"Look at me. I've had…many painful..." he said in a quiet voice. "This doesn't even register." Felicity immediately felt relief, but scanning the map of violence on his back once more brought on a sadness. This man who meant so much to her really had been through a lot.

xx

"I've always wanted to ask you. Your tattoos. Did you get them all because you wanted them? You know, the one on your back…and such?" Felicity arched her brow, knowing full well he was never going to talk about the one on his hip that was currently making her crazy.

"I got them for different reasons. Now they just remind me of things…that matter." That was all he had to say. It was maddening.

Felicity took in his cryptic words and wondered again what was teasing just under that towel. It was killing her.

"Okay, what's step three?"

"Ah, step three is the Personal Purge. I get rid of everything that might have made its way into my house that belonged to the guy. Having it around is kind of intimate and throwing it out is hugely symbolic."

"I tripped on a bag out front."

"Yeah. Ray gave me shoes. Weird, huh?" Her words hung in the air. Oliver was ruminating on them when he heard her whisper, "Slade."

"What?" Of all things for her to say at that particular moment, this threw him. As Felicity finished the final suture, she opened up. "What I said before about us being too much alike. That was only part of it. I thought that he and I could be partners. I really did. But then one night I told him about how it was me who helped stop Slade. How you gave me the syringe and what I did."

Oliver reached back and touched her arm. "You were amazing. If it wasn't for you…"

"Yeah, well, Ray wasn't so impressed. I don't know if imagining his girlfriend stabbing a psychotic killer in the neck freaked him out, or maybe it was finding out that we were so involved in the events that led to his fiancée being murdered by Slade's men. He just didn't look at me the same way after that."

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay, really. I'm glad I stopped Slade. I did that. Kind of mad ninja skills, right? I'm proud that you believed in me enough to give me that task. Oliver, I don't want to sit at home and be decorative. I want to make a difference, not just working in front of a monitor all the time. Sometimes that means taking risks."

"I know. I don't like it, but I understand. You and your mad ninja skills." The vibe in the room had gotten heavy and Oliver felt like he needed to change the subject fast. "Okay. So step four is Spa Night?"

"Yes! Exactly. Soaking. Exfoliating. Deep conditioning." After her recent revelation about Palmer, all of her words made him want to touch her in the worst way. Now he imagined how smooth her skin felt. She continued, "You just missed the cucumber facial mask that makes me look like a space alien. Lucky you. Then pedicure."

"Damn. Spa night sounds great. Especially the alien mask part. Next time, okay?" he teased her. He watched for a reaction and only saw her smirk and tilt her head. Oliver turned to face forward again and grinned to himself. "Moving along. Step five." Silence.

Oliver to turn his head back toward her. She was blushing a little.

"Felicity. Step five. The last and perhaps most crucial step?"

"I don't know about crucial. It's embarrassing," she whispered breathlessly.

"Come on. Nothing could possibly be more embarrassing than me laying here like this. Totally vulnerable." He thought about what he was saying. It was true. At this moment he trusted her with his well-being and his dignity. How bad could it be? Oliver's mind drifted to a hot place where pole dancing lessons and marathon masturbatory sessions roamed free. Damn, it get a hold of yourself, Queen.

Then, Oliver caught her eyes darting to the boutique bag on the counter. Felicity dropped her head, capitulating.

"New lingerie," she blurted out. "Okay? I buy all new underwear." Felicity couldn't see his elated face. Oliver closed his eyes and smiled a devilish smile. She waited in silence for his inevitable response.

"Satisfied?"

Oliver pursed his lips, his eyes smiling. "Not satisfied. At all. Can I see?"

"Oliver! No."

"Oh, come on, Felicity. I know you've got…things…in that bag. I just want to see."

"That's kind of crossing a line," she protested.

"It's not like I'm asking you to model them for me." Unless you want to. He mouthed that last part to himself while Felicity squealed, "Oliver Queen!"

"I AM wounded," he growled in his vigilante voice. This gave Felicity goosebumps in places she didn't know she could get them.

"You are incorrigible." There was a period of silence where she applied some antibacterial ointment over top of the cut. His skin felt hot to the touch and she realized she was probably lingering there. That mark on his hip was still teasing her too.

"Okay," she drew her words out slowly. "You can see what's in the bag." A smile overtook Oliver's lips. His eyes shot to the counter again and his usual stoic demeanor was replaced by that of a horny fifteen year old. Then Felicity continued, "But then you have to tell me about one of your tattoos. My choice. Deal?"

"That seems fair, Miss Smoak," was all he said. At this point, he would say anything to appease his own randy curiosity. Felicity rose up, snagged the bag from its perch, and then dropped it down in front of him on her way to cutting up his bandages and tape.

Oliver paused reverentially for a moment, and then upended the bag so that the contents fell like feathers into a colorful pile in front of him. One by one, he picked up each delicate panty, each colorful bra and marveled at it. God, he loved women. He tried to made mental notes of what she liked and the sizes while his heart pounded in his ears. "These are nice," he managed to croak.

"Oliver, I'm not sure it isn't a little perverted for you to fondle my bras. Bras I'm not wearing. Not that it would be better if I was in them. I mean, of course it would be fantastic…oh, God." She willed a hole to open up in the floor of her apartment, but it did not come. When she finally looked over, Oliver was rubbing cream-colored satin between his thumb and forefinger. She gulped and, with a wicked smile he couldn't see, promised herself she would wear them the next day.

"My turn now. Tattoo discussion." Felicity placed the bandage and taped it down carefully over his wound. At least now it had a chance of healing properly.

"Mmm hmm." At this point, Oliver was firmly installed in his happy place. Palmer was out of the picture. Felicity was gorgeous and wonderful and he was exploring her unmentionables. Somehow, he was also keeping his libido in check, despite the feast of silky panties in front of him. He liked this place very much and hoped it would last. He felt like toasting the asshat with the machete who had inadvertently made his night possible.

"I want you to tell me about the one on your hip. It looks like an initial." Her words brought Oliver crashing through his happy place into his "damn it, now I'm screwed" place.

"I'm not sure I know what you are talking about," he answered, trying to stay focused on a sheer purple thong. Oh, how he wished this magic time wouldn't end. But now it might.

Felicity couldn't help doing what came next. She tried to stop herself. She truly did. But her curiosity was overwhelming her. Like some kind of naughty Nancy Drew, her fingers gently lowered the edge of the towel so that she could finally see what had previously remained hidden due to its location. Oliver dropped his head, not sure how he could explain. And then, he didn't have to.

Upon closer examination, close enough that her breath warmed his skin, Felicity could clearly see in this intimate corner of his body there was a monogram – two small, green letters intertwined in fancy script. The letter "F" and the letter "S." The implications of this crashed into her and moisture collected in her eyes, forcing her to remove her glasses and place them on the table. Oliver held his breath in the silence. She wasn't saying anything and it was freaking him out.

Suddenly he registered a feeling. Her mouth covering that very spot with a gentle, open kiss.

"Fe-li-ci-ty," he hissed. Fear and arousal hit him simultaneously and he froze. His breathing hitched and he waited for what might come next. He was surprised when she moved away.

Felicity blinked nervously as she gathered the first aid supplies together and headed to the kitchen to put them away. Oliver shifted. It was time to get up. Time to leave.

"There are clothes on the table. We'll have to get those leather pants mended. Who does that? The dry cleaner?" While Felicity was babbling, Oliver examined the clothing she had brought out. His clothes. He knew right away what had happened. When he was dead, she had collected his things and brought them home. And never thrown them away.

"Felicity."

She turned around to see him sitting upright on the couch, his foot on the edge of the coffee table, elevating his bad leg. The towel was just barely covering his lap and he didn't seem to care. His eyes were trained on her, dark. His chest taunted her with perfection. She tried not to linger on the towel. The towel. The towel. "Oh." She took a step back. Not knowing what to say next, she busied herself again, putting things away. He studied the curve of her thighs as she moved around. The way his Henley clung to her in the best places.

When Felicity ran out of things to putter on in the kitchen, she was forced to approach the coffee table to collect the liquor bottle she'd left there. As she drew closer, he sat forward.

"Step three."

"What?"

Oliver reached out and touched her leg, running his fingers along her knee. Apparently this was a new erogenous zone for Felicity Smoak. Actually, she suspected her entire body had taken on this status. She stifled a whimper.

"You never purged my stuff. You never finished dissolving…us." Felicity closed her eyes as Oliver's hand moved to hers, which was trembling a little. He gave it a squeeze and she finally looked at him, shaking her head.

In one move, Oliver tugged her hand and pulled her thigh toward him. Instantly, she was in his lap and pressed up against his chest. His arms wrapped around her. Finally close. He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her hair and nuzzling the softness all around him. Meanwhile, Felicity struggled with an emotional wave that overtook her. Her hands touched him everywhere, like she was testing that he was actually there. The heat of his skin and the tension of the muscles in his neck felt amazing beneath her fingers.

Oliver moved his face to look at her and Felicity made contact with the desperation in his eyes. Her mouth crashed down on his and they condensed a thousand kisses into one. His tongue plunged in and found hers as his hands pressed and squeezed her backside. Pressure built within and her hips moved instinctively. The way he was making love to her mouth told her everything she needed to know about what kind of lover Oliver Queen would be.

When Felicity couldn't breathe any longer, she threw her head back. Oliver took the opportunity to run his mouth against her breasts. It wasn't hard to find her nipples, raised beneath soft cotton. He licked and sucked until the fabric was wet and their outlines were defined. He enjoyed the look of them through the slits his eyes had become. The sensations were driving Felicity crazy.

Just being able to touch him was a head rush and she could feel herself peaking unusually fast. Then, the fingers of Oliver's hand slid beneath the waistband of her pants and massaged her lower back while his other hand palmed a breast. He kept nibbling her sensitive skin to hardness, pausing only to groan her name. Felicity ran her fingers through his hair with one hand and allowed the other one to trail down his chest, exploring each nook. When she finally found him, hard and straining under the towel, she lost it.

Oliver was interrupted by her muffled scream and watched in surprise and wonder as the woman he loved came, still fully clothed, straddling him. He had never seen her like that before, her cheeks flushed, her hair tossed side to side, her lips so delicious. The only word he could manage was "Baby," as he pulled her close and felt her ride out her shock and pleasure. His own need was undeniable, but he held on until he heard her moan.

"Did you just call me Baby?" She panted.

"Yes," he growled against her ear. "You just came and I haven't even undressed you yet."

"Yeah." She groaned and threw her head back dramatically.

"Is that okay?" he whispered.

"It was more than okay. It was. Wow. Who knew?" Her answer didn't quite address his question.

"Is it okay that I called you that?" Felicity looked at him and nodded yes.

"Good, because I plan on repeating it again. Very soon." Felicity smiled at his words and ran her finger down his shoulder.

"In your growly voice?" her eyes twinkled at him.

"Mmm hmm. Maybe a loud voice too." He pressed his mouth against hers again gently.

When their lips parted, he pulled back and saw that she appeared radiantly happy. A quiet smile crossed his face. He was happy too. Imagine that. His eyes reviewed everything in front of him and a lascivious grin took over. He shifted to standing, pulling Felicity up with him. She wrapped around his waist as he moved slowly and tentatively towards her room. As she rubbed up against him, she moaned again.

"You know what this is?" he asked. She quirked her eyebrow. "It's step three in my five step plan to solidify our relationship."

"What was step one?"

"Making you fall madly in love with me."

"Okay. Flatterer. Good plan so far." Felicity nestled her cheek against his neck as they found their way to the doorway. "Step two?"

"Branding myself so you would be with me forever." Felicity planted kisses along his jaw, enjoying the feel of his stubble against her lips.

"That was evil genius. So this is step three?"

"Yes. In this step, I fondle your panties and then I seduce you."

"What if I'm not wearing any?" Felicity Smoak moaned in his ear.

"Too late. I already fondled them."

"Right," she replied in her quiet voice. "I love you, Oliver Queen,"

"I love you too, Baby," could be heard, as he carried her into the bedroom.

XX

xx

Well, I said it was tropy. Thanks so much for reading it anyway! I had a lot of fun writing it. If you liked it, I hope you will read my other stories...The Road to Reconnect (another Olicity) and Soft and Warm (which is a Malcolm Merlyn story, but kind of fun!). Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, if you feel so inclined.