Title: Walk blindly to the light, and reach out for his hand.

Author's summary: Continuing on from previous chapter/drabble…Oliver faces coffee, part II. Possibly my first ever dabble in to the idea of a songfic. Heheh.

Thanks: To Westernbeauty who really wanted to see this continue. Dedicated to Sandradeee and Westernbeauty, and all of us fanfic writers/fans out there who are rooting for Olicity. Thank you to the favorites and followers. You make my day! Reviews – always welcome, but I know that if it's not your thing, don't worry. Loving the encouraging words. I'm sorry once again, therapy for me…just putting it out there….

Genre: Angst

Disclaimer – not mine. Reference to I believe by Blessid Union of Souls, and True colors By Cindi Lauper…Cheesy know…. *cheesy smiles all round*

Walk blindly to the light, reach out for his hand

Don't ask any questions and don't try to understand

Open up your mind and then open up your heart

And you will see that you and me, we aren't very far apart

'Cause I believe that love is the answer

And I believe love will find a way

And I believe that love is the answer

I believe, ohh, love will find a way

…From : I believe by Blessid Union of Souls

Previously….

He held her precious hand, and ever so gently guided her to sit next to him on the edge of the bed. …..

…..This was not playtime. This was deadly serious. Her eyes appeared wet and as though they had seen better days. But if her curled fingers around his own were anything to go by, she did not want him to leave. ….

The memory of his kiss upon her seared through him. Then the thought of the loss of that, a vision of her no longer being his, of what it really would mean to lose her love forever, who he might lose, burned him still far worse…..

Oliver held her precious hand in his, unable to let go of the mesmerising miracle that lay before him, in more ways than one. He would never allow himself to embrace the fortune gifted to him in the way of this precious woman who sat next to him now on her bed. They had been through so much this past year, past two years that a life without her was unfathomable. His most recent encounter with Sara had him reflecting on her words. A light within.

A concept most predominant in the Arabian culture of old, the idea that we are all blessed with a light deep within. And we all have it. Never lost completely, especially the best of souls, when targeted with the worse of life events, that light, is held back, hidden in the deepest cavernous recesses of her hearts, our inner self, our child self, holding that light, and keeping it safe from extinction. But what if it was so well-hidden, deep in those darkest caves of the heart, that one would need a light to find where it was kept in the furthest caves it was so kept away in?

They say that it only takes a small speck of light to direct one's eyes away from complete blackness and towards the opening it creates. A diamond-like shard that pierces across the pitch-black, perfectly delineating the areas of space the dark tries ever so hard to encroach upon. But the light, fights. It wins, and breaks through. And nothing, once touched by it, can ever fall back.

True light.

True Light.

And the mirror is the one who reflects that light back to one, and guides to one's own light. A mirror of our own. To something greater.

Felicity, for Oliver, was his own personal piercing light in the psychotic black room. She was the one whose own mirror refracted back to him, the light in himself he was searching for.

How could he begin to express to her what she really meant to him.

He squeezed her hand tight momentarily. Tears filled his own eyes. He wanted to tell her, and she deserved to know. Emotionally wrecked, that was what he was. Why she chose to believe in him, when he had decided long ago that he was damaged was something he would never have the answer to. Except she came along and suddenly, she was unexpected hope.

Unable to help himself, the hand that held hers, was brought up to his heart and then as he looked at her, eyes glistening, he kissed the back of her hand before gently bringing it back ever so gently towards his heart, his thumb rubbing slow circles over the back of her hand as he tried to find the words, his throat constricted almost in self-reassurance.

Felicity's breathing hitched.

For a few moments the air was filled with sounds of their halted breaths, thick with unresolved feelings and unspoken words, but the sure knowledge that, this, between them, was too important to ignore.

Her hairs were standing on end, her heart ever so conscious in her ears pounding away in her chest. She loved him, and even now, as she found her soul entrenched in his own rendered state, even as she knew that he needed to give her explanation, she wanted to save him. She wanted to help him out of the puzzle they both found themselves in. To give him an opening to redirect them on the right path ahead of them, the only path where together they could be stronger.

She was no fool. She tried to ignore it, but Diggle had made it clear, his head was not in the game. It was all in thoughts of her.

Love him she did, and his life in jeopardy? She did not want that responsibility. So if she was the cause of it. Perhaps she should sacrifice too, if he was truly not ready for her.

She could be there for him to make sure his job as the Arrow was never going to put him in danger on account of distraction from her. But if Oliver, Oliver Queen, wanted something more, he needed to be brave enough to take that step into her world, her light, and embrace the possibility of something he could be deserving of.

Time seem to stand still.

Seconds felt like minutes, but time, seem to stand still.

Einstein had hit pause.

Somehow the coffee was moved away to the side, and she found her free hand touching his face The face that she wanted desperately to touch earlier. Her heart was pounding. Her breath shallow. She turned his face away from his focused stare at their hands upon his chest, and nudged it ever so tentatively towards her own.

Her fingers, held his golden stubbly jaw there, her thumb of the right hand tracing away the tear tracks upon his cheeks before suddenly finding its way to his lower lip.

His own lips parted at her bright touch.

'Oliver', she whispered. Her head involuntarily shaking from side-to-side, forlornly, as if to say, no, no more tears. His pain was hers. But she already knew that. Did he?

'I'm sorry, Felicity,' he rushed out of himself, broken. Had his mirror cracked?

'You have nothing to be sorry for,' she answered him too quickly.

'I do,' he was shaking his head now, his right hand still clutching her left hand to his chest, now almost tighter than before, emphasising the point. His left hand found its way to cover the one upon his face, their state now a criss-cross of limbs and haphazard emotions.

They both took a breath in. Oliver looked momentarily to her ear before refocusing back on her searching eyes.

'I do,' he said more softly, urgently. 'I was wrong Felicity. I pushed you away. You deserve better, I know you do, I ….I cannot go on now without admitting the truth. I need you.' He fixed upon her gaze, 'I love you too much to put you through what it would mean to be involved with someone like me. You must understand. I,' he was afraid to continue speaking. His brow was in knots. Eyes were nearly closed in pain. He did not want to make a mistake. He did not want to sound like the same old-broken record. But if he wanted to give himself a fighting chance, for the child within, then he needed to speak to her. He needed to open up and reveal his fears. He had to let go.

What did he have to lose?

He was already losing her.

He owed this to her. He owed this for them. For himself. If he should dare to admit that for himself.

She gave him a sorrowful smile, and nodded, encouraging him to continue. Her heart was in constriction. She did not want him to back track. She did not want them to go the other way. They needed to bridge this storm and reach beyond.

He had to let go.

'Felicity.' He uttered her name softly, a hopeful prayer. It sounded so small, so quiet upon his lips. Perfect yet, not his yet.

Her name grounded him. Oliver saying her name, grounded her.

'I, owe you the truth, Felicity. The truth about me,' he started.

His heart was racing. He had never felt this way before. Not even before a killshot or facing Slade. Not even when he had to rid the Count of this world forever.

'There is a lot about me you may not know, now, or ever, but there is still so much that you deserve to know. I'm a broken ship, and I died on that island a long time ago. Somehow, my weakened wood managed to set sail again, I anchored myself to this city and you've been my lighthouse all this time. You've been my guide, my direction, my home, my light. You believed in me, when I didn't have a hope of belief in myself.'

And there it was.

The closest to the truth he could offer her at this point.

His eyes welled up and his head bowed this time, and Felicity loosened her touch upon his face, her hands suddenly held mid air, his left hand long gone, resting in his lap in a fist.

'Please don't leave me.' His voice broke.

His eyes looked into hers then and he seemed to say, If you'll have me, I ask only for your time. I want you. I just need to get there first. I already know I love you and can't fathom a life without you.

She gasped.

Her own tears began to fall.

'Never.' I'll never leave you.

And she grasped both of his hands with her own before falling into him and wrapping her arms tightly around him.

And she held him like that until the sun had risen well past the horizon as both their faltering metaphorical ships shattered upon each others shores in accepted respite.

True colours by Cindi Lauper *cheesy smiles* (come on, it's a good song)

You with the sad eyes, don't be discouraged

Oh, I realize, it's hard to take courage

In a world full of people, you can lose sight of it all

And the darkness inside you can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors shining through

I see your true colors and that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show your true colors

True colors are beautiful like a rainbow

Show me a smile then don't be unhappy

Can't remember when I last saw you laughing

If this world makes you crazy and you've taken all you can bear

You call me up because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors shining through

I see your true colors and that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show your true colors

True colors are beautiful like a rainbow