Oliver stared at the ceiling.

He watched the the streetlights streaming through the window, slanting across the white-washed ceiling through the half-open blinds. A car drove by and his eyes followed its shadow through the light slats before they regained their shape again. Every few minutes the light would move, a soft breeze blowing through the partially open window.

He couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t been able to sleep since they’d gotten back, but it’d gotten worse and worse… since Sara had come back, since they’d finally gotten a bead on the elusive Darhk, since he’d made the decision to run for Mayor, since he’d found out where Thea disappeared to most nights, since he and Diggle had butted heads again during a mission, since… 

He sighed…

… and stared at the ceiling, his mind racing, unable to stop on any one single thing. There was just too much, too much to concentrate on one thing; his head felt too full, his chest too tight, 

Felicity shifted next to him and he looked at her. Her back was pressed against his side, her arms cradling his where it was wrapped around her, using his bicep as a pillow. She was exhausted, even more than him - running a multi-billion dollar company by day and helping him at night was taking its toll on her, physically and mentally. She fell into bed most nights, completely exhausted, barely giving herself time to change before she was gone to the world.

She let out a little snore, and he felt a tiny drop of drool on his arm. 

A ghost of a smile skated over his lips. He pulled her closer, turning back to the ceiling. 

Oliver closed his eyes, his mind floating back to easier times, simpler times. His chest tightened at the memories of their months away, when it had just been them and nothing else. Late mornings; leisurely drives; picnics where they’d stared at the sky, talking about cloud shapes before he would doze off, his head on her stomach; long hikes, long showers, long naps…

He tried to let them lull him to sleep… but a second later he opened his eyes again. 

He was so tired, but he was wide awake.

His stomach growled softly. When was the last time he’d eaten? He didn’t remember eating dinner. Oliver glanced at the clock - they’d only been home for a few hours. They’d worked right through dinner time.

His stomach growled again, and this time he heeded it. Oliver sat up gently, slowly sliding his arm out from under Felicity. She made a little noise, moving to grab something else. She found a pillow and pulled it against her chest, digging her face in before sighing, relaxing back into her deep slumber.

Oliver paused a second, looking down at her, his love for this tiny woman making his chest feel full for a very different reason. He smiled, and smoothed her hair down, pressing a kiss to her temple, feeling a little looser, a little more relaxed - he had her, and that made everything better somehow - before he got up.

The loft was quiet. He knew Thea was home, he’d checked when they’d finally arrived themselves. His mind immediately shied away from the topic, his self-preservation kicking in, knowing he was way too damn tired to go down that road at three in the morning.

Oliver padded into the kitchen and checked the fridge, and then the cupboards, before opening the fridge again. He wasn’t hungry for anything, but he knew he should eat… He opened the freezer and his eyes fell on Felicity’s mint chocolate chip ice cream, and his stomach grumbled in agreement. He didn’t do sweets, but at that very moment, ice cream sounded amazing.

Oliver pulled the carton out, tugging the top off, tossing it on the counter and grabbed a spoon.Taking a scoop, Oliver savored the sharp sweetness on his tongue, taking another bite as he made his way to the windows overlooking the city.

He heard the soft rustle of their sheets followed by the soft thud of her feet landing on the floor. Oliver didn’t turn, taking another bite of the ice cream as she made her way down the stairs and towards him.

Felicity wrapped her arms around his middle, pressing her face against his shoulder blade. She gave him a light kiss, and Oliver leaned back, letting her help him bear some of the weight on his shoulders. It was purely instinctual anymore - leaning on her, letting her lean on him, just being there for each other.

“Hi,” she whispered, moving so she could look around his shoulder, her arms still wrapped around him. “Can’t sleep?”

“No,” Oliver replied, taking another bite. 

She made a little noise and he looked down at her to see her eyes on the ice cream. He smiled, that relaxed feeling he’d felt in bed returning. Oliver scooped out a tiny spoonful, holding it out for her. With a sleepy smile, she wrapped her lips around it, sucking the ice cream off, making little noises as she swirled it around before swallowing.

A streak of desire shot through him - it momentarily erased the worries weighing on his mind, and he gladly let it. Oliver turned in her embrace, wrapping his free arm around her waist, giving her a soft kiss. She tasted like mint chocolate chip and Felicity, and he wanted more. She gave him a soft moan, standing on her toes to get closer to him, and he slid his tongue along the seam of her lips, begging entrance.

In the next second, Oliver was walking them backwards until he found a table to set the ice cream down on, and then he swooped her up into his arms. 

Felicity yelped when his cold hand touched her bare thigh, but it quickly warmed as she kissed and nipped her way to his ear, making it particularly hard to find his way up the stairs before they reached the bed, falling into each other’s embrace. They took that moment for just them, to remember that while so much was going on, that they had so much to worry about, they still had each other.

The next morning they woke up to a giant pile of melted ice cream on the dining room table, and Thea standing in the kitchen, giving them a knowing smile as she drank her coffee.

(Beautiful Human Squad under the cut…)

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