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Oliver came down the stairs and he immediately noticed the out of place looks on Felicity and and Diggle's face as they looked up at him. It was Felicity's face he was drawn to, her cheek purple and split from where she'd been slapped. There was nervousness in her eyes as she looked up at him. "What?" He asked, walking closer slowly.
Felicity pursed her lips and looked at Diggle then turned back to Oliver. "Oliver, don't get upset, but..."
Diggle glanced down at her, noting how hesitant she was. Seeing the look on her face is what made him decide to take the brunt of Oliver’s anger. "The Star City police called. It seems Douglas Townsend has three witnesses that claim he never provoked you into hitting him and that they never once saw him around Felicity. They also claim you had been drinking."
Oliver tensed, attempting to clamp down on the fury boiling within him. Lies. It was all lies.Yes het waited, not yet ready to unleash the fury building within him. "And?"
"With no evidence again him and only evidence against you...." Diggle trailed off.
Felicity stood, finally finding her courage and looked Oliver in the eye. "Townsend told police if I dropped the charges he'd drop them against you."
"What?" He snapped, his mind reeling at what she said. "Do not Felicity."
"I already did," she said and swallowed nervously. "Look, I talked to Lance, he was honest. He said it didn't look good. And Oliver, it would just put you under the police departments microscope."
"Felicity! He hit you! Do you think I care-."
"I do!" She screamed. "I care! It was my choice Oliver."
He pursed his lips and shook his head, forcing himself to turn away as he lost control of the anger building within him. It was to much, he couldn’t-.
"Just, let's find the evidence against him. Then it doesn't matter, he'll be in jail anyway." She watched him move away, shaking his head and then coming to a stop. "Oliver, it's okay." She barely had time to realize what he was doing until his fist slammed into post. She jumped in shock, crying out as she brought a hand up to muffle the noise. It stood there, panting, the post dented from the force of his fist. "I just,” she whispered softly, “I'm trying to keep you safe."
Her words were the final straw. Oliver turned, ignoring the pain in his fist. "Me? What am I supposed to be doing? It's my job to keep you safe. Do you really thing I'm okay with someone slapping you around?"
"No, I know," she said gently, trying to keep him calm. "But, let's get him where it counts."
Oliver stepped forward, grateful that she didn't seem phased by his anger and outburst. Once in front if her he reached up and cradled her marred cheek. "This, this matters more to me."
"I know," she said with a small smile. "I know that."
He sighed and dropped his hand. Every instinct told him this wasn't right. It didn't matter that they could possibly get Townsend arrested and convicted on more serious federal charges. What mattered to Oliver is that the man put his hands on Felicity and no one believed it. She didn't deserve that. "I'm going out."
Felicity stared after him as he walked away.
"No," Diggle said and stepped forward, following Oliver. "I know what you're thinking Oliver. And I fully support it, but not right now. It's to dangerous." Oliver stopped and Diggle waited, on guard for whatever Oliver had to throw at him.
Oliver finally turned and glared at him. "It doesn't matter."
Still not following, Felicity stepped forward between the two men. "What is going on?"
Diggle paused, waiting to see if Oliver would respond, but he didn't. So Diggle took it upon himself to explain. "Oliver's going after Townsend."
"Now?" Felicity asked in confusion. "But we're not ready, we-."
Diggle sighed and looked at her. "Felicity, I think Oliver was thinking more along the lines of putting him in the hospital."
She opened her mouth as it sunk in. Then it hit her. "No!" She spun to Oliver. "No, Oliver, don't. It's to easy for others to make the connection, and-." He shook his head and turned away from her. "Oliver Queen don't you walk away from me!" At that he stopped in his tracks and she sighed. "Look, I get it. I'm not happy about it either, but it won't solve anything except possibly make people connect the Arrow to you."
"She's right Oliver. You won't be doing anyone any favors. Look, when we're ready, and we take him down, go for it, but not right now."
Felicity opened her mouth to say that he shouldn't go for it at all, but she thought better of it.
Standing there, remaining still, it ate at him. He wanted to move. He wanted to go out there, find Townsend and beat him until he begged him to stop. For so long he had worked at reigning in his anger, his thirst for revenge and violence, but this.... Felicity couldn't understand, she didn't know what he came from, not really. She didn't understand the blood thirst. It was something he'd learned to control, but at that moment he wanted to just let go and repeatedly slam his fist into Townsend face until the man cried for mercy. He wanted to see the fear on the man's face every time he saw Felicity because he would know what would happen. He wanted him to regret every laying eyes on her.
She took slow steps towards him and once she was within reaching distance she laid her hand over his shoulder blade. "Please."
The plea was his breaking point. He sighed, shoulders slumping, and surrendered. It left him feeling weak, useless, unable to protect her. After a brief second he turned to face her. "If he even looks at you the wrong way I swear I'm going to kill him Felicity."
His words were hard, angry. Any other person would have shrunk at the sound. People did when confronted with the Arrow. Felicity only swallowed nervously, not afraid of him, but more afraid that Oliver might kill him. Oliver had reigned in his killing tendencies, but that didn't mean he couldn't still do it. She wasn't sure if he meant it or not, and that's what worried her. Instead of stating that she only nodded
"Alright," Diggle said loudly, breaking the tension, "with that settled for the moment I think I'm out of here. You two good?"
Felicity turned to him and nodded with a small, grateful smile. She'd called him in purposely to be there for when Oliver came in and Diggle helped her to reign Oliver in, but his part was done. Oliver didn't respond though. He turned away again, this time heading for the practice mats. Felicity sighed in relief. He had already been dressed for a work out and she watched him strip of his shirt as Diggle made his way up to the steps. When the door closed she turned her full attention on Oliver.
"You should go," he stated as he stood in front of the dummy. The last thing he wanted was for her to see how angry he really was. What that anger turned into.
Felicity didn't respond. Instead she followed him to the mat, kicking off her heals before stepping onto the cushioning. She came around to stand in front of him and their eyes met, but neither moved fruther. "I don't like seeing you like this."
"And I don't like seeing you with a bruised, split cheek," he responded angrily. Immediately he regretted it though. "Breaking his jaw isn't enough."
Nothing would pacify him, so she didn't bother responding. Instead she stepped closer and lifted a hand to his bare stomach and slid it up to rest over his chest. When he didn't pull away she raised onto her toes and leaned into him, finding his lips. It was so easy to forget it all when she had his hard, bare chest against her and his hand sought her out. Felicity slid her arms around his neck and her hands into his hair, deepening the kiss.
Oliver found himself yanking her shirt from her skirt and sliding his hands beneath the material and finding bare skin. She was soft, warm and pliable. It felt like coming home. His mind flashed to the two nights before, just after Townsend had hit her. Oliver had been carted off to jail, making bail a couple of hours later. He'd gone straight to Felicity's apartment, forcing his anger and fury down. He'd kept it at bay by keeping her close. He'd laid awake that night with her pressed against him and in his arms. It was ironic, he supposed, that she had the ability to give him peace, but also bring out the vengeful beast within him. Even now all he wanted to do was beat something. That thought alone with the feel of her hips pressing into own made him grasp her hips and push her back. He couldn’t do this, not as he was at the moment. She looked up at him through hooded eyes, which slowly they began to focus on him. "Felicity..."
"What?" She whispered, confused at the sudden concern in his voice and on his face.
It was that slight broken appearance that stopped him from saying more. His first instinct was to put a stop to this. He wasn't in the right frame of mind. Yet the look on her face prevented him from saying more. "Nothing," he said and shook his head, leaning in to kiss her and wrap his hands around her thighs. Her legs went immediately around his waist as he lifted her, as they had so many times before. Even if he thought he wasn't in the right frame of mine, it felt good to have her in his arms, have her body wrapped around his.
Felicity held onto him, never wanting to let go. Oliver thought he put her in danger, but nothing made her feel safer then having him near her.
Carefully, he made his way to a table, setting her down upon it. Her legs stayed locked around his waist. Oliver pulled away, just enough that their lips parted, but he left his forehead pressed against her own. "I'm sorry," he whispered and brought his hand up to touch her cheek. "I-."
"I know," she said gently, interrupting him, not wanting him to go down that path again.
Oliver closed his eyes and sighed, trying to reign in his emotions again. "I'm trying to keep myself under control." Her fingers slid over his neck and into his hair. "A few years ago I wouldn't have been able to, I would have-."
"Oliver," she interrupted, not wanting him to go there.
He opened his eyes to look down at her. "I would have easily beat him to death." He'd done it before, he'd been there.
She hurt for him. Felicity knew how much he constantly fought with himself and she hated it. "I know."
Her easy acceptance helped. It eased him. She always accepted him, no matter how damaged he was. That’s what made him love her. Felicity knew who he was, she accepted him for who he was. No one else could ever do that. She was made for him, that he knew, and he would be damned if anyone would ever harm that. Townsend would pay, eventually. He brought his other hand up to her cheek, cradling her face in his hands. “I love you.”
Felicity smiled, the weight of his emotion weighing down on her in a way she didn’t mind in the least. “I know that too.”
He sighed against her lips, relaxing for the moment, and leaned back in to kiss her again.