Day 30

Oliver sat along in his office, his eyes focused on the small, office calendar standing just to the right of his computer screen. Like an obtuse jerk, he had circled this date obnoxiously with his favorite pen, marking the special day and all it had once symbolized.

30 days.

It had been thirty days since Felicity and him had outwardly challenged each other in what they had considered a game of wits and strategy. However, the joke had been on them, for now it seemed that they had only grown farther and farther apart forcing an estrangement between them that Oliver could hardly stomach.

Glancing up from the small calendar, to once again take a peak at the young blonde on the other side of the glass, Oliver felt his heart heave a sigh. He longed for her to look back at him with something more than professionalism or apathy. For weeks now he hadn't seen her smile, heard her laugh, or been privy to one of her ramblings and he missed them so much. He missed her.

He chastised himself for letting his male ego get the better of him and force the space between them. He had been an idiot, pure and simple. Felicity was the best part of his world, the light in his darkness, guiding him through the murky waters of his mind, showing him that he was so much more than what he had become during his time away from Star City.

And what had he done? He'd taken her trust and thrown it in her face, became the animal that she accused him of being. Without her light to guide him, he could feel himself slipping into his old self. He felt it in the way he dealt with the city's darker citizens, often putting arrows in not-so-nice places before ever asking a question. Usually Felicity was there, in his ear, taming the beast inside of him, but she had been abnormally quiet, causing him to act out even more aggressively in some cases. He would take anything from her, the shouting, damning, anything, just not this quietness from her.

He had no one else to blame, but himself. He had taken the one thing in his life that was good and light and ruined it. He had snuffed out her light, just like he knew he would.

He had to fix this. This was Fe-lic-ity. His Felicity. He wouldn't fail her like this. She was too important to him, to the team, and to the mission. She deserved better than what she was getting from him. Screw his male ego, he would beg on his hands and knees if that's what it took to show her that he was sorry and that she was worth more to him than some silly match between them.

God, he loved he so much it hurt him physically to feel the emotional and physical separation between the two of them. He missed her and the intimacy they once had. She was it for him. The love of his life, his…

Woah.

Oliver rolled that last thought around in his mind for a moment.

And it felt good, really good.

His eyes found the petite, blonde once more on the other side of the glass wall, typing furiously away at the keyboard. If people at Queen Consolidated even knew a fourth of what she did for the company on a daily basis, he knew he would be out the door and the company renamed something "Smoak Technologies," or something. She was that smart. That good.

And she was all his.

Well, maybe not right now. He had seen to that.

What an ass.

As if sensing the eyes boring into her small figure, Felicity's fingers stilled on her keyboard, catching Oliver's breath in his throat as he waited for her to turn around and see him watching her.

However, she never turned around to his deep disappointment. Instead, he watched as she turned her neck from side to side, rolling her shoulder a couple of times in order to lessen the tension that he could see radiating in her figure.

He blamed himself for that too. He knew that this past month had been emotionally and physically had on him and so he could only imagine the torture he was putting on her too.

He was such a bastard.

Oliver was never one to express himself or his feeling in so many words, preferring his actions to speak for himself, he felt himself rising from his chair, feeling that enough was enough. It was time to show Felicity that she was worth more to him than the whole world on a silver platter. She was it for him and he would stop at nothing to show her just that if she would have him again.

He stilled when he watched her mirror his actions, freezing in place, hoping she was making her way into his office. A small voice in his head saying it was good that she was coming to him, but an even louder voice told the smaller one to shut the fuck up.

Oliver watched with heavier heart as the mutted sound of her high heels took her passed his office door and around the corner, her form disappearing from view. He knew she was probably taking a well deserved break and needed a cup of coffee. He laughed, thinking that maybe she would bring him one too on her way back, but he knew better. That wouldn't be happening, ever.

Already half way up, Oliver straightened the rest of the way and decided to stretch his legs out a little bit, taking him to stand at the large, floor to ceiling window over looking the city.

Not long ago, he had returned to this city, his city, a completely different person who had left it more than five years ago. The things he had witnessed, had been forced to do in order to survive, had turned him into the shell of a man that stood here today. He had only one person to thank for bringing him out of his special brand of darkness, the one who lights his way.

Felicity.

His Felicity.

"Mr. Queen."

He smiled to himself, just the mere thought of the woman bringing her voice to his head as if she were actually in the room with him, saying his name like she did that always had his heart skipping a beat.

He wanted to hear that voice again, laugh with her, listen to her rambling on and on about some new computer or other. He just wanted to be with her again.

As the man of action he was, he swiveled on his heel, a plan already forming in his head. He was halfway across his office floor, when his eyes connected with a pair of long, silky smooth legs that disappeared behind a black pencil skirt.

His throat immediately swallowed the rising lump in his throat, as his eyes travelled up the rest of the feminine figure, smooth curves giving way to a petite chest, covered in a soft, pink blouse and blue, blue eyes peering directly into his soul.

He knew he was staring, sometime had passed since he had stopped mid step, but he just couldn't make his lips move for any sort of coherent sentence to form. He just stood there like a shy schoolboy, waiting for him to do something, anything.

"Oliver?" she asked again, a confused wrinkle burrowing down on her forehead.

"Uh, yes, Fel- uh, Ms. Smoak. Good morning, I m-mean, good afternoon."

Idiot, the voice in his head berated him, as he tried to place a nonchalant smile across his face, instead it was just awkward and painful.

Thankfully, it seemed that Felicity didn't want or need to inquire into his unusual behavior this afternoon, instead turning back on her professionalism, that had always grated on his nerves, even more so now and brought up why she was here.

"You're three o'clock is here," she stated matter-of-factly, "I sent him to the board room to await you there."

"Oh, uh," he flustered, a hand running along the back of his neck, he couldn't remember who his three o'clock was for the life of him, "Sure, sure. I'll just be leaving then. Thank you, Ms. Smoak."

Turning her body sideways, propping the door open so Oliver could pass through, he realized too late, that his arm had came out to grasp her elbow. Shocked at his own forwardness, he took the opportunity to open up a little bit to her, hopefully showing her with the love he felt for her in his eyes that he was going to let things get any worse for them, that he was going to fight for her.

"Thank you."

It wasn't enough, not nearly enough for her to understand the depth of his love for her or the heaviness he carried in his heart in knowing that he was the cause of this awful separation between the two of them.

However, it had to be enough for now. He didn't want to have this conversation here, in the middle of the day at Queen Consolidated. He would prefer to have it in the privacy of their own place, with no other listening ears but their own.

He watched her eyes and face for any signs that she was able to make out the meaning behind the two simple words. He knew Felicity could read him better than anyone else no matter what mask he wore- The Hood, CEO, or just the man behind the masks. She had always been able to read him like an open book and he loved her all the more for it because that meant he never had to wear a mask around her, he was always just Oliver. Her Oliver.

Holding his breath, he finally released it slowly through his lips at the slight softening of her eyes as she looked back up at him, seeing that his words were so much more than thanking her for reminding him yet again of a meeting he hadn't remembered. He would be so lost without her, in so many ways, and they both new it.

Felicity stared into Oliver's eyes, the ones whose depths sang a thousand different emotions as the flitted across his eyes, silencing her in the moment. She was only able to nod her head in acceptance, afraid that her voice would crack if she tried to say anything in the moment, resigned to just let him know that she heard him, really heard what he was saying.

She watched as his eyes flicked down to her partly open mouth, his head minutely leaning in towards before he abruptly turned and walked away from her, her own breath coming out in a rush. Her heart beat a tune in his chest.

Was he just about to kiss her, right here, in the office?

She lifted her hands to her mouth, her fingers dancing lightly against her slightly parted lips, conjuring up the old feeling of his lips on her's. How she missed him so.

She looked the way he had disappeared and wondered what had gotten into him, but resigned herself to get back to work, the clicking of her heels the only noise she made as she carried herself back to her desk. She wouldn't let herself overanalyze what had just happened between them. There was work to be done after all.

Ya, right.

Subconsciously chewing the end of her favorite red pen, Felicity watched as the digital clock on her screen turned to five o'clock, signaling the end of the work day. Heaving a sad sigh, she glanced at the darkening office just on the other side of the glass wall before reaching around her computer to turn it off for the night.

Ever since Oliver had left for his last meeting of the day, Felicity had been unable to think of anything else but the way his cobalt eyes looked at her with such turbulent emotion or the way his single thank you whispered across her skin in a gentle caress. She remembered feeling slightly shocked in his demeanor, but quickly pushed that away as a bloom of warmth spread throughout her chest. When he had left for his meeting, she remembered the warmth disappearing with him around the corner and she couldn't help but yearn for the feeling again.

She had decided to wait for Oliver to return from his meeting before heading home, something she hadn't done for weeks, she sorrowfully admitted to herself. But tonight was going to be different, she had told herself, tonight was going to change everything.

When Oliver hadn't returned after his meeting a sense of disappointed washed over her, making her go over the brief interaction she had with Oliver before his meaning. Had she over thought their exchange for the past two hours, thinking she saw more in his actions than what he had intended? Or had her own wishful thinking clouded her ability to look at him without bias?

Either way, it looked as though Oliver had already gone home for the night, again, without her and it stabbed at her heart to once again acknowledge what she had done to them. She had created this awkwardness between them all over some stupid pent up need to show him that she didn't need a white in shining armor because she was Felicity Smoak and didn't need anyone to rescue her.

And now that this perverbial space was between them, she couldn't help but feel the tiredness and weariness that took his place in her life. Never before had she realized just how much she leaned on him in times of struggle just as she contemplated he had used her for the same comfort.

How many times had she waited to be wrapped in his arms, his hand leading her head to rest against his chest just above her beating heart, the strong beating tattoo echoing the words of love her whispered into her hair. She missed the intimacy they once had with one another, the camaraderie, the love. She missed him.

She cursed herself as she walked towards her car, the only employee vehicle left in the garage, per usual as she was always the last to leave, but again, it only served to emphasize the loneliness she felt just now. She had done this to herself. In an immature need to show herself that she was still the independent woman she had made herself to be, Felicity had challenged herself in what she later came to realize was a curse.

True, Oliver's actions at the party were a little uncalled for, Ray Palmer was harmless, but Felicity knew deep down that Oliver was protecting her in the only way he knew how. No one was perfect and Felicity understood that Oliver had spent years in literal hell where nothing good had happened and therefor had a lot of self growing to do. She wanted to be a part of that process. Instead, she had allowed herself to be offended at his need to rescue her and had pushed him away.

She couldn't help but feel she had pushed him to the point of no return. The thought of losing Oliver was her worst fear in life. They had only just found themselves in each other and in an moment of crisis she had thrown it all away.

She had to fix this, she told herself. But how?

The lights adorning the darkening night went unnoticed as Felicity drove through the streets towards their shared apartment, hoping to find Oliver there. Thinking of what she would say upon seeing him once she came face to face with him, a feeling of anxiousness took hold deep in her gut.

What could she possibly say or do that would simultaneously beg him for forgiveness while showing him just how much she needed him, his love, in her life. He once told her that she was the light in his darkness, but couldn't the same be said for him. Oliver believed himself to be this dark individual, but she had seen the man behind the mask and he was beautiful, inside a out. He had opened up her heart in a way that she didn't think was possible. Oliver was and would always be the love of her life.

Woah.

Felicity froze just as her hand reached for the door of her and Oliver's apartment, her breath caught in her throat.

The love of my life, she thought again, mulling that surprise thought around in her head. She felt the anxiousness leave her stomach as a calm settled within her and she instantly new the soul filling truth in that truth. As if the thought had a physical manifestation, she felt a subtle shift within her, as if the final piece to a puzzle was put into place, the final clue in a mystery revealed. After all, she hated mysteries they needed to be solved.

Feeling a smile stretch her nearly tightened muscles around her lips, Felicity wrapped her hand around the doorknob and let herself into her apartment, the subtle shift of temperatures into the warm apartment like a welcoming blanket around her.

"Oliver?" she called out, wrestling her coat from around her shoulders, folding it haphazardly and throwing it against the couch. She looked around the empty apartment, not a single light on inside except a warm light emanating from the kitchen.

Slipping off her heels (really, who wears high heels in her own apartment), Felicity gingerly stepped onto the plush, white carpet as she made her way towards the light.

"Oliver?" she throughout into the void once more, picturing him coming around the corner with his favorite brand of cold beer in his hand and a glass of red wine for her. Her heart ached at the fantasy stemming from long ago memories when nothing seemed impossible when it came to them or what they had together.

Coming around the corner with a shy smile across her face, it fell when she realized he wasn't there either. Heart in her throat, Felicity trudged across the kitchen floor, the coolness of the wood against her bare feet unnoticed over the cooling ache in her heart. It looked like tonight would just be another night like all the others, alone with a pint of mint chocolate chip for company.

Opening, the freezer door, looking for her one and only friend that had greeted her every night for the past three nights, Felicity was startled to see a lime green sticky note attached to the lid. Instantly recognizing the small scratching of Oliver's handwriting, Felicity stared at the note, hoping that when the time came for her to blink, it wouldn't blink itself out of existence.

With shaky hands, Felicity tore the note from the top of the pint of chilling ice cream and held it delicately between her manicured fingers, her eyes reading over the small words over and over, committing them to memory as if she would actually, unintentionally forget them.

Meet me on the roof. –O -

Smiling down at the small arrow adorning the note, Felicity held the note close to her chest as he neck careened backwards to allow her eyes to stare curiously at the ceiling, picturing Oliver on the roof, waiting for her. She glanced down at the noted, nestled between her fingers, as if even the slightest mishandling of the note would make it disappear.

Feeling her heart beating a rapid tattoo in her chest, Felicity urged her feet to carry her to the man she loved before he thought she wouldn't come like he asked. She knew in her heart of hearts that she would follow Oliver anywhere, to the end of the world, if he asked.

Feeling a rush of excitement and energy, Felicity dashed to the front door, passing over her insensible high heels and picking up her very comfortable panda flats. With her feet finally covered, Felicity hurried out of the apartment and nearly tripped over herself moving towards the end of the hallway where a set of stairs would lead her to the roof.

After reaching the doorway to the only set of stairs that had roof access, Felicity took a minute to steady her breathing, the coolness of the door handle acting as an anchor for her. She took a deep breath and opened the door only to find what lie on the other side had the ability to stop making her breathe all together.

Oliver had never been one to express himself with words, seldomly speaking if and only when the circumstances called for it, Felicity found that he was more adept at expressing himself through actions. However, seeing the site before her still shook her to her core.

Littered along the steps in an upward fashion were small, red rose petals leading up the stairs, begging her to see how far up they went. Far leave it from her to ignore any mystery in her path and so with a smile she lifted her foot onto the first cement step, nearly laughing out loud at the paradox that was her kiddish panda flats against the back drop of a very romantic gesture. However, she surmised that this was them. A paradox of their own, seemingly as individuals out of place, but when they were together, the universe seemed to align.

Felicity took her time climbing the stairs upwards, taking into appreciation every carefully laid petal, picturing the ruthless vigilante sprinkling the roses along the stairs as he too climbed the stairs upwards. It was endearing, a beautiful gesture and she couldn't wait to show him how appreciative she was.

Only having to climb two stories worth of stairs, Felicity was almost sad that the magic had to end when she traversed the final stair leading her face to face with the door leading onto the roof. However, she couldn't help the giddiness that settled in her chest when she realized that Oliver was on the other side of that door. She couldn't help but wonder what he was doing on the other side. Was he nervously pacing the roof, wondering if she would show up or was he looking over the expansive skyline of the city as she had watched him do so many times after a long business day. She loved him in those quiet times, allowing herself a brief moment of reflection as she gazed along his silent and still figure.

Taking a moment to brush her nervous fingers through her unkempt ponytail and blouse, Felicity wished she had a keyboard she could endlessly pound her anxiety into. She knew that Oliver wouldn't care about the state of her blouse or pencil skirt, but she still wanted to look good for him. She loved him so much and wanted to present her best self before him.

Feeling the nervousness in her fingers settle as her heart warmed in knowing that Oliver accepted every part of her, Felicity found it easier to grasp the handle of the door with purpose. Pulling the door open slowly, Felicity gingerly stepped over the threshold and into the cooling night, her panda flats making soft scratching noises along the cement as she let the door close quietly behind her, the gently clicking sound behind her letting her know that the world had been shut away just now, it was just the two of them.

Her eyes swiveled to search for Oliver, but her attention was immediately drawn to the tiny, white lights strewn across the brick ledge lining the cement floor of the roof and the glowing white bulbs just over head, basking the otherwise dark space in a warming light. Her eyes sparkled with the reflecting lights in her pupils as her eyes were drawn further into the night, the city's own lights twinkling in the distance simultaneously making her feel as though she was on her own little island and a part of the city at the same time.

She felt the pull of the city bring her to the edge of the roof, her eyes dancing over each building with its own twinkling lights miles away, the moon overhanging the bay area casting a blue glow over the water. This was her home now. Star City.

When she had initially left Vegas, the need to get away from that hell hole, Star City had been perfect because of the distance it put between them, but it also gave her somewhat of anonymity as it was yet another large city that she could get lost in. However, that all changed when a certain man with kind eyes and a charming smile walked into her cubicle.

As if the memory of their first meeting had conjured him, Felicity felt more than heard him come up behind her before he even spoke her name aloud.

"Felicity."

Eyes closing, Felicity let the way her name sounded from his lips wash over her as if he had caressed her himself just then. She turned to him, her eyes immediately locking with his own which were staring back at her with something that made her weak in the knees.

She took a fleeting moment to take him in, as if this whole month she had starved herself from really looking at him. His broad shoulders and strong legs were covered in her favorite grey suit he wore to the office sometimes when he wanted to make her especially happy and it worked. She felt the pin pricks of tears behind her eyes at the small gesture. How was this man so soft for her?

Suddenly feeling a bit underdressed for the occasion, she nervously bit her lip, berating herself for being in such a hurry to see him that she hadn't even taken into consideration the state of her appearance. Her overwhelming curiosity had once again overshadowed her otherwise logical mind and she criticized herself for that.

Oliver watched as Felicity nervously bit on her lower lip, something he normally loved watching her do, but when he saw her eyes nervously tick from his well-tailored suit to her own clothing, he knew that she was berating herself for some unfathomable reason.

"You look beautiful," he said, reaching for her nervous hands as they tried to meticulously straighten her blouse. He let his fingers grasp her's in his hold and he didn't let go, putting enough pressure on them to show her that he meant every word, yet not enough to make her feel trapped in his hold. If at any point she wanted to leave, she could. This was about him giving himself to her, not forcing her to prove anything to him.

He watched as a small blush crept along her cheeks, down the slim column of her throat and disappeared beyond the lining of her blouse. He knew how far those blushes went, but instead of arousing him like it normally did, it only served to warm his heart even further. God, he loved this woman so much.

Unable to stop himself from pushing the boundaries between them, Oliver lifted his other hand to rest gently on her left cheek, hoping that she could see all that he wanted to say to her in the way he was looking at her, for at the moment, he couldn't bare to ruin the moment with his voice.

He felt the barest pressure against his hand as she leaned her warm cheek against his hold, his heart bursting with joy. He hadn't felt this way in ages and it was as if a starving man was drinking water for the first time. It was amazing. It was lifting. It was humbling.

Felicity stared up into Oliver's eyes, mapping them with her own, as emotion after emotion flashed back at her. It was almost damn near overwhelming. She couldn't bare the thought of her undoubtedly squeaky voice killing the soft silence between them and so she just stared back, hoping the emotion in her own was enough of answering to his own emotions.

She nestled her cheek against his hand once more, loving the feel of his calloused hand against her soft skin. She couldn't imagine what his eyes had seen all the years or what acts his hands were forced to commit, but what she could imagine was the way the made her feel. They made her feel safe, warm and loved.

She let her mind still as she soaked in the soothing touch of his skin against her's, allowing the energy between them to flow through her, revitalizing her with each passing moment. It was pure. It was freeing. It was humbling.

"Better," his soft voice spoke, breaking the lengthening silence between them like a lover's soft caress. She hadn't realized her eyes had drifted shut until she felt his arm drift slowly away from her cheek and found herself opening them back up to stair into his beautiful eyes.

"Better," she found herself replying, smiling up at him. For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine that the past month hadn't happened and that they had only grown closer to each other and not farther apart as they had and what a beautiful dream it was.

But dreams never lasted, did they?

Not wanting to spoil the mood with that last thought, Felicity turned her attention back to their immediate surroundings gazing once again up at the twinkling lights above them. It was a couple of seconds later when she noticed a small table a couple of yards to their right that had been made up for what seemed to be a very romantic dinner for two, complete with two candlestick lit in the middle of the table.

"What is all of this, Oliver?" she asked, the smile evident in her voice if not on her face. She couldn't help it if her hand reached up to palm his cheek too, the need to feel his skin on her's overwhelming.

Oliver's eyes hadn't moved once from her face as she took in the scene around her, seeing nothing but her in the moment and it made her go all warm and fuzzy inside. She continued to smile up at him, feeling as if maybe there wasn't anything else in this world but the two of them. In this moment, she would be more than okay with that.

As if in his own little trance, Felicity watched as Oliver looked over her lovingly, memorizing every curve of her delicate features and waited with bated breath as her peripheral vision saw his hand reach towards her face.

Gently, Oliver smoothed away delicate, blonde curls away from her face, tucking them behind her small ear. He felt the soft skin of her ear and traced it with the tip of his thumb, not missing the slight shudder run along her body as he did it. Somewhere in the back of his mind, his male ego was howling at being able to still have his affect on her, but an even bigger, louder part of his mind was just thankful that she was allowing him to touch her in this way.

Letting his fingers move of their own accord saw them ghosting over her jawline and near her slightly parted lips, the small panting of her breath evident along his fingers as they finally came to a rest just beneath her plump, red bottom lip.

Oliver stared for what seemed like an eternity at her parted lips, a silent war within himself on what he should do next.

"Oliver," he heard her small voice whisper between them and he snapped, lowering his lips against her's, feeling the swift movement of air between their lips as she sucked in a surprised gasp. He stilled, waiting for her to do something, anything that would tell him if this was a good or bad decision.

Once the initial shock of Oliver's lips being pressed into her's, Felicity felt herself soften against him, her entire being falling into him as her body recognized the one it belonged to, the one it had been searching for and the one it had finally found.

She parted her lips for him, allowing his shy, sweeping tongue against her lips to delve into the warmness of her mouth, making tiny stars explode behind her closed eye lids. But it didn't last nearly as long as she wanted before he pulled back from her, her eyes opening at the same time a small moan escaped at the coldness he left behind where his lips had once been.

Smiling down at her heavy lidded expression, her mouth in an adorable little pout, Oliver finally spoke a full sentence to her.

"I guess I just missed you, Felicity," he said, looking deep into her eyes with his, "I missed us."

Felicity could swear she felt her heart beating out of her chest as she looked into his eyes, seeing the sincerity behind his cobalt blues.

"I missed you, us, too," she replied, straining against the lump in her throat, keeping her voice from cracking. She knew that if continued like this she wasn't going to last much longer before she was a pile of goo all over again.

"Dance with me?" he asked, gingerly, dropping his hands from her, only allowing one outstretched to between them, waiting for her patiently to accept.

Felicity looked between his outstretched hand and his eyes. This was Oliver, her Oliver, there was no choice to make.

"I would love to," she answered, allowing him to lead her into the middle of the roof, and seemingly, there impromptu dance floor.

Slowing down as he found the perfect spot, he turned to her, holding out one hand and placing the other around her hip, bringing their bodies infinitely closer, making the butterflies swarm in her stomach once more. She would never tire of the feeling of having his strong hands on any part of her body, in fact, she yearned for it, for him. She wasn't afraid to admit it anymore. They old cliché of never knowing what you had until it was gone had not rang more true in her head as it did now and so she let herself fall into a smooth rhythm as they swayed back and forth, just enjoying each other's silent company.

"Um, at the risk of sounding obvious," she stated, hating herself for her inability to stand silences, Felicity continued, "There's no music."

Felicity's cheeks burned with embarrassment as she heard Oliver's soft chuckle. She tilted her head up, eager to catch the laughter on his face, something that she greatly missed.

However, it seemed as though Oliver had other intentions.

"We already have all the music we'll need," he whispered, his right hand lifting from her small hip, to press her head gently against the swell of his broad chest, just above his heart. "Just listen."

Feeling the warmth of his chest against her cheek, Felicity still her mind, letting her ears attune to their surrounding. After a minute of calmness, her ears perked up to the steady thumping of a strong heart just inches below the surface in which her head was leaning against. He was right, this was the only beat she ever wished to listen to again.

Smiling into his chest, Felicity made a small sigh of contentment, "I love this song. Its my favorite."

She could hear the smile in Oliver's voice before he kissed the crown of her head, "It only plays for you."

True, it was a cheesy line, but Felicity couldn't help but fall head over heels for it. This was her Oliver- overprotective, silent, strong, bullheaded, yet unyielding in his love and loyalty.

"I love you, Felicity," she hears him speak into her hair, breathing life into her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, making them curl inward as she swayed with him to the beat of their own making.

She moved her head so that her chin rested lightly against his chest bone, looking up into his eyes with what she hoped was the same feeling mirrored in his own looking down at her.

"I love you too, Oliver," she replied, the power of her words giving her the good sense to lift herself on her tippy toes so she could wrap her arms around his neck and bring their lips closer together.

She watched as Oliver's lips parted to say something more, but she couldn't wait any longer to feel his lips on her's once again. She was a starved woman and his lips were a long, lost stream in an otherwise surrounding desert. She brought her mouth to his, crushing his lips into a deafening silence as she begged for immediate entry into his stunned mouth.

As if their roles had reversed, Felicity could feel the moment his surprise turned into acceptance and longing, his arms immediately circling around her waist and bringing her flush against him, making her moan in contemptment. She could feel herself molding into him, not knowing where he stopped and she began and it was beautiful and amazing.

Far too soon, and for the second time that night, Oliver pulled himself away from her and this time, she grunted in annoyance. Damn him if he made her beg, but she knew she would.

She looked at him, but what she saw in his eyes made her soften towards him once more. He could see in his eyes a question behind his glance, asking her how far she was willing to take this. Based on the growing presence between their hips, Felicity could only imagine how far he was willing to go tonight. As if echoing her sentiment earlier, there was no choice to make.

Smiling at his ability to always let her make the final decision, Felicity captured his lips once more with hers, effectively giving him her answer, which he accepted immediately if by his own groan had anything to do with it.

After a shared moment of just feeling one another's lips caressing each others, Felicity felt Oliver's body shifting against her's but was relieved when his lips never left her's, even as his arms swooped under her legs, bringing her up into a bridal hold in his arms.

Without pause, he made his way towards the stairwell, seemingly forgetting about the night's itenarary.

"Oliver," Felicity breathed between kisses, "the food."

"Forget the food," he panted, between his soft nipping of his teeth on her lower lip that made a sensation of warmth pool between her legs.

With a strength and determination he had built after years of physical and mental torture and training, Oliver was able to make his way down two flights of stairs without following, promising himself that he would never let anything hurt the precious cargo he carried in his arms. With each moan or mewl that left the soft lips along his, he silently vowed never to fail her again. He would spend his whole life showing her how much he adored her and he would be happy to do it.

Finding it easier to maneuver around their apartment, Oliver effortlessly carried them both into their shared bedroom where he finally lowered his bundle to the ground. He felt every small curve of her body as she slid down his taller frame, her small, blonde head only coming to his shoulder while she was in her adorable, panda flats. Secretly, they were his favorite because they were just so Felicity.

He stared down at her as she looked expectantly back up at him. Unable to keep his hands off of her, he gently ran his fingers through her hair until he closed his fingers around the small elastic band holding her hair back and away from her face. Gently, he pulled her hair loose from its confines and watched as the delicate curls fell to frame her small face. His heart swelled in his chest at her beauty, feeling pulled to it like a physical force unable to stop himself from kissing her forehead because of it.

Brining his head back enough to glance down at her once more, he was surprised to see a look of uncertainty in her eyes looking back at him. He cupped her smaller face in his hands and looked into her eyes, really looked, begging her to see the love he had for her.

How did he put into words just how precious she was to him? How did one put into words that he loved her so much that he physically ached from their unplanned separation? He had so much to tell her, but no words seemed to come out. He chastised himself for not being better with expressing himself using words, not like she was. True, something she spoke rapidly and often embarrassed herself, but at least she could express herself truthfully.

"Felicity," he choked, her name the only word that made it through the barrier that was his brain to mouth filter before he got a better grip on himself before adding, "Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

"Oliver, shhh," she cooed, her eyes brimming with tears as she brought her small, delicate hands to wrap around his wrists, "There's nothing to forgive."

Feeling as if a solid weight lifted from his shoulders, the relief that replaced it brought his forehead down so that it was touching hers, the intimacy of the moment forcing both of their eyes shut.

Oliver caressed her cheek with his thumbs as Felicity squeezed his wrists, letting him know that she was there and that she wasn't going anywhere, not when she had just gotten him back. The moment stretched on forever, but neither of them moved, not for a while, just being there, together, finally.

Felicity could have stayed like this forever, wrapped in his arms, the world in the distance moving on without them. Oliver was the only thing that she needed, everything else be damned.

Opening her mouth to say just that, she was silenced when Oliver beat her to the punch, effectively silencing with his soft, "You are the best part of me, Felicity. Always have been."

Feeling a single tear slip over her eyelid, Felicity smoothed her hands along his upper torso and along his neck so she could cup his face in his hands. The slight stubble of his facial hair against her palms sent small tingles of pleasure she remembered the way the scruff felt on other parts of her body.

She looked back at him with so much love, "And you're the best part of me, Oliver. We are each other's strength."

"And you mine, Oliver," she whispered back, not trusting her already shaky voice not to fold at a regular decibel, "We're each other's strength."

Felicity watched as a smile stretched the muscles along Oliver's jaw, reaching up into his eyes making her feel so light that anyone could knock her over with a feather if they tried. She could feel the self-imposed chain around her heart break free for the first time in over a month and if it hadn't been for Oliver's strong hands keeping her grounded, she was sure that she would have floated away into the night.

Leaning up onto the tips of her toes to smooth her hands around his head, Felicity stopped when she felt the familiar spiky ends of short, brown hairs between her fingers. As if by muscle memory, she began to scratch her fingers along the back of his neck as she pulled him down to gently place his lips onto hers, happy in feeling no resistance on his part.

She let herself drown in the way his lips caressed her's, feeling the need to be closer to him build exponentially inside of her, the pressure like a dam threatening to burst if it wasn't tempered immediately.

"Oliver," she moaned, managing to speak his name between the onslaught of his kisses, "I need to feel you inside of me."

His only answer was a moan of his own as his large hands pressed her harder against the hard, rod between them, showing her that he felt the same way. Her heart sped up in anticipation, a primal need to feel him stroking inside her almost unbearable.

"Please," she mewled, "Now."

"Are you sure?" he rasped, pulling her mouth away long enough to search her eyes, "You have nothing to prove to me, Felicity. I would be content to just hold you tonight."

Felicity smiled up at him, "No, I want you, Oliver. All of you."

Like embers finally taking flight into a fiery inferno, Oliver's lips crashed along her's, his hands moving to tackle the buttons around her blouse. She imagined his years of experience allowed him the dexterity to make short work of her buttons, but she allowed that thought to pass without further inspection, seeing as that Oliver with any other woman romantically would just kill the mood.

In no time at all, Oliver had her blouse unbuttoned, off her shoulders and discarded onto the floor, her only hint at his actions the stark brush of cold air against her naked skin, save the soft, white cotton of her bra. She couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine, not only from the coolness of the room, but also the fact that she was about to have sex with Oliver again. She had allowed herself to believe that she had ruined everything that there was between them and that had nearly broken her, but by the way he had looked at her, if anything, he had looked at her with an even greater feeling of love.

As if sensing her shiver, Oliver used the warmth of his hands to map her skin, allowing his warmth to transfer to her's. The gesture made her swoon as she looked up into his eyes. She knew that he would give her anything if she just asked, just as she would do anything for him. That's how relationship worked, was it not? Give and take, equally, as partners.

Speaking of take…

"My turn," Felicity teased him, her eyes sparkling with mischief as her hands slid beneath his suit jacket letting it fall to the ground in a heap, leaving her fingers to tackle the buttons along his dress shirt.

Making short work of his buttons, Felicity hungrily ran her hands against the expansiveness of his chest, feeling the smoothness of his rippling muscles beneath her palms, never missing an opportunity to delicately touch the rigid skin of the multiple scars that marked his body. She wanted him to know that she accepted all of him, scars included, for they were what made him who he was today- a hero.

Oliver watched Felicity run her hands along his chest and felt a sense of calming, happy to just run his own hands up and down her back, encouraging her to take all the time she wanted. However, it seemed that Felicity had a different idea.

With a quick change of direction, Oliver was startled to find that Felicity had gripped his belt buckle and was eagerly going at it like a woman starved. He let her set the pace for them, not wanting to take anything she was unwilling to give, for tonight was about her and only her.

However, he couldn't stop the growl rippling from his chest as he felt her small, warm hand slide beneath his waistline and grip his hard shaft between her fingers. Her pressed her form into him, feeling her barely covered breasts against him, taming his inner need to throw her over his shoulder and take her, but was just as content to let her explore what was her's.

As she massaged his hardening shaft, he felt his hands travel down her back, nestling against the plush mounds of her ass, squeezing them as he fought ripples of pleasure coursing through his veins. Was she testing him just now? He wasn't sure? Nor was he sure of how he would pass if it were a test. He wasn't a very good test taker. If she expected him to remain a perfect gentlemen any longer, she was going to have to stop do that…now. He told her as much.

"You're making me lose control, baby" he murmured as he pressed her further into him by the tightening grasp he had on her ass, "I don't know how much longer I can be civil."

"Is that right?" she asked, a smile playing in her tone, the minx.

He just grunted as she stroked him still, "Then I suppose it time you take me, Oliver." He looked down at her before she added, "Now."

Far be it from him to deny her anything.

His eyes never leaving hers, Oliver bent down, gripping the back of her thighs and effortlessly picked her up, brining her legs around his waist. Taking her lips into his for a chaste kiss, he walked them over to the bed and carefully laid her across the sheets, watching as her smooth, blonde hair fanned around her head like a beacon of light, showing him the way home. That's what she was- his home.

Never one to miss an opportunity to feel those luscious lips on his own, Oliver pecked a light kiss just at the corner of her mouth before trailing the same pressure along her jaw. He heard the moan at the loss of his mouth around her's, but kept on his work, raining small kisses along the column of her neck where he came to the juncture where her neck met her shoulder. Gently, he used his teeth to exert just enough pressure along her soft skin to pull as gasp from her mouth, her hips bucking into his deliciously.

He wrapped his hands around her, his fingers playing with the small clasp of her bra as his mouth descended over her shoulder and along the tops of her breasts. With a simple flick of his fingers, her breasts were immediately relieved of their confines and his mouth was able to nudge the offending fabric out of its path.

In a matter of seconds he had her bare before him, her bra all but forgotten on the floor beside the bed, turning his attention the pert mound atop her small chest. Not wasting anytime, Oliver immediately lowered his mouth onto the peaked nipple, a groan vibrating through his chest at the feel of it's tightness around his tongue, giving into the urge to tease it with his teeth.

Felicity arched her back, thrusting her aching breast further into his mouth, and the vibrations of his growls sending shocks of pleasure straight into her core. She could feel the burgeoning of her clitoris as her body become more and more stimulated with every caress and stroke between his wandering hands and tongue assaulting her continually.

She moaned at the loss of his mouth when he finished off the other breast with the same attention, only to feel his wet kisses venture farther south along her abdomen, the cruel man stopping to swivel his tongue around her navel like he knew she liked. Pure evil he was. She loved it.

Oliver could feel Felicity's arousal build up beneath his touch, her muscles jumping erratically with each new caress, it fascinating him in the best way possible. Carefully, he unzipped her pencil skirt, which he just now noticed had wripped from when she had her long legs wrapped around her. Whoops. She didn't seem to care, so he didn't either.

Taking her skirt and cotton panties between his fingers, Oliver slowly lowered the garments, exposing her wet folds to his hungry gaze. He couldn't stop his fingers from gently grazing the smoothness of her folds, eliciting a small mewl from the woman beneath him as he caressed every inch of her wetness.

His Felicity was so beautiful just now, her eyes heavy lidded in arousal as they stared back at him. He smiled back showing her the love he had for her. He promised that she would never again doubt his love for her. He would be by her side for how ever long she would allow him to be. He hoped it would be forever.

With shaking hands, he trailed the tips of his fingers through her slit, feeling the warmth of her juices tantalizing his fingers. He didn't miss the way her thighs trembled on either side of his hand and smiled, thanking God that he had such a woman in his life. Such a loving and beautiful woman that he would spend the rest of his life pleasuring both in an out of this bed for as long as she would have him.

He allowed his thumb to circle her enlarging clit a couple of times enjoying the little mewls it pulled from her, her tiny voice begging him to take her.

"Not yet, baby," he cooed back, "Let me take care of you first."

Allowing two fingers to enter her, Oliver let her small cries of pleasure flow through him, urging his actions further by pressing his palm directly into her clit's center, her hips bucking wildly into his hold. He could already tell she was so close and so he quickened his pace, desperately wanting to get her off before he came in his own pants just at the mere site of her.

"Now baby," he whispered, pumping his fingers in and out of her, "Come for me."

He watched, his eyes glued to the withering blonde beneath him as she flew apart, his name a mantra across her lips as he continued to stroke her through her orgasm. He felt every delicious drop of warm cum slide along his fingers and decided that this was the best feeling in the world, to be able to bring this remarkable woman to this much pleasure. It was truly a gift. He silently thanked God for placing her in his life to cherish. He knew he didn't deserve her.

Finally feeling her body come down from the high, with heavy eyelids, she gently opened her eyes to look back at him.

"Hi," he whispered, pulling his fingers out of her to gently rub her inner thighs.

"Hi," she murmured back, smiling up at him, a sheen of sweat along her brow, making him think that she couldn't possibly get any sexier.

Not quite ready to relinquish any skin on skin activity, Oliver rolled himself over her smaller body, making sure to bare most of his weight on his forearms as to not crush her against the mattress. He stared down into her blue eyes, drinking in the warmth and the love he saw reflected in their depths.

Nestling his nose against her's, he quietly whispered, "Are you ready, baby?"

Her hands came up to wrap around his neck, pulling him down the last inch so that there lips could brush in a soft kiss before replying, "I'm ready, Oliver."

Oliver deepened the kiss, teasing her bottom lip with his tongue, asking permission to enter as he slid his hand between there two bodies, wrapping his aching member around his fingers. When she allowed him entry into her warm mouth he moaned, the taste of her surrounding him and filling him with ecstasy. He would never get tired of her essence that so easily calmed the beast inside of him. She was it for him. The way he felt for her, that would never change.

Placing the head of his penis just on the outside of her vaginal entrance, Oliver teased the tip around the whole, gathering enough of her juices to provide for an easier penetration. Between her orgasms and the precum that had already collected around his head, Oliver didn't think her really needed the extra lubrication, but the sensation of rubbing his head against her vaginal lips was to euphoric to pass up.

Gently, he nuzzled the head of his penis into her warm canal, both of them drawing in a breath as he advanced further and further into her warmth. True, it had been a month since they had made love, but in that moment, for the both of them, it seemed like no time had passed at all.

As soon as Oliver was seated all the way to the hilt, he just lied there, allowing her body to accommodate his wide girth. He wasn't in any hurry at the moment. No, he was content to just lie there like they were as he peppered kisses around her adorable, little face.

Finally feeling the walls of her uterus attune to his girth, Oliver started slowly pumping himself in and out of her tightness, wanting to draw out any and all pleasure for as long as he could. He could feel her fingernails drag across the skin of his back, sending goose bumps along there wake and he let that feeling was over him, sending new bouts of please straight to his groin.

Felicity brought her legs up and around his waist, allowing his dick to slide impossibly further into her depth and they were both rewarded with echoing sounds of pleasure pouring from their mouths.

Oliver buried his face into the crook of her neck, feeling the tightness of his balls cling impossibly closer to his body, signaling that he was close to the edge. He tried to steady himself, unwilling to finish before Felicity got off.

He breathed her in, the faint smell of strawberry body wash and something innately her served to only spike up the fever running rampant in his veins. It was now or never and he wasn't about to leave her behind.

Reaching his hand between them, Oliver began circling her clit in the same rhythm of their rocking bodies, pulling a small cry from the woman beneath him.

"Come with me, Felicity," he murmured, as he placed small, wet kisses along her collar bone, "I want to feel you come around me as I release my seed inside you."

"Yes," she cried, as he pressed his thumb into her center, "God yes."

"You are my always, Felicity," he murmered, "Always and forever."

With those final words, Oliver bit down heavily against the spot between her neck and shoulder, a cry of ecstasy falling from her lips just as she spiraled into a powerful orgasm, sending him falling after her.

He shook with the power of his release, but he still managed to keep most of his weight off of her as he continued to milk his penis in and out of her weeping warmth. He wanted it to last for as long as possible because she deserved all he could give her and more.

As their bodies came down together, settling into a state of contentment, Oliver slowly pulled himself out of her and fell down on the mattress beside her. Gently, Oliver pulled her closer to him so there bodies were pressed together, chest to chest as he pecked kisses along her crown, hearing her small, little moans of pleasure as she snuggled closer to him.

He didn't know how long they laid there like that as he ran his fingers through his hair and she mapped little lines against his chest, but what he did know was that right here, right now, was where he was meant to be. Here, with her, would always be his home.

"Marry me."

Oliver felt Felicity stiffen beside him, her hands stilling against his chest, no longer mapping the scars our tattoos littered around his abdomen. In truth, those two words falling from his lips startled him too, but thinking back on them, he wouldn't trade them for the world. He knew Felicity was it for him and he just wanted to the chance to be it for her.

When she remained quiet, he craned his neck back in order to look upon her, seeing that her eyes were focused on his chest as she nibbled her bottom lip. Usually he found that little quirk of her's endearingly adorable, but in the moment, it worried him, that perhaps he was asking too much too quickly. After all, they had only just reconnected, physically and emotionally, in over a month.

"Hey," he said, lifting her chin up between two of his fingers, hoping his gaze told her the depth of his affection for her as he looked into her eyes, "Talk to me, Felicity."

"Oliver," she whispered, her hands smoothing up his torso, "I don't want to read too much into anything right now; I know we are both on an emotional high and I don't want you to regret anything after tonight."

"First of all," he said, pecking her once on her pert, little nose, "It may come as a surprise to you, but I'm physically incapable of talking about anything else at the moment."

She looked at him with mostly confusion, but he could also see the spark of something else behind those blue eyes. Hope, perhaps?

"I want to marry you, Felicity Meghan Smoak," he whispered down into her ear, like it was a secret only for the two of them, which made her laugh seeing as that they were the only two in the room.

He watched as Felicity began to chew her lower lip, her eyes coming up to flicker towards his own. He knew that he had startled her, in truth, he had startled himself, but at the moment, he was glad he'd said it. She made him happy and he wanted to feel this way forever.

"I want to marry you, Felicity Meghan Smoak," he spoke again as if she hadn't heard him.

"You're the best part of me," he continued, "As The Hood, you made me believe that I could be so much more than some guy with a bow and arrow. As the son of a fortune 500 company, you made me believe that I could handle anything the corporate world through my way." He smiled down at her, seeing the beginning of tears pooling into her eyes, making them sparkle up at him, And lastly, and most importantly, you saw the broken, little boy in me and made him a better man. Felicity, I am a better person, just having loved you."

"Oliver," Felicity choked, her shaking hands coming to wrap around his face, "Yes."

Her soft lips came up to his in a slow embrace, one packed with love and acceptance making his heart burst with so many emotions, he felt his own throat constricting as a sob rose from the depths.

"I'm glad we can agree on something," he mused, holding back the tears as best he could, but it was so hard to do when the woman he loved more than life itself was staring back at him the way she was, making him believe he was the luckiest son of a bitch, ever. Maybe he was. No, he definitely was.

"No," she laughed. "I—"

"No?" Oliver asked, albeit a little confused."

"No as in yes, yes," Felicity laughed, swatting his chest playfully. Geez, didn't he understand a single thing she was saying.

"Okay, now I'm confused," Oliver mused, his mind working overtime to make sense of what she was saying. How could someone so beautifully charming, be so adorably confusing? He didn't know. What he did know was that he wanted lifetimes with her to figure it all out.

Taking a deep breath, Felicity gripped Oliver's face between her two hands, looking into his eyes with a smile along her lips, "Yes, Oliver Jonas Queen, I will marry you."

"Oh thank God," he gasped out loud, a hand coming up to his chest, "I thought I was going to have a cardiac incident right there."

"You're such a dork," Felicity laughed, pulling herself up so that she could kiss him properly.

"Like I said," her murmured against her lips, "You're the best part of me and you always bring out the best parts."

"Is that so?" she asked, her eyes looking at him mischievously as her hands slid down their bodies, her fingers wrapping around his hardening cock.

"Are you being intentionally suggestive, Ms. Smoak," he murmured against her lips, not wanting to add any more space than necessary.

"Yes, but if you need me to be more blunt," she replied, pulling his girth until he was flush against her center once more, "I want you to make love to me, Mr. Queen."

"Anything for you, Mrs. Queen," he purred sliding home once more into her warmth.