#ep301

After Oliver left Detective Lance down in the tunnels, he could feel the excitement over his date with Felicity quicken his steps. He could not contain his smile, nor did he want to. Enthusiasm and anticipation flowed through him like a clear running stream, pure and tranquil, urging him to drink deeply the thought of Felicity waiting for him at the restaurant.  

He had been a thirsty man before she came into his life, a man who knew little more than dry, barren landscapes. He had tasted bitter dregs of violence and death, of survival and darkness. But Felicity had changed all that. He felt forbearance in his life, felt the man and hero he strived to become ready to burst out of him when he was next to her. The thought of them finally getting together, of not dancing around each other anymore but towards one another----it made Oliver feel as if the desert in his heart had transformed into an oasis.

Oliver moved rapidly above the city, using his repelling arrows as if they were the only mode of transportation he would ever need. Sure, he could have driven himself to his date, gone with the normal flow of Starling City’s traffic, but his eagerness to reach Felicity and the new phase of his life, it required speed. He did not want to keep his beautiful date waiting. Before he left to chase down Stilgrave’s man, Oliver added more alacrity into his evening plans by putting his suit on beneath his Arrow costume. That might seem overreaching, but Oliver had always been driven by purpose, ever since he took on the responsibility of saving the city.

Except this time that purpose was motivated by the possibility of love, by the grace and promise of a happy ending, one he saw dancing in Felicity’s eyes when she said yes after he asked her out.

Oliver landed on the building across from the restaurant and looked down at the front window. Soft lights glowed up at him as though Felicity was shining her radiance out into the night. It was a beacon illuminating the peace in his mind. Oliver let fly one more arrow. It secured itself and he moved towards the light.

**

Felicity arrived at the Italian restaurant twenty minutes earlier. She sat in her chair, not at all worried that Oliver might be late. She knew he was working. When she directed him into the tunnels, Felicity knew he would take care of the bad guy then meet her here afterwards. He did not promise her he’d be on time and Felicity didn’t need one. He was steady in his actions, and lately it seemed to her that Oliver had become more reliable, more focused on what he wanted. Was it really her he wanted?

In spite of the benzo’s she took, Felicity still felt some apprehension over their date. She was able to leave Tech Village early, and on her way home to dress for their dinner, Felicity had a brief thought that maybe Oliver was thinking the two of them were only getting together as friends. When she asked her out, Felicity was stopped in her tracks. It felt as if she was standing outside herself, as if she was watching him asking someone other than herself. Over the past five months since they returned from putting Slade out of circulation on Lian Yu, she and Oliver had grown closer---as work partners, but also as friends. There was cohesion, a certainty that being around each other just felt right.  Their smiles for one another were brighter. Their flirting was gratuitous and endearing. Felicity started choosing her wardroom to reflect this, as if Oliver was there with her in the room, letting her know that her style choices infatuated him. It made her feel good knowing that how she presented herself to him might be awakening desire in him, and in herself. She could not deny the attraction anymore.

After Felicity decided on her favorite red dress, and after carefully applying her make-up and letting her hair down, she left her apartment and opted for a cab rather than driving herself. If this date went well, Felicity was 100% sure that her gentleman would see his lady home, safe and sound and happy.

Was that fantasy? Maybe. Being honest with herself, Felicity had secretly imagined being with Oliver for the past two years. Once she fully invested herself in his crusade, she had in one way or another thought of what his touch would feel like, how passionate his kisses might be. It felt like a schoolgirl crush to her, but Felicity could not ignore how sometimes her body tingled when he stood close to her or how her breath would sometimes catch in her throat when he softly said her name. It was a slow burn between them, and Felicity more than once wished it would ignite into a wildfire. But even if it never did, even if this date was nothing more than the testing of still waters, she would always have a place in her heart for him.

Felicity shifted in her chair and thought of maybe ordering a glass of wine. Maybe a couple of sips would quiet the cascade of emotions pouring through her like a tidal wave. But damn, those benzo’s might mix with the alcohol and turn her into a volatile, unable to control herself passionate woman. Maybe tonight was the time to let that happen, benzo’s or no benzo’s.

Then Felicity looked up from the table and he was there. His presence calmed her, and she gave him a smile worthy of passion and fantasy.

**

Suddenly, Oliver and Felicity’s appetites increased. But it wasn’t one of hunger for some fine cuisine. It was a craving in their souls.