Who: Dinah Lance (AU), Oliver Queen (Comics, AU) When: 1/31 Where: Starting at Kumi Rating: High Warnings: Likely to contain some 'reuniting.' Summary: The pretty bird reunites with her guy. Status: Closed, Email thread in-progress
Oliver was here. Again. Only this didn't seem to be a version who had grown up with Laurel and whose life had taken a different trajectory. He might not be exactly her Oliver, but he damn well felt like her Oliver. She should be exercising caution so she didn't get hurt again. She knew that. She probably should have waited to see him until she figured out what was going on with the Red Canary.
Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to care about any of that. She didn't regret walking away from Oliver after he'd kissed Marianne. That time apart was necessary for both of them to figure out what they wanted. But there was a part of her that had always figured that they'd eventually find a way to make it work and get back to being on again.
Then he'd given his life to save Metropolis, and that was the end of the story. Or so she'd thought. She'd dated a bit since then, but nothing serious. There was a part of her that was afraid that he'd been the love of her life and that was it. How many big loves did a person get in her life, after all? How many more did she want, really. There wasn't anyone who could hold a candle to Ollie, for better or for worse.
So when he asked to meet her, she threw caution to the wind and agreed. The sooner the better. She told herself that that was so she wouldn't have to worry about making an excuse to slip off to meet the Red Canary. But even she couldn't really bring herself to believe that.
She took a little time to touch up her hair and make-up and she dressed simply but certainly picked out a pair of jeans that hugged her curves just right and a blouse that had just enough femininity. Then she made her way down to the restaurant. As she got off the elevator and headed for Kumi. She realized as she did so that sushi or any kind of food was about the last thing on her mind right now.
----
Yeah... frankly? Dinah could have asked Ollie to meet for dinner at a goddamn McDonald's and he'd have been just as eager. The food was the last thing possible on his mind. He'd lost his Dinah a few years back... they'd been engaged, but she was killed in the line of duty with several other members of the JLA. When he arrived here, and saw a version of her so alike the one he'd lost... he really thought somehow she'd been brought back, Hey, why not... he had right? While he initially felt a little deflated when he realized neither she nor Mia were the same ones he knew... they both seemed practically identical, meaning whatever reality they were from was incredibly similar to his own.
All of those thoughts went out the window though, when he saw her walking towards him. Oh, God... she looked so beautiful. So radiant. So ALIVE. She was still the most beautiful creature he'd ever layed eyes on. Straightening out his shirt and tie, and looking down to make sure his slacks and shoes looked presentable, he walked with purpose over to her, looking her deeply in the eyes but.. for a moment, saying nothing.
----
The other Oliver that she'd met during her time here had been similar, but still different enough from her Oliver that it had been a little easier keeping them separate in her mind. But this Oliver? Her breath caught in her throat as she looked him over. It was all but impossible to remember that he wasn't exactly hers, or that he'd broken her heart and there'd been a good reason for that breakup.
"Ollie?" Her voice was raw with emotion as she reached a hand out to touch his cheek.
She didn't care much about personal space. She just needed to feel for herself that he was real. That he was here.
----
Yeah, to hell with this. Just in case this was a chance he'd never have again... he needed to make sure the last thing he said to her was more meaningful than the simple 'be careful' he'd given her right before watching Deathstroke put his sword through her throat. "You're my world, pretty bird..." He said, grabbing her by the hips, pulling her to him as his lips absolutely CRUSHED hers, eyes fluttering closed as he again reveled in the taste and smell of her.
----
Dinah had always had a weak spot where Ollie was concerned. Something about the man just chased all common sense out of her mind. Especially now. It had been one thing reading him calling her 'pretty bird' over the network, but hearing it in his voice, looking into his eyes. Any hopes of playing it safe and just seeing how lunch went flew out the window as his lips crashed into hers. Her arms went around him, pulling him as close as possible and their bodies became a tangle of arms and hips and lips to the point where she forgot where he ended and she began. She didn't much care about bystanders right now or even notice that they were drawing looks.
"We should probably compare notes on our realities," she said in between kisses. "Maybe talk about what I know about this place so far."
They had to talk eventually. She knew that logically, but did it have to be right now?
There were tears in her eyes, even in the midst of all this. It had been too long and yet here he was, like no time had passed. Like they'd never fallen apart in all the worst ways.
----
"Dinah? All I know about this place is that it brought have you back to me." Ollie pointed out, finally breaking the kiss but looking hilariously ready to just drag her out of the place caveman-style. "Forgive me if I'm not... exactly wanting to go back right now."
----
Dinah didn't want to go back home herself. Not now. She was surprised at how quickly she'd shifted her views, though she realized that she'd been slowly making a home here for herself already. She had her friends, she had a team. She was needed. These were all things that could help her feel at home no matter where she landed. And now she had a second chance with an Oliver who reminded her so much of the man that she'd loved for the majority of her adult life.
She didn't know if any of this would or should last, but she wasn't too eager to discuss ways of getting home just now either.
She did, however, take a moment to think about things. Even if she knew that look in Oliver's eyes all too well.
"What happened to your world's Dinah?" she asked softly.
----
"....Deathstroke happened." He said, an obvious, audible chill to his voice. "It was a setup. He was ready for us. He killed seven Leaguers. You. Bruce. Hal. Wally. Kendra. Mari. Carter. Of the group that went into that trap... only me, Clark, and Diana came out alive."
----
Deathstroke. Bruce, Hal, Wally, Kendra, Mari, and Carter. A chill ran down her spine as she imagined what that must of done to him. If she'd had any reservations about giving this Oliver a second chance, they melted away right then and there. He didn't have a Dinah to go back to and she didn't have an Oliver to return to. He was so much like the man that she'd loved her entire adult life in all the ways that mattered. They had issues to work on, she knew that much. But they didn't need to start working right now.
She closed the distance between the two of them and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.
"I'm not all that hungry right now," she said softly. "Are you? Though if you are, maybe we could order room service."
She didn't want to sit in a restaurant across a table from him. Not right now. She knew that much.
----
"I'm hungry...." He disagreed, before giving her his most disarming little smirk. "But what I feel like eating isn't quite on the menu here." He whispered into her ear, hands lowering to give her rear a wanting squeeze. "I never thought I'd get to touch you again... and now I can't think of anything else."
He couldn't help but wonder, deep in the back of his mind, if maybe somehow... HE'D died, and this was his reward. Being here. With Dinah. With some of his best friends, still alive and well (even if they didn't know him here). Whether this was real or not... he just knew he had no desire to leave. Ever. Not unless Dinah could stay with him.
----
Dinah laughed softly at the innuendo. Same old Ollie. Even after all these years, it was amazing how quickly she could fall back under his spell. Passion and heat had never been their issue. It was just a whole host of other things. That they'd need to talk about eventually. They really would. Because in spite of the things that they'd done to hurt each other back in Seattle, there was still an awful lot about the relationship that had been worth saving. She didn't know if they ever would have decided to try again if he hadn't given his life to save Metropolis, but she regretted that she'd never gotten the chance.
And yet now, here was a second chance for both of them. She still didn't know what to make of that, but she knew that she didn't want to miss out on it. There would be talking-a lot of talking. But for now, she wanted very much to start making up for lost time.
Her hands tangled in his hair as she kissed him once more and then she broke away to drag him to the elevator.
"Come on upstairs and then maybe you can tell me exactly what you're hungry for." She gave him a mischievous smirk before she pressed the button for the 62nd floor.
----
Laughing a little at her eagerness, Ollie found himself thanking every God he knew of for this second chance. Sure, he'd made mistakes, but not necessarily the ones he'd made in her world. As the elevator finally got to her floor, he playfully scooped her up into his arms, carrying her towards her room.
He arched a brow as a thought hit him, and he couldn't help but give an almost comically lecherous grin. "Please tell me you have the fishnets. Because... I'm thinking I want you wearing them. And ONLY them." So the man had a few fetishes. Leave him alone.
----
Dinah laughed when she was scooped up. It had been awhile since she'd been carried over a threshold, that was for sure. Since... well, since Ollie back in her world. She fished for her key and tried not to upset his balance as he carried her over to her door. She had a nice room-the nicest, and she knew that. Plus, she didn't have a roommate. Which was part of the appeal of coming up here as opposed to taking their chances with whoever might have been assigned to live with Oliver.
She shook her head with a bemused smile.
"It's good to know that some things never change, no matter what the reality. Yes, I have the fishnets. And yes, I'll wear them for you."
Their relationship had always been a strange mix of the violence they sought out in the world and the tenderness and passion they had back home. It was impossible to separate and fighting crime together had often been all they needed for foreplay. It was a little cracked, but it was them. And she'd missed it dearly.