111nonnie: I need a story about Felicity being deaf and no one on Team Arrow knowing about it until she loses/breaks/etc. her hearing aids and can't understand them because they're talking too fast or mumbling and she can't read their lips! I'd write it myself, but you are ten times the author I am and every time I try to write this, I end up ruining it and giving up lol
A/N: Firstly I have no idea who you are nonnie but believe me I am not ten times the writer you are, if you try your damn hardest and write your words on a page (hand written, typed whatever) then you are a writer, no comparisons, YOU are a writer... believe me when I tell you I found this really hard to write because I just wasn't sure what to do with it, so I hope that I have done your prompt justice and that I have managed to turn your beautiful idea into something you'll enjoy!
Secondly this is my final prompt (probably of the year) and so I hope I did you all proud... thank you for all your continued support with everything I do, I'm unsure when I will be writing prompts again but know it is all your love, your support, your comments that can get me through a bad day...
Finally this is set after 2.01, I went on a canon divergent :P I hope you still like it though! So without further ado THANK YOU and ENJOY! xo
Felicity stood in the lair staring at the small device in her hand. She sighed lightly as she tried to adjust it.
"Stupid thing," she mumbled to herself as she sat in her chair. In frustration she threw the discreet hearing aid across the desk, placing her head in her hands. Memories assaulted her mind; the darkness of the building trapping her and of the eerie silence. A silence that was now a part of her everyday life.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and she bolted up in panic. She watched as Oliver pulled his hand away holding it up in defence. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." She watched his lips, now unable to fully hear his words. At least she had picked up lip reading relatively quickly.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, thinking she would be alone.
"Thought I'd use the - -" she missed the other two words as he turned from her pointing towards the salmon ladder.
"Okay," she mumbled spinning back to her computer. She didn't look at him instead throwing herself into her work. She didn't glance at him as he did his workout routine instead getting lost in the moment.
"Dig?"
"Yeh?"
"I'm worried about Felicity," Oliver whispered.
"What about?" Dig asked.
"She hasn't moved or spoken in the last hour, even when I talk to her, it's like I'm not even here," he said frowning.
"Maybe she's caught up in her work, she's been like that a lot lately." He shrugged.
"She hasn't even acknowledged that you're here," he whispered.
"Felicity?" Diggle shouted. He glanced at Oliver, frowning in confusion too. "FELICITY!" he shouted even louder but she didn't even flinch.
"You don't think the dive from the window earlier has hurt her." He gave him a shrug in response as he walked over to Felicity, he gently lay his hand on her shoulder. Instantly she spun towards him a shocked expression on her face.
"Oh, when did you get here?" she asked really quietly.
"Are you okay?" Diggle asked staring at her face.
"Yeh," she replied with an all too fake smile. "Totally fine."
"I was shouting you from across the room." He gestured towards where Oliver was stood at the bottom of the stairs.
"Oh." Her whole body deflated slightly before she sat up. "Just too into all this I guess." She waved her arms in the direction of her computers.
"Are you sure?" Oliver asked stepping closer, but Felicity didn't answer.
Diggle looked at her, then at Oliver. "Felicity... are you... are you deaf?" Diggle asked staring directly at her.
"Of... of course not, what makes you think that?"
"Because Oliver just asked you a question and you didn't respond."
She turned to Oliver quickly seeing his concerned expression. "I'm fine," she said brushing it off. "I just need some sleep." She tried to turn away but Oliver was suddenly right there kneeling in front of her.
"Talk to me Felicity."
"I..." She froze, completely clamming up.
"We need to take her to hospital," He said looking up at Dig.
Felicity frowned only managing to lip read the word hospital. "Hospital? Why would I need a hospital?"
"Because you're hurt!" Oliver snapped turning towards her.
"I'm fine," she repeated.
"Felicity you clearly can't hear us unless we're staring right at you."
"That's so I can lip read," she responded.
Instantly Oliver froze, his hands snapping to his sides. "You're deaf?" he asked slowly. She merely nodded in response. "When did that happen? Was it today?"
"No..." She bit her lip not meeting his gaze. "It was... it was the Undertaking." She watched as he stumbled backwards. She could see it written all over his face, the guilt that she was injured because of him. He jumped to his feet turning his back on her. It twisted in her gut, the pain, and hurt so acute from his reaction as she just sat there watching it all unfold.
"You got hurt because of me," he said turning back to her.
"No," she replied shaking her head. "No, I chose this Oliver, I chose all of this."
"You shouldn't be here," he replied standing straight his hands fisted at his sides.
"What do you mean?"
"You're a liability."
"Oliver," Diggle said in warning.
"No, you can't hear? How can we expect you to work comms? How can you hear when people walk in here?"
"I know what you're doing Oliver," she stated standing up.
"I'm trying to protect you," he snapped.
"I don't need you to protect me," she snapped back. "And if you think for one damn second I am not capable of doing everything I used to then you're wrong! I wouldn't be here if I couldn't do it."
"Felicity," Diggle said softly.
"Don't worry about it Dig," she replied giving his arm a squeeze before she made her way up the stairs.
"Oliver," Diggle replied walking closer.
"She's deaf Dig, because of me. And I didn't even know."
"Neither did I," he responded.
"Why wouldn't she tell us?" he mused out loud.
"Because..." Diggle let out a sigh. "Truthfully, probably 2 reasons."
"What?"
"Your reaction and because you weren't here," he answered.
"If I had known I would have stayed!" he replied in his distraught state.
"Oliver, she's clearly been hiding it from us for a reason and I think you just made it worse," he answered. "You basically just kicked her off the team."
"She will always be a part of this team. I just want to protect her."
"From what exactly? She's deaf Oliver, there is no bad guy."
"There's me," he replied sadly.
"I think you need to apologise to her because if there's one thing I know she needs our support, not your guilt, or blame."
"But it's becau-"
"STOP IT!" he finally snapped. "That girl is deaf, deaf Oliver! She has been hiding it for 5 goddamn months, she must have been going to appointments alone for all this time, she has dealt with this all alone, she has coped on her own. And you just told her she was a liability, she built this place back into working order. The least she deserves is for you to apologise." Oliver stood there in silence as Diggle sighed. "I knew she was in hospital, I took her there myself because she was getting headaches but I had no idea. I get that you think the world is all on your shoulders, I do, and that you blame yourself for everything but she's been dealing with things alone, maybe you both need someone."
He sighed heavily as he shook his head walking towards the stairs. Oliver kept his head down, slowly walking to Felicity's work station as he heard the door shut behind Diggle. He sat down in her chair with a heavy sigh before turning towards her computers.
Felicity sat in the silence of her apartment as she poured herself a glass of wine. She knew Oliver was trying to be protective but to hear her worst fears, since the accident, said aloud had really knocked her confidence. She turned the TV on, the silence finally ending, just as there was a knock on her door. She got up, looking through the peephole to see Oliver standing on the other side.
"What do you want Oliver?" she asked opening the door. She didn't care that she was in her pyjamas and that he was in casual clothes, she just wasn't in the mood.
"I..." he hesitated briefly as he noticed the hearing aid on her left ear. She blinked as she noticed he was staring at it.
"It's my spare one, it's not as discreet as the other," she answered gesturing to it.
"So you can hear me?"
"Yes," she answered with a sigh. "Come in, I don't need this conversation on my doorstep." He nodded as he stepped in, his eyes looking down. "I'm sorry," he said as she walked around and sat on her sofa.
"Okay," she replied before taking a sip of her wine.
"And you're okay?" he asked timidly staring at the back of her head.
"What do you want me to say Oliver?" she asked not looking at him. "I'm still the same person, I just can't hear unaided anymore. It doesn't change who I am."
"I... I'm so sorry," he repeated.
"It isn't your fault. I chose this life, and I will deal with all the consequences, good or bad." She shrugged.
"Of course, but I meant I'm sorry about saying you're a liability," he replied coming round and sitting beside her. "You could never be that Felicity, not ever. I just... I blame myself, I feel... like I broke you."
Her eyes snapped to his, the unshed tears making them shine. "I'm not broken Oliver."
"I know that, god I really do." He reached out placing his hand on her shoulder. "You are remarkable, and the team, and I couldn't do this without you. Being deaf doesn't change any of that and I am sorry for how I reacted."
"Of course it doesn't change anything," she replied softly. "Tonight was just bad luck, after we jumped out the window my hearing aid's been playing up, but I have it all sorted."
"I trust you Felicity," he responded squeezing her shoulder.
"I know. I changed and modified the comms for me, plus all security measures now also have visual cues too."
"Whatever you need, we'll make it happen." He pulled his hand away staring at her. "How'd it happen Felicity?"
"I knocked my head when the place fell apart, just a small piece of debris." She shrugged like it was no big deal. "The hearing is limited in my other ear but they hope surgery might help. This one however," she gestured to the hearing aid, "is permanently damaged."
"Why do this all alone?" he asked.
"Because... you had enough on your plate, and Diggle was recovering from his own injuries."
"But we would have been here, we would have helped." He stared at her unable to stop himself from reaching out and taking her hand. "We would have supported you."
"Well you're here now," she replied with a smile. "I... just... I guess I was coming to terms with it all..."
"Yeh, and I promise, I'm not going anywhere." He gave her hand a squeeze as he gave her a reassuring smile.
"Good to know, want to watch a movie with me?" she asked squeezing his hand back.
"Do you think people will gossip about the CEO and his newly appointed EA spending a night together?" he asked seriously.
"Well use your skills and leave unnoticed," she joked a little and he smiled.
"I'll stay."
"Good, and I can talk to you about my hearing aid options later."
"Sure, and maybe you can talk to Diggle too."
"Of course." She nodded leaning a little closer to him as she searched the films. "I know it might take you guys a little while to adjust to the idea of me being deaf-"
"No, you are deaf Felicity but like you say that doesn't change who you are. But we'll help make things easier for you, any way we can."
"Thank you," she whispered feeling the warmth from his shoulder.
"No, thank you for bringing me back."
"No problem and Oliver..."
"Yes?"
"This one most definitely isn't your fault and if I ever see you blaming yourself for this again I'll kick your ass, okay?" she said it so seriously that Oliver had to hold back the chuckle he wanted to release. He knew she was trying to lighten the mood.
"Of course, and I'll let you," he answered which made her smile once more as the pair settled into for the evening.
