Working With Red

Divide and Conquer; or, However It's Supposed to Go

You didn't move until the taxi disappeared down the street, and when you turned to make your way back inside, Roy was still waiting for you, now leaning in the doorway. You brushed past him without any attempt at conversation, even when the expression on his face shifted to indicate his intention of speaking. However, it wasn't until you were on the third step heading toward your bedroom that you felt his fingers gripping the sleeve of your shirt. 

"Are you mad at me?" 

The words seemed so ignorant, you sincerely couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but the blank look on your face as you turned to Roy couldn't give him the answer he was looking for by itself. After a moment of silence, you pursed your lips and pulled yourself out of Roy's hold. He didn't try stopping you. 

"No, Roy. I'm not mad," you mumbled tiredly. "I'm just... I don't even know. I really don't have anything to say to you right now." Roy breathed out a quiet hum before shifting his gaze to the steps under your feet. 

"I just want you to know, I didn't mean anything by what I said earlier," he continued. "I wasn't trying to insult you, or anything. I just--" 

"I get it." You cut him off with a dry smile when his eyes returned to yours. "It's the same argument we had when I first got here--" 

"No, this is different," Roy interjected, moving onto the first step. "This is way different. I've told you before, I thought I was being replaced back then. Now, it's more like Oliver only wants the two of us going on missions together. The whole partner thing doesn't even bother me anymore, but--" 

"You miss doing things with Green Arrow." Roy's expression hardened at your interruption, but the calm look in your eyes softened it again. He shrugged with slumped shoulders. 

"Can you blame me? You and I, when we go out on missions together, it's different. It's like--and I mean this with as little offense as possible--going from the varsity starting lineup to JV." Roy tried his best to gauge your reaction, but he wasn't sure what to think when you cocked an eyebrow. 

"...I never played sports." 

Roy blinked. "U-Uh, okay. Think of the Justice League as the Olympics, and the Team and sidekicks are the varsity team. Rookies and newer protegees--" 

"Roy, Roy, I was just messing with you. I get the analogy." The tiniest smile ghosted your lips as you placed your hands on his arms to get him to stop talking. Roy took notice of the shift in your demeanor and rolled his eyes, feeling a small wave of heat creep up the back of his neck. 

"My point is, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. I just miss doing things with Oliver, and it's been really frustrating for me because I feel like I'm just stuck here. I'm stuck." Your brow furrowed, and Roy tried not to acknowledge his slight disappointment when your hands fell back to your sides. 

"What do you mean?" 

"I..." Roy's eyes shifted to the banister he was leaning against. After a quick mental debate, he decided to resuppress his explanation and save it for a time when he knew you would be in the right state of mind to listen. "It's nothing. I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say." 

"You don't have to apologize for telling me how you really feel," you muttered flatly. "I know when you're not being sarcastic, or when you're just saying stuff out of anger without really saying what you truly mean. I get it, Roy. So, don't apologize." 

Unsure of how else to respond, Roy slowly nodded. 

"Okay," you breathed, stretching your arms up above your head. "I'm all finished packing for the week, and we have the rest of the morning to prepare. What about you?" 

"Yeah, I finished after we got home from the fair," Roy murmured, eyes still averted. 

"You have the wigs and Oliver's suit ready?" Another nod. "And I have Goldfinch's suit downstairs with my contacts... Are we forgetting anything?" 

"Not that I can think of." 

You pursed your lips in thought, going over your mental checklist to see if you'd missed or overlooked anything. After feeling satisfied with your review, you were still somewhat irked to find that Roy remained silent and inattentive, awkwardly staring at the banister as though he didn't know what to do with himself. Another moment of silence passed between the two of you before a random idea suddenly popped into your head--something completely outlandish that was sure to fill your time for at least a little while, enough to reduce your nerves even the slightest bit. 

"Hey, Roy?" The redhead finally glanced back up at you out of the corner of his eye and was met by your excited smile. "Can you drive me to the store? I don't want to take Oliver's car without permission." 

Roy frowned, though he couldn't deny that he was intrigued. Knowing you and the given situation, this couldn't be just a casual trip to the store. 

"What for?"