Archive of Our Own ^beta

“No.” Felicity states from her spot on her bed.

She’s laying on her stomach, glass of wine in her hand, as she stares at Oliver stood at the foot of her bed.

Having been Oliver Queen’s best friend for almost 20 years, she’s used to odd requests. She once climbed into a garbage can with him (she’d explain that, but they’re both sworn to secrecy on that one).

This request, however, really does top them all.

“Come on, Felicity, please. It’s just for a week.” Oliver begs and Felicity sighs, holding her glass stable as she sits up and crosses her legs.

“Oliver, we’ve been friends since we were kids. Your parents know we’re not dating.” Felicity states blankly, raising her eyebrow as she looks at him. Oliver sighs, shaking his head as he narrows his eyes teasingly.

“Okay, but Dad’s always hoped we would. Plus Dad didn’t say we had to be dating, just that the board needs to think we are.” Oliver counters, repeating the baffling request he just made.

“And explain to me exactly why again?” Felicity frowns, wondering whether she’s drank too much wine. Oliver’s asked her to do a lot of out there things in their two decades of friendship, but pretending to be a couple really is out there, even for him.

Of course, Felicity’s main grievance with the idea is the thing she’s been trying to tell him since she was fifteen and has failed at every opportunity.

Not that he knows that, of course.  

“Dad said it’s about demonstrating to the board that I’m responsible and capable of taking over the company when he steps down in a few months.” Oliver explains as he sits down on the end of the bed with a sigh, frowning in that way Felicity thinks makes him look adorably befuddled.

“And having a girlfriend proves that how?” She presses, still confused as to how this whole plan would even work.

“Because they know about my… less than ideal relationship history.” Oliver pauses as he thinks of a way to explain it, making Felicity snort as she takes a long swig of her wine.

“That’s a polite way of putting it.” She interjects, smirking at him over the rim of the glass.

Oliver’s relationship history is colourful.

From the time they were thirteen, he’s pretty much always had a girl on his arm. They never lasted particularly long, he’s not the ‘commitment’ type, but he’s also never been lonely.

For Felicity, that’s meant a lot of supporting both pig headed decisions and broken hearts, as well as hardening her own heart and accepting her role as the best friend when she figured out her own feelings.

Felicity’s actually really been the only female constant in his life outside of his family. Even Oliver’s on-again, off-again girlfriend Laurel hasn’t been as constant as Felicity has, and seeing as the two of them blew up in a final (extremely fiery) blaze six months ago, Felicity is very much his go-to girl.

“And if I can prove to them that I’ve changed in that regard, they’ll see I’ve changed in other areas as well.” Oliver finishes with a sigh, levelling Felicity with an admonishing look for her interruption which she counters with an innocent smile.

“What’s in it for me?” Felicity questions as she narrows her eyes, regarding her best friend with a curious expression. If she’s going to do this, she wants something good in return and seeing as he can’t gift her sanity back to her, she’s hoping for a good deal.

“You do a favour for your best friend in the entire world?” Oliver questions, flopping forward so he’s lying on the bed. He rests his head in his hands and grins up at her, that boyish grin making her stomach flutter in the way it always does.

“You overestimate my love for you, Queen.” She counters instead, reaching out to place her hand over his face with an affectionate roll of her eyes. Oliver chuckles, batting her hand away with a grin before he moves quickly and deftly to be sat against the headboard, opening his arm up for her to crawl under.

“Okay, then, what are your terms?” He questions, gesturing for her to come closer when she doesn’t comply. Felicity sighs, settling next to him and curling into his side. She narrows her eyes at him when he steals her glass for a sip of her wine, but mostly she’s just trying to force herself not to think about how wonderful his arm feels around her shoulders.

Good lord, she’s pathetic. She’s known she’s in love with him for almost a decade and she still can’t get used to the feeling of his skin against hers without freaking out.

“I pick the movie for the next year for Friday night movies and you get the takeout for at least the next six months.” She tells him simply as she takes her glass back, watching as his brow furrows.

“I’m not hearing much different as to how those things usually play out.” Oliver teases and Felicity narrows her eyes before she gasps and looks over at the door.

“Oh you know suddenly my weekend is looking really busy…” She trails off absent-mindedly with a smirk and hears Oliver sigh next to her.

“Okay. Yes, I agree to your terms. You’re the best, Felicity.” He smiles, pressing his hand against her cheek to turn her head back towards him. When she is looking, he bends his head slightly to press a kiss to her forehead and Felicity sighs, closing her eyes for a moment as she savours the feeling of his lips on her skin.

Like she said, pathetic.

“Or crazy.” She counters with a small smirk once she gets herself under control. Oliver grins at that, poking her in the side.

“Both?” He asks with that boyish smirk once more and Felicity laughs.

“Probably.” She rolls her eyes before finishing her wine. Oliver takes the glass from her, placing it on the nightstand before he slides further down the bed and takes Felicity with him. He’s wearing a dopey grin as he tugs her closer and Felicity frowns, a thought popping into her head. “One more thing. I come as I am. None of that dressing me up crap like Adam Sandler in that Jennifer Aniston movie.”

“I… what?” Oliver questions, pausing for a moment before he looks at her with a totally baffled expression.

“She pretends to be his ex-wife and he takes her on a shopping spree and makes her dress all different and stuff.” Felicity explains with a chuckle, but Oliver freezes as he stares at her as if she has two heads for a moment.

“Why would I want to change anything about you? You’re already perfect, you’re Felicity Smoak.” He questions after a long pause before he shakes his head with an amused chuckle and reaches to grab her laptop so he can find something to watch.

Felicity freezes for a moment as she realises the full implications of what she’s signed herself up for.

She truly doesn’t know whether she’s going to survive this.

Oliver truly has the best friend in the whole entire world.

He’s known that fact for almost two decades after he rescued a small blonde from falling off the monkey bars and she immediately started explaining the physics as to why she should have been able to make it across to him.

This favour is truly one in a long list of reasons why Oliver thinks Felicity Smoak might be the best human on the planet and he’s so grateful to her.

He knows there’s a million things she would rather be doing with her weekend as they pull up to the airfield where the company jet is waiting to whisk them away on Friday morning, but she’s here.

And she’s willing to pretend to be his girlfriend to get the board off his back.

Like he said, best human on the planet.

“Yes, Oliver, you’d told me three times in the past ten minutes. You’re going to give me a complex if you keep going.” She smirks when he tells her this, rolling her eyes affectionately. Oliver smiles, shrugging his shoulders.

She deserves to know.

Honestly, Oliver really doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve Felicity as a best friend. She’s so incredible in so many different ways and she’s gorgeous to boot. Oliver is such a screwup in comparison, but he’s so grateful that she’s stuck by his side for all these years.

He doesn’t know what he’d do without her.

“Felicity!” Oliver’s father calls from where he’s stood at the steps to the jet and Oliver watches affectionately as Felicity rushes to hug him tightly.

His family loves Felicity. His father thinks she’s the most incredibly talented woman on the planet, his mother thinks she’s incredibly admirable and a perfect example for her children, and Thea just thinks that the sun shines out of her.

Oliver agrees with all their testimonies.

“Hi Robert.” Felicity grins as they pull apart and Oliver catches up to them.

“I thought he might enlist you.” Robert chuckles, looking over at Oliver with a smirk.

“You know she’s my go-to for everything.” He answers with a shrug, smiling down at Felicity when she grins up at him with that blinding smile that Oliver thinks could light up an entire street.

“You’re too good to my son. I hope he’s paying you well for this.” Robert tells Felicity with a warm smile and the blonde’s grin sinks to something more affectionate and her blue eyes sparkle beneath her glasses as she looks between father and son.

“In his own way.” She confirms with a smirk and Oliver shakes his head when his father sends him a questioning look.

Felicity has a habit of not realising the possible double implications of her words, especially when it could be interpreted as something dirty. It’s one of her most endearing qualities but Oliver is surprised his father isn’t used to it by now.

“Well it shouldn’t be too taxing, mostly laying around by the pool I imagine. These bonding weekends are sort of a hangover from days gone by.” Robert tells her with a smile and Felicity laughs, shaking her head.

“Ah, something more nefarious occurring in those days?” She questions with a smirk, raising her eyebrow and Oliver shakes his head amusedly.

“I plead the fifth.” Robert answers as he holds his hand to his heart. “But truly, the only thing will be selling it to the board. Though, going off the way the two of you already are around each other, I doubt that will be too hard.”

“What do you mean?” Felicity questions as Oliver glares at his dad. He clocks the way Robert stares down at Oliver’s hand on the small of Felicity’s back with a sigh.

For years, his father has teased at the idea of Oliver and Felicity dating but Oliver has always brushed it off, insisting that she’s his friend and nothing more. Sure, Oliver thinks she practically hung the moon and she’s gorgeous, but it’s not like Oliver would be any good for her.

“He’s being dumb. Come on, let’s find a seat.” Oliver tells her, glaring at his dad as he leads her up the steps and into the company jet.

Various members of the board and executives are already spread out in seats across the lush plane, accompanied by wives, girlfriends, and a few children. Oliver scans the plane for free seats (they’re some of the last to arrive by the looks of things) and miraculously, there’s two over by the movie screens in a secluded area.

He starts to guide Felicity towards it when they’re stopped by one of Oliver’s biggest opposers from the board, Mr. Jackson.

“Oliver! Oh, and who is this lovely lady?” The man questions, smiling at Felicity warmly. He’s slightly older than Oliver’s father so well past his prime and is a domineering man whose intimidating façade only adds to his dominating personality.

“Mr Jackson, please meet my girlfriend, Felicity Smoak.” Oliver introduces with a small sigh, smiling falsely. It grows more genuine as a look of shock passes over Mr Jackson’s face at the tern ‘girlfriend’.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Felicity smiles politely, shaking the board member’s hand. Oliver can spot the moment her warm countenance and kind persona wins Mr Jackson over and he’s unsurprised to find it’s around 0.5 seconds after meeting her.

Felicity just has that effect. Oliver would know.

“Smoak, I know that name.” Mr Jackson comments once they’ve finished their handshake and Oliver doesn’t know what possess him, but he wraps his arm around Felicity to pull her into his side.

“I’m second in command in IT at QC, Sir.” Felicity explains to the board member, looking up at Oliver nervously for a moment but he sends her a reassuring smile. QC technically has no policy against workplace romances and it’s not as if Oliver can’t just get that policy changed if it did.

Understanding registers across Mr Jackson’s face and Oliver cannot help the proud smile that spreads over his own. Felicity has worked so hard to get to where she is  in her department now. Oliver’s father offered her an executive position straight out of college but Felicity demanded she make her own way up, not wanting nepotism to play a role and she’s killed it.

“Oh, you work for the company! Is that how you two met?” Mr Jackson questions with a warm smile and Felicity chuckles delightfully, shaking her head. Oliver is a little worried, they haven’t exactly sorted their stories out yet but Felicity starts to answer, so he decides he’ll just let her take the lead. It’s probably for the best anyway.

“Oh no. Oliver and I have been friends for years. He rescued me from the monkey bars when we were in first grade and the rest is history.” Felicity explains truthfully, smiling up at him with the softest expression. Her eyes are warm beneath her glasses and her perfectly plumped pink lips are curved into a small smile. She’s looking at him like she does when he’s done something well for once and it makes Oliver’s stomach flip in the way it always does.

“But I thought…? Pardon me, Miss Smoak, but Oliver’s reputation precedes him.” Mr Jackson coughs, frowning as he looks at Oliver and the heir frowns for a moment, not knowing her to explain his way out of this one.

“Oh. I think you’ll find that’s all in the past. It’s been around a year now, right, sweetheart?” Felicity swoops in, patting Oliver on the chest and leaving her hand there as it explores its way over his stomach. “Sometimes it just takes you a while to realise what’s right in front of you.”

“Of course. I just didn’t realise you were ready to, Oliver.” Mr Jackson comments, regarding Oliver with an unreadable expression that has the young man confused and slightly hopeful.

“Well, you know. Sometimes you just need the right girl.” Oliver answers with a smile, glancing down at Felicity with a smile. His expression softens when he sees her still smiling up at him.

Their eyes meet for a long moment and Oliver sighs, trying to express all his gratitude and love for her through that one look.

It’s Felicity who breaks it, swallowing heavily before she smiles back at the board member. “If you’ll excuse us, Mr Jackson. We should be getting to our seats.”

“Of course. It was lovely to meet you, Miss Smoak.” Mr Jackson tells her and Oliver is surprised to hear how genuine he sounds. It’s a rare thing from the usually stoic man.

“And you. I’m sure we’ll have some time to talk properly later this weekend.” Felicity smiles charmingly, nodding her head as she reaches behind her to grasp Oliver’s hand in her own.

“I look forward to it.” Mr Jackson smiles as they walk away, hands entwined and settled down in the seats. Felicity lets out a long sigh but Oliver finds himself just staring at her in amazement.

“That was incredible. How is it you always know exactly the right thing to say?”

“You know my brain to mouth filter rarely works. We’ll call that a miracle.” Felicity counters with a snort, glancing back at the board member as a blush spreads across her cheeks.

“You’re the miracle. Seriously. I knew I was right to ask you.” Oliver grins happily, making sure to keep his voice down. They’re away from most people but the last thing they need is someone overhearing and blowing this whole thing before it’s begun.

“I’ve gotten you out of enough scrapes, Oliver. This is nothing new.” Felicity smirks with an affectionate shake of the head. He knows she’s referring to the garbage can incident (she always is) but Oliver could honestly name a thousand other times.

“I don’t deserve you.” Oliver states truthfully as he stares at her. He knows all she asked for was movie selection rights and takeout but he’s going to get her a case of her favourite wine once this is all done too. She deserves it.

“You can make it up to me by watching whichever MCU film they have on the flight and not complaining.” Felicity tells him with a smirk, gesturing to the screens in front of them and Oliver smiles with a nod.

“I’ll even cuddle.” He tells her, pushing the division between their two seats up effortlessly.

“Don’t act like that’s not your favourite thing.” Felicity narrows her eyes at him as she scoots closer and Oliver grins.

“Guilty.”

The plane ride is totally painless, with Oliver and Felicity having tucked themselves away far enough that they’re unbothered for the entire flight. Oliver happily sits through ‘The Winter Soldier’ and a rom-com Felicity puts on that he only half pays attention to. The time flies quickly, however, and before Oliver knows it, they’ve landed and are settling in at the resort.

The Virgin Islands slightly further away than Oliver would consider comfortable for a quick weekend getaway, but this retreat on one of the more remote locations has been the company’s go to for a long time and he’s certainly not complaining at the oceanside cabin and idyllic views.

Felicity is losing her mind, darting from room to room in excitement and Oliver watches her in amusement as she finally returns to the bedroom where he’s sat on the edge of the bed with wide eyes.

“Holy frack! This place is incredible!” She grins, spinning around in a circle and Oliver laughs, nodding his head.

“Right? This is where they host all the retreats. I think one of the board members is one of their investors.” He explains with a smile. He’s been here many a time since he was a child but he has to admit that it still takes his breath away.

“I can’t with the size of this cabin. Look at the hot tub! And that bed is like twice the size of mine at home!” Felicity grins, turning between the two with her jaw dropped open and Oliver chuckles again, her enthusiasm rubbing off on him.

“And here I was worried we’d have to cuddle.” He teases with a grin, looking back at the bed. Truthfully he knows that they’ll still end up wrapped around each other, they always do.

That’s the other good thing about asking Felicity to do this, no awkward ‘sharing a bed’ discussions. They’re very used to sharing after twenty years of friendship and Oliver knows there’s no point even bringing it up.

“Stop with your ‘I don’t like cuddling’ act. You’re the one who always pulls me closer.” Felicity huffs, stalking across the room to poke her finger in his chest and Oliver laughs, batting her hand away.

“Fine. But it’s only because you’re so good at it. Seriously, you’re always the perfect temperature. It’s kind of creepy.” He frowns, regarding her with a confused look. He truly doesn’t know how she does it; she’s like a human thermostat.

“Special talent.” Felicity smiles with a preening twist of her shoulders and Oliver shakes his head amusedly. She’s too cute.

“We have to go to dinner soon.” Oliver sighs as he checks his watch and Felicity frowns, biting the inside of her cheek.

“We should probably clean up our story whilst we get ready.” She reminds him and Oliver sighs with a nod.

“Probably a good idea. Do you want to shower?” He questions, gesturing towards the bathroom and Felicity looks between it and him with a longing look before she nods her head.

“Yeah. I’ll be quick.” She promises as she moves towards it and Oliver shakes his head, knowing she won’t be.

“I’ll unpack your stuff with mine.” He counters simply, reaching for both their bags and Felicity grins at him over her shoulder.

“Thank you!”

Oliver unloads their things into the provided storage space and slides the suitcases underneath the bed. He jumps in the shower when Felicity gets out, grateful for the change to wash off the feeling of travelling. He dresses quickly in a shirt and khakis, and heads back into the bathroom to see Felicity dressed in a pretty, flowing dress in a deep purple colour covered in white flowers. She’s stood in front of the mirror doing her makeup and her hair is drying in her natural blonde curls around her head.

Oliver boosts himself up to sit on the counter top just next to her makeup bag and smiles when she narrows her eyes at him suspiciously.

“So I assume we’re keeping the story of when we first met?” She questions, jumping straight to the gun as she spreads eyeliner across her lash line.

“Might as well, seeing as we told Mr Jackson as such.” Oliver answers with a frown and Felicity nods.

“Plus the truth is easier to sell.” She counters with a shrug, finishing with a well-practised flick before she reaches for what Oliver has learnt is makeup for eyebrows.

He’s spent a lot of time in bathrooms with Felicity. It’s actually sort of eye-opening.

“Okay, so we met in first grade, have been best friends ever since... stuck together like two peas in a pod.” Oliver grins, leaning over to hover his face close to Felicity’s with his best annoying grin.

“Pain in my neck for my entire life.” Felicity counters with a teasing grin, turning so they’re facing each other but their faces are still inches apart.

“You love me.” Oliver tells her as he narrows his eyes and Felicity sighs lamentingly.

“Unfortunately.” She teases, giving him her best attempt at a wink as she pulls back to finish her eyebrows. Oliver watches her for a moment, watching the way a particular curl is coiling as it dries. He loves running his fingers through her curls, both because her hair’s so soft and it annoys her when she’s spent time styling it.

“So how’d we get together?” Oliver questions after a long moment, blinking as he forces images of cuddling in bed out of his mind.

“You had an epiphany?” Felicity suggests with a shrug, making Oliver frown.

“And just realised I’m in love with you?” He questions dubiously, not really seeing how that tracks.

“I’m very lovable.” Felicity smirks, looking away from the mirror to smirk at him and Oliver rolls his eyes with a chuckle.

“So what? I showed up at your doorstep a year ago… told you I realised I’ve been in love with you since before I knew what love really was. I cited the way you encourage me to be better without ever making me feel like an awful person. I talk of remembering the way you’ve never cared about what others think of you and how, even in sixth grade when people just wanted to stand around and talk at lunch, you’d drag me to the playground to play. I told you that you’re the very best part of me, and you have been since we were six years old. Something like that?”

The words sort of flow out of him, a frown on his face as he tries to imagine the scenario. It’s odd actually, it comes quite easily to him, but then he supposes Felicity has been his best friend for so long… they’ve got far more stories than most couples do.

“Yeah. Something like that.” Felicity stutters and the sudden soft tone of her voice makes Oliver look at her concernedly. She’s watching him with an unreadable expression but she blinks when Oliver meets her eye, a light blush spreading across her cheeks as she reaches to quickly spread a pink lipstick across her lips before she packs up her makeup. “We should um… also talk about boundaries. How far are we willing to go to sell this?”

Oliver frowns, he hadn’t thought about that. “Well it’s not like affection is unusual for us and you kiss me on the cheek all the time.” He ponders with a frown, looking over at Felicity who’s nodding her head.

“That’s true. You also like to kiss my temple.”

“I do.”

Felicity suddenly coughs, placing her makeup bag in the cupboard under the sink. “I don’t see why we’d need to go any further. It’s a company retreat. Not a couples vacation.” She tells him as she straightens and Oliver frowns, confused as to why his stomach sinks in what feels like disappointment.

“Okay. Sounds good.” He tells her and she nods with a small smile.

“Okay, ready to go.”

Felicity charms the socks off of the entire board.

Not that Oliver had any doubt that she would.

By Sunday morning, they’ve survived five meals with the entire party and no one has suspected a thing. Oliver loops an arm around her back or Felicity places her hand on his thigh and it easily sells the whole thing. It’s really not that different from how they usually behave around one another, all that’s changed is the way they tell their story slightly.

Sunday brings everyone to the pool for the first time. Oliver and Felicity have been swimming but in the ocean just off their private cabin and they tested the hot tub last night. It’s been nice to just spend some time with Felicity away from their usual routine.

Oliver is sat with a few of the younger executives when Felicity arrives at the pool, having gone back to their cabin to apply sunscreen and grab a few more supplies. She smiles at him when she finds a sun lounger but quickly returns her attention to laying out her towel and then removing her sundress.

…and Oliver has to seriously fight to stop his mouth dropping open.  

He’s not blind, okay? He knows that Felicity is gorgeous. She’s absolutely stunning and the light inside her only shines through and improves her outward countenance all the more. And yes, he’s caught himself every now and again appreciating her nice her ass looks in her skirts or contemplating how much he’d like to run his hand down her curves when they’re cuddling but he’s never thought about doing anything about it.

So the reaction to the sight of her in her dark green bikini that reveals all those gorgeous curves may not be totally unprecedented.

But it still throws Oliver.

Especially when the men he’s with have the same reaction.

“You were a playboy when you had that right in front of you? Thank god you opened your eyes.” Ellis, the man next to him, laughs, hitting Oliver in the arm with a chuckle and Oliver feels the anger bubble up inside him as he looks to see the entire group he’s with staring at Felicity. He may not have the right to ogle her, but they seriously do not.

“Tell me she’s good. No girl with an ass like that can be bad, right?” Harry asks from Oliver’s other side and it’s enough to have him rising from his seat and stalking towards Felicity. He doesn’t know what to say, because he feels guilty for thinking of her that way himself, even if it was just for a second.

“Think we hit a nerve.”

“Come on, Queen!”

The men call after him but Oliver ignores them, sitting on the end of the lounger where Felicity is settled with her book and flopping down so that his head is resting on her stomach.

“You okay?” Felicity immediately questions, holding her book out the way so she can frown down at him, and her fingers move to tangle in his hair in the way that always relaxes him.

“Read to me.” Oliver requests with a pout and Felicity sighs, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at him.

“You’re going mess up my tan.” She comments, gesturing between him and the sun.

“You’re wearing a suit anyway.” Oliver frowns, blinking as he realises how close his head is to her bikini bottoms. He’s seen her in a swimsuit many a time (and secretly admired her in them) but the comments from the others throw him.

“Well yes, but I don’t need an Oliver shaped pale patch on my stomach.” Felicity scoffs with a small laugh, pushing on his shoulder but Oliver remains resilient, pouting up at her.

“Then switch with me.” He requests, just wanting to spend time with her, and if the others see her curled up between his legs, well that’s a different story.

“You’re exhausting.” Felicity huffs, but Oliver counts it as a win as she scoots forward and leaves space for him to lay down behind her, tugging her back with him.

It’s at dinner that night that Oliver finally gets a chance to speak to his father. He finds him at the bar when he goes to get he and Felicity refills and he’s watching Felicity effortlessly charm a few members of the board.

“She’s charming everyone.” Robert comments when he recognises his son next to him and Oliver follows his gaze, smiling.

“She is charming.” Oliver counters, unable to stop the smile that spreads across his face at the sight of her. He knew how integral Felicity was to his life before this, but this weekend has just been validation and reinforcement of that point.

Oliver’s just so much happier when he’s around Felicity.

She makes him want to be better.

“You two have done well. Though there’s not much different to your normal behaviour, I will say.” Robert comments slyly, glancing sideways at his son who sighs heavily.

“Dad…”

“I’m just saying, son. You could do a lot worse.” Robert smiles and Oliver sighs again, his eyes locked on the blonde beauty on the other side of the room.

“I know that. But she doesn’t need me. She could do a lot better.” Oliver answers immediately, the words coming easily. He doesn’t need to dig too deep inside himself to know that even if Felicity were anywhere near interested in a relationship with him, she deserves better.

“Funny. I don’t think she thinks so.” Robert counters, making Oliver frown.

“What are you saying?” He asks his father and Robert sighs, turning to level Oliver with an amused look.

“Good lord, Oliver. The two of you are so blind. It’s been obvious to everyone around you since you were six years old and refused to have a birthday party unless Felicity could come.” Robert tells him with a shake of his head and Oliver frowns.

“She’s my best friend.”

“And the best relationships start with friendships.”

“Dad…”

“Tell me you’re not in love with her, and I’ll leave it alone.” Robert states simply and Oliver freezes.

Can he…?

Is he…?

Felicity, she’s… she’s everything to Oliver. He doesn’t function without her. But is he in love with her?

No one makes him smile like she does or drives him crazier than her. There’s no one else he’d rather spend time with, she’s the highlight of all of his days. When he has news, she’s the first person he calls and when he’s had a bad day, she’s the only one he wants to go home to. He feels safe when he’s with her and she’s the only person in the world who knows everything about him.

Shit.

He’s in love with Felicity.

“That’s what I thought.” Robert comments smugly as he collects his glass and heads back to the party, leaving Oliver stood dumb-founded by the bar.

Felicity is slightly worried about Oliver as they make their way back to the cabin on the last night.

This vacation/plan has truly been everything she’d been needing. It’s been a weekend of relaxing and swimming and doing basically nothing and all she’s had to do is twist her and Oliver’s story a little to convince the board members they’ve been dating for a year.

It’s not as if Felicity’s isn’t in love with Oliver and Robert was right on the tarmac on Friday, they’re affectionate enough to pass as a real couple.

Though Felicity is forcing herself not to read too heavily into that.

These past few hours, however, Oliver has turned suddenly insular. He’s barely spoken and he’s incredibly jumpy when she touches him. Felicity’s starting to worry there’s something seriously wrong and she watches him closely as they reach the bedroom and they start to get ready for bed.

He’s slow in his movements, which is a warning sign already for the usually agile man, and Felicity sighs when she catches him just staring out the window.

“Oliver, are you alright?” She finally asks once she’s dressed in her pyjamas of one of his old t-shirts and a small pair of silk shorts.

Oliver frowns as he turns to look at her and as his eyes sweep over her, it’s like he’s looking at her for the first time. “Yeah. I um… Dad said something at dinner.”

“Oh? Did the board pick apart our plan? I thought it was going well!” Felicity frowns, panic weaving its way through her. It would be a total shame to have it all fall apart at the last hurdle.

“No. Nothing like that. It was about me, about us actually.” Oliver shakes his head with a frown and Felicity registers nerves on his face. What is going on?

“Oh?”

Oliver turns fully away from the window and gently grasps her hand, tugging her to sit on the end of the bed. He’s honestly scaring her a little, he’s never this serious, but he settles her nerves with a small smile before he takes a deep breath. “Felicity, I don’t know whether I was scared, or whether I just couldn’t see what was right in front of me… but it’s you. It’s always been you.”

His words completely take Felicity aback. Of all the things she was expecting him to say… She takes a deep breath, forcing herself to not get her hopes up only for them to be shattered yet again. “Oliver, what are you saying?”

“I love you.” He answers plain and simple, his beautiful blue eyes shining with so much honesty and earnestness that it takes her aback.

“You… you love me?” Felicity stutters, baffled that the words are even coming out of her mouth. She’s been so sure for so long that this was always going to be a one-sided thing, that she was doomed to love him from afar for the rest of her life.

But now Oliver is here, smiling at her as he takes her hand, tears pricking in his eyes that make Felicity’s own tear up.

“I do. I think have for a very long time. Since I was six years old, you’ve been the only girl I’ve ever really wanted to be around. No matter what, you’re always there. You complete me in a way no one else ever has, or ever will be able to.” He tells her softly, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand and Felicity takes a deep breath, swallowing thickly as she resists the urge to pinch herself to check whether this is a dream.

“I love you too.” Felicity answers simply, a small smile spreading across her face as the words finally leave her mouth. She never realised how incredible it would feel to finally get that off her chest but it’s so freeing.

“You do?” Oliver asks with a disbelieving smile, one so wide that it reveals the dimples Felicity has always found so adorable.

“Oliver, I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you that since ninth grade.” She asks with an embarrassed shake of her head. It’s mortifying to admit but the embarrassment is abated by the way Oliver squeezes her hand.

“You have?” He asks in surprise, his eyebrows raising to his hairline and Felicity groans, rubbing her free hand over her face.

“I have. I realised it when you blew off homecoming to watch Doctor Who with me because you felt bad no one asked me. But then there was always a Laurel or a Helena or a Sara and I didn’t want to get in the way of that.” She explains softly, feeling her heart sink a little when Oliver’s face melts.

“I can’t believe we could’ve had all that time if I’d just opened my eyes.” Oliver sighs, looking at her with such a soft expression that Felicity thinks her insides might have melted to goo.

“We still had all that time. Let’s face it, your dad is kind of right, we did always act sort of coupley.” She grins with a small laugh, squeezing their entwined hands.

“Probably because I wanted you as close to me as possible.” Oliver quirks with a smirk and Felicity straightens her posture, a teasing smirk gracing her own lips.

“Hmm, well the feeling was definitely mutual.” She counters with a quirk of her eyebrows and Oliver chuckles before his expression melts into something more affectionate, tilting his head as he looks at her tenderly.

“Can I kiss you? Properly? As us, not as Oliver Queen and his fake girlfriend?”

“I was hoping you were going to ask me that.”  Felicity smiles, leaning into him as he snags his arm around her waist to pull her close.

And as they come together finally, lips pressed against one another’s in a kiss that’s been almost twenty years in the making, Felicity knows that she wouldn’t change a single second for the world.

Plus, it’s definitely the best kiss in the history of the universe. Objectively, of course.