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“Fe-li-ci-ty,” He chokes out, the raw emotion is burning his throat and heavy tears are threatening to fall from his lashes, “This shouldn’t be this hard.”
“I-I know, Oliver – but…” Felicity tries but there’s a resignation in her voice. Oliver knows that she has already given up.
They were married young, a silly whim that was filled of love and a new sense of freedom and self empowerment that came from having the world at their fingertips after graduation. A trip to Vegas was too hard to ignore and a drunken romantic night that lead to them being Mr. & Mrs. Queen, well it was a given to what happened next, but instead of finding a screaming bundle of joy at the end of 9 months, all they were met with was stillness.
Things hadn’t been the same since.
“We gave up,” Oliver is openly crying, he doesn’t want to stop the tears even if he wanted to, “We just gave up trying.”
Big sobs leave Felicity’s lips as she cries, “B-but I don’t want to lose my best friend, Oliver.”
Oliver’s chest tightens unbelievably hard that his heart hurts painfully as he pulls Felicity into his warm embrace and kisses the side of her neck gently.
“I will always be your best friend, Felicity.”
⥥
Five years later
Oliver is standing in line at Starbucks waiting for his morning latte before heading into QC, where a mundane day of board meetings and CEO sign offs awaits him. A tiny pocket rocket of blonde comes hurling into his broad chest and Oliver manages to catch her by the hip before she tumbles to the ground.
“Oh! I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking where – and I’m late for my first… O-Oliver?” the woman babbles familiarly.
It’s Oliver’s turn to stutter, “F-Felicity? W-What are you doing here?”
“I moved back from Central City, I-I got a job in the IT department at QC – which Walter probably already has told you, cause duh, you’re the CEO and you’re probably wondering why I’m in here and not at work – Oh God, am I gonna get in troub-‘
“Felicity,” Oliver cuts in with a smile because, God, he’s missed this – missed her, and with a wink he continues, “I think I can put in a good word with the boss, now c’mon, I’ll walk you.”
⥥
The months grow and so do their friendship, they go on dinner dates, watch movies together, Oliver tells her all the things that Thea is doing and Felicity tells him about dating Cooper, an old MIT friend. But Oliver never tells her about how he never fell out of love with her and never will.
There’s some things that are better left unsaid… especially to your ex-wife.
Things get back to how they were: laughter and smiles, small touches and lingering looks. A small glimmer of hope flashes in Oliver’s chest, but then he sees changes in Felicity that smothers the hope within. She starts to draw back, her babbles die and she starts wearing clothes that engulf her light.
It doesn’t click with him until Felicity’s at his door with tears rolling down her cheeks and nursing her dainty wrist to her chest, battered in black and blue bruising.
“I didn’t cook his steak right.”
That is the only thing Felicity says in between sobs before Oliver pulls her in and shuts the door behind them.
After he gently places her on the couch and wraps her wrist up tightly, Oliver smoothes her hair back from her face and wipes her tears away like he used to. They just stare into each other’s eyes before Felicity cups Oliver’s neck with her good hand and pulls him into a passionate kiss.
Morning comes and Oliver reaches out to the space beside him, searching for warmth and curves but only finds coldness and emptiness.
It’s funny because that’s how his heart feels.
⥥
It’s weeks until he sees Felicity again. It feels like those five years again, and he’s not sure if his sanity can take it. Sure, he’s a proud man but he knows when he has been beat by his own emotions. He can fully admit he just wants his wife back. For good.
It’s the same situation as before, her at his front door with red brimmed eyes, him staring with concern – silence ticking between them.
But this time, Felicity only says, “I’m pregnant, he doesn’t know. Oliver, it’s yours.”
And before he pulls her in like last time, he sends a quick thank you out to whatever gave them this sick, wonderful second chance.
And in the morning, he’s met with warmth, curves and sleepy lopsided smiles.
Because this time they won’t give up.
⥥
They decide it’s for the best that they go slow and start out as only being friends. Oliver tries to argue, and gives it his all at convincing Felicity that, just maybe, if they are allowed to kiss that it would be better for the baby but after a raised eyebrow he realises it might just benefit him.
A small twinge in his stomach digs at him when he has déjà vu as he holds Felicity’s damp curls from her face as she leans over the toilet bowl or rubs her lower back at night while watching TV. But it always fades when she looks up at Oliver and smiles, before snuggling deeper into his side, whispering “We’re not giving up this time, remember?”
Still at eight and a half months, Felicity has cravings. This time it’s a chocolate milkshake, but Oliver doesn’t mind, not one bit, so when she sends him out at 10pm he goes happily and kisses the side of her neck before heading out.
When he returns, he fully expects Felicity to be lingering by the door with grabby hands, but she’s not. It’s eerily quiet, even if the TV is still on in the background and Oliver gets a shiver up his spine. He takes a few steps to put the milkshake onto the kitchen counter and that’s when he hears it:
A groan.
Oliver’s blood turns to ice when he races to the front of the couch and sees a half unconscious Felicity lying on the ground with a battered eye and blood pouring from a cut above her eyebrow.
“Felicity!” Oliver cries as he kneels beside her, checking every itch of her body for injuries and protectively putting a hand over her stomach before cradling her head to his chest.
He doesn’t have to ask what happened, he knows it was him. Oliver thought they were being careful at hiding Felicity and that he could protect her, protect them. Red hot rage flows through his veins as the thought of Cooper being here and touching his girl, hurting her like this. He swears he is going to find that bastard and kill him with his bare hands.
A quiet murmur pulls him back to reality as he feels a soft hand on his jaw.
“The baby, Oliver. It’s coming”
⥥
Felicity comes to when they rush her through the ER doors, with Oliver dashing beside her holding her hand and brushing her hair away.
“O-Oliver?”
“Hey, hey. Shhh, shhh. I’m here, baby. You’re okay, the baby’s okay.” Oliver soothes, tightening his grip on her hand.
Felicity starts to cry, “I can’t do this. I don’t want to do this. What if – “ Her eyes start to become unfocused and her hand goes partly limp.
“Felicity, baby. Stay with me,” Oliver says firmly while his insides are melting in fear, “ You can do this. I watched you do it before and you’ll do it again. I’ll be right here and I promise I won’t let anything happen to you or our baby.”
“I love you.” Felicity slurs.
Then Oliver is being drag away and Felicity is wheeled into an emergency caesarean.
“I love you too.” Oliver yells as it echoes through the hollow hallways.
⥥
Twenty minutes later, a beautiful baby girl is being place into Oliver’s arms. The midwife is explaining the usual post birth details but all Oliver can see is Felicity’s nose and his chin. He grins and his heart fills with unconditional love. He has never seen something so precious and beautiful.
The doctor comes as he starts stroking his daughter’s chubby cheek. Dr. Boleyn explains that everything went well and Felicity is stable but there’s internal bleeding that might take them a while to patch up.
Oliver thanks the doctor and leans against the wall then slides down as he sighs in relief while clutching the precious cargo in his arms.
He looks down at his daughter and places a tiny kiss onto her nose and whispers, “I love you and your mommy so much. I will never give up on you.”
⥥
Felicity is sitting up but looks exhausted when Oliver walks in cradling their baby girl. She has sleepy eyes but her smile is brighter than the sun and Oliver thinks it’s the most beautiful she’s been.
“Hey.” He breathes as he places their daughter into Felicity’s open waiting arms and kisses her neck like usual.
Felicity eyes start to well as she rubs a hand over the baby’s head and looks up at Oliver.
“She’s perfect, Oliver,” She says in awe.
Oliver leans down so their foreheads touch and hums in agreement and breathes both of his girls in.
“Felicity, for the love of God, can we please go back to being married?”
Felicity giggles and cups his jaw and nods,
“Yeah, I’d like that.”