sometimes people leave you halfway through the wood

[madskilled]

Comments

[positiveinfluence]

No shit.

[Look, the Green Arrow is the Green Arrow, even however many decades later. You can't blame him for being a little star struck.]

Do he and the Flash actually hang out?

[Yep, he's drunk.]

[slavophile]

Uncle Barry was at my graduation.

( Is that like street cred? )

[positiveinfluence]

[He holds up his hands and shakes his head, because nope. He doesn't need that responsibility.]

Don't tell me what his secret identity is. I know how superhero rules work.

[It's not his fault that William's dad went public.]

[slavophile]

It's fine, there are, how many Barry's in the United States? ( He squints, raising his eyebrows. ) So, you know what I carry with me, what my father is to me. I believe in what he did.

[positiveinfluence]

Yeah, I get it.

[Coop sighs as he takes another sip of his drink.]

So your dad's a superhero and I'm guessing your sister is a Slayer? You really just got dragged into the shit, huh.

[slavophile]

She got dragged into it more recently, and, it's not like I keep out of it. You just don't hear about what I get involved in. I'm the genius of the family.

( The modest genius. )

[positiveinfluence]

Oh, a genius, huh?

[A slow smile stretches across his face.]

Some would argue that a genius would find ways to avoid stuff like this.

[slavophile]

Like... sharing an innocent drink next to a ( very tired ) very cute hunter?

( or, maybe he means being here at all. around hunters and a werewolf Cooper does not like. )

[positiveinfluence]

Is it an innocent drink?

[It's a real question, he's trying to figure out how to read this.]

Technically, you could call this drinking with the enemy. Which I assume is perfectly fine if you're into that sort of thing.

[slavophile]

It's not a guilty drink. Do you feel guilty?

( You didn't hear him call you cute but mean to call you tired? Good, let's just keep moving. )

[positiveinfluence]

[Oh he definitely heard you call him cute.]

I don't feel guilty. But I'm supposed to be the bad guy, remember?

[He's mostly kidding about him being the bad guy.]

[slavophile]

I think we both know that being the bad guy doesn't always make someone the bad guy. You regret being here, you probably regret joining up altogether. And unless you're just waiting to pull a knife out of your boot, I don't believe you are.

( But, he could also be playing right into that very mesmerizing face. )

And, unless you have designs, that makes this innocent, right?

[positiveinfluence]

I guess you're right.

[He reaches for his drink again, finishing off the last one.]

I just don't like regrets. And I certainly don't like being one.

[slavophile]

Is that what you think this would be. Like, I'd see you as a regret. You've seen you.

( Every day in the mirror. )

[positiveinfluence]

Yeah, but it's not all about that.

[He knows how this goes.]

I could be the hottest guy on earth and there could still be regrets.

[slavophile]

Maybe. I've had those, too. But, I can promise you this wouldn't be that. If you were thinking. Because I'm thinking. I've been thinking.

( It's kind of hard not to. He also kind of needs it, but that's not hot. So, it's time to play coy. )

[positiveinfluence]

Just thinking?

[He tips his head to the side curiously as he slides off the stool to lean in closer.]

Or are you swinging towards acting on those thoughts?

[slavophile]

Very close to acting, but I wouldn't want to act on anything you wouldn't want me to act on. I am all about consent and - drinking - and ( he does seem to be sliding closer, too. lips close now. ) you have perfect skin.

[positiveinfluence]

Thanks.

[But after that he'll just lean in and seal the deal, one hand coming to rest on the back of William's neck to pull him in closer. He also needs this, something that feels good after a night that has felt like shit, but after a minute, he'll break the kiss and meet his eyes again.]

Good?

[slavophile]

Good.

( He'll cup his face and go in for a second kiss, bringing himself up from the stool all together. )

[positiveinfluence]

[Fantastic. And he's just going to stand there and keep kissing him until the bartender clears his throat awkwardly and Coop pulls back again.]

Want to get out of here?

[slavophile]

Yeah. I'm at the hotel on the corner.

( He pauses. )

If that's not too presumptuous.

[positiveinfluence]

[He shakes his head as he reaches back to grab his jacket.]

Works for me.

[slavophile]

It will.

( The bartender just watches them as they leave, moving back out the front door. William stays close, shoulder against Cooper's as he walks. If they both need this, then they should do this. )

[blackstarred]

[And they do do this. In fact, they have a grand old time where they justifiably are ignoring their phones.

After she finishes with Oliver, Mia does text her brother first. Something along the lines of:

You better call Dad. He has a lot of questions.

However, when William doesn't have a snarky retort for at least an hour, she starts to get concerned. She finds out his room number from Gloria and makes her way over to pound on the door.]

William? You in there?