#Ok at least Buck and Tommy are happy in that last one??? And at least Sal knows Tommy is safe/loved???

[rdng1230]

Your post has me desperately needing a bucktommy/saltommy edit to mitski’s washing machine heart but continuing on because ✨pain✨

Anyways because i need more angst do you think sal ever thinks about that night and wishes he had stayed. Had had the courage to whisper words in the daylight instead of moon light. Do you think he’s happy for Tommy when he sees him with Buck but goes home and brings out the old whiskey bottle because he cant stand to look in the mirror because he’s scared what might stare back at him, scared to accept both of them moved on but a part of them both will always be tangled under those sheets under a night sky and lost promises.

(Honestly i gotta quit getting drunk and writing shit at 1:30 in the morning ignore this if ya want to)

ya know I wish I had the patience to become a good video editor, but I honestly fear the monster I would become. I am also chronically bad at remembering song names so I had to Spotify that one real quick and as soon as that little electronic beat came on I was like “oh fuck it’s THAT ONE” I see you anon, I see your vision.

on to the actual answer. There’s two nights you could be talking about so I guess we’re doing double trouble angst on this fine evenin’

Toxic Sal Tommy version with the bad call and the bottoming and the being a fucker afterwards? I think that version of Sal is a lot more terrified of the idea of wanting to be taken care of rather than letting tommy love him specifically. And also just the fear of being truly known, no cocky arrogant mask, no hierarchy, just a guy who is *deeply* affected by the horrors of his job and for one night let’s those wounds be seen. I don’t think this version of Sal truly loved Tommy, I think he profoundly trusted tommy, and that scared the shit out of him which is why he lashed out and ended it. I don’t think seeing Buck and Tommy together specifically would affect him. I think just seeing Tommy as he is now, such an open person who’s honest and doesn’t hide, I think that’s what would haunt Sal the most. I also think his behavior is a repetitive pattern. It’s a matter of 2 steps forward 3 steps back. He finds someone he can bond with, eventually builds a trust, let’s them in for the briefest of encounters, and blows it up again. Rinse lather repeat.

ok doomed lovers Saltommy? Dear god. I think so much of his decision to go into Tommy’s room that night is wrapped up in about 10 layers of guilt at probie’s death, shame at wanting comfort for something he thinks he caused, desire because that pounding in his chest that happens only around Tommy has become undeniable, and just wanting someone there to share the grief with. And even with the crushing tide of all those negative emotions, being in Tommy’s arms for the first time is still one of the best nights of his life.

But the rest of their relationship? That’s the part he truly aches over. He knows the way things ended hurt Tommy deeply, and all the hurt was avoidable if Sal had just admitted his own cowardice, that he knew he was going to hold Tommy back and that it was for the best he leave Sal behind. But instead he let that resentment of Tommy’s bravery build up inside him and made Tommy feel like he was doing something wrong or that Sal just didn’t love him. He used Bobby, a man he knew deep down was right to call him out, to place himself in exile, finally giving Tommy the freedom Sal couldn’t bear to give him himself.

when he sees the picture in the paper he spends the day letting himself cry in a way he never has before. He cries for the dead probie, he cries for all the people he hurt because he couldn’t stand their vulnerabilities, he cries because he knows the man he loves is truly lost to him. He genuinely does feel better after letting it all out and he ends up resolving himself that even though they’d never be together, he should have the decency to tell Tommy it was never his fault, and that all those things he’d said when their romantic relationship ended were completely untrue. so he writes that down in a letter. Tommy’s moved since they cut contact, so he decides to deliver the letter to harbor station in person.

when he gets there he’s surprised to see the 118 kid clearly bringing Tommy lunch. Sal stands just out of sight but he catches their conversation. He realizes Evan Buckley is already fixing all the pieces of Tommy’s heart that Sal broke. And that knowledge makes Sal happier and sadder than anything else ever has.

[neverevan]

idk if you've been asked this before but is there any scenario where you would be happy/ok with a bucktommy breakup? your gifset made me think he's already pre-approved by the most important people in buck's life and they (accidentally or not) made it work so well lol what on earth could they have planned IF they're not supposed to be longterm anyway

mm i do get some form of this question every once in a while, but you know, things change, people's opinions change, so i don't mind going into a bit again

to be very real, regardless of where this and any future relationship of Buck's goes, it won't really have a bearing on my enjoyment of the show, so let's start there.

i have my opinions and ideas about where the show might be headed, but you know, this could be the very last season or there could be 10 more and the writers have to kinda work with that in mind too, so whatever happens and when that happens have to work for either scenarios which is not an easy place to be in

but ngl a bucktommy breakup would definitely break my heart (shatter it to teeny tiny smithereens more like) however amicable it'd be and i absolutely wish that if that's something coming our way they stretch out their time together before, so we can see them bloom as partners and get to know more about their dynamic, maybe let us see some milestone moments (yes, i am very aware that it'd just hurt more, but if it's gonna hurt anyway, at least give me this!!)

more on the perspective of the show though... yeah, Tommy has everyone's approval and he's clearly a great match for Buck in many ways that we already saw and possibly in other ways we haven't yet seen. but that's not a guarantee of anything, good relationships can hit just one roadbump that's too big to overcome, people deeply in love can break up due to wanting fundamentally different things, life is a bitch and that applies universally, even in fiction.

i do think they will be longterm though, whatever that'll actually mean in the terms of the actual episodes. i also think Tim might be a bit more cautious this time around to take the fan's reactions into account and that he might have a general idea of where he wants to go with them, but the man writes episodes 2 days before the first day of shooting, so i think there's a lot of wiggle room either way

in any case, they accidentally turned this relationship into a narrative goldmine, so they'd be real stupid not to exploit it as much as they can (and give us a beautiful love story in the process, final outcome notwithstanding)

[emmy-likes-attention]

Ok hear me out!

Eddie finally realizes he’s in love with Buck and goes to the loft to confess his feelings. While there he notices how Buck smiles when Tommy gets brought up.

“he really makes you happy, huh?”

“yeah he really does”.

Causing Eddie to feel like he’s too late but it’s ok because at least Buck is happy.

Before leaving he tells Buck how happy he is for the two of them and as he reaches the door, Bucks back already turned, he decides to take one last look at the man he loves.

Cut to him at home alone tearfully trying to reassure himself “it’s better this way” before the screen fades to black.

(I have been thinking about his not stop since these stills dropped)

[thedanceronthestreets]

Ok so, the new episode has evoked multiple trains of thought in my head and although they all are related to the buck/tommy/eddie situation, i think it makes sense to put them down in several categories here:

Overall feel of the show at abc: i'm gonna say that the show definitely feels a bit unsettled after the network change, they seem to have a hard time balancing personal relationship plots and actual firefighter stuff. I know a lot of the cases in previous seasons were silly but they were still believable. The whole cruise disaster thing was just so over the top and now in the last 2 episodes there has been next to no action. The promo for next week's episode looks kinda like absolute mayhem. I do believe the abc team will figure this out and that they just need a little time to get comfortable but it's defo noticeable.

Buck's character: completely removed from his new romantic relationship, i am soooo loving his coming out arc. They've shown 2 amazing coming out scenes and one (and a half) dates and yet the word bisexual didn't even need to be said!!! It just makes sense as a story on its own!! It feels so natural and buck seems so so happy and in love and settled and has gobsmacking chemistry with tommy. I love that we get to watch him make mistakes and get things right while figuring himself out, it just feels so close to real life and i think the writers (and actors) are doing a fantastic job here.

Tommy's character: OBSESSED WITH HIM. HE'S SO FUNNY. And i think he's an excellent first male love interest for buck because he doesn't beat around the bush. He's comfortable in his own skin and is very aware that he doesn't have to give that up for buck despite crushing on him hardcore. I love that he gives buck the space to make mistakes and come to terms with his bi-ness, but not at the expense of himself. He is a great mature influence on buck and i think will eventually help him to become confident in his sexuality in a way buck may have taken way longer to do on his own. Which leads me to ...

The buck/tommy relationship: this is where things start to get complicated. My head says "let's microanalyse every scene in regards to buddie" but my heart says "enjoy how fucking cute buck and tommy are being on screen right now". I DON'T WANT THEM TO BREAK UP. AT ALL. THEY ARE CRAZY ABOUT EACH OTHER. WHIPPED, IN FACT!!! I do think buck/tommy isn't "endgame" per se but i do think they fit so well together, they should be given the opportunity to last a little while at least. Buck needs someone like tommy now who will hold him accountable while being entirely sympathetic. It's a great dynamic that i would be very sad to see go (and so would buck i think because i have never seen heart eyes that intense on that man before....)

Buck/eddie: look. I can't unsee it, just like everybody else. Doesn't matter how cute tommy and buck are, i hold my breath whenever buck and eddie share a scene now. There's some weird shit happening there. I think the writers have been very clever with the latest episode because it leaves buck and eddie on good terms without insinuating what exactly comes next. Buck is completely focused on tommy right now (which is good!) and eddie has his own stuff going on, so a rushed buddie arc would make zero sense right now. As a lot of people have already said, buddie is very much a long-haul game and while we can start to see seeds at this point, i'd hate to rush into it. Cause the slow burn is part of the fun right :D right ????

Eddie: eddie. My silly goose. I love what they're doing with him this season. He seems so much more able to let loose and enjoy himself. He's getting sillier and i love that for him. He also seems to have headspace for new things now.... such as recognising that he's limited by catholic guilt..... which is the number one symptom of being into hot godly women.... right ... right..... I'd probably kill a man to quiz the writers on how they came up with the concept of eddie/tommy. Because that means they've thought about how gay eddie would make sense. They will have discussed his motivations and experiences over the last few seasons and recontextualised them. And mould them into the life of a closeted gay man. Gnawing. Clawing, even.

Conclusion: buck/tommy slay. Hate to see them go. Would love to see eddie be gay and get his own independent coming out arc just like buck did. Want them to be gay buddies for a while. And then see what that makes of the situation.....

[athousandis]

ok ok ok let’s

so first: LOU! your performance was chef’s kiss like oh my god you put tommy into the 911 hall of fame. like imagine meeting these two guys who are best friends and then realizing you want to be friends with them so you start hanging out with one of them and the other one starts acting slightly odd about it but you don’t worry too much until someone actually gets hurts and so you figure out what’s going on so you go clear the air and explain that you missed some of the people in your life and wanted what they had and the other guy makes you feel like you are a part of it even after all the years and then the situation starts turning a little more flirty but you though that the two guys had a thing or something but then this other guy tells you that he was trying to get you to notice him and you think that maybe this could be going a different way and so you test your theory out a little and it seems to work and so you feel good and the other guy is over there have a completely new life-changing experience but you have to go to work so you make plans to see him again and it’s looking up expect yeah you really just were the reason someone had a huge realization about themselves and just left because you know that this is the kind of thing he needs to go through himself but you’re still so kind about it and reassuring because he needs it and you know what it’s like

second: the way the last scene played out was so intelligent, it starts with tommy thinking that he should do this in person so nothing is misunderstood and probably the knowledge that buck is best reassured in person. and he essentially tells buck that him being in their lives can be a good thing because they all have different aspects that make them good friends but he also tells buck that he was jealous about a family of kind and accepting people that he wasn’t able to have when he was at the 118. but like we know that despite not keeping in touch as much, tommy still had that 118 dog in him and dropped everything to help. and then buck goes through a realization that his jealousy was coming from a place he was unfamiliar with like we literally get to see him go through that in the scene. and tommy gets a little more confident about the situation because buck is starting to use his flirty voice and body language and so tommy figures he should take a chance. and so we see the true shock that buck experiences with kissing a man for the first time, like this is something he never thought about but like wow that just changed his life. and now buck is clouded with the emotion and joy of discovering a piece of himself. and tommy makes sure he didn’t cross a boundary (mwah beautiful) and he sees that it’s quite the opposite, he found something for buck that buck didn’t even know he was looking for. and then tommy asks buck out because he wants to explore where this can go, hopeful that he can at least have a good time with buck but he leaves because he knows it has to go slow because it’s all so new. and buck is going through it and probably spends the rest of the night going over and over everything in his mind. and tommy makes sure to bring it back to eddie and that buck needs to remedy the situation because nothing can start if eddie and buck are not eddie and buck.

third: on the complete one-in-a-million chance that oliver sees this, thank you. truly it has been so wonderful to see these last 24 hours unfold. thank you for understanding how much your character means to so many people, how the representation that buck brings is a way for people to see themselves on screen in a positive light. thank you for caring enough about telling a queer story but just telling a good story. you care so much about buck and we can see that in your performance. i am so happy for you and the rest of the 911 family and the fans. we have been trying to get here for a long time, and here we are. and it feels better than i could ever imagine. i can’t wait to see you continue to tell buck’s story <3

finally: to 911blr, wow what a night. i started watching 911 about two years ago but little did i know it would have such a big impact on my life. this show that i watched on a whim and now means so much to so many people, there is such a great community here. and though i just watch the show and spend many hours a day dissecting it all in my head, i would feel so different if it wasn’t for the community here. seeing everyone get so excited and enthralled over this show has made me feel less alone. to you all, who love and root for these characters and pairing and take an already wonderful show and make it better with your stories and analysis. the show would not be what it is or where it is without you.

i am really emotional about all of this and i still cannot believe this has actually happened. i am so excited for what the future has in store for these blorbos :)

[oabf45]

Ok so I finally watched the new 9-1-1 and 9-1-1 Lone Star episodes and here is what I think overall for the seasons so far, the characters, and part 2 of the seasons. Badically my opinions no one asked for 😁

9-1-1

- Let's rip the band aid off. I'm sorry but we're never getting Buddie. I'm a huge Buddie shipper myself, but I honestly have reached the point where I just don't see it happening. For one their friendship alone just isn't what it's been the past two seasons. Idk if its just me feeling this, but their scenes together, though sweet, just haven't been what they've been in the past. I mean this last episode is the most connection I feel from their characters than i have this whole season. I'm still not over Eddie's lack of reaction to Buck being trapped when Buck was ready to dig through the earth to find Eddie. Though I think there is still a chance Buck could be BI I just no longer have hope that Buddie is going to be a thing. I mean, they've at least hinted that Buck could ride that way, but Eddie has given zero signs of being into men at all. But honestly if they at least explore a BI Buck then I'll be happy, even if he's not with Eddie. It also doesn't help that there's a HUGE possibility that Oliver and Ryan don't get along anymore. They stopped following each other on social media and they post pictures with all the rest of the cast except each other. Its just looking extremely unlikely.

- I don't think Ana deserves as much hate as she's getting. I wasn't so fond of the Eddie/Ana pairing either, mostly because I was so into Buddie. But Ana does seem genuinely a great person and its a plus that Christopher loves her. I just wish that if they were going to persue this they would have built it up more and showed us more of her character. I mean we know close to nothing about her which is what makes it hard to like her or like her with Eddie.

- I'm glad that even if Buck doesn't end up with Eddie he still is obviously going to be someone very close to Christopher. Their relationship is so absolutely darling and even if its not Buddie, Buck is very obviously like a second dad.

- At first I was not at all happy with them bringing back Taylor. I found her character so freaking annoying in the past. But honestly her character seems to have mellowed out and I actually liked her. But I am PRAYING that if she sticks around its just as a friend and not a girlfriend. Buck and Taylor are just a huge NOPE in my book.

- I need more of Athena, Bobby, and Michael ASAP! I miss seeing them more on my screen!

- I'm super excited for baby Chimney/Maddie. And I'm so happy Chimney felt safe enough in his relationship to express his feelings about an at home birth. Their relationship is so sweet and healthy and it makes my heart so warm

- I swear on everything I love if they take that little baby away from Hen and Karen I will RIOT! I also hope to see more of Hen's mom and can't wait to see her pass her exam.

- Albert was wrong for dating Buck's bad date, but he's a good guy and overall a good friend. Buck needs more friends outside of Eddie. I hope they give him more of a storyline in part 2.

- Overall loved the first half of 9-1-1 season 4. I hope they do another crossover in part 2 so that Buck can meet Carlos.

9-1-1 Lone Star

- Yes I have hated the baby trope this first half, yes Gwyn has been annoying af and I'm ready for her to go, and YES Owen has been annoying this season too. But I still love Owen and no I don't believe he's a bad person or a bad father. I hope they do right by his character in the second part and bring the old Owen back now that his life is going to go back to what it was. But I also know this is going to leave room for another romantic interest which you just know they're going to bring in. Maybe they'll bring Michelle back 🤷🏽‍♀️

- The amount of screen time Carlos got is *chefs kiss*. I'm so glad we got to see more into his family dynamic. And how great he is as a cop?! Like make that man a detective already! Also Rafael's acting is superb. He has the most expressive eyes I've ever seen! His face with Owen compliments him on his caring heart and how that makes him a great cop? He BEAMED and it was like no one had ever told him that before. I wanted to hug him so badly.

- I'm so happy they're showing a healthy gay relationship. Sure they've had their ups and downs, but they show TK and Carlos working it out perfectly with good communication which is what we need to see represented more with LGBTQ+ couples on TV. I have no doubt they'll last because they're literally the reason most people tune in and the showrunners know that. And that reuniting hug? Ronen and Raf's real life friendship makes their on screen relationship feel so real and I hope that never changes.

- I need more Mateo. The only thing we know is that he's dyslexic and has a cousin in LA. He's such a great character I wish they'd give him more screen time.

- I know that most y'all see them as just a brother/sister pair, but I love the idea of Mateo/Marjan as a couple. I feel like she could help him grow up a little while he could help her have more fun. But either way I love their relationship and want to see more.

-PLEASE give Paul a GREAT love interest. Someone who loves and accepts him for everything he is. He deserves so much love.

- Tommy Vega is THAT BITCH! She deadass basically said "shoot me. You won't". LOVE seeing a strong black woman on the screen. And I hope they give more screen time to Nancy. I feel like she could be a really interesting character.

- Am I the only one that kind of wants to see them bring back Billy Tyson? I know thats so random, but I think he needs redemption. Idk 🤷🏽‍♀️

- Last but not least......thank GOD I read spoilers before watching the episode because if I hadn't prepared myself and they ended the show with that bridge scene......all I gotta say is JUDD AND GRACE BETTER BE FUCKING OK! OR I'M FIGHTING EVERY DAMN BODY! But honestly I think they will be. These two make the show, for one. Judd is deadass the glue that holds that firehouse together and is overall a great character. No way they're killing him off. And Grace is a fucking saint and also a great character. And she's one of the only two black women on the show. Showrunners, y'all really wanna try that? They're such a great, healthy relationship who are literally so unstoppable together. I think they'll have some trauma but survive. And possibly a Ryder baby? Yes please, and please let it be a baby boy. Judd needs a little mixed cowboy 🤠

- Overall the season has been good, but too Owen/Gwyn central. Hoping the next part has more spotlight on the others. Maybe some "Character Begins" episodes? I think a "Judd Begins" Episode would be perfect to start off with to tie into the whole "omg is he alive" aspect we're bound to get.

[the-great-imagines-of-1812]

Through The Years pt. 4 (Bucky Barnes x fem! Stark! reader)

A/N: enjoy! as always, any feedback is appreciated as always! also, props to you if you know the flower symbolism. This chapter is fluffy and angsty.

tw: gunshots, mentions of violence, kidnapping half of a regiment, sexism.

tags: @the-romanian-is-bae @a-girl-who-loves-disney

~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOVEMBER 1ST, 1943 

LONDON, ENGLAND

You finished securing the rolls of supplies on your bag right as Howard came up behind you. 

“Hey um- sis”

You turned back to him with a smile. “Yes Howard? What is it?”

“You keep safe for me, okay? WE may not be celebrating your birthday together this year, but that doesn’t mean I want it to be the last one we ever celebrate, alright?”

Bringing him into a tight hug, you said “You’re not going to lose me. This mission will be a success and I’ll come back in one piece.”

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart, Howwie.”

You pulled away from the hug “You got everything? The armor, swords?”

“Yup!” you nodded, knocking on your clothed shoulder, to show you had it on underneath. “Sure do. I’m ready to punch a Nazi.”

Howard helped you pull your stuff on the military bus which contained the 107th, with you leading them. 

“I’ll be back soon. Don’t miss me to much, brother.”

He saluted, causing you to laugh. He walks away and you make your way to the drivers side of the bus. You turn the keys and the bus turns on, causing the men to already laugh and make noise.

You tuned around, and lifted the flap that separated you from them. “Gentlemen! This is a simple in and out mission! We’re crossing France into Italy to invade one of the main HYDRA bases. If we succeed, it may secure a victory for the Allies. We’ll set up camp along the way! understood?”

“YES LIEUTENANT GENERAL MA’AM!” 

Some sort of pride swelled in your chest. “Alright! I don’t want to hear ruckus back hear. Save your energy, boys.”

“Maybe you should save your energy for the kitchen!”

Several laughs filled the bus. “Leave her alone, why don’t you? She’s probably doing a better job than you ever will.”

Bucky. 

“Barnes if you love her so much, why don’t you just marry her!” a soldier yelled. “You know what, maybe I will!” he winked at you, making his way up front to sit in the passenger seat. 

“Let’s just go, regiment!”

You collapse back down to your seat, pressing the gas and driving out. You felt Bucky sit next to you, in passenger. “I don’t need your help, you know that, right Bucky?”

He settles himself before saying “I know you don’t. You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. And besides; every Queen needs a King, right?”

“You make me blush too much, Buck.”

“All in a day’s work, sweetheart.”

You sighed. You all drove in silence for a while, with the exception of soldiers i the back who kept making noise.

Going up a dirt road on a hill, you say to Bucky “I don’t think I’m cut out for this. What was Phillips thinking?”

He then proceeds to lay his hand over yours, intertwining your fingers and bringing it up to his lips. “Darlin’ please stop spewing nonsense. You know you can do it. You can’t let these men get to ya.”

You blush about as red as a tomato. “L-let’s just- just let me keep driving.”

“You’re the boss, doll.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE NEXT DAY - NOVEMBER 2ND, 1943

BORDEAUX, FRANCE.

It had been an entire day since you had left the camp in London. It was also your birthday. You has set up camp in the early morning in Bordeaux, giving the men a few hours to rest before going down to Monaco and crossing the border to Italy. 

Now it was mid day, and you were stuck in your tent, planning out battle strategy. Not exactly your ideal birthday, but it wasn’t the worst. Outside, there were men having heir lunch, drinking and smoking or playing cards; awaiting their next orders from you. 

You shifted a bit uncomfortably under all your armor, swords and the clothes on top of it. You thanked Howard for making it as comfortable as it was. 

You heard a knock on on one of the poles of your tent. “Come in.”

“Happy Birthday, sweetheart.” It was Bucky, with his hands behind his back.

This brought a smile to your face. “How’d you know buck?” you finished, standing up while crossing your arms. “I may or may not have eavesdropped one of your conversations with Howard. Sorry, doll.”

“You scoundrel!” you gasped,feigning shock. 

“Call me all the names you’d like sweetheart, but i got something for ya. I asked my ma back in New York for this one. I told her about you, you see. She loves you already. She’d love to meet ya one day.”

“What you got for me, Barnes?” 

“Turn around. And lift your hair for me, doll.”

You did as told and felt a chain be wrapped around your neck. “Okay, sweetheart. Open your eyes.”

You looked down at the chain “What flower you got me, Barnes?”

“This-” he said, pointing to the charm on the necklace. “Is an amaranth flower. My grandma used to grow them, before she passed. One thing I can remember, though, it that- they never lasted long. So i got you this, so this one would last forever.” 

“You are all too charming, Barnes. But you didn’t need to get me anything!”

He laughs, shaking head. “But I did! You’re my best girl after all.”

“Your girl, Buck?” approaching him. You two were so close, you could feel his breath on your face.

Before you could comprehend anything, his lips were in yours and his arms tight around you. Your heart was beating unimaginably fast. Relaxing, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, just as he pulled away, looking to the ground. 

“Yea, I’m your girl, Buck”

He looks back up to you with the widest smile you’ve ever seen on just about anyone. “I’m glad, baby-doll. I’ll make you so happy.” 

“Will you, Barnes?”

“You bet, doll. You’ll see.”

He kissed your forehead.

“LIEUTENANT GENERAL! LIEUTENANT GENERAL!” that was the voice of your right hand solider, Tommy Andrews.

You made your way outside, with Bucky trailing behind you. “What is it, Captain?” he hunched over to catch his breath. “LIEUTENANT GENERAL, THEY’RE-”

Gunshots ran throughout the camp. HYDRA. “Andrews, I need you to take a deep breath.” You took the keys out of your breast pocket, tossing them to Tommy. “Tommy. Fill the bus with about as many supplies and men as you can. I need you to make it safely to Italy.Go behind the forest, don’t stop for anything. As fast as you can. Get in touch with the General. AS SOON AS YOU CAN. UNDERSTOOD?”

Tommy salutes. “YES MA’AM.” he then proceeds to round up as many men as he could, grabbing as many suppl

You turned to Bucky. “Sergeant,get your men and their companies. We need to fight back as much as we can.”

“Yes Ma’am.” He runs off, but after giving you a kiss on the forehead. 

~~~~~~~~

ABOUT AN HOUR LATER

You and your men had been fighting easily for at least forty-five minutes of more. To be fair, you couldn’t see HYDRA. But somehow, HYDRA could see you. 

“MEN! RETREAT! I REPEAT! RETREAT!”

The men shoot a couple of more shots, and some make it back to the camp. Your main squadron and a few more, including Bucky’s and about 3 more. 

You kept shooting until every single bullet was gone. 

All the companies grouped together into one, throwing what you could at HYDRA. Sticks, rocks, guns, spare metal, you name it. 

You fought about as hard as one could. That was before several more gunshots rang out form Hydra’s side. 

All the men on your side collapse, about as far as you can see. The last thing you see is Bucky. “Y/N! Y/N! Darlin’ we’ll be ok! He collapses as a sack is thrown over his head, and he collapses. 

“NO! BUCKY!” you can’t see anything. They’ve got you too.

Happy Birthday to you. 

~~~~~~~~~

A/N: WOW. ok. this was something to write really. feeback is appreciated!

[cbmification]

Big Brother Sims: S01E04 - Chaos Is My Middle Name

Padma: Good evening and welcome back to one more episode of Big Brother Sims. Last week, power struggle over backdooring or not the main target led to some animosity to appear inside the Power 7 alliance. Will that be enough to see them crumble? We’re about to find out.

Esme: The votes were announced and everyone’s eyes had already turned towards me and Kalani. We simply could not understand how that happened.

Cass: I simply cannot understand how have I become such a huge pawn. And why are Esme and Kalani constantly trying to get me out? I don’t get what I’m doing wrong.

Chris: You know, I haven’t been very happy with how things are going on with the whole blaming the girls thing. My plan was to play a honest game and I haven’t been doing that. It’s time to change.

Chris: Dani, listen up. I have to tell you a secret. 

Danielle: Sure, C. You can trust me.

Chris: Well, that’s exactly it. You shouldn’t trust me. I’m hoping this will help me gain your trust again. 

Danielle: Go on...

Chris: You know those votes Cass has been getting? It’s coming from Tommy, Jared and up until this last week, myself.

Danielle: WHAT?!

Chris: It was always a plan to split you guys up, but I’m not comfortable with it anymore.

Danielle: Man, was I pissed! How dare they underestimate our intelligence like that? And trying to take out King and Jazz, probably my two biggest allies? I won’t let it go this easy.

Jazz: They what?!

King: I can’t believe it...

Danielle: I swear, guys. And it all adds up to how they have been behaving lately.

King: This changes everything.

King: How dare they go behind my back and try to betray me like that?! But that’s perfect, because I like my friends close and my enemies closer.

Tommy: Chris, can you get me a spoon?

Chris: ...

Tommy: Chris?

Chris walks away.

Tommy: For some weird reason I feel like Chris has been avoiding me like the plague. And I don’t know what could it be... Should I be worried?

Swamped The Houseguests must transfer water from one jug to another jug at the end of a slippery lane. There are three jugs - one that awards the HOH position, one that awards $10,000, and one that awards safety for the week. The Houseguest that fills the HOH jug first will become the new Head of Household.

Jazz wins safety for the week and Kalani wins $10,000. Oddly, Danielle is very fast at finishing the HoH jug, which surprises both King and Esme, the ones coming right behind her.

Danielle: Man, what the hell did I do? So clearly I was trying to throw comps as I always do. But then I thought: Well, 10000 bucks wouldn’t hurt, would it? But this dumbass right here filled the wrong jug and ended up as the HoH while trying to throw the comp. I simply do not know what to do with myself.

Jared: Honestly I couldn’t be any happier. The Power 7 keeps on winning and we are about to mop the floor with the competition.

King: So we all agree with putting up Esme, right?

Danielle: Yup, as promised.

Tameka: Ugh, it’s gonna be so good! I love it!

Danielle: As for the pawn, I’m thinking of putting up Kalani just to leave Cass out for a week.

Jared: It’s not like the pawn really matters this week.

Jared: We’re golden. Esme is going up against Kalani and soon the biggest challenge threat on this house will be gone.

Danielle: You know, as I saw that amount of people inside my HoH room, I kind of had an epiphany. Like, this is a game for a million simmeons. We can’t all be winners. I got voted into this house promising one thing and that thing is what I’m gonna deliver: girl power. 

Danielle: Guys, I’m gonna let you in on something. I’m planning to take out Jared this week. For everything he’s been up to lately.

Jazz: What? Are you sure this is the right time?

King: Yeah, please, don’t play too fast too soon.

Danielle: I don’t think this is too soon. This is actually the perfect time, when they’re not expecting it.

King: No, I’m telling you. Don’t do this or you will regret it later.

Danielle: What? Is this a threat?

King: No, I’m just saying. This is not gonna be good for us.

Danielle: I’ll think about it.

King: Danielle is playing with her heart and this is pissing me off. She’s not thinking straight because of this whole vendetta. Esme is the right move now. But I gotta pretend I agree with whatever she says. I mean, I’m not crazy.

Danielle calls the houseguests to the living room as it’s time for the nomination ceremony.

Danielle: I have nominated you, Jared and you, Tommy, for constantly conspiring behind mine’s and the entire house’s back. 

Jared: What the hell?!

Tommy: ...

Danielle: Jared, you are my target because not only do I think you are the mastermind behind this scheme, but I also think you are fake, conveniently befriending people only when it interests you and very, very arrogant. There, I said it.

Jared: This is not over, girl.

Tommy: I can’t believe this is happening. Our plan was perfect, there’s no way in hell she could have figured it out by herself!

Jared: I wouldn’t let her get away with this so easily. So I obviously went to the HoH room as soon as the ceremony was over to try and figure out what had happened.

Jared: How dare you not only nominate me but try to make a fool out of me on TV?

Danielle: What? You’re the one who has been pretending to be this nice singer persona from the get go, asshole!

Jared: I knew I should never have trusted some trashy girl like you?

Danielle: Who are you calling trashy, D-list celebrity?

Jared: What did you say?

Danielle: Did I stutter?

Jared: You realize this is the end of the road for you, right? Game over.

Danielle: Oh yeah? And why?

Jared: Cause the house is gonna side with us, I’m sure of it.

Danielle: Really? So how about I call them in here?

Danielle: So, girls. You wanted an explanation for why there have been some random votes involving the two of you? These two here can explain.

Cass: What?!

Esme: Are you kidding me? That’s so dirty!

Tommy: Man, we should have just let it go...

Jared: Shut up, Tommy.

Danielle: I never wanted any of this power, but now I love it!

Cass: I am furious! I almost went home because these two don’t know how to play like decent human beings!

Esme: I was so pissed when I found out about why me and my original allies were being hunt down. But forget that, this is not the time to be sad. For the first time in forever, no Silent Assassin is on the block.

Esme: I know you pulled your strings to keep me here and I’m so thankful for that.

Jazz: No worries, babe. It’s not like I did much, really. But you can count on me and Dani whenever you want to.

Esme: Thanks, I’m sure I’m gonna remember that. And I owe you guys one.

Esme: Jazz is just such a captivating person. I love her. She has this aura, I don’t know how to put it... There’s some kind of energy that pulls people towards her. It’s truly magical.

Tameka: I’m not happy with everything that went down, that’s for sure. How dare Danielle use me like that last week to get who she wanted out, out, and then now, when it’s time for her to do her part of the deal, she backs down completely.

Tameka: Can you guys tell me what was that all about?

Jazz: Tameka, calm down, we can explain.

Tameka: I AM CALM! What I’m tired of is being left out of everything by you two. Did you guys forget what we promised to each other right here?

Danielle: I...

Tameka: I see it. Well, just give me some time. I’m a little hurt.

Tameka: Danielle takes me for a fool. Now I’m sure of it. More than ever. But I gotta find out how to play this smart or else I’m gonna get screwed real soon. Unfortunately, I think I’m gonna have to drop Jared in order to survive. With Tommy we can win comps and take them all out one by one.

Tameka: Guys, first of all I’m really sorry. And I swear I’m with you, and not them.

Jared: Sure, but how can we trust you...?

Tameka: They don’t let me in on any of their decision making and I’m tired of it. Apparently this all started because of something Chris told Danielle. And then they decided to betray our alliance without consulting me.

Tommy: I mean, it’s pretty obvious that Chris double-crossed us because of how he’s been acting. But for them to aim at us right now...

Jared: Ok, Mama T. We are really gonna need your help. But you gotta pretend you’re still with them.

Tameka: But they’re hanging out with Esme now, and after what she did to me...

Tommy: Hmm, about that-

Jared: See? That’s why you can’t trust them.

Jared: It’s good to see that at least someone in this house isn’t playing like a total fool. I don’t know how I can survive this, but I sure as hell am going to try.

Tommy: Kalani, there has not been a single person talking to me for the last few days. How do you deal with this?

Kalani: I don’t know, man. I just sit out here in the open. Usually take care of the plants, look at the water.

Tommy: You’re a little weird, did you know that?

Kalani: A good kind of weird?

Tommy: A good kind of weird.

Kalani: Tommy, he’s pretty fun and carefree. I think he can be a valuable ally going forward with his challenge strength. I just enjoy realizing that, step by step, I’m slowly becoming friends with most of the people in this house just by socializing. What a change, right?

King: So Kalani came up to me and told me that Tommy went to her to talk about life and stuff, but I know that’s all game. So I’m gonna talk to him and try and figure out what is this about trying to take me and Jazz out of the game.

King: So, how you feeling, man?

Tommy: Not great, really. But I’m getting used to it.

King: So, I gotta be honest. Chris told Danielle about you guys trying to gun for me and Jazz, is that for real?

Tommy: What? No way! The whole voting for Cass thing was just to make the girls not trust each other. I mean, we’re Secret Squadron till the end, right?

King: Sure, of course. I knew there was some kind of misinformation there. Danielle may have made this up to get us against you guys.

Tommy: Yeah, totally.

King: Ugh, look at myself in the mirror here... My hair is a mess. Can you lend me your hat later?

Tommy: Sure, no problem.

King: Do I believe what Tommy is telling me? Of course not. But I need him to be by my side, because when these big targets go for each other, I’m gonna need shields like him. And nothing better than this sudden bond with Kalani to get him saved this week.

King: Listen up, Kalani. We have to focus on winning this veto if we get picked. We gotta get Tommy off the block and have Danielle put Tameka up since she’s been so passive aggressive towards them. If we get Tameka out, the people who hate each other will still be in here and gunning for each other. At the end, only you and I will be standing.

Kalani: Ok, I get it. I guess.

Kalani: I’m happy with going with whatever King says. All I wanted in this game was an ally and having one like him is just perfect.

Danielle gets everyone together for the veto selections.

Danielle draws Houseguest’s Choice and chooses Kalani as someone less likely to win.

Tommy draws Cass and she immediately shouts.

Cass: Oh, how ironic!

Cass: I laughed my ass out, honey.

Jared draws Chris.

Chris: ...

Candy Counter The Houseguests each stand in their individual booths. Each round they are required to estimate the amount of a certain candy-related item. Once they all reveal their guesses, they must decide to 'stay' and play for a point and risk elimination if they are the furthest from the correct answer or to 'fold and move on to the next round. The first Houseguest to earn 3 points or the last Houseguest remaining will win the Golden Power of Veto.

Kalani messes up and ends up as the first one out. Chris and Danielle are really competitive with Tommy and Jared, but none of them realize that Cass easily gets the 3 points and defeats them all.

Cass: I can’t believe it! Not only is this my first win, but it’s also exactly when the two guys who have made my life hell are on the block. There’s zero chance I’m taking either one off.

Jazz: A funny thing is, this whole thing began because Jared and Tommy were so scared that the girls would get together. And now look at us! We’re more united than ever and it’s all because of them.

Jazz: Like, do you guys realize how great this probably is for the girls at home? Seeing good examples being set by us here?

Cass: You’re so right, I just can’t see us being on the wrong here.

Esme: Yes, it’s just gonna be such a powerful message!

Tameka: I’m just there standing with them while they spew the whole girl power thing with my best fake smile. You gotta understand, I’m all for women empowerment. But these girls are playing like fools. Total incompetents. If they were my employees, they would all have been fired by now.

Tameka: OH MY GOD, YOU’RE SO FUNNY!!!

Danielle: ...

Cass reunites the houseguests for the Veto Ceremony.

Cass: This certainly doesn’t come as a surprise, but I have decided not to use the power of veto.

Cass: Looking at their faces while I denied their only shot at staying in the game? Golden. It was like taking candy from little kids.

Jared: I can’t believe this is it. I’m just beyond pissed my game is over because a guy could keep it in his pants.

King: You know, I’ve realized how close and happy all the girls are. But honestly? I’m not happy at all. I never wanted any of this to happen. I told Danielle that. So I decided to talk to Jared to get any info he may have. He was my first ally in this house, after all.

King: So... The whole getting rid of me and Jazz thing?

Jared: I swear to God, specially because you’re my first ally here. It was all Tommy. I had nothing to do with it.

King: He says otherwise. You wonder why?

Jared: I know how I can guarantee you it was all him. He actually overheard you and Jazz in the HoH room talking about a final two deal.

King: What?!

Jared: Yeah. And he immediately told me and Chris. And that’s how it all started and why we wanted to make sure the girls were weakened.

King: You’ve gotta be kidding me. That lying son of a bitch.

Jared: That was my last pitch. If it works out, it works out. But I’m not hopeful. Besides, what could King really do in this situtation?

King: You know, chaos is my middle name. I’m pissed at Tommy for going around telling people something that did not concern him and put my game in jeopardy. And I’m also pissed at Danielle for going against me when I specifically told her not to put members of the Power 7 up. If she wants to shake up the game, I’m gonna step in and shake it up some more. As the vote is coming up, I don’t have much time to do something.

King: Kalani, would you be willing to vote for Tommy?

Kalani: What?!

King: I know he’s your friend now, but you gotta hear me out.

Kalani: I’m just so confused at this point. We were saving Tommy, now we’re sending him home? I don’t know what I should do. I really think he’s gonna be useful for me going forward.

King: Obviously only Kalani and I aren’t gonna be able to take him out. So, to evict the great gambler Tommy, nothing like a good gamble, right?

King: Girls, I know you’re friends with Jazz and Dani and won’t want to go against them, but I need you to think about something.

Cass: Go ahead.

King: Jared has had multiple fights with Danielle now and he’s clearly against her. By keeping him in, the conflict they have will keep them from working together and let the two of you remain safe. If Tommy stays, he’s gonna go under the radar and at the same time stay a comp beast.

Esme: Oh God, no... I don’t think this is a good idea.

King: I know we don’t have much time, but please consider it...

Esme: It’s so good to have a little bit of power in this game. But at the same time, I feel like I have no idea if making a big move like this is the right thing.

Esme: So what are we gonna do?

Cass: I mean, he’s got a huge point with the whole keeping the conflict in the house.

Esme: But I don’t want to go against Jazz and Dani after they just helped us out this week...

Cass: Girl, I know. I loved that the girls got all together. But what we gotta remember is that we are still the underdogs here. We’re the ones outside of any alliance. We gotta make what’s best for us and us only.

Cass: I hope what I told Esme was enough, but I’m not sure she’s very happy with this plan. As for myself? I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in this house.

Kalani: The vote is coming up and I have no idea where anyone stands. This vote is pure chaos and there’s only one person who really knows who’s going home. And that ain’t me, bitch!

Padma: Hello, houseguests. It’s time for another eviction. And remember! After tonight, we’re going to the jury stage of the game, so you gotta think very carefully about every step you take.

Tameka: I unfortunately vote to evict my dear friend, Jared.

Cass: I gladly, gladly vote to evict Tommy.

Jazz: I vote to evict Jared.

Esme: I truly hope this isn’t a mistake. I vote to evict Tommy.

Chris: I hope we can go forward with the more honest players. I vote to evict Jared.

Kalani: I vote to evict Tommy.

King: It’s funny how we get ourselves into these spots, right? I know you won’t see it coming, but never, I mean, NEVER, come for the King. I vote to evict Tommy. By the way, thanks for the hat. This is what I call a social game.

Padma: The votes are in. And by a vote of 4-3...

Padma: Tommy, you have been evicted from the Big Brother house. Please grab your belongings and say your goodbyes.

Danielle: What the hell?!

King: Hehehe...

Tameka: This can’t be happening...

Tommy: ...

Padma: Let’s hear it for Tommy!

Padma: Tommy, I gotta say, you certainly don’t know this, but King led a last minute power move to get you out. Do you know why he did it?

Tommy: He probably caught wind of me trying to get him and his girl out. I gotta say I respect the move, but I don’t know how he’s gonna make it to the end now. And damn... He did all of this while using my hat. I got so bamboozled I didn’t even remember to get it back.

Padma: Now that you’re out and just missed out on jury, who are you rooting for?

Tommy: My partner in crime, Jared. Or Kalani, I guess. That would be a wild ride.

Next time, on Big Brother Sims…

I can’t deal with an alliance where there’s zero trust. I’m done with him.

Is this what winning feels like? I wish I could have tasted it sooner!

See?! This is why we shouldn’t have gone for our own alliance first! Our game is over and it’s all because of you!

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Gyroids clad in plaid

It’s gyroid hunting time and we’ve got a busy week ahead! Emilie’s back at the camp with a familiar face - Kat - and two new faces - Amy and Natara. Dixie’s joining us too, though she won’t be here until the day after tomorrow. 

It’s nice to see Emilie again, especially since we had so much fun at the last gyroid hunt. She’s doing a lot better as she extended her short break from work for a few months longer and time has been good for her. While she’s not working at her main job, Emilie’s been focusing on hobbies, self care, and the agency - her side gig. In fact, she’s been strongly thinking about leaving the bureau and transferring to Dixie’s agency as an agent. 

Considering how stressful working in the FBI is and how it’s been burning her out, I think it’s a good idea for Emilie to step down. Also with people like Rocky, Lex, Kat, and Jamie on the team, I know she'll fit right in. 

The thing is that it’s gig based so on one hand, you’re not working 40 + hours a week, but you might have times when you’re in the office for six months and then spend the next six months globe hopping. But it’s super flexible and since it’s not like a full time job, it leaves you with plenty of time to focus on other stuff when you’re not on a mission. So those kind of hours might appeal to some and detract others. In Emilie’s case, I think that’s a plus for her.

Even though she’s not doing field work, Emilie’s busy training two new recruits who were handpicked by Dixie - Natara Lakshmi and Amy Leang. Both are students at Spectrum University studying in psychology and computer science respectively. If Dixie chose you to join her team, then it’s a big deal. 

Up until today, I never got to really know Natara and Amy that well. All I knew is that they’re friends of Jamie and Delanie so our circles kinda overlapped, but never really meeting up completely. I’m glad that after all these years, our paths finally crossed!

Natara’s an aspiring criminal profiler who not only has strong intuition, but she can also ready people like a book. She began taking an interest in criminology after she and her friends managed to thwart a crooked businessman’s attempt at taking over her father’s company. Although she saved her father’s name, Natara lost his respect as she disobeyed him and put herself in danger. 

While her friends are happy that Dixie recruited her - a dream come true for Natara - her family’s not so keen on it. Growing up in a strict Asian family it sometimes feels like you’re twice as pressured to pursue your own ambitions and meet your parents’s expectations. If they contradict each other, you can’t help but blame yourself because you shouldn’t have to struggle so much to gain approval.

At least for Amy, her family’s a lot more supportive. But the pressure to succeed is just as high, as well as the pressure to excel. Her mom works as a data analyst, which is what Amy wants to do too, except instead of finances, she’s interested in law. 

Amy’s also a self taught hacker and was notorious for clearing her school’s name when they were accused of leaking test answers. She also played a role in helping Natara take down her father’s rival and was partially responsible for taking down a criminal hacker group - both happened when she was in high school. In short, Amy’s got an interesting history as a vigilante hacker, which I’m pretty sure was what caught Dixie’s eye.

And there’s Kat, who’s been having a crazy year so far. From having to take her mother’s place as queen, becoming a prisoner in space, getting her friends out of trouble multiple times, ending a long war, and reuniting with her presumed dead father - it’s a lot for anyone to handle. Though compared to her father and brother - who never met each other until then - Kat feels like she’s the least disoriented out of the three.

Reuniting with someone you thought was dead for almost two decades is as jarring as it sounds. While things are a bit awkward as Kat’s dad still sees her as a little girl he’s slowly adjusting to having not only one but two almost grown kids. I still can’t get over the image of Micah - the kind of guy who runs headfirst into trouble - hiding behind his sister like a little kid after seeing his father for the first time.

The elder Micah’s adjusting well for someone who was thrown to the frontlines after a long absence - or at least that’s how he comes across to everyone. Now that things have settled down Kat thinks the full impact of everything that has happened is finally getting to him. Since then he’s been keeping himself busy by making up for lost time, which according to Kat’s aunt, is his way of avoiding dealing with his own problems. 

After confirming that he’s in fact not okay, Kat, Micah, and their friends staged a coup by forcing him to do absolutely nothing for a month, which he wasn’t too keen on. So they threatened to lock him in his room and tie him down to the bed if they have to. In the end he gave in so now he’s trying to relax as well as make up for sixteen years worth of lost time with his son. 

Kat would’ve invited her friends and family to join us for the gyroid hunt but they’re all obviously busy. Everything’s still a bit of a chaotic mess, but it's nothing that Kat and the others can’t handle.

So the theme for this event is a cozy plaid aesthetic, which is totally my thing! After the success of the matcha mint gyroids, Reese and Cyrus enlisted Daisy Jane to help design the furniture we’ll be building with the gyroids. Knowing Daisy Jane, this kind of aesthetic’s totally in her element!

First stop is Lost Lure Creek, where we took the time to catch some fish as my inventory was running low. We had a pretty early start so we’re in no rush to collect gyroids. Plus it’s nice to sit down and hang out with the campers. There were a lot of gyroids hanging from trees so Emilie and Kat had a lot of fun swinging branches as well as finding special fruit and bells hidden under the leaves.

Next stop was the Market Place, where we met up with Isabelle, Tommy, and Timmy. I don’t normally drop by there on a regular basis during my rounds but for gyroid events, it’s a must. It’s also a good thing that we did because Natara found a book that Pecan dropped yesterday. Sometimes there’s a lot of gyroids lying around and sometimes there’s none. We lucked out today!

Then we went to Sunburst Island, where we went bug catching with Bea. I might have gotten a bit distracted with the horned dynastids but I had to catch them in order to shake the trees to get the gyroids so either way I get both. Kat was fascinated by the butterflies, Amy helped Gulliver log in his inventory, and Daisy Jane taught Emilie and Natara how to make flower crowns.

At Saltwater Shores we collected shells, went fishing, and harvested coconuts. There weren’t a lot of gyroids hanging around so we went for a swim for about an hour. Daisy Jane almost went overboard after catching a king red snapper so it took me, Emilie, Kat, Natara, Amy, and Buck to keep her feet on the ground. Looks like we’ll be having a big campfire dinner tonight!

After taking our well deserved break and making a quick stop at the campsite to drop off the big catch, off we headed to Breezy Hollow. I normally stop here at the end so I can restock on fruit without having to go back and forth between hangout sites. Today not only happened to be full of gyroids, but perfect fruit as well! While the others went picking fruit and wildflowers, I restocked my marketplace with grapes and crafting materials. I also bought some lychee and lemons for tonight’s bonfire.

Last stop is OK Motors, a place that I don’t visit too often unless my RV needs tuning up, someone lost something over there, or if I just want to hang out with Beppe, Giovanni, and Carlo. Like the Market Place, gyroids sometimes pop up here and there. Emilie, Kat, Natara, and Amy took turns playing Brake Tapper - Natara won the most caps with Emilie coming in  a close second. Amy did fairly well while Kat was all over the place. 

Maybe one day I’ll finally have enough caps to trade them in for a t-shirt. But right now I’m more interested in collecting plaid gyroids. Gotta make some trips to Shovelstrike Quarry sometime this week - with a group as big as ours, it won’t take too long for us to get in.

Then it’s back to either the campsite or cabin where we just hang out for a couple hours before going back out to hunt for more gyroids. At the campsite Amy taught Daisy Jane the basics of building a website - which will be very useful for her in the future. Kat showed off some cool spells she learned from her dad, including a fireworks one that’s perfect for tonight. Natara made coconut mango lassi while Emilie baked brownies and I made a pasta salad.

We had a pretty good haul today - not enough to build furniture yet, but it’s a good start. It was a busy but also a kinda chill day. It’s nice seeing Emilie and Kat again and just having a great time with them. 

At the bonfire Emilie and KK put together an impromptu show that was fun to watch. Celeste and Natara took turns looking for constellations and nebulas. Kat showed us how to manipulate fireworks into cool shapes (and accidentally caused a few small explosions here and there - nothing serious though, it’s just something that happens from time to time). Amy, Goldie, and Kitt went looking for shells, gyroids, and whatever treasures that were buried in the sand. 

While sitting by the waves I can see Daisy Jane sitting by a coconut tree, both of us scribbling in our journals while the memories of today are still fresh in our minds. Book in lap, pages full of words and sketches, ink smudged hands with an uncapped pen, plaid gyroids lying in the sand or hanging from a branch above, all illuminated by the moonlight.

[bri206]

Soulmates Part 4

Later that night after the credits were long gone, Oliver looked down to see her glasses askew  and hair in several different places. A soft smile crosses his lips, as he gently reached over to turn off the movie, causing the room to go in darkness.

After getting out from under her, he lifts her up effortlessly and takes her back to the master bedroom. Laying her down on the queen size bed, he goes through their night ritual, scraping her of her slippers, tucking her under the sheets and last but not least, pulling off her glasses and laying them on the nightstand. After shedding everything but his boxers, he joins his wife in her bed. One thing he is happy that hasn’t changed, is the act of falling asleep in her arms.

The next morning, Oliver wakes to an annoying buzzing sound. Opening his eyes, he immediately sees his wife wrapped around him like a spider monkey. For a second he thinks that he just woke from a cruel dream, but then everything halts that chance at hope, when his phone goes off again, Not wanting to disturb Felicity, he slowly reaches for the phone beside her glasses on the nightstand.

“Hello?”

“Ollie? Oh thank god, where have you been, I’ve been calling you for the last 30 minutes.”

The moment her voice hits his ears, Oliver’s eyes go wide.

“Laurel” he whispers.

“Yes, Laurel, who else would it be?”

“No one, ummm, what do you need Laurel?”

“I need to know why you bailed on me last night. Ollie, last night was supposed to be a huge night for us.”

Deciding he didn’t want to have this conversation with his wife literally clinging to him, he slowly untangles her and gets out of the bed and heads to the living room.

“Laurel look, I’m sorry ok, I came down with a… bug.”

“Wait you got sick last night? Was it the shrimp, I knew there was something off about those apps.”

“What? Uh, yeah it was the shrimp.”

“Oh, well do you want me to come over and take care of you?” “NO.” he clears his throat. “I mean no, you don’t need to be around me, and besides I’m pretty sure I’m getting better.”

“Are you sure, because that’s what girlfriends do, take care of their boyfriends.”

Cringing at the title and situation Laurel just explained, Oliver pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I’m sure Laurel.”

At the end of his sentence he hears footsteps behind him. Looking up he sees Felicity wiping sleep out of her eyes and giving him a questioning look. Shaking his head he silently assures her it’s nothing.

“Ok, well then I’ll come and check on you in a little bit.”

“Laurel you really don’t have to do that-”

“I’ll see you in an hour, I love you.”

“Laurel-”

‘Click’

“Laurel?”

Taking the phone away from his ear, he sees the call has ended.

Sighing, he closes his eyes.

“Girlfriend problems? Or is it ex-girlfriend problems, because…”

He gives her an adorable  look that says ‘please stop’

“Did I wake you?”

Walking in between his legs, she says “Only when I got cold and realized my space heater was no longer there.”

“Is that all I am to you? A source of heat?” “And very attractive sight for my eyes.”

Leaning down, she kisses him.

“Good morning.”

“Morning” he says in his husky voice.

Leaning back up and heading to the kitchen for coffee, she asks, “So what did Laurel want?”

“Oh you know an explanation on why I left her early last night.”

“And let me guess, the excuse was … you live in a bad neighborhood so you had to get home early?”

“You’re never going to let me live that down are you?”

“Never” she whispers.

“ I do hope you didn’t tell her that the real reason you left her was to see the woman that has your heart and watch Return of the Jedi?”

“No, I thought it’d be best if I told her that I got food poisoning.” He says wrapping his arms around her.

“The crab cakes?”

“Shrimp.”

Before he can kiss her again, his phone goes off again.

“Argh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok , you should probably go anyway, people are going to be wondering where the prince of Starling is, if he doesn’t show up soon. And judging by how you conversation ended, I’m going to say that Ollie has some issues to work out.

“Let me at least make you breakfast first.”

“As much as I would love that, I can’t, I’m already running late.”

“Then I’ll make you toast.” “You are one determined man Oliver Queen.”

As he starts to prepare the toast, she goes back to her room to get dressed.

After about five minutes of content silence, Oliver remembers something.

“So, I never asked, did you come up with a plan yesterday?”

Walking into the room in a black pencil skirt and red top, she sighs while putting her hair in its signature ponytail.

“No, I mean I really came up blank yesterday, but in my defense I was doing double time. You?”

“I got nothin.”

“Well we better come up with something, and soon, because if we’re still here in two weeks our situation is going to become even more difficult.”

“The Gambit.”

“Yeah. As much as I don’t want you to endure that again, you’re gonna have to get on that boat if the time comes.”

“I know” looking down at their intertwined hands, he meets her eyes again. “I know.”

“Hey, but that is worse case scenario, I promise. Right now we just need to find a way to get in contact with Sara, which will be my mission for the day.”

Going off for the third time in ten minutes, Oliver is very tempted to shatter his phone against the wall.

Looking down at the flashing screen that says 10 missed calls, 20 missed messages, & 5 voice mails. Felicity takes a deep breath and simply lays a loving kiss on his cheek.

“Lock up on the way out will you?” she says as she grabs the toast and coffee Oliver prepared for her, and heads for the door.

“Yeah. Felicity.”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

And with one final step out the door, Oliver is left alone with his thoughts, and they weren’t good.

When he opens the door to the mansion, the first person he runs into is one of the last people he wants to speak to, his mother.

“Oliver, where have you been? You left so abruptly last night, I got worried.”

“Yeah, sorry, Laurel had a headache.”

“Oh, did you stay with her last night?” “Um, no.”

“No?”

“I stayed with… Tommy. Laurel had a really bad headache and I didn’t want to disturb her so I dropped her off and headed to Tommy’s.”

“Oh”

“Yeah, so umm I’m just gonna go lay down.”

“Ok” she simply says as she watches him go up the stairs and disappear behind the wall.

Walking into his room, he immediately closes the door and sighs. Everything was not going well, and he knew if they stayed here any longer it would be inevitable for things to change, and he couldn’t let things change because no matter how much he hated those 5 years, he wouldn’t give them up if that meant he got to have Felicity and William.

‘William’ how easy would it be to just write a letter to his son and save so many years of pain and questions for him. But he couldn’t because there could be so many consequences if he did. But even that thought didn’t stop him from gazing at his desk, or slowly walking over to it and sitting down. But before he could grab the pen, there was a knock at the door, and someone entering.

Thinking that it was Laurel, his shoulders immediately went tense and his senses on alert.

“Hey man”

At the sound of a deep familiar voice, Oliver’s demeanor went slack. Turning around, his eyes went soft.

“Tommy”

“Uhh it’s the one and only, no need to get all nostalgic or anything.”

“Sorry, umm, it’s been a morning.”

“Yeah your telling me, have you seen the headlines?” “What headlines?”

“The one where Oliver Queen goes to an unknown Thai place near the glades in full out suit and tie.”

Standing up, he immediately takes the phone out of Tommy’s hand.

“Oh no” he whispers.

“Man, I swear you could sweat a bead and people would go crazy” Tommy says flopping on the bed. “People will do about just anything to make a buck and get your attention.”

Noticing that Oliver isn’t paying attention, Tommy waves his hand.

“Yoohoo, Earth to Oliver. Dude that is literally the least you need to worry about, I mean who cares, you were getting Thai. Although that is a bit odd, since when do you like Thai?”

Finally looking up from the article, he processes everything his friend just said.

“Look it’s a big deal because, I may have lied to Laurel on where I was last night.”

Knowing that his comment is risky considering the fact that he knows Tommy is in love with Laurel, has him being hesitant. But then he remembers that past him didn’t know that so he tries to put it off like he doesn’t care. For a second he swears that he sees a hint of hurt in his friend’s eyes, but just like that it was gone.

“So where does she think you were last night?”

“Here, sick. But my mom thinks that I was with you.”

“Oh Ollie, always the one stuck in a web of lies. Your lucky I like you, and I guess I can lie for you, as long as you tell me where you really were last night.”

Oliver knows that his friend was not in the dark when it came to his indiscretions, in fact sometimes he encouraged it, which made this a little bit easier for him, no matter how much he hated this part of his life.

“I was with a girl last night.”

“Are you just gonna keep me hangin on this, I mean I could just simply accidently let it slip that you never made it back to my place last night. Unless you gave me deats. Was she hot? A good lay?”

“OK, yes she was hot and really good in bed.”

Those weren’t lies and he doesn't feel bad for bragging about his wife, in fact that’s what a husbands supposed to do right?

“And for the record, you wouldn’t have outed me.”

“You my friend are right, gotta keep that promise we made back in second grade.”

Before he can respond, there is another knock at the door. Laurel carefully walks in.

“Hey Ollie, I brought you some chicken noodle soup.”

She stops when she sees Tommy.

“Laurel look I appreciate it but I really am ok, like I said I was.”

“Yeah it’s a miracle, he can walk again.”

“Shut up Merlyn”

“Ok Lance, just trying to help.” Turning her attention back to Oliver, she asks, “So now that you’re feeling better maybe we can go get some breakfast or something.”

“I-”

Before he can say anything, his phone goes off. Pulling it out of his pocket, he sees it’s an unknown number.

‘SOS’

His alerts immediately go into overdrive, but then go down slightly when the next message goes through.

‘It’s Felicity by the way’

“I have to go.”

“But Ollie, what about breakfast?”

“I’m sorry Laurel, my dad needs me right now, but I’ll call you later” he says leaving the room.

When he gets to QC, he practically runs to her office, looking for the threat. When he arrives, he immediately sees her standing in front of something and thinking really hard. When she sees him creeping in, she gives off a little huff.

“Relax Oliver, I’m not in danger.”

At those words, he slightly relaxes.

“You sent an SOS, what am I supposed to think?”

“Oh yeah, that, it wasn’t because I was in danger, It’s because of this.” She says pointing at a board she created with sticky notes.

“What is this?”

“This is my plan to get back home.”

“That tone doesn’t sound promising.”

“That would be because we can’t do everything else unless I get a computer. And before you say I can buy one for you, A- I can’t wait & B- None of them are what I need. Which leads me back to square one.”

“Which is what exactly?

“Me here talking to you. Oliver, I’m running out of ideas, and we need to get out of here before things change.”

“It might be a little late for that.”

Turning around abruptly to meet his eyes that are currently looking down at her desk. “What do you mean to late? What did you do?”

“Nothing… Ok it was something, but it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.”

“What did you do?”

“Well apparently there’s a photo and article floating around about me buying our Thai food last night.”

“Ok. What were you supposed to be doing?”

“I was supposed to go back with Laurel last night.”

“And there’s more. Why was last night so significant?”

“I remembered this morning that, she was going to tell me that she was thinking about going to law school, but she didn’t know if it was a good idea because she wanted to wait for me, and I was supposed to tell her to go for it, but…”

“Are you telling me that because you did not have that conversation last night, Laurel Lance may never become a lawyer, meaning that she won’t be able to get us out of our situations. Oh god Oliver, this is not good. In fact this is really bad.”

“I know. I know.”

“And there’s also the fact that if she sees this article, she’ll know I was lying,  which-”

“I got it” she says putting her hands up to stop him. Taking a deep breath, Felicity starts to process. “Ok I will deal with the article, and you need to figure out how to have that conversation.”

He nods his head.

“And Oliver, don’t touch anything. I mean it.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

As he is about to leave a thought occurs to him.

“Hey you said that no one has the technology that you need right?”

“Uh yeah.”

“Well you’re wrong, because we do know someone that has advanced tech that could get a signal through.”

“And who would that be…. No, No absolutely not.”

“Felicity think about it ARGUS is our only bet.”

“Yeah but you’re forgetting something, we don’t have friends in the inside, meaning we can’t just waltz in and take anything we want.”

“No but have you forgotten who I am?”

“Don’t you mean who you will be?”

“Felicity, while I may not have powers like Barry or Kara, I do have my brain and my skills. That is my superpower. So what makes this any different than a recon mission in our own time?” “Well, we kind of don’t have the equipment. And we can’t forget that Amanda Waller is in charge.”

“Look I will deal with everything and I will pick you up after work.”

He turns to leave.

“Whoa, wait what? After work, we can’t just leave.”

“Felicity we don’t have a choice and the sooner you get the equipment you need, the sooner we can get back to William.”

At his name everything goes away, and she knows for a fact that he’s right.

“Ok. I’ll be ready.”

Nodding his head, he simply says “Good” and walks out to clean up his mess. 

@candykizzes24 @wherethereissmoak @ao3feed-oliverfelicity @almondblossomme @dreamalongwithamy @smkkbert @miriam1779  @jcc04220 @emisfritish @smoakqueenalways @leuska

[rdng1230]

lost Tommy scenes

I really really wish we could see all the scenes between tommy and the other characters that are alluded to but not shown. Like I Know it’s in service of first the reveal that buck/eddie/chim have beaten Hen to harbor, and then the reveal that buck is craving Tommy’s attention and tommy likes buck romantically. But dammit I think we miss so much of the foundation of Buck and Tommy (and Tommy and Eddie’s friendship) because they wanted to keep those reveals under their hats.

(side note, I agree with the buddies partially that bucks behavior doesn’t make sense if viewed purely from a “buck is jealous that eddie is getting Tommy’s attention” because why would he act like that particularly with the whole eddie being on the phone and him watching him like a Hawk because eddie could’ve been on the phone with anybody? however I don’t think it works purely from the other perspective either, because then why would buck want a tour of harbor station? And then why would he continue to hype up Eddie as a person tommy should be friends with? Honestly it reads more rejection dysphoric/that ole fear of exclusion, the same kind that made buck act out when eddie first showed up, at least to me)

ok where was I. So yeah I wish they hadn’t cut so much out in service of those two reveals because I really want the scenes where

Buck and Eddie actually meet Tommy. You can kinda tell Tommy is really feelin himself when Hen shows up, and I think that’s Tommy being a) happy to save the day and b) havin’ a little ‘just met a cute boy’ swagger. That is one peacocking pilot is what I’m saying. I also think that Eddie must have introduced himself first, using his first and last name, and then Buck, not wanting to just say Buck, introduced himself first and last name too. Otherwise I really have no idea where Tommy would’ve even learned bucks first name. Eddie said they clicked immediately so it’d be interesting to see what that meant and whether or not Buck already started on the jealousy train.

when stormy weather is playing as Tommy lands the helicopter, you can see Buck has moved to the front seat, with Eddie in the back with Bobby and the kid he rescued. I’d really love to have heard what kinda conversation went on between them, if any. Clearly time has passed because when eddie and Buck find Bobby and the kid it is fully dark and when Tommy lands the helicopter it is fully daytime. What I find interesting is once they land, Tommy and Eddie don’t interact with each other at all. The three of them just watch the bathena reuniting moment. Eddie leaves the frame without acknowledging Tommy, while Buck specifically pauses and reaches out for Tommy for their little musical beat (actually three beats, in terms of the music) I don’t know, it just seems like that scene makes way more of a case for a Buck and Tommy instant connection more than an Eddie and Tommy one. And I would’ve loved to see the in between scene to pepper in more details.

god do I want to see a Tommy and Chris scene SO BAD. Clearly chris regaled Tommy with tales of him and bucks adventures and I wish we knew what exactly Tommy knows and his reaction to it. I think that also would’ve given more insight.

I also want to see Buck and Chris’s scene talking about Tommy (gee can you tell I miss Christopher) is Chris really as interested or is Maddie right and Buck kept the conversation on that topic? Inquiring minds wish to know.

I want to see the scene with Tommy taking Eddie To get his leg fixed. When exactly did they have this heart to heart about excluding Buck and what did it entail? Tommy says that they both “felt bad” tbh I really wish we had seen this firsthand because eddie had seemed kind of preoccupied with his own stuff in those episodes (that asking Buck to babysit thing was OUT OF POCKET, even though I know he didn’t mean to be rude) and I would’ve loved to have seen him show that concern toward Buck. Tommy clearly gets the importance of Buck and Eddie’s friendship and I kinda want to see what moments led him to understand how important that relationship is, to the point he literally drives over to bucks place just to apologize for getting in the way.

anywho yeah I know we really haven’t got that much to go on as to Buck and Tommy’s relationship and I know a huge part of that is the 10 episode run as opposed to the normal 18. But yeah I want more bucktommy because there is so much good stuff there and I want them to really get the time to explore it.

It’s not that I don’t like buddie, I really do! They have a very strong foundation and case for them becoming a romantic pairing, like for reals these two are not normal about each other, and they haven’t been since the beginning. But I think Buck is having that initial bad behavior in the same way he did with his little boycrush on eddie. And the difference between Eddie and Tommy is that Tommy actually is open and ready to commit to him romantically. I don’t think it’s a matter of whether or not there’s feelings deeper than friendship with buddie, to me that’s an unequivocal yes, but I do think it’s a matter of whether or not eddie will get his shit together in time for Buck to still be there waiting for him. And I think the clock on that is ticking fast because Buck cannot stop smiling at that pilot man. And who can blame him?

[peakyblinders1919]

The Answer Pt. 8

for @roshanaks because she’s ignited my need for more Elouise/Michael and I can get her what she wants quicker ;)

“Rise and shine!” Maggie’s singsong greeted Elouise as she rolled over in bed with a grunt. Her voice was low from sleep and muffled by the pillows and blankets, but Maggie could just make out the faint ‘no’ falling from her friend's lips, disappearing further in the bed. “Come on Lou,” Maggie said, trying to find her friends foot to grab onto. Once she found it she started pulling, though Lou fought back as her hands emerged from the shadowy depths, grabbing onto the bars of the headboard. “You...can’t...stay...in..bed..forever.” Maggie groaned in between each tug in this game of war, as Lou gripped harder, her nails digging into her palms.

“I can.” Her voice a muffled whisper.

“You can’t.” Maggie said, giving Lou’s ankle a final, rough tug, just as Lou had finally given up and let go, sending both girls toppling over. Maggie soared through the air, landing down hard on the floor, sending Elouise shooting up to make sure she was ok.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Maggie squeaked as got up, rubbing the side of her leg as she made her way over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it. She looked at Elouise long and hard before saying anything, seeing her friend in this state of dejection truly for the first time. The silence filled the air around them for a few moments, Elouise staring blankly out the window, her mind trailing off into the distance.

“I know you’re upset, but you gotta snap out of it.” Maggies harsh, but true, words broke the silence, pulling Elouise from her trance-like state, looking at Maggie for the first time in a while. Her reassuring smile made Elouise feel something she hadn’t in the past few days; hopeful. She sat up straighter, ready to listen but not willing to say anything. “You gotta get out of bed. Get out of the house. You haven’t been to work in five days.”

“I’m not even sure I have a job anymore.”

“Well why don’t you go find out or something. Sulking around all day is not good for you.”

“I can’t face them.”

“You can Elouise. They’re probably worried about you.”

“Doubtful.”

“I give up.” Maggie said abruptly, standing and heading towards the door. “I’m trying to help you but Polly was right about this self-loathing. Go talk to them or don’t, I don’t care, just get out of the goddamn house for a few hours. Go buy us some alcohol at least, since we’ve run out.”

Elouise perked up at that, knowing deep down that Maggie was right, she’d get nothing accomplished if she stayed inside and surrendered. In these few days without the Shelby’s, she had been truly familyless, and she hated that feeling more than the feeling that she didn’t have her very own family, instead of being taken in by one. She sighed, finally standing up and walking to the closet where a few of her things were hanging amongst Maggie’s, a clear divide between the darkest dresses and super girly ones.

“You trust me to go buy alcohol? Last time you called me an alcoholic if I remember correctly.”

“I said you might have a problem, it’s different. But of course I trust you, just bring the bottle back full.” Maggie smirked, throwing her some money before leaving for her fashion class.

And it was that easy to be alone again. Elouise sighed, pulling on a dress and getting ready to face the world after being disconnected from it for what felt like forever. As she stepped outside, heading towards the city full of demons, she wasn’t sure the world was ready for her again.

Elouise hurried into the first liquor store she saw when it had started to rain. She wasn't in a rush, but she didn't want her hair to get wet, sometimes she cared about girly things like appearances and stuff. But besides that her feet were beginning to ache, as she had went out of her way to go to a store on the opposite side of town as an attempt to steer clear of the Shelbys. It was times like this she wished she could have a car of her own, but she knew she was lucky to even be allowed to drive it sometimes, albeit how bad she was once she was behind the wheel.

A little ding filled her ears as a bell rang when she entered. She shook the little droplets of water off her coat and wiped her shoes as she looked around. The only other person in the store was the man who owned it, giving Elouise a smile and then walking towards she when she started looking at the whisky.

“I think what you're looking for is over here.” The man said, pointing her towards the wine. Elouise sighed, crossing her arms as she stood firmly in front of the section.

“I know what I want, thanks.”

He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Can...can I help you with anything?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m looking for top shelf Irish Whisky.”

The man’s eyes grew wide at the request, but nonetheless he what she had requested, which was hidden behind the counter. She grabbed a bottle of gin as well, Maggie’s favorite, and walked over to the counter, waiting for the man to ring her up.

“Top shelf Irish Whisky, that’s what they have down at the Garrison. What’re you doing all the way over here?”

“Minding my own business. Can we hurry please, I have to go.” She said worriedly now, almost hopping from foot to foot as the possibility of any one of the Blinders coming in now, because if this guy knew about the Garrison, obviously Elouise hadn’t gone far enough.

“That’ll be 20 pounds.” The man said with a fake smile now as he watched Elouise dig through her pockets and place crumpled bills on the counter.

“Shit, shit, shit…” she said under her breath, digging through her pockets hoping to find more than the few bucks Maggie had given her. The man looked at her cautiously, like most people do when she enters a room. In the midst of trying to find enough money to pay, she hadn’t notice the faint bell ringing again.

“Is everything ok?”

“Yeah, I’ll just take the gin.” She said, cursing herself for needing the money her job had provided, wondering how she was going to munster up the courage to drag herself back across that threshold. She might have to beg for her job back, publically apologize to everyone, who knows what she’d have to do but she needed her job. Unsure why, but standing in the little liquor shop without enough money to pay for booze, Elouise realised maybe Polly was right; she needed to turn her life around.

“I’ll get the Whisky.” A voice beside her made her jump, ready to defend herself against the creep trying to buy this for her, probably hoping he’d get her into bed afterwards.

“Look, fuck o-” she started, only stopping when she saw Michael beside her, digging in the deep pockets of his coat and placing money on the bar. “Michael? What’re you…” She asked confused, watching him take the bag of booze from the man behind the counter and starting to walk out. She followed reluctantly, still throwing an intimidating gaze over her shoulder at the man as she left.

“What’re you doing here?”

“I was just out running an errand.”

“On the opposite side of town?”

He just shrugged, stepping into the street to cross without looking, and Elouise followed a second after, getting honked at by some car passing by. She sped up to be by his side again, noticing the suit he was wearing, another old one of John’s. She furrowed her brows as she tried keeping up with his long strides, wondering about all she had missed in the past week if Michael was now wearing John’s old things on a daily basis.

“Well, what were you doing on this side of town?” He countered

“Trying to avoid you lot, can’t imagine that’s your reasoning too.”

He shrugged. “Happy coincidence I guess.”

She laughed under her breathe, crossing her arms as the clack of her heels filled the air. “He’s looking for me.”

“What?”

“Tommy, he’s upset I haven’t come into work.”

“Well, I mean yeah. I had your pay for this week but just spent it on this little thing.” He said, waving the bottle around at her, causing her to grab it from his hands.

“What the hell are you doing with my money?”

“The world didn’t stop just because you left El, thing’s are changing.”

A shiver ran down her spine as she heard the name.

“Changing huh? You sound like her.”

“Sound like who?” He waited but when she didn't answer, having slight flashbacks to the fight she and Polly had in the bar he ignored it and continued. “Anyway...are you gonna come back?”

Elouise stopped in her tracks, staring at him thoughtfully. Sure, he was wearing John’s old clothes, but he looked even more like Tommy when you stared at him. The light eyes, the clenched jaw, he already looked different than when he first showed up a couple weeks ago. She tisked him as they kept walking.

“So it’s Poll who’s sent you to find me.”

“Well, she was worried about you yeah, but she wasn’t the only one.” He said, looking at her sideways and a hint of a smile playing on his face. She tried not to blush too hard, but she literally didn’t know she was even capable of blushing. “How are you doing after the auction.”

“It’s over. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fair enough.” Michael stated after clearing his throat, the two turning the corner and Watery Lane coming into view. In the time they had spent talking, she hadn’t realized how much they had walked and the betting shop was on her right with the Garrison on her left, and she held her breathe at the thought of seeing anyone else.

“El?” He called, stopping at the doors of the shop when he realized she wasn’t following anymore.

“Uh, I have to get back to Maggie’s.”

“Right well, you won’t have to talk about it at the party this weekend?”

“Party?”

“Yeah, it’s my birthday, everyone’s going to the Garrison. They’d all like to see you.”

“Oh I...uh...I don’t know…”

“Come on, at least do it for me.”

She scoffed at that, stopping before getting to close to either of the Shelby territories. Her eyes roamed the street, constantly checking if anyone was showing up and when she knew she was in clear she turned back to Michael with a playful smirk on her face. “You might look and sound the part now, but you've got a lot left to learn Gray. No one tells me what to do. Thanks for the Whisky.” She finished off as she walked away, sighing deeply when she was gone again, trying to regain her composure she seemed to lose every time she was around him.

[jamaninja]

Olicity fanfic: Fifty bucks says, Chapter 3

Word count: 7,229 Rating: Teen Chapters: 3/3 Summary: Digg and Tommy are going to learn not to go up against a Queen.

Author’s note: I'm sorry it's a day late! But I think you guys will like it. ;)

Also, happy birthday to the lovely Holly, AKA @geniewithwifi! I hope you had an amazing day. <3

Read on: AO3 | ff.net

Chapter 3

Eighteen months

Verdant had only been open for three months, but it had swiftly become one of the most popular restaurants in all of Starling City.

Sure, the initial drive for business probably had something to do with the fact that three billionaire scions were behind the idea and concept, but at most John expected that the combined Merlyn-Queen starpower had only brought in about a month’s worth of business.

The rest of it, he was absolutely certain, was thanks to the hard work all four partners had put into the restaurant. Tommy and Thea had created a gorgeous dining room and dining experience out in the front of the house. John was responsible for what one Yelper had called “the most addictive cocktails on the West Coast.”

And then there was Oliver. No one in the city had really expected his food to be any good, but when everyone found out just how good it was, they couldn’t get enough.

All in all, they were on track to turn a profit at the end of the year, which was far better than all of their projections. And John had scarcely been prouder of any other enterprise he had ever undertaken.

He had just finished clearing all the tickets that came his way near the end of the dinner rush when he heard someone climb onto the barstool behind him.

“Be right with you,” he called.

“No worries, Digg, it’s just me.”

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Felicity shrugging off her coat. When he was finished with his task he turned toward her.

“Hey, baby girl,” he greeted her with a smile. “You want anything?”

“I’ll take a glass of Merlot,” she answered.

That made John frown almost immediately. Being a bartender and also Felicity’s friend meant he could tell her moods based on what drink she ordered. Merlot was her sad and/or pensive drink.

“You want to talk about it?” he said as he pulled a glass from underneath the bar and started pouring.

She sighed, then plopped her head on the arms she rested on the bar. She stayed like that for a long time before finally answering, “I got offered a promotion today.”

John’s mouth widened into a smile. “Felicity, that’s great news! Congratulations!”

She grunted. “The thing is, I don’t know if I’ll take it.”

His frown returned once he realized that her reaction was way less than what he had expected. “OK, correct me if I’m wrong, but you were always complaining about how your talent is wasted on the job you have now. Why are you acting so glum? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

She lifted her head and dragged the glass of wine closer to her. “It is what I wanted,” she muttered as she took a sip. “This is supposed to be a dream come true.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Felicity ran her fingertip over the rim of her glass as she contemplated her answer. Then, just as she opened her mouth to give her reply, the kitchen doors burst open.

“There she is!” Oliver shouted as he pointed at her, a huge smile lighting up his face. “Diggle, you are looking at the newest projects director of the Applied Sciences division of Queen Consolidated!”

Felicity’s eyes widened in shock behind her glasses. “H-How did you hear about it?” she stuttered.

With a jubilant laugh, the chef ran around the bar to his roommate and gave her a big hug. “My mom called to tell me. Congratulations, Felicity! I’m so proud of you!”

John watched as the poor girl stiffened in her roommate’s embrace before reluctantly reaching up to return the hug. Something also clouded over in her eyes and it made him wonder just why she wasn’t as excited about this promotion as Oliver was.

“But I haven’t accepted yet,” she protested.

Oliver pulled away from the embrace and waved away her words. “But you will! And when you do, we’re going to celebrate. Do you want to throw a party? We could throw it here. Or we could have a dinner party on Sunday. Or if you’re as tired of this place as I am, we could go to Table Salt.”

Felicity’s jaw went slack in slight horror. “Oh, we don’t have to do any of that,” she insisted hurriedly. “Really, Oliver, it’s not that big a deal.”

“Are you kidding me?” he scoffed. “This is a huge deal! You’re finally going to be doing a job that’s worthy of your skillset. You’re finally going to get paid at least a fraction of what you’re worth! This is the first step to you finally taking over the whole Applied Sciences division, like you’ve always dreamed! And that deserves a celebration!”

John snorted under his breath. Not that he didn’t disagree with anything Oliver had said — he was just baffled that he hadn’t won the damn bet yet.

She tried again. “Oliver, I really don’t think — ”

But she didn’t get the chance to finish what she thought, because at that moment, Roy stuck his head out of the kitchen door. “Yo, boss! We need you in here!”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a second!” Then Oliver turned back to his roommate, his face still excited. “Don’t leave, OK? We’re closing in a few hours, and afterward we can sit down and plan your celebration.”

Felicity closed her eyes in exhaustion, like it was killing her to even be sitting there. But when she opened her eyes again, she had pasted a big smile to her face and nodded.

“Sure. I’ll stay.”

Oliver grinned back at her and gave her one last hug before turning to go back to the kitchen.

Once he was gone, her smile immediately fell as she turned back to the bar and her glass of merlot. “Well this is just great,” she muttered to herself.

John frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Felicity, what’s the matter? Why are you so bummed about this promotion?”

She reached up to pull her glasses off her face and pinch the bridge over her nose between her eyes. “They want me to lead the projects team based in Coast City. Meaning if I took the job, I’d have to leave Starling.”

John’s froze at Felicity’s news. As he struggled to process the words that came out of her mouth, she grabbed her wineglass and chugged its contents.

“Are you serious?” he demanded.

She nodded miserably as she set down the empty glass. “Oliver’s mom was the one who suggested it. She said the Coast City team needs a cyber security expert, and I would be perfect. If I took the job, I’d start by the end of next month, which should give me ‘sufficient time to find adequate living arrangements.’”

The thought of Felicity leaving Starling was about as welcome to John as an emergency root canal. He’d only known the woman for little more than a year, but in that time she’d become one of his closest friends, and she’d been there to support all four of them in their restaurant endeavors, Oliver most especially. If it hadn’t been for her, John doubted Oliver would have gone through with the thing at all.

He automatically reached for the bottle of wine and refilled Felicity’s glass.

“So what are you going to do?” he finally asked.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “On the one hand, this promotion could mean big things for my career. But…”

“But you don’t want to leave,” he finished for her.

She nodded miserably. “I love it here. I have friends here. I have a life here. This is...this is the first place I feel like I’ve ever really belonged.”

John didn’t know what else to say. He wasn’t under any delusions: Felicity had always been very focused on her career. If it came right down to the wire, he didn’t have any doubts that she’d pick the promotion over staying in Starling City.

But it didn’t mean that it wouldn’t be painful for everyone else to watch her go.

And God, he couldn’t even imagine what Oliver was going to do. The boy was so head over heels in love with his roommate that he knew it would crush his friend, far more than anything else in the world had the power to do.

Eventually, a group of new tickets came to the bar and John was once again swept up in the pace of his work. But every muscle in his body tensed with the tick of the clock, knowing that once Verdant’s doors were closed, he would have to watch a bomb drop.

By ten o’clock, the kitchen had shut down for the night, and Felicity had downed three glasses of merlot. She was swaying in her stool a little and John was keeping a close eye on her.

Once the staff had finished cleaning everything, Oliver emerged from the double doors and took the stool next to his roommate.

“So?” he asked. “Have you given anymore thought about the party?”

John, who had been wiping down the counters, flinched at his friend’s words. Now that he knew why Felicity was so reticent to celebrate this promotion, Oliver’s enthusiasm just felt like some cruel, ironic joke.

Before she could answer, Tommy and Thea chose that moment to come out of office.

“Party?” Tommy called as he approached the bar. “Is someone reserving the restaurant for a function?”

“No, the party’s for Felicity,” Oliver beamed.

Tommy quirked an eyebrow. “Didn’t we already celebrate your birthday a couple months ago? I might not remember a lot from that night, but I remember that much, at least.”

“It’s to celebrate her promotion,” Oliver explained. “She’s finally getting recognized for her work, and I figure that’s as good an excuse as any for us to have a party.”

John’s jaw clenched as he tried to keep himself from frowning. God, this was excruciating — waiting for the other shoe to drop was killing him.

He watched as Felicity tried once again to explain herself, her face a little redder than it was before (though John suspected that was partly thanks to the alcohol). But yet again, she was interrupted before she could even get the words out.

“So you’re taking it?” Thea squealed with excitement as she rushed forward to give the other woman a hug. “Oh, this is so exciting! I’ll take next weekend off to go up with you and look for apartments. I haven’t been to Coast City in ages.”

Felicity froze in Thea’s embrace, and John stilled at the implication of Thea’s words.

She knew.

And immediately, John was suspicious. If she knew and she was excited about her brother’s roommate moving to another city, then surely she was up to something.

Oliver, on the other hand, was still confused. “What in the world are you talking about? Why are you going to Coast City?”

Felicity’s eyes were glassy behind her glasses as she turned back to her roommate. “That’s where the job is,” she said quietly.

John watched the shock freeze on Oliver’s face, and a wave of pity overtook him.

“Wait a minute,” Tommy interjected, pointing a suspicious finger at Thea. “How did you know about it?”

“Mom told me when we had lunch today,” she shrugged. Then she turned back to Felicity. “So? What do you say? We’ll have a girl’s day in Coast City. We’ll go to all the hot spots after we finish apartment hunting. It’ll be so much fun, I promise!”

Felicity, who was still looking at Oliver with a searching expression, simply nodded. “Um, sure. That would be great.”

An awkward silence descended on all of them. John avoided the glances Oliver and Felicity were sending each other by straightening the bottles of liquor behind him.

Finally, Felicity broke the quiet.

“I should...I should get going. I called for an Uber a few minutes ago and it says he’ll be here any minute, so…”

“I could give you a ride home, if you want,” Oliver offered quietly.

She shook her head. “No. Um, thanks though. I just need some time. Alone. With my thoughts. I’ll see you when you come home, OK?”

And with one last reassuring pat on his shoulder, she slid off the barstool and walked out of the restaurant.

Another long silence stretched over them as they listened to the clicking of Felicity’s heels fade away into the distance. It was a testament to the strength of her personality that they could all still feel her presence after she had walked away.

“I have to check on something in the kitchen,” Oliver murmured, before turning around and heading through the double doors next to the bar.

The minute he was gone, Tommy rounded on Thea. “And just what game are you playing here?” he demanded.

“Game?” she repeated innocently. “I’m not playing any game!”

“Bullshit,” John shot back, his gigantic arms crossed over his broad chest. “You’re up to something with this. I can tell. No way are you this excited for Felicity to move away to another city.”

Thea just smirked at the two of them before shrugging on her sweater. “Well, I guess you’ll have to wait and see, won’t you?” And with that she turned on her heel and disappeared, the same way Felicity left.

Tommy shook his head after the younger Queen disappeared. “This is some kind of joke, right? Like we’ll wake up tomorrow and realize that none of this is actually happening.”

John didn’t say anything in response. Instead, he dropped his arms and made long strides toward the kitchen, throwing open the swinging double doors to see Oliver standing in the middle of a spotless room of stainless steel cooking equipment, looking completely lost.

“She’s leaving,” he said. “Felicity’s leaving.”

He’d never seen his friend like this. Sure, Oliver had his moments of uncertainty, just like everyone else. But this...this was hopelessness. And John hated it.

“Oliver, man, now it’s more important than ever,” he said, his voice slightly urgent. “You have to tell her how you feel about her.”

The chef turned his head to stare blankly at his friend, like he could hardly register what John had just said. Like the thought was completely foreign to him in that moment.

“Listen to me,” he said, closing the distance between the two of them and clapping a hand on Oliver’s shoulder. “I know you were worried about making it weird between the two of you, but this is the last chance you have.”

It wasn’t even about the bet anymore. John knew Oliver, and he knew that if he just let her go without at least telling her, he’d regret it forever. And though he was convinced that Felicity didn’t feel anything for Oliver in return, John was also convinced that his friend had to take this chance.

“I...I don’t know if I can just put myself out there like that,” he whispered.

“What have you got to lose? If she doesn’t feel the same way, she’ll move to Coast City. If she does feel the same way, she might stay.”

“But this is her dream! I can’t be the one to keep her from that!”

John wasn’t convinced. “You can find a million excuses not to tell her how you really feel, but you only need one reason to bite the bullet and do it. And that reason is that you don’t want to live your life with any regrets. This might just be your biggest one.”

Oliver rubbed his calloused hands over his face. When they fell away, John noticed a tiny glint of something in his eyes. It looked a little like determination.

“I think you’re right,” he said quietly.

“I know I am,” John grinned. “Come on, man. I’ll pour you a scotch before I take you home.”

Oliver closed his eyes as John led him back to the bar. “Home. It’s only home when she’s there. Without her, it’s just an empty apartment.”

John nodded. “I suggest you lead with that.”

Two days later

It was in the middle of the dinner rush at Verdant, but Tommy was safely ensconced in the office on the second floor. He could hear the dull thrum of dining room chatter that had, in the few months they’d been open, become a soothing sound for him.

Never would he have guessed that he would consider this restaurant his second home.

As Tommy pored over the spreadsheets, he heard a knock on the door.

“Come in,” he called.

The doorknob turned and he saw Felicity walking in, looking absolutely exhausted.

“Hey,” she greeted with a tired smile. “Thea asked me to come over to update the restaurant’s system. Is that OK?”

Tommy looked bewildered at her rumpled state, but he got up from his seat anyway. “Yeah, of course. You’re the expert. Besides, it’ll probably be the last time we get some free IT support for a while, right?”

A shadow fell over her eyes and Tommy realized belatedly that it was probably the wrong thing to say.

“Thanks,” she said as she took the seat he vacated and turned to the computer.

As she worked, he plopped down on the couch across from the desk. Of all the furniture in the entire restaurant, it was by far the grungiest, but mostly because Oliver used it as a place to grab a quick nap in between prep time and meal services.

“So,” Tommy began after a few minutes. “You wanna tell me why you look like crap?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s hard to believe that you were once voted Starling City’s Most Charming.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying. You don’t look like your usual, put-together self. Instead you look like that morning after New Year’s when Thea dragged us all out to celebrate with Roy.”

Felicity let out a sigh. “It’s just...stress. From work and stuff.”

He clucked his tongue. “Would ‘stuff’ also be code for ‘Ollie?’”

She flinched at his name and Tommy knew he hit the nail on the head.

Absentmindedly, he picked at the loose threads of the throw pillows. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She didn’t say anything for a long time and for a moment, he thought that was his answer. But then finally she spoke.

“To be honest, I thought I’d talk about it with Oliver first, not you,” she murmured as she clicked around on the monitors in front of her. “But he’s been avoiding me ever since he found out about the promotion being in Coast City and now...now I don’t know what to do.”

He nodded. “Not to sound too...shrink-like, but how does that make you feel?”

To Tommy’s utter horror, tears started to pool in the corners of her eyes. She swiped them away before they got the chance to escape.

“He’s supposed to be my friend,” she whispered. “Even though I know he doesn’t feel the same way I do, I thought he’d at least be a little sad that I had to move away. But now he won’t talk to me, he won’t look at me. He looks for excuses not to be in the same space as me. It’s like I don’t exist anymore and it just...it hurts.”

Despite what some of Tommy’s ex flings might have said, he had a heart, and it was aching as he watched his friend cry over his best friend.

He got up from the couch and started rubbing circles over Felicity’s shoulders in what he hoped was a reassuring motion. “Hey, it’s going to be OK. You know that, right?”

She sniffed. “It doesn’t feel like it.”

He waited a little while for her tears to subside. Then he started again.

“You know what I think you should do before you leave?”

“What?”

“I think you should tell him how you feel. Tell him that you’re in love with him.”

She scoffed as she wiped her eyes again. “Are you kidding? That sounds like the worst idea in the world. If he’s ignoring me now, can you imagine how much worse it’ll be if I tell him?”

He wasn’t even thinking about the bet anymore. In that instant, all he cared about was helping his friend come into her own.

“Lis, you can’t leave Starling City without telling him,” Tommy insisted. “He deserves to know. And you deserve the chance to tell him how you feel. To get it off your chest. You have to let it go before you can move on.”

She sniffed again as she considered his words.

“How do you figure it’ll help me move on?”

“Because you’ll get closure. If he feels the same way as you do, then great. But if he doesn’t, then you’ll know you did everything you could. And you won’t be hanging onto what-ifs for the rest of your life.”

She looked up at him with something that looked like surprise lighting in her eyes. “When did you get so smart?”

He chuckled. “I’ve always been smart. People were just always underestimating me.”

That made her laugh a little, but the grin disappeared as quickly as it came.

“I’m scared,” she whispered. “I’m scared to tell him.”

He could totally see where she was coming from. If he were in her shoes, he’d be scared shitless and would be running in the other direction.

But Felicity was stronger than he was.

“I know. That’s only normal.”

She sighed and leaned back in the chair to stare up at the ceiling. “You’re right though. The worst that could happen is he doesn’t feel the same way, and I move to Coast City. What do I have to lose?”

“Nothing.”

She closed her eyes and inhaled. Then, in a move so fast it almost made him a little dizzy, she stood from the chair and straightened her back, like she was getting ready to go into battle.

“I’m going to do it.”

Tommy’s innards clenched in excitement. “Good!” he encouraged.

Then she grabbed his arm as she walked toward the door. “You’re coming with me.”

And just like that, Tommy’s smile immediately fell away.

Sure, he wanted Felicity to tell Ollie how she felt. But he didn’t want to be there to witness the heartbreak. “Wait, you’re going to tell him now? Here? While he’s working?”

“If I tell him here, then he can’t run away from me,” she said as she dragged him out of the office and down the stairs. “I’m not going to give him the opportunity to walk away from me this time. He’s going to hear what I have to say whether he likes it or not.”

Tommy grimaced. While her logic was sound, it still didn’t make him want to stick around to watch her inevitable humiliation.

It was still early in the service, so there weren’t many people in the dining room watching as Felicity dragged Tommy by the arm through the entire restaurant. But the few people who were there watched in surprise as the tiny blonde tramped through the serene room with a look of pure determination on her face.

“Felicity, please,” Tommy begged. “I really don’t think this is a good idea.”

She turned to glare at him. “It was your idea in the first place.”

“My idea was to tell him you love him, not hold him hostage with you feelings in his restaurant during the middle of dinner service!” he hissed.

She ignored him as she ventured on.

Once they reached the bar, Digg greeted them with a pair of raised eyebrows. “Hey, guys. Are you OK?”

“We’re fine, Digg. We just want to see Oliver. He in the kitchen?”

“Yeah,” he answered slowly. “We’re about to hit a dinner rush, though.”

“It won’t take long,” she said, and it made Tommy grimace.

She walked around the bar toward the swinging double doors and pushed her way through. But the minutes he was on the other side, she froze, forcing Tommy to bump into her from behind.

The kitchen looked like it always did in the middle of a dinner service. The kitchen staff swooped around the expansive room, tossing things in searing hot pans and tending to cooking meat on the grill. They yelled over the din of cooking sounds, demanding one thing or another or warning of something hot coming up right behind them.

But in the midst of all this chaos, Oliver stood in the center, bending over a prep table with a look of concentration on his face as he dressed the plates getting ready to go out to the dining room. If anyone had ever doubted he belonged in a kitchen, all they had to do was see him in one. It was his natural habitat as he handled delicate plates, squeezed tiny, controlled droplets of some sauce from a bottle.

His name denoted royalty, and that kitchen was his kingdom.

When Tommy realized that there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, he tapped Felicity lightly on her stiff shoulder.

“Felicity? You OK?” he asked her.

Oliver heard his voice, and he looked up from the plate he was dressing. Then he froze when he saw Tommy and Felicity in his kitchen.

“Hey,” he said in breathless surprise.

Tommy heard her swallow. “Hi,” she answered in a raspy voice.

In an instant, Oliver left his station and wiped his hands on the towel tied to his waist. “Uh, Felicity, I — ”

Her name must have shaken her out of her stupor, because she pulled herself together and steeled her spine as she looked up at her roommate. “I need to talk to you,” she said in a voice that left no room for compromise.

Oliver nodded. “Yeah, I need to talk to you too.”

And just like that, she was thrown off again.

“You...you do?” she said after a long pause.

“Yeah,” he murmured. “I have to tell you something important. But, um...I can’t do it here, OK? I was thinking we could talk about it when I get home?”

Felicity blinked a few times, and Tommy could tell she was torn between blurting it out right then and there or waiting until she got home to hear what he had to say.

“You’re really going to talk to me?” she said with a suspicious tone. “You’re not going to avoid me or ignore me or pretend like I don’t exist?”

He shook his head. “I promise.”

Tommy frowned at the intensity in his best friend’s eyes. There weren’t a lot of things outside of a kitchen that could make Ollie look like that, and it made him wonder just what exactly he wanted to say to Felicity.

She chewed on her lip as she considered his words. Then, she took a deep breath and nodded. “OK. We’ll talk when you get home.”

The tension seeped out of Tommy the minute she agreed. He wouldn’t have to watch her heart get broken after all. What a massive relief.

“Great,” Ollie smiled. “Then...well, I have to get back to work. But I should be home by midnight.”

“I’ll wait up for you,” she promised.

He reached forward and quickly grasped her hand with his. With one last grin in her direction, he turned around and went back to work. Tommy and Felicity watched for a few minutes as he re-immersed himself in his cooking, then walked back out through the swinging double doors.

“What do you think he wants to tell you?” Tommy asked the minute the kitchen doors swung closed behind them.

“I don’t know,” Felicity sighed, her brow furrowed a little in concern. “But it can’t be bad, right?”

With the nervous way Ollie had been smiling, Tommy was pretty sure it was supposed to be something good. But then again, his definition of good news was sometimes a little skewed.

“I hope so,” Tommy answered. “But whatever it is, good or bad, I think you’ll be OK.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I think you’re right. I guess I better go, though. If I’m going to tell him how I feel, I think it’ll be easier after I’ve had a couple of glasses of cabernet, first.”

“Hey, whatever you need to make it through. I believe in you, Smoak.”

She smiled at him, then leaned up to press a kiss against his cheek. “Thanks, Merlyn. I owe you one.”

He grinned back. “Any time.”

Once she left, Tommy took up the empty stool at the end of the bar, and Digg slid a tumbler of scotch in front of him. “And what was that?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Tommy answered as he smirked at his friend over the rim of his glass. “Just me winning the bet is all.”

Digg snorted. “Oh really?”

“Really.”

He just shook his head. “We’ll see about that.”

The next day

Thea Queen pulled into the underground parking structure of her brother’s apartment building, right next to Tommy’s Mercedes. They waved at each other before climbing out of their respective cars.

“You have any idea what this is about?” Tommy asked.

Felicity had texted Tommy, John and Thea at ten o’clock that morning, asking them to come to the apartment because she had a big announcement. Considering that everyone already knew about the promotion, her news must have been something different, and Thea had an inkling about what it might be.

But then again, she was never the kind of person to get ahead of herself.

“Nope,” she answered with a hint of a smile.

The two of them walked to the elevator together and rode it all the way to Ollie’s floor. But by when they got to the apartment, they saw Digg standing outside the door with a brow furrowed in confusion.

“Hey,” Tommy called to Digg as they approached. “What are you doing just standing out here?”

“I’ve been knocking on their door for ten minutes now, and they still haven’t answered,” he replied with a frown. “And I don’t hear any noises coming from inside. I don’t even know if they’re home.”

Thea pursed her lips in thought. “Huh. Well, there’s only one way to find out.”

She pulled her keys out of her purse and singled out the spare key Oliver had given her when he first moved in.

“I thought that was for emergencies only,” Tommy reminded her.

“This is an emergency,” Thea answered. “They could be in serious trouble. We have to make sure neither one of them are hurt.”

She unlocked the door and the three of them walked into the apartment. Thea heard a rustling noise coming from the kitchen, so she slowly made her way toward the room.

The sight that greeted her, though unsurprising, was something she wished she’d never had to see. Ever.

Felicity was perched on the edge of the island counter, while Oliver was pressed up against her, standing between her legs. His hands were splayed across her bottom and his mouth was on hers, like he was practically glued there.

“Oh my God,” Tommy gasped.

At the sound of someone else in the apartment, the two of them sprang apart.

“Well I guess neither of them are hurt,” Thea said in slight amusement.

Felicity blushed as she hopped down from the counter and Oliver looked down sheepishly as he straightened his rumpled shirt.

Tommy and Digg, on the other hand, were frozen in complete shock.

“So, uh...wanna explain what’s going on here?” Thea asked.

Oliver and Felicity exchanged loaded glances. Then she reached forward and took his hand in hers, their fingers laced together.

Thea couldn’t help but smirk at the sight.

“I’m staying here in Starling City after all,” Felicity announced. “When I told Moira that I didn’t want to move to Coast City, she told me that there was an opening for a projects manager position for the team in Starling and she offered it to me.”

“Is that all you wanted to tell us?” Thea asked with raised eyebrows.

Felicity coughed. “No,” she blushed, and Oliver chuckled.

“We’ve also...we’ve also decided to start a relationship,” he added.

Tommy and Digg were still both speechless, but Thea — who saw the whole thing coming from a mile away — stepped forward to give her big brother a hug.

“That’s really great news,” she beamed at him. When she released him, she turned to Felicity for another hug. “I’m so happy for the two of you.”

“Thanks, Thea,” Felicity grinned back. “We were a little nervous about telling you guys, but I’m glad you approve.”

Oliver, however, was still anxiously watching Tommy and Digg’s shocked reactions. “Guys, I know this is kind of big and we sort of sprung this on you, but I promise, this is a good thing. We’re both really happy.”

Digg finally shook off his surprise and gave him a shaky smile. “Uh, yeah. Good for you, man. If you’re happy then we’re happy. This is really fantastic news.”

He nudged Tommy in the side with his elbow and the other man nodded dumbly.

“Great,” Felicity grinned. “So then let’s go out to lunch celebrate? It’s on me.”

The three of them agreed and with that, Oliver and Felicity went back to their rooms to change and get ready to go out. Once they were alone, Thea turned a smirk to both of her friends.

“I do believe this means I won the bet,” she crowed.

Tommy narrowed his eyes. “You had this whole thing planned, didn’t you? You and Moira. That Coast City job was a ruse the whole time.”

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” Thea sniffed.

Digg scoffed. “You haven’t won yet.”

“Yes I have!” she protested. “They’re together! They’re in a relationship! That means I won and now you both owe me two hundred dollars!”

“No,” Digg shot back. “Your bet was that they’d both realize they had feelings for each other — ”

“Exactly! So I won!”

Digg continued like he hadn’t been interrupted. “And that they would live happily ever after! If they break up, then you still lose!”

Thea narrowed her eyes. “You dirty cheat.”

“Takes one to know one.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Digg. “Fine. But the minute they get engaged, I win.”

“Assuming they even make it that far,” Digg smirked.

Thea rolled her eyes. If they wanted to play the long game, then that was fine. She could wait as long as they wanted, because she knew her brother better than anyone. And she knew for a fact that he was in love with Felicity Smoak, and that would never, ever change.

Three years later

All of Starling City’s elite was gathered in the dining room at Verdant. All but one.

Thea Queen was holed up in the office on the second floor, furiously scribbling on the sheets of paper in front of her.

In fact, she was so focused that she didn’t even look up when the door to the office opened.

“Babe?” Roy called from the doorway. “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to finish this,” she muttered, her tongue caught between her teeth. “Don’t worry, I’ll be down there in a second.”

Roy stepped forward from the doorway and walked behind the desk to press a kiss on the top of his girlfriend’s head. “You’re not worried, are you? You’re going to be great.”

She frowned as she crossed out a huge line of text. “It’s not just enough to be great, Roy. I want this to be perfect.”

“I’m sure it will be,” he said soothingly. “Don’t beat yourself up over this.”

She sighed before finally looking up from her paper. “Look, I’m almost done, OK? Just go back down there. I’ll be right behind you.”

He chuckled and pecked her on the lips. “Whatever you say, babe.” And with that he left her alone to finish her speech.

Once she was alone, Thea looked back down on what she had already written. She ran a frustrated hand through her brown hair as she read and reread every line. Was it big enough? Was it important enough? Did it convey exactly what she wanted to convey?

She closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. She knew that this event wasn’t for her: it was for her brother and Felicity. But she wanted to make sure that her speech was the perfect balance of funny and sentimental. She wanted to make sure that it was worthy for both of them, two of the people she loved most in the world.

They deserved that much.

Twenty minutes later, she folded up the sheafs of paper and tucked it into the pocket of her lacy green cocktail dress. Then she descended the stairs to join the festivities.

The decorations were grander than any other event Verdant had ever put on. The ceiling was swathed in large bolts of silver and royal blue fabric. The centerpieces at every table were huge towers of white roses on deep blue tablecloths. And the candles that lined the space added to the intimacy of the lighting, making the whole place glow with warmth.

Moira walked up to her daughter once she spotted her and tucked her arm in hers. “Darling, have you seen your brother?” she asked.

Thea shook her head. “He’s probably in the kitchen yelling at the catering staff,” she joked.

Moira chuckled. “Very well. I’ll just have one of the serving staff drag him away.”

Just as the Queen matriarch said that, the double doors that led to the kitchen swung open and Oliver stumbled through, followed closely by a scowling Felicity.

“I was just trying to — ” he started, but she cut him off.

“I don’t care what you were trying to do,” she said firmly. “You’re supposed to be the celebrant tonight, not the caterer. Let them do their jobs.”

“But — ”

“Oliver, if I have to drag you out of that kitchen one more time, you will be sleeping on the couch for the rest of the week.”

He muttered something under his breath as he glared at her mutinously, but Felicity returned his look with the sternest look she could muster. Then, he rolled his eyes and took her hand, and together they ventured into the crowd.

Moira turned to her daughter with an amused grin. “I should have known Felicity would take care of it.”

Thea laughed at that.

The cocktail hour went by without further incident, and soon all the guests were seated at their tables for the dinner. Thea sat at the center table with her parents Roy and Ollie and Felicity. They all made pleasant conversation, and much to everyone’s surprise, Oliver didn’t have a single bad thing to say about the food.

Once the entrees were cleared out and the waiting staff was refilling everyone’s water, Thea took that as her cue.

With a deep breath, she stood from her seat and made her way to the front of the room on the small dais where the jazz band was seated. The conductor handed her the microphone and she pulled out the sheets of paper from her pocket.

“Good evening, everyone,” she greeted. “I want to thank you all for coming tonight, to help us celebrate my brother’s engagement to his lovely fiancee, Felicity Smoak.”

Everyone turned to clap politely in the couple’s direction. Oliver grinned at Felicity and the two of them leaned forward for a soft kiss.

“As you all know, I am Thea Queen, and I have known Ollie my entire life. He has been my protector, my mentor and one of my best friends, and I couldn’t have asked for a better brother in the world.”

The room made the appropriate aww-ing noises and Oliver sent a soft smile at his sister.

“I’ve always been Ollie’s biggest fan, and because of this, I never really thought that there was anyone worthy of him. While the rest of the world believed he was nothing but an irresponsible playboy, I knew better. I knew that he was kind and generous, and he would do anything for the people he loved. I also knew that it would take a special woman to deserve that kind of dedication, and I was almost halfway convinced that she didn’t exist.

“That is, until I met Felicity Smoak.”

Felicity blushed and ducked her head as Oliver chuckled.

“When I first met Felicity, she was nothing like I expected. She was just some blonde nerd who agreed to be my brother’s roommate. But in their first six months of living together, she fought him over boxes of instant mac ‘n’ cheese and she yelled at him for tossing his wet towels all over the bathroom. In fact, Tommy, John and I even had a bet going to see how long it would take for her to get fed up with my brother and move out.”

Everyone chuckled.

“But the more I got to know Felicity, the more I realized that she was tougher than anyone I’d ever met before. And that was when I realized that she might actually be the one to deserve him.

“I came to this realization one night, here at Verdant, before it even was Verdant. John, Tommy and I were all stressed out about all the millions of decisions we had to make and Ollie even more so. He’d been snapping at everyone for weeks, but the minute Felicity came in, calmed him down. He was at peace in her presence, and that was when I knew that they were in love.”

Thea saw tears well up in Felicity’s eyes and she reached up to quickly wipe them away. Oliver smiled down at her with the most tender expression and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“My brother is one of the best people I know, but knowing Felicity made him even better. And now they’re going to spend the rest of their lives together.”

She folded up her speech and stuck it back in her pocket. Then she raised her glass of champagne.

“So please, join me in raising a glass to Oliver and Felicity. May you two live happily ever after.”

She emphasized the last three words of her toast and everyone else repeated it.

She glanced at Tommy and Digg out of the corner of her eye to see them both scowling at her, but she hid her smirk by lifting the flute to her lips.

Everyone applauded politely after the toast and she walked back to her table to give the happy couple a hug.

“Thank you, Speedy,” Ollie whispered in her ear.

“You’re the best sister-in-law a girl could ever ask for,” Felicity murmured.

She grinned back at them and pressed a kiss on both their cheeks before walking over to Tommy and Digg’s table.

“So,” she said imperiously, her hand out. “Fork it over, losers.”

They exchanged mutinous glances, but then reached into their pockets for their wallets.

“Face it, Thea, you just got lucky,” Tommy muttered under his breath.

She smirked. “Haven’t you learned by now, Tommy? I’m always right.”

@blackcanarydinah @puddintan3 @redpenbluebox @almondblossomme @spaztronautwriter @miriam1779 @sweetme86

[jamaninja]

Olicity fanfic: Fifty bucks says, Chapter 1

Word count: 8,924 Rating: Teen Chapters: 1/3 Summary: When Oliver Queen lets Felicity Smoak move in as his platonic roommate, Tommy, Thea and Digg don't believe for a second it'll last. So of course they're going to try and make money off of it.

Author’s note: Hi all! So I started this a few months ago because I needed something light and happy to distract me from all the angst of OTE. And this is the result. I hope you enjoy it!

I'm also dedicating this as a gift to @geniewithwifi who is not only an amazing writer but also just a terrific person overall. Plus her birthday's coming up later this month, so it's like an early birthday gift. ;)

Read on: AO3 | ff.net

Chapter 1

Thea Queen knew her brother better than anyone in the world.

OK, sure, there was Tommy. Tommy Merlyn was like Oliver’s brother from another mother (something they both made note of frequently, especially when they were plastered). Sure, they’d been inseparable since close to birth.

And, all right, there was also Digg. Though he was older and had met Oliver much later than Tommy, he had quickly become the equivalent of an older brother/mentor to both Queen siblings.

So yeah. Tommy and Digg had maybe a believable claim to knowing Oliver well.

But they still didn’t know him nearly as well as Thea did. She grew up with him. She followed him around like the adoring younger sister she’d always been. And while she followed, she watched him.

She’d been there with him through all the women, through all the various tabloid scandals, through getting his shit together at culinary school and the subsequent world travel to expand his horizons and learn more about his “art.” She’d been there through all of it.

Thea could guess what her brother was thinking or feeling just by a cursory glance at his expression. She could also accurately predict how he would react in any given situation.

Oliver Queen very rarely surprised her anymore.

Which was precisely why her first reaction was to roll her eyes when a cute blonde girl with glasses and a pink dress answered his apartment door one fine Saturday afternoon when she had come calling.

“Oh,” the blonde said in surprise, but she quickly recovered herself. “Hi! You must be Thea Queen.”

Well at least she was already smarter than the last one.

“Yeah,” Thea answered, eyeing the woman with distaste. “I’m here to see my brother.”

She didn’t even bother to ask for the blonde’s name. Not like she was going to be sticking around for very long anyway.

“Right,” the blonde nodded. “Because you’re his sister and all. You two share chromosomes. Some quality chromosomes, apparently. Some grade A genetics, the two of you have. I mean, the both of you are stunners. He’s like a Greek god and you’re like a supermodel.”

Then she froze, like she had just realized the words that had escaped her mouth.

“I’m not hitting on you,” she blurted out.

Thea just raised a single eyebrow in response.

Blondie blushed and stepped away from the door. “I’ll go get him for you.” And with that, she scampered away.

Thea stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind her, watching with narrowed eyes as Blondie traipsed around the apartment. Though she hardly batted a lash when her brother brought home some anonymous girl, his choice did give her a little pause. She was on the shorter side, which was a change for him. And she was blonde. It was widely known around Starling City that Oliver Queen had a preference for brunettes.

Seconds later, the man himself emerged from the hallway and smiled when he spotted his sister. “Heya, Speedy,” he greeted her, leaning down to peck her on the cheek. “John and Tommy here yet?”

She shook her head. “Nah, but they said they’re on their way.”

Thea was just about to ask her brother why Blondie was still there, considering it was already two in the afternoon and his “dates” usually cleared out after breakfast, but a knock at the door signalled the arrival of the two men Oliver had asked about. He opened the door and greeted them both with a smile and a shout.

“Not so loud,” Tommy protested. Thea glanced over and saw he looked a little more rumpled than usual, and there were definitely bags under his eyes.

Oliver smirked. “And how late were you out last night?”

“Sun high. Birds singing.”

Digg rolled his eyes. He held out a bag of Chinese takeout from the one place in town that Oliver actually deigned to order from and Tommy immediately made a grab for it. “Let’s get some food into his hungover ass, and we can finally get started.”

The four of them walked to the table in the dining room to eat. But just as they were about to dig in, the unnamed blonde emerged from the hallway, her purse over her shoulder. Thea couldn’t help the wave of relief she felt that Blondie was finally leaving.

“Hey, I’m going to run some errands,” she told Oliver. “Do you need anything from the store while I’m out?”

Thea groaned inwardly. Jesus Christ, she was coming back? Could the woman not take a hint?

Oliver pursed his lips for a second. “I think we ran out of tissues.”

She nodded. “I’ll bring some back.”

“Oh, hey, I don’t think I’ve introduced you to my friends here.” Oliver gestured to the table. “This is John Diggle and Tommy Merlyn. And you already met my sister, Thea. These are my business partners.”

The blonde brightened. “Oh, right! For your restaurant. It’s nice to meet you guys. I’m Felicity Smoak.”

Digg eyed her speculatively. “Yeah. Nice meeting you, too.”

“OK, well I better get going. I’ll see you around.” And with one last wave, she brushed out of the apartment, closing the door behind her.

The minute she was gone, everyone at the table rounded on Oliver with raised eyebrows.

“Felicity Smoak?” Digg asked lightly, a hint of amusement. “When did this start happening?”

Oliver frowned at his friend as he chewed on his food. Then the confusion cleared away when he understood what Digg was implying. “Oh, no! Felicity’s not — we’re not sleeping together. She’s just my roommate.”

That made Thea do a doubletake.

“Your roommate?” she demanded incredulously.

“Yeah. She moved in yesterday.”

“Since when do you have a roommate?”

“Since when do you need a roommate?” Tommy added.

Oliver sighed. “You guys, we’re starting a business together, and I promised myself I would do it on my own, with no help from Mom and Dad. That’s going to require a lot of money, and it’s going to require me to start saving. I thought I would start by getting a roommate.”

Thea blinked in surprise. Huh.

It had been a while, but her brother finally managed to surprise her.

“So how did you find her?” Tommy asked.

“I put an ad out on Craigslist, and of all the replies I got hers was the one that least resembled a serial killer,” Oliver shrugged as he continued to dig into his food.

“High bar,” Digg deadpanned.

Oliver rolled his eyes in response. “I met her for coffee before I showed her the place. We talked about living habits and she genuinely seems like the kind of person who would be OK to live with. She’s not going to cramp my style and I’m not going to cramp hers. And she’s good for the rent. Besides, it’s not like I’m planning on hanging out with her a lot. Once we get the restaurant up and running, I’m going to be super busy and she has a regular nine to five. I doubt I’ll be seeing her at all.”

Thea crossed her arms and glared at her brother. He was being awfully cavalier about his life and his safety, considering that he barely knew this woman and he also happened to be the son of the richest man on the West Coast. “Did you even run a background check on her?”

He rolled his eyes. “Of course I did, Speedy. I’m not an idiot.”

She wasn’t so sure about that.

“And?”

“She had one speeding ticket from college. Other than that, she’s clean.”

“Which is more than Ollie can say,” Tommy snickered.

“You’re one to talk,” Oliver shot back.

Digg shook his head. “So you’re living with this woman? A woman who’s practically a stranger? A woman you don’t want to sleep with?”

“I don’t want to sleep with her,” Oliver insisted. “She’s a roommate. Just a roommate. Someone who sleeps down the hall and someone I only have to be mildly polite to. This isn’t a big deal.”

Everyone was quiet as they let that information sink in.

“So,” Tommy began slowly. “If you’re not going to sleep with her...you won’t mind if I tried, right?”

Thea rolled her eyes. “Why don’t we just finish eating so we can get started?”

A couple of hours later, the four of them were still arguing over potential properties when Felicity came back. She was saddled with a dozen canvas grocery bags, slung all over her slender arms.

“Hi, guys!” she said breathlessly as she dragged her haul toward the kitchen. Digg immediately stood to help her and she smiled gratefully at him. “Thank you, Mr. Diggle.”

He smiled back at her. “Please. Call me Digg.”

She started unloading all her groceries while Oliver stood from the table to grab a drink from the fridge. Just as he was turning around, he froze in his tracks.

“Felicity, what’s this?” he asked, pointing to something on the counter.

Thea watched as the blonde glanced over her shoulder. “It’s mac ‘n’ cheese,” she answered in a tone that questioned his mental capabilities.

For some reason, that made Thea smile.

“You bought this blue box crap?” he demanded. “You know how many over processed ingredients are in this? It’s not even real cheese.”

Feeling the need to defend his roommate from an oncoming diatribe, Thea piped up. “Don’t pay attention to him, Felicity. My brother’s just a food snob.”

“I’m not a food snob,” Oliver protested. “I’m just very particular about what I put in my body.”

“I’ve noticed,” Felicity muttered. Then, much to Thea’s amusement, the blonde’s face turned bright red. “I said not noticed, right?”

“I like her already,” Tommy said admiringly, and Thea couldn’t help but feel a little bit the same way.

“Look, if you don’t want to eat it, then don’t,” Felicity said, trying to power through her embarrassment. “No one’s putting a gun to your head.”

“That’s not the point,” Oliver protested. “I am a chef. I am a food artist. The mere presence of this shit in my apartment is offensive to me.”

“Our apartment,” she corrected. “It’s our apartment now, mister. I’m paying rent and everything.”

“Throw it out.”

“No.”

“You’re going to die of a heart attack at fifty.”

“If you’re going to keep nagging at me like this, then I welcome the reprieve.”

Digg returned to the table with three beers. Knocking the top off his, he sat back in his seat and watched with Tommy and Thea as the two roommates continued to bicker over the mac ‘n’ cheese.

“Looks like Queen bit off more than he could chew,” he murmured before taking a sip of his beer.

“Twenty bucks says she moves out within the first month,” Tommy said as he uncapped the two other beers and handed one to Thea.

“Thirty says she lasts at least three,” Digg countered.

Thea pursed her lips as she watched her brother argue with Felicity. Sure, his expression was one of irritation and frustration but there wasn’t any real heat in it. And Felicity, for as pointed as her words were, had a relatively calm face. She stood her ground. She didn’t let Ollie’s forceful personality bowl her over.

That was a good sign.

“Fifty says she’ll call it quits after six months,” Thea said.

Digg and Tommy both chuckled.

“You’re on,” Digg said.

The three of them clinked their bottles together.

One month

Tommy Merlyn could probably count on one hand the number of times this year that he has willingly been awake before ten a.m. on a Saturday. But this was so important that he couldn’t help it.

He had just managed to secure the property they wanted for their new restaurant at ten thousand dollars less than the asking price, and he wasn’t about to wait for a decent hour to tell his best friend.

Tommy started pounding away the minute he reached Ollie’s door. His excitement was too much to be contained to a single, polite knock.

The door flew open a few moments later to reveal a very annoyed-looking Felicity in Captain America pajamas and a thin white tank top.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” she demanded.

He grinned at his best friend’s very cute roommate. “Yes, I am aware, but I come bearing breakfast and good news.”

She glared at him before stepping aside and let him in. The minute he crossed the threshold, Felicity made a beeline for the coffeemaker.

“You are really grumpy in the mornings,” Tommy commented, his smile still wide on his face.

“I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night,” she grumbled.

“Why not?”

She snorted. “I believe last night her name was Helena. Or that’s the name he kept shouting over and over again.”

Tommy chuckled in sympathy. Having been Ollie’s wingman and sometimes lookout on multiple occasions, he had an unfortunate firsthand knowledge of just how loud his best friend could be in bed.

“Was she hot, at least?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, I was asleep when he came home. Not for long though.”

He raised his eyebrows suggestively. “Well you know, if you ever wanted to get revenge on him, I would be a more-than-willing participant.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m far too sleep-deprived and under-caffeinated to deal with you right now.”

He laughed, then reached into the bag of fast food breakfast he brought with him. “Here,” he said, handing her one of the bagel sandwiches. “To make up for my unexpected presence so early on the Sabbath.”

Her tired eyes lit up and she immediately snatched it from his outstretched hands.

“Big Belly breakfast,” she sighed happily as she unwrapped the sandwich. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.”

That made Tommy laugh again. “Ollie still being a food dictator?”

“Yes,” she said savagely as she bit into the bagel. She sighed as she chewed, her eyes closed like she was in heaven. “And OK, so I’m a little grateful or whatever because I’ve lost five pounds since he started pestering me about what I eat, but sometimes a girl just needs a big, fat slice of chocolate cake once in a while, you know what I mean?”

“You said it, sister,” he nodded solemnly.

Felicity ate some more of her bagel sandwich and Tommy watched in amusement as she savored each bite.

“So,” she said around a mouthful of food, “what’s the big, important news that couldn’t wait for me to change out of my pajamas?”

“Well, Lissy, you know that I am always more than happy to help you out of your pajamas — ” Felicity tossed a crumpled napkin at  his head that he dodged last minute, “ — but it’s about the restaurant, and Ollie should really be the first one to hear the news.”

Felicity eyed him thoughtfully as she continued chewing. “You know, I’m not a natural blonde. I dye it, actually.”

Tommy frowned in confusion. “OK…” he trailed off. “And you felt the need to tell me that because...?”

“Because now you know a secret about me,” she said with an adorable grin. “Which means you can now tell me your secret.”

That elicited a genuine laugh from him.

“It’s not much of a secret if I’m going to tell everyone eventually,” he pointed out with a smile.

She shrugged. “Oliver was going to find out about my hair color anyway. It’s been a month now, and I’m due for a touch up, which reminds me! I have to pick up a box at the beauty store later today.”

Tommy pursed his lips when she mentioned how long she’d been living with his best friend. “A month, huh?”

Well, damn.

“Yeah,” she said through another mouthful of her bagel sandwich. “Why?”

“Nothing,” he sighed.

It was just as well that he lost the bet — he liked having Felicity around, and he found that he didn’t really want her to move out. Plus she kept Ollie on his toes, which was something his best friend desperately needed.

He kinda hoped that they would all be wrong, and not just for the simple fact that he wouldn’t have to pay up at all.

“So, are you going to tell me or what, Merlyn?” she poked him in the side.

Tommy twitched involuntarily, which was his reaction any time anyone got too close to his ticklish spot. Unfortunately he saw a mischievous glint flicker in her eyes, and he was suddenly filled with dread.

“Felicity Smoak, don’t you dare,” he said in the sternest voice he could muster.

It did nothing to stall her. She set aside her breakfast and went on the attack, tickling him along his sides. Tommy made a thoroughly undignified sound as he leapt away from her, but she only closed in, which backed him into the corner of the kitchen.

“Felicity!” he gasped through his giggles. “Stop! Sto-oop!”

“Not until you tell me!” she laughed.

He was seconds away from succumbing to her torture when the sound of a clearing throat interrupted them. Felicity whirled around and they both noticed Oliver standing in the kitchen, his sweatpants hanging low on his hips and his arms crossed over his shirtless torso. And just one look at his expression told Tommy that he wasn’t particularly thrilled with his best friend’s presence at the moment.

“Good morning,” he said, though his frown made it feel a little like the opposite. For some weird reason, Tommy felt a little guilty, though he didn’t really have anything to feel guilty about.

“Morning,” Felicity answered with a smile, seemingly oblivious to her roommate’s stormy mood. “Would you like some coffee?”

Oliver didn’t answer, but she moved toward the coffeemaker anyway.

While she busied herself with the mugs, Tommy cleared his throat. “Uh, hey, buddy,” he smiled. “I came over because I had good news about the restaurant!”

Oliver raised an eyebrow, the darkness in his expression clearing a little. “Oh? And what might that be?”

Tommy’s excitement returned in full force and he was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet again. “We are the official owners of the old steel factory in The Glades! And, I even managed to knock off an additional ten K off the asking price, so we snatched that baby up for a bargain!”

Oliver’s frown completely dissolved into a brilliant grin and Tommy felt relieved.

“That’s great news!” he exclaimed, coming forward to give his best friend a hug, which Tommy returned.

“Yeah, that’s awesome,” Felicity beamed proudly as she handed him a cup of coffee. “Well done!”

“Thanks!” Tommy replied.

Oliver took his mug from Felicity, his face still lit up by his happiness. “This is so amazing. I can’t believe it.”

“You know, we should do something to celebrate,” Felicity piped up. “What do you say to all of us going down to Table Salt for dinner tonight? All of us: you two, me, Digg and Thea. We can order a little bit of everything off the menu and you and Digg can see if there’s anything you want to steal for your restaurant.”

“That’s a great idea,” Tommy said enthusiastically. “I’ll text Digg and Thea right now!”

Oliver opened his mouth like he was about to add something, but he was interrupted by a woman sticking her head around the corner.

“Oliver?” she called.

Tommy’s eyebrows shot up his forehead as he exchanged a glance with Felicity. The other woman just shrugged as she ate another bite of her bagel.

“In here,” Oliver waved. “You want some coffee?”

Felicity sighed, but turned around to pour another cup anyway. Tommy couldn’t help but smile — she was a good morning-after friend.

The woman emerged from the room then, dressed in what Tommy could only assume had been her outfit from the night before. Her hair was a rat’s nest and her makeup had clearly taken a severe beating, but he could see why Ollie had taken her home. He’d always had a thing for statuesque brunettes.

“Thanks,” she said with a coy smile. But she stopped short when she spotted Tommy and Felicity standing next to him.

“Who are you?” she demanded flatly, her gaze trained on Felicity.

Completely unfazed, the blonde stepped forward with the coffee. “Hi, I’m Felicity. I’m Oliver’s roommate. Nice to meet you. Helena, right?”

Oliver’s head whipped around to stare at her in surprise. “How did you — ?”

“You might want to consider soundproofing your room before the next time,” she said sardonically.

Helena turned beet red, but it did nothing to wipe that angry expression off her face. “I wasn’t aware that Oliver had a roommate.”

Felicity shrugged. “And I wasn’t aware that Oliver had a kink for women calling him ‘Daddy’ in bed, but I guess we’re all learning new things this morning.”

Tommy snorted into his coffee while Oliver was suddenly overcome with a coughing fit.

“You realize you said that out loud, right?” Tommy told Felicity. If he had learned anything in the few weeks since she had moved in, it was that she had a penchant for letting errant thoughts escape the confines of her brain.

She just shrugged again. “Too early for my filter to be working at maximum capacity. And considering my filter is already faulty to begin with, things were bound to slip.”

But Tommy caught the smirk she hid by lifting her mug to her lips. She totally did that on purpose.

Damn, he thought admiringly. Ice cold.

Helena, who had not taken her piercing glare off Felicity for even a second, set aside her undrunk coffee. “Well then,” she said coolly. “I think I’m going to head out now.” And with that, she sauntered over to Oliver and pressed herself against his body before planting what Tommy was sure was supposed to be a sultry kiss to his lips. In all reality, it looked more like she was trying to suck his soul out through his mouth.

“Call me later?” she purred.

Oliver shrugged uncomfortably. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Call you later.”

With one last smirk sent in his direction, she walked out of the apartment.

The minute she was gone, it was like the air flow had been restored, and the three of them were breathing easily again.

“Do you really plan on calling her again?” Felicity asked. “Because if so, I’m going to need advanced warning. Buy some earplugs. Maybe book a hotel room so I can actually get some sleep.”

Oliver sighed. “No, I’m definitely not calling her again. And by the way, the whole ‘Daddy’ thing wasn’t me. That was all her. That’s her kink, not mine.”

“Hey, no need to be ashamed of your kinks, Oliver,” she said breezily. “We all have them.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? And what are yours?”

She smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“I would,” Tommy piped up.

Oliver looked abruptly annoyed.

Felicity polished off the last of her bagel and chugged the rest of her coffee. “Sorry, Tommy,” she winked. “I guess you’ll have to wait until next time to find out. In the meantime, since I am officially awake, this means I have to go run errands. Now that we’re going to a fancy restaurant for dinner tonight, I should go pick up my dry cleaning.”

“Don’t forget about your hair dye,” Tommy called after her as she walked out of the kitchen toward her bedroom.

“Thank you!” she called back over her shoulder.

When the two men were alone in the kitchen, Oliver turned toward his best friend with a frown. “So...are you interested in Felicity or something?” he asked in feigned nonchalance as he sipped his coffee.

Tommy’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “Why?” he asked a little suspiciously.

“No reason,” he hedged. “I’m just...curious is all.”

Tommy’s lips twitched. “OK...well I’m not actively trying to get her in my bed.”

His best friend’s expression cleared, and he nodded like that settled everything.

Then, because he was Tommy and he just had to feed Ollie a little bit of shit, he added, “But that’s not to say if she chose to climb into my bed that I’d kick her out of it.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Somehow I don’t see that happening.”

Tommy shrugged. “You never know. She wouldn’t be the first victim that fell prey to my rakish charm.”

Oliver clapped his friend on the shoulder and fixed him with a mock serious look. “Tommy, no offense — you’re my best friend and you’re like a brother to me, but I’ve seen your game up close and personal for years, and I just gotta say that it’s kinda lacking. In a lot of ways. A lot of ways.”

He just shook his head and laughed. “Whatever you say, ‘Daddy.’”

Three months

In high school, John Diggle was voted as Most Dependable.

He took a lot of pride in that title. No matter what job he ever took on, he was the first to show up and the last to leave. He went the extra mile when no one else did. When he was in the Army, his CO knew that if he needed a job done and done right, he could always go to Sergeant Diggle and trust that it would get taken care of.

Sure, there were times when he got annoyed with his own dependableness. Being as responsible as he was in the middle of opening a restaurant with his best friends meant he ended up getting saddled with a lot of bullshit tasks, like picking up linens for the dining room and rushing to the site last minute to sign for the fancy stove Oliver had shipped in from Canada.

But every so often, his sense of responsibility was rewarded in truly awesome ways. Like when, for example, Oliver decided to take an entire day to try out recipes and ideas for the restaurant and invited John to taste all of said recipes because he was “the only person on the team who could give a solid, informed evaluation.”

Free food? Guaranteed to be delicious? His mom always told him that only a fool turned down a free meal, and his mom sure didn’t raise a fool.

He showed up to Oliver’s apartment that Saturday morning armed with nothing but an empty stomach. But the minute he approached the door, the muffled sounds of raised voices made him raise his eyebrows.

A little wary, he knocked on the door, and when no one answered within the half a minute, he knocked on it again. Finally, after almost three minutes of waiting and listening to the faint argument, he tried opening the door anyway, and found out that it wasn’t even locked.

The minute he walked through the door, the fight became a lot clearer.

“Get that plate away from me,” Felicity said firmly. She was seated at the kitchen island, her laptop in front of her while she pushed Oliver away who was waving a stack of pancakes in front of her face.

“Please?” he begged. “Come on, Felicity! I need an opinion!”

“If you make me eat one more pancake, Oliver, I swear to God I will throw your whisk out the window and I won’t even feel bad about it.”

“This one’s a completely different flavor.”

“I don’t care.”

“I need an opinion!”

“Then wait for Digg to get here!”

The man cleared his throat at the sound of his name and the two of them whipped their heads around to see him standing in the dining room.

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” John said with a slight smile on his face.

“Ha, see!” Felicity gestured triumphantly. “There, your official taste tester is here. Go force a hundred dozen pancakes down his throat and leave me alone.”

He chuckled as he shrugged off his jacket and stepped toward the island counter. “I am more than ready to eat a hundred dozen pancakes,” John said as he rubbed his hands in anticipation.

Oliver, though, still seemed a little ticked at his roommate because he set the plate down in front of John but shot Felicity an irritated glance. “If you didn’t want to help with the tasting and evaluating then why are you even out here working? You could be doing all that computer stuff in your room, you know.”

She rolled her eyes. “You were the one who dragged me out of my bedroom and begged me to try your pancakes,” she shot back, her fingers flying over her keyboard. “Which was fine for the first few plates, but I wasn’t aware that you were turning this apartment into a some cursed IHOP in which all of the inhabitants would be doomed to eat six billion shortstacks every day for the rest of their lives.”

John chuckled again as he cut into the stack in front of him and watched the two of them bicker. Ever since he met Oliver’s roommate, he couldn’t help but like her. She was smart, quick-witted and funny as hell. Plus, she wasn’t afraid to tell Oliver where to stick it, which automatically made her a winner in his book.

“So?” Oliver asked, turning to John as he wiped his hands on the towel tied to his waist. “What do you think?”

“These are great,” he answered, gesturing to the spiced apple pancakes in front of him. “These are for Sunday brunch, right?”

“Yeah. I was thinking we could change up the flavors of the pancakes with the seasons. These would obviously be for the fall.”

John nodded as he took another bite. “Good thinking. I could probably come up with a really great maple bourbon cocktail to go with these.”

The tasting and evaluating continued, and Felicity hadn’t been exaggerating — Oliver really had made a ton of pancakes.

John discussed the pros and cons of each flavor with his business partner, talking about what cocktails he would pair with each and how they would be received by the Starling City diner crowd. About an hour into it, Oliver set down a new stack.

“All right, the last ones I wanted to try,” he said. “Tell me what you think.”

John took a bit and chewed thoughtfully. They were very clearly chocolate chip and peanut butter pancakes, and it tasted like biting into a soft Reese’s cup.

Basically, it was the best pancake he’d ever tasted.

“Holy shit,” John murmured. “If these aren’t on the menu, I will pull my support from the whole project and take my business elsewhere.”

That made Oliver laugh as he took his own fork and speared off a bite. “You think? It’s not too rich? Too thick?”

John shook his head. “Just the right amount of rich and thick. A bitter cocktail would offset it nicely, maybe coffee? Kahlua, I think.”

Oliver continued chewing thoughtfully. Then he cut off another bite and waved the fork in front of Felicity’s face.

“Come on,” he begged. “One bite. The last pancake I’ll make you eat. Please?”

Felicity shot him a long-suffering look, but eventually acquiesced and opened her mouth. He dipped his fork into it and she took the bite with the air of a haggard, henpecked housewife.

Which, now that John thought about it, she probably was.

“So?” Oliver asked as she chewed. “What do you think?”

She nodded absently, her eyes once again on her laptop. “Great. Wonderful. Amazing. The best pancake I’ve ever tasted.”

His face fell. “Is that it?”

“Oliver, what do you want from me? It’s a freaking pancake! Just like the five plates you made me eat this morning were all pancakes! After a while, they all just sort of blend together.”

He sighed and started grumbling under his breath as he took away the dirty plates.

John glanced over at her computer. “What are you working on anyway?”

“Don’t ask,” Oliver called over his shoulder as he stood at the sink and rinsed off the plates. “Once you get her started, she’ll never shut up.”

John fully expected Felicity to shoot something snarky right back at him, but much to his surprise, her eyes only went round and her breaths started getting shallower and shallower.

“Felicity?” he asked in concern. “Hey, are you OK?”

She shook her head frantically, pointing to her throat. Her face and hands were steadily turning redder and the panic was growing in her eyes.

“Are you choking?” John asked in a sharper tone when he realized she stopped breathing altogether.

She shook her head again, then started banging her palm on the counter.

That caught Oliver’s attention. He whipped his head around and his eyes widened. “Felicity!” he shouted, rushing to her side. “What’s going on?”

John racked his brain, trying to figure out what had happened. She’d just taken a bite of some pancakes, but she’d been eating pancakes all day...plus there was nothing wrong with him, and he’d eaten the same thing — chocolate and peanut butter pancakes.

Then it clicked.

He turned to face the tiny blonde. “Felicity, are you allergic to nuts?” he demanded.

The poor girl squeezed her eyes shut as she nodded hard.

A stream of curses tumbled out of Oliver’s mouth. “Son of a bitch, Felicity, I’m so sorry!”

But John didn’t care about his apologies at the moment. “Do you have an EpiPen?”

She nodded again.

“Where is it?”

She pointed to her purse on the dining room table and John immediately ran to grab it, dumping out the contents and searching for the medicine. When he finally found it, he rushed back to Felicity and pushed the hem of her skirt up.

“Do you know how to use that?” Oliver demanded.

Instead of answering him, John uncapped the tube and jammed the needle into her thigh and let the medication course through her. Seconds later, the sweet sound of Felicity sucking shallow gasps echoed through the apartment and both John and Oliver’s shoulders slumped in relief.

“Oh thank God,” Oliver sighed.

“Thank you, Digg,” she gasped as she clutched her stomach.

“No problem,” he answered, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. “Not going to lie, baby girl, you really had me scared there for a second.”

She smiled feebly back at him. “Not going to lie, Digg, I think I might have scared myself too.”

After that, Oliver insisted on taking her to the emergency room just to make sure she really was all right, and she only put up a minimal protest. John drove them, and he sat with Oliver in the waiting room while Felicity got checked out.

“God, I feel like the biggest ass in the world,” the younger man muttered to himself as he leaned forward and rubbed his hands over his face. “I made her eat peanut butter pancakes and nearly got her killed in the process.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” John said gently. “You didn’t know she was allergic to nuts.”

“Yeah, but I should have,” Oliver insisted. “I’m her roommate! I’ve been living with her for three months, and I’m a chef. I should have known if she had any life-threatening allergies.”

John paused, then frowned at him. “Has it really been three months?”

“Yeah,” Oliver sighed, rubbing his face again. “You don’t think she’s going to move out because of this do you?”

As much as part of him wanted her to move out (just because it would be an easy sixty bucks and he could use the money at the moment considering a large chunk of his monthly salary was going toward an as-of-yet opened restaurant), a much larger part of him really hoped Felicity would stay.

And judging by the look on his friend’s face, Oliver did too.

“I’d say it’s fifty-fifty at this point,” John said with a shit-eating grin. “She’s a smart girl, and smart girls would know better than to keep living with a guy who nearly got them killed.”

Oliver groaned and buried his face in his hands again.

“But,” John added with a laugh, “she’s also a tough girl. And tough girls don’t leave because of something as silly as almost dying of a nut allergy.”

The younger man looked up and glared at him. “Thanks for the pep talk,” he muttered sarcastically.

“Any time, man. I’ve always got your back.”

A half hour later, Felicity walked up to the two of them with a smile on her face, which John took to be a good sign. “Clean bill of health,” she reported. “He suggested I take a Benadryl for any lingering side effects of the allergic attack, but other than that I’m fine.”

Oliver let out a sigh of relief, and John swore it was like the first breath he’d heard from his friend since Felicity had eaten the pancake.

“I’m so sorry,” he blurted out. “I’m so, so sorry. I should have known, I should have asked you when you moved in. That never should have happened.”

“Hey,” she said softly, reaching over to place a hand on his arm. “It’s not your fault. I should have told you. Besides, I’m still alive, thanks to Digg here.”

She nudged the man with her elbow and he grinned back down at her.

“So no harm, no foul,” she concluded.

Oliver still looked a little forlorn. “Does this mean you’re not going to move out?”

She tapped her chin, pretending to think about it. “Hmm...well, as long as you promise to stop force feeding me pancakes, I think we’ll be OK.”

The smile that took over Oliver’s face was so blinding that it made John wonder what exactly had been going through his friend’s head during the allergic reaction. It also made him wonder whether Oliver’s feelings for his roommate were as platonic as he insisted.

John didn’t voice any of these ponderings out loud. But two weeks later, when he came back to the apartment for another tasting and evaluating session, he noticed that all the cabinets in the apartment were curiously devoid of any and all nut products.

And a month later, when Oliver presented the team with the first draft of the brunch menu, there wasn’t a single option for pancakes.

Six months

They say that you should never get into business with your friends.

Thea Queen thought there should really be an addendum for going into business with your family.

Oliver had been acting like a real pill for close to three weeks now, and it was getting so bad that even the perpetually optimistic Tommy Merlyn could hardly stand to be near him.

It wasn’t like he didn’t have a reason or anything. They were opening a freaking restaurant for crying out loud, and since Oliver was going to be the chef, it almost felt like everyone in town was waiting for him to fail. Even their own parents had been dropping gentle hints about how he would always have a place at Queen Consolidated — the subtext, of course, being that once the restaurant failed he’d need something to do.

So yeah. Oliver was venturing out kind of on his own for the first time in his life and there was a lot of pressure. That was bound to put anyone under an insane amount of stress.

But the stress didn’t give him license to be a dickbag to everyone in his life.

They could all hear Oliver barking from the kitchen. Even over all the loud kitchen noises, over the sizzling and the chopping and the sink running, everyone could hear him chewing out his brand-new kitchen staff over everything, from not cutting fine enough slices to letting shit burn.

Thea sighed and rolled her eyes as she turned back to Tommy and Digg. They were sitting at the lone table in the future dining room, trying to make a million decisions that Ollie impatiently declared he didn’t have time for. That passive-aggressive remark was enough to make her seriously contemplate painting the bathrooms bubblegum pink, just to spite him.

“This is starting to get out of control,” Digg grumbled. “He called me incompetent the other day when I accidentally left something off the zoning application with the city.”

Tommy nodded. “He called me an irresponsible when I forgot to pick up the chairs from the supply store.”

Digg snorted. “Not sure how far off he was with that one,” he muttered more to himself than anything. But that didn’t stop Tommy from scowling at him.

Thea sighed and rubbed her forehead. “I know. We need to talk to him, but I don’t know how.”

A bang came from behind the kitchen doors and the three of them jumped. The loud noise was soon followed by Oliver’s muted screams.

“I vote we tie him to a chair and let his kitchen staff yell at him,” Tommy said sardonically, his eyes still trained at the closed doors.

“I don’t think they’d restrain themselves to just yelling at him,” Digg pointed out.

At that moment, the sound of a pair of heels on concrete floors echoed through the empty space and Thea turned in her chair to see Felicity walking toward them, a tablet in her hands.

“Hey,” she called. “I wanted to stop by after work to get started on the POS system. Do you know where — ”

But before she could finish her inquiry, the doors to the kitchen came swinging open as a sobbing young man fled, clutching his knife kit close to him as he ran. In the brief moments as the door swung back closed, they could hear Oliver shouting, “DOES ANYONE WANT TO JOIN HIM OR HAVE THE REST OF YOU FINALLY GOT YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASSES LONG ENOUGH TO WORK?”

Everyone at the table let out a collective sigh, but Felicity simply narrowed her eyes.

“All right, that’s it,” she muttered. She dropped the tablet onto the table before marching toward the kitchen and disappearing behind the swinging kitchen doors. Two seconds later, she re-emerged, dragging Oliver by the wrist.

“Felicity, I’m in the middle of something,” he snapped.

“I don’t care,” she shot back. “You have been stomping around like a bloviated dictator for weeks now. At the rate you’re going you’ll have scared off any person willing to be on your kitchen staff long before the restaurant even opens. That is, if your business partners haven’t strangled you first.”

Thea’s eyebrows shot up her forehead, and a quick look around the table showed her that she wasn’t the only one surprised at Felicity’s words.

Oliver, however, didn’t want to listen to it. “I don’t have time — ”

“To what?” she cut him off. “To act like a human being? To treat the people around you with the respect they deserve? Is that what you don’t have time for, Oliver? Because let me assure you, you do. You have plenty of time. In fact, it doesn’t take that much time at all. But no, you’ve been spending your time being a grumpy asshat, so of course that doesn’t leave any time for anything else!”

He rolled his eyes. “You dragged me out of there to yell at me because I’ve been grumpy? I’ve been under a lot of stress, Felicity! The restaurant is supposed to open in a few months!”

“Oh, believe me, I know. It’s all I’ve heard about for three weeks now. All you’ve talked about is this restaurant and the opening and how much pressure you’re under. But if you opened your eyes and looked around, you’d realize that you’re not the only one who’s feeling it.”

In that moment, Thea felt nothing but a rush of warmth and gratitude toward her older brother’s roommate. It was almost hard to believe that she didn’t even like her when they first met.

“What are you talking about?” he demanded.

“I’m talking about your friends!” she shouted, pointing a finger at the three of them at the table behind him. “You don’t realize that they are bending over backwards to help you! They know how important this is to you, which is why they are here on a Friday night trying to decide what fucking color to paint the bathroom when Lord knows they could be doing literally anything else. It’s why Tommy turned the other cheek when you called him irresponsible. It’s why Digg ignored it when you called him incompetent. It’s why Thea, your own damn sister, hasn’t murdered you yet for telling her the interior doesn’t matter!”

The three people around the table shuffled in embarrassment. She’d hit the nail on the head, and the three of them felt a little weird but also incredibly grateful to have her stand up for them.

Thea looked up and saw her brother staring at her. She saw a flash of guilt cross Ollie’s face and she realized, with some irony, that it was the first non-angry or non-stressed emotion she’d seen in him in three weeks.

“Look,” Felicity continued, her voice softer than earlier, and he turned to face her again. “I know that you’re under insane pressure. I know that this is a big deal for you and that it feels like everyone in this city is waiting for you to screw up because all they see is Ollie Queen, former billionaire playboy who peed on a cop and couldn’t get his shit together for years. But believe me when I tell you, there are people around you that want you to succeed and are willing to do anything to make it happen.”

Oliver closed his eyes and he suddenly looked so...tired. Almost as tired as Thea felt.

“I just don’t want to screw up again,” he said quietly.

“I know,” Felicity murmured. She reached forward and squeezed his hand, and to Thea’s eternal surprise, he didn’t pull away.

The two of them stood like that for a long time, and watching it made Thea feel like she was invading on an intimate moment. She glanced away, like she was trying to give them their privacy, and she saw Digg and Tommy doing the same.

Finally, a sigh alerted them that they were finished, and Oliver walked up to the three of them at the table.

“Hey guys,” he began. They all watched him warily, waiting for the next words to come out of his mouth. “I guess I just...I’m sorry if I’ve been an asshole to you in the past few weeks.”

“If?” Tommy scoffed.

The corner of Ollie’s lips quirked upward and he continued. “OK, so I have been a big asshole to you these last few weeks. And you don’t deserve it. None of you do. I’ve been stressed and I was taking it out on you, and I’m sorry.”

Digg, who had been leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, pursed his lips as he considered Oliver’s words. The three of them exchanged glances, silent acknowledgment coursing through all of them.

“Apology accepted,” Thea began, “on one condition.”

Oliver winced and it made Thea grin a little. “And that is…?”

“You buy us all a round at Floyd’s,” she finished.

Her brother’s shoulders slumped in relief, and for the first time in a long time, she saw a smile cross his face. “Deal. Let me go dismiss the kitchen staff and we’ll head out.”

Digg shook his head as Oliver walked back toward the kitchen. “That’s assuming they hadn’t all bolted the minute Felicity dragged his ass out of there.”

The woman in question smiled approvingly as he walked toward the kitchen, then turned toward the three restaurateurs at the table. “Now that that’s taken care of, I can do the POS system before I head home and crash.”

“You’re not coming with us?” Digg asked.

She shook her head. “No, I’m seriously exhausted. The minute I get this started, I’m going home to crash. Raincheck?”

“Sure,” Thea said, standing up to hug her. Then quietly, she whispered in her ear, “Thank you.”

Felicity pulled away to give her a brilliant smile. “Any time. Have fun.”

And with that, she turned on her heel and walked toward the back, where the office was.

Later that night at Floyd’s, armed with nothing but a bottle of his favorite microbrew, Oliver sat in his chair and listened with a grimace as his three business partners relived the past three weeks of his complete douchebaggery.

“OK, OK, I get it,” he insisted after Tommy just recalled the incident from two weeks ago when he made their contractor — a full grown man in his forties who used to serve in the Marines — start to tear up in front of all his men.

And surprisingly, Thea thought to herself, Tommy hadn’t even been exaggerating all that much.

“What’s the point of reliving all of this anyway?” Oliver grumbled.

Digg chuckled as he took a swig of his beer. “Think of it as aversion therapy. We bombard you with examples of your shittiest behavior and it makes you so ashamed that you never do it again.”

He grumbled again as he emptied his bottle. “Another round?” he asked the table.

The three of them nodded and Oliver stood from his seat and walked toward the bar.

“So what do you think?” Digg said once his friend was out of earshot. “You think he’s really cured for good?”

Thea snorted. “Well maybe not for good. He’ll probably yell at his kitchen staff more than they deserve, but at the least I’m pretty sure he’ll leave us alone.”

Tommy nodded his agreement. “That was kind of awesome how Felicity put him in his place though. I didn’t think she had it in her.”

Digg scoffed. “Are you kidding? Look, Felicity Smoak may look like a tiny little blonde on the outside, but she’s a force of nature on the inside. And Oliver may be the most stubborn son of a bitch you’ve ever met, but he’s also not an idiot, and when a force of nature is standing there getting ready to bowl you over, even he knows better than to try and meet it head on.”

Thea chuckled at Digg’s description. As close as it was, though, it didn’t feel like it completely hit the nail on the head.

“What do you guys think is really going on between the two of them?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” Tommy asked.

“I mean,” she began, “do you think they’re just friends and roommates? Because believe me, the only person I’ve ever seen Oliver really listen to like that is our mom, and even then it was kind of touch and go.”

Digg pursed his lips and crossed his arms as his eyes wandered to the man himself, standing at the bar and waiting for the hassled bartender to notice him.

“You know, I’ve asked myself that question,” he nodded speculatively. “After Felicity’s accidental allergic reaction, he was absolutely beside himself. You should have been there — I’ve never seen anyone so guilty in my entire life.”

“That and he always gets that kind of twitch in his eye whenever one of the guys on the kitchen staff so much as looks at Felicity,” Thea added. “Like he’s just...itching to punch them out or something.”

Tommy frowned. “I don’t think that’s indicative of anything,” he insisted. “Oliver’s probably just like, trying to look out for her. Like he’d look out for you, Speedy. I don’t think he likes her or anything. Now, if you want to talk about Felicity, that’s something else entirely.”

Thea frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Weren’t you there earlier at the restaurant? After she chewed him out, they were just staring at each other afterwards, and she was holding his hand and she was staring at him like he was the only person in the world.”

Digg shook his head. “Nah, man, I think you’re wrong. I think you’ve got it the other way around — I think Oliver’s secretly got it bad for his roommate, but Felicity just sees him as a friend. A good friend, but a friend nonetheless.”

“And I say you’re cracked. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes that Felicity’s got the hots for him.”

Digg rolled his eyes. “You want to put your money where your mouth is?”

Tommy straightened in his seat, his eyes twinkling. “I’m listening.”

“Fifty bucks says that Oliver tries to make a move on his roommate and she turns him down,” Digg said confidently.

Tommy scoffed. “One hundred says Felicity’s the one who makes a move on him and he runs like the scared chicken shit he is.”

The two men turned to Thea who bit her lip.

If she had to be honest, she could see both of those scenarios coming true. She knew her brother, and she was starting to know more about Felicity, and she could see the both of them being frightened of their feelings for one another. And she wasn’t under any delusions like Digg and Tommy were — she could see that their feelings were obviously mutual.

But was she willing to put her own money on the line for it?

She took a deep breath. “Two hundred says one of them makes a move and they realize that they’re actually in love with each other and they live happily ever after.”

Tommy grinned and Digg smirked.

“You’re on,” they said together.

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