The ride to her place was nerve-wracking. She'd been nervous on the bike to begin with and it hadn't helped that the only way she'd felt like she wasn't going to fall off was to wrap her arms around Oliver. She'd spent the entire ride consumed with how close their bodies were and there had been a few times when he'd sped up, making her grasp tighten around him, that she'd had a suspicion that he was doing it on purpose. She'd never been so thankful to pull into her driveway and she nearly launched off the bike, drawing a chuckle from Oliver.
She'd started to walk into the house when he stopped her. "I want to check it out first, stay behind me."
She nodded and followed closely behind him as he went into the house, checking every room and closet and nook and cranny until he was convinced everything was in order. When he was done, he plopped himself onto her couch, making himself right at home. She found it to be a little more surreal having Oliver in her home than when she had been in his. She leaned against the counter, facing him. In between bouts of terror on the bike, she realized they were going to have to have some kind of talk if she was going to get any sleep tonight. She wasn't looking forward to the conversation about to happen but they couldn't put it off any longer, proven by their bickering at the lair earlier.
She pushed off the counter and paced between the open rooms. "I think it's time we talked," she said when she finally stopped pacing. He stayed silent on the couch and waited for her to continue. "First, there's something I want to clarify," she wrung her hands together nervously as she spoke. "Last night, when I implied that you couldn't be concerned for my safety because of what happened at the mansion and with Slade, I didn't mean it. I was frustrated and I took it out on you." She walked over to the couch and sat down next to him, close enough their legs were almost touching. "I've told you this before but maybe I should tell you again." She took a deep breath and took his hands in hers. "I believe in you, Oliver, and I always will. I trust your decisions, I trust your plans, and I trust you, whole-heartedly. And in that moment, I felt like you had the same trust and belief in me and I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything. I wouldn't take a single thing back." She squeezed his hands and smiled softly, shrugging her shoulders. "Besides, you know that if I didn't agree with a plan, you would definitely hear about it right off the bat." She expected a chuckle or even the flicker of a smile but the look she was getting didn't have any trace of humor.
His blue eyes had stormed over and were burning into her, stealing all the air from her lungs. Unsure of what was happening, she tried to pull her hands back into her lap but his tightened, keeping her small hands enveloped by his rough, large ones. His eyes didn't leave hers but his thumbs began moving in slow, lazy circles, caressing her skin. She didn't think he even realized what he was doing but her voice had left her and she couldn't bring herself to point it out. "I trust you, Felicity. More than I trust anyone, if I'm honest. When I said there were no other options, it's because there was no one else I could trust to do it. When I saw you, with the same sword that killed my mom at your throat," he trailed off, eyes dropping to their hands. She pulled her right hand away, using it to turn his face back up to hers. He closed his eyes and turned into her hand before grabbing it and moving it away, eyes opening. "In that moment, I thought I was going to lose you, just like I lost her. I wanted to kill him but I didn't. Because of you." His eyes drifted towards her mouth and she subconsciously licked her lips. "I don't know what I would do without you," he admitted.
She was going to tell him she hoped he never found out but the words never left her mouth. The second her lips parted, his hands let go of hers, moving to either side of her head, gently cradling it, and he leaned towards her, her eyes slipping closed in anticipation. His lips softly grazed hers, stopping her heart, and for a brief moment time froze, with his lips against hers, hesitant. Time sped up again as her mouth opened, giving into the kiss. It was a chaste kiss, in the beginning, but it quickly picked up in intensity, his mouth rough, in a good way, against hers. Her hands splayed across his chest, one of his cradling her face and the other fisted in her hair, pulling her closer to him. His tongue massaged hers and she gave everything she had into the kiss, every feeling towards Oliver that she'd kept locked away poured into him. It was earth-shattering.
Reluctantly, they pulled apart. Her hands stayed on his chest and he took her face in his again. "Felicity, I—"
BOOM!
Her front door exploded open, the jamb shattering, and both Oliver and her launched themselves off the couch. A large, imposing man picked himself off the door that was now on the floor. Oliver placed his body in front of her. "Go to your bedroom and block the door," he told her, eyes never leaving the intruder. "Now, Felicity!"
She bolted across the room, her socks sliding across the hardwood. She changed paths halfway there, taking a detour to grab her jacket off the kitchen table where she'd tossed it. She pulled the taser out and turned it on, wanting to be prepared. She saw Oliver duck under a punch before sending his own into the man's gut. She scrambled towards her bedroom, throwing herself into the room and slamming the door behind her. She threw her shoulder into her dresser, trying to push it in front of the door but it didn't budge. Feeling slightly panicked, she looked for anything that she could move in front of the door. It didn't matter though as the window a couple of feet away from her shattered and another man started to climb through. She hesitated before she finally scrambled over and stuck the taser into his back, his body convulsing for a moment before falling still, half-in and half-out the window. Her bedroom door flew open and she screamed. She nearly tased Oliver before she realized it was him. His right cheek was swollen slightly and she knew he'd taken at least one good hit. He frowned at her. "I told you to block the door."
"I tried but my furniture isn't exactly lightweight. Besides, it didn't matter." She gestured behind her to the man hanging out in her window. Oliver's eyes widened as he caught sight of him. "I tased him. Can you make sure he's not dead?" Oliver nodded and made his way over to the window. "I've never used that thing before," she told him while he checked the guy's pulse.
"He's out cold but he's alive. Same thing for the one in your living room. Are you ok?" He strode back over to her, taking her elbow in his hand, while he looked her up and down, checking for visible injuries.
"I'm fine, no one even touched me." Though, she wanted to kick herself. She'd been grasping at straws thinking she could stay at her place. "I guess this is the part where I tell you how you were right and it was a dumb idea to stay here."
"Hey," he said softly. "Nobody got hurt, that's what matters." He looked over his shoulder towards the guy in the window. "Do you have anything we could use to tie them up? Preferably before they wake up." She nodded and went to grab it.
Thankfully, they worked quick, blindfolding and tying both men up before either woke up. They leaned them up against the couch, sitting in the shattered remains of her coffee table. They wouldn't have been so rushed if it had been the Arrow in her living room, not Oliver Queen. She stood next to him in the kitchen, facing the men who had broken into her place. "Now what?" She whispered.
Oliver's brow furrowed. "I suppose we should call Lance."
"And how are we going to explain you?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I feel like I should take offense to that."
She rolled her eyes. "I mean how are we going to explain the fact that Oliver Queen is in my house at two in the morning? Or when that big guy tells him that it was you that knocked him out?"
"I'll tell him I got lucky." A gleam came into his eyes. "Or we could tase him for good measure."
She narrowed her eyes."That still doesn't explain why you're here."
"I was concerned about your safety."
"Didn't you just jump to conclusions about there being a man in my house in the middle of the night? Don't you think Lance is going to think the same thing?"
"Would it really be that big of a deal if that's what he thought?"
This was not how she was expecting this conversation to go. "I don't care if people assume anything about us but you've been lucky that Lance hasn't put two and two together about you being the Arrow, I don't think we should risk it."
He turned around, placing his back to the living room, and crossed his arms across his chest. "What's this really about? Why don't you want to call Lance?"
"Because then the cops will be here and it'll be one more person worried about me. One more person trying to assign me a babysitter." She sighed, shaking her head. "After this meeting with my father, I'll tell the Lieutenant myself, but I don't want to give that man any excuse to not show."
"You think he wouldn't come if the cops were watching the place?"
She snorted. "No, I don't. He's involved with the Cassavettes, maybe indirectly or maybe he's up to his eyeballs in this stuff, we don't know. What I do know is that he doesn't sound like someone who wants cops involved."
"I get that but we have to do something with these guys."
She thought for a minute. "Maybe I could get Lance to give me a day, I'll explain most of what's going on, have him book these guys but keep other cops out of it until tomorrow."
"Do you think he'll go for it?"
She shrugged. "I hope so because I have no other ideas." She grabbed her phone and dialed his number.
"Lance," he answered half-asleep.
"It's Felicity, I need you to come to my place. Alone."
"What's going on? Did something happen? Are you ok?" He sounded more alert now.
"I'll explain everything when you get here. It's kind of complicated."
He grumbled something about of course it was but he agreed to come over. She told him the address and hung up. "He's on his way. What are you going to do?"
"I'm staying here." He looked like he was waiting for an argument but when it didn't come, he continued. "Even if I was ok with leaving you here or hiding outside, that guy saw my face and I'm not taking the chance that he knows who I am. So I'm staying."
She couldn't argue with that and she was too tired to try anyways. "Then I guess we wait."
They spent the next half an hour quietly watching the two men on the floor, who had regained consciousness within minutes of each other. They had strained at their bindings when they'd first come to but had fallen relatively still since then. Though, they'd become quite obnoxious and she was worried about her neighbors calling the cops, that was why there was now duct tape over their mouths. Neither Oliver or her had spoken since, knowing that their uninvited guests were listening in. Which she found extremely frustrating seeing as she was having an internal freak-out and would like a chance to talk about it.
She started that conversation hoping to clear the air and gain some understanding about their feelings and now...she felt more confused than ever. He kissed her. And she'd kissed him back. They'd crossed a completely different line than they ever had before and she didn't know what to do. She'd known for a long time that she'd had strong feelings for him and the confession that she'd thought was fake had made her reassess how she truly felt. She knew she was in love with him but she also knew that if it came down to it, she could bury those feelings, deep. That certainty had dwindled after that kiss and she was starting to worry her feelings were taking permanent roots. Her life had been rocked by a single kiss, an amazing kiss, a kiss she would replay in her head over and over and over again, and she didn't know whether to be ecstatic or scared or both.
"Jesus, what the hell happened here?" Lance's voice pulled her from her thoughts as he stepped through the open space where her front door used to be. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Oliver. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." He noticed the two men tied up on the floor. "Someone needs to explain what the hell is going on here."
Felicity gestured towards the kitchen table. "You should probably sit down. This might take a while." He shook his head in what she took as exasperation but he obliged.
She sat across from him. "Those guys broke in, trying to kidnap me for the Cassavettes."
He tensed. "Why did the Cassavettes send someone to kidnap you?"
"I don't know if they sent them directly but they're responsible for them being here. They want me captured, alive. And before you ask, I don't know why. There's two stories circling around, one is that they want me to get to the Arrow and the other is that I've made some personal enemies within the family."
"Have you? Made any enemies out of the family?"
"Not that I know of and I couldn't find anything that tied me to any of them. There's something else, too. I found out about this through someone my father sent to warn me."
Quentin's eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "Does your dad work for them?"
"I don't know. He left when I was six and I haven't seen him since. He's coming here tomorrow and that's why I need a favor."
He sighed. "What do you need?"
"I need you to take these guys in but I don't want to be tied to it yet. I'm worried he won't show if the cops have been here."
He looked at the guys on the floor. "I can do that but you'll have to come down and give a statement. You can do it after you meet with your father."
She thought for a second before nodding. "That works. Let me know their names later so I can do some checking around." She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I really appreciate this."
He waved her off. "Just don't make a habit out of it." He pointed towards the men. "We're going to have to untie them so I can cuff them. I can't take them in like that." His eyes flicked over to Oliver, who'd tried to fade into the back, leaning against the wall. He looked back to Felicity. "Is our friend aware of what's happening?"
She resisted the urge to look at Oliver. "He knows."
Quentin nodded, turning in his chair to face Oliver. "And how are you involved in all of this?"
Oliver pushed off the wall. "Felicity let me know some of what was going on and I was concerned about my friend."
"So you offered your protection?"
Oliver smirked slightly. "Not exactly. I just thought she would feel better if someone stayed with her."
"So are you responsible for those two in there?"
"He knocked out one guy but I got the other one with my taser," Felicity said proudly.
Lance shook his head but she caught the hint of a smile. "Alright, let's get these guys in some cuffs and get them out of here."
After the men were secured in the back of his car, Lieutenant Lance lingered for a moment. "Can I talk to Felicity alone for a minute, Oliver?"
Oliver hesitated briefly before nodding. "I'll be outside."
Lance waited until he was gone before speaking. "Felicity, I don't know what you've gotten yourself into here but it's some deep shit. I did this for you because you're a smart girl and I respect you but I don't think you should be in this house, even if it means not meeting your father."
She knew where he was coming from and she knew he was right but she was really tired of people telling her what to do. "My father is the key to all of this."
"Then meet him somewhere else. This place isn't safe."
"Look, I have no way to contact him and I can't risk this meet not happening."
He gave her a disbelieving look. "I think that the gaping hole in place of your front door might give him second thoughts anyways."
"I'll figure it out, Lieutenant." She was tired of arguing, the day finally getting to her, leaving her exhausted. "Thanks again for everything."
She could tell that he wanted to say more about the subject but something on her face changed his mind. "Just be careful, Felicity." He looked out into the night. "There are people in this city who care about you, remember that before you do anything stupid."
She nodded, words escaping her, and he left after a final concerned look. She looked around her destroyed living room, Lieutenant Lance's parting words weighing heavily on her. This had always been her safe place, where she went to regain her sanity when life was getting too crazy, and now it was ruined. A sob climbed up her throat but she swallowed it, refusing to let this get to her. Hers arms tightened around her mid-section and she sank down onto the couch, the combination of everything plus her exhaustion was leaving her feeling depressed. A feeling that she did not have time for. Her head fell into her hands and she took a deep breath, trying to calm her thoughts.
Oliver placed his hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok?"
"No," she admitted, horrified to find a tear had managed to escape her eye, running down her face. She wiped it away angrily and moved over, making room for Oliver. "I can't get my footing. Every time I start to come to terms with the newest thing screwing up my life, something like this happens." She took a shaky breath and Oliver's arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him. She gave in and leaned against him, inhaling his scent deeply, and it had an immediate calming effect on her. "I don't know what to do, Oliver."
He cupped her chin was his hand that wasn't around her and turned her face up to him. "We'll figure it out. We always do."
She smiled faintly. "Shouldn't I be telling you that?"
He smiled back at her, still able to make her heart flutter. "You're always there to talk sense into me, make me feel better, put me on the right path. You are always there for me, Felicity, always there to tell me that you believe in me, that I'm not alone. It's time I got to return the favor." Her heart swelled and for a moment, she forgot all about mobsters, fathers, and break-ins. "There are things we have to talk about but this isn't the time. When this is over, though, we're going to sit and have a real discussion about—this." She knew he was talking about them and she agreed whole-heartedly but it made her anxious to think about it. He placed a light kiss on her forehead. "Now go get some sleep. I'll keep watch and try to fix that door."
She got off the couch, stretching and yawning, happy there had been no mention of her staying somewhere else. "Go for it. I really don't want to have to explain that to Mr. Shultz. Nosy old man," she grumbled. She spared Oliver one last look. "Good night, Oliver. And thank you, for everything."
He was relieved when he heard light snores coming from her bedroom, signifying she'd finally crashed. She'd been dead on her feet and needed sleep but he knew from personal experience that just because you needed sleep didn't mean it would come. There was a very vocal voice in his head telling him to join her, lay down with her and get some sleep but he didn't.
He was more than happy to fix the door, giving his mind something to focus on other than the woman sound asleep in the other room. He was still surprised that he'd kissed her but he didn't regret it. He hadn't planned on it and he didn't even realized what was happening until his lips were against hers but listening to her tell him, again, how she believed in him and trusted him had made him feel like his heart was going to burst out of his chest. This wasn't the right time and that voice in his reared up again, telling him there was no such thing as the right time, things would always be happening. That was the life they had both chosen and there was no room for a relationship, they both knew it. But he was finding that he cared less and less about all the reasons they shouldn't be together, finding it harder to ignore his feelings. He thrived on being in control of himself but it was quickly slipping away as far as she was concerned. He'd bottled all these feelings up, not even letting them out to examine for himself, and he'd been doing it since the day he met her. In that moment at the mansion, he'd let them out, surprising himself, but since then he'd been unable to put them away again, they were always there in the back of his mind. In the immediate aftermath of the attack on the city, he'd been able to keep them quiet but ever since his conversation with Laurel, they had become deafening.
He was in love with Felicity Smoak and he was tired of pretending he wasn't. He would wait until she was ready to hear it but even then there was no guarantee. They could lay it all out on the table, they could feel the same way, but as far as their future went, he didn't know where that would leave them. He didn't want to lose her and he would do anything to keep her in his life. Anything. If that meant he had to shove his feelings aside and be simply her friend, that's exactly what he would do. Before he could worry about that, though, he had to keep her alive. God help anyone that stood in his way.
He'd finished putting the door up when Dig showed up for his turn keeping an eye on Felicity. It was a make-shift door but it would do until she got a new door. He still hadn't made it around to picking up the remains of the living room and Dig's eyes widened when he saw it. "What happened last night?"
"Two guys broke in here and I think it's safe to say they were here for Felicity."
Dig shook his head. "She shouldn't have stayed here last night."
"Can you really blame her for wanting to? Besides, she tased one of those guys." Oliver knew his own proud expression mirrored Dig's.
"I just want to find whoever is responsible for this. I hate that she's being targeted like this."
"And I get the feeling this is just getting started. This break-in isn't going to be the only time these guys are going to come after her. I hope her father comes through tonight." If he didn't show, they didn't have any other plan. At least a plan that he was comfortable with.
"We need a break in this, soon."
Oliver nodded and they stood there quiet for a second, deep in their own thoughts.
"Can I ask you something, man?" Dig glanced towards Felicity's bedroom and Oliver had an idea of where Dig was going with this.
"What?"
Dig looked towards the bedroom again and lowered his voice. "What's going on with you two?
"I don't know. It's complicated." Dig gave him a look that clearly told him that answer wasn't going to do. "I care about her, Dig, but I don't want to screw this up."
"I don't want that to happen either. Don't get me wrong, I think you guys would be good for each other but I want to make sure you're serious about this before you do something you can't take back."
Oliver flashed back to the kiss they shared and hoped Dig couldn't read the guilt on his face. "I'm trying to be as smart about this as I possibly can. I know I don't have the best track record with women but I do know that I don't want to hurt Felicity and I don't want to lose her."
"Just remember that. I want both of you to be happy and even though you're not the same playboy that you use to be but that doesn't mean you won't break her heart. And if that happens you won't lose just her," Dig stared him down, making sure his point came across. "I don't speak for Roy but I think he'd feel the same."
"The last thing I want to do is break her heart and if it means forgetting about these feelings and moving on with my life, I will. I don't know what I'm going to do yet but now isn't the time. We've got to take care of this Cassavette problem first."
"Speaking of which, you should head home, get some sleep. I'll keep her safe."
Oliver nodded, considering for a moment peeking into the bedroom and checking on her before he left but he decided against it. "Call me if there are any problems." He didn't have much hope that he would sleep but maybe having a moment to himself would clear his head.