18784/The View From A Tower

The View From A Tower
Date of Scene:	08 August 2024
Location:	Observation Deck - Watchtower
Synopsis:	Oliver and Felicity have date night under the starts - and Earth - on the Watchtower's Observation Deck.
Cast of Characters:	Oliver Queen, Felicity Smoak

---

Oliver Queen has posed:
On the surface it is not exactly a natural fit.

Date night in the Watchtower? The moon-based headquarters of the Justice League? The center of their monitoring efforts aimmed against threats coming from beyond Earth itself, to safeguard both the planet and the solar system.

It admittedly doesn't exactly scream romantic evening for two. Certainly the locale has a certain isolation factor, though not necessarily to the extent that one might imagine. Even when few members of the Justice League happen to be on board there are still a host of civilian contractors who oversee the operating and maintainence of the station to insure that it is in good working order.

Sure, it might be a little more secure to put it in the hands of an A.I., but Ollie was one of those who definitely opposed that idea. One doesn't have to try very hard to imagine how that could easily go wrong.

So while they don't exactly have the run of the place, it also isn't that difficult to arrange a certain degree of privacy. And while the moon-based superhero base might not absolutely scream romance, well, they do happen to be a pair of pretty unique individuals in the grand scheme of things.

Besides, the fact that Felicity has never had the chance to visit the station despite helping out the League for quite some time just seems... wrong. And it is the sort of wrong that can be easily righted, at least in Ollie's eyes.

There are certainly no end of things to things to see, things that probably have much more appeal to Felicity then they would to him admittedly. He is less concerned with the ins and outs of all the technological marvels onboard then the fact that they work. But the simple fact is that the Watchtower is made up of a lot of cutting edge technology from some of the planet's most gifted minds. There is of course a heavy use of Wayne Enterprises, Queen Consolidated and Kord Industries tech to be sure. But there are also features that have been integrated from Martian, Atlantean or Kryptonian technology as well. Not to mention some Oan technology provided by Green Lantern.

There might be a more advanced repository of technology somewhere in the solar system, but if there is Oliver has no idea where it might be.

Romantic to everyone? Not really. But he knows the way to his girl's heart and he is not above putting that to shameless use when he wants to. Which, admittedly, is pretty much all the time.

The gardens of course offer a somewhat more romantic atmosphere and in many ways the Observation deck at the top of the tower that juts out from the moon's surface even more so, presenting an absolutely stunning view of the Earth below and an assortment of other heavenly bodies that spill across the dark sky.

"So, what do you think? Not your first trip into space I know, but not bad all in all, hmmm?" the blonde billionaire asks with a smile, walking backwards out of the lift to face her as he gesture to the observation dome above their heads.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
"Oliver, this is incredible!" Felicity exclaims, her voice a mixture of awe and excitement.

As she steps out of the lift, her eyes widen with wonder, taking in the expansive view of the Earth below and the array of stars twinkling against the inky blackness of space. The observation deck of the Watchtower is a marvel in itself, but it's the array of advanced technology that truly captivates her.

She moves toward one of the control panels, her fingers lightly tracing the sleek surface. "I mean, look at this interface! It's using a hybrid quantum computing system with holographic data projections. Wayne Enterprises must have provided the neural network algorithms for this, but the hardware integration looks like a mix of Kord Industries' adaptive processors and Queen Consolidated's quantum encryption modules. And is that... yes, it is! An Atlantean bio-organic interface! And it's seamlessly combined with Martian holo-matrix overlays. This is a level of collaboration and innovation that's just mind-blowing."

She pauses for a moment, turning to face Oliver with a grin. "And don't even get me started on the Oan technology. Green Lantern's contributions are using hard-light constructs to create tactile feedback interfaces. The energy efficiency alone could solve half of our power problems back home."

It all so overwhelming! It's hard to tell where to look. From the flashy consoles to the SPACE GARDEN to the dome overhead and its views...

Felicity's gaze shifts up to that view of Earth, the vibrant blues and greens standing out against the vastness of space, and she finally moves back to Oliver, slipping her hand into his. "Not bad? Oliver, this is beyond amazing. I mean, sure, it's not the traditional date night spot, but it's... perfect."

She leans into him, her eyes still wide with wonder. "I never wanted to ask, because... you know. But it's like stepping into the future, only better because it's happening now."

Felicity glances around the observation deck, her mind racing with ideas and possibilities. "This place... it's a treasure trove of innovation. I could spend weeks here just learning and experimenting. And to think, all of this is working together to protect Earth. It's... inspiring. And it's NOTHING like the asteroid. The dance floor was _totally_ dark and I'm not actually sure of the ship that was there worked or not. But, regardless... you weren't there. So, it didn't count, anyway."

She smiles up at him, that big, toothy smile, her eyes soft and warm behind her glasses.

"Thank you."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Look, occasionally he does good.

Given the kind of hectic schedules they sometimes have these days, little moments like this sometimes fall by the wayside. To be sure they made time on her birthday, even if the inevitable distractions of the best sort crept in. But as often as not it is his mission as the Green Arrow, or some emergency at her emerging company that will call one or the other -- and sometimes -- both away.

So when he gets a little inspiration of what might be a good way to finally have some time together, just the two of them, well, he is an archer afterall.

He's not going to miss the mark.

There are all the various facilities that he has no doubt will hold some of her interest -- the computer core with the mix of human and alien technology along with all the various labs. There is also the trophy room as well, which might have some appeal, even putting aside the history of the League and just focusing on some of the prizes claimed from various villains over the years.

It's entirely possible that she could get lost up here for more then a few days if he let her -- and it is even tempting to consider letting her do just that considering all the various demands on her time. But in the long run, she probably wouldn't thank him.

Well, maybe she would. But then he probably wouldn't see her for three weeks while she struggled to catch up. Hardly the ideal solution either.

Still, Ollie can't help but grin as she rushes around to the various interfaces on display, at all the co-mingled technology that has been made to work together in a harmonious whole, gushing over all the little bits of tech that sound vaguely familiar to Ollie, even if he doesn't fully understand what each one is used for. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. If you want, you can talk sexy to me later and actually explain what some of those things do. I mostly recognize what buttons I need to punch to call up what video feeds. Otherwise I'm pretty glad that we have a voice interaction module," he admits with a little bit of a smirk.

Bah, technology! Give him a good ol' fashioned boxing glove arrow any day of the week.

Slipping an arm around her waist, he does the slow circuit of the deck with her, seeming to enjoy just seeing her so animated, so happy. "I should have insisted that we come up here months ago at the very least. It didn't occur to me that you might not feel entirely welcome," he admits. "So, better late then never," he agrees

Leaning over, he presses a quick kiss to those smiling lips before leaning back with a grin of his own. "You're welcome. Now... did you want to play with the tech first?" he asks wryly. "Or..." he says, unslinging the backpack that dangles from one shoulder. "I've got a blanket to spread over one of the benches here and a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
"Oh! You brought something to keep yourself entertained while I'm in the server room?!"

She's so thrilled, and some of that is bound to come out as humor. She tries her best to keep a straight face when she asks, as if there's a possibility in the known universe that she might bail on an honest-to-goodness wine picnic that he planned, packed, and executed... no matter _how_ absolutely out of this world (literally) the tech in question is.

She doesn't manage the straight face for more than a few seconds. She's blaming the kiss on her inability to look serious.

As if wandering around THE MOON (she had to keep reminding herself that she was literally on another planet and that was EARTH she was looking at out the window) and looking at the various pieces of integrated technology (complete with the possibility immediately at hand to dig into a hard-light interface powered by Oan technology) wasn't enough, she's here with _Oliver_. And that kiss. And that arm around her waist. She's bursting at the seams with happiness.

She can't possibly pretend that she'd even consider bailing on him for a computer, as much as she would _totally_ choose the computer over literally anyone else.

"Wine sounds wonderful," she muses, stretching up and touching his cheek as she places another kiss on mouth with those full, brightly painted lips. "What can I do to help? Is there like... mood lighting? Maybe mood music?" She's doing all the 'get in the mood' hand gestures, too, before she seems to remember that this isn't a private suite or anything.

"I mean... not that we should get _too_ much in the mood. Even if there weren't other people that could just walk in, I'm sure this whole place is monitored by constant surveillance, right?"

That makes her brow furrow a little as she looks up into the corners of the room.

"Right?... I wonder what they use for storage..."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm pretty good about entertaining myself," he counters lightly. "There's a salmon ladder in the gym and an archery range. I can go work up a healthy sweat while you drool all over the latest and greatest tech and figure out how Smoaktech will probably improve on it," Ollie says lightly.

Any chance to catch her when she's not stressed from working twenty-hour days or trying to run a startup while also committing her nights to their shared mission in New York and Starling..

Besides, before her it was a good, long while since he smiled. He was in danger of getting every bit as grim as the Gotham types and no one wants to see that if they can possibly help it. Ugh.. Whether it is deliberate moments, or maybe even more when she does so unintentionally, that ability to bring a little levity to their day is so very treasured.

It is the kind of thing that one does not easily get over, even after all of this time. The fact that they are actually walking on the moon. True, they're not out in that vacuum. Or battling against the considerably lightened gravity given the fact that they actually have artificial gravity onboard -- wait until she starts studying the operational guidelines for that. BUt looking out that dome, be it at the heavens above them or the barren, rocky landscape that surrounds the Watchtower structure, it does hit home.

Even after all this time. Even to someone as jaded as Oliver.

"If you want to play with the tech, I have no problems with that. Your enthusiasm is pretty infectious you know," he points out. "But if you want some wine first..." he offers archly.

Then he is leaning over to meet that renewed kiss, even if just fleetingly, that bottle cradled against her side for a moment before he offers a wry grin. "We probably don't want to get too frisky no," he agrees. There are ways around that, but that brings up the somewhat sensitive subject of how the system up here was recently compromised and her dad's role in all of that. And he's not sure that Noah Kuttler is a good subject for a stress free evening.

"I mean, I don't know the ins and outs of it, but you can control the lighting from that panel over there," he says, gesturing to one of the panels that surround the central support pillar that rises up through the room. "I bet there's probably a way to pipe in music. And I'd wager you could find the controls for the security system too. You might even have the clearance to get it to spit out the specs," he admits.

"At the risk of distracting you even more."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
At the mention of 'Salmon Ladder' and 'healthy sweat,' Felicity wets her lips as if they've gone dry, eyes briefly dipping down to his chest and then back up to his.

"I like a good quantum algorithm as much as the next girl, but if you think _that's_ what I'd be drooling over..."

Blink. Blink.

"Right. Well, you know, if you can't get excited over entanglement, what can you get excited about right?"

She smooths her flyaways across the top of her head and adjusts her ponytail.

"_Quantum_ entanglement, I mean. Not that other kinds of entanglements aren't appealing. Especially up here. On the moon. That's like the two-hundred-thousand-mile high club, you know? There's gotta be some sort of award for that. Or maybe one of those t-shirts that says 'I got laid on the moon and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.'"

Her hands come up in front of herself defensively.

"Not that I'm pushing. Or even suggesting... I mean, maybe _hinting_... but wine is... is _totally_ fine." Pause. "Better than fine. Perfect."

She thumbs over her shoulder to the console he mentions.

"I'm just going to stop talking and go check out that console while you're popping on the cork on that bad boy. Don't worry. With _this_ view? And _you_... and a blanket and.. I'm only going to be a minute."

She bites her lower lip, the blush creeping into the backs of her cheeks as she turns and then strides purposefully over to that console. Because it didn't matter how much time she spent around this man or how many times she slept in his bed. He still flustered her.

Oliver Queen has posed:
See? There's the Felicity that he knows and loves. He was pretty sure she was hiding in plain sight all along.

Of course, he might have been helping her right along, letting her talk herself into a corner and while he might be quick enough to help her out in mixed company -- some of the time at any rate -- the twitching at the corners of his mouth only grows until there really is no restraining that grin that blooms across his features.

Besides, who exactly does he think he's kidding? Of course his mind is almost certainly going in some pretty similiar directions himself.

"Well, that's a relief. I'd hate to think I'd lost a step," he teases. "You actually have to go in and work onsite enough lately I can barely remember the last time I had the chance to work out in front of you." Yes, sure, he's not above provoking her now and again. Sue him.

"I'll tell you what, after you finish figuring out how to work the controls and get everything the way you'd like it -- I figure it'll probably take you about twenty-five seconds or so because of all the different technologies -- you can tell me all about quantum entanglements," he offers. He's a reasonably bright guy. He'll probably even understand the majority of what she's talking about even.

Then he is casually hefting up that bottle of wine in hand, turning towards the bench that offers a suitable vantage point to take in both the dark sky and the barren, moonswept terrain beyond the Watchtower itself. "And I'll ply you with some of this wine. Maybe after a glass or two we'll see if the view and technology on display is capivating enough to keep us here. Or if we'll need to go seek out the private quarters and talk about that other sort of entanglement," he suggests, fishing out that bottle opener as he goes.

"I can't promise you a t-shirt -- we're sadly deficient when it comes to gift shops up here though we could pick up something at the Hall on the way back -- but I think I can find you something else that you'll probably enjoy."

It likely won't involve her wearing very much though, novelty shirt or not.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
"A hundred and thirty-two days," Felicity blurts out, _completely_ unashamed that she was keeping track of how long it's been since she's watched Oliver work out. "It's been a hundred and thirty-two days... give or take."

She does smile, though -- that kind of cocky, 'I know everything' smile she sometimes gets. Unashamed and unapologetic of how much she enjoys watching him. Enough that she was keeping track of how long it's been over four months later. Maybe. Or she's just making up a number for effect.

'...you can tell me all about quantum entanglements.'

"Wait. You were serious?"

She stopped her stalking off to turn around and look at him, eyebrows lifted, smile curled even more broadly. Her voice had even gone up a half-octave. She LOVED teaching him things and talking about her passions, and she NEVER thought Oliver was too dumb to 'get it.' Yes, she had her specialty and he had his, but she _always_ knew it would be easier for him to take over her job than the other way around. There had been a few times in the past where she actually walked him through what she was doing, and whether he could recreate it at her speed, she always knew he would understand the concepts in a pinch if he needed them.

After all, why let him run around with an empty quiver? If she could show him something that could save his life some day -- maybe because she's unavailable or incapacitated -- why wouldn't she show him? It's not exactly like she's worried about job security.

Mostly, they had little time for cross-training their expertise, but if she was being honest with herself, she hadn't ever felt as vulnerable as she had since she started SmoakTech. It was one thing to be Oliver Queen's PA. It's another to have spent the last year in the media as his girlfriend and the CEO of a new tech company. Maybe there's a trade to be worked out there...

"Mayyyyybe..." She taps her fingertips together. "...before we go... you could even take me to the archery range. Because, I mean, who _doesn't_ want to say they went target-shooting with the Green Arrow _on the Moon_?"

She could do with some self defense lessons, too. Because how often does she have a bow? But, of course, in her head, she's probably way more likely to be picturing herself standing there in some knock-off of his costume, going 'You failed this city..' in a super raspy voice than she is to picture Oliver throwing her over his shoulder and slamming her onto the mat.

...that was a different fantasy.

"It's fine," she says, already on her way back to the console. "I'll just steal another one of your t-shirts to make up for it."

His collection was mostly 'their' t-shirts, now, anyway.

Of course, when Felicity steps up in front of that console, it's the holographic display that comes alive in front of her, and she's immediately adjusting her glasses as she starts going through the various screens.

Even as she does, a voice announces to her: < Hello, Ms. Smoak. >

"Oh, hey! You know who I am!" she exclaims, still flipping through screens.

< Of course, Ms. Smoak. How can I help you today? >

"Can you get me to a web browser? HA! You rock."

< Is there anything else I can do for you? >

"Can you drop the environmental lights in here by half?"

The lights dim, and suddenly the view of the Earth through the dome above is even more spectacular.

"Okay, if you keep this up, I'm going to figure out how to bring a copy of you home with me. You could save me a ton of headaches and carpel tunnel..."

< Is there anything else, Ms. Smoak? >

"Not right now." Her fingers are flying over the hard-light keyboard that floats in front of her, the screens flashing by as they usually do on her monitors back home. "Just looking for something... I'm can be a little old-fashioned, sometimes. Especially when I'm looking for something old-fashioned..."

She brings up a hand to stage whisper to the console (clearly loud enough for Oliver to hear).

"...he's almost forty, you know? All this AI and Gen-Z stuff doesn't really set the moo

Felicity Smoak has posed:
"...he's almost forty, you know? All this AI and Gen-Z stuff doesn't really set the mood like a classic..."

A few seconds later, a likely familiar guitar riff starts to play...

...the opening of To the Moon and Back by Savage Garden.

o/~
She's taking her time, making up the reasons
To justify all the hurt inside
Guess she knows from the smiles and the look in their eyes
Everyone's got a theory about the bitter one

They're saying
"Mama never loved her much and Daddy never keeps in touch
That's why she shies away from human affection."
But somewhere in a private place
She packs her bags for outer space
And now she's waiting for the right kind of pilot to come
(And she'll say to him)
She's saying

I would fly you to the moon and back
If you'll be, if you'll be my baby
I've got a ticket for a world where we belong
So would you be my baby?
o/~

Song: https://youtu.be/HCm6gRHINqA

Oliver Queen has posed:
The fact that she might actually know exactly how long it happens to be since they've been in the penthouse at the same time, her working and him working out, or in one of the Arrowcaves when she is not slammed with thirteen different things to handle at once, or him not breezing in and out just long enough to pick up a resupply of arrows is, well, it's pretty adorable and endearing is what it is.

She could, of course, just be pulling a number suitably large out of thin air of course, but Ollie is rather certain that she is not, in fact, doing just that. That she does know right down to the day how long it has been, just how busy they have been. He is oddly tempted to ask if she knows how many hours too.

He has a sneaking suspicion that she probably could answer.

Sinking down onto that padded surface, the back of it designed to lean, to let one half-recline and take in the view above with ease, he pulls out those two promised wine glasses from that backpack, setting them down beside him as he gets the bottle open, beginning to pour a healthy dollop of that wine into each of them..

"Hey, this is your date night too," he points out, the fact that dome is otherwise deserted besides them making it a little easier to raise his voice enough to be heard. "Besides, maybe it's the glasses, or maybe it's the ponytail, but you inspire a whole lot of my teacher fantasies," he adds archly, shooting a wicked grin her way before that smile turns a little more genuine. "I like to hear you talk about the things you're passionate about. And you do a pretty good job of explaining them. That's a gift," he asserts quietly.

They definitely each have their own areas of expertise, skills and talents that they thrive with. But having a little overlap? It's definitely valuable from time to time. Having a broader knowledge base has definitely helped him out from time to time, and while she might not be out in the field often, being able to take care of herself in general is probably better for both of their peace of mind.

And it surely has nothing to do with him picturing her in a jaunty Robin Hood cap and tight green leathers. Nope.

As those lights are set just so, as that music is turned on, filling the room with those rich but suitably muted notes that make the line of his mouth quirk upwards once more, Ollie makes sure that the glasses are ready, turning his attention to just watch as she immediately goes to work on the holographic assistant and the hard-light accessories that makes the whole experience of interacting with all the technology onboard easy enough that even he doesn't mind doing so.

Realistically, the blanket probably isn't necessary -- the Watchtower is perfectly climate controlled of course -- but it certainly offers cozy possibilities -- and maybe it is just a side effect of being enclosed in all this metal, in a freezing cold vacuum just beyond, but a little extra warmth does not seem a bad thing.

While Ollie might not exactly have as much time or inclination to lose himself in music as he might have in his younger days, there was a time that he spent far more time in clubs then probably anywhere else, so picking something a little more on the finely aged side is a pretty good way to insure that he at least recognizes it.

"You know," he says, raising his voice just loud enough to be heard over the opening chords of that Savage Garden song, "I can still hear you," he points out drily.

But even still, one hand is extended in her direction, a finger cocked, motioning for her to join him.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Most women are just going to have to take Felicity at her word on this one, but there are few sights more impressive than Oliver Queen with two glasses of wine and a blanket, illuminated mostly by the glow of the Earth floating in space in the transparent dome above, beckoning you closer while Savage Garden plays softly in the background.

It's enough to make a girl weak in the knees.

Felicity freezes once she's swiped away the holographic controls and turned to face him again, and something in her expression... shifts. She'd been so light-hearted just a moment ago, so happy to tease him about getting older. They both were.

After being swept up by the FBI, having had her boyfriend take the fall for her and then kill himself rather than go to prison, she had decided to shed the goth thing, the hacktivism thing, the rebel thing, and clean up her act. She had no idea where she expected a job in the IT department of Queen Consolidated to lead her or what she expected to be doing at thirty-five, but it wasn't here or doing this.

Her mother's plan for her would have had her coping with some cozy existence of fixing computers. Donna's plan would have had Felicity with a five-year-old by now, doted over by a husband she hoped turned out better than Felicity's own father. But Felicity had never been driven by the need to nest or have a man take care of her. That's not to say that she lacked the basic human instinct of attraction, but she had no desire to follow in Donna's footsteps of being a struggling single mother. She was motivated by her own goals and desires. She wanted to be successful on her own terms, not defined by who she married or the fact that she had produced offspring, and if anyone needed any proof of that, they need look no further than the fact that she had not had even a single serious relationship since she'd met Oliver all those years ago. She was consumed by her work, both professionally and then as Overwatch, and as time went on, it was obvious she was proud of who she was and what she'd become.

The sight of Oliver, though, with those wine glasses and that blanket... it's impossible to imagine being without him.

The last year had been a whirlwind. She'd been so attracted to him -- not just physically (though definitely physically) but also everything else about him (including his bouts of being occasionally impossibly hard-headed) -- for so long that finally admitting it to each other had seemed like an impossible dream. Almost immediately there had been a private jet trip to Paris, starting Smoak Technologies, settling in to the 'routine' of living together (if anything in their lives could be considered routine)... or at least the 'new normal' of not having a place of her own anymore...

It had been fun. Exciting. Busy. Complicated. Overwhelming.

It's easier to go through the day-to-day, now, and accept the depths of her feelings for Oliver without being overwhelmed by change. She could text him and tell him she loves him, tag in as Overwatch, run her company, and curl up beside him at night, all while feeling like her life was exactly the way it was supposed to be.

But there are times like these when he simply takes her breath away. When, just for a few seconds, it's easy to see in her expression, she realized she'd let herself fall victim to routine.

Oliver Queen isn't just some rich guy that's good at shooting arrows and protecting what's important to him. He's not just a vigilante crime fighter or a brilliant CEO. He's not just kind or strong or dedicated or smart or considerate or brave or... let's be honest... hot as hell.

Oliver Queen is the love of her life. There has never been, and there will never be, anyone she loves as much as she loves him. And sometimes that takes her breath away. Sometimes, she can't help but just take a moment to stare and realize that, even if she had no idea she would find herself here with him, she had never wanted anything more in her entire life.

And sometimes it's obvious that her feelings are so strong that they bre

Felicity Smoak has posed:
And sometimes it's obvious that her feelings are so strong that they break her brain.

"Pfft.. yeah... well.. it's not my fault if you have super-hearing, now..."

Words spoken as she's drawn across the room back towards him by that beckoning curl of his finger like a magnet that she's powerless to resist. And when she reaches him again, she sits next to him, kicks of her shoes, lifts her legs across his lap, and snuggles right in against him.

"I love you," she admits, because the words had been trying to explode her from the inside out ever since she turned and saw him, and she couldn't wait one more second to tell him.

Oliver Queen has posed:
It is probably a safe bet that neither one of them would have imagined ending up where they are right now when they're younger, in either the figurative or literal sense.

Sitting in the middle of a lunar base, surrounded by some of the most advanced technology their world can baost -- and some it can't -- staring out at their own planet hanging in the sky. That would be an... unlikely ambition it seems fair to say. At minimum.

But even more broadly, a younger Oliver Queen would most definitely not recognize the man that he is today. Actually running the company that his parents built together and doing so, if not with enthusiasm, but at least a sense of duty and dedication to preserving the legacy of the family? That doesn't sound very much like twenty-year old Ollie. Running around the streets of the worst parts of the city virtually every night, not looking for the latest party, latest club or latest thrill but instead seeking out those that would prey on others? That definitely doesn't sound much like his younger self.

Standing amongst some of the greatest heroes the planet has ever known -- and more then a few from beyond the confines of Earth at that -- and doing so without seeming to be entirely out of place despite the massive disparity in power. Again, decidedly laughable.

But in some respects, nothing is more unlikely then the fact that he is actually in a pretty stable, pretty functioning long term relationship. With someone that he actually loves. Someone that can challenge him, can make him laugh, can make him look forward to coming home each night. Someone that he looks forward to spending his time with.

That is certainly a far cry from his younger self and his tendancy to flit from woman to woman, concerned mainly with the chase, finding that next thrill.

It certainly seemed fun at the time, but it doesn't really seem to hold up -- either in reality or in his recollection. It's amazing what a couple of years stranded on an unforgiving island can do for a guy. if it wasn't such a harrowing experience, he would definitely recommend it to others. As far as personal growth goes, it's a hard one to be beat.

So yes, he can take a certain satisfaction in the current state of his life, all challenges aside. He is fairly certain that his parents would do the same, if they hadn't been taken from him.

Certainly it is a regret that his father never lived to see him become a half decent human being -- one with drive and purpose instead of a spoiled, rich brat only interested in indulging himself.

At least he can take some comfort from the fact that his mother got to see something of the man he has become. That he was capable of more and while she might have only known of Felicity for a short time, he is fairly certain she would have approved of that as well.

Who knows? She might have figured out that there was an attraction there between them well before Ollie was ever willing to acknowledge the fact.

Because as much as Lian Yu might have been *the* turning point in his life, meetings her for the first time has had almsot as much an impact in reshaping him, making him who he is today. His time on Lian Yu might have stripped away the spoiled rich brat, but what it left was impossibly hard and unyielding. A hunter willing to kill in pursuit of his sense of justice. Better, in so very many respects true, but stripped of so much of his humanity too. Willing to fight, but afraid to live.

That's what she restored in him. Some sense that life was, in fact, actually worth living. That there were things to look forward to. Things he still wanted to do beyond crossing names off of a list. That maybe, just as important if not more so, is the idea of building a life. Building his life back up. With her the central plank in it.

When he first returned from Lian Yu the notion that he would ever consider the idea of marriage, of children, or even things as simple as a date night on the moon were frankly, laughable.

But that's the effect she has

Oliver Queen has posed:
But that's the effect she has on him.

"Look, I need all my wits about me to keep up with you," he counters with half a smile, those deep blue eyes locked on her as she starts to pad back in his direciton, towards the waiting bench, the waiting wine. And when she reaches that bench, when she moves to settle herself in, he sweeps that blanket aside and helps her do just that, drawing her in close to him before handing her that waiting glass of wine.

Those words, those three little words. They are ones that they have shared often enough, since they acknowledged that it was far more then just attraction that bound them together. But it seems every bit as impossible for Ollie to get tired of hearing them then he might get of saying them. "Love you too, Fel," he murmurs, the wry amusement melting away to genuine warmth as that dark sky looms above them.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Snuggling in with Oliver Queen, a blanket, and a glass of wine under a transparent dome that looks out at planet Earth...

Felicity lets out a soft sigh as she takes her glass and swirls it slowly around the bottom of the glass. It almost sounds wistful, except there's nothing but contentment in her features.

With her legs draped across Oliver's, knees a little lifted to create both a bridge in the blanket and platform for him to rest his wine on, she reaches up and slips her glasses off, setting them on her thighs.

Finally settled, she takes a sip from her wine and leans up before she swallows, using her free hand to pull Oliver's mouth to hers, sharing some of that rich, red flavor between them as she kisses him deeply and with no hint of reservation. She's not worried about being caught, or whether it's appropriate for them to be behaving this way in an otherwise public space. She's with the man she loves, music playing, in a romantic atmosphere that for most people only exists in science fiction stories.

And when she finally draws back, she's grinning at him like she could not possibly be happier.

"Do you ever worry?" she asks, eyes filled with amusement. "That we've been through _so_ much.. and yeah, there are setbacks, but.. are things _too_ good? With us. I mean.."

She makes a vague gesture with her wine.

"There's other stuff. You know. Like... a whole planet to save. I mean, I read the cliff notes on Galactus and that whole meeting that Wonder Woman held? And... woof. But, like..."

She rolls one shoulder, still watching him, apparently undeterred by the prospect of the end of the world.

"You're kinda perfect."


o/~
"... That Arizona sky burnin' in your eyes
"You look at me and, babe, I wanna catch on fire
"It's buried in my soul like California gold
"You found the light in me that I couldn't find

"... So when I'm all choked up
"And I can't find the words
"Every time we say goodbye
"Baby, it hurts
"When the sun goes down
"And the band won't play
"I'll always remember us this way..."
o/~

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1godKRBeZc

Oliver Queen has posed:
As a general rule, Oliver Queen wouldn't usually consider the Watchtower particularly cozy.

Oh, it is a technological marvel to be sure, with no end of amazing features. Artificial gravity? How amazing is that - though admittedly he can imagine just a little weightlessness being an engaging sort of experience. The fact that they have such incredibly detailed scans of the rest of the solar system. The co-mingling of so many different kinds of technology, all of it is a wonder.

And a little cold and a little sterile perhaps. A little less real. In some ways he prefers the somewhat less idealized surroundings of the Arrowcave in New York, sealed away in the basement of a reclaimed housing project.

Though admittedly the view of some leaky pipes and concrete walls really - really - cannot compare to the one offered from up here.

It is a little reminiscent of staring up at the stars as a child, though in fairness, as fond as he might be of Thea, he will definitely take his IT girl turned burgeoning CEO any day of the week.

That arm slips around her easily, comfortably and when she leans in the last thing on his mind is the possibility that they might be disturbed. Though still gripped in one hand, that wine is indeed rested on one of her knees as the blonde billionaire leans in to return that lingering kiss warmly to his lady love.

That grin can't help but coax an answering one from him and he arches a brow her way. "Too good, huh? I don't know, maybe I should. You're pretty perfect too, you know," he counters lightly.

But he does quickly allow at least a little seriousness to creep on into that expression, his hold on her shifting enough so that his hand can reach up and run up lightly across the far side of her neck. "That's the thing. There's always going to be that other stuff. There's always going to be some threat, some horrible space monster headed our way. And heck, we don't even need to go looking into space to find monsters to menace us," he adds quietly.

Then that smile blooms once more on his features and he tilts his head to brush lips across her own gently once more. "But that's why these moments are all the more important," he asserts.

"Besides, while I'm not prone to blind optomism, we do somehow seem to always manage to find our way through, lurching from one disaster to another."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
"Do you want kids someday?"

It's such a casual question, floated out like... well, exactly like a hypothetical that might be asked while sitting out under a blanket and stargazing. Her voice is airy, light, and whimsical -- at least until she seemed to realize what she'd asked, and a moment of panic took over. It was like she hadn't really expected the question to slip out of her brain and into spoken reality.

How have they not had THIS conversation before?

Probably because every time it occurred to her to ask, it would come across as either creepy (before they started dating) or pushy... speaking of which...

"_Not_... not right now. I mean in general. I don't mean right this second."

Her eyes go wider. Her hand goes to his shoulder as if racing to comfort him and preemptively deescalate a situation she created.

"Not that I'm pushing. Or that right this second would be bad. But I mean... we're not even engaged, much less married..."

Her eyes go even wider.

"Not that I'm pushing for THAT, either. I'm happy. With you. And us. Like this. Under the stars. I just realized that I didn't..."

Oof. Yeah. She was not handling this well. And, given past events, there's one of two reasons for this; either her biological clock is ticking louder than ever (which isn't out of the question... let's face it, unmarried at 35 while in the height of her career and dating a vigilante superhero, the chances of her having children of her own are only getting slimmer)...

...or her mother has called recently and planted that festering little seed in her brain. After she found out they were officially dating, she'd already nagged them about getting engaged in person. After all, she claimed, they weren't getting any younger.

But that was almost a year ago. It wouldn't be at all surprising to have her coming back, a year later, and trying to make the case for grandchildren again. Just because Felicity hasn't said it's happened doesn't mean she hasn't been fielding calls from her insistent mother on her own to shield him from it.

Oliver Queen has posed:
For some people, the potential end of the world would not be the very best time to start thinking about the future, about the next generation, about having kids.

But then, if not now, when? There could literally be no tomorrow, though certainly Oliver at least seems to have a certain optomism that will not be the case. But then, look at what he does each and every night. While he might occasionally have a hard and cynical exterior, he probably couldn't do what he does - couldn't care like he does - unless there was a certain optomistic bent buried deep inside.

They have been dating for some time now, growing closer and closer, seemingly by the day. honestly, when he got back from Lian Yu he was not at all certain that would ever occur, that he would find someone that would awaken that part of him. Not that ridiculous or callow youth that he was, but those more genuine emotions.

So the question doesn't surprise him or take him aback, and though he doesn't offer an immediate answer, it isn't so much because he is surprised as that it feels like it deserves a thoughtful response.

And really, he can be so very glad that he does hesitate. Because while he has had the priviledge of watching Felicity well and truly come into her own since he has come to know her, it is so very heartwarming to see the one who has all those little slips of the tongue, who gets a little flustered when her words might imply something besides what she means, that Felicty - his Felicity - is still very much alive and well and still very much a part of her.

So the line of his mouth twitches though he doesn't quite let that grin slip it's leash. But it definitely tugs at it some, trying to break free.

He also refrains from asking her if she has been talking to her mother recently. Just call it a hunch. Donna is a delight - in her own way - and so very different from his own parents. But she can be very direct and to the point.

Still, he can't help but tease her just a little. "Not right now? Damn it, you went and got me all excited for a moment," he says lightly, finally flashing that grin her way - the one that she conjures up better then anyone.

But again he grows a little more serious. "You know, ask me that when I first got off Lian Yu, or maybe even a year ago and I would have probably leaned no," he admits quietly. "It was hard to imagine adding that to my life, hard to see where that could possibly fit in.

"But today? Things change right. I got involved with a pretty amazing woman and suddenly things like marriage and a family don't seem quite so far-fetched," he says, flashing another brief smile and those fingers on the side of her neck slipping up to bury in her hair.

"So yeah, I know that things are kinda hectic right now, though I'm not sure if that will ever not be the case with us. But yeah, I think I would like all of that, the wedding, the kids, the home someday," Ollie says thoughtfully, eyes locked on her own.

"So long as it is with you."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
A shiver of pleasure slips down Felicity's spine when Oliver's fingers move from that tender, supportive position to slip into her hair -- a loving, affectionate, intimate contact that could turn into that toe-curling possessiveness she loved so much with just a curl of his fingers into a fist.

But just like she could bring out that lightheartedness in him, he had a way of calming her that no one else could. Back in the Arrowcave, when situations got tense and she was _so_ overwhelmed, sometimes all it would take is a hand on her shoulder and that look in his eye... just his presence surrounding her like a blanket and his voice in her ear telling her everything was going to be okay.

It's even easier for him now. Back then, she trusted him as long as he promised everything would work out. Now, she trusts him without so much as a spoken word. Together or apart, it's been easier than ever for them to operate as one unit.

That didn't mean she never got tongue-tied around him, though, or that she never worried she was going to cross a line. As close as they were, they were still just dating. Oliver could decide he was done on a whim.. that the relationship was too much or that she was too much (or not enough).

His humor helped when she felt herself spiraling into 'oh no what have I done' territory, and those fingers slipping into her hair didn't hurt at all, either.

'Damn it, you went and got me all excited for a moment.'

"Hey, I'm trying to be good. I'm not the one that's going to get kicked out of the Justice League for trying to make a little archer the Observation Deck."

Her eyes glitter with mirth as that grin spreads back across her lips.

Then there's that moment of seriousness. When she really listens, because... she didn't know. She could guess. She could hope. But she'd never actually sat Oliver down to ask him what he wanted for the future. She just... loved him. To that end, it didn't really matter. It might have meant she missed out on certain things, but just having him in her life was so much more valuable than any of the rest of it.

'But yeah, I think I would like all of that, the wedding, the kids, the home someday...'

To say that she wasn't expecting that answer would be an understatement. It makes her eyes brighten, her smile grow more sheepish -- like she felt a little guilty for being as pleased as she was. But it really was hard for her to hide just how relieved and excited she looked.

"Yeah," she answers in a soft laugh, her hand coming up to touch his cheek as she stares into his eyes. "I'd like all that, too."

Oliver Queen has posed:
So much in his life has tended to be up in the air, to continually be shifting, sometimes right from out beneath him.

When he was younger, that's exactly how he wanted it. No committments, nothing to tie him down, nothing to prevent him from taking off at a moment's notice, to disappear on a road trip with some of his friends - with Tommy - with hardly a word to anyone. To 'borrow' the company jet and take off for Vegas or Miami or some place even further afield, living the life of the rich and the spoiled.

He doesn't really miss that Oliver.

For all that he might have seemed happy, seemed carefree on the surface, it kinda strikes him as a pretty empty existence. And to be sure Lian Yu, losing his parents, becoming the Green Arrow all did a great deal to change that.

But so too did Felicity entering his life.

She does not tie him down, she lifts him up. But she also gives him some of that stability that was in danger of slipping out of his life entirely. It has gotten to the point that he can't really imagine what his life would be like if she weren't in it, which is no small thing for him.

But even better, even more important in his eyes is the fact that he doesn't have a doubt that he means just as much to her. As difficult as he can be sometimes, as challenging a life as he chooses to lead, that he has embroiled her in, he has never once had cause to doubt her committment to that shared mission, to that shared life. Her committment to him.

That draws a low chuckle from him. Maybe that's what make those fingers curl just a little where they rest, just a flash of that possessiveness she awakens in him. That sly grin slides back over his expression and Ollie gives a little shake of his head. "I think you're probably safe. They would almost definitely blame me," he assures her. "And besides, we archers don't seem to be all that uncommon these days. But good tech support? That's hard to find," he points out, eyes dancing.

"But yes. I promise to behave," he assures her, that lopsided grin still firmly etched across his features. "At least until I have you back in my quarters. Then all bets are off Pretty Lady," he says archly.

For all that moment of levity, it's hard not to be warmed a little but that discussion. Another sign of just how changed he really is from those more reckless days. "I'm glad," he says simply softly. "I probably should have broached that with you, awhile ago. I love you Fel. I can't imagine not having you in my life."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Neither of them has even a single memory of Felicity ever once calling Oliver by his oh-so-common nickname, 'Ollie.'

She never knew 'Ollie.'

By the time Felicity met him in the basement IT nerve-center of the Queen Consolidated building, he was 'Mr. Queen.' After that, he was just, 'Oliver.'

It's not that she's never heard the nickname before. And someone who thought less of her might think it just hadn't occurred to her to try out his nickname and see how it rolled off the tongue. She's never said it explicitly, but it's not hard to tell by this point that she's never embraced 'Ollie' because all of those people are talking about a man that she never knew and would never know.

There was, in the beginning, some amount of partying and showboating as CEO of Queen Consolidated as Oliver built up a cover that played on that former life, but Felicity had seen through that just as quickly as she realized that the syringes he gave her to test weren't full of 'sports drink.'

Ollie may not be someone she would ever recognize, but Oliver was alone in the world when she first met him. Sure, he surrounded himself with Diggle, Thea, Moira, and others, but he had made himself into his own little Lian Yu. He took the weight of Starling City -- if not the world -- onto his own shoulders, and it had taken her years of building trust with him to get him to share just a piece of that burden with her. Others had gotten pieces of it, too, and Felicity watched as the man she now curled up with got lighter and lighter as he opened up and let others help him... as he began to trust again.

Ollie is just about as different from Oliver as the man she first met is to the one with her now. He doesn't always see it like she does. He doesn't always see just how far he's come. That he'd now openly tell her, without hesitation, that he wanted a family with her? Over a decade ago, when she was first taken to the Arrowcave, Felicity would never have thought it was possible.

Now?

She tries not to make too much of a show about how his chuckle or the curl of his fingers in her hair make her whole body clench -- just a little. But she's still so close to him that he can feel it, the tightening of her leg muscles as she pulls herself a little closer, the hitch of her breath, the little waver of her wineglass.

That grin of his sharpens her eyes, dropping them briefly to his mouth before her gaze lifts again, a little more pink in her cheeks than before.

"Oh, I don't know. I'd say you're pretty irreplaceable."

It's breathier than she intended, and the heat makes her laugh nervously, only intensified when he warns her that 'all bets her off' and she just can't help looking impatiently towards the exit.

She was enjoying this. She didn't _need_ them to rush off. But, sometimes it was hard not to jump at an opportunity. She never never knew how long it was going to be before they were together again. Hours? Days?... It was rarely a week or more, but it wasn't out of the question.

"I love you, Oliver. More than..." Her hand lifts from his shoulder to point a finger up towards the dome. "...all of the stars." It's so corny and juvenile, but even she can't help grinning at the thought. "And good. Because you'll never have to. I'm the only one that knows all of your passwords and _no one_ wants to fix all of that, so at this point, you're stuck with me."

Her smile broadens again, and once more she leans up to kiss him, arm slipping around his neck to cling gently to him.

When she finally leans back again, she takes another sip of her wine and fixes him with a serious expression.

"So tell me more about your quarters."