Chapter Text
This is not what Felicity wants to be doing on a Friday night. Felicity is sitting in the dark with her best friend, Barry Allen. "Barry--I really don't like horror movies. Death, blood, gore...leads to nightmares." She pouts. Barry scoots closer.
"I'm here, I'm staying the night and will protect you from anything that goes bump in the night." He puts his arm around her. Felicity sighs. She owes him. He puts up with a lot being her best friend.
"Okay. But you better not get a booty call and leave me." Barry moves to grabs the remote to turn on the movie. He finds the channel and sits back against the couch, while Felicity curls up next to him.
"If I do you can always ask Mr. Tall, Muscly and Broody to protect you..." He teases her. Felicity pokes him in the ribs with her elbow. "Not funny, Barry."
"Why don't you just admit you drool over your very hot and sadly very straight roomie. If he were gay, I'd be all over that." Felicity turns to the tv. The movie is starting. Barry chuckles. "Okay. We will drop the subject for now."
An hour later and Felicity has retrieved a blanket from her bed and is mostly hiding behind it. Barry keeps laughing at her, softly. She jumps when she hears the door knob across the room. "Ollie's home!" Barry whispers teasing her.
"You know he HATES when you call him that." Barry snickers and puts his arm around Felicity. Oliver also hates when he touches Felicity not that she's notices that fact. If Barry were a betting man, he'd bet Oliver has no clue he is gay.
Barry is watching the door while Felicity cringes at the movie. As Oliver opens the door, Felicity hops into Barry's lap with her blanket. He laughs. He knows what it looks like they might have been doing. She has her head buried against his shoulder..under the blanket. This is just too easy.. Barry thinks to himself.
Oliver glares at him. He holds a hand up to wave. "Oliver." The other man just looks at him. Barry lifts the blanket. "Your roomie is home." Felicity pokes her head out.
"Hi, Oliver...good date? boys night? Whatever you do.?" Oliver's face softens when he sees her. "It was fine. Do you want me to turn on a light?" He gestures around the room. She nods but Barry speaks.
"Dude! No...setting a mood here." Oliver's jaw clamps shut. Barry is hardly able to control his laughter.
Oliver goes to the kitchen which is connected to the living room, with a small bar separating the two. He grabs a bottle of water. He chugs it down while staring at Barry who uses the moment to soothe Felicity. He cuddling her and rubbing his hand up and down her back while covertly watching Oliver fume.
Oliver throws the bottle into the trash with a loud thump. Felicity jumps and turns to him while still in Barry's arms. "You okay?"
Oliver opens the fridge to get out some juice. "Yeah."
Felicity moves off Barry's lap. She sees him pause the movie. "you don't have to do that" she whispers. He just smiles. He rather watch the two of them.
Felicity enters the kitchen and stands opposite Oliver. He looks at her with anger. She isn't sure what she did this time. "Are you sure you're okay? Bad date with...Helena?"
"We broke up....weeks ago." She dumped Oliver when she realized he was in love with his roommate who is dating someone quite seriously. This is the third time he's been dumped in the year he has lived with Felicity.
She moves and puts her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" Oliver shakes his head. "Nope. I'm just gonna go to bed."
She pulls back her arm. He wishes he could just find a way to be comfortable with them being friends and only friends. He's tried everything. Dating girls. Fucking girls. Dating ones that look like her and ones that are the opposite of her. Tommy told him tonight he should either become a monk or tell her he loves her. Oliver looks over at Barry. He can't tell her that. Monk it is.
Felicity watches Oliver look at Barry. "Umm...Barry's staying tonight. I know I usually tell you ahead of time but we just decided and I thought---" She thought he wouldn't be home. He avoids being home lately. She tries not to take it personallh.
"It's fine." Oliver grabs his stuff and heads to his room. He normally stays at Tommy's or with whatever girl he is currently trying to erase Felicity's memory with. He has no girl and Tommy is staying at his girlfriend's place tonight. He has to stay home. He throws himself on his bed and stares at the ceiling. How did it come to this?
He briefly considers getting a hotel room. He doesn't need to hear them have sex. He doesn't WANT to hear them. He likes to pretend that Barry doesn't exist. Which is much easier to do when Barry isn't here. Why him? Barry seems to be nice, but not good enough for Felicity. Oliver doesn't think he is good enough for her either, but he'd try to be a better man for her.
Oliver thinks back to the day she came by to look at the spare room. He knew her only in passing before that day. They'd had a couple of conversations. He thought she was cute. She was adorable in her gray pencil skirt and pink blouse. Her hair pulled back. Her lips were what did him in.
She walked around the place looking intently at the entire place and asking him questions. All he could do was nod a lot and stare. He'd never had a thing for nerds or librarians, but whatever Felicity is, that is his type. She is his type. However, she heard about his 'wild ways' as she put it. She let him know this was about needing an apartment and not being Ollie Queen's new bedmate. Damn, she was tough and he loved it. He was also embarrassed that she knew that part of his life. He knew she did..he did hit on her once...or twice.
He sighs and rolls over. He flops back on his back when he hears her squeal. Felicity hates horror movies. They scare her, why is he making her watch it. Oliver knows why. He gets up and pulls the bottle of vodka from beneath his bed. He already had a buzz on before Barry so rudely killed it ..by existing. He doesn't bother looking for a glass, he'll be downing the entire thing so he can sleep through their happy couple night.
Felicity screams when the man jumps out his hiding place. Barry laughs but pulls her closer. "How can you laugh?"
"It's a movie." He tells her. He pulls her closer and kisses her temple. She relaxes into his arms. She may not have a boyfriend but she does still get cuddles. His phone rings. She pulls back. "No! You promised."
"i never promised." He gets up from the couch and walks to the door. He steps outside to talk. Felicity pauses the movie. "he better not leave me....he better not..." Barry opens the door and turns on the light.
"It's Eddie..he needs me." Felicity stares at her friend. Sure he NEEDS Barry. "Come on..Felicity...please don't be mad?" She isn't really. She's glad Barry has someone. She's also glad he's a nice guy, it's just she's going to lose sleep she just knows it.
"Go. Tell Eddie I said hi." She mumbles. Barry leans down and kisses her. "You're the best." He moves to put on his jacket. He pulls open the door. "If you get scared ask lover boy in there to let you sleep in his bed, Goldilocks...I don't think he'll say no." Felicity throws a pillow at him. He leaves.
Felicity turns off the tv and puts their dishes in the kitchen. The last thing she wants is to ask Oliver to let her sleep in his room. First, she made a big deal out of not being a bedwarmer and second, he sees her as a kid sister. Asking to sleep in his bed would make that worse. She doesn't want to be the scared little sister. She wants him to see her as an adult...a woman. A sexy woman. She laughs at herself. She's seen Oliver's women. Felicity is not his type.
Three hours later and a menagerie of scary sounds find Felicity at Oliver's bedroom door. She hesitates to knock until the fridge coming on makes her practically jump out of her skin. She knocks. He doesn't answer. She knocks harder.
Nothing.
She eases open the door. He's snoring. She tiptoes to the bed. When she gets there she wonders why she tiptoped The objective is to wake him up. She shakes her head, not the point. "Ol-- Oliver..." He keeps snoring. She nudges him, "Oliver."
"hmmm..." He doesn't open his eyes. It's now or never. "Can I sleep here....Barry made me watch a scary movie then left...and I'm scared..okay that's stupid and juvenile but..I'm scared." She moves from foot to foot waiting for his answer. He snores again.
"Oliver? Can I?"
"Whatever you want, 'Licity. Yours..." She smiles. That's sweet. Oliver's bed is against a wall. She has to climb over him to get in his bed. She carefully puts her foot on the bed and lifts herself up. Now all she needs is to step over him. No problem. She lifts her foot up and he rolls over tossing onto his back and her onto his front.
"ompf." She lands on Oliver very naked, very well defined torso. She swallows. A tiny touch wouldn't hurt, right? She moves her hand to almost touch him when she jerks it back. "yeah Felicity molest your sleeping roommate and friend." She gently slides off him.
Felicity brought her own blanket since Oliver seems like a blanket hog. She curls up and tries to sleep. Instead she listens to Oliver snore. It's cute. She watches him sleep. Is that creepy she wonders but realizes she doesn't care. She never can just look at Oliver. He's so handsome and she's scared he may see her crush. She's not ashamed that she likes him, just she knows he has a lot of girlfriends.
It's weird though that he never brings them home. They usually stop by because they left something in his car or forget to tell him something. More than one has accused her of being his side chick. She giggles. Oliver flops over. He's on his stomach now. His arm is next to her. His back is as well defined as his front. Not fair. Deep breaths. He's your roommate who sees you as a kid sister.
Felicity stares up at the ceiling. Brother...he's a brother to her. Yeah, right if they are in some V.C. Andrews book he's her brother. In his head, she's a sister. She lets a little groan in frustration. She turns to look at him. He's facing her. He has the softest looking lips. She wonders how he kisses. Not that she will ever find out.
She turns away. He's between her and the door. Sure, he just mumbled and let her climb in but she's still safer. She has her phone and Oliver. That's her last thought before she falls asleep. Oliver will protect her. She always feels better when he's around.
Oliver wakes up the next morning to someone in his bed, more precisely on his chest. Or at least her head. He doesn't open his eyes. He replays last night in his head. He went to the bar, had a few drinks with some guys from class. Then...then.... Yeah. Some girl..Carrie, from chem lab hit on him, he turned her down and came home. He'd decided to just tell Felicity how he feels.
He came home...he came home and...oh yeah. Barry was here. What does she see in him? Oliver almost gives away the fact he's awake. Okay..he came in they were in the living room. Watching a horror movie. Lame ass move on Barry's part. Then she came and asked him if it was okay that Barry was staying. oh. That explains the headache. He came to his room and downed an entire bottle of vodka.
Did he get up and leave in the middle of the night? Did their lovemaking get that loud? Is Barry good enough--not going there. He only remembers falling asleep or more like passing out. He slowly opens one eye and then they both fly open. Blonde hair is covering his chest. Oh no, did he find a Felicity substitute again? That never ends well.
The girl moans and gets closer to him. Her body..a nice body is pressed to him. Then he feels something vibrate between them. What the fuck did they do? He's all for toys and all, but usually he knows the person first. He doesn't even remember her name. He closes his eyes and pretends to be asleep. It's a wuss move he knows.
He hears a little "eep!" and the girl pulls a phone from between them on the bed and slowly turns away. The bed barely moving. He strains to hear. "hey..Barry...yeah, I'm uh...I'm okay." FELICITY? His eyes fly open and stare at her back. He? They? .And he doesn't fucking remember it? What the hell kind of cosmic joke is this?
"I uh..I sort of ended up in Oliver's bed...NO." She's confessing? Of course, she would. Felicity is the most honest person he knows.
"Barry..can we talk about this later. I need to crawl over him to get out and I rather not be here when he wakes up...SHUT UP!" She whisper yells.
They have one strange relationship. The conversation must be over because she stops talking. She turns back over slowly. He smiles brightly "Good Morning." She turns red.
"Hi.." She looks away. "Thanks for last night..I was--and then Barry just left me hanging like that..and you're a great friend, Oliver...to help me out like that."
His smile falters. They had sex and he is a great FRIEND? Barry left her hanging? He swallows the lump in his throat. Oliver was what? A place holder?
"Any time." He croaks out. They just stay there looking at each other. She starts to fidget.
"It was the stupid movie. He knows I hate horror movies and he said he'd stay but then Eddie called...and poof! So long Felicity." Oliver quirks an eyebrow. He chose his buddy over his girl and his girl is Felicity. He thought Barry was smart.
He searches his brain for something to say besides, "Your boyfriend is a moron, dump him for me!" He takes a deep breath. "You know...maybe Eddie had an emergency. I'm sure Barry was just being a good friend." There that sounded nice and friend-like.
She laughs. "No, Barry wanted to get laid." Oliver sits up and is about to get out of bed, he doesn't want her to talk about her sex life with Barry while still in HIS bed. Then he remembers he's morning wood and decides probably not a good idea.
He counts to ten, then twenty. Fuck it. "Does he just use you to get off? You deserve better than that Felicity."
She blinks at him for several seconds. She opens and closes her mouth at least three times. She squints at him, her glasses aren't on her face. "Oliver! Barry is in a committed long term relationship with Eddie. He has no interest in me like that. He's gay. We're best friends."
"What?" No way. He's spent the last year telling himself he couldn't have her for various reasons, the main one being her boyfriend.
"Oliver? Did you think Barry and I? That we?" She laughs. It's a beautiful sound. He smiles at her. She sits up next to him. "Barry is my best friend. He has been since our senior year of high school. I love him but not like that!"
Oliver laughs with her. "He isn't going to want to kick my ass for us sleeping together then?" She stops laughing.
"No. If he was my boyfriend. We just slept...No worries." He's both elated and devastated. He's elated he didn't make love with the girl of his dreams and not remember it. He's devastated because they are still just friends.
"Did you think? That we?" She searches his face. "oh...OH!...No, we didn't do that." He nods at her. She doesn't have to sound so disgusted. Damn.
She's looking away from him. "Oliver..I know how you feel about me..I'd never want to damage our friendship."
She knows? How the hell does she know? He's going to kill Tommy Merlyn. "You know...who told you?" Like he doesn't know it was Tommy. Sure, he was trying to help, the bastard.
"It's kind of obvious. You always ask about my day, you take care of me when I get sick and you're very protective when you think someone might hurt me. You touch my shoulders and always act like I may break..Total big brother behavior."
Oliver's turn to her. He keeps blinking rapidly. He's hungover but not that hungover. He heard her right. Then he opens his mouth and snaps it shut. He's sitting naked in his bed with the girl of his dreams. They didn't have sex, she doesn't have a boyfriend but she thinks he sees her as a kid sister. Okay. This is--
"Felicity" He moves closer to her. Careful to stay covered. He touches her cheek, she looks at him sadly. Why is she sad? "I have a sister. And I can promise you what I feel for you is absolutely nothing like what I feel for her. At all."
She tilts her head and looks at him waiting. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Don't get me wrong, I'd beat the shit out of anyone who hurts you. I will hold your hair when you puke and make you soup when you have the flu. I always want to hear about your day or anything you want to tell me. But that's not because I see you as my sister...it's because--" It's now or never. "It's because I'm in love with you and have been for awhile now."
He licks his lips and swallows. He waits for her to run or scream. She does nothing. She just sits there staring at him. "Are you okay?"
She nods. "You're in love with ...me?"
"Yes."
"And have been for awhile?"
"Uh huh...It's okay if you don't feel the same. I can be your friend..I think. Probably. Yeah, I can do that." She smiles at him with tears in her eyes. Oh shit, she's going to rip his heart out. There is no way to prepare for that he decides. He closes his eyes and waits for it.
"I love you too." His eyes open quickly. "I've been--crazy about you...over you since the third week I lived here. I thought--you go out with a lot of girls..."
"Because you had a boyfriend!" He smiles at her. "All those times you said your little innuendos...they weren't as innocent as you tried to make them out to be?" She smiles, bites her lips and shakes her head.
"Working out in front of me wasn't just you going about your day?" He shakes his head. "Nope. It was the only time you looked at me as a man."
"I looked just not when you were looking.." She wrinkles her nose in that adorable way she does. "Oliver..." She moves closer to him. He barely suppresses a moan. She puts her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad Barry left."
"Me too. Felicity?"
"Hmmm?"
"Do you think maybe we could go out to dinner..like a date?" She looks up at him. "I'd like that very much."