"Felicity, wait!" Oliver yelled, running after her.
He knew that he had been holding back from her lately, and not being fair with her. She didn't deserve that.
Felicity groaned when she heard his footsteps. She was limping because of how The Count had kidnapped her, so she knew that Oliver would catch up.
"Hey." He whispered, putting his arm around her waist to help her walk.
Felicity tried to flinch away from his touch, but it was no use. He had a strong grip.
"Why aren't you letting me help you?" He asked, hurt.
"You always save me." She whispered, not knowing what else to say.
"Well, it's my job to save you." Oliver responded, confused that she had asked that.
"I wanted to do this on my own. Just this once..." Felicity sighed, defeated.
"Felicity--" Oliver argued, but she shook her head.
"I'm not some damsel in distress, Oliver. I just wanted to prove I'm good enough to not always be saved. That's all. Yes, I know it was stupid, you don't have to tell me." Felicity groaned.
Oliver clamped his mouth shut, refusing to say anything. She was wrong. He knew that she wasn't this damsel in distress. He knew how strong she was.
"Oliver, I can barely walk." Felicity cringed, trying to change the subject, and frankly, she was in lot of pain right now.
"Okay, Plan B, then." He said, right before he reached down with his other hand, that wasn't holding her waist, and scooped her knees, bringing her into his warm grasp.
Felicity gasped, but as soon as she was in his arms, she leaned her head against his chest as he carried her out.
Oliver was still fuming about the fact that Felicity did this on her own, but for right now, the feel of her in his arms, it was enough to calm him down until they got back to the foundry.
He carried her to his bike, and he could hear her laughing. He looked down quizzically at her, and he could see a faint smile on her face.
"Of course you brought the bike." She smiled.
He smiled at that, but kept her in front of him as he drove. She was curled into him, holding him tightly as he quickly made his way to the foundry.
She knew that he was still mad at her for going, and she was still mad at him for going to Laurel and treating her the way he's been treating her this week. But, she didn't want to think about it right now. She just wanted to think about how earlier this evening, she thought she was going to die, and now she was safe in his arms.
Once Oliver parked the bike, he got off, and extended his arm out to Felicity.
"Are you okay to walk?" He asked, concerned.
Felicity nodded, taking his hand and stepping on the pavement. But, as soon as her feet hit the pavement, the weight of her body caved in, making her crumble. Thankfully, Oliver was there to grab her.
"Well I thought I could stand..." Felicity groaned, really frustrated at herself being so weak.
"What happened? Did he hurt you?" Oliver asked, picking her up to carry her.
"I don't really remember much. I blacked out." Felicity sighed, closing her eyes.
Oliver loudly sighed, frustrated that she had let herself get into this situation in the first place, but overall, he was just glad that she was okay. He carried her into the foundry, and put her on top of the table, so he could fix her up.
"I'm okay, Oliver..." Felicity tried to argue, but Oliver held up his hand.
"No, you're not. You can't walk. I'm going to see what's going on."
Oliver gave her a stern look, and she just simply nodded, letting him go get first aid so that he could patch her up.
"Oliver..." Felicity called, causing him to turn around.
"I... uh, I just wanted to say thank you..." She whispered.
"Yeah." Oliver nodded, as if saying "Of course I was going to save you and patch you up, silly."
"And, I'm sorry." She sighed as he was getting things together.
"For what?" He asked confused, walking towards her.
"I got myself into trouble again... And, you... killed him." Felicity said, as if in pain and disgusted with herself.
Oliver just looked at her, and opened his mouth to say something, but Felicity kept going.
"You killed again... and, I am sorry that I was the one to put you in a position where you had to make that kind of choice..." Felicity said, sad.
"Felicity..." Oliver sighed, reaching out and grabbing her hand.
"He had you, and he was going to hurt you," he said, pausing to look her straight in the eye, "there was no choice to make."
Felicity wanted to cry, but instead she just smiled at him, but it was the pained smile, the one that didn't show teeth. And he noticed that, and brought their held hands up to his mouth, and gently kissed her hand.
"You scared me." He whispered against her skin.
Felicity just blinked at him, letting stray tears slip down her face. He was never this open with her, not anymore. She was left speechless.
"I was so mad at you... I still am, Felicity... I could've lost you today." Oliver closed his eyes in pain, and he felt Felicity's hand slip out of his.
"I lost you for three years." She whispered, now mad.
"Felicity..." He said, opening his eyes, and she was just sitting there looking at him with incredulous eyes.
"No, you don't get to say that, Oliver. That scared feeling that you're feeling right now? Yeah, I woke up with that same feeling every morning for one thousand and ninety-five days." Felicity cried, blinking away her tears.
Oliver just looked at her with a pained expression. He didn't know what to say. Or do, for that matter. He backed away from her to give her space.
"I get that I did a rash thing today... But, so did you. I mean, Laurel... really? Did you even stop to think how that would make me feel?" She cried to him, looking at him with tears falling.
Oliver opened his mouth, but no sound came out. How was he supposed to respond to that? What was he supposed to say?
"I was getting advice--" Oliver started, but Felicity interrupted him.
"Advice? On what, Oliver? What could you possibly ask her that you couldn't ask me?" Felicity somewhat yelled at him.
"It was about you, Felicity! I wanted to know how I could be with you!" Oliver yelled back, exasperated, and tired of fighting with her.
Felicity didn't say a word to him, but she just looked away. She sniffled, and closed her eyes.
"God, Felicity... I, I didn't know that it would upset you..." Oliver said, causing Felicity to face him once again.
"She was your ex. Well, kind of... But, you guys were serious. Of course it affected me." Felicity whispered.
"It wasn't like that at all, Felicity. You know that." Oliver sighed.
"Do I?" She challenged.
"Felicity... It's you. It's always you. When will you realize that?" Oliver pleaded, nearing her.
"When you tell me that you want to be with me." Felicity snapped.
"You know that I can't..." Oliver sighed in pain, closing his eyes.
"God, it's always maybes with you, Oliver." Felicity groaned, rolling her eyes.
Oliver opened his eyes to look at her. This was the most they had talked in a while. And, of course it led to more disagreements and arguments.
"Felicity, I don't want to argue with you anymore." Oliver pleaded with her again.
"Well, you wanted to talk." Felicity countered him.
"We never just talk anymore, Felicity. We always argue." Oliver said, nearing her once more until he was standing right in front of her.
"Felicity! Are you alright!?" Diggle barged in the room, nearing Felicity until he was examining her cuts and bruises.
Oliver stepped away from her, going near to where his suit was supposed to hang up. He began taking off layers so that he could change into normal clothes.
"I'm fine, John. Oliver got there in the knick of time." Felicity sighed.
Diggle turned to Oliver, and nodded a thank you. Then, he turned back around to face Felicity.
"What the hell were you thinking, Felicity!?" Diggle whisper-yelled.
Oh, God... He was so mad.
"I wasn't thinking, Dig. I was just doing." Felicity sighed once more.
"Well, don't do that again. You scared me and Lyla to death. She feels almost responsible for letting you go in the first place. We both do." Diggle exhaled.
"I didn't know what I was going in to. It was my own fault." Felicity answered Diggle.
"So, what happened? Where's the Count?" Diggle asked, turning around to look at Oliver.
Oliver closed his eyes and sighed, "He's dead, Diggle. I didn't have a choice. It was Felicity's life or his."
Diggle just stood there speechless.
"And, I chose her." Oliver said, looking at Felicity.
Felicity looked back at him with pained eyes. She didn't know what to do. She hated herself for making Oliver choose between killing someone and saving her. It shouldn't have been that way. She just wanted her Oliver back. And, now that he had killed again, she was scared that he wasn't going to come back.
"This is why I can't be with you, Felicity..." Oliver started, looking at her with hurt eyes.
Felicity once again felt the tears pool in her eyes.
"I can't be with you, and save the city. It just... It doesn't work." Oliver exhaled, shaking his head, and turning to walk back toward where the first aid kit was.
"Well, I'm gonna get back to Lyla now, especially now that I know she has vertigo in her system." Diggle sighed, looking at Felicity and Oliver.
"I have some medicinal herbs from the island. Take them. They might help." Oliver nodded at him, walking to his chest that he brought back with him from the island. He grabbed a bag filled with some of the herbs and handed them to Diggle.
"Just mash it into food or something to drink. It will taste disgusting, but it works." Oliver said as he handed them to Diggle.
Diggle just nodded and said, "Thanks, Oliver."
Oliver nodded before looking back at Felicity, not really wanting to have the talk with her, but knowing that it was coming. Felicity looked back at him, knowing that it was coming too. But, she looked back at Diggle before thinking about the talk that was about to take place.
"Let me know about Lyla." Felicity nodded to him, and he smiled.
"Of course." He responded, just before he left.
It was quiet for minutes before anyone said anything. Oliver just looked at her, and Felicity just looked at him. He sighed, and she sighed, and he closed his eyes in pain, and she did the same.
"Oliver, just talk." Felicity sighed in defeat, hating the silence between them.
"Felicity--"
"No. I deserve an expanation. You can't just tell me you can't be with me because of the city. It isn't good enough. Not when you proposed to me three years ago, and you were ready to be my husband. That island... It couldn't have taken your ability to love away from you. It just couldn't have, Oliver." Felicity cried, letting the tears wet her face once again.
"Felicity, I've already told you how I feel about you. But, that doesn't change anything. What else do you need to hear?" Oliver sighed, frustrated about this conversation in general.
"How is that what I need to hear, Oliver? You care about a city more than you care about me?' She asked, saddened again.
"No! It's the complete opposite, Felicity!" Oliver threw up his hands.
Felicity sucked in air, not knowing what he meant.
"Felicity, I care more about you than the city! I love you more than this city! That's the problem... Loving you, it would destroy this city... Because I would always put you first. How could you even possibly think that I cared more for this city than I care for you?"
Felicity loudly sucked in air again, trying to keep her loud cries in, but it wasn't working.
Oliver walked toward her to where she was still sitting on the table. It was hard to believe that the Count had just had her not even two hours ago. She was crying, not moving her eyes from his. He grabbed the first aid kit, and started applying the alcohol and bandages to her wounds.
She cringed at the sting.
"Sorry." He whispered, finishing up cleansing the wounds.
"I don't even remember him doing this to me." She whispered, closing her eyes.
Oliver stopped cleaning her, and brought his hands up to her face, cupping her cheeks.
"Hey, it's okay. It's okay, now." He whispered to her, and she flinched at his words.
"No, it's not okay, Oliver. Every day that I have to look at you and talk to you and know that I can't be with you... It's not an okay day, Oliver. I lived through three years of hell, Oliver. Just like you. I know it was hell there, but it was hell here, too. And, now? It's not any better... I'm living through this pain all over again... Seeing you, but not being able to touch you, to love you... It hurts, Oliver. It really hurts." She cried, pulling away from him.
"It hurts me too." He whispered, closing his eyes before turning away from her to put the first aid kit up.
"Then, maybe I should just go." Felicity responded, sliding off the table, surprised that she had some of her strength back.
Oliver quickly turned around with his eyebrows arched.
"The Count's gone, Oliver." Felicity sighed, limping towards him.
He didn't say anything, but just watched as she neared him enough to where she was right in front of him. She brought her hand up to his cheek.
"And, it hurts to be near you." She whispered, and he leaned into her hand, sighing.
"Felicity, please..." He pleaded.
"Oliver, I think it's best. If what you're saying is true, then you shouldn't be near me at all." Felicity said sternly, dropping her hand from his face.
"I'll still help you. Just from a distance." Felicity nodded, and turned away from him to walk out.
Oliver grabbed her hand, and pulled her closer to him, and kissed her.
He didn't know what had come over him, or why he felt the need to kiss her, but he did. Felicity was shocked by his sudden movement, but she kissed him back regardless. The spark that she felt lit her up like Christmas, and she never felt more alive than when she kissed him. He leaned into the kiss even more, and suddenly realized that he knew why he had kissed her.
It was like a goodbye kiss... Like it was really over.
She knew it, too. And, she let the tears wet her face once more as she pulled out of the kiss.
"I really do love you." Oliver whispered.
"I love you, too." Felicity whispered back.
Felicity sniffled as she pulled out of his touch, and she walked out the door. Oliver watched her leave, and fell to the floor once she was gone, and he put his head in his hands. He was glad that she was still going to help him, but this... not seeing her... It was going to hurt. Like hell.
Once Felicity was in her car, silently thanking Diggle for bringing it over here from where it was parked earlier, she decided to get her phone out and call him.
"Felicity? Everything okay?"
"Not really. I need a favor, Dig." She said into the phone.
"What's up?" Diggle asked.
"I need you to train me."
I love where this story is going. Really, I'm super excited.
Anyway.
Sorry it's kind of short, but bear with me. Life is hard right now. And, updating is going to be hard for me since college finals are coming up. So, please don't tell me to update, because I am going to, eventually. You pushing me isn't going to make me go any faster. It's just going to make me more stressed, really.
Sorry, vent over.
Picture is of Oliver and Felicity in the Foundry and the hand hold :)
Love you guys.
Alayna