I looked up her cellphone's position from the foundry it says she's home."
"Her car's here. I'm sure everything's fine. She probably overslept."
"Felicity doesn't oversleep," Oliver countered, stepping towards her town house.
Though he wouldn't blame her for that. She'd been working like a crazy person lately, accepting a position at Kord Industries that was way below her qualifications just so she could be available at five and head to the foundry for their night job. Then she spent her week-ends going over the papers from the lawyers in order to help Oliver get his company back. They had help from Walter and decided to retrieve it via a some sort of bidding thing (Oliver was still fuzzy on the details), but Felicity was helping him figure out what all the lawyer-language could mean.
If he was honest with himself, he'd admit that he didn't really need Felicity that much. Or yeah, he needed her. But not for that purpose. He didn't understand anything that was in the contracts but he paid lawyers in order to explain things slowly. Oliver just found that when he didn't see Felicity everyday, he didn't feel good and he missed her. He was very aware that it was pathetic. He saw her literally every night of the week. And yet he couldn't do without seeing her face, and couldn't find an excuse that wasn't a date to hang out with her during the week-end. So when she'd offered to give him a hand with his company, he'd jumped eagerly at the opportunity. So eagerly that Diggle had shaken his head in utter despair to Felicity's complete bafflement.
So far, she hadn't missed any of their meetings except for this one time when she'd had a doctor's appointment but she'd warned him by putting it on his agenda. He remembered vividly the deep blush that had colored her cheeks when he'd asked if everything was alright with her and she'd mumbled something about her "yearly gynecologist appointment, that she'd only remembered about because Lyla was pregnant". The ramble that had followed was so adorable and awkward, Oliver felt sort of bad for letting it get out of hand.
So that was why he was so worried that day. Because Felicity hadn't told him she would be late or busy. Because after one hour without a text and considering the kind of job they had (at night), shit happened and Oliver still remembered that night last year when the Count had called to taunt him. And that other night a few months before when Slade did the same.
He pounded on the door, Diggle right behind him. Despite his reassuring words, Oliver could read the worry on his face, which did nothing to appease his growing anxiety.
"Felicity!" he called, knocking loudly once more.
He waited a few seconds, but no one came to the door. He tried turning the handle, scared that the door was opened and they'd find the apartment trashed, but it stayed locked, prompting another set of noisy pounding.
Finally, he heard a sound from behind the door and soon enough it was opened violently.
"Oh my god, what's with all the ruckus already?" someone whined.
Oliver was already sighing with relief but his breath caught in his chest when he realized that it wasn't Felicity who was greeting him. It was a tall, slender, dark-haired kid who was eyeing him with attitude. She had one bowl literally filled with cereals in one hand, while the other one was holding the door strongly.
He was honestly too baffled to find something to say. Oliver found himself staring at the number on the little house, worried that he had somehow gotten mistaken but no. He was at the right address. He'd slept in that house by himself a few weeks back.
Who the hell was that kid?
"Oh hey Lilly!" Diggle greeted behind him.
The child — Oliver thought she was around eleven considering her height — looked up and her entire demeanor changed. She went from annoyed to delightfully surprised.
"Mr D.!" she exclaimed, a smile lighting her face.
"You know her?" Oliver deadpanned. What the hell was going on?
"Yeah," Dig replied shortly. "Felicity didn't tell me you guys were here already! When did you and Taylor get there?"
Oliver frowned. Taylor? Who on Earth was that Taylor person? How did Felicity know them? And who the hell was that kid?
The girl — Lilly, apparently — brought a spoonful of cereals to her mouth and held out her fist for Digg to bump, which he did promptly under Oliver's completely dumbfounded stare.
Who was Taylor?
"Yesterday, it was a surprise!" the girl answered. Then she stopped ignoring Oliver and side-eyed him like an annoying fly. "Who is he? What does he want with Aunt Fleety?"
"Aunt Fleety?" Oliver repeated, finding new layers of incomprehension.
Diggle's smile turned highly amused, and Oliver found he did not like the glint that suddenly sparkled in his eyes.
"Oh trust me this is going to be fun," he promised the girl, ignoring Oliver's surprise and insistent stares.
"Can anyone explain what the hell is going on over here?" he snapped.
"Language! Is he always that impolite?" she grumbled. Oliver did not like her attitude one bit. Nor did he like the way she looked at him. "Aunt Fleety's sleeping," Lilly stated flatly, addressing Diggle again like Oliver wasn't even there. "They were up all night and made a lot of noise in her bedroom. You know how they are when they get together!" she added with a jaded roll of her eyes.
Oliver's heart stopped, his eyebrows flying up his forehead. He opened his mouth, sliding a glance to Diggle who seemed to be having the time of his life. He obviously knew something Oliver didn't, and considering how much Diggle was nagging him about growing a pair already and ask Felicity out, he figured there might be a reason for it.
A reason he wouldn't like.
"Yeah I know," Diggle laughed, like he wasn't talking about Felicity making noise in her room with a guy.
Gross.
"Maybe we should come back another time," Oliver bit out, trying to tamper a growing anger that he had no right to feel.
So Felicity had completely forgotten about him to hook up with another guy? While a kid was there to hear the whole thing? What was wrong with her? The least she could have done was warn him that she wouldn't be available that morning!
He knew offering space to Felicity while she hung out with people who obviously mattered to her to the point where Diggle knew about them but not him was the right thing to do but deep down, Oliver wanted to meet this Taylor guy, see what he was up against (yes, because he was currently trying to find the right time to ask Felicity out on a date).
Maybe it was just some friend with benefit thing. Which wasn't threatening to him. The guy would leave, and Felicity not mention him like nothing happened. Then — Oliver could already picture it — everything would become completely right and he'd ask her, and hopefully she'd say yes and not think this was all a joke, and he wouldn't screw everything up so the guy would never come back.
That sounded like a plan. A cowardly plan based on a lot of "if"s but Oliver didn't really mind that much. He was too annoyed that Felicity had basically forgotten about him as soon as that guy had shown up.
"No, no, Taylor will want to see us," Diggle reacted quickly, grabbing Oliver's arm and pushing the door wider to get inside the little house. "Please Lilly, can you go tell your godmother that Oliver and John are here?"
"We really should give Felicity some privacy," Oliver lied, as Lilly stepped back to let them in.
She rolled her eyes once more and sighed desperately. "Fiiiiiiiiine. It better be worth it like you say, otherwise I'm losing a morning of peace and I do not get much of these."
"Oh the drama that is your life," Diggle joked.
Lilly stuck her tongue out and walked down the hallway, knocking slightly on Felicity's bedroom door. Meanwhile, Diggle stepped around the bar and began fidgeting with the coffee maker. In Felicity's living-room, the TV was on the Disney channel, showing just why Lilly was so disgruntled by the interruption.
"What the hell is going on? How do you know that kid and that Taylor person?"
Diggle chuckled. "Taylor is Felicity's best friend from Vegas. I met them last summer when you were away dealing with your things. They both visit every year around that time but never warn Felicity beforehand."
Felicity's best friend from Vegas? So a childhood friend that she slept with? How came it was the first time he heard about him? And how was he supposed to compete against that guy when he asked Felicity out?
"Aunt Fleety?" Lilly was asking, peeking through the door. He heard the little girl chuckle. "Aunt Fleety, you've gotta wake up. There's a rude guy and Mr D. waiting for you."
Rude guy? He wasn't rude! He'd been worried, which wasn't the same thing! What was with the attitude? If anyone was rude it was that Lilly kid for being so unwelcoming, and Felicity too now that he thought about it, for putting him in that position in the first place.
As Digg was getting comfortable and sitting on a stool to wait Felicity out, Oliver tried to put his finger on what exactly was bothering him. He could admit to himself that he was jealous. He was used to Felicity's entire attention (and he liked it. A lot), so realizing that there was another guy (and a goddaughter in the mix?) involved that suddenly set him back to second place was harder to swallow than he'd ever thought. He knew he was self-centered (even more where Felicity was concerned) but it wasn't the only reason why he didn't like the fact that Taylor had shared a bed with Felicity.
He didn't like that Felicity had never even mentioned him. She had a friend she was close enough to that she was godmother to his daughter but she never even brought them up in conversations? And Diggle knew about it?
Oliver racked his mind, trying to remember the last time Felicity had told something personal. He knew about her fear of heights. He knew she'd attended M.I.T. He knew when he'd done a background check on her that she had a mother in Vegas and a father who split and never paid child support. Actually, most things that mattered he knew because he'd looked her up back when he was paying her weekly visits with shitty excuses in order to make sure that she was someone he could trust.
Since she'd joined their crusade, he'd been so focused on the Undertaking, then fighting the takeover led by Isobel Rochev, then Slade's vendetta, that he'd never sat down to realize that Felicity never volunteered any personal information. Nothing specific about her past.
Oliver knew who Felicity Meghan Smoak was. She was strong. She was opinionated. She hated being told what to do. She was bold, and fun and outspoken. She spent her days with him and Diggle (or she used to, until he signed off his company to a psychotic bitch), so he'd always thought that she was kind of a loner.
He kind of hated himself for never even taking the time to ask her about her. And the knowledge that she'd never volunteered any information either meant that she thought he didn't care or she didn't want him to know. He didn't think Felicity had anything to hide, not like him and the monstrous things he'd done. Either way, it hurt. He trusted Felicity with more than his life. He trusted her with everything and she didn't trust him enough to open up. It was his own fault, but it stung anyways.
Things would change. Definitely. Before he summed up the courage to ask her out. Which he would do. Soon.
Yeah. Soon.
There was a sudden thumping sound that took Oliver out of his reverie and made Lilly jump. He suspected Felicity had fallen off her bed and was currently struggling to get up.
"Are you okay?" the kid asked worriedly.
Oliver heard an unintelligible answer on the other side, and Lilly shrugged, shaking her head dismissively before walking back to Diggle and him. She was still carrying her bowl of cereals around as if someone would steal it away from her. He remembered how he would annoy Thea when she was around that age and chase after her, relishing in eating her bowl and drive her nuts.
His heart clenched. He missed his sister — but she was backpacking in Europe, working off her issues with him and she was safe. He couldn't exactly expect more when he'd sort of done the same thing the year before.
"She's on her way," Lilly explained, as Felicity stumbled out of her door and almost ran into the one across from it.
Oliver had to blink. She was wearing sunglasses and sort of staggering in the hallway like she wasn't confident in her balancing skills. Which, coming from Felicity shouldn't be that surprising. But it was ten a.m on a Saturday. Was she hungover?
And was that his shirt she was wearing?
"I'm so sorry Oliver!" she said and winced automatically at the sound of her own voice. Yes. Definitely a hangover. "Aaaaooow" Felicity whined, her hands flying to her head while Lilly smirked at her and ate another huge spoonful of cereals. The mountain didn't seem to lower.
Oliver stared at the vision before him, unable to get any word out of his mouth. He was used to awkwardness where Felicity was concerned, but he wasn't usually the one feeling uncomfortable. Yet, he had to be man enough to admit (and kind of weirded out too) that seeing Felicity in nothing but his shirt knowing that she'd just spent the night getting her freak on with another guy was kind of unnerving.
"Are you okay?" he asked coldly.
"Taylor isn't getting up?" Diggle pitched in, holding out a mug of coffee to a very thankful Felicity.
"Yes I'm good. My head just hurts — I think it's okay if I stay really still. And I don't know about T. Ooohhhh, coffee, I love you Digg."
Oliver couldn't help the murderous glare he sent Diggle's way. Well this morning was just getting worse and worse. Not only did he insist on making Oliver meet this guy but he also got three nice words thrown his way.
He watched, mystified and his mouth going dry, as Felicity sat on a stool close to him, the shirt (his shirt!) she was wearing riding up her never-ending legs. Her complete ease and the absence of embarrassment let Oliver know that she had not grasped the situation completely. She'd probably forgotten that she wasn't wearing her usual PJs. He didn't know if he should feel smug, amused or uncomfortable. But he was definitely feeling something at the sight.
"I would have brought coffee if I hadn't been worried you'd been kidnapped," Oliver eventually whispered, a little unnerved that Diggle was getting all the love when he'd been the concerned one.
"You were worried?" Felicity asked candidly, as if Oliver didn't usually care. "What time is it? I'm so sorry, Taylor came to visit and of course tequila was involved which I was the only one drinking, it turned out and then we were catching up and you know how we get Digg, you saw last summer when we visited the zoo with A.J…"
So everyone had met Taylor and Lilly and he'd never even heard about them? What was so special about them anyway? Or about Taylor, really? Did she love him?
"Anyway," Felicity cut herself short, "I thought I'd be up and on time but… Ooohh I need some ibuprophene… I'm not eighteen anymore… Hey, who let you in anyway?"
"Lilly over there," Diggle pointed with his thumb.
Lilly, who had gone back to sitting on the couch to watch her show raised her spoon in the air when she heard her name.
"We agreed you never opened the door, monkey!" Felicity chastised, on the same tone she used when she disapproved of something Oliver did. That was weird. "We had the safety talk, remember? About creepy people who lurked and kidnapped helpless kids?"
Of course Felicity, the woman who offered herself as bait for serial killers and mass murderers dead-set on revenge would lecture a child on opening doors and putting themselves in the path of danger. That was rich, coming from her, when he'd told her to check her stupid peephole before opening her door at least a hundred times.
"They were this close to taking the door down and it was annoying," the girl answered, her eyes never leaving the screen. "I tried to scare them off with attitude like Mom does with these sales reps that keep popping up."
Felicity's head fell between her hands. "I thought the pounding was in my head. Which it was, but I just… whatever. Can we please agree on the fact that attitude is not a self-defense move against pedophiles?"
"Yes," Lilly replied uncaringly. "I'm watching my show now. Don't mind me."
There was a short silence while Felicity looked like she was looking for something to add and took her sunglasses off when Oliver could hold his tongue anymore.
"So that's your goddaughter?" he asked, making Felicity jump, and Diggle's lips spread wider.
"Yes! That's Lilly, my best friend's daughter. Sorry. So rude of me. I'm just tired, last night was…"
"Your best friend Taylor," Oliver cut, not wanting to know just 'how' last night had been.
"Yes!" Felicity confirmed. "From Vegas."
"The one you've never mentioned before but that Diggle's entire family has met."
Even he could hear the sound of jealousy and hurt in his voice, which he knew was both unfair and mean. But he couldn't help it. Felicity knew more about him than anyone in the whole damn world and she didn't believe that he'd be interested in anything that was related to her?
It seemed like something clicked in her head because her lips pressed against each other and her eyes widened suddenly. She didn't just depict the saying 'a deer caught in headlights', she embodied it. Full on panic hit her, making Oliver wonder once more just what the hell was going on, because at this point Diggle didn't just look amused. He seemed to be having the time of his life.
Felicity spun on the stool, throwing a worried glance in the direction of her bedroom, then looked at Oliver with so much guilt that even he felt bad for her. Surely, she couldn't be blaming herself because she'd been with a guy? It wasn't like she owed him, Oliver Queen, anything. If anything, he owed her for sort of shoving Isabel in her face that night in Russia.
"Okay, there's something that you need to know…" Felicity began shakily, whispering quickly.
"I think I've pieced everything together," Oliver cut, not exactly wanting to hear that ramble.
"You have?" Felicity asked, at the same time as Diggle. They were both looking at him in surprise. Did they think he was that clueless? Felicity squinted her eyes, searching his sharply.
"Yeah. It's okay Felicity, you don't owe me…"
Suddenly the door opened and a beautiful woman came out of it dressed in jeans and a loose t-shirt. She had long raven-colored hair that looked exactly like Lilly's and was as slender as the kid. Oliver was starting to think that he had indeed not pieced everything together.
The young woman walked towards them and smiled happily upon seeing his friend.
"John Diggle! How are you? I believe congratulations are in order? Smoak told me you were going to be a daddy!"
Oliver didn't know who to look at. On the one hand, Felicity had literally stopped breathing and was looking at Oliver like she was bracing herself for something. On the other hand, the woman Oliver was quickly suspecting to be Taylor went directly to Diggle and enveloped him in a hug that he returned warmly.
If he was honest with himself, Oliver was slightly dizzy at the realization that Taylor was girl. A woman. Whatever. Taylor was non-male. He would never admit it to anyone, not even himself, but god was that a relief. He could more easily picture the sounds that Felicity and her had made the night before and not choke at the thought. He found that his jaw unclenched on its own accord, as he felt generally way more relaxed. Taylor was a girl. Which made total sense, when he thought about it.
It still didn't explain why he'd never heard about her, but it didn't seem to matter that much anymore.
"Hey Taylor. Yes. It's going to be a little girl! I might need some pointers if you've got any…"
Taylor barked a short, genuine laugh. "God, no. I guess I did well the first few years but I can't control her attitude nowadays."
You don't say! Oliver thought, eyeing the girl grinning proudly while Taylor gazed at her with a look he'd seen his mother wear too many times when she spoke about him.
"I thought pre-teens were a thing invented by the media but man was I wrong," Taylor whispered conspiratorially.
Oliver was still staring at Felicity who was gnawing her lips and the nail of her thumb at the same time in obvious discomfort. What was she so worried about? And was it the reason why she'd never said anything about her best friend? Taylor's eyes fell on him, and Oliver felt Felicity's tension escalate even more. What the hell? She slowly closed her eyes, almost resignedly, while Oliver noticed in the corner of his eyes Diggle grab the box of cereals Lilly had obviously left to lay around and start eating them one by one as if it were pop corn.
"And who are you?" Taylor asked expectantly. Oh yes. Lilly was definitely her daughter. Same tone, same attitude. He could see in her eyes that she knew him from somewhere but hadn't put her finger on it yet — he was used to it. He could also see the wheels in her head turning really fast.
They were both missing something and trying to piece the situation together.
"Taylor, this is Oliver. Oliver, this is Taylor."
Felicity's voice was so strained, it didn't even sound like her anymore.
"Hi. Nice to meet you," Oliver said, holding out his hand but still eyeing Felicity, a little vexed.
Taylor shook it with energy, smiling politely. "Oliver… I can't quite place you, I'm sorry…" she said, obviously sensing her friend's discomfort. "And don't be creeped out but I feel like I've seen you before? I'm terrible with names, I should say so it doesn't mean Felicity never mentioned you."
Oliver bit back the taunt that he, for one, had never heard of her before. But Diggle chuckled, trying to hide it with a terrible impression of a cough that had everyone looking at him. Everyone, except Lilly who was still watching her TV show and ignoring the adults.
"You might have seen me before," Oliver explained wryly. "I'm Oliver Queen."
Taylor's hand fell from his, and Oliver did not miss the way Felicity suddenly found herself highly interested in the hem of the shirt she was wearing. She stilled at the same time as Taylor who turned her head to look at Dig, then glance at him, then at Felicity whose face was slowly becoming redder and redder.
She'd finally noticed what she was wearing.
"Oliver Queen," Taylor repeated slowly. "As in Queen Consolidated?"
"Yes," Oliver nodded.
"As in Smoak's boss."
Felicity slid from her chair, staring at the floor, and pulled at the hem of the shirt as if it would make it grow longer.
"Former boss," Oliver confirmed. "I kinda lost my company."
His I.T girl was slowly walking backwards in the direction of her room when Taylor's arm flew out to grab her friend's. So she'd heard about him. The… thing… that was in Taylor's eyes was definite proof that she knew perfectly who he was. And Oliver wondered just what Felicity had told her about him that would have Felicity want to melt away and disappear.
"Laptop Guy is Oliver Queen?" she suddenly screeched.
Laptop Guy? What was that… Okay. Dig and Felicity had been right — he did not even have the first clue about what was going on.
"Oh, Oliver look at the time!" Felicity said immediately, dropping the shirt to look at a nonexistent watch on her wrist and grabbing his arm to walk him towards the door. "John, you guys had so much to do today! Thanks for dropping by but I…"
"Felicity Meghan Smoak," Taylor thundered, making the poor girl wince and flinch. "You filthy, dirty, disgusting liar!"
"I didn't lie!" Felicity mumbled weakly. "You just assumed…"
"When you said you were an executive assistant you forgot to mention that he'd turned into the C.E.O! I really underestimated your talent for euphemisms! 'Son of someone important'? 'We're good friends'?"
"Well it's true!" Felicity barely articulated. "He's the son of someone important and we are good friends!"
She looked up at Oliver with insistence, a hopeful gleam in her eyes that was supposed to prompt him to back her up. So he nodded, still feeling at a loss. He couldn't block out the sound of Diggle digging his hand in the cereal box, nor the sight of Lilly suddenly turning her head to watch the interaction with amused curiosity. Taylor however, was not buying any of it.
"You said you weren't sleeping with him!"
Felicity's eyes bugged out of her face in shock, her mouth agape by then. Frankly, Oliver was this close to reacting the same way.
"I'm… I'm not— we're not," she opposed, baffled, refusing to look at Oliver now.
"So you just parade around in barely any clothes in front of all your bosses? Or it's just the ones who randomly show up at your place with their bodyguard on a Saturday morning?"
Oliver pressed his lips and had to admit that Taylor had a point. And she didn't even know it was the one he'd given her when she'd been shot by Tockman. Taylor's head would probably explode if she knew.
"No!" Felicity exclaimed vehemently. "This is— This is all a misunderstanding I didn't— You know how I get when…"
The poor girl was literally withering under her friends' stares. As Taylor's eyebrow suddenly arched, Felicity stopped still and closed her eyes.
"Three, two, one…"
"Felicity and I were supposed to meet up," Oliver intervened gently, taking pity on the girl. "Since you came here unannounced and apparently involved tequila in the mix, Felicity forgot to tell me yesterday evening. I got worried and showed up. Like a friend. As to Felicity's state of dress… well it's… just… Felicity."
He didn't waiver under Taylor's implacable stare, but she really was scary. Felicity seemed both disgruntled and relieved by Oliver's honest explanation and stayed quiet.
"Right," Taylor eventually stated. "You're friends. All three of you spend a lot of time together during week-ends."
Felicity frowned, her head tilting of its own accord, trying to decipher whether there was a hidden meaning behind the words. Oliver just shrugged: it was the truth. They did spend a lot of time together. He wouldn't tell Taylor that he'd slept at Felicity's place while she pulled an all-nighter at her new job because she'd jump to conclusions but all in all… They were friends. More than that. Partners (who were in love with each other, but weren't dating. Yet. Because Felicity had no clue, because he'd spent a LOT of time keeping her at arms length).
All of which Taylor obviously didn't know about, which made sense when Oliver thought about it.
"Right," Oliver confirmed candidly.
"How would you like to go to dinner with us, Mr Queen? John Diggle's invited too."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Diggle smiled.
"Yes you would," Felicity growled. "And Oliver has a ton of plans. He has a hearing to prepare for, business to attend, man, so much to do, am I right?"
"Nothing that I can't postpone," Oliver replied, eyes boring into Felicity's before shifting his attention to Taylor. "And please, call me Oliver. Mr Queen was my father."
"I don't know, I kinda liked Laptop Guy." Taylor quipped, obviously amused.
"I really think you have other stuff to do, Oliver," Felicity insisted. "Also, you're broke."
"I can afford a restaurant, thank you very much," he countered, a little defensively.
"John, didn't you say that Lyla really needed you lately? You wouldn't want to upset your very pregnant ex… new? Ex-yet-still-your-wife-somehow?"
Now she was just grasping at straws. It was adorable, but literally useless.
"It's like you don't want me to meet your friends, Smoak!" Taylor smiled sweetly. Too sweetly. "Why wouldn't you want your closest friends to hang out with each other?"
Felicity clapped her mouth shut, pressing her lips together, racking her brains for a way out of that tag-team. After a few seconds however, she shook her head and asked in defeat:
"What time?"
"How does seven sound?" Taylor replied enthusiastically. "Oliver will book the restaurant. I'm sure he knows the best places."
"Will do," Oliver smiled back, his usual Oliver-Queen mask on. "I'll leave you to it then."
John set the cereal box down and wiped his hands on his pants then took a few steps to hug Taylor goodbye, telling her that he'd see her later in the evening. He waved at Lilly as Felicity walked her friend to the door.
"Thank you so much for your help," he heard her grumble sarcastically to Diggle.
"Anytime," the man replied, kissing the top of her head amicably.
She was standing under the porch, obviously waiting for Oliver to join her, and obviously having forgotten yet again that she was still wearing nothing but his shirt. Her bed hair was adorable and it was literally taking everything in Oliver not to throw her over his shoulder and forget about dates and finding the right moment and all the other things that he'd convinced Felicity deserved.
Also, he had a feeling Taylor didn't like him very much and if he knew anything about women it was that it never worked unless you had the best friend's approval. Considering the fact that Oliver didn't even know Taylor existed until that morning, he wasn't entirely sure that rule applied but he found that he wanted Felicity's only apparent family member to like him. She obviously had Felicity's back, and it was clear that they both mattered to each other — that Taylor's opinion mattered to Felicity.
Oliver joined Felicity who closed the door behind him, effectively shutting Taylor out of their conversation.
"I'm so sorry," she murmured, her blues eyes shining with guilt. "I really didn't expect you two to ever meet really…"
"Why?" Oliver couldn't help but ask.
Felicity stayed struck, surprised by the question.
"What do you mean, why?"
"Why would we not meet? She's your oldest and best friend. Why have you never told me about her? Or her about me?"
"I told her about you obviously, I just didn't name names!"
"Laptop Guy, Felicity? Really?"
"She came up with the name. I stayed mum."
He looked at her, staying quiet, which prompted an annoyed eyeroll from Felicity.
"Oliver, you came to my cubicles with the lamest lies. You were basically the only interesting thing that happened at work that my best friend could relate to. Of course I mentioned you. What was I supposed to say? 'Oliver Queen came back from the dead and he's obviously lost a few marbles because he lies to my face and is charmingly shady'?"
"Charmingly shady?" he grinned.
Felicity rolled her eyes again. "You know what I mean. She thinks you were hitting on me and led me on by the way. I always kept her straight but be warned: you've joined the list of guys in my life that she doesn't approve of. To be fair, there wasn't even a list of guys in my life that she approved of until she met Digg, so…"
"She likes Dig?" he couldn't help but ask, a little hurt and feeling a little competitive too.
"Yeah," Felicity deflected, seemingly glad that this was the only thing he chose to focus on.
He was saving them both, truthfully. He had indeed used his charms and his 'flirty-flirt' talents to get her to do what he wanted at first. Of course her best friend, only having Felicity's perspective on the story wouldn't appreciate that. And he also knew what cover story Diggle had used that last summer when he'd disappeared to Lian Yu (going to Europe to chill with chicks) which couldn't have helped him win points with Felicity's best friend.
"Oliver, you guys can't come to dinner," Felicity kept going. "What if there's an emergency and we all have to disappear? How are we going to explain that? 'Sorry, we've all got explosive diarrhea'?"
She seemed to regret the words as soon as they left her mouth. Oliver chuckled. He couldn't help it, he dropped his hand on her shoulder and pressed it slightly. He found that he'd forgotten what she was wearing too and the feeling of the fabric under his fingers sent a jolt through him. The warmth of her skin seeping through the shirt was as pleasurable as knowing that she was wearing something of his.
This repressed attraction thing was getting out of hand. Soon. He would ask her out soon. But not now, not when her best friend was here.
"Look, things have been going better lately. There aren't that many emergencies anymore, maybe this time we actually take a night off and let you enjoy a quiet evening? Worst case scenario, Roy can handle it. I mean, wouldn't it be nice to actually hang out somewhere other than Verdant and with your friends?"
She'd gone back to biting her thumbnail worriedly. He took that as a yes.
"So I get why you didn't tell her about me…" he started again.
"It's not that I didn't tell her about you. It's just that… what was I supposed to say? How do I explain that we've become friends?"
"There's nothing to explain…"
"She knows me better than I know myself," Felicity cut frustratingly. "She saw me… We've never grown apart all these years, how rare is that? How am I supposed to explain how you went from lame-ass stories to you disappearing to Europe to us being such good friends that you promoted me without her asking questions that you know as well as I do that I can't answer? You didn't even like me when we first started working together!"
"What? That's not true!" Oliver countered, taken aback by the words.
"Oliver, you treated me like a slave at best. 'Do this. Look for that. I don't want your input.' I quit, at first, remember? You only began being nice to me when I almost got my head blown up."
He thought back to that night when Digg and him had found her with the bomb around her neck and his absolute fear that he'd failed her. The nice, innocent, delightful girl who brought the first genuine smiles he'd given in five years. He tried to open his mouth to apologize, but Felicity didn't let him. She smiled peacefully and kept going.
"Not telling Taylor your name, and more of you in the first place, it wasn't me trying to block you out, it was me trying to protect myself. I'm an awkward and terrible liar, and I'm saying this to the guy who told me he was carrying a hangover cure in syringes."
Oliver smiled despite himself and shook his head amusedly.
"I get it," he promised. "But why didn't you tell me about her, then?"
Felicity opened her mouth and stepped out of his reach, her arms wrapping around her frame. He tried to ignore how much he didn't like it.
"Because…" she hesitated. She took a deep breath, and seemed to be bracing herself. "At first, it was because you weren't exactly available emotionally. I'm not sure you were interested in my goddaughter's antics and her mother's crazy ideas for me back when we started our night-job."
Aoutch. Well. Okay, Oliver could grant her that. He remembered that he liked her rambles, and she'd brought up a few random stories but nothing personal because Oliver wasn't interested in anything personal. His quest was as personal as he could get then. But things had changed. She'd brought him back. Literally. She'd gone to pick him up, dust him off and she'd wriggled her way into his heart like no one ever had.
They were partners, for god's sakes, and she couldn't even tell him anything personal? He had to wait for his family to literally crumble to pieces for her to bring up one story about hers?
"But what about since then?" he asked softly, his eyes searching hers.
"Oliver… Everything in my life revolves around you. Taylor… Taylor is the only thing that's just mine. I have so much to hide from her already, she's kept so far away from all of this and… it's refreshing to have something that separate. It sometimes feels a little schizophrenic but I manage and it feels good. I guess I'm just trying to hold onto something… So I don't lose myself."
The sentence had a punching effect on Oliver who tried to stomach it without making Felicity feel bad. He understood the feeling. He was tainting her, surrounding her with darkness and she was losing it. Taylor, she was her light, she kept her sane…
"I get it," he said hollowly. "I won't come tonight…"
Felicity blinked upon seeing his face and her hand flew to catch his, her other one squeezing his shoulder tenderly.
"No, no, no! Don't… You don't understand. I'm happy with our crazy life. God, I wouldn't trade it for the world! I was the one who came asking for more, wasn't I? I'm just saying… I trapped myself with my lies, and I'm so bad at lying it's easier to keep things straight if I'm the only one in control. Also, I'll add for the sake of argument that it's not always easy being part of the guys, you know? You all tend to forget that I'm a girl. Taylor won't let me."
Okay, this was as far from the truth as could be possible, and if he were honest with himself, Oliver should be more hurt by the fact that she thought he saw her as "one of the guys" than by the fact that she seemed sort of okay with it. At that rate, he wasn't even sure Felicity would say yes when he'd be ready to ask her out.
Or that she'd believe that he wasn't kidding.
Now that he thought about it, she'd tossed aside his 'I love you' and his refusal to confirm or deny whether he meant it or not very easily. So… okay maybe over the years he'd sort of used her gullibility and abused her niceness. She kept him on his toes but she gave him so much he forgot that he was actually taking… and losing her in the process. She didn't think he was remotely interested in her. At all.
What the hell was he going to do?
"Plus, she won't let you cancel," Felicity kept on going resignedly. "It's too late now. Made my bed. Might as well lie in it. I just… Urgh. Please don't believe a word she says about anything. She loves pushing people's buttons, it's just the way she is. Also, she can be very aggressive and protective of me."
"Ah! Good." Oliver grinned shyly. "We already have one thing in common. Relax. I won't humiliate you."
"It's not you I'm worried about," Felicity finished sadly.
Oliver's hand cupped her jaw, and she leaned into it with a grin of her own.
"I'll pick you guys up at six forty okay? I'll be my charming self all night, prove to her that there's a reason behind our friendship."
He began walking backwards, heading towards his motorcycle slowly. Felicity crossed her arms on her chest and leaned against the door, smiling dejectedly.
"Oh, that's why we're friends? Your charm?" Felicity mocked. "I thought it was because I'm the only one willing to put up with you!"
"Well, there's that too," Oliver admitting, almost shouting by then. "Nice shirt, by the way!"
He only missed Felicity's blush because she was literally running back in her town house where he was pretty sure Taylor was waiting impatiently for more questioning, and actual explanations. Oliver found he actually felt nervous and couldn't really wait for tonight. He had a feeling he'd learn more about Felicity in one evening than he had in the past two years.
#
Taylor Young knew who she was. She was a mother. She was a wife. But first and foremost, even before she'd become all of this, she was Felicity Smoak's best friend.
And she owed her. She owed her her sanity, her life, and her somewhat healthy relationship with her daughter. Felicity was the sister Taylor had never had. She was the yin to her yang (or the other way around, she didn't know which was great and what the other one was).
She'd seen Felicity go from the teenager who lacked self-confidence and tried to blend in, petrified with the fear that she might someday become her mother to the assertive competent woman she'd blossomed into.
She'd also witnessed the other changes in her that had occurred since she'd met the man Taylor called Laptop Guy. Oliver Queen. Man. She hadn't seen that coming.
Felicity and Taylor had always had that unspoken agreement about men. The ones that didn't really matter, they mentioned immediately and were allowed to dissect, mock and toss aside as soon as anything happened. That was why Taylor had never really had any trouble dissing "Boring Wade".
But for the past two years or so, Felicity had gone quiet. Taylor had noticed. Felicity was always busy, busier than usual and she was always hanging out with John Diggle, and working for Laptop Guy. Taylor did not like Laptop Guy. She was willing to give Oliver Queen a chance, but she could honestly say that she did not respect nor like Laptop Guy.
Laptop Guy was the man who ignored Felicity's upbringing, Felicity's hopes and hard work to get into M.I.T in order to facilitate his own life. Laptop Guy was the guy who hit on Felicity for months before asking for more favors, before ditching her for girls with low-self-esteem in Europe… Laptop Guy was the person whom Felicity had apparently dragged back from Europe so he'd take on some responsibilities and he'd thanked her by promoting her without a warning, without asking.
Taylor remembered vividly Felicity's outrage at the nomination, and then the quiet acknowledgement that she couldn't let "him" down and that "he" needed her. Now that Taylor knew that "him" was Oliver Queen, the lamest C.E.O of all time, everything made a lot more sense. The bodyguard, the importance, the trust issues… The truth was, she was hurt by the fact that Felicity had kept it hidden.
Because it could only mean one thing. Laptop Guy could be dissed, could be mocked, could be insulted. Oliver Queen couldn't. Wouldn't be. Oliver Queen mattered way more than she'd ever know. And that honestly scared Taylor.
She understood way more than Felicity thought she did. She understood now why Felicity was so sure that he wasn't hitting on her all this time. Why she was so adamant about the fact that he wanted her brains and her abilities and not her body. It was because she did not think it could happen. Yet, from the little interaction that she'd seen between the two, Taylor could tell that there was definitely more between them than what she'd been told, than what she'd even dared to assume.
Taylor Young knew who she was. She was a nosy brat who was fiercely protective of those she loved. Felicity Smoak was one of them. So of course, as soon as John Diggle had left and Felicity closed the door to have a private conversation with Oliver Queen, she'd put a finger on her lips to a judging Lilly and pressed her ear against the door and listened in on the conversation.
She hadn't understood a lot, but she'd understood enough to know that there was more to that whole thing, and that Felicity was lying to her in order to protect him. Taylor wasn't angry at her friend for that. She knew better than anyone how important it was for someone to have a friend who knew there was more to a story but didn't push. She would never be thankful enough to Felicity for not asking about Lilly's father. So she'd return the favor and wouldn't be questioning Oliver, Felicity and John Diggle's odd friendship — nor the secrets behind it. Oliver had a reason to go to Felicity. He obviously respected her and appreciated her a lot, she'd discerned the tenderness and concern in his voice.
When Felicity had run back inside, avoiding her eyes and heading directly to her bedroom to change out of what Taylor had guessed was Oliver's shirt (who other OQ had their initials sewed into their collars?) and into more appropriate clothes, Taylor had let her. Felicity had apparently decided that she'd act as if the entire morning had not happened. Again, Taylor let her. If Felicity wanted to play mind games, Taylor knew she'd win. She wasn't the one who was hiding something.
That was why around five she decided it was time to get ready. She was surprised to find Felicity seated in her underwear, staring at her dressing with a frown.
"Don't know what to wear?" she taunted.
"I don't know where we're going," Felicity answered naturally. "If it's Big Belly — which we should because Oliver's broke and can't exactly afford Table Salt anymore — I can go casual and wear my jeans but knowing him he'll want to treat us right and take us to some place fancier."
She suddenly stood up and perused through her clothes, taking a tight black camisole and a flowing dotted skirt that reached right over her knees. Taylor hadn't really noticed the change in Felicity's dresser until now. There was a multitude of bright colors and adorable outfits that seemed dressed up yet not uptight. Once she was dressed, Felicity looked both like a mature woman that you'd be wrong not to take seriously and a very hot confident badass. She let her hair down, brushing it so it'd spread casually around her shoulders. Taylor was amazed: it was typically Felicity but breathtaking. It had character and was remarkable while still low-key enough not to draw too much attention. Taylor felt pride spread in her: for so long, she had hated that Felicity tried to blend in. She wasn't trying to anymore. And it suited her perfectly.
"You're not wearing contacts?"
"Why would I?" Felicity wondered. "It's only for special occasions."
Taylor sat on her friend's bed, considering her reactions carefully.
"So it's true then? There's nothing special for you to go to a restaurant with your boss and his bodyguard?"
Felicity's eyes met Taylor's through the mirror as she sighed.
"We don't usually go to the restaurant, we go to Big Belly Burger or we eat take-out. But yes, I'm used to hanging out with them. We're all friends."
"But you don't tell them about you."
Felicity's hand jolted and spread mascara on her eye messily.
"What?"
"Oliver didn't know I existed, admit it. You hang out with them, but they don't know you."
"They know me differently," Felicity eluded, trying to wipe the mascara away distractedly.
"They don't know about your past," Taylor insisted.
"My past," Felicity mocked. "Trust me, I'm not as interesting as you make me sound. It just never comes up. I've mentioned you without saying your name, but most of the time we work. Oliver doesn't usually drop by my place, he's only a little paranoid about safety stuff because of the island. Oh speaking of which, there's a list of topics you are not allowed to broach during this dinner. It's on my bedside table."
"A list of topics I'm not allowed to broach," Taylor repeated with as much skepticism as she could. "Of course there's a list: I'm hanging out with Felicity Smoak."
She took one peek at it and rolled her eyes immediately.
"Of course I wasn't going to bring up the island! Who do you think I am? Oh, hell no. There's no way I'm not bringing your exes up. I want him to hear about Perfect Night."
"NO!" Felicity spun on her heels. "Taylor Young, no! You are not, under any circumstances, allowed to even think about Perfect Night!"
"Who do you think is better in bed? Oliver Queen or Perfect Night? I won't lie, I've been wondering about that since I laid eyes on him. How do you even keep yourself from jumping him every occasion you get?"
Felicity blinked repeatedly, trying to keep her composure (and failing). "I'm a professional."
They shared a look, testing each other, then Taylor burst out in a laugh that she was sure she'd ever be able to stop.
"Yeah right. You sound like a hooker."
"Whatever," Felicity puffed, "you'll see, there's nothing going on between us. Strictly platonic. And before you say anything, you'll be the witness that the guy has sexual chemistry with a fork. So hold back your horses. Nothing's going on. And tonight is going to be proof of that."
Taylor couldn't help but smirk. Felicity wore his shirt when she fell asleep completely drunk. They needed to reassure each other about the other's importance in their lives. He came to her apartment to make sure nothing was wrong with her when they were not even working together anymore.
'Tell that to someone else,' Taylor wanted to say. But she knew Felicity. She knew she didn't want to hear it. She knew there were other things, other secrets. So she settled for something simpler.
"Fine. I'm expecting to be dazzled by all the friendliness of your relationship. But know that I'll only believe you if you braid each other's hair."
"You're insufferable."
Soon enough, Oliver knocked at the door, carrying two beautiful bouquets. Taylor shook her head dismissively. Maybe he was always like that (understand: over the top), but Taylor appreciated that he was trying. He'd sensed her reticence earlier and him trying to impress Felicity's best friend meant that he wanted them to get along, if only for Felicity's sake.
Oliver Queen was winning a few points.
"Lilly's not coming along?" he asked, sneaking a glance over her shoulder and looking slightly relieved.
"Oh honey, you'll thank me later for that," Taylor answered, taking the bouquets and settling them in a vase. "Bringing a snarky ten year-old kid at a restaurant with only adults for company would have driven everyone nuts."
"She's at Carly's," Felicity explained, rolling her eyes. "Lilly and A.J get along great. And she was not looking forward to hanging out with older peoples. I'm twenty-six, and officially uncool… That didn't last."
Oliver's smile turned from one of façade to a genuinely moved one. Taylor blinked, impressed by the sudden change Felicity elicited in the man. Oh there was definitely more about them.
"I'm sure she still thinks you're cool," he said amusedly.
"See it that way: you can't be more uncool than I am, don't worry…" Taylor soothed. "You should have been there during that whole 'I want an iPhone 9' conversation. My ears are still bleeding. Thankfully, I'm heartless. Or at least, that's what she yelled. I'm like that Game of Throne character that you like so much: I know nothing."
"There's no such thing as an iPhone 9 yet." Felicity frowned.
"Of course, that's what you take from that story. Anyway. Shall we go? I'm kid free tonight, or as kid-free as I can get right now, and I am looking forward to thoroughly enjoying the fact that your social life has expanded."
They stepped under the porch while Felicity locked the door, and Taylor noticed how automatically Oliver moved to make more space and settle his hand on the small of her back, prompting Taylor's eyebrows to arch on her forehead. She glanced quickly at Felicity to check her reaction and was fascinated by her lack of one. Her blond friend straightened up and grinned at Oliver, dangling her keys in front of him.
"See? Locked."
"I know you lock your door," Oliver rolled his eyes, pushing Felicity slightly so she'd start walking, under Taylor's highly interested stare. "I just told you not to keep a spare key in your car. What if someone steals your car and decides to pay a visit?"
"Jeez, it was one time!"
"Granted, I don't know who would be weird enough to want to steal your car…"
"Stop right there Oliver Queen," Felicity cut, as Oliver opened the passenger door to let her sit, which she did automatically. Taylor opened her own door and settled on the backseat, oddly content with the fact that she was being completely ignored. She was too fascinated by the interaction to take it personally. This was better than reality TV. "Do not talk ill of my baby. Who wouldn't want to steal it? It's adorable!"
"A cereal box is bigger!" Oliver threw.
"Oh!" Felicity gasped in outrage. "Take that back! We can't all afford Bentley's, Mister-I'm-broke-but-don't-realize-it. You've never read my memo on how to live on a budget have you?"
"I…'ve been busy?" Oliver winced.
Oh this was too precious. And typical Felicity Smoak.
"You wrote him a memo?" Taylor chipped in. "Even I wouldn't want to read that. And I've been broke most of my life."
The ride to the restaurant was spent listening to Felicity's rambles, and Taylor studying Oliver and Felicity closely. Oliver showed impressive patience with Felicity's storytelling abilities — a patience that Taylor could admit she didn't remotely possess. She usually forced her friend to go back on track or went nuts. But Oliver always listened, only stopping her once with one knowing grin that made her blush and prompted Taylor to wonder what the hell that grin meant already.
There wasn't any doubt left in her mind. They were friends. They knew each other. And Oliver very obviously respected Felicity as a person and as a woman he worked with. If his patience wasn't enough of a tell, the way he looked at her as she spoke would have convinced even someone blind. Taylor was pretty sure that even Jason didn't look at her that way when she told a story. The sight of Oliver's obvious feelings was as mesmerizing as Felicity's complete obliviousness.
They got out of the car, Felicity still talking animatedly, and met with John Diggle who had come even if his wife (or ex-wife? Taylor couldn't keep up) had declined the invitation, too tired to contemplate a night out. Taylor could relate.
"Oh I remember how it was when I was seven months pregnant. Just the idea of moving made me tired. I was so bloated and I felt so huge… Smoak called me a lazy whale."
"You're taking that out of context!" Felicity protested. "You were using your pregnancy as a constant excuse for not doing anything and not showing up to class and I told you that one lazy whale laying on the couch was enough and I didn't need another one."
Diggle and Oliver chuckled, but Taylor could see that Oliver was trying to decipher who exactly was the other "lazy whale".
"Oh right!" Taylor confirmed. "That was Donna and Craig's third breakup, wasn't it?"
"You called your mom a lazy whale?" Oliver asked with shock.
Felicity blushed and shrugged, so Taylor came to the rescue.
"And trust me on this one, that's another one of Smoak's massive euphemisms. When Donna goes through a breakup it's like the world needs to stop and mourn the shitty relationship she insisted on having. She sprawls on the couch and feels sorry for herself until the guy crawls back or she forgets why she felt miserable in the first place."
Felicity shook her head. "Can we talk about something else, please?"
Taylor frowned. Felicity didn't usually mind when Taylor brought up the topic of Donna "Queen of Drama" Smoak. But she was avoiding Oliver's eyes, Oliver who had obviously sensed Felicity's unease. Was she ashamed? Of her upbringing? Taylor knew Felicity had fought her entire life to get out of Vegas, out of her mother's house. She remembered where she came from, and she owned it like nobody else. Did she fear that Oliver would think less of her if he knew where she grew up?
She wouldn't let Felicity hide that. She had so much to be proud about.
"When I got knocked up at sixteen…"
"Don't say 'knocked up'!" Felicity hissed, making Taylor roll her eyes.
That was the word Donna always used when she spoke about getting pregnant with Felicity. Her best friend hated the word, but Taylor couldn't make her understand that she didn't mean it in a bad way.
"Okay, so when I told my mom I was pregnant, I was four and a half months along and she kicked me out. Smoak didn't think twice, neither did Donna. I stayed for a few months, until Lilly was ready to come out. Without Smoak, I'd probably have given birth in the back of a dirty alley…"
"Or in the sewers," Felicity rolled her eyes at Taylor's exaggeration. "It was nothing."
"It wasn't nothing! Don't ever say that," Taylor protested, turning to face her best friend then addressing the other two guys. "She worked double shifts at a diner with a skeevy boss, went to school and had so many advanced class even my brain fried at the thought, got my homework when I didn't show up and managed to be valedictorian. As if that wasn't enough, she still found the way to drop by the seven eleven on her way home to buy some ice cream and candy to make me feel better. Smoak was awesome."
"Sounds like you haven't changed!" John Diggle chuckled. "You must have been exhausted, doing all of this."
"Not really," Felicity shrugged shyly. "I already did it for my mom. And I never needed much sleep anyway."
Taylor observed Oliver looking at Felicity, and her breath hitched. She had literally never seen as much admiration and pride in someone's eyes. He didn't seem surprised. He seemed unfazed by the news, as if he already knew it but was excited to have confirmation.
"What about you, Oliver Queen?" she tried to deflect because Felicity had invented a whole new shade of red to her face. "What did you do when you were sixteen?"
Oliver's eyes shone with a knowing gleam and shrugged unapologetically.
"I cheated on my girlfriend and drank myself into oblivion with my best friend Tommy."
"Impressive. Did you do any of this in Vegas?"
"Ha, Tommy and I might as well have owned a suite at the Four Seasons."
"Not bad. Maybe we went to the same parties at some point."
Oliver blinked, taken aback, like it was the very first time the thought even crossed his mind and he chuckled, clearly amused.
"Maybe. I really hope not though. I was a douche then."
No one contradicted him, not even Felicity, and this filled Taylor with satisfaction.
At some point, Felicity mentioned that she needed to go to the bathroom but Taylor declined despite knowing that her friend was reluctant to leave her alone with John Diggle and Oliver. However, Taylor knew Felicity waited until the last second to go to the restrooms and couldn't wait Taylor out. The smirk of victory she offered when Felicity gulped and escaped in defeat was met by a murderous and warning look.
"Behave!" she whispered angrily.
"Always."
Felicity kept glancing at them as she headed for the restrooms and by the time Taylor had finished waving at her, Oliver had already seen through the bullshit. Taylor contemplated confronting Oliver but he was obviously expecting it and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction. With a dismissive smirk, Taylor decided to pay more attention to John Diggle and began discussing his impending fatherhood. She completely ignored Oliver who seemed both baffled and relieved. When Felicity walked back, she eyed everyone carefully and sat down, letting Oliver mindlessly slide his arm on the back of her chair. They started a conversation, each looking in the other's eyes, suddenly and effectively blocking out the rest of the world.
Taylor shared a long look with John Diggle who smiled knowingly. He understood what she'd noticed. And he agreed. Oliver Queen was in love with Felicity, and Taylor knew despite all her recriminations that Felicity was head over heels in love with him.
Truthfully, they were both kind of adorable together. Not that Taylor would say anything. She just felt bad for John Diggle who had to suffer through that on a daily basis. Couldn't be easy.
At the end of the meal, the other three stood up with her and began walking towards the exit, leaving a very willing Taylor behind. Felicity was in between the two men, talking animatedly about future plans and Oliver's hand had already glued itself on her back. She noticed how John Diggle was observing their surroundings, making sure that everything was okay. They made an odd group, she thought, but it seemed natural. They just fit together.
Suddenly, Felicity's cellphone rang and all three froze expectantly. Taylor paid extra attention as Felicity read what was written and shared an anxious look with Oliver first, then showed the content to the bodyguard.
Oliver shook his head, and smiled peacefully at Felicity.
"Roy can handle it," he whispered, but Taylor heard anyway. She was pretending to be texting, acting like she was in her own bubble.
"No, Roy was hurt not so long ago when you guys went nuts in that plane…" Felicity whispered back. "I'm not sure he…"
"Show a little faith in the guy, won't you? Digg, back me up please."
John Diggle nodded assuredly. "He's taken care of worse by himself last summer, didn't he?"
But Felicity was biting her lips, reading her cellphone over and over, until Oliver's hand came to cover it and take it slowly and softly away, forcing her to plunge her eyes in his.
"We said one night off. And you have a guest at home. I don't think you can ditch Taylor and you said you were a terrible liar. Remember?"
"What if…" Felicity began.
"You know what? I'll go give him a hand, okay?" John cut gently. "So Roy's not alone to deal with all of that, and I know how to run your tracking apps. You guys finish up here and enjoy your evening. How's that?"
Both men stared Felicity down until she relented and nodded that she agreed.
"Tell him to be careful, okay?" she asked, as John Diggle walked up to say goodbye to Taylor.
"I promise I will. Something came up, I'm sorry Taylor. Will I see you before you leave?"
"I hope so! You and your wife, or ex-wife I'm a little confused about all of this, should come to dinner some time this week!"
"I'll let you know," he smiled.
As they rode back home, Felicity checking her phone, Taylor kept observing and reaching conclusions that she found she was at peace with. All she'd ever wanted was for Felicity to find happiness. That was why, despite the fact that she herself was stuck in Vegas with a kid, she had pushed her to go to M.I.T all these years ago. That was why she had let her go, expecting Felicity to fly out and never look back.
Felicity had kept looking back, throughout the years. She'd looked back at her past, at the men who'd treated her like shit, she'd looked back at the people who had been such an important part of her life. These past two years had been tough for Taylor because for the first time, she had seen Felicity in a different light.
For the first time, Taylor had the feeling Felicity was not looking back nor trying to predict the future and control it. From what she'd witnessed that day, for the first time ever, Felicity was living and basking in the moment.
She was no longer blending in. She wore shiny colors. She wore a ponytail that put her face forward, made it brighter. She looked confident, and she'd never been more herself than Taylor had ever seen her be. She wasn't some dull-looking, confidence-lacking woman anymore.
And Taylor had the feeling that she owed that transformation to Oliver Queen. From their interaction, Taylor had witnessed a push and pull dynamic, each carrying the other when needed. When Felicity wasn't so sure, Oliver was reassuring. When Oliver seemed to be lost, Felicity was there. They might not be together (right now) but Taylor had a feeling that it wouldn't take that long. Or that, in the end, it didn't really matter. Oliver Queen, for all his flaws, for all his mistakes, made Felicity truly happy.
Who was she to ask for anything more?
So when Oliver parked the car in front of the little townhouse, Taylor got out immediately.
"You should come to dinner too, next time. If you don't have any plans," she offered to Oliver.
The man looked a little stunned but smiled when he understood what that offer meant. That was a peace offering. That meant that he'd passed the test that Creepy, Smug Bastard and Spinach Wade had failed miserably.
"I'll be there," Oliver replied.
Taylor nodded, then spun on her heels.
She couldn't believe that all this time, Felicity was really destined to meet a Queen, and that this meeting would make her best friend so happy.
Heh. Felicity was so getting an "I told you so" in the morning.
For now, Taylor would let her flirt with Oliver Queen in the car and keep her mouth shut.
Consider that her future-wedding present.
[THE END]
Author's Note: So I'm leaving this open-ended and I'm trying to be as canon as possible with what we know of season 3 so far. It's marked as complete because so far I've told everything I wanted to tell about Felicity and Oliver and how they evolved with each other and by themselves, but I'm going to be hoping that season 3 doesn't just mash completely what I've done and that this story stays somewhat canon. Which means that if it should so happen, I might try to write Felicity and Oliver's [spoiler] interactions from Felicity or Taylor's point of view. Or maybe next summer Taylor can visit again and have an opinion on what happened during season 3 (maybe also during the Christmas hiatus, who knows?). I'm not saying it's going to happen for sure, but I'm not saying a definite no. If you are interested of course.
Thank you again for the support, it's been highly appreciated. I hope this story (so far) pleased you and that you had fun reading it. I definitely had fun writing it.