Chapter Text
“Are you okay? I need to take some blood and see what was in that dart.” Felicity rushed up to Oliver, her hand hovering over his chest. Sometimes she felt like she could touch him and sometimes, like now, she felt as if the Arrow wouldn’t appreciate her touch. He didn’t meet her eyes, but lifted a hand to keep her at a distance. She backed away, forcing herself to swallow her concern. He was strictly business most of the time. And then moments like this, after losing a bad guy, he was distant and cold.
Oliver strode past her toward the monitors. “I’m fine. He said it was a truth serum that lowers inhibitions but I feel nothing. Did you catch his plates?”
Diggle and Felicity exchanged glances. Oliver was always so controlled. And the man rarely lied because he was so bad at it. Maybe the serum was working and he didn’t even know it.
“Oliver, sit down and let her take your blood. It’ll help us find out what was in the dart anyway, even if you’re not feeling the effects.”
He sighed. “Okay. But I’m just… beat. I’m going to bed. There’s no sense in going out again tonight.” He looked up at Diggle. “Go home to Lyla and Sara. I’m fine.”
Diggle glanced at Felicity and she nodded. She always felt safe with Oliver. A little extra truth in her life wouldn’t change that. Diggle put his hand on Oliver’s shoulder and walked out.
“Can you unzip your sleeve?” Felicity hated needles with everything in her but she’d gotten good at getting a blood sample. The number of times she’d had to analyze Oliver’s was becoming ridiculous. At least she didn’t gag anymore.
Oliver responded by unzipping his whole jacket and slipping it off. He leaned against the metal table, one arm outstretched. “I’m so tired.” He rubbed a hand over his face and Felicity could hear his stubble against the gloves he wore. “No, actually I’m weary. It feels like I’m not making a difference at all.”
Felicity carefully inserted the needle and drew back the plunger. Oliver had shared his darkest fears with her before, but it was always during a major crisis. He never just talked to her, down in the lair, like a friend would. She glanced at his face and her heart squeezed to see tears in his eyes.
“You’re making a difference, I promise” she said softly. She pressed a cotton ball to the site and took off the tourniquet. He curled his arm up, holding the cotton ball in place but didn’t say anything else.
The lab equipment was a few feet away so she darted over and placed his blood sample in the machine. “This shouldn’t take very long.”
“I wish we didn’t work together so much,” he said.
“I… what?” Felicity whirled around. Oliver’s head was bent and he seemed like he was talking to his boots.
“A lot of days I wish you didn’t come down here at all.”
Felicity felt her face going bright red. When she was angry, she blushed. And right now she was very, very angry. She balanced a full time, very important position as VP of Palmer Industries, then came down to the Arrow cave every night to help catch bad people, and he had the nerve to say he didn’t want her there? “Well, then call back Diggle because I can definitely make that happen. And don’t worry, I won’t be here tomorrow, either.” She slammed the syringe on the table and stalked toward her desk. She’d just get her purse and leave. Oliver could sit down here and be weary by himself.
As she passed, he reached out and grabbed her hand. Oliver never touched her unless he had to. Well, very rarely. Felicity stopped, staring down at his hand wrapped around her fingers.
“It’s so hard to work with you when all I want is to touch you.” He looked up, expression full of equal parts sadness and desire. “I can smell your shampoo when I stand at your desk. Sometimes I look over and I want to kiss the curve of your neck…” He paused, squeezing his eyes shut. “Oh, God. When you bend over in those skirts, I want to press myself up against your ass. I want to run my hand up your shirt. I want to lick your nipples.” He groaned and opened his eyes, the blue she loved so much seemed almost black. “Felicity, I’ve loved you for a long time but I’ve wanted you for a lot longer.”
Felicity stood there, mouth open, eyes wide. She should be moving, backing away, calling Diggle for help. Oliver stood up, slipping an arm around her back and kissing her, hard. For the first second, she was simply stunned. Then her lips parted under his and she pressed her body to his, reacting on pure desire. He groaned, running a hand down to her ass, then under her skirt. His gloves were rough against her skin and as if he knew what she was feeling, he broke their kiss, stripping off his glove with his teeth, the other arm still trapping her against him.
“Oliver,” she whispered, knowing she had to stop him. He wasn’t himself. The serum had brought down that wall he had built between them and it was up to her to make him see it. But the next moment he claimed her mouth again and she lost all logical thought. All she wanted was to feel his hands on her body, his mouth on her, him inside her.