Hazards of Lip Moisturizer

So again, know nothing of severe allergies, if anything is horribly wrong please feel free to let me know. Other than that, please enjoy~

The day had started out innocently as any other.

The weather for the past month had been unseasonably cool, so of course before she'd left their apartment that morning her husband had made sure she had on a proper coat. And a nice sweater in case she got cold in the building...inside the nice, climate controlled, well-sealed building. With at least two individuals very adept to handle said climate-control system.

Granted, she and Curtis would be working with their own computer systems the whole time, and the room with the tech was always kept at a cooler temperature to prevent any possible overheating from happening, so...she supposed Oliver did have a point with that one. Besides, she did get cold easily.

All this cold air? Yeah, it made the skin so unbearably dry. Her body moisturizer seemed to be keeping up the battle ok, but her lips. Quite uncomfortably chapped. The lipstick she used - well, it seemed to only be making the problem worse. And chapstick was evidently something that she didn't carry around very much, because her purse was sorely lacking any form of Lip Moisturizer. She'd checked, twice. She'd only thought to bring the color she was currently wearing to refresh it if need be, not considering a later need for lip moisturization - seriously, the skin on her lips was this close to cracking and bleeding...

"What I wouldn't give for some chapstick just about now.." Felicity mumbled under her breath as she fiddled with something on the screen in front of her. Curtis had apparently heard her, because next thing she knew he'd left his station and was walking over toward her.

"Oh, here. I've got one of those new, weird-flavor ones. If you don't mind using after me, that is." Curtis offered, holding up the plastic tube, after uncapping it and wiping it on his sleeve. Felicity gasped and looked over at him, holding her hand out.

"I don't care, gimmie." And so she slathered it on thick over her poor, crying lips. They felt properly soothed. For the few moments it took for her to smile and, after wiping it off again, hand the tube back to Curtis, pronouncing him a lifesaver as she turned back to her own work.

Really, 'weird-new-flavor' should have tipped her off. Oliver had warned her to be careful and pay close attention to the ingredients in things...but only things she actually ate, right? She wasn't actually eating the chapstick. She hadn't even thought about checking what was in it. She only thought about the relief she would feel once she'd applied.

And a great relief it would've been, if the chapstick container had not read, 'Peanutbutter Honey - Cinnamon flavor.'

Because honestly, who buys that kind of thing?

Curtis, apparently.

At least he didn't completely freak out when, not 20 minutes later, he turned around to ask Felicity something and saw her lips swollen to about 3 times their natural size and the whole area of her face an unnatural red color.

"Uh, Felicity?" He asked, very concerned for her health and breathing and he really, honestly, genuinely did not know she had an allergy to...something. Remembering who and how big her husband was, he gulped and hoped he would make it alive through this evening...maybe he would show some mercy given the above...and there was a show on tonight he really didn't want to miss, which he totally would if he was, y'know, dead.

She only held up a hand, index finger up, and continued solely focused on the code she was writing. Curtis frowned because, seriously, how could she Not Notice that she was in the middle of an allergic reaction?!

"Felicity!" He snapped, walking over to where she sat. He would totally...call an ambulance to come and get her, if he had to. Which, now he's thinking of it, wouldn't be such a bad idea anyway.

"What?" She finally looked up at his tone, then promptly freaked a bit as she realized her lips weren't being fully cooperative. She looked adorably confused, even with the huge lips and really red face.

"Are you...allergic to peanuts, perchance?" He asked as he sidled a step closer, lowering his head towards her. She nodded, feeling rather numb.

"Oh - I am SO sorry, I had no idea, I honestly...oh no, oh man, I am so dead, Oliver is so gonna kill me.."

"Curthis," Felicity got out, grimacing and realized she had most likely been chewing on her lips this entire time and had no doubt ingested the flavor. Her throat was burning and knew...well, Curtis wouldn't be the only one Oliver was going to kill. "Bag, zippther, Epi." Felicity kept her words short and hopefully understandable. At least she wasn't supposed to meet her husband for lunch today, so there was no need to immediately notify him. He would only worry. Besides, she was pretty sure he was spending the morning with Thea, and she didn't want to intrude on that family time. Not with a simple allergic reaction like this; perhaps she'd send him a text when she got to the hospital. He'd feel better knowing she got looked over, right? Right.

"Epi, right!" Curtis said, snapping her back to the here and now, and then Felicity swallowed again and considered...she wasn't having that much trouble breathing at present, so...

"Wait! No Epi, just...hothspial, now." She declared, reaching out for his hand.

"What? Are you sure? I mean, yes, of course...let's grab your purse, too." Curtis swung round to grab the item, then back over to Felicity and helped her stand and head over to the elevator. Felicity made sure she had her phone before really allowing herself to leave. Once they were settled in Curtis' car and on the road, she started typing out her text.

'Had slight allergic reaction to something - I am fine! - but just so you know, heading to hospital now, just in case. I am fine tho. No need to come by. Love you.'

Then she turned off her phone, because she wasn't really supposed to have it on in the hospital, and they were here anyway.

As she suspected, they looked her over, gave her the needed meds, then pretty much sent her home with a note to call if anything more developed. Everything was calm, everything was fine, and there was really no need for anyone to freak out. Someone shoukd probably have told that to Oliver, because, just as she was entering the main lobby waiting area again, he was bursting through the entry doors with Thea right behind him. His wild eyes calmed upon seeing her, and she saw him visibly let out a deep breath. And then he glared. She had the presence of mind to put on a sheepish smile as he stalked his way over to her.

"Slight allergic reaction," he spat as soon as he was within arms reach, and then quickly engulfed her in one of his special-branded hugs. She stiffened, and then sunk into him, gripping his nice dress shirt in her hands. "You turned your phone off," he accused, keeping his hand on her head and not even letting her look up at him.

"'S proper...procedure for, hosthipitals." She tried to say, but it only sounded...weird. Over Oliver's shoulder , Felicity could see Thea crack a grin.

"He was only worried about you, Felicity, especially when you didn't answer back. You should've seen him when he got that text." Thea said, raising an eyebrow. Felicity frowned, then buried her face into his neck, shuddering internally.

"'M sorry...didn't want to worry you, or delve into sibling time..." she attempted to say, though she was secretly very glad to have Oliver here, but could have waited til sometime after she got home, too. Curtis could've kept her company until he got home. She felt Oliver stiffen and he was about to pull her back, when she felt a light tap on the top of her head. She looked up and saw the eyes of a very sage Queen woman staring back at her.

"Oliver and I? We can have 'sibling time' anytime, but if and whenever you need your husband here, if even just for support...well, he'll be there. I'll make sure of it." Thea proclaimed, ending with a wink. For some reason - perhaps the meds were making her emotional, and yes, she was totally going to run with that - she wanted to cry all of sudden, and so she buried her face in Oliver's chest. Taking care to keep her aching lips away from coming into contact with his shirt material, of course. She felt his arms close around her in another tight hug where he seemed to be inhaling her shampoo rather deeply. Distantly, she believed her heard Curtis and Thea speaking of her bag, which she'd left in Curtis' car, and possible arrangements for Curtis to drop Thea off at Laurel's on his way home. She couldn't really be sure, though, because by this time she'd closed her eyes and had given herself over to the deep, blissful, impossible comfort that could only be provided to her by her husband.

Sometime after they had returned home she had, of course, had to tell Oliver what exactly it was that had caused her allergic reaction. How it had come to be. Which made for an interesting confrontation later that day when Curtis came to check on her and she found the two having a staring - no, it was really more a one-sided glaring contest in the living room. They were both standing in the center of the room, Oliver with his arms over his chest and a rather Arrow-y, 'you-have-failed-this-city' expression on his face. And then poor Curtis, who looked ready to bolt if only he weren't so scared to move.

"He's not...really gonna kill me, right?" He questioned, darting fearful eyes over to where Felicity was slowly walking towards them.

"No, because he knows I woukd never allow it. It was an accident, Oliver. Accidents happen, people accidently hurt people, just like a certain type of muffin happened." She reminded him, giving her husband a pointed look. He startled, looking down at her, expression contrite. Felicity smiled and patted his arm, and he finally eased up.

"Fine," Oliver sighed, dropping his arms, but returned his glare to Curtis. "But you have to get rid of that chapstick - I don't ever want it or anything with peanuts or cinnamon anywhere near my wife. Understood?"

"Yes, of course, Mr. Queen. Already tossed it in the trash, at home." Curtis was quick to add.

"Good," Oliver nodded in approval, before holding out his hand with an item in it and saying, "Now,since you spend a lot of time with Felicity, I am entrusting you with one of these. You'd better have it on your person at all times, and I will be giving unexpected quizzes on its location and use. If you don't have it, then I'll kill you." Oliver said, ending sweetly with a little smile. Felicity forcibly elbowed him in the side.

"Maime you," Oliver corrected, to which Felicity gave him an exasperated look.

"He doesn't mean that." She muttered, leaning heavily on her husband as she suddenly felt light headed and really tired from just having been up this long.

"Oh, I think he does." Curtis gulped, after taking the Epipen from Oliver. He was then dismissed as Oliver declared that his wife needed more rest, but she wouldn't leave the two of them alone, so yes Curtis was going home.

Over the next 3 weeks, Oliver would appear out of no where and near give Curtis a heart-attack. But each time, he was able to present the Epipen and recite the instructions correctly by heart, never having to look once. After the 3rd week, Oliver finally seemed ok to leave him to it, with only once a month appraisals.