Episode 4 tag - LESSONS (Roy's POV)
DISCLAIMER - While I can claim the Lessons List I definitely have no claim to CW's Arrow (still cursing that oversight in my plan)!
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Roy made the choice to return to his place after Oliver and Diggle had returned from the hospital confrontation with Laurel and the Team had talked about a new plan. The Team was a little on edge because of Laurel's interference and the new time deadline - and he really just needed a break from the drama. It seemed everything went to hell whenever that woman was involved. Roy growled under his breath as he thought about both Lance sisters.
Sara had already wreaked havoc when she had joined the Team (Roy choose to ignore the inner voice that said he had too). Sara and Oliver together had been bad for them all but especially for Oliver as it seemed she dragged him back to the past. Now her sister seemed to be doing the same and Roy couldn't understand why Oliver didn't just smack her down. Well, not literally but still.
Roy knew Laurel was putting the moves on Oliver even if he was too oblivious to see it. He also knew Felicity saw Laurel's endgame and was hurt by it. Felicity being hurt was what really pissed Roy off.
Looking around his small place in anger, Roy realized that he had nothing to really work out with and now he regretted his choice to leave the warehouse. He was considering returning there when his phone beeped. Roy picked it up and read the text from Felicity - Oliver and John have an early meeting. Meet you at the office at 7 sharp!
Roy typed a quick reply before flopping down on his bed. It was already nearly 1am and he needed to sleep. He tossed and turned, sleeping briefly on and off for the next several hours. However, at just after 4am Roy found himself wide awake so he got up and headed to the warehouse to train.
He wasn't surprised when a shirtless Oliver stepped out of the darkness once he had closed the door. Roy knew the other man frequently slept there and realized he should have warned him as Oliver raised a brow.
"Sorry - couldn't sleep. Thought I'd train." Roy quickly offered the words and was glad when Oliver nodded in acceptance before he spoke.
"Do it quietly. Felicity is asleep."
Roy tried to hide his surprise as Oliver walked away toward the back bedroom...where Roy assumed Felicity was sleeping. He knew Oliver was using one of the other beds but for just a moment Roy wondered if he had missed something big. Laurel might totally dismiss Felicity as no competition, but he knew it wasn't smart to try and come between Oliver and Felicity. He couldn't help but laugh at what it would take for Laurel to learn Lesson #1.
He continued to think about his Team and the Oliver and Felicity thing (they definitely have a thing) as he trained very quietly. A lot had changed with Oliver becoming Mayor, but considering the past year they'd all had this kinda seemed small in comparison. Oliver was a natural in that world and the new public persona actually reminded him of how he has first seen Thea's big brother.
Roy buried any lingering feelings at the thought of his ex and focused on Oliver instead. He had once thought Oliver was a useless wimp and not just because of the suits and easy life. He had also looked down on Oliver's position as CEO of Queen Consolidated as he couldn't imagine that position was legit. It had been so easy to judge Ollie as a useless trust fund playboy who was all shine but no substance. Roy hadn't thought there was anything real about 'Ollie Queen' and definitely nothing rough or gritty - penthouses were as far as you could get from life on the street. Roy now knew just how wrong he had been (his original Lesson #1 was that Oliver Queen was the Arrow after all).
Chuckling at the thought of anyone thinking the Arrow, or the Green Arrow now, was a wimp or useless, Roy missed his next punch on the speed bag. He moved on to the heavy bag as he thought about the rest of his Lessons and just how much he still needed to learn. He didn't have to worry about the Mirakuru anymore, but he still had to get better, still wanted to get better. Roy knew he had found his home with Team Arrow and he didn't want to do anything that would make him lose that (again).
Both Diggle and Oliver were like big brothers to him. Both were constantly pushing him to be better, to be like them. Roy grinned as he realized neither man, but definitely not Oliver, would want him to become like them but that's what he wanted. Both put the City and what was right above what they wanted - they were the first people he had ever met to do that. Life on the street was about survival, not heroic ideals. The first rule of survival is that you save yourself, not others. He had learned to fight on the street, but he learned to fight for others by watching Oliver and Diggle.
He also learned to respect Felicity by watching Oliver and Diggle. She had been a mystery at the beginning as he hadn't understood what she could do for the Team (other than the rumors he had already heard about her 'promotion' from Thea). At first, he had treated her with respect only because Oliver and Diggle had, but then he had gotten to know Felicity. Now she was like his sister and he had to admit that he had learned a lot from her too. He had learned it wasn't enough to just fight for others but how you fought mattered too. Felicity was super smart but she had a huge heart that was even bigger than her big brain - she cared about others more than any person he had ever met.
It was easy to see that both Diggle and Oliver respected her heart as much as her mind. Roy knew both men followed Felicity's lead at times and that had always made it easier for him to do the same. Of course, he also knew that while he and Diggle both saw Felicity as a sister, Oliver's feelings were less platonic. Roy chuckled as there had been even more incidents recently where it was best to keep quiet and stay out of their way. They didn't seem to think it was strange but their relationship wasn't like anything else he had ever seen before - the definition of unresolved sexual tension was yet another Lesson he had learned recently.
His experience on the Team the second time around had definitely meant even more Lessons. Roy had even already started teasing Felicity about posting a new List. It seemed only right to share just what all he had learned from them...pay it forward kind of thing.
Grinning outright now, Roy moved to Felicity's computer to actually start the new List. He knew she monitored his computer use, but he was counting on her not wanting to chat about this so he knew he was safe. Roy was smart enough to save a copy to a flash drive to take with him though as he did expect Felicity would delete the copy on the server.
Roy laughed as he still included "Team Arrow" in the title even if Oliver still refused to use the name. Felicity used it and that was all that mattered.
REVISED LESSONS LEARNED ON TEAM ARROW
1. Do NOT get (or even try to get) between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak...
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