FALLING FOR YOU

Chapter 3: Falling

Comfortably dressed in a form-fitting gray camisole and a loose pair of light pink pajamas, Felicity put down the phone and rolled to her back on the double bed in her hotel room. She had just finished ordering dinner from room service. Her thoughts wandered to the events of the past two days – events that had brought Oliver Queen into her life. Every single memory made her smile. Except the one just about an hour ago when she had told him that she was too tired to go out to dinner with him after an entire morning of sight-seeing with him and an entire afternoon of competition.

"What were you thinking, Smoak?!" she scolded herself. "You could be savoring your favorite minestrone and pasta with a salad on the side right now instead of settling on a club sandwich with the usual siding of chips." She wasn't that tired actually. She had only opted to decline the invitation because she was no longer sure whether it was actually a date, date or just an innocent, casual dinner between acquaintances. Or were they friends now? She wasn't sure.

See, she couldn't exactly pinpoint when their relationship shifted from being strangers to whatever it was that they were now after less than forty-eight hours. And that was why she had to take a step back, before she got way in over her head over this gorgeous, great guy that was already sweeping her off her feet and making her fall fast, head over heels in love. In love? Felicity took a deep breath to steady her wildly beating heart. Her brain needed to refresh. Too many idioms in one babble. That was what Oliver's gaze and Oliver's smile and Oliver's scent and Oliver's touch had been doing to her since they met, she thought. Just thinking about him now made her toes tingle and her stomach flutter. He had rescued her from a near-fatal fall, but now she was falling in a whole different sense. She thought it was ironic, and that made her shake her head and bite her lip. It was wise to stay behind so she could stop and think.

That was how she had always dealt with dilemmas in her life. Think. Analyze. Evaluate. Choose. Act. The simple problem-solving process had always worked for her. Only, now she couldn't really think clearly because she was feeling all sorts of things. Happiness. Thrill. Missing him. Longing. Trepidation. A little bit of fear of what may happen next or of making a mistake.

What if she had merely misinterpreted Oliver's thoughtfulness and acts of kindness? Maybe he was just naturally accommodating and generous, going out of his way to save strangers, take a new acquaintance around town, spend for meals and entrance tickets. Tell her that he thought she was admirably smart even before her team won the finals in the nationwide academic meet. Place his bigger hand on the small of her back to guide her into the car or lead her into the next ride they went on. Put his jacket on her shoulders to keep her warm when it became a bit cold as they left Marineland the night before. Talk fondly about his family and his work and care enough to listen to her stories about her own family and work (even when she tended to digress multiple times and not mind at all). Stare at her with a breath-taking smile even when he thought she wasn't looking or noticing him doing it. Tell her, while they strolled inside the sun-roofed butterfly conservatory, that her eyes remind him of the sky above that he had been all too familiar with because his father used to teach him how to fly a plane. What if she was just imagining things?

Well, too bad for her if that were the case, she thought. Because she really, really liked Oliver. She hoped that he really, really liked her, too, and that she wasn't simply reading too much from his actions. Felicity knew she was brilliant, but she wasn't a mind-reader. So, she thought that the best way to get to the bottom of things was not to withdraw from his company, but to spend more time with him while she could. Which was why the nagging feeling in her heart now was that of regret. She should have said yes to dinner tonight.

Good thing her phone buzzed before she berated herself any further. When she saw Oliver's name flashing on the screen, her heart skipped a beat. Was he the mind-reader now? It took a few more rings before she gathered the courage to answer.

"Hello?"

"Felicity, hi!"

"Oliver. What's up?"

"You. You're still up, I mean."

"Very funny."

"Just kidding. Anyways, I'm glad that you're still up. Is this a bad time? I know you said you've had a long day, but I wanted to ask you something, that is, if you're not too tired. I could call again in the morning."

"No. No, it's fine. I'm actually just waiting for room service. I haven't eaten yet, and I've never been one to go to bed with an empty stomach. So, what's on your mind?"

"Well, I know we've already made plans for the afternoon tomorrow, and dinner, too." Oliver paused, and Felicity could practically hear the wheels of mind turning. "But… I was wondering if you would like to see Niagara On the Lake in the morning? We could have lunch there, and then go back to the Falls and take the cruise in the afternoon before we head on to dinner. It's a really nice place. Quaint town, lovely small shops, horse-drawn carriage rides. Getting there is already pretty awesome, because Niagara Parkway is lined with really beautiful houses, vineyards and wineries."

"Sounds nice," Felicity replied, trying to control her excitement. Was it her, or was he actually asking her out now or not? Either way, she was glad he couldn't see her face turning crimson. "I've always wanted to visit a vineyard and some wineries. Red wine is my favorite. I could never forget the first and only time I've tasted a 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild in my cousin's wedding. Nothing like it. Tasted like pure heaven on my tongue…" She rambled for a bit more, digressing here and there, but when she finally noticed Oliver's speechlessness, she stopped herself saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry you had to listen to me babble again – which will end in 3, 2, 1."

She heard him sigh, and for a moment she thought he was exasperated with her chattiness. But when he spoke softly, "Felicity, I could listen to you babble forever," her heart melted. She was grateful she was lying in bed; otherwise, her knees would have given way. That was perhaps the sweetest thing any guy had told her. Before she could come up with an appropriate response, Oliver added, "You are a remarkable woman, Felicity Smoak."

That did it.

Before she even had time to think, Felicity uttered, "Yes."

"…"

"I mean, yes, I'd love to go and spend the day with you tomorrow."

"…"

"Oliver?"

"Yeah, cool," he said, his voice betraying how he was finding it hard to control his emotions. He sounded hopeful, expectant, excited. "It's a date then."

"It is?" she asked. She really wanted to know if it's the real thing, to be sure if it's official.

"Yes," Oliver replied, "and I'm looking forward to it very much."

"Me, too," Felicity said. She was grinning from ear to ear, and now she didn't mind it at all if he could see like that.

"What time should I pick you up?" he asked excitedly.

She gave it some thought and remembered that she had committed her early morning to spend time with her students to celebrate their victory. So, she answered, "Does 9:00 work for you? I kind of gave the kids my word that I'll join them for an early morning swim at the indoor water park here. I didn't even realize that the hotel had one. They say it even has a wave pool and a pretty cool slide. It's kind of a victory party, and getting wet was Barry's idea."

"Barry?" asked Oliver. This was the first time she'd mentioned the guy's name, and she didn't quite notice the confusion in his voice.

"Oh, yes. Barry Allen is actually the science teacher at the school. We graduated from there together way back. I'm the coach and he's the adult chaperon of the team. We're partners in this. He's a nice guy, and he cares about the kids," Felicity answered.

There was silence at the other end of the line. Felicity wondered if she had said anything wrong. A couple of seconds more passed by before she realized that mentioning Barry might not have been such a good idea. She hoped she did not just mess things up for them.

Just as she was about to say something to clear the air, Oliver spoke. "Are you sure it's okay for you to leave in the morning? It sounds like you already had plans, and I don't want to intrude, especially since I think that it matters a lot to Barry and your team."

No. She really did not want him thinking this way. It wasn't a big deal, really. And though the students meant a lot to her, she really did want to spend more time with Oliver. The only thing she liked about this was that he seemed a little jealous, and for her, that was a good indication that he did like her.

"Felicity?"

"Uhm, yeah, still here," she replied after a while. "Oliver, 9:00 is perfectly fine. The team agreed to meet at the water park at 8, so I'm gonna be there. That gives me more than enough time to hang out with them and have fun. I'm sure they wouldn't mind me leaving because Barry's taking them to Marineland, which opens at 10. I already told him that I'd stay behind because I've already been there. Thanks to you."

"I guess that settles it then. Where do you want me to meet you?" Oliver asked again. This time, she sensed relief in his voice. It was almost as if she could hear him smiling. In all honesty, she was relieved herself.

"Meet me at the arcade. It's the entrance to the water park," replied Felicity.

"Oh, and one more thing. Would it be all right if I brought you here, to our house, on our way back? It's right along Niagara Parkway, halfway between the Falls and Niagara On the Lake. I love this house, and I'd love for you to come see it. Thea will be there."

Felicity's heart fluttered once more. He wanted to take her to his family's house. Sweet, she thought. He must really be interested in her for him to be bringing her to his house even if they'd just met.

Oliver was moving fast, and truth be told, she liked it. After all, they didn't have much time. Day after tomorrow, they'd have to say their goodbyes, and she would have to fly back to the other side of the country where she belonged. She didn't want to think about that yet. They had just one more day left to spend together. She knew she was falling for him fast, too, and she wondered what he would do when they had to part ways… and after they parted ways. For now, she'd make the most of every opportunity. So, she answered, "Oliver, I'd love to go and see your family's house. It'd be my pleasure."

"The pleasure's all mine, believe me," Oliver wanted to tell her, but he thought it too forward. So, he simply said, "Great! Thea will be happy to know you're coming."

"Yeah, me too."

The knock on the door made them say their 'good nights.' Felicity was ready to dig into her club sandwich. She was really hungry. They hung up, both grinning, excited beyond words for their all-day date the next day.

A/N: I've been to Niagara Falls quite a few times, three seasons out of four. But that was about 20 years ago. Had the chance to go back recently, and so many things have changed. One of the best things I experienced was Niagara On the Lake. Such a beautiful town, beautiful place! Even the drive down there along the Niagara Parkway was lovely. The houses were really nice (and mostly, huge), and there were big vineyards and wineries along the way. Loved it, loved it! The trip inspired me to write a fic with my favorite couple in mind.