Work Text:
"House Guests and Domesticity"
Word count: 8,138
"Every house where love abides,
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home, sweet home,
For there the heart can rest."
~Henry van Dyke
It hadn't exactly been a secret, so Felicity didn't understand what the big deal was when it finally came out. She wasn't one to keep things from her team members, and since this particular 'issue' involved the fourth member of Team Arrow, she really didn't understand why Oliver had reacted the way he had.
"Roy, don't forget that we have to pick up a few things from the store tonight before we go home," she said over the comm.
"Detergent! Write it down before you forget! My hoodie needs washing," Roy reminded her before Oliver and Diggle cleared their throats at the same time. Felicity turned around and looked at the older man who had stayed behind with her in the new lair. He had raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Have we missed something?" he asked her.
"Why are you and Roy buying detergent together?" Oliver asked over the comm. "Felicity?"
"Oh, right," Felicity mentally slapped herself. "You guys don't know that Roy and I are living together!"
"You're what?" Oliver snapped.
"Dude, stop giving me the Arrow-glare," Roy complained.
"Felicity!" Oliver's voice sounded again and Felicity shook her head at them both, despite knowing that they couldn't see her.
"I'll explain when you get here. It's no big deal, so stop overreacting, Oliver," she muttered before cutting of the link. She quickly wrote down 'detergent' on a post it so she wouldn't forget. Roy was right; she did have a habit of forgetting at least one thing every time she went to the store if she didn't write it down.
She turned around to face Diggle again, who remained standing with his eyebrows raised, waiting for her to explain what she had accidentally revealed a minute ago. She shot him a look and he shrugged at her, understanding that he would get the explanation once Oliver and Roy got back from patrolling.
Fifteen minutes later, Roy was walking down the stairs hurriedly, obviously trying to get away from Oliver who was not more than two steps behind him. "Please get him away from me," Roy complained, removing his red mask. "He's been practically interrogating me since you shut off the comm."
Felicity shot a glare at Oliver, who immediately reciprocated it. "I told you I would explain when you got here," Felicity said with a sigh, "so I don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of Roy living with me."
"You haven't exactly explained anything yet, Felicity," Oliver pointed out. "So why don't you go ahead and do just that; explain."
Felicity rolled her eyes at him and leaned back in her chair. She turned to address Roy first, "Why don't you go wash up so we can leave and maybe get home earlier?" The young man nodded, sending another glare at Oliver before heading for the shower, grabbing his clothes on his way there. Felicity turned to face the other two members of Team Arrow, who were both watching her expectantly.
"It's actually a really short story," Felicity explained. "Roy's neighborhood in the Glades wasn't safe to begin with and after Slade's attack, the crime went up even more so there have been a lot of break-ins there. Also, since you no longer own Verdant and the club has been out of business since the building was signed over to Isabel," she shot a pointed look at Oliver and his eyes flickered away for a second, "Roy hasn't been able to get a job. He mentioned this one night while we were watching a movie and I invited him to stay with me. I wanted the company and I figured it would be mutually beneficial." She inhaled sharply. "And by mutually beneficial, I'm not talking about any kind of sexual benefits. I mean, Roy's a good looking guy and all that, and you've been rubbing off on him Oliver, because he's really comfortable with walking around shirtless- Which is fine!" she quickly added. "I mean, if I can walk around wearing yoga-pants and a sports bra every Sunday morning, I should be fine with him walking around shirtless, which I am! Where was I going with this...?" She trailed off and blinked a few times, looking at Oliver and Diggle who were staring at her. Oliver's eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of his head while Diggle was smirking, clearly amused by the way she once again suffered because of her lack of brain-to-mouth filter.
"Mutually beneficial?" Diggle supplied playfully and she nodded.
"Right," she swallowed. "I mean, we keep each other company."
She decided that it might be better if she just stopped talking before she headed into way too deep waters again. Diggle seemed to accept her explanation, but Oliver had looked as if someone had just force-fed him a lemon.
"How long have the two of you been living together?" he asked.
"Uh," she counted the days quickly in her head, "a month and a half maybe? Since we finished up the new lair?"
"A month and a half and it never occurred to you to tell me- us about your new living arrangements?" Oliver pretty much demanded.
Felicity felt annoyance bubble up inside of her because Oliver really didn't have a right to act the way he was acting. "It wasn't a secret, Oliver," she bit out. "And besides, we didn't really see how it mattered anyway. I mean, you have been staying in Diggle's apartment since you lost the mansion, so what's different about Roy staying with me?"
The challenge hung in the air and Oliver's eyes seemed to shoot invisible arrows at her. A smirk tugged on her lips because she knew that she had him and that she had won this battle. Before she could add anything to her statement, Roy walked out of the bathroom and walked over to her, grabbing her coat on the way. He held it up for her and helped her put it on and Felicity just couldn't help but notice how Oliver glared at the younger man.
"Let's head out before the store closes," Roy muttered, meeting Felicity's eyes.
"I'll drive," Felicity said, turning to look at the other two men once more. "Good night guys. We'll see you tomorrow," she happily said before walking out of the lair with Roy following her.
"You know Oliver is going to be insufferable from now on, right?" Roy asked her when they got into her mini.
"Why would he be insufferable?" she frowned, putting the car in drive.
"Oh, I have no idea," Roy sarcastically puffed, rolling his eyes at her.
"Do you know something that I don't?" Felicity quipped, sending him a side way glance.
"Nothing that isn't obvious," he muttered under his breath while Felicity pretended not to hear him.
-§-
It turned out that Oliver wouldn't become completely insufferable. Actually, from Felicity's point of view, he hadn't been acting very differently since he had learned about her and Roy living together. He actually never brought it up to her again and honestly, it seemed like he was more relaxed around her. So when Roy started complaining one night when they got ready to marathon the third season of Supernatural, Felicity was surprised to hear what he had to say.
"Oliver has been horrible to me this week," Roy complained as he took a spoon-full of the ice-cream she was holding.
"What are you talking about?" Felicity asked. "He's been nice."
"Yeah, in front of you," Roy said. "As soon as you turn your back on us, he's basically murdering me ten different ways inside of his head and projecting his anger by giving me his Arrow-look."
Felicity laughed, taking a bite from the ice-cream tub. "Really? It can't be that bad..." she trailed off as Roy pulled down his shirt to expose a bruise on his shoulder. "Oliver did that?" she asked, touching the bruise gently.
"It wasn't on purpose," Roy said. "Or at least that's what he said. Things got a little rough during sparring after you so casually mentioned that I shouldn't just throw your underwear into your drawer without folding your panties first."
Felicity's face heated up and she could feel the blush spreading across her cheeks. "I said that out loud?"
"Loud enough for Oliver to hear," Roy answered. "And clearly, he doesn't like thinking about me going anywhere near your underwear."
Felicity poked him on his bruise and he let out an undignified cry. "Or maybe I accidentally made him uncomfortable by talking about thongs and hipster-panties?" Her innocent suggestion earned her an eye-roll from Roy.
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that."
-§-
A week later, Oliver approached Felicity while they were alone in the lair. Diggle and Roy had headed out to get them something to eat while they planned for a mission that would be going down in a few days. Felicity was checking the security detail on the building they would be breaking into when she felt Oliver's hand come to rest on her shoulder.
"Hey," he said softly, making her turn around to acknowledge him.
"Hi," she smiled back. "Everything okay?" His grip on her shoulder loosened and he let his arm fall back to rest by his side as he shifted from one foot to the other.
"Yeah, everything is fine," he told her. "It's just that I've been thinking a lot lately..." he trailed off and she tilted her head before turning around in her chair, giving him her full attention.
"About what?"
She was well aware that Oliver wasn't the best at coming up with the words to say and she didn't want to pressure him. Instead, she simply offered him a small smile and waited for him to figure out how he wanted to approach whatever it was that was bothering him.
"Well, you see," Oliver began, "Lyla is moving into Diggle's apartment and they have a baby on the way."
"I am very much aware of that," Felicity asserted, earning a small smile from Oliver.
"You also know that I've been staying at Dig's place since I lost the mansion, but now I'm afraid I might become the third wheel and I really don't want to impose on them any longer than I absolutely have to."
"Oliver, you're starting to ramble," Felicity grinned. "Where exactly is all this going?"
"I was going to ask you if I could stay at your place for a week or two," he admitted. "At least until I can find myself an apartment of my own. I mean, we still haven't gotten a cot down here in the lair and I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Also, I know that Roy is living with you already, so it's fine if you don't have room for me. I'll understand if you say no-"
"Oliver, it's fine," Felicity interrupted. Maybe they were all rubbing off on each other? Her rambling seemed to be contagious at least.
Oliver's eyes brightened up like a kid's on Christmas and for a second, it felt as if the air had left Felicity's lungs completely. His happiness at her words caught her off guard and she couldn't help but smile back at him.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Oliver asked.
"Yeah, of course," Felicity beamed. "I swear, it's no problem. As long as you don't mind sharing the guestroom with Roy?" It was spoken as a question and Oliver looked at her curiously, clearly expecting her to explain why he would need to share a room with the youngest member of team Arrow. "When I moved into my town house, the movers mixed up my instructions and put my things in the real guest room, which was smaller, while the things for the guestroom ended up in the master bedroom. I never really had time to change it back and by the time I had time again, I had just gotten used to the small cozier room so I never switched."
"And Roy won't mind sharing the room?" Oliver tried to assure and she shook her head.
"Of course not. It's my house, my rules, after all, right?" she winked. "I'll tell him tonight and you pack up your things from Diggle's and then you can move in by the end of the week. Does that sound okay?"
Oliver surprised her by leaning down and pressing his lips to her forehead. Once again, her breath caught in her throat. "What was that for?" she squeaked, her mouth going dry and her forehead burning from his touch, almost making her question whether it was a good idea to let Oliver move in, temporarily even.
"You, Felicity Smoak, are remarkable," Oliver smiled at her before turning his back to her and walking off to the salmon ladder. Her face was warm and she knew she was probably beet-red in the face, but his answer still made her smile. With it, her doubts disappeared as well and she couldn't wait to hear what Roy had to say about welcoming another house guest.
-§-
"Have I been a bad roommate to you?" Roy asked her when they got home that night.
"You've been wonderful, Roy," Felicity replied, unlocking the front door. She entered the house and put the keys in the purple bowl on top of the small table in the hallway as she ascended the stairs to her bedroom.
"Then why are you playing with my life?" Roy croaked as he followed her upstairs. She stepped into her bedroom and started taking off her coat and her boots.
"I'm not playing with your life," she pointed out. "I've just agreed to let Oliver stay here for a while, until he gets his own apartment."
"Which is basically the same thing," Roy protested. "It's enough that I have him hounding me in the lair and when we're on patrol, but to have him here too? In the one place that used to be Oliver-free? That will be the death of me!"
"Roy," Felicity chuckled. "I swear, if Oliver tries to hound you here too, I'll make sure he regrets it."
"He doesn't have a bank account that you can empty, Felicity!" Roy reminded her.
She picked up her pajamas and took out a towel from a drawer before walking over to the bathroom. Before she closed the door, she turned around and winked at Roy playfully, "There are plenty of other ways to make a man regret doing something, Roy."
-§-
The day that Oliver moved in, he and Roy managed to surprise her in the best way possible. Things between them might have been a little tense the first hour or so as Felicity helped Oliver unpack some of his things and Roy simply stood by the door with his arms crossed until Felicity scolded him and told him to get over to them and help. All of the sudden, the two men were bonding over their love for archery and training and Roy suggested that Oliver joined him for the early morning run that had become a part of his daily routine. Felicity smiled at them both, happy that they were being civil with each other before telling them that they will have to re-divide the chores so that they all have something to do each day of the week.
They fell into a routine quickly and one night, when Felicity sits in her armchair while watching the two of them have an archery contest on her Wii, she wonders how she got so lucky to have the two men in her life.
-§-
It's too good to be true of course, because when have Oliver and Roy ever gotten along for more than five days in a row since they got to know each other? On the sixth day of living together, they come back from their run, both of them bristling with anger.
Felicity is sitting the kitchen, having her morning coffee in silence when she hears Oliver's voice, "I told you to stop asking me about it!" before the door to their room is slammed shut. Felicity cringes and sets down her mug, watching curiously as Roy passes through the hallway, following Oliver into their room.
"And I told you it was just a simple question that you should be able to answer!" he shouted back. Once again, Felicity jumped when the door slammed shut again. She blinked a couple of times, happy that the isolation in her house was good and didn't let any sounds come in or out of the bedrooms. Sipping her coffee carefully, she decided it might be better to let them deal with their issues alone. It was exactly like when Oliver and Diggle fought about something; she wanted to stay as neutral as possible, but if the two of them needed a push, she'd talk to them both individually later.
When they came out of the room half an hour later, they both greeted her with a "Good morning," but acted as if they hadn't just had a fight. They fell back into their routine, Roy making scrambled eggs for the three of them, Oliver mixing a fruit salad and Felicity drinking her coffee calmly while watching them.
Neither said anything about the fight and they didn't bring it up again.
-§-
Roy and Oliver developed a thing for bickering over the smallest things though. Usually, Felicity would just sit on the couch, watching them amused while they tried to get her on their side.
"Do you see this?" Oliver asked, holding up his now pink dress shirt. "This was white when I put it in the washer this morning!"
Roy scoffed, putting his hands in his pockets. "So? You probably messed up and put a red sock in it like you did the first time," he shrugged.
Felicity almost giggled when she saw a slight blush creeping up on Oliver's cheeks. Whether it was from annoyance or embarrassment, she didn't know, so she decided to not say anything and just enjoy her ice-cream while they argued.
"No, I didn't, because Felicity taught me how to do the laundry, and I haven't messed up since that first time," Oliver argued, looking at Felicity for confirmation.
She swallowed the bite of ice-cream in her mouth and nodded, holding up a finger and pointing it at Oliver while looking at Roy. "That's true," she acknowledged.
"But that doesn't mean that I was the one to mess his clothes up," Roy protested.
"I found your hoodie in the washing machine, Roy! Tell me how it isn't your fault," Oliver challenged.
Felicity took another spoon-full of her ice-cream and looked between the two of them as if a tennis-game was going on. She watched as Roy's shoulders slumped in defeat and his face fell. "I'm sorry, Oliver," he sighed. "I was in a hurry to get out this morning and I just threw it in and turned it on. I didn't check what kind of clothes were being washed."
Oliver leaned back a little and looked at him. Felicity was shocked to see that Oliver clearly hadn't expected Roy to give up the fight so easily. "It's, uh, okay," he said, a little uncertainly.
"No, dude, I'll pay you back for the shirts as soon as I get a job," Roy insisted.
"There's no need," Oliver said. "I have plenty of other shirts. Curse of being a Queen, I suppose. Always have to have an extra shirt or two."
"But it was my fault-" Roy began again, but Oliver held up a hand to stop him.
"It's okay, Roy," Oliver persisted. "Really. Besides, I think pink looks really good on me," he said with a grin.
Roy chuckled and shook his head a little and Felicity couldn't help the little squeaky sound that escaped her throat. They both turned to look at her and she blushed.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed. "It's just that I really find it adorable how the two of you manage to sort things out by yourselves without me having to intervene. I mean, a minute ago the testosterone was so high in the room that it felt as if I would suffocate or grow a mustache, especially considering how you're both shirtless and sweaty from working out earlier." She blinked. "Not that I'm complaining over the fact that you're both shirtless, and I'm not insinuating that I enjoy watching you fight while shirtless, but I mean, I'm a girl and I certainly don't mind considering that you're both very, very good looking and..." She trailed off when she realized that they were looking at her strangely. Actually, they weren't looking at her strangely, per se. They were looking quite amused actually. If only the couch could open up and swallow her whole.
She shoved another spoon of mint chip ice-cream into her mouth to prevent herself from speaking.
"I'm glad that out lack of clothing doesn't bother you, Felicity," Oliver teased.
"Yeah. We would hate it if you didn't get your daily dose of man-candy," Roy said, catching on easily.
"I think I preferred when the two of you were arguing and not ganging up on me," Felicity groaned, earning a chuckle from both of them.
"Well, I think I better go shower then," Roy stated. "Are we going to watch a movie or are we going straight to bed?"
"I'm up for a movie if you two are," Felicity supplied, looking at Oliver.
"I actually thought about going to bed earlier so we could get up earlier tomorrow," Oliver shrugged. "But a movie sounds fine. Roy, go wash up and don't take too long because I need a shower too," he ordered as the two of them walked out of the living room toward their shared bedroom.
Felicity watched their bare backs as they walked out, muscles flexing with each movement. She scooped up the rest of her ice-cream and licked her lips.
Nope.
She definitively didn't mind them walking around shirtless.
-§-
Oliver's one-to-two weeks quickly turned into two months, not that she minded. She would never admit it to anyone, but after everything that had gone down with Slade, she still had nightmares about what could have gone wrong, and she felt a lot safer having her two friends in her house with her.
Their house, because that was what it was now.
Like all roommates they had their differences sometimes and one day when things between them seemed particularly tense, Diggle asked her about it when Roy and Oliver had headed out on patrol.
"It's nothing, really," Felicity shrugged. "It was all a big misunderstanding and the two of them are being awkward about it, when it really is more awkward for me."
"Oh? What happened?" Diggle wondered.
Felicity let out a small giggle. "I was chopping onions for lunch and Oliver was with me in the kitchen. I was trying to teach him how to make an omelet and the onions got to my eyes and they got all red and puffy and I started tearing up. Roy walked in on Oliver trying to take over and me telling him that 'it's okay' and he thought that Oliver had done something to upset me," she explained.
"Don't tell me the kid tried to defend your honor," Diggle said, an amused smile appearing on his face.
"Roy has gotten really protective of me since he moved in," Felicity continued. "So he basically shoved Oliver out of the way to check on me himself and Oliver didn't react very well either..."
"Let me guess, he asked why Roy was acting like a concerned boyfriend?" Diggle quipped and Felicity nodded.
"Something similar to that, but with a lot more colorful words," Felicity grimaced. "It was really awkward afterward because they had an argument and in the end I told them both to shut up and stop acting as if I was their favorite toy or something that they were fighting over. Then I realized what I had said and started babbling and it got even more awkward and I went all 'mom' on them and forced them to apologize to each other."
"So that's why they're acting so strange," Diggle realized. "You 'mom-ed' them?"
"Yeah, now when I think about it, you should have been there to see their faces," Felicity giggled. "Oliver's pout is nothing compared to Roy's."
Diggle laughed at her comment and shook his head. "You are one of a kind, Felicity."
-§-
Felicity doesn't notice the changes at first.
Oliver's hand resting on her lower back as he leads her through the parking lot at night, his lingering shoulder touches and the way he sometimes wraps his arms around her in an embrace when he sees that she needs comfort. He does her laundry too and tells her that it's the least he can do and he takes out the trash, sometimes when it's not even his turn. She teaches him to cook and he in turn shows Roy some of the tricks he's learned from her and they have gotten incredibly comfortable with each other. She doesn't even stare at his bare chest anymore when he waltzes into the kitchen on Sunday mornings and his eyes don't look like they are about to fall out of their sockets when he sees her making pancakes wearing shorts and a hot-pink sports bra.
So when Roy walks into the kitchen and sits down by the table, waiting on the pancakes, Oliver is looking for a job in the newspaper while drinking his coffee (which he made for himself) while Felicity flips the pancakes over the stove and comments at the jobs he suggests.
"A Mrs. Evergreen is looking for a gardener," Oliver reads out loud. "I could do some gardening, right?"
"Yeah, sure," Felicity replied, flipping the pancake, "but Mrs. Evergreen is most likely also looking for some side-action when he husband is away on a business trip."
Oliver grimaced and crossed over the advertisement with the red sharpie he was holding. "A personal trainer?" he then asked and Felicity shook her head.
"No one would be able to keep up with your training," she reminded him. "They would probably die of exhaustion five minutes after you've started the workout."
Oliver crossed over the ad without another comment. "An accountant-"
"-needs to have a book keeping diploma," she finished for him, putting Roy's pancakes on a plate before putting the plate in front of the younger man. "Wait, let me see," she said, walking over to stand behind Oliver. She put her arm around his shoulder and leaned down to read from the newspaper over his head. "You could always walk dogs," she shrugged, pointing out an article. "I mean, you'd at least get some money until you manage to find something with a better income. And besides, your lawyers are still looking over the paperwork for getting Queen Consolidated back. You might have the company back in like a month."
"I appreciate your positivity, Felicity," Oliver grinned, "but who knows how long it might take."
"Yeah," Roy snorted, stuffing his mouth with pancake. "Especially with Oliver."
Felicity and Oliver both turned to look at him. "And what is that supposed to mean?" Oliver glared, raising an eyebrow.
"Well," Roy said, swallowing his bite. "I'm just saying that you were supposed to stay here for like a week or two and the three of us have been living together now for three months and a half. Not that I'm complaining, but you're not exactly someone who is bothered when something takes longer than you expect. Unless it's about hunting down a criminal," he added thoughtfully.
"Oliver is as welcome to stay here as you are, Roy," Felicity said. "Besides, sometimes apartment hunting takes longer than expected, especially in a city like this." She walked back to the stove and poured some batter into the frying pan.
"Oh, because he's been looking for an apartment actively," Roy rolled his eyes.
"I have," Oliver protested, but Felicity couldn't help the little smile that appeared on her face because he didn't sound very convincing. "It's just been going very slow. Besides, weren't you supposed to stay here until you got back on your feet with a job and all that? How's job hunting going for you?" Oliver smugly said.
Felicity turned toward Roy. "You know that you're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like to too, Roy," she said, shooting Oliver a look. "But maybe Oliver is right? Maybe you should at least try to get a job? I mean, it wouldn't be that bad to have two people with an income, right? Not that I mind paying the bills, especially since I'm the only one of us three that managed to get a job the moment things started to calm down again."
"I noticed that Big Belly Burger is hiring," Oliver suggested.
"Yeah? Why don't you try to get a job there then?" Roy remarked.
"Because it's like Felicity said, maybe the lawyers will figure something out soon," Oliver shrugged.
"Either way, I think it would be really good for you to try and get out there, Roy," Felicity said, pointing at him with her spatula. "And you, should definitively try dog-walking. It's very calming and you look like you need something to take your mind off of the Arrow-business."
Oliver sent her a look and all of the sudden, Roy let out a loud groan, startling them both.
"God, do you two even hear yourselves?" he asked them, rubbing his temples. "You two are like the parents I never had! Lecturing me on what to do and what not to do while giving each other the heart eyes!"
"Aww," Felicity cooed, strangely flattered that Roy sort of saw her like a mother-figure. Then of course, she realized what he had said and her face dropped before heating up. "Wait, are you saying that we're acting like an old married couple?"
She turned to look at Oliver, who looked down, but not before she noticed a light blush on his cheeks too.
"You're more married than Diggle and Lyla!" Roy stated. "And they were married, then got divorced, then got married again!"
"We are not!" Felicity sputtered, appalled by his accusation.
"Oh, please, Felicity," Roy grinned. "Oliver may as well just buy you a ring and give it to you, since that's the only thing missing."
An awkward silence filled the kitchen and Felicity glared at Roy before glancing over at Oliver, who had finally looked up at her. There was something flashing in his eyes that she couldn't quite name.
No, no, no! Every fiber of her body was shouting at her. She could literally see the way his own mind started building the walls that had begun to fall down since he moved in. Her heart hurt because she couldn't shake the feeling that he would once again detach himself after Roy's offhand comment.
She waited, not daring to say anything. What could she say? Instead, she looked at Oliver, her mind registering every movement he made, trying to decipher his thoughts. Her eyes fell to his right hand, which had let go of the newspaper that was now laying flat on the table. His fingers were rubbing together, the nervous tick she had become accustomed to since she met him. He was agitated and nervous, but he was trying desperately not to show it. Lifting his cup of coffee to his lips and taking a sip, he looked at her, but avoided her eyes.
"Are the pancakes done yet? I need to go soon and I wouldn't mind tasting one before I leave," he said, his voice calm, even though she knew it was a cover to hide his true emotions, whatever they were.
He wanted to change the subject and she let him, ignoring the exasperated sigh Roy let out as he dug into his breakfast again. She put a couple of pancakes on a plate and put them down on the table in front of Oliver.
"Here you go," she said, offering him a small smile. His lips twitched up in a half-smile, but he didn't look up at her.
That alone made her heart sink into her stomach.
-§-
"What do you mean you're moving out?" Felicity cautioned, not sure she had heard him correctly at first. "I don't understand what you're saying exactly," she said, letting out a nervous chuckle.
"I'm saying that I found an apartment and I'll be moving in there this Friday," he repeated.
"No, you see, I heard you," Felicity stated, standing up from the couch, "I'm just not sure why you're moving out."
"Well, this was supposed to be a temporary thing..." Oliver trailed off. "And it's been four months now."
Felicity couldn't believe this was happening.
A week had passed since Roy's little remark in the kitchen and just as she had feared, Oliver had started detaching himself from her. He had avoided being left alone with her at all costs and had been going out on late night patrols every night so that he would be too exhausted to stay up and watch movies with her and Roy.
Then, tonight, when they got home, she and Roy had just settled on the couch when he had walked up to them and dropped the bomb on them that he would be moving out by the end of the week.
Felicity observed him before turning to Roy, "Could you please give us a moment?"
Roy rose from the couch without hesitation, looking quite happy that he was being excused. Felicity could tell without a doubt that he knew voices were about to be raised.
"You don't have to feel any pressure to move out, Oliver," Felicity said as soon as she heard Roy close the door to his room. "You know that both you and Roy are welcome to stay however long you need."
"And I appreciate that, Felicity," Oliver acknowledged, "but I don't need to stay anymore now that I've found an apartment."
Felicity's mouth went dry and her heart was racing. "I just don't understand," she told him. "A week ago you were in no hurry to move out and now all of the sudden you can't wait to get out of here fast enough? What happened?" she asked him.
"Nothing happened-" Oliver began, but Felicity shook her head at him furiously.
"Don't you dare start lying to me, Oliver!" she glared. "You know I see right through you, so tell me the truth. Is this about what happened last Sunday?" By the way his body tensed briefly, she could tell that it was. "Please tell me that what Roy said doesn't have anything to do with this," she groaned.
He stared at her, but didn't say anything at first. The he looked away and shook his head before turning back to face her again. "What Roy said last week isn't the only reason," he told her. There was more to it, that much was clear by his choice of words. He was inquiring that there was more and Felicity was dying to know what he was thinking about.
"I don't mind you staying here, Oliver," she told him again, her tone letting him know just how serious she was.
"I know," Oliver smiled sadly, which only made her even more confused. "And I'm grateful for having you...as a friend. But the things that have been circling my head lately aren't making things any easier for me and I don't want to have those kinds of thoughts."
She shot him another glare, ignoring his hesitation to label her a 'friend'. "What kind of thoughts?" she demanded, but he shook his head at her.
"It doesn't matter," he told her, already walking toward the door. She walked after him quickly and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to stop.
"Don't walk away from me!" she said. "We're talking, like the adults that we are and you do not get to just say that you're moving out and then walk out!"
Oliver pried her hand away from his shoulder and shook his head again. "I don't feel like having this conversation right now, Felicity," he said. "I need some air."
"Oliver!" she called after him, but before she knew it, she heard the front door slam shut. The sound echoed through the house and vibrated through her as she stared at the door that had been slammed in front of her. She was breathing heavily and her eyes stung. She felt as if she had just been slapped and she didn't even know the reason why this was bothering her so much.
If she was being realistic, she had known all along that Oliver moving in was going to be temporary. The same thing applied to Roy. That, however, didn't mean that she had accidentally let herself get used to having them both around. Roy had been staying with her for almost six months now and Oliver for four... She had gotten used to having them around and they had become the small- albeit dysfunctional at times- family that she had always wanted.
And now Oliver had decided to walk out on that.
A pair of warm arms wrapped around her and her knees went weak. She hadn't even heard Roy get out of his and Oliver's room, nor had she heard him walk up to her. A sob escaped her lips and she collapsed against the younger man, burying her head in his shoulder. She hadn't realized it until right then, why she was so upset about Oliver deciding to move out. The fact that she considered him and Roy family now and that she had grown closer to him so much surprised her at first, but now it all made sense.
"I'm sorry," Roy whispered as he rubbed her back. The fact that he wasn't tense told her just how much she and Roy had bonded too over the months that they had lived together. She shook her head, but couldn't say anything. Instead, she just buried herself in his embrace and cried.
-§-
Two and a half hours later, Oliver returned.
Felicity had forced Roy to go to bed, assuring him that she too would try to get some rest. To be honest, she had tried to go to bed, but leaving things unresolved like that with Oliver bothered her to no end, and no matter how much she tried to tell herself that they both needed to cool down before talking about anything, she had walked out of her room and headed downstairs again to wait for him.
As she sat on the couch, she thought through all the things she wanted to tell him whenever he got back, so she waited patiently, only staring at the turned off television while thoughts whirled around in her head.
When Oliver came back, he found her sitting there, on the couch with her feet popped underneath her. She saw the way his eyes flickered to her pajamas and then to her face. The way remorse flowed through his face, she could tell that he saw that she had been crying. His demeanor had changed and he looked as if he felt awful, which only made her feel hopeful that they would be able to talk things through.
"You're back," she said, her voice cracking despite her efforts to not show her emotions.
He flinched, but nodded as he remained standing by the living room door. "I needed to clear my head," he said. "I'm sorry I walked away."
"It's- I-" she shook her head, not knowing how to respond. "It's not okay," she settled. "But I understand. I had some time to think things through after you left."
"You've been crying," he whispered, taking a small step toward her, but still keeping a safe distance between them. "I'm sorry."
"Yeah," she nodded, a chuckle escaping her lips as she began tearing up again. She wiped her eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry. It's not just you... I- I realized some things while you were out and I'd really like to tell you before we get into another argument," she told him, meeting his eyes. "You're not the only one who has been thinking things that you shouldn't have. I too have thought things that I clearly shouldn't have," she began, taking another tentative step toward him.
He too took a step closer as well, but shook his head at her. "Felicity, I shouldn't have just walked out like that-" he started, but she interrupted him once more.
"Please, Oliver," she sighed. "I just need to say what I have to say and then you can say what you have to say." She waited for him to nod at her to continue, which he did, after a minute of complete silence. "I've had some time to think and, I can't even believe I'm saying this," she ran her fingers through her hair, "but I don't want you to leave, Oliver." Looking up at him, she could see that he was struggling to not say anything.
"Felicity..."
"No, listen," she insisted, this time taking another step toward him. "The thing is that this might have started out as a temporary thing, but living with you... Living with you and Roy both, has made me feel safer than I have felt in over two years. I've started to depend on you. Both of you, and honestly, I can't imagine living in this house without you or him." Oliver inhaled through his nose and finally met her gaze. She tried to offer him a smile, but she knew that there were tears in her eyes and that it would come across as a sad one. "This is our home, Oliver," she told him. "And I love our home. I love us living in our home together," she said, motioning around the room. "I love Roy like the kid-brother that I never had and... And I love you," she exhaled, feeling as if a weight lifted off of her shoulders. "You don't have to say anything and I understand if I've completely freaked you out..." she trailed off, suddenly realizing just what she had said to him. She stared at him with wide eyes, but his face didn't betray any emotions. She could tell that his mind was going a thousand miles a minute and she didn't know what to do. She had just confessed that she loved him and he was just standing there.
"Oh, God, please tell me I haven't completely freaked you out!" she exclaimed before she could stop herself. "The point is, I love having you here and I don't want you to move out... So I'm being selfish and I'm asking you to stay, but I won't hold it against you if you leave, because I can see that I've completely freaked you out-"
The speed at which he moved forward shocked her, but not as much as feeling his lips pressed against her own. It took her about two seconds to realize that Oliver was kissing her and another two for her to remember how to move so that she could kiss him back.
His hands were on her cheeks, brushing away the invisible tears that had been there earlier, as his lips moved against hers, first intensely and passionately before slowing down, as if he was trying to savor ever second of it. One of his hands moved down to her neck, before moving back to cradle the back of her head, his fingers twisting into her soft hair.
Her own hands were on his hips before they slowly moved upward, across his chest, resting there shortly as his other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her more tightly to him. Her fingers spread widely, coming to rest on his shoulders before she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him impossibly closer to her.
Her lips were a little chapped from biting them furiously after his departure, while his were still cold from being outside for so long, but it didn't bother them at all as they continued to put everything they had into the kiss that made their minds cloud and caused the world to fade.
Then, he pulled away, bending his head so he could rest his forehead against hers. She had to stand on her toes still, so she could keep her arms wrapped around his neck and it hit her all of the sudden, just how big their height difference was. She opened her eyes and met his cerulean ones. They were both panting, breathing each other in as they just watched and waited each other out.
He was the first one to speak. "You haven't completely freaked me out," he told her, still a little breathless. "I'm sorry for upsetting you...and for trying once again to push you away. I'm tired of pushing you away and keeping you at arms length," he confessed, his eyes searching hers briefly. "And I want to stay, if you'll still have me...?"
"For how long?" she asked, despite herself. Happiness was bubbling inside of her, but she needed to make sure that he was serious this time. "Because I've been thinking about officially having your name on the ownership papers... Yours and Roy's of course-"
He kissed her softly again, but pulled away before she had a chance to properly respond. "For as long as you'll have me," he told her in a whisper, the pad of his thumb brushing against her lower lip.
She smiled and felt a small blush creeping up her cheeks. "Is 'forever' too cliché to ask for?" she asked him.
He beamed back at her and her heart felt like it was about to explode, because seeing Oliver genuinely smile was rare and it was something that she doubted she would ever get tired of seeing.
"Forever sounds perfectly fine in my ears," he chuckled, brushing the back of his hand across her cheek.
"But you have to stop being so over-protective," she told him.
"I'm not making any promises," he retorted.
"And you don't get to decide tomorrow that you regret letting me in," she continued. It might have been said playfully, but she knew he understood that she was serious too.
"I won't," he replied. "That, I can promise you. I love you," he confessed.
Grinning, Felicity grabbed his shirt and closed the distance between them once more.
-§-
The next morning Roy made his way upstairs to Felicity's room, carrying a tray with breakfast with him after having decided to try to cheer her up.
What he hadn't expected to see when he opened the door though, was Felicity and Oliver engaged in a hot make-out session on her bed, only in their underwear.
Or at least he prayed that they were wearing underwear, because they were covered by her comforter and he couldn't see anything (thankfully).
"Oh God!" Roy exclaimed, quickly putting the tray down on Felicity's make-up table before covering his eyes with his hands. "At least put a sock on the door or something next time!"
Oliver groaned and his head fell to Felicity's shoulder while Felicity rose up on her elbows, blushing furiously while holding the blanket over her chest.
"Roy!" she yelped, blushing furiously.
"I'm happy the two of you worked things out, but at least warn a guy so he doesn't walk in on you making future Arrow-babies!" Roy said, his hands still over his eyes. "And you could have locked the door!" he pointed out.
"Roy," Oliver practically growled, turning to shoot the younger man a glare over his shoulder.
"Oh, right," Roy said, still not looking at them. "I'll leave you guys to it then." He turned his back to them and started to walk out of the room before stopping. "Wait, does this mean that I get to have my room all to myself again?"
"Roy, get out of the room before I punch you," Oliver snapped, bending down to kiss Felicity's shoulder again.
"Right, right. Sorry," Roy quickly said before stepping out, closing the door behind him. The sound of Felicity's giggles brought a smile to his face, but he shuddered and hurried to his own room when her laughs turned into moans. He picked up his phone and texted Diggle the news, turning up the volume on the stereo Felicity had bought him for his birthday. He couldn't help but feel happy for his friends, but he would most likely ask Oliver if he would be keeping the apartment, so Roy could use it as an escape whenever the new couple became a little too much for him to handle.