FALLING FOR YOU

Chapter 5: Flying and Falling

Oliver wanted her to think about moving to Toronto, and he practically offered her a job in his family's company. That was all Felicity could think about during their drive back to Niagara Falls.

Whatever did it mean? Was he simply expressing concern over her professional life, or was there something more? She hoped it was something along the lines of wanting her to be closer to him, maybe get to know each other more, and eventually be together. The prospect warmed her heart just like sunshine warmed her skin as they sat together in his top-down Porsche.

The ride back was mostly quiet. Oliver hadn't spoken much since they waved at Thea and left the Queen mansion. Maybe he didn't know what to say after the untimely interruption of their conversation in his room. Maybe he didn't know how to pick up from where they had left off. The truth of the matter was, neither did she. She had no idea what Oliver was thinking right now. Except for a couple of times he'd made quick texts with his phone, his eyes were mostly focused on the road ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel like it was a lifeline saving him from an uncomfortable situation. She had wanted answers to the questions that now occupied her mind, but all she could do now was wait. She knew herself all too well. The antsy feeling just might trigger a malfunction in her brain-to-mouth filter, and she feared that initiating small talk might lead to a completely embarrassing moment that she would regret. So, they both sat in silence until they arrived at their next destination.

Which was a complete surprise.

"Here we are," Oliver proclaimed as he drove the car to a stop in the designated parking space of Niagara Helicopters. Behind a couple of office buildings with rooftops shaped like big tents was a helipad.

"Uh, Oliver? I don't understand. I thought we were headed back to the Falls for a cruise," said Felicity, clearly confused about the seeming change of plans.

Oliver got out of the car and hurried to open her door for her. As he took her hand to pull her out, he replied, "Oh, we're still going to the cruise. But the ticket I bought isn't for another hour and a half. We made it back in good time." Her forehead crinkled as she tried to figure out where he was going with this. "I thought it would be nice to show you around Niagara, but this time, from up there," he added, pointing to the sky.

"You're kidding?!"

"Nope. Spur of the moment idea," he answered with a smile. "Thought it would be cool. I didn't think you'd have a problem with heights, or flying, considering how much you enjoyed the rides in Marineland."

The gradual change of expression on her face from confusion to excitement told him that she liked the idea.

"It's a great idea! I've never been in a helicopter before. Not that I haven't actually gotten into one. Because I have. Once, in a science museum. On a field trip that my class went on. When I was about ten. But that chopper was bolted to the floor. Wasn't even impressive. And, oh my goodness, I'm getting on a chopper! I can't belie-"

"Fe-li-ci-ty…"

She gasped, covering her pink lips with her fingers. "I'm doing it again, huh? I'm sorry."

"No apologies needed. You're actually very… cute, when you do that," Oliver told her, making her cheeks flush redder than it was before, if that were possible. "It's just that we have to check in now. The owner of the chopper is waiting for us inside the office."

"Oh. Okay."

Oliver took her by the hand and they sauntered cheerfully to the office building on the facility. He spoke briefly to the owner of the helicopter attraction business, who happened to be a friend of his, before he was handed the necessary papers to sign. Before long, they were getting ready to fly.

"Uhm, Oliver? Where's the pilot?" Felicity asked. Oliver was standing by the door of the front passenger seat; he was busy making sure she was safely strapped onto her seat and her head gear and comms were in place. She had noticed that the chopper he picked was kind of small – meaning, there weren't any passenger seats at the back.

Oliver smirked. "You're looking at him."

"What?"

"I'm flying." He winked at her, and then he laughed when her jaw dropped and her eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "What? I think I've mentioned before that my father used to teach me how to fly."

Felicity opened her mouth to speak, but she quickly closed it shut. She still couldn't believe it. She tried again. "But… But I didn't think you actually did learn how to. Fly, I mean. Not fly, as in literally, with wings. Coz, of course, you don't have any. Fly a helicopter! Not that I didn't think you were capable of doing so. I'm sure you must be good at it, somehow, to risk taking a passenger up in the sky. That passenger being me. I just… It's just… I've never known anyone who could fly. And I'm… I don't think I can…"

Oliver sensed not just incredulity but also worry. So, he spoke to her softly, breaking her nervous rambling, "Hey, hey, Felicity." He held her smaller hands in his and squeezed them to calm her. He looked her in the eyes and said, "It's okay. I've got you."

And just like that, she began to relax and calm down. She remembered him saying those same words when he had caught her and kept her from falling into the raging waters of the Niagara just a few days ago. That moment felt like it had happened a long time ago, like they haven't met just recently. The wonderful man holding her hand right now… It felt like she had known him for longer. With him, she felt safe and cared for. In so short a time, she had learned to trust Oliver Queen. She could do this. She could entrust her life into his hands. She could fly with him, literally and figuratively.

Felicity released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding in. "Okay," she said, nodding.

Oliver went around and sat in his seat. As he buckled in and began to prepare to fly, he explained to Felicity how he became a licensed helicopter pilot. He told her that after his father had taught him the basics of flying in his teens, he had taken advanced lessons here in Niagara one summer as a gift to himself when he turned 21. The owner that he was talking to a while ago was the same guy that had given him flying lessons and had helped him get his license eventually.

Oliver powered the chopper's engine, and in no time, they took off. It took Felicity a few minutes to be at ease, but with Oliver speaking to her through the comms, she easily got over the initial feeling of nervousness. He maneuvered the chopper as smoothly and skillfully as he could, remembering to point to the different places they'd been to down below. She saw the Falls, of course, and the Skylon Tower where, according to Oliver, they would be having dinner later on. She saw Marineland, the Sky Wheel, the hotels, and the parks.

The view from the sky was breath-taking. Felicity was overwhelmed. Oh, it wasn't just the sights. They were flying, but deep inside, her heart was soaring. And it was because she felt so happy to be in the company of someone like Oliver. He was absolutely amazing!

She looked at him from the corner of her eye and she smiled. He didn't see it, since he was preoccupied with flying, but it was fine with her. It was her private moment after all. She was allowed to muse and enjoy her inner thoughts and feelings. All he needed to do was ask – ask her to let him into her life – and she would. She thought it ironic that even as they were flying high in the sky, it seemed like they were also falling so deeply in love with each other in record time. When her mother eventually found out that she had met someone special in this way, Felicity knew that she would never hear the end of how she and Oliver had had a whirlwind romance in Niagara Falls. That, too, was perfectly fine with her. By now, she was willing to be whirled away by the wind with him, wherever. She was willing to take the risk, because something inside her told her that he was worth flying and falling with.

Felicity thought that the rest of the afternoon was going well.

The cruise had been enjoyable and relaxing, even with the roaring sound of the waterfalls tiring out her ears and the never-ending mist clouding her vision. She had felt safe all throughout, what with Oliver's arms reliably pulling her into him whenever necessary (which, by definition, was the entire time). The raincoats hadn't been able to keep them dry, and that had given her a valid reason to buy themselves some souvenir Niagara shirts and jackets. Oliver had offered to pay for everything, but she adamantly refused, saying that he had already spent way too much for her in the past three days. She had also said that she wanted to get him the souvenir clothes as a gesture of thanks for everything he'd done for her as her personal tour guide.

Oliver had replied, "Felicity, I don't mind spending, if it's for you. Plus, I asked you out on this date, remember? So, it's only fair – and logical – for me to be the one spending for what you need."

He had appealed to her intelligence, and that impressed her. But what impressed her even more was the fact that he wasn't pushy. Like a perfect gentleman, he had given way and let her pay for the merchandise, and she liked him all the more for it.

After shopping for dry clothes, they had decided not to go back to her hotel to change for dinner, in favor of going on the Sky Wheel. They hadn't felt like dressing up for a fancy dinner at the tower buffet anymore. They'd much rather stick with their outdoor adventure, deciding instead to stop to eat wherever, whenever they'd feel hungry. Neither of them had to verbalize the fact that they loved the spontaneity of it all. It was a welcome break from the rigid, predictable lifestyles they had in the corporate world.

On the huge Sky Wheel, Felicity loved seeing the Falls and the entire town again from 175 feet above. And even though she wasn't scared of heights and mechanized motion, she still reached for Oliver's hand and grabbed it as their car slowly moved upwards, intertwining their hands in the process. When they reached the top, he pulled her in. She smiled, accepting his invitation to come closer. And as the wheel moved, bringing their car downward, she rested her head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly. When they reached the bottom after the second round, Felicity was surprised that Oliver wasn't moving to get off the car.

She was about to ask him why when he said, "Do you want to get off now? Coz it's okay if we stay. I actually bought us tickets for unlimited rides."

She lifted her head from his shoulder and grinned widely. "Oliver Queen! I should have known," she exclaimed, slapping him on his arm. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "I guess we could stay for one more ride. Maybe two."

Oliver chortled, replying, "We could stay this way for as long as you want. Until you're too dizzy to walk. So I could sweep you off your feet and carry you back to your hotel and…"

Felicity's breath hitched. And so did his.

In all honesty, he wasn't really thinking, and he certainly did not mean for it to sound so inappropriately suggestive. It was an innocent, harmless remark said in jest, yet coming from a heart overwhelmed with wonderful feelings and intentions for an amazing woman that he had just met. He wasn't asking for much, wasn't expecting her to delve into a serious relationship just yet. He just really loved her company, and he hated the thought that soon she would leave for Vancouver and might not want to come back or see him again. He wanted to really get to know Felicity more, because he really, really loved the little that he already knew about her. But what if this was all just a lovely adventure for her? An unforgettable trip that she'd file away in her album of memories and then shelve. Tomorrow she would return to her world, a world he wasn't really a part of. If he had it his way, he would keep her from going away.

With Oliver's words, both became keenly aware that the flying and the falling were stirring up in them all sorts of emotions. The romance in the air was undeniable, impossible to fight. But they both knew that they weren't ready for something too serious and more intimate than holding hands or a chaste kiss on the cheek this early in their relationship.

And what relationship was that exactly? See, that alone was reason enough to pull the strings to release the parachutes that would keep them from plunging to their emotional deaths. If not, they both might regret the fall.

"…and enjoy dinner at Boston Pizza," Felicity finally spoke, finishing Oliver's sentence. "There's one at the ground floor of my hotel."

"Sure," Oliver replied, relieved at how the conversation that had traveled waywardly into awkward territory had been steered back to the right direction. "That's more convenient. You must be tired."

Felicity was quiet for a beat, admiring his level-headedness and the way that he always thought of her before himself. She leaned back and rested her head on his shoulder once again. "Oliver, thank you."

"For what?" he asked, taking her hand in his and caressing it gently.

"For everything. For just being you, around me."

Oliver sighed, his heart full of all good things. "You're welcome."

Oliver, too, was thankful, thankful for having been at the right time and the right place to save Felicity that morning. He thought it was a pretty cool story to tell their children one day – of how he met their mother. But then again, he was still just dreaming.

Not if there was something he could do to make it real.

A/N: Next up, the ending. Thank you to those who are still reading and following this! Hope you are enjoying it. It would be nice of you to let me know. :-)