AN: Okay, so I was going to wait to post this until tomorrow, but I just can't do it. Enjoy.

Chapter 22: Loud Voice

"I should go HOME?" Felicity said in disbelief. She unwrapped her arms from around herself and raised her hands up, fisted them a few times, unsure of what to do. She really did want to smack him. "Oliver, I don't have an apartment in Starling City anymore." She threw her hands up into the air, as if something had exploded. "YOU moved me out of it." Now she poked him in the chest. "Without asking. Thanks for that!"

He was looking down at her finger, poking him in the chest, instead of in to her eyes, so she spun around on her bare feet and paced away, counting backwards. Nope, still livid.

"I've been kidnapped. I thought you died. I've been up to my elbows in your blood." The arms went back around her waist, because she was a little afraid she was going to fall apart any minute. "And all you can do is tell me to go home and remind me we still have arrow-ee things to do. YOU ARE AN IDIOT!" She closed her eyes and tried the counting thing again.

"Felicity . . . " Oliver started. She turned and met his eyes, waiting. Again. She watched his jaw work as he looked at the floor in front of her bare feet. He looked so conflicted and torn, and the anger fled her immediately. She took two steps forward before she reigned her traitorous heart in. She watched as he inhaled, exhaled. Repeated. Finally he met her eyes.

"I am so, so sorry. For all of it. But you are better off without . . . "

She closed the distance between them in two steps and cut him off, pointing a finger at him. "Don't say it! Don't you dare say I'm better off without you!" It hurt that he would be so ready to get rid of her again, after all that they had been through. She was just so tired of all of it. The muscle in his jaw was working again.

"But you are!" He roared. His eyes locked on her, and then slid down to the floor. "We're not," he said. "Diggle and I were completely useless without you. We couldn't find anything to help us find you. But you would be better off had I had never gotten in the back of that car." He was still at her feet.

She always tried to respect that he didn't seem to want her touch. She had always, with very few exceptions, held herself back from him. But she figured it was now, or never. She took both hands and framed his face, bringing his gaze up to meet hers. She felt as if she were standing on a precipice, about to find if they would fly, or fall. His eyes met hers, and she was struck again by the pain in them.

"Stop being an idiot. Ask me, Oliver. Ask me if I regret it. If I would trade you climbing into my car. Or bringing that laptop into my office. Or even the freaking EA job, which I hate. Ask me if I would change any of it. Even after the hell of the last couple days."

She felt his hands come up to her hips, and she felt a spark of electricity. And hope, because just maybe the stubborn idiot was going to listen to her. Maybe, just maybe, there was more.

"Would you?" He ground out slowly. It sounded as if even saying the words pained him. She looked at his eyes, and was surprised to see that he didn't look certain of her answer.

"Not a single thing," she said. "Except the part where you were an idiot and pushed me away. And I was stupid enough to go, because obviously that didn't work so well. What about you, Oliver. Would YOU change it?" It was time for the moment of truth.

He looked at her and swallowed, his jaw working again. She felt his grasp on her hips tighten, and he pulled her closer, opening his legs to make room for her. He leaned his forehead against hers. "I should say yes." He said, with his eyes closed. "Because it would be safer for you."

"I've been safe my whole life," she whispered. "There was nothing remarkable about it." She allowed one of her hands to trail to the back of his neck.

xxx

Oliver's eyes flew up to meet hers as she said the words. She met his gaze, steady and sure and strong. She knew his demons, what he had done, and she still was standing here, so close to him, telling him she would take the risk. She was brave and so remarkable that he was sure he would never be able to deserve her, yet here she stood. And Oliver gave up. He was tired of fighting. He had tried pushing her away, and it hadn't accomplished anything except almost getting her killed. She wanted this. For reasons he couldn't understand, she wanted him. And God help him, he wanted her. Consequences be damned. His skin was on fire where she stroked it, and he finally gave up on the struggle he'd been waging longer than he realized. He wrapped his arms completely around her waist and pulled her flush against him, his mouth crashing down on hers.

As soon as their lips met, he knew she was right. He was an idiot, because it had taken them entirely too much to get to this point. Nothing had ever felt as right, as clean, as kissing Felicity. She gave herself over to him completely, leaning in and wrapping both arms around his neck. Soon both their breathing was ragged, and he had to pull back.

Felicity looked absolutely shocked, and took a big step back. "Um, I wasn't expecting that."

Oliver sighed, and pushed himself up off the table, taking the IV out of his arm.

"Would you please be careful?" She cried.

He stepped in to her space, and took her face in his hands, again struck by the rightness of the feeling. "I shouldn't have sent you away." He whispered, and any rambling she may have been gearing up for died on her lips as she met his gaze again. "I wanted to keep you safe, and it was far easier to push you away then to deal with how I felt when I knew the Count had you, Felicity. I thought I could protect you when I brought you in to this, but I didn't really understand . . . " He let his forehead rest on hers again, moving his head gently side to side so that their noses brushed. She leaned in to him.

He inhaled, letting himself soak up her nearness. "I can't lose you, Felicity."

Her hands were on his face again. "Same goes, Oliver," she said gently. "I sit in that chair most days and I don't know if you'll come back or not. But it doesn't change anything." Her hands slid down and spread over his bare chest tracing the outline of his scars as she went. "It doesn't change how I feel. Nothing does." It occurred to him that she already knew how many of those scars came to be, and that he could tell her how the others got there. She would not be horrified. She would be sad that she suffered so much pain, but she would not pity him. Because she loved him. Which was an amazing, crazy miracle. Then he was kissing her again, because she loved him. Hope was an incredible, amazing thing.

Just One more moment, that's all that's needed.
Like wounded soldiers in need of healing.
Time to be honest, this time I'm pleading
Please don't dwell on it, cause I didn't mean it.

I cant believe I said I'd lay our love on the ground
But it doesn't matter cause I've made it up forgive me now
Everyday I spend away my soul's inside out
Gotta be someway that I can make it up to you now, somehow.

By now you'd know that I'd come for you
No one but you, yes I'd come for you
But only if you told me to
And I'd fight for you
I'd lie, it's true
Give my life for you
You know I'd always come for you.

I was blindfolded, but now I'm seeing
My mind was closing, now I'm believing
I finally know just what it means to let someone in
To see the side of me that no one does or ever will
So if you're ever lost and find yourself all alone
I'd search forever just to bring you home,
Here and now this I vow.

By now you'd know that I'd come for you
No one but you, yes I'd come for you
But only if you told me to
And I'd fight for you
I'd lie, it's true
Give my life for you
You know I'd always come for you
You know I'd always come for you.

No matter what gets in my way
As long as there's still life in me
No matter what, remember you know I'll always come for you.

Yes I'd come for you, no one but you,
Yes I'd come for you
But only if you told me to.

And I'd fight for you
I'd lie, it's true
Give my life for you
You know I'd always come for you.

No matter what gets in my way
As long as there's still life in me
No matter what, remember you know I'll always come for you
I'd crawl across this world for you
Do anything you want me to
No matter what, remember you know I'll always come for you
You know I'll always come for you.

~Nickleback, I'd Come For You

AN: And, I think that's it. This thing has been a bit of a monster that would NOT leave me alone. Thus nearly 30,000 words in less than 2 weeks. I never intended for it to be quite as big as it was, (or for Merlyn's motives to play as big of a part as they did), but I have loved reading each and every one of your reviews. Thank you for your support! Wednesday can't get here soon enough! I am forever in favor of slow burning Olicity. Arrow is hands down my favorite show this season.

Oh, and I realized I made two mistakes . . . (well probably more than 2 but whatever). . . Forgot Felicity was Jewish, and Oliver speaks CHINESE, not Japanese, but oh well. Thank you so much for reading.