Chapter Text
Felicity could feel her blood boil when he leaned against the door to her office, glaring at her because she was glaring at him because he was the one who took the credit for a project she and her team had been working on for the past month. A project that they put in countless hours of work in. A project where the only time he showed up was when they were practicing the presentation for the past week.
He didn’t know much - if anything - about IT, but he was a quick study, picking up what Barry and Cisco told him and explaining it to the head of Wayne Enterprises’ IT Department in a way that impressed even her. She thought about complimenting him after the presentation, but then she remembered he was an asshole.
An asshole who should not have taken all the damn credit.
“Do you want me to shut the door?” He asked, a stupid smirk on his stupid face. “Or do you want the entire floor hear you scream my name? Because you look angry.”
They just got back from the presentation, and she was seething. Felicity tuned him out, focusing on the next project in the never ending list of projects in the IT Department.
“Shut the door it is, then.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him casually nudge the door close with his foot, and lock it before turning to her.
“Hey!” She stood, placing her hands flat against her desk. “I told you a thousand times. Unlock the door, Queen.”
“Why, Smoak?” He crossed his arms, making no move to do what she demanded. He was really pushing her buttons today. Granted, he pushed her buttons since the second they met, but today he was on an entirely new level. “I’m not going to do anything to you! You always act like I just killed somebody and you found me at the scene of the crime!”
“Maybe if you stopped treating people below you like shit, I wouldn’t have to!” She snapped at him before closing her eyes. A headache started to form and she sighed, wanting him to listen to her just once. She continued, turning on her Loud Voice, something Barry and Cisco patented when some idiot thought they could try to hack her computer. “You’re in my office! This space is mine. That means you listen to me when I tell you to do something.”
“You got it all wrong, Smoak.” He huffed out a sardonic laugh before he approached her desk.
She opened her mouth to speak but he slashed his hand through the air, silencing her.
Queen’s eyes narrowed. “You listen to me when you’re on company property.” The humor in his eyes turned dark, and his smile curved into a sneer. The change was startling. “I am your boss, Smoak. That means you listen to what I tell you. So listen to me when I tell you not to leave me out of another project like that again.”
Her boss fucking pissed her off.
Maybe he was right for locking the door, because she was considering all the ways she could kill him while making it look like an accident.
Not that she knew any.
“You think I didn’t include you?!” She asked in an incredulous whisper as she shifted her hands closer to his, getting in his space. Her heart beat a little faster when she noticed that he let her, when he didn’t pull away or back off. “You’re the one who ignored all the e-mails I sent for the past month until your father said you had to lead the presentation in front of Wayne Enterprises!”
He only asked for updates. He didn’t come by and visit them. He just stayed holed up in his office and only came out when it was necessary. He didn’t ask them how their weekends were, or offer any help whatsoever. He wasn’t friendly or anything else that resembled a compliment.
Needless to say, she was fed up with him.
His eyes blazed, and she was close enough to notice the flecks of gray in his blue eyes. She grit her teeth at that observation, taking a breath through her nose, which made her notice how much she liked his cologne. No. He smelled like... like... a pig. An egotistical pigheaded, smelly... pig.
“I’m a smelly pig?” He asked, his voice full of amusement.
Her eyes shot open. “No!” She cringed at herself. This wasn’t the first time she said something embarrassing around him, and she hoped this would be the last. “Yes. You are. You smell really ...bad.” She finished lamely.
He laughed, and if she wasn’t so angry at him she would have noticed how much she liked his laugh. But she was angry, and in this moment his laugh sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
“What does it matter to you, anyway? I rocked that presentation. I made you guys look good.” He said with a confident smile on his face.
She couldn’t deny that he was a great presenter. He had that air about him that instantly drew people in. A way that commanded the room, where everyone looked to him to lead. They respected him for the amazing leader he portrayed himself to be. One Wayne department head had even complimented on his ability to run a good team, forcing herself to hold her tongue. It wasn’t flashy like when Ray presented with all his gadgets and fancy toys. The way that Oliver presented was charismatic. Charming. From the heart.
His presentation skills were the only part of Queen that she tolerated. Or barely tolerated. Because he was a douchebag when he wasn’t being his charming self.
She wondered what the real Oliver Queen was like.
“I don’t need you to make me look good.” She retorted, ignoring the way his eyes flitted down her body. “My work- the work that my team put out- speaks for itself. Yes, your presentation skills helped. But I know with the numbers we proved, their security system will be as protected as Fort Knox. Not as secure if I was the one hacking into a government system - not that I would! I would never do something like that. What I’m trying to say is I know Wayne Enterprises would be stupid not to pick QC.”
Was she gloating right now? Yes, but she was too annoyed at the idiot in front of her to care. Her team - Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin - did an amazing job getting the project finished the past month, and she believed in them. She hated how he stole all their hard work.
“What other work do you put out, Smoak?” He leaned closer. So close that they were almost nose to nose over her desk, his eyes penetrating into hers. Just a little bit more and she could finally kiss him and trace her fingers along his stubble.
Wait. No.
Why did she have the sudden urge to grab his tie and wrap it around one of her hands? She shut her eyes to break their connection.
Out of sight, out of mind, right?
“You’re unbelievable.” She muttered, shaking her head as she sat back in her chair and shook her mouse, opening her email. She inwardly groaned at seeing another email from Ray Palmer about doing another team up. Knowing he was about to say some other snarky comment, she moved to dismiss him. “Is there anything else you wanted, Queen? I have a lot more important things to do.”
“In fact, Smoak, yes.” He tilted his head, studying her, his voice taking on a tone she never heard from him before. It made her want to listen to him. “I’ve been noticing things. You not so subtly checking me out last week during that meeting with R and D, you tracking my every move when I stand up from my chair, your slightly inappropriate comments about my body - which I always let slide by the way. Do you want me?”
Hell no. It took every ounce of willpower for her to continue reading another email some business executive on the third floor had about a virus getting into his computer.
That was exactly what she wanted.
Without meaning to, she met his eyes. He looked intrigued, leaning down over her desk with a raised eyebrow, seemingly not caring that he was wrinkling his dress shirt and jacket. His voice dropped even lower, becoming... husky. “Have you imagined me calling you to my office, or me pulling you into the supply closet?”
Felicity swallowed, both at his words and at the sudden desire in his eyes. She felt warmth flow through her as the fantasies started, imagining them in every situation he outlined.
She had a very, very vivid imagination.
Frantically getting on her knees before him at his desk, lust making her fingers shake as she would pop open the button of his pants and pull down the zipper, freeing his erection as he’d shove his hands in her ponytail...
There was something...
Queen crowding her against the shelf, paper and boxes of red pens falling to the ground with a crash, something digging almost painfully into her lower back, but she would ignore it, because his mouth would be on her breast and his fingers would be inside her and nothing else would matter except the way he made her feel...
An email...
She froze, her face inches from his, feeling the way his breaths ghosted over her, a wisp of her hair tickling the side of her neck, smelling the coffee he drank - how he always drank it black she had no idea - but God. The way it mixed with his cologne was intoxicating.
Fuck me.
Suddenly, Felicity became aware of everything. Her glasses fogging up because of their close proximity, her desk pressing uncomfortably against her middle, the silk of his tie wrapped around her hand - when the hell did that happen? She jerked away like she had just been electrocuted, dropping his tie. She stood and went around her desk, the small office suddenly becoming stifling, needing to get as far away from him as possible.
And to go back to work.
The door was her only road to freedom.
She did not want him. She hated him with every fiber of her being. Ice flooded her veins when she realized that she was reminding herself of that. Like she was trying to convince herself that she didn’t feel something toward her boss.
Her hand trembled as she reached the doorknob, trying to flick open the lock, but her hands were slick with perspiration. His heated stare burned a hole at her back. How she knew he was staring at her, she didn’t know. Even though her eyes were pinned on the doorknob, she was aware of him.
And that scared her. She shouldn’t be able to sense his gaze on her.
“Felicity.”
Tense shoulders flinched when she heard her first name. He never called her that. Ever. He always, always called her by her last name.
He said her first name like he was sorry. Like he regretted taking the credit and pulling the rug right out from under her. But there was no way. That wasn’t who Queen was. He wasn’t that person, not to her.
People never changed.
Cooper taught her that lesson well.
He took. He stole. He never gave. Felicity knew that it would be a cold, freezing day in hell when Queen would do a favor for her without asking for anything in return.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” He commanded, striding over to her and turning her around, slamming her back against the door.
She gasped at the rough treatment, suddenly realizing she was lost in her thoughts ever since he asked her if she wanted him. Felicity swallowed when he got in her personal space, her wide blue eyes traveling up his tall frame. He braced one hand against the door beside her head. She straightened her back in defiance and tried to push against his shoulders. “Get off of me.” She snarled.
“You’re cute when you’re angry, Smoak.” He chuckled like her words amused him, notching her anger up another level. For a millisecond, she saw a smile- a true smile - cross his features before it turned into a smirk.
“Then I should be drop dead gorgeous to you right about now.” She spat, trying to use more force but he didn’t budge, and a cold feeling trickled into her chest when she realized she liked the fact that he didn’t move, that he leaned the slightest bit closer to her.
She shouldn’t like it.
“Trust me,” His eyes stared straight through her, making her feel things she shouldn’t be feeling. “You look downright fuckable right now.”
Excitement burst through her.
Oh no.
She was not turned on by the way he said that. With his voice going in that dark pitch that it usually went into when he was frustrated.
The urge to kiss him again nearly overpowered her, and Felicity forced herself to focus and think past the definitely not safe for work thoughts running through her mind. Because they were at work. Certain things couldn’t happen at work.
He… he was pushing her. That was it. He was challenging her. Daring her to do something she undoubtedly did not want to do. To do something neither of them wanted to do. Because they hated each other. He was her arch enemy.
People who hated each other did not want to get in each other’s pants. That was a fact, and she knew it from... what she was feeling right now. And... and from every movie where the only emotion people felt each other was hate.
She couldn’t think of a movie, but she knew there was one. There had to be one out there somewhere. Even a short film online. Or even a news article. Or a book. Finding one would be simple because it happened to everyone. Everyone had to have an arch enemy, that was a fact.
She trusted facts like she trusted computers. They were proven. And she had to prove to herself that she did not want to sleep with Oliver Queen.
“I don’t want anything to do with you.” Why did her voice come out shaky?
“Too bad.” He pressed her closer to the door, his front brushing against hers, sending fire burning to her core. “We both know you want me to.”
How dare he? He didn’t know a thing about her. “No, I don't.” She shoved against him, digging her nails into his gray suit jacket, causing a dark look to fall over his features. Her frustration spiked when he still didn’t move, his large rough hands harshly digging into her hips, causing her to hiss out a low pitched “Ow”.
“Then why aren’t you stopping me, Smoak?” He whispered, moving his hands up her sides, his thumbs brushing against her breasts. Her eyes slipped shut at his feather light touch, not willing to acknowledge that she was getting wet. She took in a shaky breath, breathing it out sharply through her nose. She could feel his breath against her neck, his nose brushing over her jaw as he spoke. “I think you want me to touch you.”
No. She absolutely did not want his hands anywhere near her. Or on her.
“Fuck you, Queen.” She growled, one hand on his bicep - and wow his muscles felt amazing. Her leg shifted around his to move away from him, but he just brushed his knee along her skirt between her legs.
“So you have imagined us.” She could feel his smirk against her jaw, his growing hardness against her lower stomach. “What did you imagine? Fucking you right against your desk?”
Without meaning to, she pictured him doing just that, her breaths becoming heavy as her knees gave way the slightest bit, his knee grazing her inner thigh through her skirt.
Stop it. You don’t want him to do that.
His other hand snaked up her neck, holding her ponytail in a tight fist, making her eyes water slightly at the pain. “Or maybe... you powerless, completely at my mercy as I do whatever I want because I’m your boss, forcing you to cover your mouth because you’re too damn loud...”
Oh God...
He was everywhere. Soft lips ghosted over her ear, a shudder wracking her body as he spoke. She fought to breathe as his hand trailed down her waist, gripping the leg that was wrapped around his. She had to clench her jaw to hold back a soft whine as she allowed herself to fantasize... about them.
She needed him more than she needed to breathe.
Her resolve lasted for the next half a second before he kissed her. His kiss was rough and bruising, his beard scratching at her jaw as he deepened it. She whimpered when he tugged at her ponytail, making her arch against him, pressing her chest against his. She bit at his lower lip in response, causing him to draw back sharply with a curse.
They glared at each other, the air between them electrifying.
She should have left him right then and there. She should have reached for the doorknob and ignored him for the rest of her tenure at Queen Consolidated.
Felicity should not have held his stare and met the challenging look in his darkening blue eyes with her own.
All it took was one look for everything to change.
She had no idea who moved first, but they rushed towards each other, their lips meeting messily, her lipstick smudging, his hands going for the buttons of her blouse and hers pushing his jacket off his shoulders.
Goosebumps emerged on her exposed skin as he threw her blouse somewhere behind him. If possible the kiss became even more heated as he grabbed her ponytail again and turned them around. She couldn’t do anything except follow his lead, her hands tangling in his hair and pulling on it as hard as he was grabbing hers.
Felicity felt a sick sense of pride fill her when he groaned against her lips at the pain. She followed as he walked her backwards, breaking away from the kiss, the need for oxygen becoming too great when the back of her thighs hit her desk.
“I need...” she started, but she couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. She gasped when he rubbed the bulge in his pants against her. “I...” Felicity clutched his shirt in tight fists and pulled him even closer, needing to feel him where she needed him to be.
Actions speak louder than words, right?
He pushed her on the edge of her desk- something falling down with a clatter - as a leg wrapped around his waist, a breathy cry that sounded a lot like his name spilling past her lips when she felt him through her panties. Her hips rose to meet his, a hand wrapping around his tie and pulling him down, bringing his lips to hers in a searing kiss she felt in her bones. She couldn’t hold back her moan when he shifted, rubbing against that spot.
“Yes! Ohh...” A hand shot out, flailing for purchase. Things fell to the ground, things she didn’t care about. The only thing she cared about was him and the pleasure only he could take her to.
This is wrong.
The thought crept in through the pleasure, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Not when he hiked her skirt up her waist and pulled her panties down her legs. Not when he undid his pants and boxers and shoved them to his knees before thrusting inside her with a punishing rhythm. Not when she fell back against her desk as he brought her higher and higher - but he was too fast, too hard, and she couldn’t do anything except feel. Not when they both came apart in each other’s arms.
She didn’t care then.
She didn’t meet his eyes as he straightened and as she slowly sat up. He didn’t kiss her sweetly or whisper sweet nothings in her ear. He didn’t try to smooth out the wrinkles of her black pencil skirt, and she didn’t help zip up his pants and do his belt.
That would come later.
Now? The silence between them was suffocating her. She flinched when he turned away, the sound of the zipper closing sounding so much louder than it really was. Feeling like she couldn’t breathe, she slid off her desk. She didn’t look at him as she pulled up her underwear, feeling the ache between her legs as she straightened her skirt and fixed her ponytail.
Finding her blouse on her chair, she put it on and buttoned it as he adjusted his tie and shrugged on his jacket.
Neither said a word to each other when they picked up the things that were knocked to the floor - her phone, a picture of her and her mom, pens, and pencils, and her stapler. Queen for once, didn’t have a snarky comment to say as she pushed past him and left without a second glance.
Felicity cared, but she tried to push it down. She tried not to feel it, refusing to dwell on it and the consequences that would surely follow.
She walked outside her office and to the elevator, praying no one would stop her or notice her. She felt like everyone was staring at her, like they knew. Like they could see her smudged lipstick, her flushed cheeks, her wrinkled skirt. Felicity felt like a big neon sign was pointing at her saying ‘I just fucked my boss!’
Why did she do that? Shame filled her, threatening to swallow her whole. Stupid. She was so, so stupid. Worst case scenarios played through her mind, making her entire body tense. Someone heard them. She was going to be reported to HR. She was going to kiss her job goodbye because she more than kissed her boss.
“Felicity.”
It took a second for her to recognize and dread the voice that called her name.
Out of all the people who had to show up at the office right now, why him?
Frantically, she wiped at the side of her mouth to get rid of any lipstick smudges. Forcing a smile to her face, she turned around, reaching the elevators, trying to calm her racing heart. “Ray Palmer of Palmer Tech. How are you?”
“I’m grand. Happy even.” He was well-built. Muscular. Easy going. Made her laugh more times than she could count. “You look like you should be too.”
What? Did Ray know? Could he tell? Was she that obvious? Felicity forced out a nervous laugh that sounded downright crazy in her mind. “What makes you say that?”
A look of confusion passed over his handsome features. “I heard some whispers floating around about your presentation with Wayne Enterprises just over an hour ago.”
“What?” She was with Queen for an hour?
He tilted his head at her reaction, seeing her wide-eyed expression. “I... take it you haven’t heard anything yet?”
“Oh.” Shame and anger filled her. She should have been celebrating with her team. “I’ve been... There was a... thing that should not have happened, but... it happened.”
Ray’s grin softened. “You don’t have to explain yourself. I know all about keeping company things private, especially when it comes to something important as protecting company files.”
Right. Because that was what she was talking about.
Ray continued. ”You’re a hard worker, Felicity. That’s one thing I admire about you. I was wondering if you got my email about doing another team up.”
She liked Ray, she really did, ever since they randomly ran into each other at Tech Village. Whenever they did talk, they just clicked. He was Queen’s exact opposite, which was probably why she liked him so much.
Forcing herself to think back to the email she skimmed, she nodded. “Yes. Of course. About your idea for the smart wearable watches, right?”
He sent her a relieved smile, pointing a finger in her direction. “Right!”
“How is that coming? Going at it fast and hard I hope!” She internally winced, but Ray looked like he was... endeared by it.
“I actually just got done doing another pitch five minutes ago.”
Her smile froze in place, her mouth going dry. She was suddenly back in her office five minutes ago, feeling Oliver moving against her, his lips against hers. Did he leave? Was he waiting for her to come back?
“Felicity? Are you all right?” He asked, jerking her out of her thoughts. His smile morphed into one of concern.
“Yes!” She shoved her hand against the down button of the elevator, needing to get off the floor. “I… I just remembered I have to be somewhere. Somewhere important. Downstairs. To fix something. We’ll talk later okay?”
“I’ll go with you. I’m heading downstairs as well. Taking the elevator, I mean.” Felicity could only nod, relieved to be twenty-nine floors away from Queen. An elevator door opened within a few seconds, and they stepped through. She pulled out her phone, checking the email to read the description of the problem. “What floor?”
“Three.” She said, the nervous feeling loosening as the doors started to close.
A hand shot out, stopping the door from closing.
“Mr. Queen.” Ray greeted.
It took all her willpower to pretend everything was fine.
Tension filled the elevator.
“Palmer.” His voice was gritty. Rough. Even though she kept her eyes on her phone, she could feel his eyes on her like before. “Smoak.”
Felicity wanted to bash her head against the wall.
Ever genial, Ray put on a charming smile. “I was just telling Felicity that I heard some good news about the presentation you did with Wayne Enterprises earlier today, btw. I was wondering if I could meet with you to discuss my new smart wearables sometime. I think Felicity and her team would do a great job with it, considering what happened with that company in Hub City last month.”
Ray was literally giving an elevator pitch. She shook her head slightly. Only him.
“And wow. Look at me.” Ray chuckled, like he was trying to diffuse the growing tension between them. “Giving an elevator pitch in an actual elevator. Can you believe-”
“Contact my secretary.” Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Queen’s thumb rub against his index finger, the annoyance radiating off him palpable. “I will be more than happy to discuss whether Smoak can handle the work you plan on putting out.”
Hearing the double meaning, her hand clenched her phone so tightly she was surprised she didn’t bend the metal.
If Ray was confused by his wording, he didn’t show it. He just smiled it away like he always did. “Will do. I should have known better. I’m sure you’re a very busy man. And I’ll be sure to include Felicity in the meeting as well.”
Wonderful.
The elevator dinged on the twentieth floor - the Applied Sciences Division. Ray stepped out, wishing them both a good day.
The second the door was shut, Queen turned around.
“Don’t.” She couldn’t meet his eyes. She didn’t want to meet his eyes. Maybe if she just ignored him, he wouldn’t do anything. He shouldn’t do anything. Because cameras. They’d be caught and she would lose her job. Plus an elevator was too public. That’s why they couldn’t do anything.
What was she thinking?
Silence made her look up.
He held her tablet out to her, expecting her to take it.
She could only stare at him in dumbfounded shock.
“You forgot it, Smoak.” His voice was different. It was... quiet but begrudgingly nice, something she had never heard from him before. “You always have it with you when you’re not in your office. Here.”
A wary, hesitant... something nudged its way through her defenses. She reached out and took it from him, her fingers grazing his.
There was no electricity, no sparks, no fireworks.
There was just... tension.
She met his eyes then, but she didn’t know what he was thinking. She didn’t know if he was offering an olive branch or building a bridge or saying ‘I’m sorry’. Biting her lip, she looked away, hugging her tablet against her chest.
Thirteen... twelve... Seeing that she was reaching her floor, she quietly spoke a “Thank you.” She barely heard it over the blood rushing in her ears.
But he did.
“You’re welcome.”
Acting on a sudden impulse, Felicity faced him, straightening her shoulders. She forced herself up onto her tiptoes, pressing the edge of her tablet against his chest.
His eyes darkened, his hand sliding up her elbow to her shoulder, and her heart skipped a beat.
Electricity sizzled between them.
She blinked, and he was suddenly closer, her tablet pressed between their chests. His lips brushed against hers, and a shot of desire almost had her pressing him against the wall before common sense caught up with her. He stepped back as the elevator slowed down, and her stomach lurched with the movement.
Felicity tried to convince herself it was because of the elevator and not because of what she wanted to do.
The doors opened and she forced herself to move. Her heels clicked onto the third floor. Trying to restore some equilibrium between them, she remembered everything she hated about him and gave him the fiercest glare she could manage. Because what happened in her office could never happen again.
“This doesn’t change things between us, Queen.”
He smirked, putting on his cocky personality and meeting the challenge in her eyes. “I certainly hope not, Smoak.”
The elevator doors slid shut, severing their connection.