Lunch doesn't happen. Following the death of Lawton, the Hood is under even more scrutiny than before and the criminals seem to be less fearful under the assumption he's moved his efforts to Coast City. Felicity and Oliver don't talk about much of anything that isn't mission related. It's weeks after the last time Felicity found herself sharing her bed with Oliver when Carly and John invite them out to dinner.

A few glasses of wine later, they come bursting unceremoniously through Felicity's apartment door. Oliver's lips are at that spot on her neck again and she's tossing her keys at the bowl by the door while he's shoving her pea coat off her shoulders and onto the floor. She mimics his motions and gets his suit jacket off of him. He wraps his arms around her waist and lifts her up, Felicity wraps her legs around his waist and feels her pencil skirt bunch up to her upper thighs. She considers, as much as she can with his tongue in her mouth, how much she loves this skirt and how glad she is that she decided such a nice skirt deserved an equally nice bra and pantie set underneath.

She can tell from his strides that they're mere inches away from her bedroom when one of his arms leaves her waist and his palm collides with the wall next to the door frame. He stops himself just short of the bedroom and they're so close she's technically inside. Oliver pulls his lips from her and she watches him quizzically, a little proud that he's breathing as heavily as she is.

"We can't," he breathes and her head falls backwards and she lets out a frustrated groan.

"We really need to stop getting this close and then saying that." He chuckles and gently sets her back on her feet. As soon as she's on the carpet, he moves back a few paces, distancing them. Felicity leans against the wall next to the door and waits.

"I don't want this to be nothing," he says finally and she nods.

"Okay, so how do we fix that?" He stares at her for a moment and she realizes he doesn't know the answer. She sighs and crosses her arms.

"Tell me what you dowant, Oliver." He's silent and she lets out another groan. "It's not that difficult of a question."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"That's not what I asked." Felicity can see his eyes darken in the low light but she keeps her gaze on him. "What do you want?"

"I don't know, Felicity!" Oliver snaps and she can see him trying to keep himself calm but she's never backed down from a fight with him before, and she's not about to start. "I want this, us, but.."

"But what?" She keeps her voice calm and straightens up, taking a step towards him. "What is it?" It's a moment before he responds;

"I wreck things," he mumbles. "I take good things, I get scared, and I ruin them. And I have never been as scared of someone as I have of you." She can hear what he doesn't say off the island. She bites her lip and moves sideways to sit on the back of the couch, pushing her skirt back down to it's original length.

"Why are you scared of me?"

"Because I didn't expect you. You came out of nowhere and you put me in place. You wedged yourself into my life when I thought I had to be alone and you are a constant surprise. A lot has happened to me over the past six years, Felicity, and of all the unexpected you are the best one." She blinks and shakes her head, trying to take in his words.

"So, what are you afraid of?" She asks quietly.

"You've been a light in a lot of darkness. I don't want to be the thing that dulls you, I can't be that."

"What makes you think you would?"

"I told you, I wreck things." His eyes fall to the tan carpet and she shakes her head. It's quiet for a time before she finally finds the words to explain to him why he is so wrong.

"You're right," she says, breaking the silence in a clear voice, and his head snaps up. "You might wreck this. You might hurt me, you might leave, you might not feel what you do for me now in the future."

He stares at her and she continues.

"Or I might wreck it. I could leave, or hurt you. We could both do a million different things that could ruin this. But there's also the distinct possibility, Oliver, that neither of us will ruin this. There's really only one way to know, honestly. And that's to try." She drops back onto the floor and steps towards him again.

"I don't know about you, but I'd rather try and get hurt than have to wonder." Felicity watches his face and waits for a response. He grins down at her and she finds herself responding in kind.

"Okay," he shrugs, cupping her face in his hand, "let's try." His lips fall on hers again and he laughs against her mouth as he lifts her up again.

Some time later, they're lying in her bed, legs and sheets tangled, and her eyes are closed but she can feel him watching her. Their hands lay between them on the pillow, fingers laced, and she can feel his fingers flexing and relaxing, weaving back and forth through hers, finger pads rubbing against the skin between her knuckles.

"Do you think we can do this?" He asks quietly.

"I think we just did," Felicity smirks. "A few times." He laughs and she feels the movement of him shaking his head on the pillow.

"I mean us," he elaborates. She opens her eyes and gets caught in his for a moment.

"Yeah, I think we can." She gives him a grin and feels satisfied when he returns it. Her eyes flutter shut again and she can feel sleep taking over her. She yawns and her mouth is moving without her brain's consent.

"Oliver," she slurs.

"Hmm?"

"Don't leave before I wake up." She feels his free hand fall across her waist.

"I won't," he promises. She doesn't know if he'll be there when she wakes up but she falls asleep with the promise of tomorrow in her ears and that's enough for now.

A/N: Welp, this is the end of it. I hope it didn't disappoint! Thank you all so much for reviewing and favoriting and just generally being so nice to me. I might have a sequel in the works but for the time being, this is the end.