Chapter Text
Felicity Smoak had a good life. She had a stable job, loving mother and step-father, two amazing step-sisters, a caring boyfriend she really liked and a best friend she spent lots of time with. She knew that there were people who had it worse; like her best friend whose parents died on a boat in North China Sea. So why should it matter if she was secretly in love with her best friend's brother? Well, it didn’t because Oliver Queen didn’t know about her feelings and he would never find out.
“Are you even listening to me?” Thea’s voice got to her through her not so happy thoughts.
“Yeah,” she mumbled.
Her best friend’s eyebrows rose. “Really? What did I say then?”
Felicity sighed. “That Roy still didn’t propose,” she guessed. It wasn’t that hard because Thea talked about it a lot lately which Felicity understood. Thea Queen couldn’t wait to change her surname to Harper. Felicity knew that she would be engaged soon as she helped to pick her engagement ring but she couldn’t tell her that for obvious reasons.
“Hm. Lucky guess.”
The blonde smiled. “Maybe but you will never know for sure.”
Thea sighed a heavy sigh. “I just don’t understand why he didn’t ask me yet! Do you think he might want to break up with me?” she asked, worried.
That was new. “Why would he do that? He loves you!”
Thea pointed a finger at her. “Ha! You weren’t listening! I told you he’s acting weird.”
Felicity could feel her cheeks turning red. Ok, so she didn’t pick that one up. “Come on, Thea. He loves you! I’m sure that Roy acting weird has a good explanation. Did you try to ask him?”
She looked terrified. “And what would I tell him? Hey Roy, are you finally going to ask me to marry you or should we break up?”
“Of course not! But you could ask him if something is wrong,” suggested Felicity.
Thea rolled her eyes. “I already did that but he said everything was fine.”
“Well, I’m sure he will propose soon enough,” she tried to reassure her.
“I hope you’re right.” Thea took a sip of her colourful drink. “Do you think Ray is going to propose to you too?”
Felicity snorted. “I hope not.”
The brunette frowned. “Why not? I thought you’re happy.”
“I am! And that’s why I don’t really want him to propose.” She shrugged. “It could ruin everything.” Felicity couldn’t possibly say the truth to her friend, she probably wouldn’t understand.
Thea narrowed her eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing! Seriously, Thea, everything’s fine,” she assured her with a smile which she hoped was convincing.
“Okay.” She paused. “How’s your boss?” There was a glint in her eyes.
Felicity sucked in a breath and rolled her eyes. “Your brother is fine. You saw him yesterday.”
“I didn’t ask about my brother. I asked about your boss,” her best friend pointed out with an amused smile.
“Same thing. Your brother as my boss is great. I love working with him.” Felicity’s eyes widened when she realized what she said. She didn’t mean to say it.
“Huh. You love working with him, don’t you?” repeated Thea.
Felicity rolled her eyes again. The most important thing was to stay on topic right now. She didn’t need Thea to know about her well hidden feelings. “Yeah, I couldn’t wish for a better boss.”
“I bet.”
***
Felicity took off her coat and put it over the back of her chair before sitting down. She turned her computer on. She had hardly time to log into the system when her boss appeared in front of her.
“I didn’t expect you here today,” he said quietly.
Felicity jumped. She looked up and put her hand on her chest. “God, Oliver! Don’t you knock?”
Oliver laughed. “Sorry. What are you doing here?”
Her eyebrows rose. “Where else should I be?” she asked because she had no idea what he was talking about.
He sat down to the chair opposite her. “I called Thea ten minutes ago. She has the biggest hangover in her life. Her words not mine,” he assured her before shrugging. “So I thought you might be in the same state.”
Felicity tsked. “Your sister can’t hold her liquor which is really surprising considering that she owns a bar.”
He chuckled. “True.”
“Which part?”
“All of it. She never could hold her liquor.”
Felicity shrugged. “Well, at least we know it's not genetic.”
“It definitely isn't. I can hold my liquor.”
“Don't I know it,” she mumbled. She really did know. Oliver could drink all night long and not to be hungover. If she drank only a quarter he did she would spend a day over the toilet.
He smiled at her.
Felicity sighed. “Did you come just to see if I came to work or did you actually need anything?”
“I do need something from you,” he assured her. “Do you have any meetings in the afternoon?”
“Let me check.” She quickly pulled her diary on the screen and scanned it with her eyes. “I've got a conference call at two thirty with Cisco but after that I'm free.”
“Great! Can you come to my office when you're done? I've got some things I need to discuss with you.”
“Okay. I will be there.” She smiled.
***
„I'm here,“ said Felicity when Oliver looked up once she walked into his office. „Which you can see. Obviously.“
Oliver smiled. He loved her babbling – something he never told her. „Come in. Sit down, please. Would you like a coffee? I know you can't really function without it and my coffee maker is amazing.“ He teased her. About a year ago Felicity was his PA for about a month and told him up front she wouldn't make a coffee for him. But she went to the trouble of actually breaking the coffee maker so she really didn't have to do it. He couldn't be upset about it because being his PA was under her qualification.
Felicity shook her head with a smile. „No, thanks.“ She took a deep breath. „So what do you need to discuss with me?“
„Well, as you know, Graham is retiring at the end of the next month and I want you to take over after him.“
She stared at him, surprised. „What? I mean not that I'm not flattered but why don't you offer the job to Ashley or Zack? They've been with the company for a decade and they deserve it.“
Oliver shook his head. „They are doing a great job but they both have families and they had so many family emergencies in the last two years that I lost the count.“
Felicity narrowed her eyes. „So you offering me the job just because I don't have kids? Do you realize that I could have kids one day soon and you would have to find a replacement anyway? Come on, Oliver! Why are you really offering me the job?“
He shrugged. „Because you are the best. You are more than qualified for it and I want you to have it. I realize that you might have kids one day,“ he ignored the cold fist around his heart when he thought about Felicity having kids with Ray Palmer, „but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.“
She chewed on her lip. „Can I take time to think about it?“
Oliver nodded. „Of course but the sooner you let me know the better.“
„I will give you my answer by Monday,“ she assured him with a nod of her own.