So, funny story. I've written all of these Olicity one-shots lately and I'd intended to leave them as one-shots. But the response has been so overwhelming and the readers have been so incredible that I decided to add onto a few of them. I have a couple ideas for 'These Words' but this is part 2 of 'Lashings'. There will be at least one more part to this story. I really wanted to add Oliver's POV to this fic (especially since the readers were so encouraging after my first attempt at his perspective last night). This picks up about a month after the first chapter of 'Lashings.'

And thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, followed and favorited. I haven't had time to respond to each of you yet (because I've been in a writing frenzy, despite all of the final papers that I should be doing instead) but I promise I will.

Enjoy!

Oliver's skin prickled as he did his best to ignore the rage that he was barely suppressing. He bit back a growl as a giggle travelled across the room. He forced his way up the salmon ladder for the seventh time that evening but it was doing nothing to help with the anger. He hated nights like these. Nights where the streets were quiet and there was no new threat. Well sometimes he lived for nights like these.

But he really, really needed to hit someone and his first choice would be a mugger, or maybe a Triad member up to no good.

Instead he's stuck down in the lair trying to work out the frustrations that have been building steadily for weeks now. At this point he'd actually welcome a visit from Slade because he was sure he'd beat him. He had too much energy, too much raw anger bubbling within him and absolutely no outlet.

Diggle was spending the night at home with Lyla. And he could hardly blame the man for being unwilling to spar with him when Oliver was so close to losing control.

Sara had decided to spend some time in Coast City with her mother following their breakup.

Slade had disappeared to God knows where to lick the wounds that Roy had handed him for kidnapping Thea. He'd come back. And he'd likely be deadlier than ever. But he wasn't here now.

Which left him with Felicity and Roy. Felicity would never be an option for sparring, even if he was feeling in control.

And Roy was too busy flirting with the blond to be of any use to him. Oliver was choosing to ignore the part of him that wanted to spar with him because he was flirting with Felicity.

Their relationship had snuck up on him. Neither of them had spoken to him for days following Roy's breakup with Thea. Excluding of course the night that Felicity took him to task for just about every mistake he'd ever made and then some.

"I'll see you at home, Liss." Roy called before moving loudly up the stairs and walking out of the lair.

Oliver's jaw cracked as his teeth clamped shut. A roar escaped his lips as he began his ninth ascent up the salmon ladder. He glared at Felicity even as she stared up at him in surprise. Her head tilted to the side and her lips parted for a moment as she held his gaze.

"Are you alright?" She asked finally.

A bitter laugh fell from his lips as he swung upside down to begin a gruelling set of sit ups. She swung in and out of his vision as he pulled himself up and down. Her blue eyes were narrowed but she said nothing, waiting for an answer.

He ignored her, intent on burying the angry tirade that was threatening to burst out of him in a Felicity-like babble. He swung around on the bar so that he was hanging down and started a set of pull ups. His body was aching but his mind was still spinning out of control.

"Oliver, what is your problem?" She demanded, standing from her chair.

He closed his eyes as her heels clicked along the floor until she was standing on the mat just in front of him. He took a deep breath in through his nose as he tried to tamp down on the snarls of fury banging around inside his chest.

"Hello? Earth to Oliver!" She snarked.

His eyes flew open and he dropped to his feet in front of her. Hostility rolled off of him as he stalked forwards. Her blue eyes widened and she took a step back

"You want to know what my problem is?" He yelled, knuckles popping as his fists clenched at his sides.

"Yes!" She threw back with narrowed eyes. "You've been pouting for weeks and working yourself to the bone and just being a total ass to everyone around you."

"I have not been pouting!" He growled.

She snorted. "Yes. You. Have."

"Felicity." He did his best to pour every ounce of warning into the one word.

And she promptly ignored him.

"Don't Felicity me, Oliver Queen. What the hell is going on with you?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to rein himself in. Diggle wasn't here to referee and things were probably one snarky comment from Felicity from getting hideous. He took a deep breath in and-

"Oliver, I swear to God. You're actually such a brat." She muttered.

Comment number one. He felt his control slipping like sand through his fingers. "Felicity, stop."

"No! You stop. Stop being such a pain in the ass and tell me what your problem is. Because I'm about 3 seconds away from taking a holiday to get away from your broody drama and-"

"Jesus Christ, Felicity!" He roared. "You want to know what my problem is? You really want to know?"

She nodded and held her position. He stepped into her space so that their bodies were flush.

"My problem is that I'm sick of watching you and your boyfriend mooning over each other instead of doing your damn work!" He snapped. Her eyes rounded in what looked like confusion but he was on a roll now. "Can't the two of you keep that shit at home? You're already living together. He sure moved on fast. So much for loving my sister. And another –"

"Hold on!" She interrupted, using her loud voice. "What the hell are you talking about? Me and my boyfriend? Living together? Thea? I'm so con-"

"Don't play dumb, Felicity. We both know you're too smart for that." His tone was cold, in perfect contrast with the fiery rage that was burning him from the inside out. "He's a little young for you, don't you think? 22 years old."

"Don't be a dick, Oliver. What are you even talking about? Me and Roy? Our relationship is none of your damn business. Not that –"

"Of course it's my business!" He bellowed, stepping even further into her. Their chests heaved in tandem. "You think I sacrificed a future with you so that you could end up with someone even more dangerous than me? Are you serious?" He ran a hand through his hair and glared down at her. Her eyes were wide and she took a half-step back in surprise. "Only you would find the one guy in your life more screwed up than I am. The only guy more dangerous. What the hell is wrong with you?"

A growl tore itself from her throat and she jabbed a finger against his sweaty chest. "More screwed up than you? Hate to break it to you, Oliver, but no one is more screwed up than you!"

She spun on her heel and stormed away from him. His mouth opened and his eyes narrowed at her retreating back. He should let her go. He knew that. He'd said too much, and even if she hadn't responded to his words, he'd said them and now he couldn't take them back.

But he'd just admitted to choosing not to be with her, and he'd more than implied that he wanted to be.

And she was walking away. And that really pissed him off.

"Where do you think you're going? We're not finished here." He yelled after her, moving quickly to cut off her escape.

He stepped in front of her and folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm going home, Dick." She threw back, adjusting her purse on her shoulder. "You may not be done, but I am."

"To Roy?" He asked with a sneer.

He realised her intentions but allowed her to punch him in the chest anyways.

"Stop saying his name like that! You're the reason he's living with me. You're the one who broke his heart, who made him break Thea's! We aren't dating you Jackass! We're friends." She snapped, slapping his skin in between words, to punctuate the point. "He's living with me because he lived with Thea before. You think he wants to spend every waking minute in the home that he shared with her? Are you stupid? Because you must be to think that he could ever love someone the way he loves Thea. You know? The one he almost died fighting Slade for? He's living with me because someone forgot that he might need a friend to go through all of this with. Someone decided that taking away the one thing that keeps him Roy was for the best. So I've been trying to help him."

Oliver deflated and blew out a long breath. Well that wasn't what he was expecting.

"You're an idiot." She told him petulantly. And like always, she was right.

"I just-" He paused. He wasn't even sure what to say at this point. He'd built this whole thing up in his head for the past month and he'd reached his breaking point. And he'd been wrong about the whole thing.

Because Felicity wouldn't flaunt a relationship with anyone in his face. And she'd certainly never do it in the lair. Not the way that he'd done it with Sara.

"You just what, Oliver? You just thought that you had the right to be moody and rude for the past few weeks because maybe I was dating someone? You just thought that treating your protégé like a wild animal who had stolen your favorite toy was okay?" Her words were biting and each of them left a mark.

"You are not a toy." He told her, annoyed.

"No. Oliver, I'm not." Her eyes were tired. "I'm just the girl you 'sacrificed a future with'. I'm the one who you didn't respect enough to actually ask for some input in that decision."

Something painful flared to life in his chest and he stepped forwards. His hands came out to cup her elbows, relief washing over him when she didn't push him away. "I do respect you, Felicity. I just, you always get hurt because of me and-"

"And you were trying to protect me." She chimed in sarcastically. "Except that I'm a grown woman, Oliver. And you've hurt me more by pushing me away. When do I get a say in my life, Oliver?" She paused and he could see the tears starting to gather in those beautiful blue eyes of hers. "Because it isn't fair. It's not fair that you refuse to be with me. And that you throw a temper tantrum when you think I'm with someone else. But it's okay for you to have a girlfriend. It's okay for you to sleep around. I'm supposed to grin and bear it. Even when you do it down here, in my home." She sniffled and wiped at a stray tear that had escaped. "It's not fair"

And it wasn't. Oh, God. It wasn't fair at all. He had trapped her in this horrible limbo and he hadn't even realised it. He had lashed out when Barry had taken an interest. He'd let his jealousy run rampant and had basically pissed all over the woman in front of him. And there was no excuse for the hostility that he'd been throwing around for the past month. He had chosen not to be with her, but nobody else could have her either.

He was a selfish bastard.

"I'll try harder." He told her softly. "You should be able to live your life and I know that I don't make it easy." He swallowed heavily, gripping her elbows tightly. "I won't stand in your way anymore. When you," He paused and his jaw clenched. "When you date I promise I'll-"

Felicity glared at him. "I don't want to date, Oliver. The only person I want to be with is you."

He dropped her elbows and took a step back. He shook his head and his gaze shifted to her feet. "I can't."

His eyes snapped back to her face as she tried and failed to stifle a sob. She shook her head and tears sprang free. "Then we have nothing more to talk about."

He stepped forward and reached towards her but she was already half-way up the stairs. He was frozen in place and it was several long minutes before he dropped his hand.

Then we have nothing more to talk about.

So, don't hate me. I just felt like it was a good place to leave it. For now. What did you think? Thanks for reading!