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“I don’t want to be a woman that you love,” Felicity said to the one man who made her want things she didn't even dare to dream. Oliver’s decision to align himself with a mass murderer was a betrayal that she just couldn’t handle right now. Not after the past month of thinking he was dead and still standing up for principles she thought they shared. Her immediate need was to get out of this freakin’ alley and away from Oliver. Then there was going to be a hot bath, some early episodes of “Stargate: Atlantis”, and two pints of mint chocolate chip. Just as she began walking away from a stunned Oliver, her phone rang. She saw Ray’s name pop up.
“Hello?” she answered, willing herself to sound normal.
“Felicity?” Are you alright? You sound like you’re upset.”
She turned her head, letting her eyes quickly glance at Oliver as he watched her with that damn stoic yet somehow wounded puppy look. He didn’t get to look at her like that. Not after what he did. You’re done with him. Let him go.
“No, I’m OK. What’s up?”
“I wanted to see if you were busy tomorrow night.”
Felicity opened her mouth to respond but immediately closed it when she saw Oliver begin striding toward her with purpose. A second later the mental fog cleared and she gripped the phone tighter as Oliver stepped behind her.
“I don’t have any specific plans. What did you have in mind?” Felicity replied, watching as Oliver’s mouth slowly turned into a familiar-looking grimace. His eyebrows set into a hard line as he stared at the phone in her hand.
“How about we go to dinner and then to Verdant to celebrate the Glades being free of Brick?”
“Sounds like a plan. Pick me up around 7:30. Have a good night, Ray.” Felicity ended the call and tried to pretend that Oliver wasn’t mere inches away from her looking like he was about to go all grr on something. “Is there something I can do for you?” she asked.
“Did you just agree to go on a date with Palmer?”
“I don’t think you get to ask that.” Felicity jabbed her finger into his upper chest. “We aren’t anything. Maybe we could have been something before you went and became Malcolm Merlyn’s bestie but I will never be alright with that man being a part of the team. Not ever.”
Oliver felt like he had been shot with one of his own arrows at her rejection, but for once, he refused to back down from her anger. “Felicity, I’ve been back in Starling for less than three hours. Give me a chance to make this right with you. I’ll do --”
Felicity cut him off. “I don’t want to hear it. I won’t do this back and forth with you anymore.” Felicity walked quickly out the alley, leaving him and the pleading look he’s giving her, because she can’t stand to see it. The pain is unbelievable, but she ignored it. It has to be this way.
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“Man these things are too tight. They’re digging into my skin.”
Oliver glared silently at the drug dealer who he and Diggle had just caught selling more than 60 pounds of Vertigo in a park the night after Oliver's return.
“I’d be quiet if I were you,” Digg said. “He’s in a lousy mood today and I don’t think your whining is going to make him any more gentle.”
Oliver picked up the bags of Vertigo as Digg put the dealer in the back of the van. He shut the door and readied himself for the lecture he knew he was about to get. “Spit it out Diggle. Tell me how I’m screwing things up with Felicity by working with Merlyn.”
“Obviously you know what I think, so why haven’t you fixed it yet? With all the deadly ass people you know on this planet, there is absolutely no one else who could train you to beat Ra’s al Ghul? Seriously?”
“Digg, it’s not that simple. I know one other person and believe me that is definitely not an option right now.” Maseo was a good man and Oliver couldn’t put him at risk again. Merlyn on the other hand was a crafty S.O.B. and was already in danger from the League. Nothing Oliver could do would aggravate that situation. “I have to save Thea and I can’t have Ra’s threatening Starling too. I swore to protect them and I am going to do that, no matter what it takes. I will make this right with Felicity. I told her I loved her before I left and maybe once she gets a moment to adjust to all the crap that has gone in the past month, she will understand why I'm doing this and give me a chance.”
“I wouldn’t bet the ranch on that, Oliver. Figure this out soon or the next thing you know, Felicity’s going to be hitched to Palmer and popping out brilliant awkward babies.”
The tension in Oliver’s jaw increased. “Yeah, she has date with him tonight. I don’t see it ending with a good night kiss for Palmer, if I have anything to say about it.”
“The way you’ve been acting mixed with an angry Felicity does not bode well. Either let her in or let her go. This in-between stuff isn’t fair to her.”
The second option isn’t even worth considering because Oliver can’t imagine his world without Felicity Smoak.