Season 3: Rebuilding

3x05: Nightwing

Synopsis: Nightwing makes a return in Starling City's hectic nightlife, and his real identity is revealed to Team Arrow in the process. The big news comes as a surprise and they must all deal with the fallout that could change much in all their lives. Meanwhile, Jane has an offer regarding Oliver's role in Queen Consolidated.

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3x05: Nightwing

Felicity wrung her hands as she settled into Dick's comfortable sofa. Her blonde waves cushioned her head as she leaned against the backrest and let herself enjoy a moment of silence and comfort after a long evening of talking.

She distantly heard Dick say goodnight to their dinner company by the front door. It had been their first couples' dinner with two close friends of Dick's that he knew from the police force. Overall, Felicity would grade the evening as pretty successful, but her heart hadn't been entirely in it. She'd been back a handful of days since her grandfather's funeral in Vegas and life was no less hectic than before.

As far as work went, Amanda Waller had taken a particular interest in a case she wanted to debrief Team Arrow about later that same evening. Felicity knew she ought to have prepared herself more for that, but had ended up prioritizing this dinner instead.

Because more than anything right now, her boyfriend kept overshadowing the rest of her troubles. Boyfriend...The word still tasted a bit funnily, even in her thoughts alone. She'd never really had a proper boyfriend in the past. She really liked Dick and he was good for her in so many ways. Still, to be in a relationship was brand new and at times difficult, and things weren't exactly made easier by the heavy secret she carried locked inside her guarded heart. And that was the very core of the problem.

"Earth to Felicity Smoak," Dick called from the open doorway and the blonde jumped in her seat. The man flashed her a crooked grin as he stepped into the living room and sat down beside her. His arm landed behind her head as he leaned closer, his side gently pressing against hers. "You were far away just now…. Everything okay? Were you thinking about your grandfather?"

"Eh, no…" Felicity smiled timidly. "Just… thinking about the dinner party tonight. It was nice meeting Laura and Phil. They seemed pretty normal. Nice."

Dick's eyes sparkled in the lit candles he'd placed here and there on the open surfaces in the room. "You said that once already."

The woman grimaced as she fully turned to face him and felt his proximity almost intoxicate her. She stuttered, "I-I'm really sorry I said that joke about toupees. I didn't even consider that Phil was sitting across from me with his own horrendous toupee askew. I just wanted to make a good, first impression and be naturally funny, but that was just a natural disaster. I-"

"Felicity…" the man breathed as he tugged her closer to his side. She stopped babbling at once. Her eyes darted up to meet his and his piercing gaze held both worry and affection as he pointed out, "You're doing that talking thing."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Not at all. Just want to make sure you're doing alright before I let you continue."

"I'm fine. It's just…" she hesitated on the edge of a hurdle she'd never leaped across and decided to throw herself over it. "We've been going out for almost two months now. And, I've never had a relationship last beyond that. I think we need to talk. The talk, I mean."

Felicity could literally feel his strong, impressive muscles tense where his side touched hers. Dick seemed frozen in trepidation and his voice held a weary edge, "You're saying we're over?"