An Arrow to the Knee

By: DKM

Rating: K

Pairing: Oliver/Felicity

Season/Episode: Doesn't really matter, set in the future

Category: As fluffy as it can get

Song: Darren Hayes "Take By The Sea"

Written for: Summer of Olicity Challenge 1: Family

Synopsis: Marry your best friend. Really, truly find the strongest, happiest friendship in the person you fall in love with. Most importantly, marry the one that makes passion, love, and madness combine and course through you.

AN: If you haven't heard about the challenge yet, I highly suggest you check it out! It's a hell of a lot of fun! Search Tumblr for SummerOfOlicity and you'll find it.

AN2: And I've also posted Temptation if you haven't seen that already. It's the follow up to Aftermath. Just a reminder, it's rated M, so it's not for the kiddies.

Thank you to Nancy, as always, although this time I'm giving her a little more love because she's sick. Feel better soon!

Disclaimer: (the usual, don't own, idea was mine though)

"Marry your best friend. I do not say that lightly. Really, truly find the strongest, happiest friendship in the person you fall in love with. Someone who speaks highly of you. Someone you can laugh with. The kind of laughs that make your belly ache, and your nose snort. The embarrassing, earnest, healing kind of laughs. Wit is important. Life is too short not to love someone who lets you be a fool with them. Make sure they are somebody who lets you cry, too. Despair will come. Find someone that you want to be there with you through those times. Most importantly, marry the one that makes passion, love, and madness combine and course through you. A love that will never dilute - even when the waters get deep, and dark."

- N'tima

"Did you know that taking an arrow to the knee was old Nordic slang for getting married, which explains why guys get down on one knee?" Felicity Smoak was rambling as she lounged on the couch in the living room, her legs spread out along the green leather and her head on the armrest.

"Really?" Sitting with her feet in his lap, Oliver Queen couldn't have been more amused by her question. His carefree smile came with ease as he gazed at her. He didn't know how they'd gotten onto the topic of marriage, but hearing her talk about it made his heart beat a little faster. "So if I took an arrow to the knee, would that be considered a marriage proposal?"

Felicity's laugher filled the room. "Considering I can now take out a target with an arrow just as well as you can, maybe," she answered.

"Are you trying to tell me something, Felicity?"

"No, I'm just saying that those big elaborate proposals I've seen on the internet are too over the top for me. I'd like to be proposed to much more simply, like on a beach or in the park. Hell, I'd even be okay if it happened in bed," she answered.

"You really don't have a flair for the dramatic, do you?"

After six years and countless break ups and make ups, they were still together. Somewhere along the way, much to his surprise, Oliver had fallen in love with the blonde IT nerd that had stayed by his side through thick and thin. She'd laughed with him, cried with him, fought with him and was always there to put him back together when he fell apart.

Yes, Felicity had a hold on his heart, and by the looks of it, he held hers as well. That was probably the main reason he had tried to push her away on so many occasions. Oliver feared that someday he would lose her and then who would be there to pick up his shattered pieces?

The first time he pushed her away, she had come back to argue with him and slapped him in the face "for being an idiot, Oliver Queen!" It was a memory that always brought a smile to his face. That was the first time he'd kissed her. Back then, he'd been a real idiot, as Felicity so eloquently put it. He'd also been selfish and scared. It took a real break up to make him realize that she had become an integral part of his life.

Oliver could still remember the day clearly. It was early January a year and a half ago. They'd been squabbling about little things, in hindsight, that were so insignificant the fight never should have happened at all. But push came to shove and suddenly it had exploded into an all out shouting match between the two. Exchanging harsh barbs about one another's lives had caused him to blurt out something that would tear his heart to pieces the moment it left his mouth: "I wish I had never met you!"

This time, Felicity left and never came back. A week went by, then two, then four… Oliver had never felt so alone and so stupid in his life. Finally, after a kick in the butt by Diggle, he'd gone to look for her and apologize for being such an idiot. It took twice as long to win her back as it did to lose her, but it made him realize that life without her was no life at all.

So now they were here, in the small house he'd bought for her just outside the city that overlooked the ocean from high atop a hill, lounging in the living room as the sun set over the horizon and night fell, talking about marriage.

"You know I've never had a flair for the dramatic," Felicity's voice finally brought him back from his reverie as his hands kneaded her delicate feet. "You, on the other hand…" She giggled, a sound that warmed his heart every single time he heard it. "You can be downright flamboyant."

Oliver chuckled, "True. What about the ring?"

Cocking her head to the side and putting her silver painted forefinger on her lips, Felicity contemplated the question. She didn't speak for several long moments. Oliver could feel his heart begin to race. This amount of silence from the babbling blonde was out of character. He began to wonder if he'd taken it too far and she was catching on to why he was asking so many questions.

When she finally spoke, Oliver let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "I want something unique," Felicity thoughtfully replied, "something that represents the relationship. To be honest, I'd be disappointed if it was a huge solitaire diamond on a gold band. That's just so boring and... predictable."

"So, you're opposed to a flamboyant proposal, yet you want a ring that screams dramatic?" Oliver asked. He shook his head and laughed. "You never cease to amaze me, Felicity Smoak."

She grinned before sitting up and reaching a hand out to pull him next to her. Oliver grabbed her waist and rolled her onto his body so he lay beneath her. Again, she giggled. "And you, Oliver Queen, never cease to amaze me," Felicity replied as she reached up and placed a soft kiss on his lips before snuggling into his chest, her head falling beneath his chin.

Reaching out to the coffee table, she grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. For the next few hours, they laid there watching reruns of Big Bang Theory until Felicity fell asleep. Ever so gently, Oliver took off her glasses and placed them on the coffee table then turned off the TV. He knew the two of them probably weren't moving from this spot tonight, so he got comfortable.

With a soft kiss pressed to her forehead, he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, but their conversation replayed over and over in his mind. Yes, Oliver knew that she'd never go for a crazy proposal, but the ring had surprised him. Over the past several months, in upmost secrecy, he'd been looking for one that would match Felicity's personality and their relationship. Hearing verbal confirmation that she wanted something like that as well, Oliver knew the one he'd chosen would be perfect.

This wasn't some ring straight out of a display case. No, Oliver had worked with a jeweler in New York painstakingly designing the platinum band and hand picking the stone that would fit into it. It was as unique as Felicity, which gave him all the more reason to smile when he thought about how he'd give it to her. If she wanted a simple proposal, then she'd get one, with just a touch of dramatic flair thrown in.

"What are you smiling about?" Felicity's sleepy voice nudged him out of his thoughts.

Oliver opened his eyes, his grin widening when he saw the serene look on her beautiful face. "How much I love you," he whispered back.

"Love you too," she mumbled before yawning audibly and closing her eyes again.

Placing another soft kiss on top of her head, Oliver gently untangled himself from her grasp and stood. He picked Felicity up and carried her upstairs to their bedroom. Tomorrow he would set his plan into motion.

The sun was setting on Starling City when Felicity arrived home the next night. Exhausted from having clocked an extra three hours of overtime in the IT department that afternoon, all she wanted to do was kick off her flats and fall into her favorite spot on the couch with an episode of her favorite show and Oliver massaging her feet as he always did after a long day.

What Felicity hadn't expected was the site that greeted her when she opened the door. The front foyer was dark save for several tea light candles burning a path towards the living room. Kicking off her shoes, she followed it, slightly confused, but curious to find out what was going on. Her love/hate relationship with mysteries propelled her. As she entered the living room, soft music could be heard through the French doors that led out to the patio.

Dropping her bag and jacket on the couch, Felicity followed the candle path until she was outside. The warm summer breeze carried the scent of a delicious meal and she turned left to find Oliver standing there, that dazzling smile of his making her pause and just stare in awe and wonder. That smile always had an effect on her. She could never get used to it.

After regaining some of her composure, her hands fell to her hips as a gentle smile turned up the corners of her bright pink lips. "Oliver Queen, what are you doing?" she playfully scolded before striding up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. He leaned down and kissed her.

"You had a long day at work so I took the liberty of putting together dinner," he answered.

"I like how you said 'putting together' instead of 'making' because I know for a fact that you couldn't make a decent dinner to save your life," Felicity mused before untangling from his grasp. Oliver pulled out a chair for her and helped settle her in before taking a seat across from her.

"You know me too well," he said, giving her yet another gleaming smile.

Felicity felt her heart skip a beat. "You really have to stop that," she muttered.

"Stop what?" His innocent tone didn't mask the fact that he knew exactly what she was talking about. Then smiled once more just to see what she'd do.

Giggling, Felicity replied, "That! It's like you completely want to skip dinner and go straight to bed, which is not happening because I'm hungry and this looks absolutely delicious." All her favorites were laid out on the table: cherry tomato vinaigrette, scallops with potato pancakes and caviar sauce, rack of lamb with mustard-shallot sauce, crispy roasted potatoes with thyme and garlic, and broccoli and cauliflower with horseradish bread crumbs.

The playful banter continued as they ate their dinner, enjoying a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon Oliver refused to name because he knew Felicity was well versed in his collection. She'd picked most of the bottles from the Queen reserve herself and telling her they were drinking the 1961 Chateau Palmer Margaux would only make her suspicious. Nope, tonight would be like any other night, with slightly more flair than usual.

"If I eat another bite, I just might explode," Felicity said as she put down her napkin and leaned back in her chair.

"We haven't even gotten to dessert yet!" Oliver protested. Her glare made his mouth twitch with just the ghost of a smile. "But I got you your favorite…"

Felicity groaned, "No, you didn't! I swear if you say…"

"Red velvet cupcakes from that bakery in Old Town," he finished. Her eyes narrowed. There was something about that look that made Oliver straighten up and take notice. He began to wonder if he'd gone too far and she was onto him.

"Are you trying to make me fat?" Felicity grumbled.

Oliver breathed an internal sigh of relief as he replied, "Nope, just trying to make you happy." Her glare softened into a tender smile.

"Well, you've done a good job in that department, especially with the music. Vintage 90's boy bands and their cute love songs… Yeah, this is perfect," she said, glancing around the patio. White twinkling lights hung above them and through the trees illuminating the back of the house quite nicely. "You've outdone yourself this time. Thank you. It definitely brightened my day after the server crash this afternoon."

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat," Oliver said. He pushed out of his chair and stood up. "Come on, how about a dance?" he asked, holding out his hand to her.

"What's got you all adorable and cutsey tonight?"

"Does it matter?"

"No, but I'd still like an answer," Felicity said, taking his hand and standing up. He led her away from the table to an open spot on the cool terra cotta tiles a few feet away.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, Oliver pulled her flush against his chest. When Felicity wrapped her arms around his neck, he planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Are you ever going to tell me?" she sighed, figuring it was useless by now.

"Maybe," Oliver alluded with a half grin.

The song changed and Felicity sighed contently as her head fell against his chest. It was a song they first danced to long ago to that had begun to play in the background. It had immediately become her favorite song because the lyrics held deep meaning in both their lives. Oliver knew this was his moment.

Love, lay me down
Slay me with whispers
Reassure me that it's alright
I, I hit the deck, I hit rock bottom
But you saw me, then you caught me

"I love you so much," Oliver murmured against her ear, holding a little tighter.

"I love you too," Felicity wistfully replied.

Shining like a ray of hope
Swift like a turning sea
Angel to comfort me
Cradling my head in your hands

"You mean the world to me," he continued.

I looked up at the sun
And the fog cleared, I saw you

Felicity pulled back for a moment to look at him. Her eyes narrowed, "Oliver… What's going on? Because last night we were vaguely talking about marriage proposals and then tonight…"

It was about time she finally caught onto this, but he kept going. "Will you please let me finish?" Oliver asked. There was no irritation in his voice, just amusement.

And I want you and that's so terrifying
And I want you to help put out the fire

"Oh… kay…" Felicity remained suspicious as she stared up at him, her arms still resting on his shoulders as they danced beneath the strands of twinkling lights, Darren Hayes's "Taken By The Sea" softly playing in the background.

Cause I am an island, you are the ocean
And all of my sadness taken by the sea

"Felicity, when you came into my life, I thought nothing of it because you were the girl I ran to when I needed help with something computer related. But somewhere along the way, something happened. I learned to trust you, I mean, really, truly trust you because you trusted me. You learned my secrets and you accepted me so easily. Then we started working together and you challenged me to be something, no, someone better. You could see things in me that I didn't see at the time, and you pushed me in ways no one has ever pushed me before."

Fall, I took a fall
I took it easy
On the surface I was perfect
But down, way down below
I started believing
I deserved it
Was I worthless

They had stopped dancing now as she stared up at him, her eyes focused on his as he continued to speak. "I found strength in you when my world fell apart after the Undertaking and the destruction of the Glades. You put me back together and helped me realize I had so much more to live for now that you were in my life. You filled the cracks I thought would never be repaired. You loved me no matter how much I hurt you. And for that I am truly grateful."

Sinking like a rescue boat
Washing right over me
Vessel is struggling
Waving both my hands in the air
Then the blindness of love
Then your arms all around me

"I didn't think I could ever find a love like yours, so kind and gentle and understanding. It wasn't until you left last year that I really understood what love meant. I realized I was lost without you. My life had no purpose unless you were in it. I never want to take your love for granted ever again. I want you by my side for the rest of my life."

And I want you and that's so terrifying
And I want you to help put out the fire
Cause I am an island, you are the ocean
And all of my sadness taken by the sea

Oliver let her go and fished through his pocket until his hand came out holding a small green velvet box. "Consider this me taking an arrow to the knee," he said, remembering their conversation from the previous night as he went down on one knee in front of her.

Letting out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob, Felicity cupped her mouth with one hand as she tried to absorb everything that was happening. She gazed down at Oliver, her baby blue eyes blurred with tears of joy as he opened the box and took out the ring.

And I want so much to believe|
That I won't disappear in the water
That I won't always be swimming against the tide

Reaching for her left hand, he placed the ring at the tip of her finger and said, "Felicity Megan Smoak, will you marry me?"

And I want you and that's so terrifying
And I want you to help put out the fire
Cause I am an island and you are the ocean
And all of my sadness taken by the sea, the sea

Unable to speak from the lump that had formed in her throat, Felicity nodded enthusiastically as the tears streamed down her cheeks. "Yes!" she finally sobbed as the ring was slipped onto her finger.

I am an island, you are the ocean
All of my sadness taken by the sea

Oliver stood up, his smile mirroring hers as she launched herself into his arms and kissed him, hard. When she tore herself away, she looked down at her ring and her heart skipped a beat. The platinum band was in the shape of an arrow that curved around her finger. The fletching was accented in black while the arrowhead was a beautiful three karat emerald in the shape of a heart.

"But… how? I just… Last night…?" Felicity couldn't find the words. The ring was everything she'd ever wanted, and then some. His attention to detail took her breath away. This was the most simple and most significant aspect of their relationship. It made her cry even harder as she gazed up at her now fiancé. Fiancé… That was definitely going to take some getting used to.

"It was delivered yesterday while you were at work," Oliver said.

"You mean… How long…?" She still couldn't believe he'd managed to pull this off without her knowing. Felicity could usually read him like a book, yet this felt as if it came right out of the blue. But the signs had been there all along, and last night's talk about marriage should have rung some bells in her mind. Still, having been caught off guard like this was the perfect proposal. She couldn't have been happier.

"I've been working on it for almost three months now," he sheepishly admitted. "You didn't have to tell me you wanted something unique. I already knew, so I came up with this design and had it custom made. Is the emerald nontraditional enough for you?"

"Oliver, this is so perfect," Felicity whispered before she stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him again. Looking down at the ring, it hit her. "Oh, my god, we're getting married!" she squealed. "I have to call my parents and all my friends and, holy crap, I have so many other things to do!"

Capturing her in another embrace, he held her tight. "Felicity, breathe," Oliver reminded her. "One thing at a time." She nodded and, before letting go, kissed him again.

"I love you, Oliver Queen, forever and always," Felicity whispered.

"Forever and always," he repeated.