Sequel to the drabble "Oh God, I'm so sorry!". And there might be a third and last part planned after this one...
9-"Oh god" II
"Oh, God" was the only thing that Oliver could mutter when he saw her descending the stairs. She was stunning. Scratch that. She was the most beautiful human being he had ever laid eyes on.
Her dress was of a deep red colour, almost the same tone as the wine of his glass. The skirt flowed to the floor and allowed just a small peek at her golden shoes while she descended the stairs. Her sleeveless arms were only covered where the gold bracelet rested, matching her necklace and earings. Oliver could recognise those earring even from the distance. It was the same pair he gave her for her birthday while they were living in Ivy Town.
She made her way through the crowd. The ballroom was full of people dressed to the nines, celebrating a foundraising for the Free Clinic in the Glades, but Felicity stood out from all of them. Oliver excused himself from the chief of firefighters, with whom he had been talking, and met Felicity half way.
"Hey" he said when he reached her. "I'm glad that you made it. You look... you look good." Why was his voice sounding higher than usual? He needed to control himself, dammit!
Felicity simply smiled at him. "Thank you. You look nice too." She felt extremly confident wearing that dress, and she was going to use it to get back at Oliver for the whole I'm walking shirtless in the bunker all the time because I know it drives you mad. "Now, where is that waiter with the glasses of red wine that that you promised me?" She turned around, looking for the waiter when he heard Oliver's gasp. "Gotcha!" she thought.
Her dress left her back completely exposed. From the nape of her neck, where her updo rested, to her lower back Oliver only could see skin. She was playing with fire and she knew it. Oliver had been very clear about how much he loved her back, in both verbally and not verbally ways. He had spent hours just caresing her skin during the moments of their post coital bliss. He had even explained to her that his favourite posture was taking her from behind simply because that way he could kissed all her back (and boy... did she loved it too that way!)
If Oliver wanted to survive the night, he needed a nice strong drink, and not just wine. He also needed an excuse to put some distance between him and Felicity so he could put his thoughts in order. "Let me go to the bar. I'll bring you your wine."
The night ended being harder than what he thought. By his third glass of whiskey the bartender started to looked at him strangely, and Oliver decided that he needed to stop. The last thing he needed were rumors about the mayor being a drunk. He tried to avoid Felicity as much as he could, because everytime she was near him in that dress his brain short-circuited. Felicity knew what he was trying to do, and she would have none of it.
"Let's dance, Oliver."
"I don't dance. You know it."
"But everything looks so beautiful, it's like a fairytale..." She looked around. "Well, I guess I can ask Dr. Carter..."
Before she could make her way to the other side of the room, Oliver grabbed her hand. "I'll dance with you." It was like he was trying to punish himself, but he couldn't think about another man touching her. Having her so close, her arms around his neck, his hands touching her bare back, it was heaven and hell at the same time.There were more couples dancing next to them, and yet it was like they were the only ones in the room.
It was dangerous. They hadn't talked about where their relationship was. Felicity was his partner, the person he could trust the most. She had stayed to help him in his mission. They were friends again, but with a complicity similar to when they were together. And yet they were not together. Oliver could not risk what they had at that moment simply because of lust. They needed to talk and be sure of where each of them where standing. And he needed a clear head to do that. The music stopped and Oliver dropped his hands, his fingers inmediately started to rub against each other, a clear sign of his nervousness.
"Are you ok, Oliver?" she asked worried.
"Yes. I just... I think I need to leave. I have drunk a little too much and..." and if I don't go I will do something that may ruin forever our relationship. He finished the sentence in his head, but Felicity knew what he meant.
"Alright." She took a step backwards. "I will see you tomorrow then. Same hour as always in the bunker."
"Actually, could we meet for diner? How does Big Belly Burger sound?"
"Pretty good. Mr. Mayor, you truly know the way to a girl's heart." She was teasing him, and yet he felt that it was one of the most clear signs she had ever given him.
"I do what I can."
He leaned over her. Her breath catched, thinking that he was going to kiss her on the lips, however in the last moment he moved his face just to press very gently his lips on her cheek.
He left inmediately after, and once she was certain that he couldn't see her anymore, Felicity raised her fist as a sign of victory. She knew that dress would work.