Arrow: "Unfinished Business" - part one
‘I’ll Stand by You’ was playing on the radio when Naia turned off the ignition and looked down the street to where the neon sign spelling out “Belly’s Burgers” was just visible. She had to admit that it had been a long night, and losing track of Oliver after he had been shot up with the new and improved Vertigo hadn’t helped.
She pulled the collar of her jacket a little more snugly around her and crossed the street. She was unaware that Oliver had left Diggle at the warehouse and was watching her as she sat down at a booth, and saw Carly bring her a root beer. He took out his phone and hit speed dial 3. Lenaia’s eyes closed when she saw Oliver’s name appear on the caller ID.
“Hey..” She tried to put a smile in her voice.
“Hey, Doc.” She thought she could hear emotional and mental fatigue in his voice.
“Everything okay?”
Oliver could see her forehead crease as he allowed a lapse to occur before he answered.
“Oliver? Are you there?”
“I think I owe you a dinner. Or at least a coffee. Can I meet you somewhere?”
“Well, I’m at Belly’s Burgers if you want to join me.”
“I’m not far away”- he was right outside the window actually.
Lenaia couldn’t hide her surprise when Oliver walked through the door.
“The usual?” Carly asked as Oliver sat across from Lenaia.
“Yes, please.” Oliver half-smiled at Carly.
After Carly walked away, Naia turned her plate towards him. “Fries?”
Oliver took a couple of them, eating and then fanning his mouth.
“Careful,” Naia told him. “Don’t burn yourself.”
“Too late. Think I already did,” Oliver admitted sheepishly.
The diner’s newest hire, a girl about Thea’s age, Oliver thought, brought him his chocolate milkshake. When he smiled at her, she blushed and actually giggled moonily as she scurried back to the safety of the kitchen.
Lenaia hid an amused smile as she took a bite out of her burger. Without thinking, she took her napkin and reached over to wipe an offending dab of gravy from Oliver’s chin. Electricity went through them as their eyes locked. Color crept up to Naia’s caramel colored cheeks and she began to withdraw here hand from Oliver’s face.
He caught it though, treating it gently when he realized it was the hand that was injured two weeks prior.
“So you sounded like you needed to talk on the phone,” Naia said when she was able to find her voice again. Her heart was still pounding like a jackhammer in her ears.
“Naia...” he whispered her name, his eyes not losing his haunted look as he held her hand.
His plate with fries and a loaded cheeseburger suddenly appeared at his elbow.
The smile that he gave the young girl was…distracted?-would that be right?, Lenaia thought.
It wasn’t his full on charming grin that turned a girl’s knees to jello…Sienna would say.
“Just tell me what happened,” she said gently. She listened in silence until he was done.
“Do you think he’ll come back?” she finally asked.
“I don’t know..” Oliver said softly, honestly. He smiled when she reached across the table to take his hand.
“It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
“Naia…” he whispered her name, stroking her fingers, feeling her shiver.
Oliver raised an eyebrow in half amusement/half puzzlement when he heard her muttering something under her breath. She pulled out her pager, giving him an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry. They just brought in a little deaf girl and none of the staff who speak ASL are on.”
“It’s okay,” Oliver promised.
He knew he made the right choice when he felt her lips brush his cheek. He wasn’t able to hide his surprise when she pressed a small gold key into his hand.
“Just in case...” was the explanation that he got.
Lenaia put down a ten dollar bill on the table to cover her bill plus a generous tip.
“It was delicious as always,” she told Carly, who was cleaning up a nearby table from previous patrons.
“Eating and running again?”
“Yeah….” Lenaia half-shrugged. “Life of a resident...” She waved as she left.
Carly approached the table where Oliver was watching Lanaia cross the street to her car.
“Get you anything else?” She watched him turn away from the window.
“No…thank you, I should probably be going too.” Oliver also paid for his meal and then exited the diner.
She pulled the collar of her jacket a little more snugly around her and crossed the street. She was unaware that Oliver had left Diggle at the warehouse and was watching her as she sat down at a booth, and saw Carly bring her a root beer. He took out his phone and hit speed dial 3. Lenaia’s eyes closed when she saw Oliver’s name appear on the caller ID.
“Hey..” She tried to put a smile in her voice.
“Hey, Doc.” She thought she could hear emotional and mental fatigue in his voice.
“Everything okay?”
Oliver could see her forehead crease as he allowed a lapse to occur before he answered.
“Oliver? Are you there?”
“I think I owe you a dinner. Or at least a coffee. Can I meet you somewhere?”
“Well, I’m at Belly’s Burgers if you want to join me.”
“I’m not far away”- he was right outside the window actually.
Lenaia couldn’t hide her surprise when Oliver walked through the door.
“The usual?” Carly asked as Oliver sat across from Lenaia.
“Yes, please.” Oliver half-smiled at Carly.
After Carly walked away, Naia turned her plate towards him. “Fries?”
Oliver took a couple of them, eating and then fanning his mouth.
“Careful,” Naia told him. “Don’t burn yourself.”
“Too late. Think I already did,” Oliver admitted sheepishly.
The diner’s newest hire, a girl about Thea’s age, Oliver thought, brought him his chocolate milkshake. When he smiled at her, she blushed and actually giggled moonily as she scurried back to the safety of the kitchen.
Lenaia hid an amused smile as she took a bite out of her burger. Without thinking, she took her napkin and reached over to wipe an offending dab of gravy from Oliver’s chin. Electricity went through them as their eyes locked. Color crept up to Naia’s caramel colored cheeks and she began to withdraw here hand from Oliver’s face.
He caught it though, treating it gently when he realized it was the hand that was injured two weeks prior.
“So you sounded like you needed to talk on the phone,” Naia said when she was able to find her voice again. Her heart was still pounding like a jackhammer in her ears.
“Naia...” he whispered her name, his eyes not losing his haunted look as he held her hand.
His plate with fries and a loaded cheeseburger suddenly appeared at his elbow.
The smile that he gave the young girl was…distracted?-would that be right?, Lenaia thought.
It wasn’t his full on charming grin that turned a girl’s knees to jello…Sienna would say.
“Just tell me what happened,” she said gently. She listened in silence until he was done.
“Do you think he’ll come back?” she finally asked.
“I don’t know..” Oliver said softly, honestly. He smiled when she reached across the table to take his hand.
“It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
“Naia…” he whispered her name, stroking her fingers, feeling her shiver.
Oliver raised an eyebrow in half amusement/half puzzlement when he heard her muttering something under her breath. She pulled out her pager, giving him an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry. They just brought in a little deaf girl and none of the staff who speak ASL are on.”
“It’s okay,” Oliver promised.
He knew he made the right choice when he felt her lips brush his cheek. He wasn’t able to hide his surprise when she pressed a small gold key into his hand.
“Just in case...” was the explanation that he got.
Lenaia put down a ten dollar bill on the table to cover her bill plus a generous tip.
“It was delicious as always,” she told Carly, who was cleaning up a nearby table from previous patrons.
“Eating and running again?”
“Yeah….” Lenaia half-shrugged. “Life of a resident...” She waved as she left.
Carly approached the table where Oliver was watching Lanaia cross the street to her car.
“Get you anything else?” She watched him turn away from the window.
“No…thank you, I should probably be going too.” Oliver also paid for his meal and then exited the diner.