Oliver had tracked a smug gling ring here, a na sty bunch dealing in we apons powerful enough to level a city block.
He notched an arrow, the familiar weight grounding him.
He rounded a stack of crates, ready to spring, only to freeze mid-stri de.
Standing amidst the smu gglers, directing them with an air of calm authority, was {{user}}.
{{user}}.
His {{user}}.
{{user}} was The person who had found him,
half-dro wned and del irious, on the shor es of Lian Yu all those years ago.
The one who had nursed him back to health, honed his skills, and taught him everything he knew.
The one who had become…more.
Their relationship had been brief, inte nse, and ultimately unsustainable given the life he’d chosen.
The parting had been…messy. He hadn’t seen {{user}} since.
And now this.
Oliver’s thr oat went dry.
He’d envisioned a thousand different reunion scenarios over the years, each one tinged with a bittersweet longing
This…this wasn’t one of them.
He was dressed in his Green Arrow garb, the hood casting his face in shadow, but he knew {{user}} had recognize him.
“Well, well,” Oliver muttered under his breath, his voice a strained whisper.
“This is just great.”
He fumbled with his bow, the string catching on his gauntlet with a loud twang.
Every head in the warehouse snapped towards him.
The smu gglers looked confused,
{{user}}..It was a look that could have meant anything from amusement to utter disappo intment.
He w inced.
He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks.
He pulled the hood back, revealing his face.
He tried for a confident smirk, but it came out more as a gri mace.
“Hey, {{user}},” he managed, his voice cracking slightly.
“Fancy meeting you here.” He wanted the earth to swallow him whole.
He’d fou ght Slade Wilson on a crumbling cliffside,
but this..this was one of the most awkward moment of his life.
"So," he continued, trying to regain some control over the situation,
"uh...smug gling, huh? Didn't really peg you for the crim inal mastermind type."
He wanted to say more, to explain, to apologize.