what does home look like? - t - olicity - part three [a]
title: what does home look like? (I've only seen shadows of it in my dreams)
category: arrow
genre: family/romance
ship: felicity/oliver
chapter rating: pg-13/teen
overall rating: nc-17/explicit
prompt: ooh ooh felicity as lance's step-daughter, growing up with laurel and sara, in love with oliver! - anonymous
word count: 6,470
summary: (au) For most of her life, Felicity Smoak grew up with her father in Coast City, only visiting her mother Dinah and the Lance family in the summers. But when her father drops her off for an unexpected visit and doesn't come back, Felicity is forced to figure out what 'family' really means. And, in the meantime, falling in love with the local billionaire can't hurt, right?
previous: chapter one, chapter two,
what does home look like? (I've only seen shadows of it in my dreams)
-novel-
III.
It was Sunday when she realized Laurel was going out of her way to avoid her.
She ate her dinner in her bedroom, citing studying as the reason, and when Felicity asked her if she wanted to come with her and Sara to the mall, she'd ignored them until they went away.
"What's up with Laurel?" she finally asked, sitting at a table across from Sara in the food court.
With a mouthful of burger, Sara answered, "Oh, she's just pissed you're dating her crush."
Felicity's eyes widened. "Wait. I'm what?"
"Yeah." She shrugged. "Laurel's been crushing on Ollie for a long time now. I thought you knew…"
She sputtered, her eyes wide in surprise. "What? No! Of course, I didn't! Why would I date Laurel's crush?"
Sara took a sip of her soda, giving the cup a rattle to move the ice around. "Because he's hot and he asked you out and I don't think anybody's ever turned him down before."
"I… I didn't know Laurel liked anyone." She frowned, balling her napkin up in her hand. "She must be so angry with me…"
Sara nodded. "Yeah, she complains to Tamara about it a lot. Girl code, right?"
Felicity's brow furrowed. "There's a code?"
"Girl code. You know, you can't date someone else's crush or ex or whatever. I mean, that's more of a friendship thing, but with sister's it's twice as big."
She'd never heard of that. Neither of her two best friends said anything about a code. Although, with Kelsey's track record, that severely depleted the options at her high school, and she never stuck with anyone long, so she really didn't care who dated them after her. And, well, it felt like Jenn had been with her boyfriend for like, ever. With the exception of her boyfriend and one other guy, most of Jenn's previous crushes had also been girls, so that made the chances of Felicity dating anybody she liked even smaller.
"So… I'm breaking girl code by dating Laurel's crush?" Her lips pursed. "Even if I didn't know she liked him?"
Sara shrugged. "I didn't make the rules."
"But that's… dumb. I mean, Oliver isn't her property and I had no idea she even liked him. She never told me and she didn't say anything when she saw us together. Then again she never says anything to me ever anymore…" She threw her hands up in frustration. "What do I do?"
Sara grabbed up a fry from the basket in front of her and shrugged. "Personally, I'd go with make-out with Oliver Queen until your lips fall off… But I could be biased."
Felicity rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her mouth. "That's not helpful, Sar."
"But still good advice, right?" she said, cheekily.
Felicity huffed, but grabbed up her burger and curbed the issue for now. She had a date with Oliver tonight and, despite what she'd just learned, she wasn't ready to just scrap it. Did that make her a terrible sister?
"I think you might be the worst bowler I've ever seen in my life," Oliver told her, leaning back against the plastic bench, his arms spread over the back as she walked back toward him.
"Shut up," she muttered. "You know, I'm not usually this uncoordinated. I run track back home."
He raised an eyebrow, a grin playing at his lips. "Yeah? With those tiny shorts." He reached for her, his fingers teasing over her jean-clad legs.
She batted his hand away but stepped closer, until she was standing in between his knees. "Yes, with the tiny shorts. More importantly, however, I placed third last year. Which is a shining achievement. I even have a ribbon to prove it."
"A ribbon? That sounds special." His hands settled on her hips, tugging her forward and turning her until she landed in his lap, one of her arms looped around his neck. He stroked a hand down her back. "Tell me about it."
She scoffed. "You really want to hear about my boring track meet where I didn't even win first place?"
He nodded, looking up at her, looking far more sincere than she expected. "Yeah, I wanna hear everything about it." His fingers rubbed up and down her side. "Tell me all about Coast City."
Felicity narrowed her eyes at him. "Is this a fact-gathering mission? Are you learning about my home so you can prove to me that it's better here so I won't leave?"
He laughed, his head falling back. "Maybe."
Helpless to her smile, she leaned down to kiss him, nuzzling her nose with his. "If I tell you, then you have to show me how you keep getting strikes," she told him, her lips brushing his with every word.
He nodded, kissing her once, twice, and turning his head to kiss her cheek. "Deal."
So she did. She told him all about her boring track meet, from the really awful heat wave that hit, making her feel all clammy, to how she had trouble pinning her stupid number on her shirt, and how Jenn and Kelsey made up a sign for her and screamed louder than anybody else there. She told him about the blisters she had after, because she'd stupidly bought new running shoes just for that run and they weren't broken in yet. And how afterwards, to celebrate, Kelsey got her completely shit faced and she woke up in Jennifer's kiddie pool, her face in the grass and #3 written on her cheek in Sharpie.
He laughed, his chin resting on her shoulder. "Sounds like quite the party."
Felicity shrugged. "I think anything's fun when you've got Jenn and Kelsey around."
He hummed, turning his head up to kiss her neck. "Come on…" He patted her hip. "Let a pro show you how to bowl."
Felicity rolled her eyes. "Don't stroke your ego too hard."
Taking her by the hips, he walked her toward where the bowling balls were sitting in wait. "I could always let you stroke it," he said against her ear.
Felicity shivered, feeling a little breathless as she leaned back against him.
"Tempting," she managed to say. "But I don't see my score getting any better."
She could feel him grinning against her cheek before he reached over to grab up a ball and brought her to their lane.
For all that he'd been flirting, and had the very obvious opportunity to feel her up rather than teach her anything, Oliver actually turned out to be a really good teacher. He modeled his own strike first and then, when it was her turn, he showed her how to aim properly, how to swing her arm to get maximum velocity, and how her body should be angled. She got a spare instead of a strike, but it was something. And if she spent five minutes kissing him for that achievement then, well, she was just a very appreciative student.
Later that night, despite an awesome date, Felicity found herself thinking over her current issue again.
"Hey, mom, can we talk?" Felicity asked, stepping into the den, shifting her feet uncertainly.
"Of course, honey." Dinah put her books off to the side. "What is it? Is it cramps? Did Aunt Flo come to visit?"
"What?" She flushed. "No."
"Are you sure? Because I know Laurel's got her period and usually all us girls start around the same time."
Shaking her head, she moved to take a seat on the chair across from her. Growing up with her dad meant conversations like this were rare and she didn't know how comfortable she felt talking about it. Besides, that so wasn't what she'd planned to talk about. So, completely ignoring the previous topic, she changed the subject. "When you and Aunt Susan were growing up, did you guys ever fight about boys?"
Dinah looked confused for only a moment before she laughed. "Of course we did. I never had one boyfriend Susan ever approved of. Even Quentin. She just hated him on sight."
Felicity nodded, tucking her feet up under her and picking at the frayed knee of her jeans. "Did you guys ever like the same boys though?"
Dinah leaned back in her chair for a moment, her head tipped. "Actually, we did, once, in tenth grade. I liked an older boy, someone in her grade. She'd liked him for some time before I even noticed him."
"Did you… ever date him?" she wondered.
Humming, she shook her head. "No, I think he asked me out to a dance once, but I knew Sue liked him by then, so I told him no." She grinned then and offered a wink. "You always pick your family over a boy, honey. Men, they come and go, but you have to live with your sisters for your whole life, and that is one argument you don't want to be having for the next sixty or seventy years."
Felicity's heart lurched. "Right. That makes sense."
"What's all this about then? Are Sara and Laurel fighting about a boy again?"
Felicity shook her head and forced a smile. "No, just curious. I haven't talked to Aunt Susan in a while. How is she?"
Having turned her mother's attention elsewhere, Felicity simply nodded along as her mother informed her of Susan's life and how her family was doing. But in her head, she couldn't help but wonder if continuing to date Oliver wouldn't be worth sixty or seventy years of Laurel occasionally reminding her that she was a sucky sister.
Felicity picked at the fringe on her purse, half-slumped in the passenger seat, watching the city pass by outside the window.
"Y'know, a good idea might be to get you a bus pass," Quentin said from the driver's seat. "If you're gonna be around a while, there's no better way to learn the city than on the bus. Takes you everywhere."
She glanced at him. "Sorry you have to drive me out to the library. This essay I'm writing needs a lot of research. I wouldn't ask if there was another way."
He shook his head, his brows hiked. "Hey, no, I'm not complainin', all right?" He nodded over at her. "We need to spend more time together, me an' you. I just thought, well, if you're gonna stick around a while, you might as well get familiar with the city, right?"
Felicity wasn't sure if he was digging, or hinting, but she felt compelled to answer. "I don't know if I am… sticking around, that is."
The silence hung thick in the air then until eventually, he sighed. "Listen, sweetheart… I know things are tough, and probably confusing, with your dad not comin' back yet, but… I just want you to know, me an' Dinah, we're happy you're here. We're not tryin' to get rid of you, y'know?" He kept glancing at her, longer at stop lights, but still trying to keep his eyes steady on the road. "We like it when you come down for the summers and when we get to see you on holidays, but… You gotta know, we miss you when you're not around. A lot." He half-smiled at her. "Why d'you think I've been watchin' that Lord of the Rings so much, huh?"
Felicity's mouth twitched. "You keep falling asleep. I just figured you wanted to know how it ended."
He snorted, shaking his head. "I want us to talk more. I want us to have things, just me and you. Laurel and I, we debate sometimes. I know she wants to be a big shot lawyer, and good for her. She always goes for the throat; she'll be good at it. And Sara…" He sighed. "That girl'll be good at anything she sets her heart on, just as soon as she figures out what it is." He smiled proudly. "She probably wouldn't wanna hear it, but she'd make a helluva cop."
Felicity smiled. She could see that. Sara, for all that she could be rebellious, could be an awesome cop. She was tougher than she looked and she was confident. But, Quentin was right, she was still too much of a wild card right now to pin down. Whatever she decided to do though, Felicity was sure she'd be amazing at it, and she'd support her all the way.
"You, you're smart, book smart and world smart, y'know? I know you want to go to MIT and I'll be right there, front row at your graduation," he promised, no hesitation whatsoever. "We got a little bit of time until then, so why don't we use it? There's a baseball game coming up next weekend. I know we haven't gone since you were still in pigtails, but… If you're up for it, I'll buy the dogs, we'll get some tickets, make it a thing. What do you say?"
Felicity was surprised by the burst of warmth in her chest. "Yeah, I'd like that."
He grinned, looking out at the road quite proudly. "All right then."
Later, when he pulled up at the library, he waited in the car, thumbing the Lord of the Rings book that Oliver had left behind the previous weekend while she ran inside to get what she need for her essay. Standing in the aisles, with a paper in hand filled with titles, she couldn't quite wipe the smile from her face. Maybe things were better than they seemed. Maybe hanging around Starling City a while longer, getting to know Quentin and her sisters and Oliver, it wouldn't be the worst thing to happen.
As much as she was enjoying her time in Starling City, however, that didn't make her any less homesick.
"Jesus, Smoaks, when are you coming home?" Kelsey complained. "This place is falling to pieces without you."
Felicity rolled her eyes, grabbing up a pillow from her bed and hugging it to her chest. Affection for her overdramatic best friend made her smile. "I'm sure the school is still completely intact."
"Well, it shouldn't be. And if Denise would ever get me those cherry bombs I asked for, it wouldn't be."
Groaning, Felicity shook her head. "Cherry bombs? Kelsey, what are you doing?"
"Alleviating boredom," she answered simply. "Do you have any idea how boring it is here without you? I mean, Jenn's got school and those lame clubs she in and what do I have, huh? I mean, besides a very enjoyable black book of fun times and a killer wardrobe…"
"Because those are totally awful things that don't matter at all…" she scoffed, picking at the scalloped edges of her pillow case.
"Whatever. What I need in my life is a cute blonde that frequently babbles, but my favorite girl's taken off for parts unknown-"
She snorted. "You literally know exactly where I am!"
"-leaving me to suffer all by my lonesome-"
"You have Jenn with you!" she laughed. "You just left her in class to use the bathroom!"
"-I mean, what's a fashionable girl to do?"
"I don't know." She shrugged. "But blowing up the bathrooms sounds like a bad idea."
"Sounded pretty good at the time."
Felicity rolled her eyes. "That should be your tag-line, you know that?"
"And you love me for it."
A smile played at her lips. "I do not."
"Do too! Tell me you love me! C'mon, Smoaky, declare your undying love, right here and now, loud and proud, baby."
"Miss. Harris, shouldn't you be in Biology?" a voice suddenly interrupted.
A pause replied, and then, "I refuse to answer that due to it possibly implicating me in some way."
Felicity sighed. "Oh my God, Kelsey, go to class!"
"I demand to see a lawyer! This is unjust treatment and I-"
"Kelsey!" Felicity exclaimed, laughing despite herself.
"All right, fine, geez. I'm going to class." She made a smacking noise then. "Kisses, Smoaks. Come home soon!"
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, shaking her head. "Tell Jenn I'll call her later. And Kels? Please, be good. You don't need another suspension."
"I probably didn't need the first one," she scoffed. "No promises, but I will try to let Jenn's goody-goodness rub off on me. And not in the fun way."
With that, they hung up, and Felicity flopped back against her bed, an ache in her chest resembling her best friends. Oh, she loved spending time with her sisters (well, mostly Sara at this point, since Laurel still refused to really talk to her) and Oliver, but it wasn't quite the same as having her two best friends there. Sighing, she put her phone away and dug out the homework she'd been ignoring, deciding it was better to focus on something constructive than on something she was missing… Then again, that was probably why she was at the top of her class and had a crapload of issues she'd never dealt with. What a weirdly accomplished version of procrastination…
[continue.]