Prompt: White (part 2)

Pairing: Oliver Queen x OFC (Emily) / Fandom: Arrow

The snow falls outside the window. Little snowflakes swirl close to the glass. Chatter, laughter and music fill the air. Memories flood Oliver's mind like a wave. Memories of that first Christmas back from the island. Memories of an unwanted party. Memories of a snowball fight with Thea, the only piece of normalcy that day. Memories of reconnecting with Thea after that. So much has changed since that day. He's now the Arrow. He has a team to help him. He has a better relationship with Thea. He's found love, something he thought he would never find.

Meeting Emily was a fluke. She had been his mother's nurse when she was shot, as well as Thea's. She even was his nurse when he almost died at the hands of the Dark Archer. So, when he needed help again, this time for Diggle, he knew exactly who to turn to. Thankfully, she was on his side and agreed to keep their secret, going as far as being their "personal nurse" whenever they needed her. It didn't take long for them to fall in love. They've been together for three years now and it still felt new and fresh. He loved her with all his heart and knew she felt the same.

And now, there he was. Five years after he returned and yet another Christmas party filled with shareholders and investors. Only this time he had not only Thea but Emily by his side as well. Oliver was so lost in his own mind that he didn't hear Emily approaching. Emily snaked her arm under his and kissed his cheek.

- "You okay, babe?" - Emily asked him. He must have looked a tad lost, for her to be asking him that. Oliver just smiled and kissed her. He couldn't believe he could be this lucky. Something was bound to go wrong, he just knew it.

- "I'm okay." - He reassured her and led her back to the crowd of people where his mother was trying to make everyone feel welcomed.

Across the room, Oliver saw Thea in the same spot he was in five years ago, looking out the same double doors that led to the backyard. He could tell all she wanted was to leave. That's when he decided some memories were worth repeating. Moving across the room with Emily by his side, he stood next to Thea.

- " Planning an escape? If so, I'm begging you to take me with you." - Thea chuckled, remembering that those were the exact same words that she had said to him all those years ago.

- "As if we could. Mom knows better than to let us out of her sight."

- "If you remember, last time you said something like that, we were still able to escape."

- "You think you can pull that off again? Love to see you try. Only this time it would be three of us, not just you and me." - Thea nodded towards Emily, still holding on to his arm, looking oblivious to the conversation.

- "If we move quickly, your mother is about to go check things out in the kitchen and we'll have an opening." - Emily said, obviously tuned in on the conversation. Apparently, she had been observing their mother and was waiting for the right moment to let them know when to escape. "That's my girl.", Oliver thought, smiling at her.

Sure enough, their mother excused herself and left for the kitchen. Thea opened the doors and the three of them quickly traded the warmth of the room for the coldness of the backyard. Emily shivered when the cold air collided with her skin and Oliver took his jacket off, wrapping her in it, kissing her in the process. Thea wasn't feeling the cold. She must have been planning this escape since they heard about the party, because her outfit was elegant but warm.

Oliver saw Thea approach Emily and ask her if she was okay. He was always amazed at how quickly Thea welcomed Emily into the family. They had a true sisterly bond from the moment they met. It was safe to say that Thea looked up to Emily and Emily always treated Thea as her baby sister. Between the two of them and Felicity, they had a bond that he was sure nothing could sever.

Emily whispered something in Thea's ear and next thing he knows, he's being attacked with snowballs. The grin on each other's face was undeniable. He quickly grabbed some snow and made two balls from it. Throwing them in quick succession, both hit his intended targets: Thea's stomach and Emily's shoulder.

The girls didn't back down. Grabbing some more snow and throwing it at him, soon, Oliver was covered in snow. They would run and hide behind the small bushes for protection, a makeshift barrier between them and Oliver, in an attempt to protect themselves from him, but he was a sharpshooter, hitting them with each snowball he would throw.

Their laughter was contagious and could be heard inside, overpowering the music and chatter. Hearing such laughter, people started gravitating towards the large windows and were presented with the sight of the Queen heirs, plus the oldest Queen's girlfriend, in an intense snowball fight.

Oliver didn't care that everyone was watching. He was having too much fun to bother with some disapproving looks and a few chuckles. Making a run for it, he caught Emily in his arms. Thea was nowhere to be found. Turning her in his arms, Oliver pulled her closer and kissed her. Emily returned the kiss, her cheeks red from the cold and all the running. Breaking the kiss, he looked into her eyes and smiled fondly at the woman that stole his heart.

- "I love you so much, Emily Richards."

- "I love you too, Oliver Queen." – Emily answered with a smile, before kissing him again.

A kiss that was interrupted by a snowball right in both their cheeks. They laughed whole heartedly and Thea's laughter joined theirs. Oliver signaled to her to join them. When Thea was at arm's reach, he pulled her close. It must have been quite the sight, all three of them, standing in the snow, hugging each other's close, completely covered in snow. He didn't care. He was happy.

The moment, however, was quickly interrupted by their mother's voice calling out to them by their full names. Oliver saw Emily's face reach a new level of redness and Thea rolling her eyes. Turning his head towards their mother, he nodded towards her before releasing both girls from his arms. Emily tugged at his jacket, clearly feeling embarrassed. Oliver simply kissed the top of her head before taking her hand in his and taking both her and Thea towards the house.

- "Both of you never learn, do you? We have some very important people inside, people who can choose to not have any sort of business with our company and here you are, acting like five-year old's." – Moira Queen scold them, never breaking eye contact with them.

- "We'll go upstairs and change, mother." – Oliver answered her, a stoic look on his face.

They all made their way back inside, unable to hide the grin on their faces. Reaching the second floor of the Queen mansion, Thea took Emily to her room so she could change into one of her dresses. Oliver went to his own room and changed. Looking himself in the mirror, he just stood there, thinking of how much his life has changed and how much happy he was now.

Life wasn't always easy for him, in the more recent years, but now he had found true happiness. Happiness provided by a single person: Emily. She made everything worthwhile. That's when he made a decision. He wasn't gonna lose her. He wasn't gonna take that chance. He knew what he had to do.

Hopefully, by the end of the year, Oliver Queen will no longer be a bachelor. Hopefully.