Notes:
This is something that has been an idea that has stuck with me for a while... and unpopular opinion that I might get some serious heat for, the thing that I had the most issues with with the Earth-X crossover was not the choice to do a Nazistoryline, they did take that one straight from DC Comics, but the Olicity drama... seriously, it took away so much from the actual storyline and was so unnecessary and I'm convinced, had they not been confronted with the possibility of one of them dying the outcome of their initial argument had probably been an entirely different one, given their history, and the knowledge of the future we now have... but that is just my humble opinion.
And just to have it mentioned, I agree, they could've come up with a better reason for a crossover than going with the Earth-X storyline. They could've had an evil Oliver from another Earth without actual Nazis. Would've been a better and smarter choice but it is DC canon that they took. So...
I wanna feel that way Yeah I wanna hold you close Oh if you still love me Don't just assume I know Oh baby remind me, remind me
"Look at you Mayor Handsome. Damn, can't remember the last time I've seen you this dressed up." He had to smile at her words and turned his head to look at the blonde bombshell addressing him and automatically checked her out himself. She looked stunning in the blue dress she was wearing.
"I can only return that, Captain Hotness, or more accurate would be gorgeous today. It's been a while since we've both been in formal wear. I'd almost go as far and say probably Max Fuller's rehearsal dinner." If he remembered correctly, Sara always used any excuse she could come up with to avoid any formal events, and once she had left for college she pretty much skipped anything that she wasn't required to attend or she thought would be fun, like Max's rehearsal dinner.
"Oh, that was an interesting night. A bit too much drama for my taste, but at least you had your fun." Which had definitely turned out differently than expected. He returned her raised eyebrow and sly grin with one of his own. This one of her character traits he cherished and appreciated the most. While everyone else he knew would've looked at him in some level of disgust or disapproval or mortification, Sara simply did in good humor and amusement, there was no judgement there. There never had been and there probably never would be.
He offered her his arm, which she accepted with a smile, linking hers with his, while they were walking out of the church together. This was nice. He felt some of the tension drain from his body and himself relax at her touch. This was familiar. This was just what he needed. The type of comfort only Sara could provide, simply with her presence and physical contact. Her touch almost had healing qualities. At least it sometimes felt like it did to him. There was just something about her presence that grounded him.
"You okay?" her voice was soft, caring, her eyes compassionate and understanding, it shouldn't have surprised him that she had learnt about what had transpired between him and Felicity the night before, even though she had had already left the party by that time. As he had found out when he went looking for her after the very public humiliation, her being the only person whose company he would've actually wanted after that. Hoping she'd be up to nursing a couple of drinks together while he was doing the same with his broken heart.
"You heard… glad you weren't witness to that very public rejection and humiliation." He tried to put some humor into it and his voice, but he knew he fell flat and was once again grateful it was Sara he was talking to. She'd get it.
"Well, yeah, obviously… it is kinda scary to think that these people are responsible for keeping secret identities. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, O.J." She wasn't wrong. The amount of gossip that was going on between his team and Barry's was staggering, and he was glad he only learnt about some of it by chance and people didn't actually try to include him. Or more accurately would probably be that they were no longer trying to include him. Thankfully. He neither had the patience nor mental capacity for it. He honestly didn't care for the most part, and couldn't understand the need to share everything and anything with everyone. The group texts he'd been added to were mostly put on silent. He got way too many messages already anyway, he couldn't handle the mostly useless gossip going on on there on top of everything else he had to deal with as mayor and the Green Arrow and just Oliver Queen.
He liked his privacy, he also liked to keep things private, and he didn't appreciate how the majority of his relationship problems became public domain or the dominant story of their gossip circles. This made him wonder if the Legends were dragged into those as well or not. He'd have to ask Sara at some point if she was even aware of it. Her opinions on gossip and group chats were in line with his own. She had no patience for it. Again, being too busy trying to keep the fabric of time intact and stay in contact with the people she loved and make sure those interactions were meaningful. She was also the only person he talked to about his problems. She was a good listener, gave excellent advice, but only if she was asked for it, and she was more than capable of keeping a secret and not letting on that she had information she shouldn't have. Her poker face was inscrutable. He always knew straight away when Felicity had shared some of their issues with Team Flash. It was obvious in their behavior, yet no one was the wiser that Sara was intimately aware of some of the issues he and Felicity were having.
"Tell me about it. Just the thought gives me a headache. There's nothing you need to apologize for Birdy, it's not like you could've known… well I guess theoretically you could've…" Oliver was touched by her words, leave it to her to feel bad about not sticking around a party where she barely knew anyone and probably didn't feel too comfortable at, just in case he'd need her. He looked at her in confused calculation, wondering whether or not this would've been something Sara could've had previous knowledge about if she would've looked for it, still not entirely sure how exactly the specifics of her chosen mission worked.
"Still, I'm sorry. The rest of the night must have been awful. I hope you got to bail soon after…You could've called, you know. I would've come back or we could've met up somewhere and hung out. Only if I'd specifically looked for it or it would have a greater impact on your timeline. But I try to not learn things about the lives of the people I care about. Helps remove the temptation to try and prevent painful events from happening. The less I know, the less I get tempted to change shit. And make you guys' lives better, which in turn could backfire horribly." He hadn't. He'd stuck it out for Barry. Knowing how much his presence meant to his friend. But he had wanted to. After he found out that Sara had left, there'd been nothing he'd wanted to do more than get out of there himself. He'd considered calling her but had decided against it. She'd just left without telling anyone, so he'd assumed she'd probably be busy and did not want to interrupt or drag her down. He'd decided that at least one of them should enjoy their night and have some fun. Still, her words now meant the world to him, knowing that even after all those years, and the distance between them, she'd still drop everything just because he needed her meant more to him than she would ever know. He'd always been acutely aware of the fact that he'd do the same for her, he'd dropped everything to go with Nate to find her when she'd been lost in time and nothing had changed he'd still do the same thing, always. There was absolutely nothing he wouldn't do for her. There'd just been moments in the last three years he hadn't been entirely sure… he hated the fact that there'd been moments he'd doubted her. But not having her around was hard, especially during his darkest hours, and those were the moments when his demons began to question her, even though he knew Sara was the one person he could always count on, no matter what. His ride or die. That made perfect sense. He couldn't even imagine how difficult it must be to have the entirety of time at your disposal and, theoretically, the option to change things. He once more admired her for her inner strengths. It was remarkable.
They reached the destination for the rest of the celebration after a short walk, too short in his opinion, he could've just spent the rest of the day walking around Central City with Sara, he'd actually preferred it, if he were honest with himself, he really didn't feel like participating in an event like this, but he couldn't let Barry down, plus he did have a speech to give at some point. Another thing he really didn't feel like doing anymore, he'd written it a while ago but he was tempted to just throw the prepared one out the window and wing it, he'd feel like a fraud and a liar if he'd go with the pre-prepared one after last night and this morning. He'd decide when the moment came. Once they arrived, they noticed they weren't just not seated together, but at completely separate tables.
The seating arrangement almost felt like a slap in the face and made him realize just how little they knew Sara and him. They got to spend so little time together. It would've been nice being able to catch up with her, even if the situation between Felicity and him weren't what it was right now. Plus, Sara and Felicity got along great, and he knew at least they'd be happy to get a chance to catch up too. Plus, he was sure it'd been nice for her to not just once again be around the people she already sees on a daily basis. Oliver knew Sara loved her team, but she was literally stuck with them on a spaceship the majority of the time. Getting a breather and the chance to interact with other people would seem like a nice change.
Oliver walked her to her seat and pulled the chair out for her, helping her get seated. At least Sara was sitting next to Jax and Rory. People she knew and interacted with every day, instead of complete strangers. Sara squeezed his hand before he begrudgingly left her to go find his seat; next to Felicity, he was sure.
Oliver couldn't remember the last time he had felt this awkward. At least now they had switched places, so that Felicity was no longer sitting right next to him, and she could better talk to Cisco and Caitlin. It had been after Felicity sat away from him that Kara properly introduced him to her sister, Alex. The two women helped keep his mind off of what had transpired between him and Felicity last night and the terse conversation they'd had right before the ceremony this morning. Conversation might not be the right word; it had pretty much just been Felicity letting him know she thought they needed a break to think about things and it might help him come to terms with her not wanting to marry him. She loved him and she wanted to be with him and spend her life with him, but she did not want to marry him.
It made no sense to him at all.
He would have no issue with her stance had she been against marriage in general and felt strongly about the institution, like someone he knew very well and cared for dearly, but she didn't. Not only that, she had been willing and eager to marry him before, so the issue was not the marriage part, but marrying him specifically, and he wasn't sure if he could get past that. Knowing that she wasn't willing to fully commit to him felt like she already had one foot out the door again. And he wasn't sure he could do this again, commit to her fully, while she wasn't willing to do the same. If he could handle it, if she once again decided what he had to offer her wasn't enough one year down the line, or two or five. And he also wasn't sure if he could risk it because it wasn't just him anymore. A breakup would affect William as well. Could he let his son, who had been through too much already for his young age, get attached to her if there was a chance that she'd suddenly decide to pack her things and walk out on him, on them? It wouldn't be fair to William. Was he willing to take that risk and not only have his own heart shattered, but that of his son as well? He honestly wasn't sure. But this was something to brood over at another time.
"You owe me a dance, Queen." Oliver had been engaged in a conversation with both Kara and her sister Alex, when they got rather rudely interrupted, he shifted his focus from the two women across from him, to the one standing right next to his chair now, her hip leaning against the table.
"I don't dance." He deadpanned, knowing full well it was an excuse she wouldn't let him get away with.
"Bullshit. C'mon. I'm bored! Play with me." There was a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, and the hint of a hidden smile played on her lips.
"I can play with you right here at the table just fine without dancing being involved." Oliver realized the way it sounded the moment the words left his mouth, and he prayed to whatever higher power that listened that Sara was just going to let it slide and not comment on it. He knew chances were slim to none, especially because he was pretty sure she'd set him up with that choice of words on purpose, but one could always hope. He also pushed the image away that his mind automatically created at the combination of the words "play with me" and Sara and a table and her in that dress which hugged her nicely and accentuated her breasts and displayed her muscular legs, never mind the shoes...
"Tempting, Stud, but I think that would be a scandal you probably don't want right now, and the majority of the people around wouldn't be able to handle." Her smirk was very close to moving past naughty and going straight to downright filthy. Of course, she'd take that route to interpret it. Those words also didn't help trying to keep his mind out of the gutter and from conjuring up even more very inappropriate images involving Sara, him and the table, or chair, or both. And Jesus! He needed to focus, thankfully he was pulled away from the road his mind was taking him down on when he heard coughing and his eyes automatically strayed from the blonde next to him around the table to find the source and help if necessary, seeing poor Kara, who had apparently chocked on her drink at Sara's words and Alex comfortingly patting her back. He also tried to ignore the fact that everyone at his table seemed to be focused on Sara and his interaction now. They were giving them great fodder to gossip about after, he had to admit that. But he just couldn't care right now. This was fun, this was familiar, this; bantering with Sara was a great way to keep him distracted.
"We both know that's not what I meant. Sit down, join us. We're having a rather interesting conversation." He pulled the chair out next to him, gesturing towards it. Sara considered the offer for a moment. When her eyes strayed passed Alex, the other woman appeared to feel very uncomfortable in her presence and the last thing she wanted to do was make this day even more difficult for her. She was going through a lot already. She couldn't even imagine how she must be feeling right now. Besides, trying to get Ollie to stop thinking about everything that had happened with Felicity while sitting only a few seats away from her was almost impossible, even for her and she knew how to get Ollie's undivided attention, even while they were both keeping their clothes on, it took a lot more work on her part in the leaving the clothes on scenario than the clothes off one, but she usually had no trouble pulling it off either way.
"Thanks, but I've been sitting the entire day. I seriously need to get rid of some of that pent-up energy or I'm going to go insane! C'mon, we had a deal; I get a dance at every social event I'm forced into formal wear for and dragged to. This is one of those. So, pay up!" Had she seriously just brought up a deal they had made when she was like thirteen and forced to attend Star City Policemen's ball, an event he had of course been attending too? Yes, they had made that deal. Yes, they had upheld it for years, but he didn't dance. Not anymore.
"I'm pretty sure that promise is statute-barred by now." It was worth a shot, as small as the possibility of her actually letting it slide was. But he didn't really feel like dancing, even less to love songs. But if he were completely honest with himself, he didn't really feel like doing anything involved with a wedding or love. He'd like to just lock himself in the Bunker and workout to the point of complete and utter exhaustion so his mind was totally blank because he couldn't even muster to think anymore. That was what he'd prefer to any of this. Or go out and beat the crap out of some bad guys. That was probably what Sara would prefer too… he let his eyes stray to Barry and knew he couldn't just leave and hurt his friend with that selfish action. He had to stick it out for him.
"There is no such thing on promises made. There was spit and shit involved. It was all very serious." He could see the twinkle in her eyes and the slight twitch of her mouth, letting him know she had to fight to stay serious and not crack up at her own words and probably the memory of that event.
"We were teens. And you were the one insisting on the spit part. I'm pretty sure that was curtsey of the Olsen twins." It had also been rather gross, and they had unanimously agreed to never do that again but it had been either the spit or blood, and he had preferred the spit to a cut on his hand, he also hadn't trusted a thirteen-year-old Sara with a sharp knife and his hand, that had seemed like a disaster waiting to happen and a chance he hadn't been willing to take with his hand.
"Going back on your word, Mister Mayor? What will your constituents think when they find out you are not a man of your word?" Sara's performance would've fit perfectly into a classic movie, her hand was dramatically put on her chest, while she leaned slightly back to feign shock, God he'd missed this. Playful, fun Sara. Oliver was very aware of the fact that she purposely ignored the little Olsen twin dig he threw in there, ignoring the obsession she used to have with their movies. That was fine. He'd tease her more about it on the dancefloor away from curious ears. There was no need to reveal too much information about their shared past. The less they knew, the less they could use against them.
"You're not going to stop bugging me until I give in, are you?" He refused to call defeat yet, even knowing full well that this interaction would end with him taking her to the dancefloor. But he enjoyed their little game too much right now to already give in. He'd missed this too much. It had been too long since the last time they indulged in the fun part about their friendship, since the last time they got the chance to.
"You really need me to answer this one?" she cocked her head and raised a brow at him, looking rather incredulous, understandably so. No, it was a rhetoric question on his part, and a fruitless attempt to get more time. He damn well knew that she'd spend the rest of the day pestering him until he finally gave in. It was a game to both of them, had been for years. She usually out-stubborned him, but mostly because she'd be willing to go to outrageous lengths. And was more patient than he was. Always had been.
Sara could see him falter and knew from the look on his face that he had already resigned himself to dancing with her. But she could also see the amusement in his eyes and that he was enjoying this banter just as much as she did. So they kept it up a little while longer before he shifted in his chair, to get up, take her hand and lead her to the dancefloor, as he had done countless times before.
Notes:
I'm a bit nervous about this one and it would be nice to get your thoughts on it.
It's kind of weird that Sara isn't with the rest of the women when they're getting pampered… in a way not really her style but still, they could've invited her, it's not like they know Kara that much better… or am I wrong here. And how is it that Felicity is sort of not having an issue with the concept of her and Oliver getting married during girl talk but she makes a scene when he brings it up later on. For one it's a wedding it coming up is not that surprising, especially given their history. She's been already made aware of the possibility with Iris bringing it up. And she was willing to once before so Oliver assuming it was where they were headed eventually only makes sense and she should've not been so appalled by the idea and the fact that he wanted to fully commit to her… just saying.
This won't have anything to do with this story, but it would've made so much more sense had Sara gone up against Nazi Oliver instead of Oliver… it would've also seriously fucked with her emotions and she'd probably would've ended up scarred for life after but… it still would've made more sense. Let me know if you agree or disagree with me in the comments. I might actually write a story going that route at some point.
And I will never not be salty about the Tommy reveal and Sara not being front and center with Oliver and being allowed to react to seeing the doppelganger of her childhood friend she hasn't seen in more than 10 years. The last time had been before she and Oliver went on the Gambit. And why wasn't Sara in that meeting with everyone else? Where was she? I have a lot, a lot of issues with this crossover and different than most people, it has nothing to do with the Nazis. Sue me.
Also, Sara is Oliver's comfort person and Oliver is Sara's comfort person, screw security blankets when you can have security vigilante ;)
Story title is from the song "Remind Me" by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. When I heard it for the first time it just screamed Canarrow to me.
PS: Also if you have Netflix go check out Heels on Netflix US (use your VPN and change your country setting if you are living outside the US). The show is amazing and I need a third Season, so the show needs to do well in order for Netflix to decide to spend money to make a thrid season. Plus the entire Heels cast is promoting the shit out of the show because they all want a third season as well, that should tell you everything you need to know about it. No, seriously, the writing and acting is amazing and Stephen is awesome in it.