Titles and summary still suck! So I'm back with something that I've never tried to do. I've done a lot of writing but I have never actually tried to write a story where it's just friendship and nothing else.
I wanted to write this because I believe that Sara and Felicity could be good friends and even though I'm a huge Olicity shipper, I just can't hate Sara because she's just too kick-ass and an awesome character.
Oh and just because I like Sara's character doesn't mean I'm good at writing her in character, I tried with both of them so I hope they're as accurate as possible.
This is set sometime after 2x13
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Arrow or the characters in it.
Felicity sighed as she stared at the invitation. This is the fifth invitation she's received in a month; this is just getting utterly ridiculous. She didn't mind the first invite because it was a wedding for her roommate at MIT. Though she loved the ceremony she couldn't help but feel a little lonely at the reception. The last time she had a boyfriend was over a year ago - close to two years now - and for a few months after that she went on the odd date but in the more recent months she stopped. Without conscious thought of stopping, it just sort of happened.
The second invitation she received was from her mother. It was a baby shower for Anna; a girl she was neighbours with when growing up. Felicity's mother and Anna's mother were really good friends so they kept in contact with each other after all of these years, which means that her mother would also be there. A few times Felicity had caught herself becoming quite jealous of Anna because it seemed that she had more in common with Felicity's mother than she did. It didn't help that her mother was always harping on about how much she wished Felicity were more like Anna. Just because Anna was a social butterfly and went to parties and had boyfriends, one at a time of course, but was still really smart and on her way to Harvard law, while Felicity preferred to stay at home than go to a party and preferred sci-fi and fantasy type movies to the more popular teenage type movies at that time. She was also on her way to MIT as a computer science major, which her mother didn't understand, though that's not the first time her mother didn't understand her; she never understood Felicity. She never went to the shower though, mainly because team Arrow were in the middle of a mission so she had to stay behind her computers. Though, she couldn't say she was unhappy about declining the invitation.
The third was to her High School reunion. She didn't want to go to that one either. She didn't want to go to that one as much as she loves her computers. But Diggle had managed to sneak up behind her and read the invite over her shoulder. He insisted that she should go; even if it's to tell all of those girls who bullied her in High School that she gets to work by Oliver Queen's side every day. She had huffed indignantly at that, asking him why he thought she was bullied but just received a quirk of the eyebrow from Diggle. He definitely wasn't wrong about that but something told her that telling them would do nothing; she suddenly had an image of all those girls gawking at her if Oliver Queen was on her arm and she considered, just for a second, actually asking to see if he would accompany her but she dismissed it as soon as she thought of it. She couldn't ask that of him, how stupid and petty does that sound? Diggle even offered to drive her there and back and she seriously considered it for a while but decided against it. She just couldn't imagine facing them again.
These last two have both been for weddings. One from a friend she had at MIT and another one from a girl in High School. She could barely say that the MIT friend was a friend, sure if you include exchanging your number with someone to help get notes off them every so often then they were the best of friends. Well, he considered her a friend at least as he was the one always asking her for notes from classes he had obviously missed.
The invite she has just opened is the one from a girl she went to High School with. Felicity frowned a little at the invitation as she finished reading it. "I'm pretty sure I was never friends with you." She muttered to herself.
"Who're you talking to?"
Felicity jumped and let out a little squeal of surprise. She swivelled around in her chair and spotted Sara standing in the middle of the room looking at her curiously. "You're as bad as Oliver."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Sara said smiling at her.
Felicity sighed and turned back to her computers. "It's okay; unlike you I think Oliver likes to hear me squeal." She started to close down her computers when she registered exactly what she just said. She spun her chair back around to find a very amused looking Sara now standing closer to her. "Squeal as in yelp out of surprise not like the other kind because that has never and never will happen. I don't think of him like that either, not that he doesn't spark imagination in that department just not my imagination - -"
"Felicity!" Sara called to her. "It's okay, I know what you mean."
Felicity felt like her whole face was on fire; she cannot believe what she just said, to Oliver's girlfriend nonetheless. Although, Felicity thought glancing over at her, she looks as though she found it quite amusing.
"So, who's Kara?" Sara asked bringing Felicity back again.
"You know? That's a good question." Felicity said clearing her throat and looking back at the invitation on her computer.
Sara frowned at her. "You don't know her? But she's invited you to her wedding." She said confused looking at the invitation on Felicity's computer screen.
"Well, we went to High School together and I think we had AP calculus together…or was it English? Anyways, we had one class together and I'm pretty sure we exchanged one conversation, if you can even call "can I borrow a pencil?" an actual conversation which I don't, so I have no idea why I've even received this stupid invitation." She finished feeling frustrated and knew she hit the mouse to close the invitation a little too forcefully but she couldn't help it.
Three out of five invitations were to weddings, how could she not feel frustrated? People all around her are getting married or are in relationships and then there's her. Felicity was probably more frustrated with herself for feeling like she does. She's never been one to really worry about that sort of thing, if it happened then awesome she'll be happy about it but she's not going to go out of her way to date some random because damn it, she has standards!
"Are you hungry?" Sara asked, pulling Felicity out of her brain for the second time.
Felicity placed a hand over her stomach and smiled sheepishly. "I do feel like my stomach is eating itself."
Sara laughed at that comment. "Come on, there's this quiet, little Thai place I use to go to all the time, my shout."
Felicity couldn't help but look up curiously at the woman. She's never tried to hang out with Felicity before and she can't help but to think that Sara's only doing this because she feels sorry for Felicity. But she can't bring herself to care; it's been awhile since she's hung out with another woman who isn't trying to kill her, with eyes or weapons, or use her to get close to Oliver. She finds herself smiling back at Sara. "Sure, why not?"
Fifteen minutes later found Felicity and Sara sitting at a table near the back of the restaurant. Sarah wasn't kidding when she said quiet or little Felicity observed. It was a small restaurant and so out of the way that Felicity actually walked right by the front door when they had arrived. Inside looked bigger than Felicity expected but that's not hard to accomplish. It held quite a few tables all bunched together to get maximum customers but it made weaving between tables a little uncomfortable when people were actually occupying them.
"So…" Sara started after the waiter had left and Felicity looked up to her waiting. "…is it the invitation that's the problem or is there something else?"
"Straight to the heavy stuff huh?" Felicity asked with a slight smile.
"I don't like to beat around the bush." Sara replied shrugging.
"Something else we have in common, though my directness tends to leave me looking like a fool afterwards." Felicity joked lamely and saw Sara smile slightly at it.
"Unfortunately, I can't help you there."
"Don't beat yourself up over it, I'm a lost cause."
Felicity smiled back at Sara and picked up her glass of water, enjoying the fact that she has a sense of humour. It's something the other woman didn't show very often and Felicity just assumed that it was because of the same reason that Oliver doesn't really have one.
"So are you seeing anyone currently?"
Felicity nearly choked on her water. That was random! After a couple of attempts at talking she just gave up and started to shake her head.
"Why not?"
"Wow!" Felicity gasped, finally being able to trust her voice. "You weren't kidding? Are you always this direct?"
Sara smiled at her as she replied. "Yes, so don't try and change the subject."
Felicity sighed and looked down at her plate. It sounds reasonable in her head why she's feeling like this but to say it out loud, it sounds kind of silly. Like melodramatic, teenage kind of silly. But for some reason Sara had her feeling like someone wanted to know. Someone truly wanted to help her through whatever she's going through. So she took a deep breath.
"I guess I just stopped trying."
"Stopped trying to find dates?" Sara asked
"Yeah, I mean I blamed the jobs for a while saying that they were taking too much out of my time to actually allow me the chance to date, but you and Oliver and Digg and Roy, all of you are examples of how untrue that is."
Felicity scrunched her nose up and made a sound like she didn't like the taste of something. "God listen to me, I sound all whiney!"
Sara laughed at that. "No you don't."
"Are you sure? Because I can stop talking altogether." Felicity said with honesty but one look at Sara's raised eyebrow knew that even if she did make an effort, the silence wouldn't last.
"Felicity I didn't bring you here to not talk."
"Obviously, otherwise this would be kind of awkward."
"Exactly, I asked you a question and I wanted to hear what the answer is." She said like there was no other option.
Felicity couldn't help but to smile slightly at the other woman before taking another sip of her water. "I don't know, I guess after receiving three wedding invitations in the last month I kind of felt lonely."
Feeling lonely inside made her feel miserable but saying it out loud, as if confirming it, made her feel even worse. How did she ever become this person? She never relied on anyone because she had no one to rely on while growing up. She's self-sufficient and independent and she never needed a man to tell her otherwise. But lately she can't help but feel like having a man in her life, romantically, would be a nice change.
"I don't understand why you don't" Sara started breaking Felicity out of her head for the third time that night. Or was it the fourth? She's really got to stop escaping into her mind.
"Why I don't what?"
"Have a boyfriend." Sara said before looking at Felicity curiously. "Come on Felicity, even you can't lack that much self-confidence to see what a catch you are?"
Felicity looked at Sara and she knew that she was waiting for her to say something to confirm but she didn't. Felicity blushed slightly and shrugged. "I never did like fishing."
"Felicity, you're gorgeous, smart, adorable, funny - -"
"Don't forget socially awkward." She interrupted her because she couldn't really help it. Too many positives, so, logically speaking, a negative was bound to show up.
"That only adds to your adorable factor." Sara counters and Felicity just stares at her with a fierce blush colouring her face. She was not expecting that.
Felicity was saved by the waiter as he brought their food to the table. Feeling her stomach growl in anticipation she picked up her fork and started to eat.
"You know, wanting someone in your life is not a weakness." Sara said between bites.
Felicity looked up from her plate and felt slightly embarrassed by the way she probably looks right now. Her mouth is so stuffed full of rice, chicken and broccoli that it takes her a little while to swallow so she can answer. "No, but it can feel demoralising"
"In what way?"
"I'm sure you of all people will understand this; but I've always had that 'I don't need a man' mentality." Felicity said to her as she began to scoop food onto her fork. "I don't need anyone to support me or make me happy because I have myself for that job. But to feel like I need something to fill that gap, kind of makes me feel frustrated and disappointed with myself" She hungrily ate the food off her fork thinking that was it.
"You're right Felicity, I do understand, you don't need a man." Felicity's eyes went to Sara as she spoke. "But that doesn't mean you don't want a man."
Felicity stopped eating. Her fork, with a mound of rice and chicken on it was hovering in front of her mouth but she couldn't bring herself to take that bite. Holy mother of pearl! Sara's hit it on the nose. Felicity's right; she doesn't need a man, who needs a man anyway? It always just causes more complications than necessary. But wanting a man? Now that's a different story. Felicity wants to feel that companionship between two people she wants to know that someone out there, or more specifically in her life, loves her and cares for her unconditionally. She wants to go to sleep and wake up in someone's arms feeling safe and secure all the while. More importantly, she wants someone in her life that she can share her day with, her night too, and comfort her if need be.
Felicity looks up at Sara and smiles at her. "Touché"
Sara smiled back at her and they continued eating in a comfortable silence until they were both finished and satisfied with their meal. Felicity leaned back in her chair with a hand on her stomach and let a satisfied sigh pass her lips before speaking again. "My stomach and I thank you Sara, this was good."
Sara finished wiping her mouth with her napkin before smiling back. "You're welcome. And hey, if you ever need someone to talk to or let your emotions out, or even just a dinner date, I'm here okay?"
Felicity returned the smile fondly. "Thanks."
Sara dropped her napkin on her plate before standing and collecting her things. "Of course, I mean us women need to stick together, especially when we're out-numbered by angry, testosterone filled men all the time."
Felicity laughed and started to put her coat on "At least they make for good eye candy" Her eyes went wide. "Digg and Roy I meant, not Oliver, 'cause Oliver is your boyfriend, not that he isn't good looking or anything 'cause I mean obviously he is and you should really try and persuade him to wear a shirt when he works out!"
Sara laughed heartedly at Felicity's outburst and looped an arm around her shoulders as they walked out of the restaurant. Yup, they are going to be good friends.