#olicity fluff

[herosstoic]

Loosely inspired by Cluedo and early S3 Olicity angst

Romance | Canon Divergence | Lots of UST| Angst and Fluff

Now complete!! Took a little longer than the holiday timeframe, but the friends (to strangers) to lovers angst still works!

A masquerade Christmas ball in a sprawling mansion. Two lonely people who decide that for just tonight, they are strangers. An irresistible attraction that they can only deny for so long. What starts as an amusing distraction during a tedious party, turns into a mini whodunit complete with a few colorful characters, a secret passage, and some forbidden moves - now if Oliver and Felicity would just get a clue about each others true feelings ...

Complete 5/5 chapters | 23,346 words

[shoulda-been-a-redhead]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Arrow (TV 2012), Green Arrow (Comics), The Flash (TV 2014) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Roy Harper/Thea Queen, Roy Harper & Oliver Queen Characters: Oliver Queen, Felicity Smoak, Thea Queen, Roy Harper, John Diggle (DCU), Barry Allen, Quentin Lance, Sara Lance, Sara Diggle, Lyla Michaels Additional Tags: Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Rescue, Rescue Missions, Blindfolded, Protective Thea Queen, BAMF Thea Queen, Fluff, Happy Ending Summary:

Ollie wakes up bandaged, blindfolded, and a little more than confused. With the threat of Thea being captured alongside him, he withstands the taunts and prods of an old nemesis... when suddenly a new bit of information makes him question whether Thea is really there at all. Could it all be a trick?

 Oneshot rescue mission fic! (Hope you enjoy!)

[takaraphoenix]

Felicity frowned, a headache burning behind her eyes as she scrolled through social media.

Life had been calm and peaceful for exactly a year. A year of living in hiding, living away from society. Just her, Oliver, William and Mia. Whatever evils were in the world, the newly formed Justice League could handle them. They had earned this family time.

Of course, raising their children away from society wasn't entirely an option. This life wasn't even really an option for Felicity. So shut off? No internet? What a nightmare. That in another timeline, she had lived so secluded for eighteen years, only with Nyssa and Mia, sometimes she couldn't fathom that. Sometimes, she was sad on her counterpart's behalf, for not having Oliver, for being apart from William for so long. But that was not her life, that was a timeline that had been erased by the events of Crisis and by the survival of Oliver.

Now here they were, back in Star City, living in the Queen Manor, with the recently revived Moira. Which, was at times exhausting and frustrating, but on other days, it was very nice to have a live-in babysitter who was more than happy to take Mia and William for a couple hours (even though William loudly claimed that he was by now far too old for a babysitter, so they called it 'quality time with grandma'). Naturally, they had to reclaim their lives.

And Ollie's life, it had led him into the spotlight once again. Honestly, after the disastrous way in which it had gone last time, Felicity couldn't believe he was willing to give it another shot. But there were no secrets anymore. Everything was out in the open. Oliver having been Green Arrow, the Crisis event, the rebirth of the multiverse. People knew about all of these things, about Oliver's heroics and the sacrifice he had made to save their world. Now, while he hung up the green hood, he still wanted to help, still wanted to save his city. This time, with no secrets. And with no villain with a personal vendetta against him trying to hurt him, Oliver was elected mayor once more.

And it was great! Really. Felicity was so proud of her husband, of the good he could do this way. Sometimes, she thought he may miss being Green Arrow, but in all honesty, he wasn't getting any younger either. And from what Felicity had seen, the Red Arrow was doing him proud in taking up his legacy. Oliver had gotten to retire in peace, to focus on his city and his family.

“Hey,” Oliver's voice was warm and soothing. “You keep glaring at your tablet.”

He was leaning against her chair, his face next to hers and the warmth of his body comforting her. Before he could really see what she was looking at, she quickly closed it and put the tablet down.

“Felicity,” there was an edge to his voice, the kind that said 'don't try to hide it'.

With a slightly sheepish look on her face did she turn around to face him and steal just the quickest little kiss from him. “It's nothing. Nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

“So it is something,” Oliver frowned, concerned. “What is it?”

Rolling her eyes, Felicity leaned back against the table, her fingers tapping onto her tablet. “You know how it goes. Wife of a politician. Reduced to what outfits she wears and such. And some... very, very sad individuals online think that you shouldn't have married me, that you and Laurel would have been the power couple, the DA and the mayor. I mean, no offense, you know I love you, but no, the way you broke her heart? She really should not have ever taken you back.”

“None taken,” Oliver chuckled a little even as he leaned forward, closer to her, before turning more serious. “I know how much I hurt Laurel and I'm... very grateful that we managed to save our friendship. But Laurel... that Laurel... she was happy with Tommy.”

“And the other one is very happy with Dinah,” muttered Felicity beneath her breath and with the faintest smile. “Yeah. I know. And honestly, it's not... I mean, I don't care? What do I care what some small-minded people on the internet think. I know I love you and I know you love me. It's more... annoyance. That instead of focusing on important political issues or whatever these people have nothing better to do than obsess over our marriage. It's creepy and weird.”

Oliver grunted his agreement and took a step back. Enough so Felicity could push her chair off and follow him suit. The tablet remained laying on the desk, even as the two left the room.

“A weekend getaway,” declared Oliver with certainty. “No internet. No trolls, or whatever you call them, just you, me and the kids, how does that sound?”

A happy smile lit up Felicity's face as she took his hand into hers, interlacing their fingers. “Yes.”

She tugged, just gently so, enough to make him lean down so she could kiss him. This. This right here, right now, was something nobody could take away from her. She knew Oliver was her soulmate and that she was his. They had this, had each other and their family, and nobody whining on the internet could ever change that. Together, they headed upstairs.

“Kids?” Oliver called out loudly.

William's voice sounded from down the hall. “Mia's room.”

Mia was three. An adorable toddler, taking wobbly steps and trying to get her grabby hands onto absolutely everything. Her blonde curls were put up into two pigtails, bouncing as she looked up at her parents with the brightest smile. Mia and William were sitting on the floor of her bedroom, having a tea-party with her favorite stuffed toys. William was wearing a sparkly blue tiara, Mia a purple one. As soon as Felicity and Ollie were close enough and sat down with the kids did Mia reach for two more tiaras. Oliver smiled at his daughter as he bent down enough so she could place the golden tiara with the green gems on his head.

“That really does suit you,” Felicity smiled. “Green is just your color, mh?”

She accepted the pink tiara from William, who offered her a lopsided grin. While he wasn't that much a fan of the accessory, he absolutely was a fan of his baby sister and would do anything to make her happy. Playing dress-up and having tea parties did very much make her happy.

“Your mother and I were just talking,” Oliver started, before picking up a tiny, purple tea-cup. “What do you say, we take a weekend off for a little family trip?”

Mia immediately perked up at that. “Uncle Diggy?”

“We can visit uncle Diggle another time,” Felicity smiled and patted her head. “But this time, just the four of us. We could go up into the cabin in the woods, have an adventure in the forest.”

“Adventure!” Mia cheered loudly, throwing her hands up in the air.

She did love uncle Diggle, who had moved to Freeland to live closer to his stepsister and her family. But she also loved adventure. To a concerning amount. But Felicity and Oliver were pretty sure they had at least another decade before they'd have to seriously worry about any vigilantism that she may have inherited from her father. For now, it was time to focus on their family and love.

[elasticmonk]

Hi! I already asked about this on your other blog but wanted to make sure that you got it so I am asking on here too. Is there anyway that you would repost Life behind the picture on ao3 or fanfiction.net? That fanfiction made me love olicity and I absolutely love reading it so it would mean alot if you would consider it.

💚💚💚

(sorry for all the responses 😅)

[red-pens-and-ferns]

I absolutely love your story Life Behind the Picture. I finally found some of it today but I wish there was a way I could read all of it. Is there anyway you would ever repost the full story on ao3 or fanfiction,net?

I’m reposting it! (some chapters will be missing like 3 or so) 💚

[dixongrimesgirl]

Pretty Smart

Felicity is laying on the couch and William is in his room when Oliver opens the door. He closes it behind him and makes his way over to Felicity. He kneels down in front of her and gives her a kiss. "What's wrong?" he asks. "I missed you." she replies. "I missed you too but what's really wrong?" "I can't hack into Diaz's files." she says with a sigh. "You'll figure it out. I know you will." he says. "How do you know?" she asks. "Because my wife is the smartest person ever and she can hack anything." He says causing her to smile. "You're right I am pretty smart." she says with a smile. "You're pretty and smart." he replies before kissing her. She sits up and he picks her up and carries her to their bedroom. He lays her down before joining her. They lay their with their arms around each other until William calls for them.

[copsecore]

Fluff Poll!!

(the smut is in the works, i just need to work on some lighter projects in the mean time)

TTB: manicure oneshot, Treasure insists on painting Porter’s nails for the Monarchal Summit

HMTSMG: Pet seeks (non-sexual) comfort from Vega after being slutshamed by their coworkers for participating in the Departmental feeding program

OLIC(ASAY): honey sickfic!! we’ve seen sick guy and i wanted to turn the tables, a little switcheroo, if you will

[aroeddiediaz]

20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by @cal-daisies-and-briars , @jesuiscenseedormir , @diazsdimples

How many works do you have on ao3?

27!

What's your total ao3 word count?

61,537

What fandoms do you write for?

Currently I’m pretty much exclusively a 9-1-1 writer, but in the past I wrote a lot of Flarrowverse (do they still call it that?). I also have published fics for Fantastic Beasts and a few anime (Given, Haikyuu, Saiki K). Given the number of Bnha wips i have locked away in the vault it’s amazing I don’t have anything published for that.

Top 5 fics by kudos:

(I am omitting all the Flarrowverse fics in my top 5 on the basis that they were written in high school and I’ve changed as a person, and they probably only beat out on the numbers due to being up for years longer)

1. Kabe-Do’s and Kabe-Don’ts (Given, 861 kudos)

2. You’re Not Special (Saiki K, 598 kudos)

3. How Eddie Learned To Stop Worrying And Embrace The Kitten Life (9-1-1, 327 kudos)

4. The Boy Formerly Known As Miracle (Haikyuu, 277 kudos)

5. Under The Hood (9-1-1, 275 kudos)

Do you respond to comments?

Yes!! As many as I can!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

This probably has to be The Crimes of Queenie Goldstein, in which Queenie is put on trial for her actions during the war. Don’t @ me but Queenie turning traitor was bu far the most interesting part of the Crimes of Grindelwald (the only interesting thing, really). There could be such an interesting story between her and Tina if only JKR would let the movies out of her grasp.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Fuck, idk if I have a happiest ending fic, a lot of them tend to not have that much story arc. (A lot of established relationship fluff or smut lmao). I guess if I had to pick one it would probably be How Eddie Learned To Stop Worrying and Embrace The Kitten Life.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not since that one anti-olicity fic that I wrote while deep in the trenches of Flarrowverse discourse, which I totally deserved :/. I have regrets. Also I should probably orphan/delete that one if I haven’t already. In my defense, high school. I have learned.

Do you write smut?

Yea lol. I think my 9-1-1 stuff has been almost exclusively smut. Idk how it happened. (I do know how it happened smut is fun to write)

Craziest crossover?

I haven’t published any of my crossover fics :( none of them have been complete enough. I have many many unfinished RotBTD wips that have never seen the light of day though.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Who would steal my stuff? Lol

Have you ever had a fic translated?

One time someone offered to translate one of my fics into Russian but idk if that ever actually happened.

Have you co-written a fic before?

Nope

All time favorite ship?

Right now definitely Buddie! Percabeth holds a special place in my heart though <3

What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Ok. After the end of the Heroes of Olympus Series, but before Trials of Apollo was announced, I tried my own hand at writing the sequel that was clearly coming based on all the loose threads in the final book. It was going to be a Solangelo quest to save the Oracle of Delphi from Python, while Akhys tries to poison Percy to turn him into an evil god(?). Half the details have been lost and I desperately want to remember them, because I haven’t attempted anything nearly as cool or ambitious since then. The first 5 chapters are posted on my ao3 (Will Solace and the Oracle’s Cry) and I still think high school me had the most interesting characterization of Will out of everyone else on the internet at the time. Even if it is still very 2015.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I’m good at getting into the heads of different characters. Understanding their motives and weaknesses.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Editing.

Lmao I have a lot of weaknesses but I definitely struggle the most with trying to look back on or change things I’ve already written, even when it’s necessary.

Also my tendency to just drop fics if I stop working on them for too long. Rip to my wip graveyard.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

That’s a minefield I’m not willing to play in. Unless it’s Chinese. Very limited amounts of Chinese. Or like, a pet name or phrase that’s already ubiquitous in fandom so I’m not risking anything.

First fandom you wrote in?

Percy Jackson!! That Will Solace quest is the first thing I ever wrote! I definitely had a tendency to jump into the deep end with new hobbies lmao. Like my first ever cosplay that took me 3 years to complete.

Favorite fic you've written?

I think my favorite fic is always going to be the one I’m currently working on writing. But I am very proud of the silly little dramatic ironies in In Hindsight, which I wrote entirely over one long lunch the day after 7x04 broke me. Also I have to shoutout Teacher’s Pet, that one ruler spanking fic nobody ever reads because it’s Eddie/Ana lmao. I enjoyed putting in a bunch of tiny incompatibilities between them. So, uh, I guess my favorite thing in my own writing is dramatic irony?

Tagging: @aspecbuddie @pirrusstuff @jesuisici33 @steadfastsaturnsrings @lemonzestywrites @your-catfish-friend @inkmortal-trash389 @evanbegins s @wildlife4life @eddiebabygirldiaz @epicbuddieficrecs @kitteneddiediaz @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @coatedpanda16 @nicotinewrites @estheticpotaeto @babytrapperdiaz @snowviolettwhite @wikiangela

[yourenotdonefighting]

First Sentence Game

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

1. Noah knows that faraway look. He's seen it hundreds of times over the last 18 years. from Carry Me Home (Stydia, 1.5K words, post-6x10 fluff)

2. Lydia is used to nightmares. She's been having them for years, and who could blame her? from Just Say You Won't Let Go (Stydia, 18K words, angsty with an eventual happy ending)

3. "You sure about this?" Steve asks tentatively. from Who's Going to Tell Them? (Romanogers, 14K, WIP, slow burn, fluff, angst, companion piece to Step Into the Light.)

4. Lydia reaches into the depths of her purse, feeling around for the spearmint candy she knows lives at the bottom. from Stars In Slow Motion (Stydia, 1.5K, post-6a fluff)

5. "See you in a minute." Those five words played in Steve’s head; stuck on a permanent loop that he couldn’t turn off no matter how hard he tried. from When a Minute Lasts Forever (Romanogers, 3.2K, so much angst)

6. Natasha came to suddenly, blinking several times as her eyes adjusted to the dark. from Far Too Young to Die (Romanogers, 4.5K, Natasha being a baddie. Steve saving the day.)

7. Natasha glanced around the platform at her team, her family – or rather, what was left of it – and drew in a deep breath. from Step Into the Light (Romanogers, 38K, slowish burn, fluffy, angsty, happy ending)

8. Felicity could hear Oliver calling her name, but she didn't stop, and she most certainly didn't look back. from Is it My Fault? (We've Been Missing Each Other) (Olicity, 9K, slow burn, team arrow saves the hero)

9. For the third time that week Felicity shot straight up in bed in a panicked, cold sweat. from Lay Your Weary Head to Rest (Olicity, 1.5K, angsty, comfort) 10. Just shy of thirty-six hours after leaving Slade Wilson behind at the ARGUS detention facility on Lian Yu, Oliver finds himself back outside of Felicity's apartment building. from You're in my veins (and I cannot get you out) (Olicity, 3K, mild angst, comfort, fluff)

Can y'all tell I love to write angst? Revisiting some of my older stuff was fun! :) Tagging @whitedahlia13 because she's the only writer I know here. lol.

[lexinoctura]

What makes you think she would say yes?

(Self-promoting, because my first Fanfiction ever just got its own cover ;)

Fandom: Arrow Ship: Olicity // Oliver/Felicity Rating: T Wordcount: 31.8k Chapters: 4 Status: Complete Tags: Nightmares, Angst, Hurt, Fluff, Healing, Romance

Nightmares, voices and the faces of his dead friends and family keeping him from asking her the one question he longed to asked for a while now. What makes you think she would say yes?!

A story about Oliver dealing with his trauma in his usual way (ignoring), about getting help, about healing and taking the next step. Happy Ending promised, though the angst has to come first.

[herosstoic]

Ever His Girl

Chapter 1 (of 2) posted!

"You will always be my girl, Felicity."

He’d said so and she believed him. There had been something in the soft huskiness of his voice that left no room for doubt. True, she was just his girl, not his girl … but during the next few hours of painkiller-induced fuzziness, she catches a glimpse of the future. Glimpses of other moments in time when he looks at her in just that particular way.

It's almost as if she was more than 'his girl'. Yeah right.

[shoulda-been-a-redhead]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Arrow (TV 2012) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, John Diggle/Lyla Michaels Characters: Oliver Queen, Felicity Smoak, John Diggle (DCU), Lyla Michaels, Sara Diggle Additional Tags: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Rescue Missions, Rescue, Protective Felicity Smoak, Oliver Whump, olicity - Freeform Summary:

John's searching for an abandoned Oliver and finds him in a bit of a chilly crisis. A little out of it by the time they get back to Verdant, Felicity and John find themselves working with an injured and delirious Arrow.

 Just a fluffy rescue mission oneshot! Hope you enjoy!

[my-shields-are-down]

Hi! What’s your favorite Chenford au?

UPDATED ANSWER!! I struggled a bit with how to answer this, which is weird, because if you asked me about Olicity (ARROW) AUs, I’d tell you in a heartbeat that I loved all the Bratva stories. Those were definitely my favorites ones, and actually still are.

My favorite AUs for Chenford are the ones that step just slightly away from canon. Stories that COULD happen if one or two things were different. I’ll read most anything, and enjoy a lot of them - there’s one about treasure hunters I loved, anything by Ellerithra, future families, that kind of thing. Now that the story on tv has moved past Chris and Ashley, I’m not interested in reading about them either. Basically any story that’s more fluff, than angst, some naked time thrown in, and lots of happy Chenford.

Because at the end of the day - I just want them together, in love with a growing family and happy.

[dust2dust34]

Under the influence

I Heart... (Olicity, set in early Season 2)

Felicity paused at the top of the stairs. She leaned forward, straining her ears. All she got was the familiar hiss of steam, some water drops, and empty air.

“Good,” she breathed and threw herself down the stairs. “Good, good, good.”

Alcohol wipes. She knew there were some in the med cart somewhere. She had seen them. They existed. She just needed to find them. Right now. And if she didn’t, she needed to find a drive thru grocery store. Or a hat that covered half her face. Those existed, right? Surely they did.

Felicity yanked open drawers, rummaged, digging into every nook and cranny for the tiny towelettes.

“Where. The. Frak. Are-”

“Felicity?”

She jumped on a yelp. Her hand flew up to cover her cheek, but ended up smacking herself in the eye in the process. Mouthing a stupid, “Ow,” at herself, she plastered on a smile and whipped around.

“Oliver! Hi.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” she chirped. “Why do you ask?”

It took all of a second for Oliver to take the full picture in - a wrinkled t-shirt that she was pretty sure had a pizza sauce stain on it, jeans thrown on haphazard, flip-flops, her purse tossed over her shoulder, her hair doing who the hell knew, and dear god, what did her makeup look like? She hadn’t washed it off last night, and all she’d seen when she looked in the mirror was…

Felicity closed. “Oh god.”

“What happened?” Oliver asked, closing the distance. He tried to pull her hand away from her face, but she evaded him, searching for something cute and witty and hopefully super inappropriate to say so he would do that thing where he looked at her with dry amusement and then walked away. But he wasn’t swayed. “Hey, c’mere, did something-”

“It’s nothing.” His features darkened in a way that told her he was jumping to wild conclusions. “No, it’s not… I swear, it’s nothing bad. It’s… I… I took some work home, and I had some wine-”

“Why are you covering your face?”

Heat enveloped her entire chest, temporarily stealing her voice.

Oliver touched her shoulder, his concern so evident, and it only made everything so much worse.

Her sweaty palm seared her cheek. “It’s nothing-”

“Felicity,” he interrupted, dipping down to meet her eye. “Talk to me.”

Oh no, no, no, she hated when he did that, because her mouth just…

“You know those stupid letters you get?” Felicity blurted. “The creepy fan letters that for some awful reason end up on my desk because that’s where your pre-island - and I’m pretty sure they’re also post-island, because they aren’t going away - fans send them? Well, some of them were in the pile I took home, and I opened them, because I’m supposed to be-”

“I told you not to open those.”

“Well, I would like to know if someone plans on ax-murdering Oliver Queen, because we’re a little busy with Arrow stuff, don’t you think?” she said, her Loud Voice coming out. “I just peruse, and so I perused last night, and I was… under the influence of some very good red wine - hi, that’s also your fault, because that case of Lafite Rothschild came from you - and I was really tired because we were up all night tracking that robber, and so I was... going through them and they were... on top of... I sort of… I fell asleep. On my coffee table. On… one of the letters.”

He just blinked.

Groaning, Felicity dropped her hand. She knew the second he recognized it because something magnificent happened:

He smiled.

Her heart tripped all over itself, which only made her want to melt right into the foundry floor.

“They used permanent marker!” Felicity snapped and turned away to rummage more. He chuckled and her rummaging grew more frantic. “It’s not funny! Why are you even here, it’s Saturday. I came here because you weren’t supposed to be here and because I need those little alcohol wipes because I scrubbed off three layers of skin and nothing happened and I know alcohol wipes will - aha! There!”

She snatched one up and pushed past him to go to the bathroom.

“Felicity, wait.” Oliver’s hand found her elbow to spin her back to him.  “I’m sorry, it’s not that funny, it’s… I just…” He pursed his lips and she could see him fighting another chuckle. “You heart me?”

Mortification flooded her face. “It. Is. Not. Funny.”

“It’s a little funny,” he allowed and she yanked her arm free. “Felicity.”

She ignored him, and she continued to ignore him for the most of the day, and she kept ignoring him later that night when she came in to back him up while he did a sweep.

It continued right up until he walked by her with a bright pink sticky note on his forehead that said: “I ♥ Felicity Smoak”

“Really?” she asked.

Oliver turned to her with an innocent look. “What?”

Pursing her lips to keep a smile at bay, she got up and snatched it off him. “Hilarious.”

He winked and headed out. She stared at his distinct handwriting, her heart skipping because of embarrassment and nothing else, before getting to work.

(If he ever notices the sticky note on her fridge at her apartment, he doesn’t comment on it.)

[babblingblondegenius]

Future Ficlet: All You Need is Love...and Coffee

Wow, tonight’s episode was brutal.  Between the painful Olicity separation in present time and the lack of Olicity in the dark future of the flash-forwards, we aren’t seeing any of the happy right now.  There seems to be no hope. Our heroes’ sacrifices were all in vain.  Basically, everything sucks.

As kismet would have it, a couple of weeks ago, I shared a fun little head canon with @allimariexf and @hope-for-olicity and they both encouraged me to ‘write the thing.’  I’ve had a terrible case of writer’s block for quite some time (meaning I have a gazillion story ideas and a ton of WIPs that are unfinished).  I expected this one to end up dormant in my drafts as well.  But after tonight’s episode, I felt the need to finish it because we (and Olicity, of course) deserve a little hope and happy.  Set two years in the future, the premise of this little fluffy ficlet is that Felicity needs an assistant but she has particular criteria ;)  

This should have been the easy part.  

After months of enticing investors, obtaining the proper licenses and permits, all the legal mumbo jumbo, and locating the perfect office space, hiring an executive assistant is going to be the breaking point where she finally loses her sanity.  

Which completely defeats the purpose of trying to find someone to help her in the first place.

She has been doing fine on her own, thriving actually, since she decided it was time to recommence building a tech company from the ground up, sans Curtis this time.   This venture, for better or worse, will be all hers.  Her vision.  Her name. Her legacy.

Despite her initial apprehension at that thought, she has a clarity and confidence in her mission and goals that has propelled her forward at a pace she couldn’t have imagined.  So far, choosing which of her many prototypes she wanted to launch first has been her biggest challenge.

Until now.  

She had narrowed down the stack of over 100 applications to the eight most qualified for the position, and began the interview process at 7:00 this morning.  

The first one had been punctual, neat, and lacking any sort of personality whatsoever.  

The second one arrived twenty minutes late and then interrupted Felicity mid-interview to take a non-emergency personal call on her cell phone.

The third one tapped her super long artificial nails on the edge of Felicity’s desk the entire time and included ‘loud typer’ when asked how her current co-workers would describe her.

The fourth one was a chaotic whirlwind who overshared details of his personal life on every single question.

Maybe he just had too much caffeine in his system. Or maybe she doesn’t have enough.

Coffee.  She needs coffee.  Her next interviewee isn’t scheduled to come in for another hour, so she takes the reprieve to just lay her head down on her desk for a moment in order to gather up the energy she needs to make the trek down the block for her caffeine fix.

“One vanilla soy latte, extra sugar, extra cinnamon, extra whip cream.”  

Oh yes.  That’s exactly what she wants.  Why she is thinking it in Oliver’s voice, she doesn’t know.  Her coffee daydream is so vivid, she can even smell the soothing notes of vanilla with hints of sweet cinnamon spice wafting through the air. Mmmmmmmm.

“Felicity….honey, are you okay?”  Oliver’s voice again.  She slowly lifts her head and sees her husband standing on the other side of her desk, holding a large cup emblazoned with the logo of her favorite java joint and her name scrawled across it in black marker.

“I am now,” she practically purrs as he hands over her treasured treat.  After taking a deep inhale and a long swallow, she blissfully smiles at him.  “It’s perfect.  You’re perfect.”  Suddenly jumping up out of her chair, she shares the revelation brought on by the jolt of caffeine in her system. “Oh!  I have a great idea!  You should apply to be my EA.”  

Oliver chuffs out a laugh.  “Because I brought you coffee?  Your standards must be pretty low.”  

“Worried you couldn’t cut it, Mr. Queen?” she asks, arching an eyebrow in challenge.

“I think my time served as Mayor proves otherwise,” he retorts with an air of gravitas but mimics her gesture, silently letting her know that he enjoys her teasing him and is willing to play along.  

She shakes her head.  “Nope, not helpful.  You couldn’t even get me a break on my taxes when you were the mayor.  What are your current qualifications?”

He ponders the inquiry for a moment before responding proudly, “I’m the head chef at Chez Queen.”

She rolls her eyes at Oliver’s corny moniker for their kitchen but gives him an encouraging smile.  “Oh yeah, I’ve eaten there a few times.  The food is magnificent.  But do you have any business experience?”

His expression goes from proud to smug.  “As a matter of fact, I do.  I was formerly the CEO of Queen Consolidated.”

She takes another swig of coffee and checks an incoming text on her cell phone before reminding him, “I happen to have first-hand knowledge you wouldn’t have made it a week without your super smart and highly efficient EA.”   

“That’s true,” he concedes with a grin, “though on the downside, she only brought me coffee one time.  One”, he repeats, taking her coffee and phone and setting them off to the side. Placing his palms flat on the edge of her desk, he leans in closer, a visible twinkle in his vivid blue eyes.   “I think she actually broke our coffeemaker.  Violently,” he teases in a conspiratorial whisper.

Mirroring her husband, she leans in over the desk until their noses are almost touching.  “A little violence doesn’t scare you, does it, Mr. Queen?”  She allows her gaze to run down the length of his torso, visibly appreciating the definition of his biceps that his jacket cannot conceal. “You look like you could handle yourself just fine.”

“I like to stay in shape.”  He feigns modesty but she knows her husband and can recognize that look in his eyes. “Some cardio, free weights, martial arts, salmon ladder…”

“That’s so hot” she blurts out, temporarily slipping out of character as her brain produces an amazing visual of sweaty and shirtless Oliver making his way up the salmon ladder.  Will there ever be a day when that doesn’t turn her on?  Probably not, and judging from the self-satisfied smirk on his face, he mentioned it on purpose just to get that very reaction out of her.   Determined to get back on track, she rephrases, “I mean, that sounds interesting.”  She decides a change of topic would be helpful to give her an advantage in their little game.  “Computer skills?”

She immediately regrets that question when Oliver gives her a feral smile that makes her weak in the knees.  Lowering his voice to the same octave he uses when he is dressed in green leather, he divulges, “I’ve hacked a federal prison network.”

Guh, game over.  In all her years with Oliver, that is the sexiest thing he has ever said. She quickly makes her way around the desk and invades his personal space. “Seems like you’re a man of many talents,” she coos appreciatively, latching onto his arm and nuzzling her face into the sleeve of his jacket to breathe in the scent that is uniquely Oliver.

“My wife taught me a thing or two,” he boasts, turning so they are face-to-face and he can wrap his arms around her.  

Her hands instinctively move from his arm to his chest, resting over his heart.  “She must be an amazing woman.”

Oliver nods in agreement, his nose nuzzling hers. “She is.  She’s the best.”

“I know you’re just saying that to get husband points and its working,” she acknowledges affectionately, her hand caressing the stubble on his jaw.   He tilts his head into her palm like a contented cat and she takes the opportunity to kiss him like she wanted to since she saw him in front of her desk, whether it was five minutes ago with coffee or nine years ago with a bullet-ridden laptop.  

Oliver moans and deepens the kiss, the fervent strokes of his tongue making her long for more.  “Okay, you’re hired,” she pants, breaking the kiss when her need for air temporarily overcomes her need for Oliver.  “Smoak Tech is a start-up so your health care package consists of me patching you up if you are injured and I’m sure we can work out some type of compensation for your time and skills,” provocatively shifting her body against his and feeling his obvious interest through his jeans and her skirt.  Two soft kisses and one firm rotation of his hips later, she is internally debating the sturdiness of her desk and whether they have time for her to show him exactly what she means by ‘compensation’ before her next appointment shows up.

“That’s a very tempting offer, Ms. Smoak” he murmurs into her hair as his hand travels down her back and immediately finds its usual place on the curve of her shapely ass, pulling her impossibly closer, “but I’m afraid my current employer really needs me right now and I just can’t bear to leave her,” his free hand gesturing to the stroller where their daughter slumbers peacefully.

Felicity sighs, pure happiness filling her heart and clearing her mind as she rests her head on her husband’s chest to gaze lovingly at the chubby-cheeked, perfect amalgamation of her and Oliver they brought into the world just four short months ago.   “Sounds like she has you wrapped around her little finger.”  

Oliver rests his chin on the top of her head and she can hear the love and contentment in his voice when he whispers in her hair, “From the very first moment I met her.  She takes after her mother that way.”

A/N:  Thank you for reading!  I hope this helped to soothe the sting of all the angst.  Queen family feels FTW.  William was not in this fic because at that time of day, he should be in school and also I didn’t want to traumatize him any further with Olicity’s blatant flirty flirt.  The poor kid has seen enough already lol.  

Huge thanks and virtual hugs to @allimariexf and @hope-for-olicity for all the fun conversations and being all around wonderful :)

Oliver’s ‘current employer’ ;)

[smoakmonster]

The World Is Quiet Here

A/N: Inspired by this post from @dust2dust34. Hope you like it, dear!

xxx

In the hearth of the bunker, Oliver sits in her favorite work chair, twisting in semicircles. Though, not twisting so much as...drifting. She tries to approach him quietly, but even on tiptoes her heels give her away. 

He shifts a little in the seat, though he doesn’t turn completely, as she comes to stand alongside him, resting a hand on his shoulder like he’s done for her so many times. She can feel the intense rigor of his body beneath her hand. His posture feigns an air of calmness but is really reigning back an avalanche of power.

Felicity takes to studying his solemn profile, the way he grips his lower lip between his fingers, the way his pensive gaze seems very far away, the way hard lines are etched into his forehead and worry pinches between his eyebrows. 

Oh, those eyebrows. So strong. So expressive. So stern.

No matter how often he tries to give it up, Oliver always seems to end up carrying the weight of the world on those gorgeously muscular shoulders of his. It’s the price of being a hero, she supposes. Still, he’s never alone in this. Whatever they face, they face together. The least she can do is try to ease the load.

Squeezing her legs in between his and the desk, Felicity shuffles around the chair, finally waking Oliver from whatever stupor he’d fallen into. Without a word, he gently pushes the chair back to make room for her, taking her arm and guiding her to sit down with him. After a few seconds of intricate maneuvering, Felicity finally settles into a comfortable position on his lap, draping an arm around his neck. 

He’s still silent when he finally looks up at her, but she can read all the weariness he tries so hard to keep tucked away from everyone else, everyone but her. With a soft smile, Felicity reaches up to run her fingers over his face, tracing each and every worry line, every new wrinkle he’s earned since becoming a father. She saves the eyebrows for last and the solid crease between them. 

Felicity savors the texture of his hair, as she smooths the bristles down in slow, easy strokes, over and over, hoping to wipe the stress off his face. When she pulls her hand back, his eyes are closed. And the crease is gone.

“Better?” she asks.

He opens his eyes, already looking more relaxed. “Much.” 

There’s not quite a smile--more like a hint of the beginnings of a smile--forming at the corner of his lips. And she's unable to resist its pull, leaning down to give him a quick but heartfelt kiss.

“You want to tell me what’s going on? And don’t say--”

“Nothing.”

Felicity tips her head, leaning down so far her cheek almost hits his shoulder. “I thought we said we were never gonna lie to each other again.”

Oliver huffs a sigh, shaking his head, his lips forming a tight, wry line. “I’m that obvious, huh?”

“Well, maybe not to other people. Is this about William?” Out of habit,  Felicity starts running her fingers through his hair, knowing how much he likes it, how much it calms and steadies him. The act calms her, too, for some strange reason.

“In a way,” he says, avoiding her eyes and claiming her free hand with one of his own.

“He’s worried about you putting on the suit again.”

Oliver nods down at their recently intertwined hands, his thumb wrestling playfully with hers. “Speaking of, there’s a question I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Felicity holds her breath.

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

Oliver’s eyes capture hers again. “Handle me going out in the field every night. You don’t ever seem...”

“Worried?” she supplies.

He does that half-nod-half-headshake thing, like he’s unsure about settling on only one emotion. 

Felicity swallows and decidedly avoids his eyes this time. “Well, like you, I’ve gotten really good at hiding what I’m feeling.”

She can feel the new distress radiating off him, pounding into her like waves.  Oliver’s never really expressed concern about her state of mind when he’s out in the field before. And now that he is...well, she’s promised to always be honest with him, too.

“I’m not saying I worry worry. I mean, I’ve seen you come home more times than not at this point. And now you have a team out there watching your back. But there have been the few occasions where I--”

Felicity stops herself, shutting her eyes as the haunting image of him leaving her to go face Ra’s Al Ghul flashes through her, shaking her to the core. Her grip on his hand tightens. “Even though I know you can handle yourself, sometimes it’s hard being stuck sitting behind a keyboard and watching this city’s worst try to hurt you,” she finishes in a quiet voice, finally daring to look at him again.

Oliver gives her a pained look in return.

“You remember the first night that I found out your secret?” she asks, scooting her body downward so she can rest her head on his shoulder. His arm wraps around her back, curling her body close and into his. 

“That was pretty memorable,” Oliver breathes in her ear, sending a warm shiver down her spine.

“Tell me about it. Blood stains never fully came out by the way.”

He chuckles.

“Seeing you lying there on that table for hours...that’s when I knew.”

“Knew what?” he asks.

“Knew that you meant more to me than just a friend.”

“Felicity--”

“But I learned something that night, too. About myself.” Felicity lifts her head back up to regard him, to stare into his soul with the same hope that he stares into hers, to make him understand. “I realized that I could...manage caring about you and watching you do what you do every night.”

Felicity releases his hand so she can lay it on his chest, over his heart. “I love you, but it’s different for me, Oliver. I rely on you, just not in the same way William does. A kid needs his dad in ways that...that I don’t.”

Oliver nods. “So you’re saying you don’t think I should go back to being the Green Arrow?’

“I’m saying maybe a little more caution in the field now and then wouldn’t hurt. Maybe you could be a little less hands-on and a little more supervisory? But I think you should do what you think is best...for William and for the city...and for you.”

The hand she let go comes  back up and covers her own. “You mean for us.”

Felicity smiles. “You are a good person, Oliver. And William knows that. And we will get through this one day at a time.”

Oliver sighs. “I just wish that I...that I could be the normal father he needs me to be.”

“First of all, being normal is highly overrated. And second, Oliver, you are doing your best. You are making an effort to always be there for him when he needs you, which is more than I can say for my dad,” Felicity adds at the end, with maybe just a bit of scorn in her tone. “And it might take some time, but William will understand. He looks up to superheroes. Maybe one day he’ll be happy his dad is one, too.” 

“I’m not a superhero--”

She gives him the don’t argue with me look. “Umm, the fact that you manage to squeeze into those leather pants before the crime is over is a superpower in its own merit.” 

Oliver laughs, really laughs. A heavy, deep, resounding laugh, one that brings those adorably small wrinkles to the corners of his eyes, her favorite wrinkles. This laugh seems to go on for hours, echoes off the high ceilings of their makeshift home and echoing inside her heart. 

“Thank you,” he finally says.

“For what?”

“For not being normal. For being you.”

And when he kisses her again, Felicity feels nothing of the remnants of the tightly-coiled stress of earlier in his touch. All she feels is utter peace as he gives himself to her entirely, as she sinks deeper into his embrace. That’s the beautiful thing about Oliver. It might take some time, but once he lets go, he lets go completely.