Everything feels different. A good different. Like I could actually make it through the day and not kick someone's ass if they gave me another death threat. I guess I had Oliver to thank. After everything that happened the other day, he started taking me out more. He took me to the ice cream parlor we use to go to when we were kids. The other night he had this huge dinner ready at my house. I was really happy and thankful. I mean, really thankful...if you know what I mean.
I was up for a while. My head on his chest while my arm was wrapped around him. Oliver laid next to me running his hand up and down my shoulder. We were up for a while now but we didn't want to get up.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.
I smiled as I tilted my head up to look at him. "Just how...things are really good at the moment."
"Well, I should hope so. Otherwise, last night would have been really confusing." He gave me a cocky grin. "Thanks for the scratches, by the way."
"No problem. It's a little thanks for the love bites you left." And at that, we started to laugh. I glanced at the clock. 8:45 am. "Shit. I'm gonna be late."
Oliver gave me a confused look while I jumped out of bed and grabbed my clothes from the floor. "I thought you didn't work today."
"I don't but I promised Tommy I would meet up with him." I turned around and gave Oliver a pointed look. "I love you, Oliver, but Tommy comes first."
Oliver sighed as he laid back down. "I forgot about that. Tommy before everything else."
I nodded. "Yeah, especially since he...." I stopped midway and froze. Flashes of that night coming back to me. The building shaking violently. The huge earthquake that almost took my brother's life. If I lost Tommy then I might have actually lost it.
Oliver got out of bed and walked over. "Hey, hey," he started he grabbed my arms and rubbed them in comfort. "Tommy is alive because of you. You pushed him out of the way. He's safe here with us."
"Is he really though? The Undertaking is over, yet people are still blaming us for something our parents did. Mostly to me and Tommy. People are pissed, Oliver."
"I know they are. They're only putting the blame on us because your dad is gone. And without Malcolm Merlyn, we're going to be targeted."
"That's why I wanted Tommy with me until this thing blows over."
Oliver nodded. "Ok, I'll let you go then."
I smiled up at him before I tried to give him a quick peck. Keyword: tried. Oliver held me close again when I pulled away and attacked my lips. I sighed happily as I felt my legs go weak. One hand went behind his neck while the other hand gripped his bicep. I could feel Oliver smile into the kiss while something poked me. Oh, god. I know what he's trying to do and I hate that I'm falling for it.
I pulled away before pushing Oliver back on the bed. I crawled over until I was straddling his waist. I pulled my shirt off before tossing it aside.
"Ok, ten more minutes," I said before leaning down and kissing him again.
Lian Yu
I have never seen Oliver so...so quiet. I haven't seen him his quiet ever. Or this shocked. He looked down at his bloodied hands as he looks over at the dead body below him. The head of the man was bashed in. Blood was still pooling from the guy's head.
Shado, Slade, and I were looking at him. Oliver actually killed a guy because he hurt Shado. Just a typical slap to the face. We had a plan and he blew it. But the look in his eyes. It made it seem like he actually enjoyed it...for the moment. Then when Oliver looked up at us, he looked like he didn't know who he was. Not anymore. That billionaire playboy is long gone.
Oliver shook his head before he lowered his hands. I was about to go over and comfort him but Shado beat me to it and went over to him. She placed her hand on Oliver and spoke in hushed whispers but he didn't say anything. My chest felt heavy at the sight of them like that. Yeah, he doesn't need me anymore.
I looked at Slade, trying to ignore that aching feeling. "We should get going," I said. "There might be more and I don't want to stand around and wait until they find us with their dead friend."
Slade nodded, his gaze not leaving Shado. He looked away and pulled out a folded paper from the guy's pack. "All the more reason to figure out why they're here," he said. I peered over his shoulder as the paper revealed to be a map. "It's a map. Of the island chain, containing Lian Yu. This is similar to the recon shots that ASIS gave me before I came here to rescue Yao Fei."
I furrowed my brows as his thumb rubbed the small picture on the left corner of the map. "What's that?"
"Don't know. Whatever they're looking for, it must be here, on this island." I looked back at Shado and Oliver. Shado was rubbing his shoulder but Oliver wasn't moving an inch. "I've seen men in war with that look in their eyes."
"What look?" I asked.
"The one that says he's split into someone else. Someone he doesn't even recognize. You had that look on you not that long ago."
I shook my head. "No, I didn't."
"Because you covered it better than he did." I kept my gaze on them. "He needs someone to talk about it or else it'll tear him up."
"Shado looks like she's doing fine."
"Well, maybe he doesn't need a girlfriend comforting him. What he needs is his best friend."
This time I actually looked at Slade. Then I looked back at the couple. Shado kept giving Oliver a worried look. No, he doesn't need me. Not anymore. We haven't been that close these past five months. I tried not to let it get to me but it does.
"He doesn't need me," I said. Slade opened his mouth but I started walking. "Let's just go."
》》》》
Starling City
I flipped Tommy over. His back landed on the mat with a hard thud, making him groan while I laughed.
"You're getting better," I smiled.
"Yeah, but my little sister is still kicking my ass," he said as I held my hand down. Tommy gladly accepted it. Instead of helping him up, I flipped him over. I pulled my dagger out and placed it on his neck. "I thought we agreed, no weapons."
I chuckled again. "You were distracted." I got off and actually helped him up. "And distractions is something that gets you killed."
Tommy groaned as he rotated his shoulders. "Good thing I don't get distracted." I put my dagger down on the table and shot him an amused look. "What? I don't."
I smiled again while I shook my head. "Tommy, one word. Laurel."
Tommy sighed. "I don't know anymore. Lately, Laurel has been so caught up finding you and Oliver. And by you and Oliver I mean the Arrow and Dark Angel." He let out a satisfying groan when he cracked his back. "Don't know why you picked that name."
I went over and grabbed one of my arrows from the rack. The blacktip looking at me. I know why Tommy's asking me that. Out of all the names to pick...why pick the one name Dad gave my vigilante persona? That's because, even though he's an evil bastard, he was right. The white color of my outfit signifies purity. Purity and angels. And I have been killing people. Making me dark. Or let me put it like this. Ying and Yang. Everything good has something dark in them or everything dark has something good in them. Which one am I? I don't know.
"It just fits me," I answered. I heard my phone go off. I dropped the arrow before making my way to my phone. I picked it up and immediately regretted it after.
"What the hell is wrong with your boyfriend?!" Felicity shouted over the phone.
I furrowed my brows. "Um, he often broods too much?"
"Not like that. I came into work just to have a normal shift when I found out that he made me his executive assistant and made sure my desk was right near his."
"Is he there now?" I asked.
"No. But I'm waiting before I give him a piece of my mind." I started to chuckle. "I don't know why you're laughing, I'm being dead serious."
"I know you are. It's just funny to see you like this. You don't really get mad about anything."
"Well, I've been hanging around you for the past few weeks." Don't know if she was being serious or trying to joke but I'll take it as a compliment.
"Ahh, I've corrupted you," I chuckled. "I'll be there in a few." I went over another table and grabbed my hoodie. "You can take a breather now. We're done for the day."
Tommy sighed in relief. "Thank, god. Maybe Oliver won't be this rough if he trains me."
I smirked at him. "Oh, brother. If you think this is tough, Oliver's training is far worst. Believe me."
》》》》
I greeted Cheryl at the front desk of Queens Consolidated before making my way upstairs. I can't wait to see how this turns out. I just made it at Oliver's office to so see the fumes coming out of Felicity's ears.
"We all need to have secret identities now," I heard Oliver say. "If I'm going to be Oliver Queen, CEO, then I can't very well travel down 18 floors every time we need to discuss how we spend our nights."
"And I love spending the night with you and Ashley," Felicity said. I wanted to chuckle when Felicity realized what she said and started counting to three before getting back on point. "I worked very hard to get where I am and it wasn't so I could fetch you coffee!"
"Well, it could be worse," Diggle said as I leaned against the doorway. "My secret identity is his black driver."
"While mine's is being his girlfriend and the Co-President of Merlyn Global, the most hated business in all of Starling," I piped up as I entered the room. I looked at Felicity. "And Ollie does have a point. It's going to look suspicious if Oliver keeps leaving his office only to go to the 18th floor to get you."
Felicity gave me a look while Oliver gave me a thankful one. "Not you, too, Ash," she said.
I shrugged. "Hey, I offered you a job, but you turned it down."
"How is everything at Merlyn Global?" Diggle asked.
"People not wanting to do business with me and Tommy because my dad was a prick who destroyed the Glades. Then finding our office trashed...just a normal Friday."
"Even after everything you guys did to show them you're nothing like Malcolm Merlyn?"
I nodded. "Yeah. It's because they still see us as the privilege." I wanted to change the topic, so I did. "So are we going to figure out how the hijackers are getting a line on the goods earmarked for Glades Memorial?" That way I could at least punch the person who started that riot when Oliver visited.
"Yes," Oliver said. "We need to know how they're picking their targets that way we'll know when and where to stop them."
Felicity was not happy about this. "Fine." She slammed her hand on the table before she turned, only to turn back. "May I get you a cup of coffee?" Then she looked at me. "Or Ashley, did you want me to run to the store and by some pregnancy test for you?"
I gave her a look of annoyance while Diggle snorted. No need to take her anger out on me. Oliver cleared his throat. "You're not offering to get me coffee, are you?" he asked.
Felicity walked over. "Yeah, no. That won't be happening. Ever!"
Don't make things worst, Ollie. "Well, if you can bring yourself to do it, can you please make reservations for Dig, Carly, Ashely, and I Saturday night at the Table Salt?"
Felicity and I froze. We looked at Diggle who had a pained look on his face. Felicity got madder but I went over to Oliver and wrapped my arms around him from behind.
"No, it's fine. I have to head for Central City anyway that day. Iris invited me and Tommy over. After all this time she's finally going to meet him, go figure." I placed my chin on top of his head. "So maybe another time."
Oliver sighed as he began typing on the computer. The news popped up to talk about what happened to Oliver at the Glades Memorial. Then they talked about how Oliver hasn't done anything for the Glades while Tommy and I tried to give back. Only for a guy to jump in and grab the mic to say that he hopes me and Tommy die. I glared at the TV. Oliver reached up and grabbed my hand. I squeezed it tight hoping it would calm me down a bit. It didn't.
Lian Yu
I kept the dagger close to me before I threw it at the tree. It landed right in the middle of the shirt before I went over and grabbed it. I barely pulled the dagger out when something clattered next to me. I looked down to see one of the machetes Slade carries with him while Slade stood in front of me, with another one in his hand.
"Pick it up," he said.
"Why?" I asked.
Slade answered by swinging his machete at me. My eyes quickly widened before I picked the spare machete up and used it to block his attack. Slade chuckled before he swung at me again. Clink, clank, clink. Back and forth. I ducked under another attack before Slade elbowed my nose and kicked me back.
I groaned as he grabbed the machete and dropped it by my feet.
"Again," he said. More like an order.
I quickly grabbed the sword and started attacking.
》》》》
Starling City
"Never thought I'd say this, but I'm getting more done down in the basement of an abandoned steel factory than in the corner office of a high rise," Felicity said.
"What do you have?" Oliver asked.
"FEMA's shipping 100,000 units of medical opiates to Glades Memorial."
"When?" I asked.
"The truck is scheduled to leave the FEMA depot in 20 minutes."
"Not if this motorcycle gang has anything to say about it," Diggle said.
"Bad luck for them," Oliver said as he looked over our suits in the display case. "We have something to say about it."
》》》》
A/N: Hi, everyone. Thank you for the wait. I'm sorry for the short chapter. My sleep schedule is all fucked up.
QOTD: If Malcolm Merlyn and Adrian Chase got into a fight, who would win?