FANFICTION ARROW : Bad Day
FANFICTION : ARROW
Title : Bad day
Disclaimer : I don’t own anything. It’s just for fun.
Summary : Felicity Smoak is having a very bad day.
Takes place in season 2 (between episode 2 and episode 6).
Rated K : Friendship mainly. A hint of ‘Olicity’.
***
It was one of those days you wished you could have stayed at home and cuddled in bed while watching ‘singing in the rain’, a pack of ice cream at hand’s reach.
It started with a nasty headache and an annoying alarm clock ringing loudly in her ears. How a pleasant way to start the day… The vigilante’s activities had forced her to stay awake most part of the night and she could sense the lack of sleep and exhaustion weighing on her tired body.
As she so gracefully reminded Oliver earlier this week, she loved spending nights with him. This city needed saving. Crime and delinquency were spreading rapidly, expanding outside the Glades. The Police was overworked. It was past time someone cleared the streets of this cancer and brought justice to the citizens of Starling City. They needed a hero. She needed a hero. A sign of hope to lighten those gloomy days.
But what she needed right now was a strong coffee, something to wash up the remnants of sleep and help her go through the day. Diggle and Oliver might be used to this lifestyle but she wasn’t. She needed rest and sleep. All these nights spent in the basement of the Verdant’s club were taking a toll on her. Not that she complained. She was glad to be part of the team and be able to use her mad skills for the greater good, although it might be the cause of her demise one day. She would probably end up at Guantanamo Bay in an awful orange outfit. But for now, she refused to think about it.
She had seen the potential in Oliver. But he was wrapped up in his own suffering and vengeance from all those years of hurt spent on that hellish island. While trying to readapt to a normal life, he discovered the involvement of his family in an unspeakable treason. She could not begin to understand the pain and conflicted emotions he must be experiencing. Five long years trying to survive on an hostile island, learning how to hunt and fight. Kill or be killed. The vision of all the scars on his torso and on his back made her nauseous every time she laid eyes on him. The fact that he had survived and returned home after all this time showed his strength. Not only physically, but mentally. He was damaged, for sure. But she was certain he would overcome the hurt and guilt he was feeling at the moment. It was only a matter of time.
The rumble of thunder suddenly brought her out of her reverie and she raised her head to glare at the heavy clouds that were rapidly gliding towards the city. ‘Oh perfect. Now my day is complete’ she told herself. ‘Definitely should have stayed in bed this morning’.
She had woken up to find her coffee can empty and old fruit juice long expired and forgotten in her fridge. The downsides of living a double life… no time to go shopping anymore. To add brightness to this beautiful day, she had walked to her car to find her front tires flat and useless and she had to run to the nearest bus shelter to arrive at work on time.
The morning had been enjoyable as Ms Rochev had made an unexpected appearance, interrupting one of the many meetings Oliver was attending to, not even bothering to grant the MIT assistant a smile or a greeting. And finally, here she was, coming back from her lunch break outside the office to avoid cafeteria gossip and sideways glances from her beloved colleagues. Being suddenly promoted from IT girl to executive assistant of the CEO - who happened to be a very handsome playboy - had aroused suspicion. Funny how the 30 000 employees of the firm were more interested in their boss’s love life than the energy he had spent to save them from unemployment.
A bowl of light stroke the city, making Felicity stumble on the sidewalk. Her left heel broke as she tried to disengage herself from a manhole she stepped into. To complete the picture, she felt drops of water falling down on her face and glasses, blurring her vision. Sighing heavily, she cursed and took off her glasses. By the time she arrived at QC entrance, she was drenched from head to toe and quivering.
This day could not be more perfect. As she approached the entrance of the building, she was suddenly surrounded by a bunch of reporters. She didn’t move at first. She believed they had mistaken her for somebody else and would soon realise she was not the person they were looking for.
‘Miss Smoak ! Felicity Smoak ?’ She frowned. Obviously, they knew her. Oh boy, she was tired of this day. Couldn’t they leave her alone, for God sake ?! She tried to avoid them but a large hand stopped her walk and turned her around to face the camera. Great, now I’m gonna make the news. Just calm down and don’t babble.
‘Miss Smoak, a word on your work status here at Queen Consolidated. I hear congratulations are in order. You used to work for the IT department, right ?’ She didn’t like the way this was going. ‘Yes’ she responded, reluctant.
‘- Now I’ve heard you’ve been promoted to personal assistant… Mr Queen’s personal assistant. Is that correct ?
- I don’t see your interest in that matter. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have work to do.’
She turned to leave but couldn’t break through the crowd.
‘And what does your job consist in exactly, Miss Smoak ? Secretarial work is not your field of expertise. Or maybe Mr Queen needed your… expertise… in a totally different field.’
Felicity tried to gather the last remnants of control she had left. ‘What are you insinuating ?’ Blood was rushing to her head. She would have loved to practice the combat moves Diggle had taught her on this guy.
‘Well, I’ll rephrase the question in much easier terms for you to understand. What is the nature of your relationship with Mr Queen ?’
Before she could answer anything, she felt a protective arm circling her shoulders and she turned around. John Diggle, black driver, bodyguard and saviour of the day, was dragging her away from the reporters. ‘Thank you’ she whispered.
As they approached the entrance of Queen Consolidated, she couldn’t help but overhear the reporter’s sarcastic comment as he addressed to the camera and, as a matter of fact, Starling City’s population. ‘Queen Consolidated seems to be in good hands, Ladies and Gentlemen. Or should I say, Mr Queen is in good hands… The billionaire playboy does not fail to his reputation…’
Felicity stopped in her tracks, shocked and most of all angry. Very angry. This day had been a total joke. She couldn’t stand anymore crap. ‘That’s enough’ she said, turning her heels over and walking to face the reporter. Diggle didn’t even had time to react. ‘Felicity, don’t. He’s not worth it’. But she wouldn’t listen.
She planted her heels in front of the reporter - heel was more appropriate - and glared at him. ‘What’s your name ?’ The reporter did not answer at first, surprised by her reaction. ‘Glenn Porter, Starling Register’.
‘Well, Mr Porter’ She accentuated his last name. ‘I may be blond but I’m not that blond. I do not like your tone. Would you have made some research, you would know that I went to MIT.
- What’s your point ?
- My point is… I’m smarter than you are.’
She could hear someone chuckle in the background and it gave her the courage to continue.
‘I worked hard to get this job. Now I hope the Starling Register does not engage in the gossip business.’ She paused, pleased to see Mr Porter standing still, his mouth hanging open like a fish out of water. ‘Far from me the idea of telling you how to do your job, but I would have expected better professionalism.’
Another reporter interrupted her. ‘You can’t ignore Mr Queen’s reputation. Spoiled and rich kid that spends his nights in clubs. What did he do lately to convince us otherwise ?’
Felicity stared at the woman who was standing on her right.
‘Well, have you seen him in tabloids, lately ? I don’t think so.’
She was so pissed, she hoped that she wouldn’t blurt out a stupid comment that would completely discredit her boss or even worse, reveal his secret identity. But it was too late now to have second thoughts. The cat was out of the bag.
‘For starters, he managed to save 30 000 jobs by taking the direction of Queen Consolidated. People need to blame someone for the destruction of the Glades. I understand. But Mr Queen is not responsible for the mistakes his parents made.’
She paused again and looked around her at the crowd of reporters gathered in front of her.
‘May I have to remind you that Mr Queen spent five years on an island, trying to survive. Do you know the name of this island ? Yian Yu. Translation : Purgatory. Not a paradisiacal island. No deckchair, no exotic beverage with a little umbrella in it, no coconut.’
Felicity took a deep breath to regain some composure. She needed to end this before messing things up, which would eventually happen at some point. ‘Now he finally comes back home and discovers that his parents have been involved in an act of terror. And yet, here he is, trying to clear the name of his family and regain the trust of the people. So, cut him some slack. It will take time to keep the company afloat and back to business. But he will, eventually.’
She felt Diggle’s warm hand on her back. A cue to take off. She locked eyes with him and nodded in silent approval. She let him drag her away from the noisy reporters. The rain would not stop and she was freezing by now. They finally closed the distance that was separating them from the shelter of QC and Felicity sighed once they entered the warm hall.
‘Oh God, I hate this day’. She leaned on Diggle and took off her shoes. It might not be appropriate but at this point, she didn’t care anymore. The floor was cold and probably covered by germs and dirt. But if Oliver had managed to survive on that stupid island for five years without contracting tetanus or infectious diseases, she could handle a little walk, barefoot, to the elevator.
She tried to ignore the suspicious looks from her co-workers, as she and Diggle patiently waited for the doors to open. A high-pitched sound finally announced the arrival of the elevator and they gladly stepped into it. Felicity was unusually quiet. Diggle seemed to notice it. ‘Are you alright ?’
She didn’t answer at first and sighed. ‘Well, I don’t know. Let’s see…’ she commented, sarcastic. ‘My head is throbbing, my favourite shoes are destroyed. My clothes are soaking wet, my hair is a mess and I probably look totally insane. But you know what ? I’m fine because in an improbable moment of clarity and wisdom this morning, I chose to put a waterproof make up. So, maybe, I did not completely lose my credibility in front of that good’old Porter and his joyful club members.’ She frowned at Diggle’s laugh but didn’t say anything.
‘- you did good, Felicity.
- yeah, right. I’m pretty sure Oliver will have to disagree with you.’ She paused and glanced at him. ‘By the way, thank you for coming to my rescue, over there. You can not imagine how happy I was to see you.’ She winked. ‘my knight in shinning armour.’ She watched her friend’s reaction as his smile grew wider and dimples appeared on his cheeks.
- anything for my IT girl.
- Executive assistant.
- right.’
Diggle playfully brushed her hair. She feigned annoyance and pouted. They finally stepped out of the elevator and headed to Felicity’s desk. She could see Oliver, from the corner of her eyes. He was leaning comfortably in his chair, intensely watching his computer screen.
She sighed heavily and dumped her bag on her immaculate desk, along with her foggy glasses. ‘I’d rather tell Oliver about my little “slip up” before he discovers it on the news.’ She turned around and faced Diggle. ‘Now I would really appreciate if you could stay behind me for support. You know, in case Oliver decides to get physical on me or worse, fire me.’
Diggle hold the door open as she entered her boss’ office. ‘You have a weird sense of priorities, Felicity.’ She didn’t reply. Her thoughts were focused on Oliver, who had already acknowledged her presence and was staring at her intensely. It did nothing to help her agitated mind and she felt nervous suddenly.
‘Hey’ he said with a gentle smile. Felicity bit on her lower lip, trying to figure out a way to bring him the news. She tried to brush away a loose strand of hair but stopped when she realised she was still holding her shoes. It was so awkward. She cleared her throat and closed her eyes for a brief moment. ‘Look, I have something to say to you. I messed up, big time. But before I tell you, I want you to know that I’m really sorry and I hope you won’t be too mad at me because it was not my intention to discredit you and you know me… no brain to mouth filter and… I did it again, damn it Felicity, focus !’
Oliver slowly straightened up and turned his computer so she could see the screen. Her throat went dry suddenly and her vision blurred. ‘Oh God’ was all she could say. The interview had been broadcasted in live and Oliver just happened to watch the news at this precise moment. Excellent timing, as usual.
Her heart beat increased as she watched Oliver get up from his chair and circle his desk. ‘I’m really sorry, Oliver. It’s just… I’ve had a very bad day and this guy… Oh God I was so pissed…’ Oliver was coming to her, stepping closer. ‘I know it’s not an excuse and I should have walked away. But I couldn’t let him throw false accusations at you. I had the best intentions, you have to believe me !’
Before she could say anything else, Oliver drew her closer into a tight embrace. The world seemed to stop in that instant as she struggled to breathe evenly. She felt his strong arm circling her waist, while his other hand hold a firm grip on her neck. One single hug and all her doubts vanished. She relaxed in his arms and clutched at his shirt.
Somewhere in the back of her head, she registered the sound of her shoes dropping on the tiled floor. But she couldn’t care less at this moment. She breathed in his masculine scent and closed her eyes, unable to form a coherent thought.
She didn’t know how long they stood there. Could have been ten seconds, one minute or one hour. She had lost track of time. Oliver eventually broke apart, brushing his lips to her temple in the process. All she could do was stare at him, conflicted emotions overloading her now very awake brain. ‘You’re not mad at me ?’ she whispered.
Oliver smiled genuinely at her and her heart skipped a beat. ‘Why would I be ? You did not discredit my reputation. You discredited theirs. I think you can rightfully add “CEO’s spokeswoman” in your job title.’
Felicity laughed, relieved. She was about to make a sarcastic comment but was suddenly stopped by a powerful sneeze. Oh joy. At the way things were going, she was pretty sure she would spend the next day in bed… Only instead of ice cream, it would be chicken soup, aspirin and lots of tissues. Oliver immediately took off his jacket and slipped it on Felicity’s bare arms. ‘Thanks’.
‘I’ll ask Thea to bring you a change of clothes. Now, sit down.’ He pushed her towards the couch. ‘You need to warm up. I’ll be back in a minute.’ She was left alone, contemplating the view of their beautiful city, slumped in the comfortable couch of her boss. This was surreal. She lifted her wrist to her nose and inhaled Oliver’s scent on the sleeve of his jacket. She closed her eyes and let her head rest on the back of the couch.
‘So…’ Diggle said from behind, startling her. ‘He did get physical, after all.’ Felicity blushed but remained silent. She watched him walk to the window and sit down in front of her, across the table. She had completely forgotten his presence and she suddenly felt stupid. He probably knew she had a crush on Oliver, from the very beginning… mainly due to her dysfunctional mouth filter. But nonetheless, it was not a subject she was comfortable enough to discuss with him… or anyone else for that matter.
Fortunately for her, Oliver chose this moment to return, bringing coffee for everyone. ‘Now I feel bad for all the times I refused to fetch you coffee.’ Oliver smiled and sat down next to her. ‘Well don’t. Because you were right. You’re not my personal assistant. I consider you more of a partner and a friend.’
Diggle raised his glass. ‘To friendship, then.’ They sat in comfortable silence, sipping hot coffee. Felicity’s body began to warm up again. Her head was still throbbing, she couldn’t feel her toes and her clothes were draining on Oliver’s expensive couch. But these were details, right ?
When she thought about it, everything she needed was in that room. A job that she loved and friends that she cared about. She could have refused to join Oliver and Diggle in their little quest and get back to her boring IT job, her boring “geeky” life. Boring was the key word. For the first time in her life, she felt useful. So yes, job had its hazards. But it was worth it.
As she listened to Diggle and Oliver’s easy banter, she thought that - maybe - it would not be such a bad day, after all.
***
The End.
Title : Bad day
Disclaimer : I don’t own anything. It’s just for fun.
Summary : Felicity Smoak is having a very bad day.
Takes place in season 2 (between episode 2 and episode 6).
Rated K : Friendship mainly. A hint of ‘Olicity’.
***
It was one of those days you wished you could have stayed at home and cuddled in bed while watching ‘singing in the rain’, a pack of ice cream at hand’s reach.
It started with a nasty headache and an annoying alarm clock ringing loudly in her ears. How a pleasant way to start the day… The vigilante’s activities had forced her to stay awake most part of the night and she could sense the lack of sleep and exhaustion weighing on her tired body.
As she so gracefully reminded Oliver earlier this week, she loved spending nights with him. This city needed saving. Crime and delinquency were spreading rapidly, expanding outside the Glades. The Police was overworked. It was past time someone cleared the streets of this cancer and brought justice to the citizens of Starling City. They needed a hero. She needed a hero. A sign of hope to lighten those gloomy days.
But what she needed right now was a strong coffee, something to wash up the remnants of sleep and help her go through the day. Diggle and Oliver might be used to this lifestyle but she wasn’t. She needed rest and sleep. All these nights spent in the basement of the Verdant’s club were taking a toll on her. Not that she complained. She was glad to be part of the team and be able to use her mad skills for the greater good, although it might be the cause of her demise one day. She would probably end up at Guantanamo Bay in an awful orange outfit. But for now, she refused to think about it.
She had seen the potential in Oliver. But he was wrapped up in his own suffering and vengeance from all those years of hurt spent on that hellish island. While trying to readapt to a normal life, he discovered the involvement of his family in an unspeakable treason. She could not begin to understand the pain and conflicted emotions he must be experiencing. Five long years trying to survive on an hostile island, learning how to hunt and fight. Kill or be killed. The vision of all the scars on his torso and on his back made her nauseous every time she laid eyes on him. The fact that he had survived and returned home after all this time showed his strength. Not only physically, but mentally. He was damaged, for sure. But she was certain he would overcome the hurt and guilt he was feeling at the moment. It was only a matter of time.
The rumble of thunder suddenly brought her out of her reverie and she raised her head to glare at the heavy clouds that were rapidly gliding towards the city. ‘Oh perfect. Now my day is complete’ she told herself. ‘Definitely should have stayed in bed this morning’.
She had woken up to find her coffee can empty and old fruit juice long expired and forgotten in her fridge. The downsides of living a double life… no time to go shopping anymore. To add brightness to this beautiful day, she had walked to her car to find her front tires flat and useless and she had to run to the nearest bus shelter to arrive at work on time.
The morning had been enjoyable as Ms Rochev had made an unexpected appearance, interrupting one of the many meetings Oliver was attending to, not even bothering to grant the MIT assistant a smile or a greeting. And finally, here she was, coming back from her lunch break outside the office to avoid cafeteria gossip and sideways glances from her beloved colleagues. Being suddenly promoted from IT girl to executive assistant of the CEO - who happened to be a very handsome playboy - had aroused suspicion. Funny how the 30 000 employees of the firm were more interested in their boss’s love life than the energy he had spent to save them from unemployment.
A bowl of light stroke the city, making Felicity stumble on the sidewalk. Her left heel broke as she tried to disengage herself from a manhole she stepped into. To complete the picture, she felt drops of water falling down on her face and glasses, blurring her vision. Sighing heavily, she cursed and took off her glasses. By the time she arrived at QC entrance, she was drenched from head to toe and quivering.
This day could not be more perfect. As she approached the entrance of the building, she was suddenly surrounded by a bunch of reporters. She didn’t move at first. She believed they had mistaken her for somebody else and would soon realise she was not the person they were looking for.
‘Miss Smoak ! Felicity Smoak ?’ She frowned. Obviously, they knew her. Oh boy, she was tired of this day. Couldn’t they leave her alone, for God sake ?! She tried to avoid them but a large hand stopped her walk and turned her around to face the camera. Great, now I’m gonna make the news. Just calm down and don’t babble.
‘Miss Smoak, a word on your work status here at Queen Consolidated. I hear congratulations are in order. You used to work for the IT department, right ?’ She didn’t like the way this was going. ‘Yes’ she responded, reluctant.
‘- Now I’ve heard you’ve been promoted to personal assistant… Mr Queen’s personal assistant. Is that correct ?
- I don’t see your interest in that matter. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have work to do.’
She turned to leave but couldn’t break through the crowd.
‘And what does your job consist in exactly, Miss Smoak ? Secretarial work is not your field of expertise. Or maybe Mr Queen needed your… expertise… in a totally different field.’
Felicity tried to gather the last remnants of control she had left. ‘What are you insinuating ?’ Blood was rushing to her head. She would have loved to practice the combat moves Diggle had taught her on this guy.
‘Well, I’ll rephrase the question in much easier terms for you to understand. What is the nature of your relationship with Mr Queen ?’
Before she could answer anything, she felt a protective arm circling her shoulders and she turned around. John Diggle, black driver, bodyguard and saviour of the day, was dragging her away from the reporters. ‘Thank you’ she whispered.
As they approached the entrance of Queen Consolidated, she couldn’t help but overhear the reporter’s sarcastic comment as he addressed to the camera and, as a matter of fact, Starling City’s population. ‘Queen Consolidated seems to be in good hands, Ladies and Gentlemen. Or should I say, Mr Queen is in good hands… The billionaire playboy does not fail to his reputation…’
Felicity stopped in her tracks, shocked and most of all angry. Very angry. This day had been a total joke. She couldn’t stand anymore crap. ‘That’s enough’ she said, turning her heels over and walking to face the reporter. Diggle didn’t even had time to react. ‘Felicity, don’t. He’s not worth it’. But she wouldn’t listen.
She planted her heels in front of the reporter - heel was more appropriate - and glared at him. ‘What’s your name ?’ The reporter did not answer at first, surprised by her reaction. ‘Glenn Porter, Starling Register’.
‘Well, Mr Porter’ She accentuated his last name. ‘I may be blond but I’m not that blond. I do not like your tone. Would you have made some research, you would know that I went to MIT.
- What’s your point ?
- My point is… I’m smarter than you are.’
She could hear someone chuckle in the background and it gave her the courage to continue.
‘I worked hard to get this job. Now I hope the Starling Register does not engage in the gossip business.’ She paused, pleased to see Mr Porter standing still, his mouth hanging open like a fish out of water. ‘Far from me the idea of telling you how to do your job, but I would have expected better professionalism.’
Another reporter interrupted her. ‘You can’t ignore Mr Queen’s reputation. Spoiled and rich kid that spends his nights in clubs. What did he do lately to convince us otherwise ?’
Felicity stared at the woman who was standing on her right.
‘Well, have you seen him in tabloids, lately ? I don’t think so.’
She was so pissed, she hoped that she wouldn’t blurt out a stupid comment that would completely discredit her boss or even worse, reveal his secret identity. But it was too late now to have second thoughts. The cat was out of the bag.
‘For starters, he managed to save 30 000 jobs by taking the direction of Queen Consolidated. People need to blame someone for the destruction of the Glades. I understand. But Mr Queen is not responsible for the mistakes his parents made.’
She paused again and looked around her at the crowd of reporters gathered in front of her.
‘May I have to remind you that Mr Queen spent five years on an island, trying to survive. Do you know the name of this island ? Yian Yu. Translation : Purgatory. Not a paradisiacal island. No deckchair, no exotic beverage with a little umbrella in it, no coconut.’
Felicity took a deep breath to regain some composure. She needed to end this before messing things up, which would eventually happen at some point. ‘Now he finally comes back home and discovers that his parents have been involved in an act of terror. And yet, here he is, trying to clear the name of his family and regain the trust of the people. So, cut him some slack. It will take time to keep the company afloat and back to business. But he will, eventually.’
She felt Diggle’s warm hand on her back. A cue to take off. She locked eyes with him and nodded in silent approval. She let him drag her away from the noisy reporters. The rain would not stop and she was freezing by now. They finally closed the distance that was separating them from the shelter of QC and Felicity sighed once they entered the warm hall.
‘Oh God, I hate this day’. She leaned on Diggle and took off her shoes. It might not be appropriate but at this point, she didn’t care anymore. The floor was cold and probably covered by germs and dirt. But if Oliver had managed to survive on that stupid island for five years without contracting tetanus or infectious diseases, she could handle a little walk, barefoot, to the elevator.
She tried to ignore the suspicious looks from her co-workers, as she and Diggle patiently waited for the doors to open. A high-pitched sound finally announced the arrival of the elevator and they gladly stepped into it. Felicity was unusually quiet. Diggle seemed to notice it. ‘Are you alright ?’
She didn’t answer at first and sighed. ‘Well, I don’t know. Let’s see…’ she commented, sarcastic. ‘My head is throbbing, my favourite shoes are destroyed. My clothes are soaking wet, my hair is a mess and I probably look totally insane. But you know what ? I’m fine because in an improbable moment of clarity and wisdom this morning, I chose to put a waterproof make up. So, maybe, I did not completely lose my credibility in front of that good’old Porter and his joyful club members.’ She frowned at Diggle’s laugh but didn’t say anything.
‘- you did good, Felicity.
- yeah, right. I’m pretty sure Oliver will have to disagree with you.’ She paused and glanced at him. ‘By the way, thank you for coming to my rescue, over there. You can not imagine how happy I was to see you.’ She winked. ‘my knight in shinning armour.’ She watched her friend’s reaction as his smile grew wider and dimples appeared on his cheeks.
- anything for my IT girl.
- Executive assistant.
- right.’
Diggle playfully brushed her hair. She feigned annoyance and pouted. They finally stepped out of the elevator and headed to Felicity’s desk. She could see Oliver, from the corner of her eyes. He was leaning comfortably in his chair, intensely watching his computer screen.
She sighed heavily and dumped her bag on her immaculate desk, along with her foggy glasses. ‘I’d rather tell Oliver about my little “slip up” before he discovers it on the news.’ She turned around and faced Diggle. ‘Now I would really appreciate if you could stay behind me for support. You know, in case Oliver decides to get physical on me or worse, fire me.’
Diggle hold the door open as she entered her boss’ office. ‘You have a weird sense of priorities, Felicity.’ She didn’t reply. Her thoughts were focused on Oliver, who had already acknowledged her presence and was staring at her intensely. It did nothing to help her agitated mind and she felt nervous suddenly.
‘Hey’ he said with a gentle smile. Felicity bit on her lower lip, trying to figure out a way to bring him the news. She tried to brush away a loose strand of hair but stopped when she realised she was still holding her shoes. It was so awkward. She cleared her throat and closed her eyes for a brief moment. ‘Look, I have something to say to you. I messed up, big time. But before I tell you, I want you to know that I’m really sorry and I hope you won’t be too mad at me because it was not my intention to discredit you and you know me… no brain to mouth filter and… I did it again, damn it Felicity, focus !’
Oliver slowly straightened up and turned his computer so she could see the screen. Her throat went dry suddenly and her vision blurred. ‘Oh God’ was all she could say. The interview had been broadcasted in live and Oliver just happened to watch the news at this precise moment. Excellent timing, as usual.
Her heart beat increased as she watched Oliver get up from his chair and circle his desk. ‘I’m really sorry, Oliver. It’s just… I’ve had a very bad day and this guy… Oh God I was so pissed…’ Oliver was coming to her, stepping closer. ‘I know it’s not an excuse and I should have walked away. But I couldn’t let him throw false accusations at you. I had the best intentions, you have to believe me !’
Before she could say anything else, Oliver drew her closer into a tight embrace. The world seemed to stop in that instant as she struggled to breathe evenly. She felt his strong arm circling her waist, while his other hand hold a firm grip on her neck. One single hug and all her doubts vanished. She relaxed in his arms and clutched at his shirt.
Somewhere in the back of her head, she registered the sound of her shoes dropping on the tiled floor. But she couldn’t care less at this moment. She breathed in his masculine scent and closed her eyes, unable to form a coherent thought.
She didn’t know how long they stood there. Could have been ten seconds, one minute or one hour. She had lost track of time. Oliver eventually broke apart, brushing his lips to her temple in the process. All she could do was stare at him, conflicted emotions overloading her now very awake brain. ‘You’re not mad at me ?’ she whispered.
Oliver smiled genuinely at her and her heart skipped a beat. ‘Why would I be ? You did not discredit my reputation. You discredited theirs. I think you can rightfully add “CEO’s spokeswoman” in your job title.’
Felicity laughed, relieved. She was about to make a sarcastic comment but was suddenly stopped by a powerful sneeze. Oh joy. At the way things were going, she was pretty sure she would spend the next day in bed… Only instead of ice cream, it would be chicken soup, aspirin and lots of tissues. Oliver immediately took off his jacket and slipped it on Felicity’s bare arms. ‘Thanks’.
‘I’ll ask Thea to bring you a change of clothes. Now, sit down.’ He pushed her towards the couch. ‘You need to warm up. I’ll be back in a minute.’ She was left alone, contemplating the view of their beautiful city, slumped in the comfortable couch of her boss. This was surreal. She lifted her wrist to her nose and inhaled Oliver’s scent on the sleeve of his jacket. She closed her eyes and let her head rest on the back of the couch.
‘So…’ Diggle said from behind, startling her. ‘He did get physical, after all.’ Felicity blushed but remained silent. She watched him walk to the window and sit down in front of her, across the table. She had completely forgotten his presence and she suddenly felt stupid. He probably knew she had a crush on Oliver, from the very beginning… mainly due to her dysfunctional mouth filter. But nonetheless, it was not a subject she was comfortable enough to discuss with him… or anyone else for that matter.
Fortunately for her, Oliver chose this moment to return, bringing coffee for everyone. ‘Now I feel bad for all the times I refused to fetch you coffee.’ Oliver smiled and sat down next to her. ‘Well don’t. Because you were right. You’re not my personal assistant. I consider you more of a partner and a friend.’
Diggle raised his glass. ‘To friendship, then.’ They sat in comfortable silence, sipping hot coffee. Felicity’s body began to warm up again. Her head was still throbbing, she couldn’t feel her toes and her clothes were draining on Oliver’s expensive couch. But these were details, right ?
When she thought about it, everything she needed was in that room. A job that she loved and friends that she cared about. She could have refused to join Oliver and Diggle in their little quest and get back to her boring IT job, her boring “geeky” life. Boring was the key word. For the first time in her life, she felt useful. So yes, job had its hazards. But it was worth it.
As she listened to Diggle and Oliver’s easy banter, she thought that - maybe - it would not be such a bad day, after all.
***
The End.