The Way We Talk

Choices (Little Talks #9)

Prompts:  "Promise me, you'll never do that again..."

It doesn't take too long for Oliver to decide he's been an idiot on this particular mission.  The building is more strongly fortified than he anticipated, there are way too many guards, and Diggle is trying very hard to fight off what sounds like an army over the comm.  And then there's the most important reason:  Felicity has to be on-site to bypass the security protocols.

Things are a literal nightmare, and, somewhere, Felicity is scurrying behind a computer for him, untrained and unprepared for the shitstorm he just dragged her into.

She's his first priority right now—mission be damned, he will not let her get hurt by any of these men.  He can see her through the glass pane that passes for a wall in the building, slowly typing away, focused intently on the screen.  Sometimes it scares him how much she depends on him to protect her—how much she trusts him.  He's never had anyone believe in him so thoroughly before, and it terrifies him because he knows he'll eventually let her down.  Just like he lets everyone else down.

But not tonight.  That's a promise he makes both to her and himself.

He locates himself into a strategic position to cover her, taking down anyone who gets too close with extreme prejudice.  It's slaughter around him, but he doesn't have time to focus on the body count as he focuses on her.  He fights half-distracted, allowing the enemy to get in a few more hits than usual, but he has to ensure no one gets too close to her.  His worst fear is realized when he hears her whisper, "Oliver," over the comm.  He looks up to see some idiot armed with a machine gun standing in front of her—but not for long.  After dispatching the two newest mercenaries, he fires an arrow lightning fast, and a green-shafted arrow blossoms in her would-be attacker's chest.  He falls instantly, gun clattering to the ground with him.

The sound of, "Hold it right there," behind him lets him know it was all a diversion.  He half-turns back to the man, knowing what comes next, and at peace with it.  He could shoot him, but the guy is in the proper position to hit Felicity, too, and it would only take a second to pull that trigger.  He would be willing to gamble with his life, but not hers—never hers.  He slowly drops the bow in defeat, hoping she has enough sense to take cover until Diggle can get to her.

"Sorry, man," the gruff hired gun says, "but it's only business."

Gunfire erupts, but not from the direction Oliver expects.  Bullets penetrate through the man with the gun once, twice, a third time.  Five more shots echo across the long hall, all of them striking the same target with a precision he doesn't expect.  Surprise keeps him in place for a moment, but he starts when he hears a gun clatter onto the tile floor.  He picks up his bow before turning, to see Felicity staring, horrified, between him and the gun at her feet.

For a moment, he has absolutely no idea what to do.  She has already proven, time and time again, that she's willing to die for him.  That's terrifying enough as it is.  But that she would kill for him is another matter entirely.  That's knowledge too dangerous for anyone to possess, least of all him.

But all of that is to think about later.  Right now, all that matters to him is Felicity, who is still incredibly shell-shocked by the whole ordeal, staring blankly at the gun at her feet as though not truly seeing anything.  He moves briskly toward her, gathering her in his arms for a moment.  When she returns the hug, it's sudden, her grip frighteningly tight, as though her life depends on the hold she has on him.  A gasp of horror leaves her, and she buries her head in his chest.

Oliver pulls back only enough to see her face, and he has to fight her grip to do even that.  Felicity's cheeks are not tear-stained, as he expects, but her expression shows she's settled with a weight he never wanted her to bear.  He places a hand to her face, cupping her cheek gently.  "You okay?" he asks, staring down at her, trying to meet her eyes.

Finally, she does.  "Yeah," she says quietly.  Her eyes start to trail back to the man on the floor, her head turning slightly, but Oliver firmly tilts her head back toward him.

When he's satisfied she's telling the truth, he says, "Thank you, Felicity."  The gratitude in his voice doesn't seem to be enough to cover the situation.  "Promise me... you'll never do that again."

He's surprised by the sudden change in her.  She doesn't have to speak because her expression says it all.  Defiance is in her eyes, the set of her mouth, the tightness of her jawline.  Her entire expression is a defiant, overwhelming "no."

He sighs because of course she has to be difficult about this.  He tries to reason with her by saying quietly, "Felicity, when you take someone's life, it's a choice—"

He's cut off by the sensation of her index finger against his lips.  Though her expression is still grim, the sureness of her voice is stifling.  Never before has he seen her so confident and certain as she says to him, "There was no choice to make."