everyonelives | why is it you always get to sit in the shade

[Laurel watches as the children free, delighted that lunch had gotten interesting. She reaches over and places a hand on Evelyn's arm with a nod.]

Why don't I show you to your room? Give you the grand tour?

( Not breaking away from her husband's gaze, she takes Laurel up on her offer, standing. )

Thank you. Your hospitality really is nice.

( Lead her away, Laurel.

In the meantime, Oliver sits.

"I have something stronger in the study." )

[Laurel nods and walks her back to the front to gather her things, before heading upstairs to the bedrooms.]

You know, when you showed up I knew lunch was about to get interesting, but I didn't know it would be that interesting.

[As teasing as she's being, she is a bit concerned.]

Are you okay?

( Her things are minimal, like they always are on a hunt. She leaves the other changes of clothes, the FBI suit she uses and her weapons in the car.

It's a nice walk upstairs and it feels like she can breathe when Laurel closes the door behind them. She sets her bag on the bed, sighing. )

Am I okay.

( She looks up at the crown molding, then back down, and turns to face her hospitable host. )

I promise, I wasn't planning on making a scene. I just wanted to see my son.

Is it bad that I was kind of hoping there would at least be a tiny scene?

[She's completely teasing, as though to indicate that there's no harm, no foul.]

Oliver's the most fun when he gets wrenches thrown in his day.

And you like chaos. Protip, you should never play poker.

( But, even seeing Cooper for ten - twenty minutes - knowing he'd be back... it makes her scene okay. )

Oliver didn't have to ask me to stay. He did it for his son, didn't he?

More or less. We only met Cooper this afternoon, so he definitely wasn't doing it for him.

[Which isn't to say that Oliver doesn't like Cooper, but Oliver is very much someone who is much more invested in the people he actually cares about versus everyone else.]

But he wants William to be happy. And your husband was already staying here, I think he figured one more wouldn't hurt.

I overheard my son once, on the phone. He calls me a hurricane. I may blow into people's lives, but I pride myself on making them better.

( It's what a hunter does. )

That's admirable. And it's not like I can judge your methods.

[She does have a voice that levels buildings, after all.]

I guess I'm just confused as to why you're opposed to your son staying out of danger and taking care of himself for a little while.

( No, she doesn't think the woman who invited the hurricane in knowingly can judge. )

I'm not opposed to him being out of danger. I want nothing more than for him to be safe. And sound.

( But, give her a second as she processes through exactly how she feels. It's on the tip of her tongue, but it's hard to say out loud. )

We're hunters. All three of us. Even if we aren't together all the time, or if we work separate cases. We're hunters. What if he's done, what if he quits and I never see him again.

The person in me who likes to state the obvious would like to point out that there's phones, video calls and text messages. I don't think that your son is going to never speak to you again, just because he's not hunting anymore.

[But she also doesn't think that's Evelyn's point.]

But speaking as a woman who has a family full of superheroes, there's always a chance that you'll never see them again. It's the risk we take when we do what we do. But if you're worried about something happening to you on the job, then maybe it's better to be more intentional to the things you say to him when you do speak.

Be more intentional.

( She shakes her head, smiling to herself. )

You sound like my mother.

( Maybe she doesn't express her feelings so easily and openly because her mother always did, always to Evelyn's detriment. )

Tell me I didn't drive him off today. He's just blowing off steam with his boyfriend. ( She also wants clarification from Laurel. ) Boyfriend?

I think boyfriend is a safe bet. William's actually never brought a boyfriend around before, so whatever this is, he's fairly attached.

[But that isn't the actual question.]

But I don't think you drove him off. I think you two should have a conversation, but I think in the end you'll be fine.

Thank Oliver for me.

( For letting her stay. )

(no subject)

razes - 2022-11-03 01:49 (UTC) - Expand

[Michael glances over at Oliver's words and nods.]

Something stronger might be a good call.

[He could certainly use a drink.]

I apologize. I know this has all been very sudden.

You don't need to apologize, Mr. Sullivan. ( Oliver pushes in his chair. ) You've met William and Mia. This isn't my first family meal that's ended abruptly.

( And it won't be the last. He was also the Green Arrow. The mayor. It happens. )

Come on.

Michael, please.

[But he gets up to follow, looking around as they go and not really sure what to say.]

It's just ... been a long year. Long few years, if I'm honest.

Long years end. Eventually.

( Even when it feels like they have. He pours them each a generous helping of very old scotch and hands one glass to Michael. )

Do you want to talk about it?

Oh, well.

[He's not the best at talking, honestly, but he feels like the conversation at dinner at least deserves some kind of explanation.]

I made a bad call and got my son killed. Cooper had an older brother, Lucas. And, I'm not sure my wife will ever forgive me for it.

( Oliver has lost friends. He's lost family. For a long time he held that guilt. A part of him will always mourn Tommy and his mother. He has since escaped that darkness. )

Have you forgiven yourself?

[He snorts before taking a long sip of his drink.]

I don't think that's possible.

[At least not where he's currently at. Not less than a year out from his son's death. But he knows guilt, and he can live with it without making himself reckless.]

( Oliver takes another thoughtful sip, trying not to overstep further. One thing he can make clear without knowing everything, one thing he'd like to open Michael up to, is: )

She blames herself as much as she blames you. Maybe more than you blame yourself. How is Cooper?

Cooper has always been ... resilient. If there's cracks, he won't let me or his mother see it.

[But he knows that his son has been through quite a crucible of his own, and it's only a matter of time before those cracks start to show.]

After what went down in New Orleans, I don't blame him for wanting to take some time away. But Evelyn doesn't know the full story of what happened there, and I don't think he wants her to.

What happened?

( Would it change things? )

It's a long story, but the short version is that he got in over his head and had to go to some extremes as a result.

[He's not going to spill all of his son's trauma out for his boyfriend's father to see.]

The play paid off, but it leaves me wondering the cost.