why is it you always get to sit in the shade

[blackstarred]

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[slavophile]

( He'll just quit while he's behind. Technically, there is this estate, the cabin in the woods they camped out near, and the condo Oliver and Felicity raised him in after his mother died.

William's trying not to look too much into Michael's neutral gaze as Mickey rounds off the reactions with a whistle. Yeah, he's not surprised with Cooper's taste levels, either. He couldn't measure up, not like this.

"It's big," he says simply.

Inside, Oliver lets Mia guide the length of their reunion hug.

"Your brother's outside?" )

[blackstarred]

Yep.

[She pulls back to look at him when she feels like she's ready. She probably shouldn't give her dad this ammunition, knowing the scrutiny it's going to bring Cooper, but at the same time, they might as well get it out of the way. It might be really amusing to see Oliver be stonefaced at someone not trying to date her for a change.]

With his boyfriend.

[kapiushon]

( Laurel may have teed him up previously, but nothing seems to prepare Oliver for these moments. His kids are growing up. And they've each had their own missteps, their own relationships, and heartbreaks, and being a father makes it harder when he can't just fix or help. With William, it's twofold, because he's never heard about a boyfriend long enough to think he'll meet them, much less met them. That's how he knows this one's special.

He looks beyond Mia to front door, ajar, leading to the sounds of car doors opening and closing, and two trunks. )

When your brother breaks a pattern, he really breaks a pattern. ( William's never done anything halfway. ) What do we think of him?

[blackstarred]

I like him.

[She'll put that up front, because she does.]

I mean, he's a dumbass, but he's a well-meaning dumbass so when he's going to do something stupid it's because he thinks it's the right thing to do. Also, hunters can be kind of narrow minded but he's actually willing to admit when he's wrong, which seems like a low bar but you'd be surprised.

[She shrugs.]

William's certainly done worse.

[kapiushon]

( Mia has never been one to sugarcoat, has she. Oliver will assess for himself because her explanation screams 'this is coming from his sister,' but he can see there is a sense of affection, if not trust.

He doesn't ask about the something stupid, just steps back as William leads the small group into the foyer.

"Dad, we're --"

Already assembled, and with Mia. He narrows his eyes sending that silent 'what did you say' sibling look along. He holds the door open wider. )

[positiveinfluence]

[That's the Green Arrow. That's the actual Green Arrow.

It's not as though he didn't know that this was the case. He and William covered his parents long ago, and he knew that William was the son of Oliver Queen. But it's one thing to know it and it's another to stare the Green Arrow in the face.

Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe he should have gone to a motel. Why is he way more intimidating just standing there in his mafia mansion than in any picture he's seen of him in green leather in the paper?

Probably because Cooper has been doing things with his son and he has no idea what Mia has told him in advance. In fact, Mia is particularly unhelpful, because she just shrugs back at her brother's look and says: "I'm gonna go find Laurel."

And with that, she's gone. Thanks, Mia.

He's just going to keep his mouth shut. That seems like the smart thing to do. Except Cooper's impulse control does not always keep up with his intelligence so what comes first is:]

Hi.

[Then he shuts his mouth. Good job, Coop, you've drawn attention to yourself. He's going to die.]

[slavophile]

( Questions of who his son brought home between the three men entering (and he has questions are moot when Cooper barely manages a 'hello.'

William just looks between his boyfriend and his father and back to Cooper. )

Dad, this is Cooper. And his father, Michael, and his friend Mickey.

( Mickey's a long story, one that will also be addressed, but he's not about to out Mickey as a vampire. Or, should he?

Oliver just smiles, giving as good as he gets.

"Hi." But, after he very subtly (so subtly) mocks Cooper, he remembers the manners his mother instilled in him. "Welcome. I've heard nothing about any of you --" )

Laurel - knew.

( "But, my wife has. It's nice to meet you all."

Oliver steps forward to shake Michael's hand, father-to-father. )

[positiveinfluence]

[Please don't out Mickey as a vampire. Coop may know, but as far as he knows his dad is out of the loop and he wants to keep it that way.

Michael shakes his hand firmly, before glancing up at the rest of the house. "Thanks for having us. Promise we'll try and stay out of your hair." Michael isn't intending to stay long - he doesn't think he say the same for his son. He just needs to see how the landscape has landed in the wake of everything else.

Coop just nods, trying not to seem too intimidated, but how can you not?]

You have a very nice house.

[Yep, that still sounds dumb, good job.]

[slavophile]

( "It's not a problem. My mother once spent an entire week in one wing of the house, you don't need to worry about being underfoot. Or, putting us out."

Because, the house, guys.

"Thank you," he says again. "It's been passed down through our family. Moira, my mother, kept it up better than I do when she wasn't working or thinking I was dead for five years. We don't usually live here full time."

But does that sound pretentious? )

Yeah, I mostly grew up in the apartment - well, after my mom - when I came to live with Oliver and with Felicity.

[positiveinfluence]

Well, we probably wouldn't all fit in that apartment, so if we have to crash somewhere this is probably for the best?

[Yeah, that's probably still not the right angle to take.]

But it's nice to meet you, sir. And what my dad said. Thanks for having us.

[And please invite Mickey in in an unsuspicious way so that they don't have to ...

And just before he can finish that thought, Laurel appears behind them and frowns. "Are you just going to hold them hostage in the entryway? Come in, everyone. You probably want to shower off the road."]

[kapiushon]

I'm greeting them.

( was he supposed to bring them into the living room? )

It's nice to meet all of you. Maybe Laurel can lead you all to the rooms you'll be staying in. We thought maybe we'd order in a late lunch. Does that suit everyone?

[sullivansr]

That sounds great.

[Sullivan nods as he shifts his grip on his bag.]

Lead the way.

[kapiushon]

( "Thank you," Mickey says, with a smile.

While Laurel leads everyone up the stairs, Oliver hangs back, seeing if Mia is still downstairs. If she's her father's daughter, she's probably taking a sip from his glass.

Upstairs, William and Cooper are dropped off by his childhood bedroom. High ceilings and nerdery. His old desktop is still sitting at his desk, too.

William slings his bag down onto the bed, looking into his private bathroom with a smirk. He's not being 100% serious, but, he's also being serious, Cooper.

"We could conserve water. Shower together." )

[blackstarred]

[Mia is still downstairs, having gotten distracted downstairs. She is not with the alcohol, although she may have gotten there eventually. Instead, she got waylaid down near the family photos, lingering over the memories. Some she was part of, some she wasn't, but it's still her family.

It still makes her smile.

When she senses her father approaching, she doesn't look away right away.]

This place never changes. Not really.

[kapiushon]

( Oliver likes this wall. It has pictures of people who are gone, pictures of family he will always love, and memories that were worth capturing. )

It does. I don't keep it up as well as your grandmother did. We still hire out for that.

( He stops in front of a picture of a younger Mia and William. )

I like this one, you were - just graduating high school.

[blackstarred]

[She turns to look at the picture, and smiles. Things were a lot easier then. Her life was a lot simpler, and she felt like she knew what she was doing. Now ... she has a vague idea of what she's doing, but she's never sure if it's the right thing to do.]

Feels like that was forever ago.

[kapiushon]

Wasn't it?

( Compared to their lives now, to her life, and her brothers. )

How was it traveling with the hunters?

[blackstarred]

Not bad. Things were crazy, but I'm starting to think that with the supernatural are never not crazy.

[She glances over to him with a shrug.]

I think we should be getting a bit of a break, though. Be able to lay low and catch our breath.

[kapiushon]

Thank you for coming home.

( She knows how much he likes having his kids close. Before Mystic Falls, it had been months since he'd seen them. )

[positiveinfluence]

[Coop smirks at that suggestion, turning to his boyfriend with a grin.]

I am an environmentalist. Gotta save the turtles and all that.

[And considering they haven't really had any serious alone time since ... he can't really remember, it's probably long overdue.]

[slavophile]

( And the mansion is big. )

It'd be the first time anything happened here for me -- without just me. You know, I was joking at first, but I think we should. Late lunch means we can be - leisurely.

[positiveinfluence]

[He knows they need to have a conversation about Mickey and him leaving him alone with his dad, but Cooper is also not about to kill the mood. he stakes a step closer, resting his hands on his boyfriend's hips.]

I love being leisurely. No reason we shouldn't take our time.

[slavophile]

( Conversations can wait, Cooper.

After everything, once they're drying off and William moves to his bag to start to unpack and find something to change into, he lets himself breathe. )

I can't believe you're really here. You agreed to come and stay with my family. This is happening.

[positiveinfluence]

Yeah. I can't believe it either.

[A beat as he fishes out a clean pair of pants.]

Part of me thinks I don't really belong in a place like this.

[slavophile]

You belong here because I want you here. But, if it helps, I barely felt like I belonged here. And I lived here. Mia was the one who took to society like a cat to cream.

( She always fit in, or she did. )