Work Text:
‘Roy are you sure this is working?’
‘Yes Jaybird.’
‘It's just booping and showing me my face?’
‘Really? You hacked NASA last week but Skype is beyond you?’
Kori leaned a shoulder against the main bedroom door with a content smile. Jason had been convinced to try Skyping a few months ago and bless his heart, the concept was still baffled him.
She chuckled at Jason's expression, brow knotted together in that way he always did when he didn't trust something, eyes flicking up for reassurance from Roy, who was sat next to him.
‘He don't wanna talk to me.’ Jason grumbled, fingers fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt anxiously as he sucked on his bottom lip.
Roy just smiled a long suffering smile and squeezed the idiots shoulder.
‘Give ‘im time to answer, Jay‘ He soothed, pressing his lips to the top of his head. ‘Come on buddy, deep breaths.’
Shaking his head, Jason shifted his finger across the mouse on the laptop to disconnect only to be apprehended by Roy.
‘Let go!’
‘No.’
‘I can't talk like this? I look a mess? My hair never sits straight.’ Jason griped, tugging at his traitorous hair much to Roy's amusement.
‘It's curly you moron. Now stop pulling at it or you’ll pull it out again.’
The booping stopped and Dick’s grinning face appeared on the screen, upside down.
‘Dickie?’ Jason gasped before tilting his head to the side. ‘Harper? The laptops broken? Dick’s upside down!’
Upside down Dick chuckled before there was a crash, and then he appeared again the right way up.
‘Sorry Little Wing, I was hanging off the bookshelf.’
Jason raised an eyebrow.
‘So how's you? You doing good? Eating? Sleeping okay?’
‘Yeah, yeah, I'm good.’ Jason mumbled, unconsciously tugging at his hair. ‘Dickie? Is my hair okay? It's good yeah?’
The wide grin faded to a softer one and Dick made a show of studying Jason's hair before nodding slowly. If you looked closely, there was a slight sadness in his expression.
‘Your hair’s fine Little Wing. Just stop pulling at it dude, we’re good yeah?’
Removing his hand from his hair, Jason huffed a breath and rubbed his palms along the fluffy comforter on his knees.
‘Yeah.’
Dick’s smile brightened again and he glanced across at something on the other side of the room.
‘Hey Little Wing? There's some weirdos here who'd like to say hi. You don't have to though? Don't feel obligated to-‘
‘Who?’ Jason interrupted, his brow furrowing again, he glanced over at Roy who just shrugged.
Dick shouted and there was a clear tussle going on before two familiar faces appeared.
‘Hey Jay!’
‘Todd. I am impressed that you are still alive.’
Jason blinked and shook his head before a slight chuckle escaped his lips.
‘Hey Tim. I'm glad you are pleased I'm not dead Damian.’
‘We miss you.’ Tim blurted out, apparently kicking Dick somewhere off screen when he let out a pained groan. ‘Someone else is here too.’
The camera moved as Tim turned the lap top around revealing a man sat at a table waving awkwardly.
‘Hello Jay. I hope- if you would prefer me to leave?’
Jason stared, just stared blankly at the screen until a small, almost there smile tugged at his lips.
‘Hello Old Man. It's okay, if you don't be a douche.’
‘I promise not to be a, douche?’
‘OMG Jay got Bruce to say douche!’
‘Seriously Drake, stop abbreviating phrases to letters. It lowers your already pitiful IQ.’
Roy got up from the bed and left the room, smiling at Kori as he reached the bedroom door.
‘Jaybird enjoys these Skypes more than he lets on. It's nice, that he still has his family.’
Nodding, Kori looked over at Jason. There was no trace of anxiety now, shoulders relaxed and fingers still as he joined in with Damian on teasing Tim, whilst informing the youngest Wayne that IQ was also an abbreviation.
‘Indeed, he-‘
Roy was gone. Frowning, Kori stuck her head out and looked down the hall but there was no trace of him.
It didn't take Batman to decipher where Roy had slunk off to. Pushing open the door to the makeshift workshop outside, Kori found her partner sat at his workbench, tinkering with parts. He wasn't working on any particular project, the man was just sat, tinkering, putting one bit together, taking another apart and then repeating.
‘Roy? Are you alright?’ Kori called out softly, her lips pursing when Roy lifted his head and shot her a smile that wouldn't have fooled a toddler.
‘Yeah. Just- working. Parts, arrow, mechanical, firearm.’ Roy trailed off as if he totally knew what it was he was trying to achieve.
Kori nodded slightly, not missing the far away look in green eyes that were trained on a bolt. Kori had a reputation for being a bit naive, something she took advantage of at times but sometimes like today, she wished her boys didn't think her to be so gullible. Roy was upset but wouldn't tell her why.
Plopping down on a near by crate she rested her cheek in the palm of her hand, watching Roy tinker and pretend his world consisted of nothing but metal and oil. Sometimes she really hated Oliver for introducing Roy to - pausing her train of thought, Kori glanced over at a few unfinished trick arrows Roy had been working on.
Oliver Queen!
Every few weeks, sometimes more frequently of late, Roy would cajole Jason into making contact with his family. He would smile and wave at the Waynes, even say a few words but in the end he always seemed to gravitate to his workshop. This was what him and Oliver had done together. Maybe that was it? While Jason was busy talking to his family, Roy came here to think about the man who never called, never wrote, nothing.
Their relationship was still stuck in the stale mate that Jason and Bruce had been in until very recently. Maybe like them, Oliver and Roy just needed a small nudge in the right direction.
‘Why don't you call him?’
Roy paused in his tinkering and glanced up in her direction before carrying on again.
‘Call who?’ He replied distractedly.
‘Ollie. Why don't you call Ollie?’
There was a very pregnant silence broken by Roy putting down the part in his hands.
‘Leave it alone Kori.’
‘But one of you has to make that first step? Just call him.’
‘It's not that simple.’
‘Yes it is. You just call the Skype like Jay does and-‘
‘Leave it Kori I'm warning you!’ Roy snapped, sending the array of nuts, bolts and wires tumbling to the ground with a swipe of his hand. ‘Queen is my past. My past stays behind me. That's how it works. How it gotta work.’
Not waiting for a response, Roy stomped out of the workshop with a face like thunder.
‘I'm goin’ for a walk.’
‘But should it be in the past Speedy?’ Kori mused quietly to herself.
The next morning Roy stumbled out of bed to find Jason cooking breakfast as usual but no Kori. Scratching his belly sleepily, Roy yawned and made his way over, chuckling when Jason swatted at his fingers with the spatula when he tried to snag a rasher of bacon.
‘Oy hands off else I'll chop ya damn fingers off!’
Grinning, Roy kissed his Jaybird on the cheek, delighting in how the younger man screwed up his face.
‘Where's Kori?’ He asked, watching Jason throw a couple of tomatoes into the frying pan with the bacon. ‘Dunno? She flew off this morning? Said she'd be back this evening that's all I know.’ Jason mused, looking up to see Roy staring at a picture of his brothers on the fridge. Dick had sent it last night and he had decided to print it out because, reasons. ‘Harper?’
‘Huh? What? You okay?’ Roy replied, startling back to reality much to Jason's amusement, who just shoved a plate of food into the archer’s hands.
‘You asked where Kori was? She's gone to do something. Now sit down and eat.’
Frowning, Roy looked out of the window with a thoughtful hum.
‘What's she gotta do?’
‘Christ knows, with our princess it's best not to ask.’
Humanity thought her stupid. A pretty, naive little thing. Nightwing’s arm candy, the pin up of the Titans. No one ever spoke of her achievements, the battles she had won as a warrior in her own right. They were her team’s achievements, battles, all humanity cared about was her looks, her desirable body the only achievement she was allowed to own.
Sometimes that knowledge stoked a raging fire that burned brighter than her star bolts. Koriand'r had suffered, had sacrificed, had fought with everything she had to protect humanity to only ever be seen as pretty. Pretty and alien. There was no worse a fate.
Sometimes though, Kori smiled to herself and used humanity’s blind stupidity against themselves: for to see someone only has naive, you become putty in their hands.
‘Oliver Queen?’
It was like seeing Roy bent over his workbench, building creations only he could see. Only this man was slightly larger, and his hair was blonde instead of ginger.
‘Mr Queen?’
A pair of piercing blue eyes lifted to give her a cold stare before returning to examining the mechanism on the table.
‘Ms Anders. How did you get in here?’ Oliver deadpanned, refusing to look up from his work.
‘Dinah let me in?’ Kori replied sweetly, making sure to plaster an airhead smile on her face. ‘What are you constructing?’
‘I doubt you would understand it. What do you want? If it's about the boy, he ain't my problem anymore.’
‘Boy? What boy?’ Kori replied, stepping closer she made sure to add extra confusion to her voice and tilt her head just ever so slightly to one side.
‘Roy? You're currently shacked up with him and Wayne’s delinquent kid?’
‘Oh! Him! Sorry, I forgot.’
Oliver raised an eyebrow and shook his head at her in pity. Poor, silly, little man.
‘So much for true love. If he's after money he already knows my answer. If that is all? I wish you a pleasant journey home.’
Nodding, Kori puffed out her cheeks in apparent exasperation and turned to leave.
‘Oh? Very well. I shall go ask Mr Bruce Wayne my question instead.’
‘What? Wait!’
Pausing, Kori swallowed down a smirk and blinked over her shoulder innocently. Oliver had risen from his bench and was now leaning against it, cool eyes fixed on her warily.
‘What was it you would like to know Kori?’ He asked, lowering his gaze to study his shoes.
Smiling sweetly, Kori skipped over happily and fluttered her eyes lashes at the man.
‘Humans still confuse me a little Oliver, I was wondering if you could explain you and Roy to me? I really am awfully confused by it all.’
‘Huh? What about Roy and me? There's nothing to say? He chose addiction over me, the end. What else is there?’ Oliver spat, picking up a awl he stabbed at the wooden bench mindlessly, the same look on his face that Roy had. Kori had been right!
‘That is what I do not understand? How is it that yourself and Roy cannot repair what once was but Jason and Bruce can? It seems peculiar to me.’
There was along silence and the awl sank deeper into the wooden bench.
‘Bruce has made things up with Jason? Is that true?’
Nodding, Kori pretended not to notice the hurt in Oliver’s voice and smiled brightly.
‘They are ‘working on it’ I think is what Jason said? Bruce talks to him on the Skype almost every week. What I cannot understand is why you cannot call Roy?’
The awl was suddenly flung through the air. Shrieking, Kori ducked out of the way before coming face to face with a fuming Oliver.
‘How dare you! Is there anything in that pretty head of yours? You have no idea, none at all about the hell that boy put me through!’ Oliver bellowed, sending the contents of his bench flying, tool box and all. ‘You have no idea what it's like to love a kid that much. The sleepless nights waiting, just waiting for that phone call to tell me that my son had been found dead in some gutter. All that boy did was blame me for it. Me! I wasn't the one who shoved that needle in his arm or poured that glass, he chose to do that. All he ever wanted me for was money to fund his suicidal habit. No better than the rest of the scum I clean off the streets. Get out! I said get out!’
Kori’s eyes widened at the fury that could easily have rivalled Jason when he was in a full blown rage. Lifting her arms up slowly she backed away.
‘I'm sorry Mr Queen. I did not understand but now I do. Thank you.’
Oliver watched the alien skulk away before turning to look down at the destruction he had caused. Kneeling down, he began to pack away the tool box when his fingers brushed an old photograph, creases well worn from multiple folding and unfoldings over the years. Tears dropped onto his cheeks as he looked at a younger version of himself ruffling a familiar boy's hair. He gazed at the smile that had once graced that boy's face only to be stolen away.
‘He was my son.’ Oliver mumbled, before hiding the photograph in the depths of his tool box once more.
The days past without much notice for the Outlaws. Kori never breathed a word about her little trip to Star City and neither of the boys asked beyond enquiringly she if was okay. Roy stopped looking quite so sad and Kori carried on smiling as if she hadn't noticed it in the first place. Until one day.
There was a knock at the door one sunny afternoon. Roy was taking a nap and Kori was basking in the sun on the beach. Jason was the only one around, lazing about on the couch reading a book.
The door knocked again.
Lowering his book, Jason frowned at it.
No one ever visited him, Roy and Kori?
The knocking came again, more insistent this time.
Marking his place, Jason set down the book and walked over to the door. Eying up the gun he had stashed in a near by plant pot as he did so. Taking a deep calming breath, he opened the door and just stared.
Oliver Queen was stood on the door step, dressed smartly in a light green shirt and slacks. He looked up at the shell shocked young man and inclined his head with a small smile.
‘Good afternoon, Jason. You look well. Is Roy home?’
Jason opened his mouth and closed it again. Despite his every intention, he could not find any words, in any language. Oliver just kept staring at him expectantly but he couldn't get his brain to function. It had just short circuited like when he'd accidentally spilt soda on Roy's switchboard.
‘Roy.’ He finally managed to spit out but Oliver just frowned and nodded slowly.
‘Yes? Is Roy home Jason? Is there someone more competent I can speak to?’
‘I'm not a moron, I understand you!’ Jason snapped, apparently he could find the words to defend himself, no problem.
‘Jaybird? Everything okay?’ Roy's voice echoed from inside the condo and Oliver raised an eyebrow at the sound of it. Now, Jason was used to socially awkward situations, he was a member of the Batfamily, but this? This just took the whole cake.
Nodding, Jason stepped aside revealing who was on the doorstep to Roy.
‘Hello Roy, it's been a while.’ Oliver greeted with the same small smile.
‘It's been a while? Are you fucking kidding me!’ Roy spat, his face going a vibrant shade of red. Apparently he had no problem finding words.
‘Roy, please, can we just talk?’ Oliver pressed, making the grave mistake of stepping over the threshold. A book hit him square in the face.
‘Talk! You want to talk?’ Roy practically screeched, sending another book flying from the bookshelf he was stood next to. ‘Get out!’
Ducking another onslaught of books, Oliver raised his hands to try and defend himself as he took a step closer.
‘Roy I know, I know things have been distant between-‘
‘Distant? Distant! That's the word you've come up with?’
Another book went flying.
‘Fucking distant?’
Oliver ducked another book but still refused to back down.
‘Try. Fucking. Hell.’ Roy screamed, sending a book missile to punctuate each word.
‘Woah! Woah! Harper stop throwing Keats at Ollie!’ Jason finally decided to intervene, prying a copy of War and Peace out of his friend' hand and pinning him against the bookshelf instead.
‘Harper, calm down. Deep breaths, come on, Buddy. I know it's a shock but-‘
‘A shock!’ Roy stared at Jason in bewilderment, fighting the tight grip on his arms. ‘Get him out of here Jason. I mean it. You may want to play happy families but- I can't. Get him out before I get him out and trust me when I say you’ll be needing a fucking shovel!’
Finally succeeding at shoving Jason off, Roy span on his heel to glared darkly at Oliver before storming out of the open front door.
A heavy silence fell, almost suffocating in its weight. Jason looked over at Oliver stood awkwardly gazing off after Roy and shrugged.
‘You heard the man. He don't wanna see you.’ He grumbled, bending down to rescue his beloved books, stroking their covers as if they were hurt children. Oliver frowned and shook his head, he watched the boy he knew Bruce had given up hope on start placing his books back in their rightful place. He noticed the single photograph on one of the polished wooden shelves. It was a young Jason as Robin smiling into the camera next to Batman.
‘You didn't want to talk to your dad?’
Snorting, Jason threw him a very dirty look and picked up another book.
‘He's not my dad. As for Bruce, he never gave up on me unlike -‘
‘Me?’ Oliver asked but he knew the answer deep down. He'd given up on Roy along time ago.
Jason just shrugged again, pushing the book back in place he turned to look at the archer blankly.
‘So you do have some insight. In that case, you've been, you can say you've tried. Same time next decade?’
‘You think I'm just going to give up that easily? Roy's just upset.’
‘Never stopped you before?’
If there was one thing Jason was spectacular at it was telling you the facts, hard hitting and to the point without a shred of emotion. Oliver swallowed thickly and spotted a copy of Pride and Prejudice by his feet. Picking it up, he handed it over with a sigh.
‘Fine, alright Jason you're right okay? Maybe coming here was a bad idea.’
‘You think? I'd throw books at Bruce if he came here. Ever heard of a phone pal?’ Jason scoffed, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all.
‘Yes, Kori did say you and him talked on the phone nowadays. I-‘
‘Kori? What's Kori got to-‘
Trailing off, Jason remembered the day Kori had disappeared off to who the fuck knows where, but why would she go see Ollie? Frowning, he glanced back at his photograph of Bruce on the bookshelf. Roy always looked sad when he walked past it, Roy looked sad when his family called. Oh.
Things sometimes took a while to click into place but now Jason was seeing it as clear as day. Roy was missing Oliver.
‘Jason? Are you feeling alright?’
Nodding, Jason didn't look up at the man but waved him off towards the front door.
‘Roy's most likely in his workshop, but I didn't send you. Upset him and I’ll kill you.’
It wasn't hard to find the tumble down shack outside that Roy had adopted as a workshop. Oliver smiled to himself as he approached it, some old habits he was pleased to see where still going strong. Pushing open the door, he spotted Roy bent over the workbench, tinkering with a trick arrow.
‘Stupid fucking thing.’
‘You need to narrow the right side, the air resistance is off. It won't fly straight.’ Oliver offered from by the door. This time deciding to remain firmly behind the threshold.
Roy paused, before carrying on his work with a slight huff.
‘Still here? That's new.’
Nodding, Oliver hung his head and sighed. What was he meant to say? Yes, he had kicked Roy out. No, he didn't believe Roy was fully on board with this whole recovery lark and new friends, new start drivel. Roy had lied before and quite honestly this old man’s heart couldn't take being lied to anymore.
‘I’m not delusional Roy. We, I, can't go back to what we were. I'm not hear to hug it out and make out everything is rainbows. I don't think you do either.’
‘Then why are you still here?’ Roy spat, finally lifting his head to glare at him and that's when Oliver noticed that the boy was crying. ‘You abandoned me.’
‘I'm sorry.’ Oliver said, tears of his own brimming in his eyes. ‘I didn't know what else to do Roy? You wouldn't talk to me. You lied, stole my money. I-I didn't know how to help you. I - God Roy I was frightened.’
‘Frightened? Now I know you're bullshitting.’
‘Not a day goes by when I don't think about you. I just, I couldn't watch you kill yourself. I couldn't spend one more night watching you breathe: wondering if it was going to be the last time I’d see you when you walked out the door. You weren't Roy.’
Pursing his lips, Roy stopped working on his arrow and wiped at his cheeks with a bitter laugh.
‘You abandoned me.’
‘I had to.’ Oliver replied, shaking his head when Roy glared at him again.
‘I want, I want to be honest. The one thing we never were. I know it sounds selfish, but I had to Roy. I'm sorry. I just prayed that you'd hit rock bottom and get help. You wouldn't accept it off me.
I had to son, I didn't know what else to do.’
Roy didn't answer. He just sat there, staring at the arrow on his bench as if someone had unplugged him. Taking the silence as the conversation being over, Oliver inclined his head and made to leave.
‘I’ll call you. Sometime. Not-not right away, but sometime. We can talk. No promises but, I can do that.’ Roy mumbled, looking up he watched the closest thing he had to a father pause before nodding slightly.
‘Thank you, Roy. I’ll look forward to it. Oh, and by the way? You have two very good friends.’
With that, the man was gone and much to Roy's chagrin Ollie, had been right. His arrow needed to be narrower on the right hand side.
Kori waltzed into the living room later that evening to find Roy buried into Jason's side, staring glumly at some chick flick Jason had put on as a distraction.
‘Boys?’
Lifting his head, Jason peered over the couch whilst simultaneously squeezing Roy closer to him.
‘Oliver Queen rocked up. Wanted to talk to Roy. Shocker right?’ Jason informed her, narrowing his eyes when the princess blinked innocently and smiled.
‘Well, that was a turn up for the newspaper.’
‘It's books, Kori. Roy arranged to call him like I do with Bruce. Ain't that a positive?’ Jason carried on, amused that she was still acting as if she hadn't been found out. He debated calling her out but he supposed as fun as it would be, Roy probably wouldn't see it the same way.
‘So, whilst you've been sunbathing, we've had a pretty tough few hours. Stick some milk on to heat up and I’ll make us some hot chocolate.’
Roy made a sound of agreement before closing his eyes and snuggling further into Jason's chest.
Kori made off to the kitchen to complete her task and couldn't stop herself from smirking.
Trust Oliver Queen to try and one up Bruce Wayne and actually rock up out of the blue. Next time, maybe she should be more specific on the pointing out that a phone call would be better received?