Survive - Arrow Fanfiction

Chapter Eight

They stagger through the forest as daylight begins to fade, all the while Slade's hand is firmly clasped in her own as he almost drags her away from the shit storm they have left in their wake.

He does not say a word in protest as she tightens her grip every time she hears a noise behind them. Olivia turns at every sound, flinches at every noise until eventually Slade's hand tightens around her own and brings them to a stop. Turning back to him, Olivia almost jumps at how close he is.

She isn't used to being this close to him unless he's either beating the crap out of her in training or saving her life.

"Easy," he says, his voice a deep rumble in his chest. He lets go of her hand and places his own upon her shoulders. His eyes are hard and angry, for once she is pretty sure that his anger is not directed at her. "We're safe."

She believes him. She really does. But the memory of Fyers' hands on her naked skin and the feel of Wintergreen's fists hitting her over and over-

Olivia sucks in a sharp breath. Everything hurts. All of Slade's lessons have been for nothing. All of those weeks of hard work, and all it amounted to was her dodging a couple of punches and getting her ass handed to her in a matter of seconds.

Tears sting her eyes. She doesn't deserve this. She is a spoiled, selfish girl, but she doesn't deserve to be beaten and touched against her will. Almost raped and all she wanted to do was repay a man who didn't deserve her loyalty.

She doesn't deserve this. She should be at home with her family and Tommy and Laurel, not being attacked for doing the right thing for once in her pathetic life. She wants to curl up in a ball and will the world away.

But instead she takes a breath and blinks away her tears.

"I know," she says, fighting the urge to add because of you. A tear escapes but she quickly brushes it away. "I know," she says firmly, but it's no good, the tears come anyway. Olivia turns her head away from his penetrating gaze but a firm hand on her cheek halts her. With far gentler hands than what she thought him capable of, Slade gently forces her to meet his gaze.

"As long as I am with you, you will always be safe," Slade says quietly, his eyes fixed firmly on hers. His thumb swipes away her tears and in that moment Olivia has never been more thankful to a person on this planet than she is to Slade Wilson. Olivia sucks in an uneven breath and forces herself to get a grip. After a few moments, his solid gaze calms her despite her fears. She forces herself to match his every breath, slowly breathing in and out. Her tears slowly stop until she is nothing but a sniffling mess, but Slade doesn't seem to mind. He gently wipes her tears away and places his hands upon her shoulders once more and softly squeezes them.

Slade takes a step back, his eyes flicking down to her state of undress and clenches his jaw. He pulls a blanket from his backpack and throws it around her shoulders. It's the best he can do, and she is grateful for the warmth against the evening chill, and it is a welcome distraction from his touch.

"I-I'm sorry. You missed the plane because of me-"

Slade's mouth hardens into a firm line. "It was my choice," is all he says.

Olivia shakes her head. "You should have left-"

"No," he says sharply. "No." Olivia opens her mouth to protest but Slade's already reaching for her hand and sharply tugs her along after him.

It is dark as they reach a cave, and she briefly wonders if it is the same one where Slade teased her about wolves only the previous night. It feels like years have passed, not one day. She's exhausted, emotionally and physically and she wants nothing more than to sleep in her crappy cot at the fuselage but it seems that the cold hard ground is going to have to do.

Her body aches from the beating it took as she slowly sinks to the ground. Lost in her thoughts, she pays no mind to Slade as he sets up camp and gets a fire going.

Staring into the fire, Olivia sits stiffly, ignoring Slade's quick glances he shoots her way. She can't stand to see the pity he will now look upon her with, and her earlier melt down is too fresh in her memory. A part of her feels embarrassed that Slade Wilson, a man who is always so stoic and strong, saw her so vulnerable and fragile.

But a far larger part is so grateful to him for saving her life once more.

"Thank you," Olivia says quietly, breaking the silence at last. Slade does not reply, but she can feel his dark eyes staring at her.

"I won't be a victim again," she says with grim determination. Meeting his gaze head on, it surprises her and then empowers her to see a newfound respect in his eyes.

"You're not a victim. You never have been. You're a survivor. I knew it from the moment you kicked me in the balls and pressed my own damn sword to my neck." A small, proud smile tugs at his lips, and Olivia feels something flutter deep in her belly.

Olivia smiles. "I can't believe that a kick in the nuts is what brought down the mighty Slade Wilson." Slade barks out a laugh, but it quickly dies away as she demands, "Why didn't you leave?"

There's a long moment of silence. He looks at her for a long moment with steady eyes and just as she's beginning to regret asking the damn question he replies simply, "We're partners."