NEVER TOO LATE

Chapter 4

A/N: The aftermath: Oliver and Felicity feel the effects of the disappointing fallout on the night of the gala. They're back to square one, but they unexpectedly get help.

Oliver spent the last thirty minutes staring at the digital spreadsheet on his computer monitor and not accomplishing any of the work he had set out to do for the shop's accounts that day. Just like yesterday, and the day before, and the days before that, there had been no drive to work or study like there used to be.

It had been almost two weeks since Felicity got back from Vegas, but he hadn't gone to see her. Not even once. He had texted her three times to ask how she was doing, and she had replied each time, albeit with short, simple messages like "I'm fine" or "I'm doing okay," which didn't really tell him much except that she probably didn't miss him as much as he missed her. And terribly so.

Before she left for spring break (that is, after the disappointing night when she begged him to leave her apartment at the height of a passionate-moment-gone-mysteriously-wrong) she had texted him that he could see her when she returned only if he promised that they would just remain friends. That was a promise he knew he couldn't keep. He respected her wishes, but he couldn't do what she asked of him. He wasn't willing to. Sure, he could still hang out with her, go running in the park or walking with her on the boardwalk, and pretend that it's okay with him for them to just be friends. But it wouldn't be the truth.

He remembered what he had said before when he was still trying to get her to go on a first date with him – that he was willing to try to ask her out one more time, and if she declined again, he wouldn't mind simply being friends. That wasn't the case anymore. No, not after all the time he'd spent getting to know her more and liking what he's discovered about her so far. Not after sweet-tooth afternoons and coffee cup conversations that opened up their hearts to each other in ways he had only dreamed of in the past two years of grief. How could he just stay friends with her after experiencing first-hand how breathtaking it felt to hold her tiny, tender hands; to press his lips against her soft, sweet lips; and to caress her smooth, supple arms as her fingers combed through his hair?

But it had been more than just physical attraction. Oliver was certain that he had gained a best friend in her, which was something he had not had since Tommy Merlyn moved away when he and Laurel had gotten married more than fifteen years ago. Oliver's late wife had been the closest person he's had to a best friend all these years, and when he lost her suddenly, his world had caved in, leaving a gaping hole in his aching heart. She made him smile and laugh again despite the regrets of the past. She made him get up from bed every morning, believing once again in the beauty of life, present tense. She gave him a glimpse of what a hopeful future could be even for a middle-aged widower like him. She made him feel again. Love again. In fact, Oliver realized that falling in love with Felicity was nothing like he'd ever experienced in his life. Not with Laurel, and not even with Sandra. He was sure that Felicity Smoak was it for him. He was crazy about her, and it felt amazing! Oliver was convinced that Felicity was the one who would fill up that empty space in his life, and he was ready to build a deeper level of commitment on the foundation of friendship that they had established in the past few months. He wanted her so much to be more than just his friend.

That was why it had hurt that she found it so easy to put a damper on their relationship without so much as an explanation, and with a condition that put him in a very tight spot. It hurt because he felt that it wasn't fair for her to have friend-zoned him and just left him in the dark without anything to hold on to. To someone like Oliver, who had already lost a partner in life once, committing to someone and then losing that person altogether wasn't an option anymore. It was just too painful. It was all or nothing. If he couldn't be with Felicity, then he shouldn't see her anymore. It was that simple.

Except, it really was not. Because Oliver's life had already become complicated the day Felicity Smoak walked into his life.

Everything pretty much maintained status quo for the next couple of weeks. Their text messages became more and more infrequent, especially since Felicity became very busy revising and finalizing her doctoral thesis on cyber-security and preparing for her dissertation defense. He wished he could be with her in the process, cheering her on to completion and success. With each passing day, his longing for her intensified and affected him. Thea had teased him more than once for being a pathetic, lovesick forty-three-year-old, who by now should know better than to sulk.

He was lovesick, alright, and quite literally so. He missed her so much it literally made him sick. Twice, Connor was the one that helped his Aunt Thea close shop because he had horrible migraines that lasted throughout the night and kept him from jogging in the morning. His sleep hours shortened as he pined for Felicity and on one occasion even dreamt about her leaving Starling and going back to Vegas for good; he woke up with a slight fever.

His studies were also affected, and his grades were going down a precarious path that he contemplated dropping two of his major subjects rather than flunk them, but Connor had talked some sense into him, telling him that dropping would only delay finishing his degree on time. His son cheered him on, helping him to cope with requirements while he nursed a broken heart.

One afternoon when there weren't so many people in the coffee shop, Oliver shared with Thea that he had been contemplating on moving back to Central City for good and opening another branch of Connor's Brew near Central City College because of the success the shop had become in such a location. He challenged Thea to run the Starling City branch on her own with the help of Connor, since his son was graduating by the end of May. When Thea asked him what prompted this sudden urge to move away (even if she already knew what the answer would be), Oliver confessed how much it hurt to stay so close to Felicity and yet not be with her or even see her. Thea wisely told him not to make hasty decisions just because of his heartbreak with Felicity.

In the days that followed Connor and Thea encouraged Oliver not to give up. They told him that if he really didn't want to see her because he couldn't live with the condition she had set, then he should try other means to get through to her. They suggested that since coffee and red velvet had worked before, there was no harm in trying once again. He thought that if all else failed, he could move away without the stigma of not having exhausted every possible way to win back her heart.

So, after close to two months of not seeing Felicity, Oliver decided he was going to try again. He had learned that Felicity spent most afternoons and evenings either in the IT library or in her office working on her dissertation; Oliver thought that she deserved to take a break every once in a while and indulge in sugar overloads considering the long hours she puts into teaching classes all day and preparing for her dissertation defense. So, he sent her coffee or hot cocoa and freshly baked treats from time to time, courtesy of Connor or the coffee shop's delivery guy. He refrained from sending her any messages to go with the treats, so as not to distract her from focusing on her tasks. He didn't know what to write anyway, so might as well not.

One day in the first week of May, Connor returned to the shop at around closing time with a naughty grin on his face. "Dad, she says thanks for the cinnamon rolls and the espresso," Connor said to Oliver. "And she asked me to give you this." Connor handed him a folded sheet of stationery with the university logo, which he immediately opened and read:

"Dear Oliver, thanks for coffee and all the sweet stuff. Tomorrow is my dissertation defense. Say a little prayer for me, will you? Still your friend, Felicity."

Oliver smiled as his heart raced in exhilaration. At one of the most important milestones in her life, she had still thought about him. She chose to share an important event in her life with him. That meant that she trusted him and counted him as someone important in her life, too. He felt his heart enveloped by a comforting warmth that he couldn't fully understand.

At that moment, Oliver realized that he had been wrong all this time. Well, not entirely. But, a little of Felicity in his life – even if just as a friend – although not ideal, was so…. so much better than none. He really missed her, and he was going to stop wallowing and brooding over her right that instant. He told himself that if he and she were truly meant to be, they'd end up together eventually. So what was he afraid of? What did he have to lose? He wanted her in his life, yearned for her like she were his last breath, but if all she was ready for was friendship, then that's what he was going to give her. Because he cared about her, and caring meant that he ought to be willing to lay down his own desires for her good. Because he had come to love her, and love is all about wanting and giving what is best for the other instead of wanting and taking what would satisfy his own need for companionship and intimacy. He realized that it didn't matter what their relationship was called as long as he had one with her, because for as long as she was in his life, he'd be happy. He'd wait for her to be ready, and when she is, he'll be right there; it didn't matter how old he or she would be by then.

Oliver was confident that she would pass her dissertation defense tomorrow with flying colors, and he was going to be there to congratulate her personally and celebrate with his very dear friend.

John Diggle was a loyal and reliable friend that Felicity Smoak could always rely on. They had been good friends way back when they were still both employed in Queen Consolidated – she in IT and he in security. John had left two years prior to her resignation, taking a better offer as the head of security in Starling City University just a year after he had married his long-time girlfriend Lyla Michaels. When Felicity started her master's degree on a scholarship there, being close to his friends had been one of the welcome perks to her back-to-school life.

John and Lyla had encouraged the Olicity ship from the very beginning. John told Lyla early on that they'd be good for each other. Yet still, John's watchful eyes were reserved not just for campus security but also for the welfare of their beautiful blonde friend. He had observed how the city's most eligible widower had taken special notice of Felicity and had been completely silent about it – except with his wife – until Felicity had asked for advice about whether or not she should follow through with being Oliver's date for QC's charity gala. He had lurked in the shadows, ever so discreetly, making sure she wasn't being toyed with by a man who had been a womanizer in his adolescent years. He was a little bit wary that she might be the object of rebound affections of a lonely man who had been mourning the loss of his wife. John's vigilance and tactful background scrutiny had led him to believe two things over the past several months: one, that the reformed Queen heir had been completely faithful to his late wife; and two, that while the middle-aged widower had truly been lonely since his wife's demise, he had surely fallen insanely in love with their friend. "Who wouldn't?" Lyla had remarked, one time they were talking over dinner about Felicity being a prized catch for any decent bachelor. The more they saw their friend spending time with Oliver, they happier and brighter she had become. They'd been more than happy for her to have found someone special. Again. They knew their friend had endured some very tough times.

When Felicity came back from spring break, they noticed the changes in her. Outwardly, she was still the same bubbly, brilliant blonde genius, flashing a winsome smile to everybody around her, thoroughly focused on her job and committed to making a difference in the lives of young people, but also, putting up a façade and pretending that she was okay even if she was hurting on the inside. Only close friends like them noticed the sadness and loneliness deep in her eyes and the more serious undercurrents of some flippant remarks she made whenever she was asked how she or her day was.

John and Lyla had known something was wrong, and they were sure that it had something to do with the handsome former student who was no longer seeing her on a regular basis. In his daily rounds on campus, John had seen Oliver quite a few times wandering around in the ICT building as if waiting to run into her unexpectedly. Twice John saw him retreating as soon as he saw Felicity's ponytail in a crowd of students from afar. After a movie night with their friend, Lyla had asked John why he thought Felicity hadn't been talking much about Oliver lately, so he shared with his wife what he knew and they talked about what they could do to help their friend.

On a casual conversation over Sunday lunch with Felicity, they broached the subject cautiously and tactfully. Surprisingly, Felicity readily admitted to the sudden fallout with Oliver, confessing to her friends how relieved she was that she was finally able to talk to someone about how miserable she had been since spring break. She told them what happened the night of the gala. When she got to the part when Oliver walked out the door of her apartment, she burst into tears in front of her trusted friends, babbling about how she missed Oliver so much and about how she regretted making him leave the very next day, and then a week later, giving him a stupid condition for seeing her again. In between sniffles and sobs, she rambled on about how she thought she was a certified nut case and about her fears of not ever finding someone to spend the rest of her messed-up life with.

John's and Lyla's hearts went out to their friend. They totally understood where she was coming from. They both knew that they really couldn't blame her for being scared of being in another relationship, considering how traumatizing her first and last relationship had been more than a decade ago. But she had come a long way since, and they believed that life still had so much in store for Felicity, a friend they truly cared about and loved so much.

Which was why they agreed it was time for them to do something… helpful, perhaps a gentle nudge in the right direction. They walked into Connor's Brew one afternoon with their five-year-old daughter Sara, hoping to see for themselves if Oliver looked just as miserable and forlorn as their friend, before they decided what to do and when to act. They didn't intend to actually meet Oliver or get to know him personally; they just wanted to observe, to at least have a feel of how the man was faring compared to Felicity. But they agreed that if the opportunity presented itself, they wouldn't hesitate to introduce themselves as Felicity's friends, because that would be a pretty good chance to see how he would react at the mere mention of her name.

The opportunity did present itself. Coming out of the kitchen to check on customers, Oliver immediately recognized John as someone he frequently saw on campus wearing a special uniform and a name plate that designated him as security, smiling politely at him every time. Oliver introduced himself and asked if John indeed worked for the university. John confirmed it and introduced his wife and daughter. They shook hands, Lyla quickly complimenting Oliver for the delicious cheesecakes and the pleasant ambience of the coffee shop, and Oliver thanked her for the kind words. Admiring Oliver's pleasant demeanor, Lyla could not resist the urge to speak on. She told Oliver that they were friends of Felicity, who had, on more than one occasion, recommended Connor's Brew for their dining pleasure. And there it was – the sparkle in his eyes at the mention of the blonde's name. But that gleam swiftly faded as he said, "Well, if you happen to see Felicity around, please tell her I said hello." As soon as Oliver excused himself from their table, John and Lyla knew their hunch was right: he longed for her just as badly as she longed for him.

John and Lyla had planned on playing the role of matchmakers, but they ended up being eavesdroppers as well. While enjoying their coffee and cheesecakes, they happened to overhear Oliver conversing with a slender, smart-looking brunette whom John assumed was his younger sister Thea that Felicity had told them about quite a few times. They heard him tell his sister that he planned to move back to Central City for good to put up another branch of the coffee shop there. Lyla, whose back was turned against the Queen siblings, looked at John with widened eyes that clearly asked, "What are we going to do?" Her husband just pursed his lips and kept quiet. As they both listened in, they heard firsthand Oliver's confession to his sister that the real reason why he wanted to move away was that it hurt so much for him to be physically near Felicity and yet be so far away from her emotionally. He couldn't handle just being her friend because he was ready to be more, if she'd only let him. Puppy dog eyes and pouting lips appeared on Lyla's face, and John had to glare at his wife to tell her to keep it together.

Lyla did keep it together until they made their way back home with a take-home bag of sweet treats for Sara. Before they retired for the night, she told John that they needed to do something before Felicity loses a wonderful man like Oliver and misses her chance at having a genuine and lasting romance. John shook his head, muttering in a low voice, "I don't know, honey. It's not our place to pry. Oliver and Felicity are middle-aged adults. They're old enough not to have people meddling in their affairs."

"Johnny," Lyla retorted, "they might be old enough, but they're obviously not brave and bold enough to take the next step to overcome their fears and apprehensions. And it's not like we're meddling, we're… we're just… pointing them to the right direction."

"Shoving, is more like it," John replied in distaste.

"O come on, John! They're lovesick forty-year-olds who need a little coaxing! They've gone through so much already as individuals, and they need each other to see that life can still be beautiful in spite of. A little help here and a little encouragement there won't hurt," Lyla reasoned.

John had to agree. His wife was right, he thought. Felicity and Oliver needed each other and cared about each other. John could definitely see love blossoming and growing between them. He wanted them to experience the same joy that he and Lyla shared, and more. He had a plan, and his wife was in on it, but they needed reinforcements.

John kept an eye out for Connor Queen in the school of business, introduced himself as an acquaintance of his father and a very good friend of Felicity. He didn't have to give too much effort to get the young man on board with their matchmaking plans. As soon as Connor heard Felicity's name, the young man's face brightened, showing how interested he was that John approached him about Felicity. Connor revealed that it had been his idea all along for his father to meet Ms. Smoak, because one semester in her class had been enough reason for him to think that she was the perfect match for his dad. Connor also told John that the current status of his father's relationship with her was quite disappointing, and that he felt bad seeing his dad so miserably pining for her. They spent a good ten minutes conversing about how the two lovebirds needed help to sort out their issues and their feelings, sharing a good laugh or two over hilarious incidents when the two middle-aged adults they cared about had acted like hormonally driven teenagers during the time they grew closer and also during the time they were apart. It took them only one minute to agree that they were going to help each other bring the two back together. Connor even assured John that his Aunt Thea would be more than thrilled to participate in their secret matchmaking mission.

In the days that ensued, Connor and Thea kept their end of the bargain, encouraging Oliver to persevere and egging him to try and win Felicity's heart again, until Oliver finally decided to act. John fed Connor and Thea the information as to where Felicity might be or what she might be doing on a given day so that Oliver would know where to send her favorite beverages and goodies. From their end, John and Lyla continued to support Felicity during one of the most stressful times in her life – hurdling the requirements for the completion of her doctorate program while dealing with her unresolved issues and the yearning that she had for Oliver, which she was still afraid to act upon.

When John mentioned to Felicity that he and Lyla had finally taken her recommendation about Connor's Brew seriously and met Oliver personally on their first visit, her face lit up like Christmas. With curiosity that she couldn't hide, she asked John bashfully, "How is he?" John told her that while Oliver's business was doing quite well, the man seemed paradoxically happy and sad when they had introduced themselves as her friends. John told her that Oliver said hello, adding that the man seemed to really miss her, judging from his body language and facial expression. John could have told Felicity about overhearing Oliver telling Thea that he planned to move back to Central City, but he didn't. He knew where to draw the line between helping and meddling, and he didn't think it wise to manipulate things between their good friend and the man she was obviously in love with, no matter how much he wanted their relationship to get back on track. John and Lyla tried their best to comfort Felicity on days when the loneliness was felt the hardest. They offered sound advice openly when she asked for it, and discreetly when she needed it. But they knew that in the end, pursuing a meaningful relationship with Oliver really was her decision to make.

On the day Felicity sent Oliver the short but positively toned note the day before her dissertation defense, texts with smiling and cheering emoticons were exchanged among Connor, Thea, John, and Lyla. Somehow they got through to their friends and loved ones after all. Mission accomplished, they all thought. The rest was up to Oliver and Felicity.

A/N: So what did you think? Would you have been on board with the matchmaking plan if you were in their shoes?

Some of you might still be waiting for the explanation behind Felicity's extreme reaction to intimacy. That will be revealed in the next chapter from her point of view, because really, it's her story to tell. That would be the final chapter; I'm not yet sure whether or not there will be an epilogue.

Comments and reviews are very much appreciated.