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Felicity Smoak sighed as she strapped the helmet on. I just need to get through this day she thought to herself. Tucking a stray lock of her blonde hair under the helmet, she joined the group that was waiting for their guide.
Ray Palmer had the bright idea that a corporate retreat was necessary for team building amongst his company’s executives. Thus, all of the high level managers at Palmer Technologies found themselves spending the weekend at Camp Verdant. Which would be fine, for Felicity, if she actually liked any of her coworkers. Most of them only thought she got promoted to VP because Ray thought she was cute, and his flirting with her didn’t exactly help the situation, despite the fact that she was almost always the most intelligent person in the room. So Felicity had a weekend ahead of her of faking politeness to a bunch of people she knew gossiped about her the second she turned her back.
At least Ray was footing the bill.
Felicity milled about, on the fringe of her group of coworkers, until two laughing voices carried towards them. She glanced up to see two, woah, not unattractive men striding towards the group. Maybe this weekend wouldn’t be so bad after all.
“Hello everyone. I’m Tommy, this is Oliver, and we’ll be your guides for today’s white water rafting trip. We’ll split you up into two groups, and then we’ll go over some safety rules before we launch.”
The group split, half a dozen staying with Tommy, and the other half going with Oliver. Felicity found herself in the half with Oliver, and since the group was smaller she was much closer to the guide than before. His armed flexed as he pulled his helmet on, his eyes surveying the group. Felicity found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the vein she could see running along his arm. She licked her lips unconsciously.
“Okay, if I get could get everyone to focus for a few minutes.” Oliver’s eyes were on Felicity as she jolted, blushing, before meeting Oliver’s eyes, putting on her best concentration face. He smirked at her, eyes dancing, before continuing.
“We’ll be doing some level 2 and level 3 rapids today, so it’s very important that all of you listen to any instructions that I give you. Keep your helmets and life jackets on at all times. Make sure you have a secure hold on your paddle, two hands” he lifted the paddle he held, positioning his hands about a foot apart, to demonstrate “just like this. We’ll stop for lunch about halfway down. That’s about it, so unless anyone has any questions…” Oliver trailed off, before one of the VPs spoke up.
“You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?” Felicity cringed a little at his tone, Bob from accounting wasn’t exactly the most socially adept person Felicity had come across in her life.
“I don’t know, it’s possible. Where are you guys from?” The way Oliver’s head tilted as he asked his question made Felicity smile.
“Star City. Palmer Technologies.”
Felicity watched as Oliver stiffened, then laughed a bit ruefully. “Well that explains why I look familiar. My name used to be on your building.” A hush fell over the crowd, as Felicity’s coworkers awkwardly shuffled, absorbing the revelation. Before anyone could say anything, the group was interrupted.
“How are we enjoying the retreat so far?” Ray Palmer’s voice ratcheted up the tension in the air. Felicity didn’t have to turn to look to feel Ray recognize the guide in front of him. “Oliver Queen! Good to see you again. I didn’t know you worked out here.”
Ray strode forward to shake Oliver’s hand. Oliver was stiff, grimacing as their hands met. “I don’t just work out here Mr. Palmer, I own Camp Verdant with my business partner, Tommy. I’m glad you decided to turn to us for your retreat.”
Felicity thought he didn’t sound glad about it at all, but she couldn’t exactly blame him. The business world was rocked when five years ago, Oliver turned down the chance to be Queen Consolidated CEO, and escaped out of Starling City with his best friend, Tommy Merlyn. Nobody knew much about where they went, and the stock price of Queen Consolidated never recovered. Ray Palmer bought out Oliver’s parents, before rebranding the Starling City offices, and Starling City itself. I guess the mystery of where they disappeared to has been solved, Felicity thought to herself.
Tommy walked over, ending the exchange. “We’re all set to go, you guys ready?”
Oliver shook himself before replying. “Yeah, we’re good.”
Ray turned away from Oliver, strapping on his own helmet. “Ah, Miss Smoak! I hope we’ll be next to each other on this trip.” Felicity cringed, hating that her other coworkers could hear him say that to her, but before she could reply, Oliver interrupted.
“Actually, Mr. Palmer, I need to decide who sits where. We have to make sure the weight is distributed evenly in the raft.”
Ray smiled thinly. “Surely, you could…” Oliver didn’t give Ray a chance to finish his sentence.
“It’s for safety, Mr. Palmer.” Oliver’s reply made Felicity feel a great deal of comfort, she wasn’t exactly an outdoorsy person. Knowing Oliver would keep them all safe made the thought of white water rafting with people that didn’t like her more bearable.
Tommy seemed to sense something was off, so he started the process of ushering everyone down to the dock towards the rafts. Ray turned to Felicity, and Felicity braced herself for whatever comment Ray was about to make, but before he could say anything, Oliver held out his hand.
“Miss Smoak, May I escort you to the dock?” Felicity blushed, before taking the offered hand.
“You may. And please, call me Felicity.”
“Felicity.” Her name curled out of his mouth like a smoke ring, the air growing thick between them, as he led Felicity down the steep hill that led to the dock, Ray behind them watching the pair warily.
Felicity could feel the eyes of her coworkers on her, but for the first time in a long time, she didn’t care. Once she was certain they were far enough from Ray that she wouldn’t be heard, she leaned in close to Oliver.
“Thanks for the save.” Felicity whispered, close enough to feel Oliver’s body vibrate with his chuckle.
“Yeah, you looked like you needed the help.” Felicity smiled up at him, feeling hopeful that this weekend wouldn’t be a total bust.
When the pair reached the dock, Tommy had already begun the process of arranging everyone to best balance the weight in the boats. He gave Oliver a sidelong glance seeing him arm-in-arm with Felicity, but he just shrugged and motioned to Oliver, explaining his thoughts.
“Miss Smoak is really small so I think she should be in the back with you, and we’ll put Mr. Palmer in the front since he looks like he’ll be a strong paddler.” Felicity sagged in relief hearing Tommy’s suggestion, glad that it seemed to align with Oliver’s goal of saving her from Ray.
“Okay!” Oliver said to the group. “You heard the man. Let’s start loading the raft, one at a time, and then I’ll hand you your paddles, I’ll hop in, and we’ll be off!” Oliver’s enthusiasm for rafting seemed to break the tension from before, because Felicity’s normally stuffy coworkers were actually smiling as they climbed into the raft.
Felicity bounced from foot to foot on the dock, nervous energy coursing through her as she waited for her coworkers to get on the raft. Oliver and Tommy were assisting with loading the raft and doing last minutes safety checks, so Felicity was watching the two men move around the dock to distract her from her anxiousness.
Both men were fit, but Felicity was having trouble drawing her eyes away from the way Oliver’s muscles rippled when he helped someone into the raft, or when he bent over to pick up the paddles. Felicity was snapped out of her ogling by Tommy who appeared at her shoulder and coughed.
“Miss Smoak, you only get to keep staring if you get in the raft.” Tommy struggled and failed to keep the smirk out of his voice.
“What?” Felicity said stupidly, before glancing up to see Oliver smiling to her, holding out his hand.
“You ready to get onto the raft, Felicity?”
“Oh! Yes. Sorry. Just this outdoorsy stuff? Not for me. Clearly, it’s for you, I mean look at you. Oh my god. Ignore I said that? I babble when I’m nervous.” A blush rose in Felicity’s cheeks as she stepped along the dock towards Oliver.
“That’s okay, Felicity.” Oliver’s smile widened. “I like it.” He added an afterthought.
Tommy barely repressed a laugh before deftly launching himself into his own raft, and pushing off. “I’ll see you at lunch, Oliver.” He called, as his raft started floating down the river.
Oliver took Felicity’s hand, helping her to join her coworkers waiting in the raft. She slid into the back of the raft, and took the paddle Oliver offered her, before he gracefully climbed into the raft alongside her, using his strong arms to push the raft away from the dock, taking a couple of strong paddles to get them floating after Tommy’s raft.
Once they were moving at a good pace, Oliver’s voice carried over all the raft’s occupants. “We’re going to practice with those paddles, okay? When I say “left,” I want everyone on the left side to take a stroke. When I say “right,” everyone on the right needs to take a stroke. When I saw “everybody,” you guys get the idea. Let’s try that out, so I can see where we are at.”
Felicity gripped her paddle tightly, nervous that she was going to be expected to help guide the raft. Oliver glanced over at her, and quirked a grin before giving commands. “Left!” Oliver, and everyone in front of him, took a stroke with their paddles, and the raft turned. “Good! Now, right!”
Felicity put her paddle in the water and pulled with all her might, but still felt like she wasn’t contributing as much as Ray in the front of the boat. Oliver was still yelling commands though, so she must not have been doing too terribly.
“Okay, now everybody!” All eight of them put their paddles to the water, and Felicity was surprised with how much the boat picked up speed from one stroke. “Great job! Make sure you listen for when to paddle, especially when we get close to the rapids. We wouldn’t want to end up tipping the boat, now would we?” Oliver said it with a laugh, and some of her coworkers chuckled, but Felicity felt panic grip her chest.
“Does that happen often?” She said, voice tight. Oliver turned to look at her, a reassuring look on his face as he used his paddle to make a slight adjustment to their course.
“Once in a while.” He paused. “Do you know how to swim?”
Felicity shrugged. “I can stay afloat. Doggie paddle. I wouldn’t say I’m a strong swimmer. I spent more time with my computers than outside when I was growing up. Hence the not outdoorswoman thing I have going on.”
Oliver smiled, picturing a young Felicity tinkering over a computer. “Don’t worry, Felicity, I’ll keep you as safe as possible.” Felicity tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace.
Seeing the death grip she now had on her paddle, he used his right hand to rub her shoulder. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. If you loosen your grip on the paddle, and change the angle you put it into the water, you won’t have to pull so hard.” Oliver used his own paddle to demonstrate, before gesturing for her to try.
Felicity stuck her paddle in the water, but before she could pull on it, Oliver adjusted her hands on the paddle, and used his right arm to shift her body, one hand on her lower back, just below where her life vest stopped, changing her posture to allow her to use more of her core instead of just her arms. Felicity took a stroke and was pleasantly surprised to feel the raft turn. “Hey! I did it!” Felicity’s pleased smile and breathless laugh made Oliver’s breath catch.
“I told you it’d be okay, Felicity. You’re a natural.” Felicity beamed at him, eyes bright in the morning sunshine. She wasn’t sure if she was so delighted from Oliver’s praise, her own success, or the feeling of his hand on her correcting her, but either way this rafting trip was off to a far better start than she anticipated.
The raft moved down the river, bumping slightly over the ripples in the river, and Felicity’s coworkers started up some light chatter, seeming to bond as Ray had intended. Felicity, in the back of the raft, couldn’t really hear what was being said, nor did she really want to, so rather than chat with her coworkers, she turned to Oliver instead.
“So, Oliver. Why Camp Verdant?” He seemed to be caught off guard by her question, focused on the river in front of him and guiding the raft.
“What? Oh.” He chuckled. “People don’t usually talk to me on these trips.”
Felicity blushed. “Oh. I’m sorry. I”ll just…” she mimed taking a few strokes with her paddle, making Oliver laugh genuinely.
“No, no, it’s okay. I’m glad actually. So, uh, Camp Verdant. I knew I didn’t want to be CEO, but my parents didn’t really understand. Tommy and I left on a road trip and while we were out of town we decided to go into business together instead. Tommy wanted to open a club, but neither of us wanted to go back to Starling.” He hesitated. “I mean, Star City. My parents owned some land out here, an old investment or something, so we turned it into this place. I don’t think they approve, but we’re happy out here. It tears me up that they couldn’t save the company, I know they lost a lot, their legacy, but at the same time they never should have put all of that on me.” He didn’t meet her eyes while he was talking, focused on the path of the raft, but Felicity was watching him with rapt attention.
“You guys built this place by yourselves? That’s really admirable, Oliver.” He glanced over, shyly smiling at the obvious praise in her tone, surprised since most people usually blamed him for his parent’s failures. He coughed and she blushed, turning her eyes toward the riverbed.
Oliver though, inexplicably drawn to the blonde, wanted to keep the unexpected conversation going. “What about you? Why Palmer Tech?”
Felicity sighed. “I grew up in Vegas with a single mom, used scholarships to go to MIT. Got recruited out of college by a few companies, but Palmer Tech made the best offer, and I couldn’t afford to accept anything but the best financial package.”
Oliver nodded in understanding, before asking the rafters to take a few strokes to avoid some rocks. They were getting close to the first small rapids of the trip, so Oliver began to give more frequent instructions to Felicity’s coworkers. Felicity held on for dear life as the raft began to rock across the rapids.
Oliver’s voice carried across the raft. “You guys are doing great. Everybody take three more strokes and we’ll be passed what I call the warm-up rapids.” Felicity’s coworkers chattered excitedly, but Felicity only squeaked.
“That was only the warm-up?” Felicity asked, tone high and tight.
Oliver only laughed in response.
“How are you doing back there, Smoak?” Ray called from the front of the boat.
“I’m okay, Mr. Palmer.” Felicity replied in a shaky voice.
“How many times do I have to tell you, call me Ray.” Palmer’s tone was jovial, but Felicity didn’t get a chance to reply before Oliver was calling out more commands, guiding the raft down a series of rapids, water splashing over the edges of the boat.
Felicity squealed as the water cascaded over her legs, grip tightening on her paddle. “You didn’t tell me the water would be this cold!” Felicity exclaimed in Oliver’s direction, who only laughed in response before directing the raft past the last bit of rapids.
Felicity heaved a huge sigh as the raft landed in a calmer part of the river, wiping water off of her face and loose strands of hair out of her eyes. Oliver watched her, chuckling.
“You okay?” He asked, placing a warm hand on her upper arm, just below where her lifejacket rested on her shoulder.
“Yeah. For now.” Felicity breathed, words caught as she fought to catch her breath.
“You have a few minutes before the next rapids. After that we’ll be close to lunch. I’ll keep you safe, Felicity.” Felicity could only nod in return, feeling the loss when Oliver pulled his hand away to take a few paddles, guiding the raft all by himself.
Oliver seemed to want to comfort Felicity, so he tried to get her talking. “What do you do at Palmer Tech?”
Felicity’s breathing having returned to normal, she replied steadily. “I’m VP of the applied sciences division. I’ve always loved computers, built my first one when I was seven. MIT was my dream school for as long as I could remember. I’d love to own my own company some day. Seems like a pipe dream right now, though.” Felicity trailed off, eyes on Ray in front of the boat, smiling and joking with her other coworkers.
Oliver stared at her, mouth open. “You are remarkable, Felicity.” Felicity smiled at him, but Oliver kept talking. “No, really, I mean it. I can barely work my cell phone, and here you are, building computers and running the world.”
Felicity laughed, finally seeming to relax. “I bet you don’t have much use for cell phones out here. Believe me, I’ve already tried. No service.”
“You just don’t know the secret spot yet.” Oliver waggled his eyebrows. “If you survive this trip I’ll show you later.” Felicity laughed, swatting him lightly on the arm with her paddle.
“If I don’t survive, it’ll be your fault.” Felicity’s eyes met Oliver’s, her laugh freezing in the air between them, feeling the tension building between them, before Oliver tore his eyes away and back toward the river, gauging the distance between their raft and Tommy’s ahead of them.
Oliver cleared his throat, before instructing the group how to navigate the rapids ahead of them. Felicity looked ahead, but froze in panic at the giant rocks that appeared to be straight in their path.
“Uh, Oliver?” Felicity started, paddle clutched tightly in her hands.
“Right side, take two hard strokes, it’s about to get bumpy.” Oliver called out. Felicity’s coworkers laughed as the raft careened into the first rapid, tipping wildly and sloshing water over all of the rafts occupants, before bouncing into the next rapid.
“Left side, stroke!” Oliver used his paddle like a rudder behind the boat as the left side of raft stroked, sending the raft tumbling over a protruding rock, before landing sideways. Oliver used his strong arms to force the boat to turn with his paddle, righting their direction before the raft slammed into the next series of rapids.
If Felicity hadn’t been so scared she would probably have been transfixed by the flexing of Oliver’s arms and the command in his tone as he issued orders to Felicity’s coworkers. Felicity wished she exuded half that authority when she was in the office.
Felicity was snapped out of her musing by a splash of water from a rapid, shocking her into attention. She could see the end of the rapids ahead, so she clutched her paddle in her hands, ready to follow Oliver’s instructions.
“Okay everybody take one last stroke together, and lean to the left as far as you can.” Felicity’s coworkers hollered and yelled as the left leaning tipped the raft past the last rapid and they landed with a splash in a calmer part of the river. The force of the landing caused Felicity, already leaning to the left, to slide against Oliver with a not-insignificant amount of force. He let out a surprised “oomf!” as Felicity practically landed in his lap.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Felicity was blushing furiously, limbs flailing as she tried to extricate herself from Oliver, but he just chucked, one hand holding his paddle, the other moving around her waist, lifting her bodily by her lifejacket to put her back on the right side of the raft. Felicity squealed as she was lifted, which drew the attention of her coworkers to the back of the raft.
“Felicity, you okay?” Ray called from the front of the raft.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just, uh, lost my balance. All good!” Felicity finished awkwardly, looking down at her hands. She glanced up in time to see Ray glaring at Oliver, but Oliver was watching Felicity, eyes bright with mirth.
Felicity met his eyes and suppressed a laugh. “Shut up!” Oliver chuckled again, before turning his attention forward.
“You guys can see Tommy’s raft up ahead, headed for shore. We’re going to pull up right beside them for lunch. Left side is going to need to give a few strokes to steer up over there. I’ll count off for you guys.” Felicity watched Oliver’s arms move as he stroked with the paddle, in time with the rest of that side of the boat. Each flex of his muscles drew Felicity’s eye, the life vest he wore doing little to mask his physique. The rhythm with which he was moving causing her mind to wander to other places where that type of rhythm might come in handy.
Felicity licked her lips, catching herself staring just in time for the raft to bump gently into the shore. Oliver glanced back at her, slight smirk on his face, before climbing out of the raft and extending his hand to Felicity. Felicity grasped his hand and pulled herself out of the raft, stumbling slightly at the feeling of being on dry land again. Oliver used his other arm to steady her.
“You alright?” He said softly, smiling down at her.
“Yeah.” Felicity hated how breathy her voice sounded, but Oliver’s smile only widened. Sensing her coworkers watching her, she dropped Oliver’s hand with a mumbled “Thanks.” Oliver looked down in confusion before seeing her coworkers and smiling knowingly.
“Okay, everybody. Tommy will distribute your lunches, and then we’ll give you guys about 45 minutes to eat. If you guys need anything, Tommy and I will be over there.” Oliver gestured to a felled tree, quite a distance away from the designated sitting area. Felicity frowned seeing that Oliver and Tommy wouldn’t be joining them for lunch. As her coworkers queued up by Tommy, she asked Oliver about it.
“Are you and Tommy antisocial or something?” Felicity asked with a tease in her tone.
“Most of the time the rafters don’t want us around. It’s supposed to be a company bonding thing, you know?”
“Yeah, I get it.” She leaned in, whispering conspiratorially “I just don’t like any of these people.”
Oliver laughed, before catching Tommy’s eye as Felicity’s coworkers moved to the seating area. “Well if you decide you want to join us, there’s room on our tree.” He patted her shoulder before walking off to the tree, pulling his life jacket off as he went. Felicity swallowed at the sight of his back muscles, her eyes roaming over the way his shoulders flexed as he tossed the lifejacket and helmet down next to the tree.
Tommy watched her with an amused smile, before handing Felicity her lunch, snapping her out of her staring. “Sorry. He’s just…” Felicity trailed off, causing Tommy to laugh.
“Believe me, you aren’t the first.” He gave her a friendly smile before joining Oliver, leaving Felicity to stare at the seating area her coworkers had settled into. Her brow furrowed as she realized the only empty seat was next to Ray. She didn’t want to seem like a completely bad sport, so she took the seat next to Ray, attempting to smile at her coworkers.
“Miss Smoak! How are you enjoying the trip so far?” Ray turned to face her fully, and Felicity could sense her coworkers’ frustration at her having captured all of his attention.
“Uh, it’s terrifying, actually, but not too bad, I guess. Are you all having fun?” She tried to bring the rest of the group back into the discussion, and her coworkers intermittently voiced their excitement about the trip between bites of food. Felicity was attempting to polish off her lunch as quickly as possible, but Ray continued to address his questions only to her. Felicity was baffled how he could be so oblivious to his behavior and the negative effect it was having on this “team building” exercise.
“Miss Smoak, would you like to join me for a drink after the team dinner tonight?” Ray was looking at her hopefully, and Felicity was trying to tamp down her frustration.
“I’m sure everyone would like to go for a drink after today.” She hedged, trying to catch the eye of any of her coworkers to bail her out. She glanced over to where Oliver and Tommy were sitting, and seeing them laughing and joking made her finally give up. “Everyone should meet up in the lounge after dinner. It’ll be fun! If you’ll excuse me…” Felicity ignored Ray’s disgruntled facial expression as she got up from her seat and made her way over to Oliver and Tommy. Their laughter died as she approached.
“Felicity, everything okay?” Oliver looked ready to intervene on her behalf, but she put a hand out to keep him from standing.
“Everything’s fine, I just need a minute. Mind if I sit?” She gestured to the space between Oliver and Tommy on the tree-bench. Tommy moved his life vest to make room for her, and Felicity settled between them with a huff.
“Want to talk about it?” Tommy asked, hand on Felicity’s shoulder.
“I think it’s pretty obvious. I’m never going to be taken seriously by my coworkers if he won’t stop hitting on me. And if I can’t get taken seriously, I’ll never be able to open my own business.” Felicity sighed. “Why don’t men ever take a hint?”
Tommy laughed. “He’ll take the hint if you show him you aren’t available.” Tommy gestured toward Oliver with a wink. Oliver glared, blushing, while Felicity just looked confused.
“What? You want me to- Oh! Oh.” Felicity was blushing too, now, but she chanced a glance at Oliver who met her eyes briefly before looking away.
“Just a suggestion.” Tommy said, before getting up from the log and moving to collect trash from Felicity’s coworkers.
Oliver and Felicity sat awkwardly, silence stretching between them. Felicity said “So…” at the same time Oliver started to ask, “Do you…” and they both laughed, breaking the awkwardness. Oliver stood up, offering Felicity his hand.
“Come on, I want to show you something.” Oliver’s eyes were twinkling down at her, and it was too difficult to resist, so she took his hand and he helped her up, leading her towards the tree line and into the woods.
They walked for about 100 feet, when they came to a small clearing that had wildflowers growing in it.
“This is my favorite place in all of Camp Verdant. Tommy and I spent a few days hiking and camping when we first started out, to get the lay of the land, and I staked out this clearing as my thinking spot. Tommy has one too, near a waterfall off of one of the hiking trails. I come here a lot.” Oliver didn’t let go of Felicity’s hand the entire time he spoke.
“It’s beautiful, Oliver. I can see why you like it so much.” Felicity looked around, taking in the full space.
“So are you, Felicity. Can you see why I like you?” Felicity looked sharply at Oliver, shocked, but Oliver was just looking at her with a small smile on his face.
“I barely know you, Oliver.” Felicity said, keeping eye contact while moving towards him slowly.
“I know, Felicity. But I’d like to get to know you better.” Oliver lifted a hand to caress her cheek, his fingers grazing the strap of the helmet she hadn’t removed.
“I feel like I can trust you, Oliver. Why is that?” Felicity watched as Oliver unbuckled the strap on the helmet and pulled it off of her, blonde hair frizzing in every direction. Oliver’s hand wandered up, smoothing down the strands.
“I guess I just have one of those faces.” Felicity made a face at that, and Oliver chuckled. “I’m kidding. You trusted me to guide you down that river. You can trust me with more than that.” Felicity nodded, mutely, as their faces slowly moved closer.
Felicity’s hands found their way to Oliver’s chest, resisting the urge to rub her hands up and down his torso. Oliver bent down, both hands on Felicity’s face, before gently, gently pressing his lips to hers.
Felicity had to swallow a sigh as their lips met, the kiss starting chastely and completely at odds with how she expected a man as rugged as Oliver to kiss. Just a soft press of lips to lips, until Felicity parted her mouth slightly, her tongue pressing into Oliver’s lips.
That was what it took for Oliver to abandon all pretenses, lifting Felicity by her life jacket and pushing her against the nearest tree, the padding of the vest cushioning her from the rough bark. Felicity gasped as her back hit the wood, her legs involuntary wrapping around Oliver’s bare torso as their tongues dueled. Felicity felt sparks at every point of contact between her and Oliver. Felicity was starting to reach for the clasps on her life vest when a voice broke through the clearing.
“Oliver? Thinking time is over.” They could hear the laugh in Tommy’s voice, as Felicity’s head slumped into Oliver’s shoulder with a groan.
“Don’t make me go back.” Felicity grumbled, hands trailing down Oliver’s back, making him shudder.
“Sorry, Felicity. I’ll make sure you’re safe, though. Least I can do.” He said as he set her back on the ground, and bent to retrieve her helmet.
“My hero.” Felicity said, smiling at him as Oliver put her helmet back on her head and buckled the strap. He pecked her lips one last time, making her giggle, before taking her hand and leading her back through the wood toward the riverbank.
Oliver squeezed her hand and dropped it before they reached the tree line, and Felicity was glad he recognized her need to be professional around her coworkers. When they breached the tree line, they saw that Tommy had gathered everyone together and gotten them ready to get back on the river. Oliver gave Tommy a grateful look, which Tommy returned with a smug smirk, before they both snapped into guide mode and got Felicity’s coworkers back into their boats.
Oliver helped Felicity into the back of the boat with a secret smile, before gracefully climbing into the boat and instructing Felicity’s coworkers to paddle after Tommy. Felicity’s coworkers happily chatted in the front of the boat, but Felicity noticed that this time, Ray wasn’t joining in.
“Did you enjoy lunch, Miss Smoak?” Ray called from the front of the boat.
“Yes, Mr. Palmer.” Felicity answered. “Considering I only eat what I can cook in a microwave, this was much better than my usual.” Felicity smiled as her coworkers joined her in laughing. Finally, Felicity thought. Bonding. Oliver smiled at Felicity too, making her heart flutter.
Oliver gave more commands to the rafters, Felicity finally feeling like this retreat may not have been a total waste, when a cold splash of water caught her by surpise.
“Ahhh! Where did that come from? We’re not near any rapids!” Felicity shrieked her displeasure. It was only after her outburst that she realized Ray was laughing at her.
“Gotcha Smoak!” Ray yelled from the front of the boat, flashing the paddle he used to splash her, and the other occupants of the right side of the boat. Felicity grumbled as she brushed strands of wet hair out of her face. Oliver’s jovial guide persona had slipped into something quite a bit more serious.
“I’m going to have to ask you not to do that again, Mr. Palmer” Oliver’s tone made Felicity shiver, and not in a fun way.
“Stop being a spoilsport, Oliver. I’m just having a little fun!” Ray was completely unremorseful, but as much as Oliver was annoyed, he realized that it boiled down to Ray not understanding the safety rules.
“Mr. Palmer. If you do that again you could overbalance the boat. It’s a safety hazard.” Oliver used the tone he used with the twelve-year-old boys that sometimes horsed around on these trips, but it didn’t seem to resonate with Ray. Felicity felt slightly better that Ray wasn’t listening to Oliver either, so it wasn’t just her having a problem with him.
“It’s fine, Oliver.” Ray pouted from the front of the boat. To prove his point, he dug his paddle into the water, and splashed more water.
Except this time the force of his stroke with the paddle, coupled with some unseen rocks under the water marking the start of the next rapids, caused the boat to tip wildly. Caught off-guard, Felicity flailed before falling out of the boat with a splash. Felicity’s coworkers gasped and yelled as the boat moved with the current, Felicity bobbing helplessly away from the boat.
“Tommy!” Oliver yelled ahead to the other boat, as he paddled the boat toward Felicity. The current was strong enough that there was no way to get to her before the rapids picked up speed.
“Felicity, can you hear me?” Oliver yelled across the water. Felicity’s limbs were flailing, which let Oliver know she hadn’t hit her head. Oliver heard a weak “yeah” coming from her direction, so he continued. “Felicity, I can’t get to you before we get to the end of these rapids. You’ll float with the current and I’ll get you at the bottom. You’re wearing a life vest, so don’t panic, Felicity. Pull your arms in, hug yourself, okay? I promise I will get you at the bottom. You’re going to be okay.”
Felicity didn’t say anything, but Oliver knew he had been heard because her arms stopped flailing and were tucked into her chest. Oliver turned his attention to the river in front of him, taking in the expressions of Felicity’s shocked coworkers, before Oliver started barking orders at the rafts occupants. They quickly faced forward, doing as he commanded, even Ray looking contrite as they navigated the rapids, which were quickly becoming stronger, tossing the raft left and right.
Oliver kept one eye on the river and the other on Felicity, watching as her small frame was tossed through the rapids. As soon as the raft splashed at the bottom, Oliver navigated the boat to where Tommy had his raft waiting, using a protruding rock to anchor his raft mid river. As soon as Oliver’s raft was secure, he dove into the water and swam to where Felicity was bobbing in the water.
When he reached her, his eyes scanned her, assessing her for injury. She was holding her left wrist, and she had some scrapes, but the thing that worried Oliver the most was the petrified look in her eyes.
“Hey, hey, you’re okay. I’ve got you.” Oliver grabbed the life vest and used it to tow Felicity back to the raft, reassuring her the whole time. When they got back to the raft, he turned Felicity to face him, life jackets keeping them a good foot apart.
Oliver reached up to smooth out Felicity’s hair, getting a better look at the scrape on her cheek. “You’re safe now, Felicity.”
“I’m sorry.” She hiccupped. “I’m sorry, Oliver. That was so scary. I want to go home.” Oliver could see tear tracks on Felicity’s cheeks, and his heart broke.
“Felicity, it’s okay. I’m the one that’s sorry. I promised to keep you safe. I’m going to take care of you. Tommy is going to hold your hand while I get in the boat, and then I’m going to lift you into the boat, alright?” When Felicity nodded her assent, he made sure Tommy had a good grip on her uninjured wrist before lifting himself into the boat.
Felicity’s eyes tracked his arm muscles, and Oliver gave her a weak smile. “I see you’re still checking me out, so you’re definitely going to be okay.” Felicity let out a watery chuckle as Oliver lifted her by her life jacked, so reminiscent of how he had done when they were making out in the woods. She didn’t care that her coworkers were watching when Oliver settled her into his lap, running his hands over her.
“Where does it hurt?” Felicity squeezed her eyes shut.
“Yes.” She answered, and Oliver could see she was trying to keep herself from shaking.
“It’s okay, Felicity. We’ve got another 45 minutes or so, can you make it? If not I can call Diggle to come get us, but it’ll take longer.” Felicity burrowed into his chest, her face pressing into his life jacket.
“I can make it if I don’t have to move.” She mumbled into the fabric, her good hand clutching the vest.
“I can handle that.” He said, smiling down at her. He shifted to the middle of the boat, Felicity still in his lap, before taking his paddle from Tommy and nodding that he was ready to continue. Ray looked stricken in the front of the boat.
“Miss Smoak, I’m so sorry.” Felicity winced and snuggled closer to Oliver.
“Not now, Mr. Palmer.” Oliver said sharply. “I need to get us back as quickly as possible to get Felicity checked over.” Ray nodded mutely before turning to face front, finally concentrating on listening to Oliver.
The only sound in the boat now was Oliver giving instructions, the enjoyment of the trip seemingly sucked out of the boat. Felicity clung to Oliver, leaving his hands free to paddle from the center of the raft. Whenever they hit rapids her grip got tighter, her knuckles white on Oliver’s life vest, causing Oliver’s heart to clench painfully in his chest.
Oliver kept up a steady stream of chatter, trying to reassure Felicity. He told her about why he left Starling City, the pressures of parents who expected something out of him that he never wanted, about his sister, Thea, who ran the spa at Camp Verdant, and whatever else he could think of. Felicity gradually seemed to come back to herself, but still startled when the boat bumped.
When the boat made it through the last set of rapids, Oliver addressed the group, his arm running up and down Felicity’s back.
“I want to apologize for the way the trip ended. You all did a great job following my directions during the emergency and I want to thank you all for that. Please, after your dinner tonight drinks are on me in the lounge.” Felicity’s coworkers murmured their thanks and platitudes, looking with pity at Felicity clutching Oliver like a child. Ray was looking at her with regret, but Oliver was attempting to shield Felicity from the attention.
Tommy was on the dock, helping everyone out of the raft. Oliver stayed in the back with Felicity in his arms. Everyone else had disembarked, and made their way back to the cabins to get cleaned up before dinner, but Ray was lingering behind. Tommy went over and murmured something in Ray’s ear that finally made him leave the dock. Oliver brushed his hand over Felicity’s face.
“Do you think you can get up?” Oliver asked, but Felicity shook her head. Oliver shared a look with Tommy. “Okay, I’m going to lift you up and Tommy is going to get you, okay. Then I’ll get out of the boat and take you to the first aid area.” Felicity nodded mutely, so Oliver used his arms to lift Felicity’s body, and Tommy bent to scoop her into his arms. Oliver vaulted out of the boat quickly, and Tommy passed her back, Felicity arms immediately looping around his neck.
“I’ve got this, Oliver, you look after her, okay?” Oliver nodded gratefully at Tommy before striding purposefully up the hill towards the main lodge of the camp, carrying Felicity bridal style. Instead of following the signs for the infirmary, he went through a door marked “employees only.”
Felicity seemed to be aware that she was in new surroundings. Her eyes taking in the corridor and the door she passed, trying to assess where she was.
“This is the living quarters for the staff, Felicity. We built something a little nicer than the cabins for the people that would be here full time.” Oliver took Felicity to the very last door on the right, pushing it open and setting her down on the small sofa.
Felicity’s eyes were wide a she took in the room. The sofa she was on faced a large fireplace, with a television mounted above it. The other side of the room had a comfortable looking bed, and a door that she thought led to a bathroom. Oliver crouched in front of her, his eyes boring into her like he was still trying to see if she was hurt.
“Felicity. I’m going to call my sister, Thea, to see if she can bring your overnight bag, alright? Then I’m going to take off your helmet and your life vest and check for any bruising. You can shower if you are feeling up for it. Do you need anything before I do all that?”
Felicity felt her eyes welling up again. “You’re being so nice.” Oliver smiled, gently, waiting for her to continue. “I’m really cold. And I’m thirsty.”
“Okay. I’ll put on the fireplace. I thought you might be in shock before when you were shaking. You scared me, Felicity.”
“I’m sorry, Oliver.” She looked down at her hands, and Oliver could see her one wrist was swollen.
“Felicity. You have nothing to be sorry for. You did great. You were very brave. And now I’m going to take care of you, if you’ll let me.” Oliver said all of this with one hand on her arm, and the warmth seeping through his touch brought Felicity more comfort than she expected. He squeezed gently before getting up to flick a switch on the side of the fireplace.
Oliver moved to the bar cart. “What do you want to drink? Water? Something stronger?”
Felicity laughed, humorlessly. “Anything to make me forget everything that happened after we got back in that stupid raft.”
“Vodka, coming right up.” Oliver said with a smile, drawing a small smile out of Felicity, enough for Oliver to consider it a victory. He brought Felicity a drink, before moving to the phone on the wall by the door and pressing a button.
“Hey Thea.” He listened for a moment. “You’re the best. Tell Tommy I said thank you.” He hung up and turned to Felicity. “Tommy was one step ahead of me. Thea is on her way with your stuff and dinner for you, in case you aren’t up for joining your coworkers.”
This seemed to finally put some animation back into Felicity. “Oh, no. I have to quit my job. I can’t ever go back there.” Oliver though this was an overreaction, and tried to calm her.
“Felicity, I’m sure no one will hold what happened today against you.” Oliver had walked back over to the couch, and gently removed her helmet.
“That’s not it, Oliver. I can’t work with someone who would jeopardize my safety. You told him to stop splashing me because it was dangerous and he didn’t listen. That was my boss! No way. I’m done.” Seeing Felicity angry, while upsetting to Oliver, also made him realize that she was going to be okay.
“You can stay here as long as you need, Felicity.” Oliver said seriously as he slowly unclasped her life vest, gently pulling the front apart. Felicity shifted so she could pull her arms out of the vest, and Oliver tossed it aside, running his fingers over her skin to check for bruising, distracting Felicity from what he just said.
The sight of Felicity’s pink bikini in front of him normally would have set Oliver’s heart racing, but under these circumstances he was only scanning her body for injury, seeing some red patches on her ribs and bruises already beginning to form. Felicity grimaced when he found a tender spot on her side. Oliver furrowed his brow as he continued his examination, working up her torso and eventually ending at her swollen wrist. His fingers prodded at her injury, causing Felicity to wince.
“The good news is I don’t think anything is broken. Diggle is our medic and he has an X-Ray machine in the infirmary, but I don’t think it’s necessary if the pain isn’t too bad.” Oliver finished his assessment, but his fingers still lingered over his arms.
“Since when are you a doctor?” Felicity asked with a tilt of her head.
“Tommy and I have found ourselves in our share of scrapes. Between the two of us I think we’ve broken every bone there is. But if you’d like me to get Diggle I can. Otherwise we just need to get some ice for your wrist.”
Felicity moved to sit up, slowly, before grabbing a blanket off of the sofa to cover herself. “I’m okay for now. I think I will take that shower, if you don’t mind. How long will Thea be with my overnight bag? They told us they were taking them to our cabins when we got here.”
“She should be here any minute, I think Tommy was helping her. Do you want to go get started? By the time you are finished she should be here.”
Felicity nodded and slowly stood up, shedding the blanket, Oliver helping her with a hand on her waist. Oliver had to actively not stare at her ass, the bikini doing little to cover her from behind. She shuffled awkwardly, wincing at first before gradually working through the stiffness in her bones, until they reached the bathroom door and her jaw dropped.
“Is that a Jacuzzi?” Felicity’s eyes were wide as she took in the opulent bathroom, having both a large Jacuzzi tub and a corner walk in shower. The sink was sleek and modern, and the vanity had an array of every kind of product imaginable.
“It is. Would you prefer a bath?” Oliver looked over at Felicity, whose eyes had lit up for the first time since earlier in the afternoon.
“Yes. Oh my god, yes. You have no idea how much.”
“Bath it is.” He lowered the lid on the toilet so Felicity could sit. “I’ll run the bath for you, you just relax.” Oliver went over to the tap and started the water, before moving to the vanity and selecting three different powders to add to the water. He had just replaced the powders on the vanity and turned to take in Felicity’s amused expression when a knock was heard at the door.
“That’s probably Thea. I’ll be right back.”
Felicity could hear Oliver hurry through the large main room and the conversation between Oliver and Thea didn’t quite carry to where she was in the bathroom, she could only hear the tone of the voices, Thea’s having concern and Oliver’s having gratitude. After a minute, Oliver returned with her overnight bag in tow.
“Thea brought your bag,” he said, holding up her bag before setting it down on the vanity, “and she also had a robe and towels sent over from the spa since they are nicer than anything I would have for you. Her words, not mine.” Oliver smiled over at Felicity, who was watching him with a soft expression.
“Thank you, Oliver. And please, thank Thea for me.”
“Felicity, it’s the least I can do, after today. I failed you. I promised to keep you safe. I’m going to try to make it up to you now.” He rubbed his hands down his front awkwardly. “Well, looks like the tub is full so I’ll leave you to it.” He reached over to turn off the tap before turning to leave. “Let me know if you need anything.”
Felicity hesitated. “Wait, Oliver.” He turned back, looking at her expectantly. “Would you want to join me?” She asked hesitantly. When Oliver’s eyes widened, she quickly added, “I might need help washing my hair.”
Oliver recovered quickly. “Of course I want to join you, Felicity.” He smiled, genuinely as he helped her over to the tub. “I’d really like to continue what we started earlier, as soon as your ready, if you want.” He hesitated as they reached the tub and Felicity was silent for a beat too long. He looked up, ready to backtrack, when he saw she was holding back laughter. When they made eye contact, the damn burst, and she laughed, wincing as she couldn’t stop herself from laughing further. Oliver laughed too. “Oh, is that funny to you?”
“I’m sorry.” She said between giggles. “You were just so serious. You’ve been so serious since this all happened. I’d like that too, as long as you don’t think we’re doomed because I fell out of the raft.” Felicity stared down at the tub, trying to figure out how to get in, when Oliver picked her up and gently placed her in, still wearing her bikini.
“Never, Felicity. You’re as charming and beautiful as ever.” He said as he moved so he could slip into the bathtub behind her, still wearing his trunks.
She laughed again. “You’ve known me for one day!”
“The first of many, I hope.” Oliver said, as he ran his hands up and down her arms gently, the water jets soothing Felicity’s aching body.
They sat in silence for a few moments, Felicity snuggling into Oliver’s back contentedly as the warmth from the water seeped into her muscles. Oliver’s hands wandered over Felicity’s body, up and down her arms before moving to her shoulders and over her torso. After a few minutes, he reached for the body wash and began massaging it into her body, his hands following the same path. When he reached her shoulders, he stopped, fingering the knot of her bikini.
He leaned forward, whispering in her ear. “May I?” He asked, tugging the string of the knot. He was surprised at the breathlessness of Felicity’s reply.
“Yes. Please.” Oliver didn’t need further encouragement as he pulled the strings untying Felicity’s bikini and pulled the garment away from her body, tossing it across the bathroom. He resisted the urge to go straight for her breasts, and resumed his washing of her shoulders and neck, running his fingers over the space where the bikini tie used to be.
Felicity let out a soft sigh as he continued his ministrations, washing her back and stomach before his hands finally wandered to her breasts. He massaged her gently, thumbs stroking over her nipples as Felicity’s sighs soon turned to moans. Oliver could feel the buds harden, his wet fingers leaving behind soapy trails as her chest rose and fell from the water with her breathing.
Felicity was just about to start rubbing back against Oliver, his arousal making itself known at her lower back, when Oliver removed his hands and reached for a different bottle beside the tub. Felicity groaned in protest, and Oliver was tempted to resume his ministrations.
“Felicity.” He said with a huff of a laugh “I’ve got to wash your hair before we’re in the tub too long and the water gets cold.” He dispensed a dollop of shampoo into his palms before rubbing his hands through her hair. “There will be plenty of time for that later.” He whispered against her ear, as he tucked her hair back so he could reach the blonde strands easier.
The feel of Oliver’s fingers massaging her scalp felt oddly nice, Felicity thought, as he first washed and then conditioned her hair. He thoughtfully rinsed her hair, warm water cascading down her back, making Felicity feel more relaxed then she thought she could possibly be feeling a mere few hours after being tossed around rapids.
“You ready to get out?” Oliver asked.
“Only if we can stay this relaxed.” Felicity sighed, her head lolling back against his chest.
“I think I can mange that.” Oliver said. He stood up, water dripping down his body as he stepped out of the tub, and reached for the stack of towels that Thea had brought for him. He wrapped one around himself, before grabbing another and holding it out for Felicity. She stood on unsteady legs as Oliver wrapped the towel around her and helped her out of the tub.
Oliver drained the tub, before making his way to the bathroom door. “I’m going to go get dressed. You’re welcome to use anything you find in here. If you need anything you just let me know, okay?” Felicity nodded, smiling at Oliver. He impulsively pecked her on the lips before leaving the bathroom to get dressed.
Felicity ran her fingers over her still tingling lips, smiling, before reaching for her bag to find pajamas. Having planned on staying in one of the cabins, alone, she only packed sleep shorts and camisoles for pajamas. She pulled on some clothes, and quickly combed out her hair, before exiting the bathroom.
She took two steps before her jaw dropped at the sight of Oliver, sweatpants slung low on his hips, no shirt.
“I thought you were getting dressed!” Felicity exclaimed, before her brain could stop her. Oliver turned, smirking, but the smirk died on his face as he took in her sleep attire.
“I could say the same to you.” Oliver’s eyes darkened as Felicity stepped closer, still flushed from her unintended outburst. She was about to reach for him, when a knock on the door interrupted them. Oliver sighed, looking apologetically down at Felicity before moving toward the door. “There’s food on the coffee table, if you’re hungry.” He called back to her as he opened the door, surprised to see Tommy on the other side.
“How is Felicity?” Tommy asked, but now Felicity was close enough to hear.
“I’m okay.” She called from within the room, so Oliver moved aside to let Tommy in.
“I’m glad to hear that. I’m so sorry to bother you guys but Palmer is at the infirmary and he’s asking to see you. Diggle told him you were unavailable, but he’s not taking no for an answer.” Tommy looked so apologetic that Felicity actually felt bad for him.
“It’s okay, Tommy. None of this is your fault. Or yours.” She added to Oliver. Felicity sighed. “Tell him I retired for the night to try to sleep off the soreness, and that I’ll be giving him my resignation tomorrow.” Tommy’s jaw dropped at Felicity’s words, but Oliver just put a hand on her shoulder.
“Wait until the end of the day to give your resignation.” Oliver said. “I saw you on the list for archery lessons in the morning, and I have it on good authority that the instructor is pretty hot.”
Felicity turned to Tommy. “So you’re the archery instructor?” She asked Tommy, causing him to burst out laughing and Oliver to pout.
“Oh, I like her.” Tommy said. “She’s a keeper.” Oliver smiled wide, putting an arm around Felicity’s shoulder. “Alright, alright, I’m out of here.” Tommy said, making his way to the door. “Thea said any spa treatments you want tomorrow are on her, if you decide to skip the rest of your retreat. I’ll deliver your message to Mr. Palmer. Good night, Felicity. Stay out of trouble, Oliver.” Tommy shut the door on Oliver’s reply, making Felicity laugh again.
“I can see why you two are such good friends.” Felicity said, moving toward the coffee table to see what food Thea had brought earlier. As Felicity uncovered the dishes, Oliver went to the drink cart to fetch some ice.
“We’ve been through a lot together. He’s always had my back. I’ll always have his. He’s my brother.” Oliver sat down on the sofa with the ice, beckoning Felicity to sit next to him so he could put the ice on her wrist.
Felicity awkwardly ate with one hand, Oliver occasionally feeding her, as they talked about Oliver’s friendship with Tommy, and Felicity’s lack of friendship with her coworkers. Before either of them knew it, it was dark outside and Felicity felt the exhaustion of the day catching up with her. She slumped against Oliver, yawning.
“I’m so tired. Is it okay if I just crash here?” Felicity said, reaching for a pillow at the end of the couch and fluffing it.
“Of course, Felicity. You take the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.” Oliver could tell Felicity was about to protest, so he cut her off. “You’re going to be sore tomorrow. It looks like you’re moving better after the bath, but you’re going to feel it when you wake up, trust me.”
“Fine. But we’re sharing. I’m not kicking you out of your own bed.” Felicity didn’t give Oliver a chance to argue, moving gingerly toward the bathroom and shutting the door on any debate Oliver may have wanted to have. When she emerged, Oliver had turned down the side of the bed he wasn’t already occupying.
He smiled up at her as she climbed under the covers, smile widening as he watched her fluff the pillows to her liking. She turned to him with tired eyes, but a bright answering smile. “Thank you, Oliver.”
The weight of her words was not lost on Oliver, but he was left speechless by her sincerity. “Good Night, Felicity” was his only response as he turned off the light and lay back on the pillow. The only sounds he could hear were the usual crickets mingling with the soft whispers of Felicity’s breathing. The unusual melody eventually lulled him to sleep.
Oliver woke up in the middle of the night to another sound he wasn’t used to hearing. He rolled over, facing where Felicity was lying, only to see instead of her sleeping she was staring up at the ceiling, sniffling.
“Felicity?” He asked sleepily, startling her.
“Oliver? I’m sorry. I’m fine, go back to sleep.” Felicity moved to turn away from her, and that caused Oliver to wake up more fully.
“What? No, hey. What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” Oliver tried to close the gap between them somewhat, inching closer but still giving Felicity space.
“Not exactly.” Felicity turned to face him, their faces on separate pillows. Oliver reached up to wipe the tear tracks off of her face. “I woke up and I didn’t know where I was. I tried to roll over and then I remembered what happened because it hurt and then I started crying and here we are.”
Oliver furrowed his brow at her mentioning being in pain. “What hurts?” He asked, stroking his thumb over her cheek.
“I’m just stiff. You weren’t kidding about feeling it in the morning.” She tried to chuckle but it turned to a wince.
Oliver sat up and reached for the corner of the blanket, looking to Felicity for permission, before pulling the blanket off of her and scanning her small frame. He could spot some bruising that was angrier than it was a few hours before. Oliver silently moved his hands over her frame, massaging the muscles in areas without bruising, and moving her limbs in gentle stretches.
Felicity watched him, lips parted, as Oliver’s hands moved over her body. When he finished, he simply looked up at her. “Better?” Felicity could only nod mutely as Oliver smiled again, leaning up to peck her on the lips before replacing the blanket and settling back on his side of the bed.
They resumed their position of facing one another, but this time Felicity was reaching tentative hands towards Oliver, her fingers wandering down his muscled arm.
“Thank you, Oliver. I guess I was just more shaken up than I thought. And now I don’t have a job and…” She trailed off, panic in her eyes, before Oliver placed his hand over hers on his arm.
“Felicity. I didn’t want to say anything before because it wasn’t the right time and I don’t want to pressure you, but I might be able to help you with the job situation.” At Felicity’s questioning look, he took a breath before continuing, hoping that bringing this up was the right thing to do. “If you’re serious about opening your own company, I might have some contacts in Star City that can help you, old family friends. One in particular who is always looking for people just like you to help out.”
Felicity smiled softly, albeit hesitantly. “Just like me?”
“Yeah. Brilliant, kind, self-aware.” At Felicity’s shocked expression, Oliver hurriedly continued. “You don’t have to decide right now. Just think about it.”
“How do you know I’m as brilliant as I say I am?” Felicity asked playfully. Oliver was glad she was receptive to the conversation, and that it seemed to be distracting her from her earlier distress.
“I never did get to show you the secret cell service spot. I can take you there tomorrow and you can show me how brilliant you are with a cell phone.”
“Deal.” Felicity said smiling, before squeezing his arm and pulling her hand back to roll over and fall asleep.
When Felicity woke up to sunlight streaming in through the windows, she was surprised to find her legs tangled with Oliver’s. She tried to extricate her legs, but only groaned in pain when her body moved, which caused Oliver to begin to stir.
“Hey.” Oliver said sleepily, shifting to face Felicity. Moving made him realize their legs had sought out each other’s warmth in the night, causing him to smile shyly at her. “How are you feeling?”
Felicity only groaned in response, making Oliver laugh as he again reached over her to pull off the blanket and massage her aching muscles. This time Felicity’s groans turned to groans of pleasure as Oliver’s hands worked into her skin, avoiding the bruises and assessing her soreness.
“How are you so good at this?” Felicity asked.
“My sister runs the spa here. I’ve picked up a few things.” He answered with a chuckle, his chuckle darkening when Felicity moaned as Oliver kneaded a particularly sore spot. Oliver’s fingers skimmed her stomach where her tank top had ridden up. “I know something else that might relax you.” He dipped his finger under the waistband of her shorts, meeting Felicity’s eyes.
Felicity’s pupils were blown wide as she nodded her assent. Oliver dipped another finger into her shorts, teasing the skin within reach. He gently pulled her shorts down her body, fingers caressing as he went. He tossed her shorts aside, moving his hands to her thighs and massaging the muscles, teasing her sensitive inner thigh with his thumbs. Felicity sighed softly, smiling languidly at Oliver as his hands moved higher, fingers caressing closer and closer to her apex.
Oliver smiled at the polka dots adorning her panties, Felicity’s own hands reached down to push her panties out of the way, granting Oliver access. He took his time working his way up her body, much to Felicity’s chagrin. When he reached her core he dipped his fingers into her slit, pleased to find her wet and ready. His pride must have shown on his face because Felicity laughed.
“Really? You’re surprised? I’ve been ready for this since last night.” Felicity smiled, smile deepening as Oliver’s eyes darkened, grin spreading across his face as his fingers got down to business, alternating between tracing patterns over her clit and dipping inside her. Felicity gasped in pleasure, back arching in spite of her stiff muscles.
Felicity had been on the razor’s edge since their shared bath the night before, so it didn’t take long before Oliver’s ministrations had her cascading over the edge, alternating gasping breaths with breathy moans. Oliver leaned back with a satisfied grin, sucking his fingers clean as Felicity caught her breath. She laughed delightedly at the sight, before pulling him towards her so she could kiss him properly.
He pulled back, eyes smiling down at her. “Get dressed. I’m going to take you to the roof, so you can impress me with your skills.” He dragged out the last word, making her laugh.
“Only if you impress me with your skills later.” Felicity said.
“Oh, I plan to.” He replied with a waggle of his eyebrows.
“I meant your archery skills!”
Five Years Later…
Felicity stood at the podium, camera flashes blinding her, as she started her speech.
“Five years ago I was fortunate enough to begin building this company out of unfortunate circumstances. After five years, and the unwavering support of my husband, Oliver Queen, and my friend and mentor, Walter Steele, I am pleased to announce that Smoakin’ Tech will be acquiring Palmer Technologies.”
Felicity paused as a murmur swept through the media present. Her eyes scanned the room, flitting over a sulking Ray Palmer, before resting on her husband. She held his eyes as she continued.
“I’m excited to introduce to all of you today an exciting vision for my company. And a new name.” She smiled widely at her husband while the new Queen Incorporated logo was unveiled behind her. She couldn’t quite suppress a laugh at his shocked expression, before his expression gradually shifted to one of awe. Watching Oliver completely distracted her from the uproar occurring in front of her.
She held up a hand to silence the crowd. “The Queen Family has done so much for Star City, even after the sale of their company. They deserve a lasting legacy. I’m honored to return that to them. I will never be able to fully repay the debt I owe them. Thank you.”
Felicity stepped off the podium and into Oliver’s waiting arms. They didn’t spare a glance at Ray Palmer, or the assembled media jostling for position and shouting questions, before they stepped out of the building and into the afternoon sunshine, together.