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It had only been three weeks - three amazing, relaxing, sex filled weeks - following their relocation to Bloomfield before Oliver started on his ‘projects’. In Ivy Town it had been cooking, and while Felicity thoroughly enjoyed having her own private chef who was more than willing to cater to her strange cravings, she was also realizing that a stay-at-home Oliver also loved projects
His first one was the kitchen - the countertops were replaced, appliances were upgraded, and the walls newly painted. Next was the deck - Oliver painstakingly measured, cut, and stained wood to extend the already large deck into one that could hold a table and chairs, as well as stairs leading down into the backyard where a new stone firepit was located.
The nursery was a team effort, as much as Oliver would allow it to be. Felicity had the final say, but Oliver wanted her to relax as much as possible. So he moved a comfortable rocking chair into the room and so she could direct him. Felicity humored him, and very much enjoyed her front row seat to her husband’s strong back and shoulders as he put together their daughters nursery furniture, painting the walls a soft yellow on nights when sleep wouldn’t come.
Now it was nearing the end of June and Felicity was very much feeling her pregnancy. Almost eight months along, she was pretty much all stomach and looked like she had swallowed a beach ball. She was currently using her belly as a table to rest her book as she lounged on a chair in the backyard, but her eyes were on Oliver.
He was shirtless, wearing cargo shorts and sneakers as he bent over a large piece of wood, sawing a piece off and carrying it to one of the piles nearby. He glistened with sweat, all of his muscles standing out in stark detail; Felicity unconsciously licked her lips.
“Are you going to tell me what you’re making?”
Oliver looked over at his wife and grinned, dropping his tools and snagging a nearby water bottle as he walked over, taking a seat next to her on the ground. One of his hands came up to hold hers, his thumb rubbing across her wedding band. “Haven’t figured it out yet?”
“I’ve been a little distracted.” One of her hands reached out and pushed Oliver's hair - growing longer at her request - out of his face, letting her hand drift down his cheek, and skim across his broad shoulders. He smirked up at her, and she mentally shook herself out of her trance, moving her hand to his chest and gently shoved him. “I can hear your smugness. Just tell me.”
“A treehouse.” He looked away from her face, starting to rub his right forefinger and thumb together in his typical fidget. “Right over there.” He lifted their joined hands off her stomach for a moment to point at a tree close to the edge of backyard, with a strong base and a widespread of branches closer to the ground than many of the others.
His voice had been softer than she was expecting, but intense and full of emotion. “A treehouse? Did you have one when you were younger?”
Oliver shook his head. “No. But whenever I saw them on TV I would beg my parents for one. My mom thought it was too dangerous. I decided when I was older, I’d have one for my kids.” He paused, glancing at Felicity’s face and then back towards the woods, “When we were in Ivy Town, I started thinking that maybe someday I’d build a treehouse in that yard. When we went back to Star City and everything started to crumble, with Darhk and with William, I thought... I thought maybe I had lost my chance. And now,” he smiled up at her, eyes full of emotion, “now I’m building a treehouse with my own two hands for my family. And I couldn’t be happier.”
Felicity smiled back at him, leaning forward to give him a kiss, only to be stopped by her round belly. She groaned, flopping back down onto her chair. “I also couldn’t be happier, but this is ridiculous. I’m like a beached whale.” He laughed at her pout, hand spreading out to rub her stomach. A beat of silence enveloped them, a soft breeze make the trees gently sway. “What about William?”
“Now that we are officially retired, hopefully things will be normal enough for him to feel safe. I’d like to wait until John confirms that the Ninth Circle is taken care of before contacting his grandparents. The last piece of the past gone and then we can make our family complete again. And even if he doesn’t want to stay with us full time right away, we can go visit him or maybe start with summer vacations.” He smiled up at her, hand continuing to rub circles on her stomach. “Whatever he’s comfortable with.”
Felicity nodded, “Mia is going to need her older brother.” Within a few seconds, a strong kick hit Oliver’s hand, making his smile grow. “And she’s your daughter so of course she’s already practicing her martial arts.”
His brow furrowed, smile dimming. “I don’t want her to ever have to fight.”
“We can protect her from a lot Oliver, but not everything. Regular danger happens all the time, it’s not just the apocalyptic springs we’ve gotten used to dealing with.”
“I know, I just...” he blew out a harsh breath, free hand clenching. “I just want her to be safe and happy. I know no one other than John and Lyla even knows about her, or where we are, but. I keep having nightmares.”
“I know.” Felicity’s voice was soft. She ran her hand back up towards his face, cupping his cheek and smiled as he nuzzled into it. “I have noticed you getting up during the night, quiet as you are. Do you want to talk about them?”
He shrugged, but spoke after a heavy moment of silence. “None of them are logical. I just keep seeing Malcom or Diaz or Chase taking her away. Even Slade, once or twice. Someone from my past is taking her from us and I can’t stop them.” He turned his head into her hand, pressing a kiss on her palm. “I know this is one of the safest places we could possibly raise her, I just can’t shake this feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Everytime I seem to find happiness, the universe finds a way to destroy it.”
Felicity gently grabbed his chin, meeting his eyes. “I know how this life goes Oliver. I can’t guarantee nothing will ever happen, but you and I have fought like hell to get here. And we’ll always be here for Mia and William, and they’ll have each other. We’ll be okay.”
He nodded, and they both jumped as a particularly hard kick met his hand. “See, Mia agrees with me. Your mind might be processing the past, but you’re building our future.” She nodded towards the stacks of wood, matching his smile with one of her own. “If I could move, I’d totally be kissing you right now.”
Oliver chuckled quietly as he stood up and settled over her, bracing himself on his arms to keep all of his weight off of their daughter. He leaned his head down, giving her the kiss she wanted. “Better?”
She nodded, book falling off of her chair, forgotten, her hand coming up to scratch over his scruff as they continued to kiss in the warm afternoon sun.
~OQFS~
“Alright little star, how about we let Mama sleep for a little longer, okay? Let’s go see your treehouse - Daddy built it, just for you and your brother.” Oliver made is way carefully across the yard, the small ten-week-old cradled in his arms. Her eyes were focused on his face, peeking out from the warm blanket she was swaddled in.
Oliver smiled at her, and was rewarded with a smile back, making his heart melt. So small and already he was completely under her spell, would do anything for her to smile at him.
They reached the treehouse and Oliver glanced back at the house for a moment before turning back to Mia. “Alright, no telling your Mama that I’m climbing this with you.” There were only three thick wooden steps before Oliver would be able to sit in the treehouse, but he still took it slowly, his balance perfect.
He eased onto the floor of the treehouse, crossing his legs and leaning to the side to let Mia look around the space. “Do you like it? It’s nice and big, plenty of room for toys and adventures.” She just continued to look at Oliver, listening to his voice. He smiled down at her, using one of his hands to gently tickle her belly. “A little to big for you right now though. But it’s all yours when you grow up.”
Oliver adjusted himself so he was leaning back against a wall, looking out one of the small windows, the sky fading into the pinks and oranges of a sunset. It was still a little strange, to see sundown and not be getting ready to suit up, but one look down at his daughter’s face reminded him of exactly where he was meant to be.
Mia’s first two months of life had been simultaneously the most hectic and the most peaceful time of his life. Getting used to Mia’s schedule and all of her little quirks had taken some time - Mia had inherited his inclination towards being a nightowl and frequently kept her mother up with her rather large appetite. She was impatient, crying when any of her needs were not met immediately and breaking Oliver’s heart in the process, sending him into a mild panic when nothing he did calmed her down.
And yet, his main job has been caring for his lovely, beautiful, and completely exhausted wife. Making sure she ate, drawing her baths when Mia was napping, giving her ample massages. Felicity was drained, frequently falling asleep while feeding Mia in the middle of the night. Oliver had truly never been more in love than while watching his wife and daughter sit together on the rocking chair.
It made every single scar that marked his body worth it. To be here, to have this.
He looked down at Mia, who was sucking on the corner of her blanket, tiny eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He tickled her foot and smiled as she kicked out at him. “Your mother was right, you are going to be a fighter, aren’t you?” She kicked more vigorously at the sound of his voice and he laughed, amazed at how light he felt.
Someday, maybe, he would be able to articulate what this meant to him. Someday, maybe, he would be able to tell William and Mia how much his life changed for the better for having them.
But for now.
“Where did we leave off? Oh yes, so Daddy and Uncle John were having a fight and even though your Mama tried to get us to talk, we were being stubborn. Listen to her, she’s always right about those sorts of things. But we had to find information to stop a very bad man, so...” Oliver continued to recount his and Felicity’s adventure at the underground casino - heavily edited, of course.
There would come a day when Mia was old enough to ask questions about how he became the Green Arrow and what he did, but for now, Oliver retold their adventures each evening, making faces and adding sound effects. If the team could see him now.
“Is this where you two have been?” Oliver startled a bit, so wrapped up in making Mia smile that he’d missed the sound of his wife walking up to the treehouse. “I woke up on my own for once, so I figured you were entertaining her.” Felicity rested her hands on the steps leading up into the treehouse, looking up at them.
Oliver nodded. “We are having some Daddy-Daughter time.”
She raised an eyebrow and tapped the ladder with a finger. “Does that mean that I’m not allowed to join in?”
She lifted a foot to step up the ladder, but paused when he shook his head. “Nope, not allowed. Only Mia and Oliver are allowed in the treehouse right now. Right Mia?” He looked down, but Mia had heard her favorite sound and the corners of her mouth began to turn down as she began to move her head back and forth, searching for her mom. Oliver sighed, “I suppose the princess has spoken. Be careful.”
Felicity gave him a look that told him where to stick his caution - he was the one who had climbed up with Mia in his arms - but stepped up and scooted over to sit beside Oliver, reaching out for Mia. “Hello my little star? Are you hungry? Did you have a good time with your Dad while Mama took a nap? Yes yes, hang on, I know, always so hungry.” She shifted Mia around in her arms before settling her in for a feed, leaning into Oliver’s side.
Oliver pressed a kiss into Felicity’s hair, silently enjoying the moment. The sunset casting beautiful light throughout the treehouse and their daughter making content noises as she ate.
Perfect.
~OQFS~
“Hey buddy, do you want to take a walk outside?” Oliver gestured towards the backyard, getting a grateful look in return from his son. William had finally rejoined them after a short but rather vicious custody battle with his grandparents and was reacclimating to life with his father and stepmom.
The acclimation wasn’t helped by Mia’s new habit of screaming at bed time. She had no colic or reflux, she just wanted to scream. She didn’t even seem that upset, but would scream louder if set down, so Felicity was currently pacing the length of the living room, seemingly unaffected by the noise, eyes on the science documentary on the television. Hearing Oliver’s offer, she waved at them, making a scrunchy face at Mia.
William quickly walked out of the house, followed by Oliver. As the door shut behind them, the sound became muffled and both boys let out a sigh. Oliver gave a small smile, “Sorry about the noise bud. The doctor said it’s just a phase. She’ll grow out of it.”
“It’s alright. It’s not all the time.” His voice was small and Oliver’s heart broke a bit. It had been nearly a year before they had been able to get William back - between the Ninth Circle proving to be as resilient as cockroaches, and a brief fight with his grandparents over communication before Felicity simply overrode their security system and contacted William directly to ask him about coming to stay with them. An offer that had, thankfully, been eagerly accepted.
But things had not yet settled into a pattern, and Oliver and William had been tiptoeing around each other, both needing to talk but neither one finding the right time.
“Hey,” Oliver nudged William, pointing towards the wood’s edge, “Want to go check out the treehouse? It’s yours too.”
William smiled up at him. “Sure. Felicity said you built it yourself - that’s really cool.”
“I did. I built it for you and your sister over the summer.” William fell quiet again, the silence between them growing tense from things left unsaid. The quiet continued as they reached the base of the tree and Oliver gestured for William to head up first, carefully spotting his son before following him up. He had left a small electric lantern in the treehouse for when he and Felicity would watch the sunsets, and he turned it on now, bathing the small room in a soft light.
The silence continued on for several moments, both wanting to say something but neither quite sure how to begin.
“I’m really happy you’re here William.” Oliver’s voice was quiet, but strong. He had missed his son so much and to have him now meant more than he could really articulate.
William sent him a small smile, rubbing his hands on his pants to offset the small chill in the air. “Yeah. I’m glad I’m here too,” he paused, head ducking down a bit. “I missed you and Felicity. I tried calling but none of the calls would go through. I got worried when I saw the news this past May, I didn’t know what was happening.”
“I’m sorry bud,” Oliver sighed, hands clenching in front of him, “We changed numbers after Felicity’s Archer software was stolen, but we sent them along to your grandparents. Felicity and I didn’t want to push if you didn’t want to talk, but we should’ve pushed more. Made sure we heard it from you. I’m sorry William.”
His son nodded his head, but still didn’t look up. “It’s okay. Felicity said you guys were worried about me, that you waited as long as you did because of some group?”
“Yeah, we wanted to wait until the last part of our past was taken care of. The Ninth Circle were pretty persistent, but we had no idea how much knowledge they had about us, so we didn’t want to bring danger to your grandparents by contacting you through more... overt methods. We also knew you were frightened after Diaz and Stan, and you wanted some normality - we wanted to be sure we could give you that before we pushed for you to come home.”
William nodded again, fingers picking at a piece of wood beside him. “I’m sorry about all the things I said; I was scared.”
“William, you didn’t do anything wrong. Your life was in danger - I know we came to an agreement about me as the Green Arrow, but I don’t blame you for being scared. Those men were in our home - that’s why we left. Felicity and I wanted a safe place, a fresh start for our family. And William,” Oliver leaned forward to catch William’s eye, “You were always part of that family. Just because we waited doesn’t mean you weren’t always included in any plans we may have made. Your room has been made up since we moved in.”
“Really?”
He nodded, wrapping an arm around William’s shoulders. “Yes. We said you’d always have a home with us and we meant it.”
William turned, snuggling into his father's side. Oliver rested his cheek on his son’s head, determined to fully appreciate these moments before William grew out of them.
“I missed you. I’m glad you came to find me.”
“Always William.” They let the silence stretch for longer, comfortable and safe this time. Oliver eventually broke it, asking “Are you excited to start at your new school?”
William grinned and launched into a full description of the classes he would be taking, waving his hands in a very Felicity-like fashion in his excitement.
Oliver listened with a soft smile, shooting a look out towards the stars, thanking whoever was listening for this chance, these moments.
~OQFS~
“Blanket, pillows, candles, basket, plates, wine, glasses, silverware-” Oliver paced around the small treehouse for the fifth time in as many minutes, making sure everything was perfect.
It was his and Felicity’s anniversary and she was due home any minute. She’d been in Central City to help expand Smoak Tech for the past week and would be back just in time for a late dinner by candlelight. John and Lyla had taken Mia and William for the evening, giving the two of them their first bit of true privacy they’d had in nearly a year.
Their first anniversary had been overshadowed by his release from prison, and Oliver was determined to make this one a night to remember. Felicity was expecting a spa day with Lyla the following weekend as her gift from Oliver, and so far, remained ignorant of the surprise waiting for her.
Oliver turned towards the driveway as headlights flashed across the yard. John had briefly resumed his role as driver, picking up Felicity from the airport and making sure Oliver had all the time he’d needed to create a path of small electric lamps from the deck, winding back to the base of the treehouse.
He watched as Felicity stepped out of the car, looking for him in the darkened yard. She turned to say something to John, who smiled and waved her forward. Giving him a quick hug, she began to follow the path. Oliver’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of Felicity in her comfortable travel clothes, hair still done up for her meetings that day, illuminated by soft yellow lights.
Felicity reached the base of the treehouse and leaned on the ladder, smiling up at Oliver, eyes shining. “Sneaky. How long have you been planning this?”
“A couple months. I wanted everything to be perfect. Are you coming up?” She nodded, climbing up the ladder, taking his hand to pull her up the rest of the way and into his arms. “I missed you.”
“It was four days.”
“Exactly. Much too long.” She smiled and leaned up on her toes, gently pressing their lips together. He wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her close and taking a moment to allow the lingering anxiety over her trip to dissipate.
Felicity hummed against his lips, pressing one more kiss to his mouth before pulling back. “John said the kids were taken care of?”
Oliver nodded, pulling back until just her hand remained in his and rugged her over to the soft blanket that had been spread out on the floor. “Having a movie night with Connor and JJ. Now,” he reached into the picnic basket, pulling out a large warm dish of lasagna and gesturing to the wine, “Shall we eat? I made your favorite.”
Nodding eagerly, she poured them each a glass of wine while Oliver served out the food. They settled down on the floor, quietly talking about Felicity’s week in Central City and Oliver’s week taking care of the kids at home, pausing every so often to kiss the sauce off each other’s lips.
Felicity sighed and sat back against the cushions. “That was delicious. Hotel food was such a downgrade from your cooking.”
Oliver smiled softly, cleaning up the plates and stacking the dishes in the picnic basket. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I wanted today to be special.”
“I’m with you Oliver. There’s nothing more that I want.” She watched him move towards the corner of the treehouse, the soft light from the fake candles creating a warm bubble around the two of them. Oliver fiddled with his phone for a moment before music began to play. It only took a moment for Felicity to recognize their song they danced to at their wedding reception.
Oliver turned and held out a hand to her. She quirked an eyebrow and remarked “Oliver Queen, are you asking me to dance with you?” Even as she spoke, she clasped her hand in Oliver’s, allowing him to pull her up and into his arms.
He smiled down at her, gently placing his one hand on her hip and lifting their combined hands to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss across her knuckles before laying them against his chest. “I’d dance with you every day if you asked.” As Etta James began to sing, he began to sway them back and forth.
After a long moment of enjoying the feeling of the other in their arms, Oliver quietly said “Thank you.”
Felicity tilted her head, brow furrowed. “For what?”
“For loving me so much.”
“Oliver-”
“No, just. Let me please?” She nodded, and Oliver pressed a kiss to her forehead before continuing. “You’ve given me so much. I never imagined my life would be like this, and I thought it was impossible so many times over the years. I’ve made so many mistakes, and you never once thought I was a lost cause.”
“Oliver-” Felicity’s objection was halted by Oliver’s lips, silencing her with a short kiss.
“Just give me a minute. I need to say this,” Felicity nodded reluctantly, still wanting to object. “Do you remember our first anniversary? I had just gotten out of prison. I made a stupid decision; I left you, left William. You never gave up on me, not once. Not even when I gave up on myself. This past year has been the best of my life, and I wanted to give you a proper anniversary night.” He smiled and leaned down to rest his forehead against hers, neither noticing that the music had stopped playing. “You will always be the best part of me.”
Felicity smiled, but softly shook her head against his. “You never gave up on me either, not when I was paralyzed, not when I walked away, not when I got involved with Helix. You showed me the best parts of myself - I never would’ve known how strong I truly was without you and Team Arrow. We are the best parts of each other. Forever.”
“Forever.” Oliver leaned down and captured Felicity’s lips with his, hand traveling from her hip up the center of her back, pulling her chest to his. Their lips moved against each other slowly, both of them simply enjoying the soft intimacy of the moment.
Oliver was the first to pull back, softly sighing against her lips. He lifted his head and looked around the small space. “I love this treehouse. It's everything I never thought I’d have - a treehouse I built for my beautiful family, in our backyard. Happy.”
Humming, Felicity runs her hands up his chest, winding around his neck and playing with his hair. “Very happy.” She pulled him back down, kissing him with more passion this time. He eagerly met her, hands spread out against her back.
The two remained lost in each other for a short while, jumping when a bright light shone through the window of the treehouse. Oliver let out a breathy laugh. “I know its our anniversary and while I’d love to take this further, I also know you don’t want Mia away from you for too long, so I had John bring the kids back before bedtime.”
Felicity smiled, pressing one last kiss to his lips, saying, “You’re perfect,” before pulling back and grabbing the blanket, climbing down the ladder and waving at John and William, little Mia distracted by the lights in the yard.
As Oliver joined her, holding the basket of dirty dishes, she tugged him down, whispering in his ear, “Besides, the bedroom is soundproof and I’d rather be able to play here with William and Mia without blushing every time.”
With that, she started to talk across the yard to the kids, leaving Oliver stunned in her wake. After a moment of stillness, he shook himself back into current day, a large smile across his face as he set off running to catch up to his family.