Work Text:
A Love Story
Laurel came down the stairs and jerked to a stop. Oliver and Felicity were standing off. Felicity slightly on her tippy toes, in Oliver’s personal space, and finger pointed accusingly. Oliver looked soft, except for his furious eyes. While he glared at Felicity, she loudly spoke. Diggle would call it her loud voice, but this was the first time Laurel had heard Felicity sound threatening. But hearing it now made sense, because Felicity’s point was don’t mess with her computers especially her algorithms.
Laurel watched for a moment then turned to Diggle who was busy rolling his eyes and cleaning his guns. Laurel had to pass him to get to Oliver and Felicity. She paused next to him, and they caught eyes.
“I’ve learned not to interrupt. Go ahead and try,” he said with a shrug. Diggle went back to his guns a moment later.
Laurel watched the standoff with a furrowed brow. As far as she knew, Oliver and Felicity weren’t together. But boy did this look like a couple fighting. There was something passionate between the two. Watching it, Laurel felt a rock settle in her gut. She shook it off and walked over to the pair.
As expected, Oliver noticed her first. Laurel would like to think it was due to their history, but it had to do with his awareness. He visibly tensed which clued Felicity into their new audience. Her eyes rounded out behind her glasses in embarrassment and frustration. It was clear she wasn’t done lecturing.
“What do you need, Laurel?” Oliver asked in his best diplomatic voice.
Laurel’s eyes were still on Felicity who gave Oliver a side-eyed glare. Laurel sighed. “I needed Felicity to check out someone.”
Felicity jolted from enraged into eager in a blink. Oliver relaxed as Felicity turned to her computers. He slinked away to his salmon ladder when Felicity started to type. Laurel watched him with curiosity. He looked guilty when his eyes landed back on the two women.
Laurel couldn’t help but wonder what was going on between the two. They’d been getting into fights often ever since the summer ended. Which was far different than the summer where at every turn they seemed flirty. Laurel had felt off when they were flirting but now? Now she felt like something cosmic was off.
…
Laurel hadn’t seen Felicity cry. But she knew Felicity loved Oliver. It may have never been spoken, but everyone knew. Which just made Felicity not mourning, confusing. Laurel cried, yelled, and cursed the heavens when they saw the bloodied sword. Felicity closed into herself, that much was clear. But then she just went on with her work.
Diggle seemed concerned. Hell, Laurel was concerned! Felicity seemed to be moving on with her boss, or maybe not? Nothing was clear now. Laurel was pretty sure even Felicity was confused.
When Oliver came back, Laurel felt like she could breathe. She figured Felicity felt the same way, and at first it was clear she did. But then they were fighting which just turned into stone cold not speaking.
Oliver had admitted his love for Felicity, that much Laurel knew. But did Felicity even know her own feelings? It was clear to everyone, but Felicity it seemed.
…
Felicity’s plan seemed crazy, but if it saved him from a life as an assassin, Laurel was in. There was something between Felicity and Oliver when Felicity called her and Diggle into Oliver’s room. Besides Oliver passed out on the floor, the bed was crumpled, and Felicity’s cheeks looked flushed when Diggle arched a brow at her.
They were in love. Oliver told Felicity he loved her then they had their own personal goodbye. Laurel watched from a distance. It was clear as day that these two had finally surrendered to their feelings. Felicity clutched to Oliver desperately and he did the same. Their foreheads came together, tears feel, they shared a kiss, and then Felicity walked away.
Laurel wanted to ask how she did it. Laurel knew she wouldn’t have been able to, but Oliver had always said Felicity was stronger than all of them. Diggle embraced Felicity the moment she was in reach. Laurel watched Oliver walked back into Nanda Parbat. It dawned on her that those few moments were likely the last they’d see of each other. Oliver seemed to be going away, for good.
On the plane ride back home, Felicity folded in on herself. Laurel caught her wiping her eyes every so often. Diggle checked in with her a couple times. Laurel could only imagine what Oliver was like. The past year, it was clear Felicity held his heart. Laurel knew Oliver didn’t give that away easily, which meant Oliver was aching just as bad if not worse than Felicity.
…
Laurel came back from a mission with Thea on her tail. Laurel, Thea, and John had been at the vigilante thing without Oliver for months now. Which was exactly why Laurel assumed she didn’t have to make noise when coming into the bunker.
She came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs when her eyes fell on a rather shocking display of affection. Well, that was the PG way of phrasing it. Felicity was sitting on one of Oliver’s fletching tables, Oliver between her legs, and their lips were locked.
Laurel immediately turned her head and let out a sharp shout.
“What?” Thea’s concerned voice came from the top of the stairs.
“Nothing!” Laurel cried back.
Her voice had Oliver and Felicity flying apart. Felicity jumped off the table and worked on fixing her skirt while Oliver carefully placed himself behind his fletching table. Laurel cringed deeply. She so did not need to see this.
Thea’s footsteps were the only sound besides Felicity’s panting. Thea stopped a step above Laurel, who was blocking her way. “Where’s the danger?” the younger woman asked.
Felicity cleared her throat loudly and scratched behind her ear. “Danger? No. We were,” Felicity stammered. Laurel looked anywhere but toward a blushing Oliver and an embarrassed Felicity.
Thea looked at Felicity’s pink face and Oliver’s peculiar stance. “Oh no,” Thea whined, “You guys promised me and Digg!”
Laurel’s eyes went wide, and she turned to Oliver’s little sister. His sister. “You’ve walked in on this?” she stressed completely horrified for the other woman.
Thea blanched. Her eyes flew to Laurel’s shocked face. “What?” Thea asked horrified. “No! Ugh,” she gagged. “Gross. Digg is the only reason I’m not mentally scarred by these two.” Her thumb pointed accusingly at Oliver and Felicity as she walked around Laurel and into the bunker. She put her bow down as Felicity babbled about the specifics of the said promise.
She started to explain how she and Oliver weren’t breaking that specific promise, but Thea cut her off with a loud groan. The younger woman plugged her ears and shouted, “I do not need to hear this!”
It was abundantly clear to Laurel that Oliver wasn’t embarrassed. He even seemed a little amused at his sister’s reaction. Felicity seemed to be on the same page as him, maybe slightly more horrified. They were together, and they weren’t ashamed.
It hit Laurel. They were happy. Oliver seemed like a completely new person, and Felicity seemed even lighter if that was possible. A weird feeling washed over Laurel, but she made peace with it in due time. Oliver was happy and that was all that mattered.