Okay, so this is a short post-finale one-shot based on a prompt in tumblr by thenerddess (look for it at the end notes)

Enjoy!

NEVER WANT TO SAY IT'S LOVE

I meant every word that I said

I stand by every word that I said

I never wanna say it's love

But it's really what I'm thinking of

She didn't know what to expect.

If there was something Laurel Lance had learnt in the past year was to expect the unexpected; that there was more to people that met the eye. Many secrets had unraveled, her life and loved ones being clear as day now –and not only because alcohol wasn't in the mix anymore–.

Sara was gone, yet safe at least. Her father was on bed rest, surgery having taking a toll on him; but safe nonetheless. Her city was in crumbles, shaken by evil and vengeance again, though this time the only casualty in her life was normalcy.

In the last twenty-four hours she had worked alongside the arrow and the canary, masked heroes, and been kidnapped, yet again, by a vindictive criminal. Only now it made sense, why her… or at least she thought so.

Walking into Verdant, carefully avoiding the wreckage Slade's men had torn off this place, she faced the one man that held the answer.

Oliver stood by the bar, studying the damage while he waited for her. A smiled tugged at his lips as he spotted her and she smiled back, mentally cataloging the several cuts he had now on his face.

"I'm fine" he muttered at her worried expression. "How's your father?"

"Recovering. He's stubborn as hell though, if he had gotten that checked out earlier…"

"Well, it runs in the family" he butted in before she got upset again. Her family's health was a touchy subject. She smiled in return, her thoughts now drifting to what had brought her here. He seemed to notice the change as his brow furrowed in advance.

"I need to ask you something, Ollie." At his slight nod she went on. "That day, when Slade took me, us, and you showed up. He said we were there because the one you loved had to die. And, don't get me wrong 'cause I'm not making any assumptions about us, but I thought it made sense that he thought of me; giving our history… yet she's the one he was talking about." Her words hanged in the air, there was no need to say who she was, both knew and Laurel could already see how Oliver was bracing for her question.

"Are you two together?"

There was no complain in her voice, though he could sense she was slightly hurt he hadn't told her. Before he could mull over her question the easy answer came forward.

"No."

Laurel studied him for a moment. She thought she had gotten somewhat good at reading through his lies after knowing him for most of her life, but the last couple of years had proven her otherwise. Still she knew, deep down there was more to it that he let on; and as much as he didn't like to be pushed, she wasn't one to stand down. After all he had done the same to her when she needed it the most; it's what had lead her to pulling herself together after the melt-down.

"So she's not the woman you love?"

Her words echoed in his head, and as much as he wanted to deny it, knowing it would do no good for anyone right now, there was something holding the words back.

Truth is when he uttered those three words to Felicity he didn't mean it to sound like that, didn't thought of saying them at all; what he had said before was more than enough to sell Slade the idea. Yet before he could hold them back the words had rolled off his lips, and in that moment he knew he meant it.

Now he was scared shitless of what to do next, what it meant for them. Since then he had been mulling over the fact he knew what he wanted but figuring out if he was ready to fight for it.

"We're not together" he repeated then; simple enough answer, still the truth without admitting something he wasn't ready to talk about.

Yet Laurel could read through his diversion, the meaning behind his words and that lost look in his eyes. A smile spread across her face as she realized that, even through the hell his life had been lately, he had happiness in his life; had found peace after their relationship had crumbled to pieces.

Taking a step forward she placed a hand on his forearm making him meet her eyes.

"I'm happy for you" she whispered with heart-felt conviction.

His eyes lightened as her words washed over him and, without the need to say more, she pulled him into a hug. Their eyes closed in content, knowing they'd found a good place in their friendship again, one where they could be honest with each other like never before.

"I swear if I got my hands on Slade now I'd kill him in a second. I can't believe he destroyed my whole set up down there! It's gonna take weeks to get my babies back on track. And with you being broke now it's gonna take even longer to update it."

Felicity ranted as she emerged through the lair's secret door onto the dance floor, eyes glued to the tablet in her hands. She stopped in her tracks as she looked up and saw Oliver and Laurel staring at her beaming.

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought you were alone."

"It's ok" Laurel stepped in. "I was just leaving."

Then, much to everyone's surprise, she walked up to Felicity.

"Thank you for what you did the other day. That sure took a lot of courage and I'm not sure I would be here if it weren't for you."

"No problem, he got it coming and then some."

Their smiles widened at her. Laurel now got the light Sara had talked to her about, how Felicity could make anyone laugh even in the worst of circumstances.

Laurel gave her a last smile before turning away and mouthing to Oliver 'don't screw this up'.

He shook his head in amusement as Felicity neared him, still frowning at Laurel's retrieving form.

"What was all that about? I'm not complaining, at all actually, but she's always been kind of cold to me."

"Yeah well, she's growing up. We all are" he finished meeting her eyes, a smile tugging at his lips again.

Thanks for reading! So the prompt was:

Oliver and Laurel where Laurel confronts Oliver about his feelings for Felicity and what Slade said in the finale. Maybe she asks him if he and Felicity are together and he says no. Then she asks "So she's not the woman you love?" But he can't deny it, maybe he repeats himself and says they are not together.

Hope you liked it! And, as always, please leave a word or two with your thoughts to make my day :)