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This was not her Oliver Queen. Dinah didn't fault him for that, but there were times when she'd catch his green eyes and forget that her Oliver was long gone. And then there were other times when she looked at that face that was so familiar to her and saw nothing but the lifeless look in her Oliver's eyes. After Dr. Fate had taken her across worlds to leave her here with this man who'd lost as much as she had, things had been awkward. There were the formalities of legally bringing her back to life-even if she wasn't the Dinah of this world. Oliver had arranged it all for her, just like her Oliver might have. And he'd insisted that she and Connor stay with him until they got on their feet.
The penthouse was not the same as the home she'd shared with Oliver, but it was still so very much Oliver. From the leather couches to the too-big TV to the state of the art sound system and the minimalist but classy decorations. There were times when she'd catch him watching her and she got the distinct feeling that he was the only person in this world or any other who knew how she felt about having some version of the man she'd loved back.
After they'd been here four nights, Dinah awoke to the sound of Connor fussing. Before she could get out of bed, she heard him settle down again. She still crept into his room to check on him. She stopped short as she saw Oliver, the baby in his arms. She watched silently as he rocked Connor and softly sang to him. A tear slid down her cheek as she watched her son nuzzle into the man that was so much like his father. Oliver didn't notice her at first. He simply held the baby close until Connor was very clearly back asleep. It was only once he'd put Connor back to bed that he looked up and locked eyes with Dinah. He gave her a sheepish smile and ran his hands through his hair.
"Sorry," Oliver said quietly once they'd stepped out into the hall. "I just wanted to give you the chance to sleep, pretty bird." He reached out to wipe the tear from her cheek, but pulled his hand back just as quickly. He gave her an apologetic look. "I miss her," he admitted. "I know that you're not her, but..." his shoulders lifted helplessly.
Dinah caught the hand before Oliver could put it back down at his side. She gave it a squeeze.
"I miss him too." She took a deep, steadying breath and then tilted her head towards the room where Connor was sleeping. "You're good with him."
"Well," Oliver smiled, his cheeks flushing ever so slightly. "He's an easy kid to love." His smile faded a little as he looked down at her. "Dinah, I know that you talked about looking for a place of your own, but you two should stay. I hear it's easier to raise a kid with two people. And granted, you're probably thinking that I'm not much better than having a second kid around, but I'd do my best to help you. I know that you could probably handle anything on your own, but..."
Dinah laughed softly, her fingers lacing through Oliver's. He didn't usually babble except when he was really nervous. And it would seem that was something that stayed constant even in this parallel Earth. She realized that she didn't want to let him out of her sight anymore than he wanted to let her go. This might not be her Oliver, but he was still Oliver. And maybe that was enough to build on. She wasn't naive enough to think that it was all they needed-they'd have to figure this out just like anyone venturing into a new relationship. And yet, she tugged just a bit on that hand of his and stood on tiptoes to brush her lips against his, tentatively at first. There was an intake of breath from Oliver before his other arm wound around her waist, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. His lips practically hummed with need for her. Her eyes fluttered closed as she threw herself into the kiss.
This was not her Oliver. But maybe, just maybe, he would become hers.