olliequeen: (Oliver: Big Grin)
Oliver Queen ([personal profile] olliequeen) wrote2010-03-19 12:29 pm

Surprises. With [livejournal.com profile] need2speed.

Oliver had taken the afternoon off from Queen Industries in order to spend some time at the Metropolis Community Center. The place was filled with activity: kids doing homework at some of the tables, some playing a game of pool, and others just sitting around talking and listening to music.

A smile touched his lips. It had taken months of planning to get the place built and finally opened, and the more time he spent there, the more time he wanted to spend there. He grinned as one of the kids played a game of tug-of-war with he and Chloe's collie-pup. It amazed him how much Mocha had grown over the last three months, but he'd never had a dog before, so he'd never given it much thought.

Shaking his head with amusement, he stirred the pot of chili he was fixing as he kept an eye on things.

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
A smile tugged at his lips involuntarily. "Well that makes this easier then. You want a job? Working here?"

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 12:26 am (UTC)(link)
"Doing what?" she asked, suspicious.

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 12:30 am (UTC)(link)
He hopped up onto the counter, thinking it over for a minute. "Helping the kids, mostly. A lot of them are pretty closed down. They don't want to talk to an old guy like me," he said wryly. "But maybe you can talk to them. You're closer to a lot of them in age."

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
"You don't seriously think I'd be a good role model, do you?" She looked at him like he had a screw loose. "Just look at what I do...did for a living!"

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 12:35 am (UTC)(link)
He met her eyes. "But you're not doing it anymore. And if I had to guess, you were only doing it because it was what you had to do to get by." His voice was quiet, and he shrugged a little. "I'm not going to judge you for that."

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
She stayed silent for a bit, turning the idea of acceptance over in her head. "So you don't think I'm...you know...dirty?" A rush of embarrassment heated her cheeks and she focused on his shoes instead of his face

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
His expression softened. "No, Mia. I don't," he said quietly, his chest tightening. She looked so young, vulnerable. He couldn't really imagine how bad things must have been for her to turn to the life she had, but the question she'd asked, and the look on her face told him more than enough.

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 12:56 am (UTC)(link)
Tamping down the shy smile that threatened to curve her lips, Mia adopted a casual pose. No sense letting him think she was too keen. "Well, if I stay, it'll cost you."

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
He did less well suppressing a smile of his own. "All right. What are your terms?"

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
"I'll need a place to bed down. A real bed, none of this futon/sofa crap. And a new wardrobe so I don't scare the kids away." She gestured to her current leather mini-skirt ensemble. It was definitely more of the stripper category than would be considered appropriate for any other job.

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
Oliver studied her for a moment. "I live in the clocktower," he told her. "I have a guest room with a real bed. And a good security dog." A smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he looked out the kitchen door to the puppy that was barking excitedly at one of the other kids. "And the wardrobe won't be a problem either."

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 01:26 am (UTC)(link)
She squirmed uncomfortably, having heard this kind of offer before. "Look, you're nice and everything, but I'm...I don't do the whole live-in concubine thing, even for a set of nice clothes."

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
At that Oliver blinked. And then stared. "W-what? Look, Kid, I already told you you're not my type." He shook his head. "I'm engaged. My fiancee lives with me," he told her, holding his hands up.

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 01:34 am (UTC)(link)
She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Like that's ever stopped any of them before. What makes you so special? What makes you better than any other guy who told me they'd 'take care' of me?"

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
He gazed at her for a moment. "You think I would've cared about what was happening at that party if I wasn't different?" Oliver made no move to get down from the counter. "I don't like people who hurt kids. Or women. It pisses me off. A lot."

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
"Maybe you were just covering your butt. I mean, some of the people at that party were your employees. It only takes one dead whore to bring down a good business," she said nonchalantly.

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
"Were my employees," he agreed, nodding. "I'd heard rumors, Mia. About what some of them were involved in. I needed to see for myself if it was true. I fired them all Monday morning," he said honestly. "You're free to look into that if you'd like."

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 01:58 am (UTC)(link)
"Smart move, but that doesn't exactly prove that you're pure of heart or anything." She sighed and hopped up on the counter next to him, swinging her legs. "Tell you what, if you set up a bed at the community center I'll stay here for a week and work for you. And then when the week is up, I'll decide whether or not to take you up on your offer."

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
Oliver glanced at her sideways, watching her for a moment. "All right. Deal," he agreed quietly. "I have accounts at most of the stores downtown. So pick out whatever you'd like and tell them to charge it. If you have an idea of where you want to shop, I'll contact them ahead of time to let them know you'll be by."

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
She peeked at him from beneath a fringe of hair, eyes gleaming with barely concealed excitement. "What if I charge something like, amazingly expensive?"

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
He couldn't stop a soft chuckle from escaping. "I can afford it," he promised. "Go crazy."

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm gonna hold you to that," Mia teased back, already imagining the things she's seen in magazines and shop windows in her closet.

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
Oliver grinned at her obvious enthusiasm. "Do you want to pick out your own bed while you're out?" he asked. "Or do you just want me to pick something and have it delivered here?"

[identity profile] need2speed.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
"A bed's a bed. Just no little girl sheets. I can't sleep with unicorns on my pillow."

[identity profile] dl-greenarrow.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
"Unicorn fear?" he teased, nudging her lightly with his elbow before sliding down off the counter and moving to the stove, stirring the pot of chili.

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