Notes: Like I said on my Tumblr: you all should send thanks to effie214 and dedication2em, cause without them the final chapter of 'Branded with your mark' wouldn't have happened.

Thanks to Sofie, Zillah, Guest for leaving comments. Hope you'll enjoy the new chapter :)

Felicity sighed, falling into her comfy couch as dread washed over her. She had just arrived from her weeklong trip to her grandparents' home, to keep herself away from Oliver. Just being back in Starling already reduced the effects of her self-imposed distance between them. She closed her eyes, her head resting on the back of her couch as she tried to relax. Her headache and the constant buzzing decreased considerably already. Maybe she should have listened to her granny on the second day when she said Felicity could go home and just avoid places she knew she would meet Oliver.

Three sharp knocks on her front door derailed Felicity's train of thought abruptly, making her jump slightly on her couch. She drew in a long breath before she got up to answer the door.

Felicity's eyes widened in alarm at Oliver's presence in her doorway. If she looked worn out, Oliver seemed like he got run over by a truck or something similarly horrible.

"What…" before Felicity could formulate her question, Oliver pulled her close, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist. His surprise hug attack made her step back and he easily walked her backward, closing her door with his feet without releasing his hold on her.

Her arms went around his neck, and she felt Oliver draw in a ragged breath and burrowed his face in the curve of her neck. She shuddered at the prickly feeling of his long beard against her already sensitive skin, but she couldn't stifle the relieved gasp when the mere contact with him soothed her body. She sagged against his chest, relief seeping through her as she felt the first resemblance of a pleasing feeling since she stepped out of Starling.

Since the bond was formed, her body seemed to lose its individuality. She'd been able to sense Oliver's muted feelings since she'd first seen his mark. After their discussion and her need to get out of town, everything just got worse. She understood when soul mates were bonding, they experienced symptoms when they were away from each other, but she wasn't expecting something quite like what she'd ended up feeling. It wasn't just uncomfortable like she read so many times; it exhausted her too.

First, it was the active beehive in her brain. She almost drove back from her grandparents' house to Starling City in the second day so the buzzing would stop. The noise ended up giving her a headache at the end of each day, which seemed to drain her strength to the point she'd fall into deep sleep, only to have her dream time plagued by Oliver's everything. Yet, the worst part was the whole yearning. It seemed as the more time and space she put between herself and Oliver, the more she craved him. Her skin felt so sensitive and tingly that sometimes she had to lock herself up in her grandparents' bathroom and let the almost scalding water run down her body to reduce everything she was feeling.

She didn't even last one week away from Oliver. Although, according to her granny if Felicity wasn't so damn stubborn, she'd have gone back in two days instead of six. So, points for Felicity for enduring so much for so long.

Agony caused by soul mate bond aside, getting out of Starling City and spending time with her family gave her another perspective of her problems.

Yes, Oliver was an asshole for keeping the information to himself, but her grandmother reminded her that he was a difficult man and he wasn't ready to face the responsibility of having a soul mate after so many tragic things had happened to him. The fact he said twice he didn't deserve her was proof he actually wanted to be with her; he just felt unworthy – which was different levels of stupidity in Felicity's opinion. The bottom line was that they needed to have an honest talk. She'd speak her mind, wouldn't let Oliver feed her any kind of excuse and they'd find a mid-ground until they decided what they should do next - together.

Felicity needed to remember to buy the best and most expensive coffeemaker for her granny as thanks for putting up with her constant babble about her soul mate problems. Of course her purchase would be done with Oliver's credit card as he was the reason she almost had an emotional meltdown in the first place.

Even though she promised her granny she wouldn't do anything hasty, she couldn't stop herself from researching alternatives for people that didn't have the intention to complete their bond. If her granny knew, she'd scold Felicity about her research, but Felicity being Felicity needed to know what would be the next step if Oliver decided to not drop the absurdity of not deserving her. She found out there were suppressants to mask the symptoms of the bonding if people needed to be away from each other, and a group in Starling City made up of people without soul mates that would meet and talk and try to form bonds with others and try to fill the void their soul mate left. She had no idea such things existed, but then she also never worried about being in a situation where her other half wanted to reject the bond.

Although now, in Oliver's arms, surrounded by his all-consuming feelings for her, she couldn't remember why she thought her future involved anything else but him and their lives. She couldn't believe last night she'd been crying over the possibility of marrying, having kids and a house with someone else's soul mate instead of the one the universe designed as her own perfect fit.

She felt her eyes well up at maelstrom of feelings at that moment. She couldn't separate which feelings belonged to whom, but she could feel the mix of relief, longing, desire, irritation and deep affection. As she held onto him, Felicity realized that Oliver wouldn't honestly walk away from her. The two of them had deep feelings for each other that predated the bonding. The process of it only highlighted them.

Felicity sighed at the sensation of Oliver hugging her; at the same time she felt his want to touch her. She couldn't distinguish where he started and she ended, and that was burning her from the inside out.

Her fingers itched to slide down his back, get underneath his shirt and just reach for his mark, but it was he who lifted up her tank top, lowered the hem of her shorts down and covered her mark with his hand. She moaned in pleasure for the warmth of his warm hand on her, tracing the mark that brought them together.

"Shit," she gasped out loud as she felt desire pool low in her belly. She dug her nails in the back of his head, her hips thrusting involuntarily into him.

"Felicity," he moaned against her neck, squeezing her waist. Somehow, Oliver speaking her name brought her back to reality and made her push him away by the shoulders. He reluctantly released his hold on her, running his hands through his short hair as he avoided her gaze. He finally looked at her only when she stepped back and put some distance between them.

"What are you doing here?" Felicity squinted at him, crinkling her nose. "Better yet, how did you know I was home?"

Felicity watched his cheeks redden a little, his head hanging low as his shoulders slackened in embarrassment.

"I was around your block when I felt your presence, so I had to come to see you," he shrugged, his lips pressed in a thin line.

Felicity let out a long sigh. She shook her head, pointing to her couch. "Sit, we need to talk."

He gave her a small nod, sitting at one end of the couch. She took the opposite side, one of her legs under her as she turned her body towards him. She took a deep breath, gathering courage to start talking.

"Felicity, before you start I need to tell you something, can I…?" he sent her a questioning look, silently asking her permission.

She tilted her head, scrutinizing Oliver's stance. He was sitting stiffly, and his expression was neutral even though she could sense his inner turmoil. They were too close, physically and emotionally, for her not to feel it. Her eyes fell on his hands, catching him rub his fingers together. She knew it was a nervous tic because he only did it when he was trying to conceal being agitated. Not wanting to upset him further, Felicity bobbed her head in agreement.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "While you were gone, it made me realize how much I screwed up." He paused, his eyes hovering over her expression, licking his lips before he continued. "Once you told me that it was your life, your choice. Keeping that secret from you was wrong of me because it involved your life too. I shouldn't have made any kind of choice without your consent."

He swallowed thickly before sucking in a sharp breath. "In the beginning, I was going to do this all by myself, but then you and Diggle came into this and now we're a team. I learned to rely on you, to need you with me. You became my partner', he stopped briefly, offering her a small smile. "You're my partner, Felicity, and it wasn't very partner-like of me to keep you in the dark about being my soul mate. You're part of this as much as I am. For that I'm sorry."

Felicity exhaled sharply, suddenly disarmed by his declaration. The anger she bottled up for the last week seemed to vanish at hearing his sincere apology. She felt a pang of exasperation for Oliver's ability to quell her justified outrage.

"You can't do this again, Oliver," she shook her head, closing her eyes briefly in frustration. "You can't just make decisions that affect both of us without consulting me. You already did it twice, first when you made me your EA and now regarding the soul mate mark," she said gravely. "If you see me as your partner," she paused, giving him a disappointed look, "you need to start treating me like one and not like I'm playing roles in your life that are convenient to you."

He flinched visibly at her words, the guilt surging between the two of them. The remorse reflecting in Oliver's eyes made her slide closer to where he was sitting, her hand reaching for his. He entwined their feelings together, squeezing it slightly.

"I won't do this ever again," he promised in a quiet voice, his eyes locked with hers. Seeing his sincerity, she offered him a reassuring smile.

There was a brief moment of silence. His gaze focused on her, shifting from earnestness to tenderness. He dropped her hand, slowly reaching up to stroke her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before cupping her face, his thumb rubbing back and forth over her skin.

"I never want to feel like I did last week," he confessed as he tipped his head slightly to his right. "But I don't deserve you."

"You've said before that you didn't tell me I was your soul mate because you didn't deserve me. What am I to you, Oliver? Am I a reward for good behavior or something?" She closed her eyes, trying to conceal her annoyance. "Look, I understand you've issues with your past and the things you did before. I know you feel unworthy of happiness and a fulfilled life." She opened her eyes and looked into his. "But you need to stop this," she waved at him with her free hand. "Everything I did for you and how I feel about you are things that I did freely, that naturally happened. What we've built wasn't a reward for you being the best man out there."

She sucked in a sharp breath, pressing her lips in frustration. Before she had chance to say anything else, Oliver spoke.

"Felicity, the life I lead…"

"It's the same one I lead!" she interrupted, irritated by his stubbornness. "The enemies you make are the same ones I have because I'm behind this mission as much as you are. I may not be out there using my fists, but I'm still fighting. You're not protecting me by not being with me. The only person you're protecting is yourself," she said vehemently. "You're being your own worst enemy, Oliver. Stop sabotaging yourself."

He swallowed hard, shifting his gaze from hers briefly. He dropped his defensive posture and let his hand fall from her fold. She could see the acquiescence in his face when he spoke again.

"What do you want to do?" he asked in a gravelly tone.

"I want us to explore the bond. I want to make this work," she said honestly. "But I won't push you," she said, trying to not let the hurt show in her voice. "If you honestly don't want…"

"I'm not rejecting the bond," he said decisively, tipping up her face gently, his hand under her chin. "I want you, I've always wanted you," he declared without hesitation, his eyes locked on hers. "Even before I found out that you were my soul mate, I wanted you," he confessed, his eyes pleading for her to believe in him.

She nodded, overwhelmed by his words. After a moment of silence, she spoke.

"So, you want to try?" she asked softly.

"I want to try," he told her in a determined tone, a familiar smile gracing his lips.

"Okay," she said, licking her lips, caught in the intensity of his gaze. Her mouth went dry as his eyes fell to her lips, following the movements of her tongue. Her pulse raced as desire pooled in her belly. The air felt heavier as Oliver took a long, assessing look, and then leaned down, capturing her mouth in a kiss. The second his lips were on hers it felt like something broke within her.

Everything became heightened, bright and focused, the emotions so intense that they reverberated in her body. Her skin was so sensitive that having him kiss her was almost too much to handle, not just the sense of his feelings enveloping her own, but the desire he felt left her feeling like the sparks between them were threatening to explode into a full-blown conflagration. As way to ground herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him closer as the kiss deepened. His tongue parted her lips and, as she opened up to him, he took control. She felt the urgency in the way his mouth moved against hers, sucking on her bottom lip to entice a groan from her. Her nails dug into his neck, and then raked up and down his skin. She sighed against his mouth, her need for Oliver drowning her senses. Felicity was so lost in his embrace that when he pulled away she gasped out loud.

Their eyes met immediately and she knew she was turning crimson under his heated look. Felicity sensed Oliver's desire to drag her to the bedroom and consummate the bond right then.

"Go," she said urgently, pushing him away. She looked at her hands and saw she was trembling. Oliver didn't look much better. He looked on the edge, his face as reddened as his lips, swollen by her kisses, and she suspected that wasn't the only part of him affected, making sure not to glance down his body, even though her own want nearly drove her to climb in his lap and take this to its natural conclusion.

"Felicity," he moaned in agony. Yup, he felt her desperation.

"You need to go now," she repeated as she retreated to her previous spot on the couch.

"Yes, I need to go before I…" he looked at her and licked his lips. She shivered at the wave of sexual desire hit her.

"Go," she encouraged.

Oliver bobbed his head in agreement, but instead of getting up, he slid closer to her. He reached for her hand, his eyes holding hers in an intense gaze.

"I want to do this right," he muttered as he lifted her hand close to his mouth.

"It's okay, I understand," she said while he kissed her knuckles.

He let her hand go, getting up to leave. In a few steps, he had crossed her living room, standing in front of her doorway. He opened the door and stepped out, but then he turned around to look at her.

"I'm very happy it's you," he said with a smile before closing the door behind him.

Felicity let out a happy laughter as she felt the mutual happiness singing across the bond.

Things would work out just fine between them. She could feel it.

Notes: First, I want to say thanks to every single one of you that commented, favorited or sent me messages on Tumblr asking about this fic. This story may belong to me, but it just became possible with everyone supporting me and cheering me up. It was my first multi-chapter fic o/ Before this, I never wrote anything longer than an one-shot, so it has been a crazy experience, although I still have a few WIPs, this one is the first one I finally finish! Now, I'll sit my ass and work in my other Olicity fics.

About this particular plot: it's finished at the moment, but maybe in the future I'll write a follow-up. Nothing right now cause I've around 15 different ideas I want to work. The good news is that you'll see another soul mates AU, yet completely different from this universe :)

Again, thank you for your patience and see you all soon when I update one of my other fics ;)

Please, leave comments and favorite it if you enjoyed it!
xoxo
Naty :)