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Laughter sounded from their booth at Finn McCool's. Thea and Roy had just entertained the crowd with a duet of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off", wildly dancing along to the lyrics, even going so far as dragging unsuspecting members from the audience onto the little stage and making them dance with them.
It had been a night filled with laughter and easy conversation and just plain old fun. The last Friday of every month was Team Arrow Night – unless there was an imminent threat to the city, of course. This new tradition had started sometime after Thea had joined the team who had instantly complained about the lack of group activities.
Oliver, of course, had been his usual broody self and had actually refused to join the rest of the team for the first two outings, adamant that the city couldn't do without The Arrow's protection for one night of the month.
His stubbornness had inevitably clashed with Felicity's persistence, which had resulted in their biggest fight yet. And what a fight it had been. It had started by her trying to gently nudge him into giving in, reminding him of his role as their leader, but had quickly turned into a shouting match that had everybody else running for cover.
Three days of radio silence had followed that had put everybody on Team Arrow on high alert. Three days of no talking, texting, or even seeing each other. Needless to say that it had driven everybody crazy. A pissed off Oliver with no Felicity around to talk sense into him was the worst, Diggle had assured her during a quiet talk a few weeks later and silently begged her to never leave the team again. Oliver and her had shared an emotional conversation in the Arrow Cave on the evening of the third day, ultimately resulting in a long, intimate hug. Somehow their friendship had become stronger after this incident, only solidifying the deep bond they shared that no one else could quite understand.
So here they were, all members of Team Arrow, sitting in a booth in one of their favorite bars, participating in the karaoke contest that was being held. Since, Oliver stoically refused to partake in the singing portion of the night, he had to pay for all of their drinks for the whole night. A punishment he'd gladly chosen over going up on that stage, especially after regaining power of QC and therefore his family's fortune a few weeks earlier.
The rules for the night were simple. They would take turns to sing, spinning a bottle on their table to see who they'd dedicate their song to. The rest of the table had the right to choose the song. Whoever chickened out had to pick up the check for their next Team Arrow Night, everybody knowing full well that that just wasn't an option for anybody who didn't share the Queens' last name or wealth.
Fueled by the large number of shots and beers, Roy had gone first, serenading Diggle with Britney Spears' "Baby, One More Time", making Felicity almost choke on her water when her body had refused to drink and laugh at the same time.
Next up, Thea had made the whole bar dance along to her rendition of "Party In The USA", pulling her bottle spin winner Felicity onto the stage to dance with her.
Diggle had sung Joe Cocker's "You Can Leave Your Hat On" to his wife who hadn't been able to stay much longer after that because she'd been called away to assist in an ARGUS mission.
Instead of letting Felicity finally take her turn, Thea had pulled Roy from his seat and had swiftly convinced him to sing a duet with her, saying they'd dedicate the song to each other.
"Enjoying yourself?" Oliver had asked, his lips close to her ear, trying to drown out the music. He'd been sitting next to her in the booth the whole night, his arm slung over the backrest behind her, his fingers sometimes playing absentmindedly with a lock of her hair, or ghosting over the skin of her exposed shoulders.
She'd turned towards him and nodded, a big smile illuminating her face. She'd known it made no sense to start any kind of conversation with all the noise and chatter around them. They'd probably been the only two people in this place that were still sober. Felicity had offered to be the designated driver for tonight and Oliver had only had one or two beers during dinner hours earlier.
"You're still sleeping over tonight, right?" He'd asked, again so close to her ear that it made her shudder involuntarily.
She'd nodded, shy smile playing on her lips. Oh, she'd be sleeping over alright. Not that that was anything out of the norm or special. Quite a few of their weekly movie nights -another "luxury" Felicity had insisted on taking time for- had turned into sleep overs at either of their places. After the last two Team Arrow Nights, Felicity had slept at his new apartment. First, it had been because she´d been too tired to drive home after helping him move in, and the next time she might have been a little too inebriated and Oliver had offered her his amazing bed to sleep off the alcohol. How could she have said no to that?
By the time she managed to pull herself out of her thoughts, Thea and Roy had finished their duet and slid back into their booth next to Diggle who gave them both a high five..
"That was fun," Thea commented, greedily taking a sip of her cocktail. "You're up after this guy, I already gave the DJ the song you'll sing."
"Hey, what happened to us choosing the song together?" Diggle asked, the mock-anger in his voice betrayed by his twitching lips.
"Oh, don't worry, big guy, it's the perfect song," Thea said and patted his shoulder. "Go ahead, 'Lis, spin the bottle."
Felicity regarded the younger woman with a skeptical look, trying to decide if she was giving her a genuine or a devilish smile. Warily she grabbed the empty bottle they'd been using all evening.
Please don't stop on Oliver, please don't stop on Oliver, she chanted in her head, as she let go of the spinning bottle. Dedicating a song to him was really the last thing she wanted to do, especially if she didn't have any control over the song choice.
After a few seconds the bottle slowed down and eventually came to a complete stop, pointing at... Oliver.
Shit!
Felicity groaned inwardly while Thea let out an excited squeal and clapped her hands together. "This will be ah-mazing."
Or not, Felicity thought wryly and stood from her seat to go over to the stage. Warm fingers curling around her wrist stopped her and made her turn back around.
"You'll do great," Oliver said and gave her a warm, encouraging smile.
She bit her bottom lip and nodded jerkily. Yeah, she could totally dedicate a song to him and ignore the lingering and mostly unrequited feelings for him, that she still hadn't gotten over. She'd tried. She really had, but there was just something about him that she couldn't shake off, no matter how hard she tried to put herself out there, dating other men. Their pretty disastrous first and only date had been almost a year ago, but since then no other man had managed to spark the kind of feelings in her that she felt whenever she was around him.
He'd made a decision for both of them back then, deciding that he couldn't be with her or anyone else. Of course that was total bullshit if you asked her, but that's exactly what he hadn't done. He'd just decided to not even try to be with her past their date. She'd received the message loud and clear, and had accepted it (more or less). She couldn't put her life on hold and wait around until he realized what a stubborn, stupid idiot he was being.
She took a deep breath and moved towards the stage, ignoring the lingering feeling of his fingers on her skin. The guy on stage finished his song and the DJ motioned for her to step onto the stage, handing her a microphone.
Her eyes swept over the black screen in front of her and then found their booth a good twenty feet away, four pairs of eyes focused on her. But it was one pair of eyes that her gaze fell on. Oliver's electric blue eyes were fixated on hers, never wavering.
"This song," she said into the mic, hearing her own voice booming over the speakers. "Is for Oliver," she finished softly, letting her gaze drop to the screen that was illuminated now, showing the lyrics of her song. Her heart sank at the sight of them. She knew this song. She loved this song. She definitely did not want to sing this to Oliver.
If she hadn't just bought that fabulous pair of Jimmy Choo's she probably would've chickened out, but as it was, her love for shoes had put a serious dent in her budget calculations.
She screwed her eyes shut as the music started playing. She cleared her throat and clutched the mic with both hands before she started singing.
Say you love me to my face
I need it more than your embrace
Just say you want me, that's all it takes
Heart's getting torn from your mistakes
'Cause I don't wanna fall in love
If you don't wanna try,
But all that I've been thinking of
Is maybe that you might
Baby it looks as though we're running out of words to say
And love's floating away
Finally, she opened her eyes, blinking rapidly against the light. The bar had grown eerily quiet and a quick sweep over the room told her that everyone was staring at her. Great. Involuntarily, her gaze found Oliver. His mouth hang open a little, eyes wider than usual, a slight frown forming on his forehead.
Maybe this wasn't the worst song to sing to him. It did kind of sum up what she wanted him to, so she might as well use this opportunity. Keeping her eyes stoically on him, she continued singing.
Just say you love me, just for today
And don't give me time 'cause that's not the same
Want to feel burning flames when you say my name
Want to feel passion flow into my bones
Like blood through my veins
Her voice grew stronger and she became more confident as she saw his jaw clench in what she knew to be an attempt at controlling in his reaction. Her words were getting through to him. Good. It was about time.
'Cause I don't wanna fall in love
If you don't wanna try,
But all that I've been thinking of
Is maybe that you might
And, baby, it looks as though we're running out of words to say
And love's floating away
She cast her eyes down. Not everybody in the bar needed to see just how much this song was affecting her. Or how the words reflected her own feelings.
She had promised herself, after the first time someone had broken her heart, that she would never wait for a guy, never hold her life back for anyone, and yet, here she was pining over a man who had made it abundantly clear that he couldn't and wouldn't be with her. A man who kept dangling maybes in front of her only to jerk them away before she could hold onto them.
So she had tried dating other men, but always felt the need to keep a close eye on Oliver to make sure he wouldn't push her away or decide that he didn't need her in his life. As much as the rejection after their date had hurt, losing him from her life entirely would be her undoing.
Won't you stay?
Won't you stay?
Slowly slowly you run for me,
But do you know me at all?
Someone told me love controls everything
But only if you know
'Cause I don't wanna fall in love
(No no no no no)
If you don't wanna try
(Just try sometimes)
But all that I've been thinking of
(I just think)
Is maybe that you might
(You might)
She hated herself a little for how hopeful she sounded. How hopeful she was that one day he may come around and finally realize that being The Arrow and Oliver Queen didn't automatically mean that he couldn't be happy. Realize that he actually could be happy... with her.
'Cause I don't wanna fall in love
If you don't wanna try
But all that I've been thinking of
Is maybe that you might
Baby it looks as though we're running out of words to say
And love's floating away
Won't you stay?
Won't you stay?
Her voice trailed off and she swallowed down the emotions that threatened to overtake her. She ignored the thunderous applause from the audience and quickly slipped off the stage, practically running to the ladies' room.
Just for one minute, she told herself, just to calm my nerves before facing the others.
Her sudden apprehension wasn't about facing the others though. It was about facing Oliver. About looking him in the eye with all of these words hanging between them. What had she done? Why the hell hadn't she refused to sing?
She splashed some water on her burning cheeks and steeled herself to go back out. It wouldn't be too bad, right?
Five minutes later, she stepped out of the restroom and made her way over to their table, expecting to be bombarded by questions and meaningful looks from the others. But when their booth came into view, she could only see Oliver sitting there, the others were nowhere in sight.
"Where are the others?" she questioned as she stepped closer.
Oliver's head shot up, surprise written over his face. "Hey," he breathed out. "They, uh... they left. Went to flag down a cab a few minutes ago. We weren't sure when you'd come back and they wanted to head home." He halted for a second before his voice dropped to a soft whisper. "Are you okay?"
She regarded him for a moment, taking in the worried lines on his forehead, and his eyes that seemed like they were trying to stare right into her soul. "Yeah," she said and swallowed. "I'm good. I wouldn't mind leaving though."
"Okay." He nodded slowly. "I already paid, so..." he trailed off and motioned vaguely towards the doors with his hands.
The ride over to his apartment and walking up the stairs to his door were filled with an uncomfortable silence. This was just one more indicator that this night had fucked things up between them. While Felicity was almost constantly babbling away about one thing or another, she'd also learned to hold her tongue at times, just enjoying a quiet moment with Oliver where no words needed to be said. This wasn't that though. This was the plain old, awkward I-don't-know-what-to-say silence.
"Maybe I should go home," she said suddenly as he was opening his apartment door.
"No," he exclaimed a little too loudly. "I mean, please stay," he quickly added in a lower voice.
Hesitantly she stepped inside his apartment, looking at him expectantly. He was fidgeting with his keys, searching for the right words. She'd only ever seen him like this once: during their date. He'd admitted to being nervous back then.
"That song..." he started.
"Yeah, I know, it was stupid. Thea always has the worst ideas. Once, she made drink this disgusting aniseed brandy that had me sick for days," she started babbling.
"No, it wasn't stupid. I guess the lyrics just... hit a little close to home. I thought maybe we should talk about it?"
Felicity let out a sigh. "Can't we just forget about what happened tonight?"
"Do you want to forget?" he questioned, knitting his brows together in question.
I'd rather forget than be rejected... again, she thought bitterly.
"It's not like the song fits my situation anyway," she tried to evade, ignoring the flash of surprise on Oliver's face. "Look, I'll just go home and we'll forget about it." She turned back towards the door, but was quickly stopped by Oliver's large fingers curling around her forearm.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked and urged her to turn around.
Her gaze dropped to the ground as she stood before him, shaking her head slightly. "'I don't wanna fall in love' makes it sound like you have any kind of control over that. But I don't, I didn't," she breathed out. "I'm already irrevocably in love with you, but you made it perfectly clear that you don't want this, don't want us." Tears were welling in her eyes, threatening to drop to the floor. "So what's the point in revisiting this?" It already hurt too much the first time around.
Suddenly his hands were on both sides of her face, tilting it up and gently guiding it closer to his. When his lips touched hers in a searing kiss, she felt like someone had knocked the air out of her lungs. The soft caress of his lips was every bit as magical and torturous as she remembered.
The careful stroke of his tongue over her bottom lip made her snap back into reality. She pushed away from him, breathing heavily.
"Don't do this to me again." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Felicity, look at me." Her gaze was fixed on his shoes. "Look at me," he urged more forcefully and she finally looked up to meet his eyes. A million emotions were swirling through his gorgeous blue orbs.
He took a deep breath before he whispered, "I love you." He kissed her again. "Not just today." Another soft kiss was placed on her lips. "I want you." He turned his head and dropped a kiss just below her ear. "I want to try," he finally mumbled in her ear, sending a jolt of fire through her body. It hadn't escaped her attention that he was turning the lyrics around to tell her this. Was he trying to kill her with his thoughtfulness?
She brought up her hands to frame his face, willing him to look at her. "Say it again."
His lips curled into a smile and he dropped another quick kiss to her lips. "I love you, Felicity. I'm in love with you and I'm tired of my own idiocy and stubbornness. I want you in any way that you'll let me have you."
A look into his eyes told her that he was being a hundred percent serious, so this time it was her who initiated the kiss. Stepping on the tips of her toes to allow another angle, wrapping her arms around his neck, trying to hold him as close as possible.
"Say you love me," he murmured against her lips.
Her answer was instant. "I love you," she breathed out and kissed him again.
Maybe Thea's ideas weren't always bad.