Chapter Text
“Sorry I’m late. It couldn’t be helped,” Oliver Queen, came in, not making eye contact with anyone as he unbuttoned his jacket, taking a seat at the head of the table.
“William?” Deputy Mayor, Quentin Lance whispered over to the young man, fully aware of all the eyes on them.
Oliver nodded.
All except one.
Everyone in the room knew the routine of their mayor being late, but they weren’t sure how their guest was going to take the tardiness.
“Well it’s a good thing I have read up on the reputation Mayor Handsome has on being late,” Oliver turned his attention to a lady in a red business suit standing at the end of the long table. She was bent over the table, typing away on her tablet, not aware of how everyone’s eyes quickly had turned to her. Her head leaned down hid her face from view of Oliver. He can only imagine the beauty that was on it just by the sound of her voice. It was soft and smooth.
“I’m sorry, Miss —??” Oliver placed his hands on the table, Mayor mode taking over.
Mayor ‘Handsome’ Queen was a nickname he was “graced” with from his early days of campaigning. He knew that no one believed he could do this job. Sometimes he even wonders how he could do it, but he has. Not to boast, but he was pretty damn good at it. Star City needed a mayor that would fight for it’s citizens, someone who not only wanted the city to succeed but more importantly, the people in it. Oliver Queen had a good heart that was available for the people of this city, despite it being hidden and protected from everyone else in his day to day life. He did have one exception.
William Clayton-Queen was his thirteen year old boy. During his senior year of high school, Oliver had gotten his (rather short time) girlfriend Samantha pregnant. Things didn’t work out between them but that didn’t stop them from remaining really great friends. They worked as perfect teammates parenting William, up until she passed away. Five years ago Samantha was diagnosed with cancer. A cancer that ultimately claimed her two years later.
Now it was just Oliver and William.
“Smoak,” She pushed her rectangle framed glasses up on her nose by the edge, still typing away, “Felicity Smoak. CEO of Smoak Technologies. Reason why we are here in this meeting Mayor Queen.”
“Yes, the power cell.” Oliver said, waiting to see if Felicity would ever look up, “Now you said you wanted to expand your technologies personally into the east side of the country. Now correct me if I am wrong but people world wide are able to purchase your various technologies for themselves. What makes this special?”
Felicity stood up and walked over to a projector display, adjusting it to the middle of the wall, in perfect view for everyone to look at, “Because, this isn’t just any product people can buy online. This is one of it’s kind. I am planting roots for my new labs in Star City. My power cell will be manufactured here and will be available to Star City before any other part of the country.”
Felicity walked over to the wall, hitting the lights as she turned on the over head projector. She walked back next to the screen, the light of the projector blinding her to anything behind it.
Blinding her to Oliver.
For Oliver it just singled her out. The mixed colors that came out of the projector onto her danced beautifully on her skin. She was beautiful, just like he imagined she would be.
“If we take in your power cell, how would it benefit Star City?”
Felicity started the presentation, only ever stopping to answer any questions that came up. She heard from many people at the table during her presentation, but there was one person she didn’t hear from again after she started. The one person she needed to hear from— Mayor Queen.
“…It’s one hundred percent recyclable. It has been powering this entire presentation and for the last few months it has been powering my entire new lab building.”
There was an applause along with people commenting to one another on how it could benefit Star City. A voice brought everyone to silence.
“Well, based on the tables reaction, I can see that your technology is impressive. Give me a day to speak to my colleagues and we can go over things in detail.”
Noting that the meeting was done, everyone around the table started getting up, making their way out the door. Felicity started packing up her belongings, getting praises from the ones leaving. She turned off the projector as someone turned the lights back on. Bringing the rest of the room into view.
Movement started to fade in the background, leaving Felicity to believe she was alone in the room.
“That was quite a presentation.” Oliver walked up buttoning his jacket again.
“Thank you, I guess you can say I am very passionate about this,” Felicity put things into her rolling briefcase, zipping it up. She grabbed the handle, pulling it up to it’s height and finally looked up.
She was taken back by the man that stood before her. He was nothing like she saw in the pictures and that was saying something to his benefit. His eyes, she noticed right away, were much bluer in person. Eyes that can hypnotize just about anyone that dare looked at them. The stubble on his face was just the perfect amount. Nothing too long but nothing too short that made his face look dirty.
Something else Felicity noticed was just how tall the man was. Even in her heels she fell short to just above his chin. Don’t even get her started on how big that man looked in general. It was no wonder to her as to why the media had named him Mayor Handsome.
“I just want to apologize again for my being late today. It really was something that couldn’t be prevented and it needed my attention right away.” Oliver looked down at the blue eyed beauty.
He couldn’t see her eyes earlier because the light from the projector just glared off her glasses. Something inside him just knew that he would regret if he didn’t have a look at them personally before leaving. When he was told that there was interest by a big tech company to generate the city with something called a power cell, he, like everyone else, was skeptical about whether or not it could actually work. Truth was, because the majority of the presentation Oliver was paying more attention to her beauty than the actual facts given out, he was still skeptical.
“Well, like I said, I came prepared. Pushed back my schedule about forty five minutes.” Felicity gripped her hand tightly around the handle of her bag, “Which reminds me, I should get going or I will be late for the next item on my schedule.” She smiled and made her way to the door.
“I will be looking forward to our next meeting, Miss Smoak,” Oliver caught one more glimpse of her eyes before they turned away for the final time, going out the door.
He couldn’t put it together but something about her woke something up inside of him. For the first time in a long time he rubbed his fingers together, not of nervousness but anxiously. Anxious to see her again.
Felicity Smoak had definitely made an impression on him.
Oliver couldn’t stop thinking about Felicity Smoak all day. After she left he went back to his office and looked her up. Finding his way into Smoak Technologies website, he sat starring at a photo of her in the “About the CEO” page. It spoke of the basics for people to be interest in her products, but Oliver wanted to know more than that. He wanted to know the things that weren’t on the page. What her favorite movie was? Her favorite song, her favorite color, her favorite activity. He wanted to know about the woman and not the product she sold.
Walking into his loft apartment, Oliver took his jacket off placing it on the coat rack.
“Dad! Is it true?!” William came from his room into the living room full speed ahead, excitement on his face.
“Hey, buddy, slow down there. Where is my ‘Hello, Dad. How are you today, Dad? Thank you for talking my teacher from putting me in detention today, Dad.’?” Oliver started to pull his neck tie down, un-doing it. Tossing his keys into the bowl on the entrance door table.
William pushed his lips together, hoping his father had forgotten about him trying to correct his science teacher on a formula she was sure she was right about, “Yeah, I probably should have just kept my mouth shut, but you and mom always told me to stand up for what is right. That formula was not right.” William sat on the counter stool as his dad walked to the refrigerator, grabbing two water bottles.
“She is still your teacher. How about some respect?” He placed the second water bottle in front of William, “On the other hand, I’m proud of you for catching that and standing your ground. Just don’t have me try to save you from it again though.”
William chuckled at his dad, almost forgetting about his excitement from earlier, “So how was work?”
“When are you so interested in my job? I thought I was just another politician?”
“I have always been interested in your job, Dad.” William’s voice heightened as he tried to convince his dad of the fact, "I mean, you do great work for the city. You are doing the new police reform, you are putting away drug dealers like Ricardo Diaz, the whole thing with the power cell, Thanksgiving charity drive you do every year to help family’s in need, and the —“ William would have kept rambling trying to cover up his true interest but he should have known better. His dad was always rather a perceptive person and William could never get away with anything.
“And there it is. The power cell.” Oliver took a chug from his water bottle, leaning back against the counter, “Didn’t your grandparents buy you something from Smoak Tech for your birthday this year?”
“Yes! It was the security system for my laptop! I had only been saving for that for two years! Have you met her yet? Felicity Smoak?!” William stood up on the stools bars, lifting himself up on the counter, “Can I meet her?!”
“Yes, I have met her. I only spoke to her briefly and we have another meeting soon.” Oliver walked over to the sink and started washing his hands, “As for meeting her… we will see. Now go finish up your homework, dinner should be ready in an hour.”
“Okay, I just hope you know you are in the presence of a tech goddess!” The young Clayton-Queen grabbed his water bottle and went off to his room, leaving his father in deep thought about a certain blonde he met earlier that day.
“So, What do you think about that power cell idea?” Deputy Mayor Quentin Lance asked as he sat down on the chair opposite Oliver.
“Well, I think it is something worth trying out. If Miss Smoak is right then we won’t need to have as much power generators and that will lead to less fuel being burned as well,” Oliver laced his fingers over his belly, leaning back in his desk chair, swaying side to side casually, “Ultimately, it will lead to better living for our citizens. Creates less smog and that is better air quality for everyone living here.”
“Yeah, and is that your analysis or William’s?” Lance asked rhetorically.
Besides being Deputy Mayor, Quentin Lance was also a long time family friend to Oliver. Growing up Oliver was friends with his daughters, and if Oliver was being honest he always looked at Quentin as a father figure. Out of everyone in his life Quentin knew how much he has changed over the years and knew him better than he knew himself.
For Oliver, Quentin was family. He was the only parent figure he had left and they both knew that. They didn’t speak on it but they knew it.
William knew too. There has been a few slip of the tongue moments and called Quentin ‘grandpa’ in the past. The adults just let it happen and let William decide how he wanted to view Quentin as and truth be told it was a moment neither adult would ever forget.
They both loved the idea of Quentin being grandpa to William.
“William.” Oliver nodded out, giving up the act. William, as everyone observed from a very young age, was way smarter than anyone could have ever imagined.
Neither Oliver or Samantha knee where it came from. Oliver was never that great at school and although Samantha wasn’t a bad student, she knew she wasn’t prodigy level either.
“Let me guess, He is a super fan of one Felicity Smoak?”
“Apparently her biggest fan. He has been talking about her non-stop since I got home from work yesterday.” Oliver chuckled about how much his son was driving him crazy about the woman, “I mean, he does have good points about the power cell and he would also disown me if I pass on the opportunity.”
“Okay, I will see if she has the afternoon cleared and ask her to come down.” Quentin got up and headed for the door.
“Actually, Quentin I would go to her. Let me know if that is possible.” Oliver scooted up to his desk and started back to work after his friend walked out.
Oliver walked in to the lab, smiling at an assistant, thanking her for escorting him to where Miss Smoak had been keeping herself busy. His eyes wondered about looking at all the tech equipment, some lights flickering, others sounds going off. For a moment it almost reminded him of William’s bedroom and all the crazy things he works on. Some things never making it off the vision board. Other things just being tossed to the side after not being able to work the way he imagined it, but most times they really worked.
When William was five he had made a helmet for himself that lit up. Sure it was an arts and crafts project made out of cardboard and other things laying around but for a kid his age it was really darn impressive. That was the moment Oliver knew William was special. The helmet is now beautifully displayed in the living room.
Oliver motioned for his security detail to wait by the door as he stepped forward into the room, walking down an isle of tall machines. As he approached the end, he was brought to a large table with wires and tools scattered about it. Felicity was standing there, her eyes focused on screwing something into the device in her hand.
He stood there just looking in awe of the sight he had in front of him. There was something about the way her eyes burrowed in together as she focused on her work. She had no clue he was there, he knew that after about ten seconds. She was focused and there was no room for distractions, much like in the presentation.
She was lost in her own little world.
“Hi.” He simply said.
Felicity yelped and jumped in her seat, dropping the things in her hand on the table. One of her hands instinctively went to her chest over her heart as the other gripped onto the edge of the table, stabling herself.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Oliver approached the desk, opposite Felicity, “You working on something?”
“Yes, a home security system.” He looked down at the table with all the wires and equipment scattered about. The table looking more of a junkyard than a security system , “It’s a work in progress.”
“Good luck.”
Felicity stood up wiping her hands on a towel, “What can I do for you Mayor Queen?”
“I was hoping you could show me more on your power cell. I am a very hands on, seeing is believing type of person.” He moved some wires around, looking at them for a second.
“Well, right this way.” Felicity walked passed him, walking down the aisle of machines again. She slowed when she saw two men on either side of the door, “Friends of yours?”
“I have stalkers.” Oliver jokes, catching up to her steps, “My security detail. I am not allowed anywhere outside of City Hall without them.”
“Must feel like a prison having to be followed around like that all the time.” Felicity said walking passed the machines to the other side, “Not being able to have alone time or privacy with anyone.”
“It was hard at first, but after a while I got use to it. Other’s not so much,” Oliver stood to the side watching Felicity walk around the room, setting things up, before planting herself in front of a computer, typing away effortlessly.
“Oh? Your wife?” Felicity paused looking at him to say, “Sorry, I shouldn’t ask. That’s personal.”
“No, it’s okay.” He put his hand up to indicate it was fine, “I don’t have anyone. It’s just me and my son.”
“You have a son?” Felicity knew this from her own little social media digging she did on him, but decided not to know.
“Yes, I do. He’s a stubborn, smart teenager. A perfect mix of me and his mother.” He said, noting the way Felicity’s eyes dropped back to the screen.
“Well, here it is. Let me talk you through the statistics I have before my company was powered by the cell and after the power cell.” Felicity shifted the computer for Oliver to view. Oliver walked over taking a seat next to her, watching the monitor.
For the next hour Felicity explained detail for detail how the power cell works and the changes she is making to the power cell in order to power an entire city compared to one own building. There was questions Oliver asked in benefits for the citizens of the city that Felicity gladly answered. More and more Oliver was liking the idea of testing the cell and going into further business with Smoak Tech.
More and more Oliver was liking the idea of working with Felicity Smoak.
He couldn’t help but notice the entire time that she was a beautiful woman. He noticed from the last time he saw her, but now really watching her in her own environment was a different experience. She was a little more laid back here, in jeans and a striped long sleeve shirt and plain black shoes, simple but radiant. Her hair pulled up into a ponytail he was able to see more of the beauty on her face. Her perfect jawline, her adorable ears and much to his surprise an industrial piercing on her right ear. Something he missed because the last time he saw her her hair was down in lovely waves.
Up or down, she was beautiful either way.
“I know I have already said this building and everything in it is already being powered by it, but if you’d like I can take one to city hall, connect it there for a demonstration.” Felicity turned her chair facing him.
“I think that would great. I believe with everything you have shown me to day has got my attention enough to want to continue this partnership,” Oliver smiled over at Felicity as she jumped with happiness in her seat.
They got interrupted as one of the bodyguards that walked over, whispering in Oliver’s ear. He dropped his head and nodded.
“Bring him in.” Oliver looked over at Felicity, “I’m sorry about this, but it seems my son found out where I am and conned his way into getting brought over here.”
“It’s okay,” she looked over as a the same body guard walked back in with a young boy and an additional bodyguard, tall, dark, broad and extremely intimidating.
“William, what are you doing here? Aren’t you suppose to be home with Raisa?”
“I asked Mr. Diggle when you were going to be home today and when he said you had a meeting here and I begged him to bring me here.” William said gripping a book in his hand, “I think I annoyed him so much he broke.”
Oliver looked over at the bodyguard that walked in, raising an eyebrow communicating ‘really?’ with them. Diggle, with his hands held in front of him, shrugged.
“We are going to have a long talk about manipulating Mr. Diggle to do what you want— again.” He placed a hand on William’s shoulder, turning to Felicity, “Miss Smoak, this is my son, William. William this is—“
“Felicity Megan Smoak. CEO of Smoak Technologies since 2015. MIT Class of ’09. You have been building computers since you were nine. I am a really big fan of work.” William babbled out, a smile growing with every word he spoke. His eyes seemed to stop blinking, believing that if he did his idol would disappear.
Felicity giggled, smiling, “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you William. I wish I could say I know more than that.” She shook his shaking hand.
“It has come to my attention that my son is your biggest fan. If I am being honest I knew very little about you and your company before we met but he knows just about everything,” Oliver spoke pridefully over his son, “He has been talking about you non-stop. He himself is a kid genius.”
“Daaad!” William blushed, embarrassed.
“Maybe one day you can show me some of that genius of yours. I remember those years as my brightest ones yet.” Felicity crossed her arms, smiling at the young genius.
“Maybe, one day.” Oliver said then looked down at William, “I think we should go, buddy and let Miss Smoak work.”
“It was really great meeting you Miss Smoak. The highlight of my life.” William smiled wide before turning on his heels walking out.
“He seems like such a great kid.” Felicity looking in the direction William walked out then back at him, “You have done a great job.”
“Thank you. He really is a great kid and smart. Sometimes it scares me how smart.” Oliver buttoned his suit back up, reaching his hand out for hers, “Until next time, Miss Smoak.”
Felicity shook his hand as she locked eyes with him. They both took in that moment together to just be there. The two of them.
“Until next time, Mayor Queen.” She bit her lip, smiling.