heard you were a wild one

[bossymarmalade]

So, the first time he had visited Mia hadn’t exactly gone to plan. But then the plan had been just to meet her puppy. There had been no plans of the making out that had followed. And definitely no plans of getting caught making out by Green Arrow. That was not on the agenda. It took a few days and texts for Mia to convince Gar to come back over and said as long as they were confined to her room it’d be gravy.

She also said just come to her window and he kind of felt like she was sneaking him into the house. And god this was probably… so wrong of him. So very very wrong. But… sure. He couldn’t say no to a cute blonde. And hey, he had the ability to fly all the way up to her room and tap on her window as a little green sparrow. So why not? Gar waited on the window ledge waiting for her to let him inside.

She didn’t know what Gar’s problem was. It wasn’t like Ollie was going to come and attack him… well, ok. So maybe it may have seemed that way. The whole first impression thing. Not exactly first impression since she knew they knew each other before. But first impression for making out with his daughter… Whatever. It didn’t matter. Ollie didn’t care. Well, maybe he cared but she liked to think he trusted her enough to not do anything stupid.

Mia looked over at the window when there was a tapping and opened her window letting the green bird fly inside. “Hey!” The blonde greeted Gar. “Hah. Kinda didn’t think you’d show. But it’s good to see you.”

He flew into her window and changed into his regular for before turning and grinning at Mia. “C’mon.” He said laughing slightly. “You really didn’t think I’d show? You don’t know me at all.” Alright so he thought about not showing up, but he wasn’t going to stand Mia up. That’d be just rude. Instead he nodded his head. “It’s good to see you too.” He said honestly. “Was there a particular reason you invited me over, or were you just missing my handsome face?”

Mia laughed and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe both reasons.” She said lightly and stepped closer to Gar pulling him towards her bed and sitting down. “I wanted you to know that Ollie isn’t like… mad at you. You know, for seeing you and me together. But he did say you should watch out if you ever do anything bad to me.” She smirked slightly and leaned closer to him. “And he said we could makeout all we want as long as it stayed in my bedroom.” Mia added pressing her lips to his and laughing slightly in the back of her throat.

Gar let her lean into him and pull him towards the bed sitting next to her. He reached out as he listened to her brushing her fingers across her arm almost fascinated by how soft most of her skin was in contrast to the callouses on her hands. He glanced up into her eyes and smiled slightly as she leaned into him and pressed her lips to his. He laughed with her and pulled back slightly. “Happy I get a say in all of this.” He murmured before leaning back in. He really didn’t need a say. Because who would argue with this.

Well anyone with any sort of morals who knew getting caught making out with a seventeen year old girl was illegal when you were over four years older. Which he was. But oh well.

Mia grinned and nodded her head. “What?” She said between kisses. “Are you gonna turn me down?” He very well could. Then she’d feel like a little bit of an idiot but oh well. But he was kissing her back and not turning her down so that made her feel better. She squirmed against him slightly as his fingers moved along her arm and reached up to the back of his neck pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.

He laughed at her question and kissed her back, hard almost like he was trying to prove he totally wasn’t going to turn her down. It was already too late for that wasn’t it? He was in her room. Might as well, right? His hand moved from her arm to her waist. Feeling her hands on the back of his neck tugging him closer and deepening the kiss made him let out a content sort of sigh running his tongue along her bottom lip before nipping at it softly.

Mia let her eyes slide close when he bit down on her bottom lip softly. God. It was weird, kissing. It had been a while and Gar was good at it, shit… She shifted on the bed her knees bumping against his as she intertwined her leg with his. Her tongue ventured into his mouth her hand slide down along his shoulder and brushing down along his chest softly.

Gar let her intertwine their legs together and moved slightly one of his hands sliding down to the small of her back pulling her onto his lap as their tongues clashed. His other hand moved to her knee sliding his fingers slowly along the soft skin of her leg before pausing because… this wasn’t going to go furthur then this. Right? Right… Yes. It wasn’t going to. He had to keep reminding himself she was seventeen. It couldn’t…

She let Gar guide her into his lap and grabbed his shoulders holding him securely in place, like there was any chance of him moving. Mia let out a small breathy sort of sigh when he brushed his fingers along her knee and across her thigh before stopping. Which was good. Because… Reasons. Instead she pushed him backward on the bed and leaned over him biting down on his bottom lip.

Gar groaned lightly when she pushed him onto his back and reached up linking his arms around her waist tightly pulling her closer. “Mia..” He said as she bit down on his bottom lip making him grunt. Fuck. He opened his eyes and gazed up at her for a moment blinking the fuzziness away. “Wait.” He said loosening his grip on her and letting her pull away slightly. “What exactly… should I be expecting to happen here?” Who had time for subtlety, right?

She pulled away and blinked at him for a moment at his question. That… Mia pulled away more and rolled off him sitting on her bed frowning. “I… don’t know?” She wasn’t scared of having sex. She wasn’t. Well, not that she had sex since Ollie had found her or anything so she didn’t know if she could know. But it was a lot more complicated for her. There felt like there was so much planning that needed to be involved. “Not sex…” She said and shrugged her shoulders. “It’s… complicated. And…” Too soon… But she didn’t say that because that came out of no where. An almost panicked look came over her face and she seemed to scoot away from Gar for a moment.

He tilted his head slightly as she spoke and sat up furrowing his eyebrows at her. “Wait.” He said frowning. She obviously wasn’t ok with this. Well, maybe making out but not further and that was totally fine with him. Actually it took a lot off his mind. But there was something else bothering her, he could tell. “Are you ok?” He asked reaching over and grabbing her hand lightly. “You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to. But if you do… I’m totally here to listen. I don’t just want to make out with you…”

Mia nodded her head and looked over at him. “Yeah, I’m ok.” She wasn’t not ok. It was just… She took a breath and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. It’s just… after the nanobots thing.” She bit down on her bottom lip and put her hands in her lap, her shoulders hunched slightly as she looked down at here Gar was holding her. “I mean, it’s like, I thought I was over all this stuff that happened to me and like… It just reopened all these old wounds. I don’t know.” She looked up at Gar. “Sorry…”

He frowned and rubbed her back slowly as she spoke. “Don’t be sorry.” He had no idea what she was talking about, he didn’t know what happened with the nanobots. But obviously it upset her. “We don’t have to rush into anything. We can keep it legal.” He reached up and brushed his fingers across her cheek before pulling her into another kiss, though it wasn’t as… heated as the others were and pulled away. “I don’t really care, honestly. We can do whatever you want to do.”

Mia smiled faintly over at Gar and nodded her head. “Ok.” She said and paused for a moment biting down on her bottom lip. “So, I guess we’re done? I mean I’m not really in the mood anymore.” She didn’t know what to do now. She’d never really been in this type of situation before. It was kind of ridiculous actually. “You don’t have to leave though.” She added and smiled wider before laying down and pulling Gar with her. “You can stay here tonight. If you want to.”

He grinned at her and nodded his head leaning in and kissing her softly. “I guess we’re done.” He agreed because to be honest he found nothing enticing about a girl being as scared as Mia was and didn’t want to go farther, at least maybe not yet. Not until she wanted to. Gar let her pull him down onto the bed with her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “It doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice.” He murmered into her ear and kissed her neck. “I’ll stay here tonight…”

an adventure finds me

[bossymarmalade]

“It is good to be back,” I think to myself. I have lived in many places, in many lives. But since losing Mars, I have never felt more at home than here in the Watchtower among my friends.
Although I am alone in meditation in my chambers, I can sense the minds of those around me. Some are at peace, some are troubled. Some even turn their thoughts towards each other. But all have a higher purpose, a calling to justice. That is why they are here.

It is while contemplating this when I notice a shift in the emotions of one mind in particular. A mind that has become focused - on a mystery? On trouble? I cannot yet tell, but I feel that I may soon learn. The focused mind approaches; there is a knock on my door. “You may enter,” I say, rising. I am curious now, maybe even a bit excited to know what has been brought to me.

The door slides open and I hear the familiar polite custom earthlings have of clearing their throats. I open my eyes and turn to greet my guest, wondering where this will bring me next.

“Yes? What can I do to help?”

“Nothing, likely.” Damian walks about the Manhunter’s quarters for a moment, examining his surroundings before turning to the occupant. His young face is hardened with skepticism, and his gray eyes scrutinize the tall form before him. He puts his hands on his waist and looks the other up and down, assessing his potential worth.

“I’m not keen on alien voodoo,” he warns, “but I need to make use of your powers. They say you can read minds. I had an encounter with nanobots recently. They made me believe I was… someone else.” He trails off cryptically, hesitant to share the specific details. “I must know why— what they found in me that caused me to assume this particular identity. If indeed you possess such capabilities.”

The boy’s eyes flash in challenge.

( don't think don't think )

bar association

[bossymarmalade]

Kyle bought himself a Slurpee.

It was the first thing he used his inheritance on, after first paying off his credit card debt (and then cutting up his credit card into a million pieces. Never again, Mastercard. This feeling: Priceless). That nasty business out of the way, it was a Slurpee next.

It was ‘cherry’, and it tasted awful and plastic and overly sweet; but in the LA sun, strolling along the Venice Beach promenade past boisterous rollerbladers, wide-eyed tourists and headstrong joggers…Kyle hadn’t felt this satisfied in a long time. Content, even.

He eventually turned to head towards a building close to the beach. It had a huge FOR LEASE sign in the front window, and it looked a little worse for the wear - overdosed in broken neon lights and a gaudy awning hanging in pathetic disrepair. But Kyle didn’t seem bothered by that. The building had two floors - the bottom floor, a bar; and the top floor a living space. Yes. It was the inside that counted.

He came to a stop to stand beside the large red-headed man who was already there.

“We’re early? Queen not here yet?” Kyle asked Guy, both of them looking up at the bar for lease. Kyle sucked loudly and obnoxiously on his straw. Hey; when in LA…

Guy glanced at his watch, but didn’t pay it any more mind than he did Kyle’s slurping. If he were meeting with any other investor, he’d be wearing a suit and his Green Lantern-patterned tie. This was Ollie though. Guy wasn’t going to be fooling anyone, so why bother?

Besides, he was a good guy. He was sincere in helping Jason straighten out his life. He was generous enough to help out an old friend.

He was ten minutes late.

( glengarry glen ross this ain't )

raising the bar

[bossymarmalade]

Guy ran the numbers again. This was definitely going to work. Within six to eight months everyone would get what they want. Everyone would be happy. By taking personal leave and spending all his time down here for the last three days, Guy was was able to avoid Rayner, his ungrateful, grudge-holding League, and distract himself from his sorrows by working on getting the bar ready to open. The added bonus was that the current work was ahead of schedule, and Guy didn’t have to waste time hanging around for things like monitor duty or repair detail.

Kyle was already sick of the Watchtower, and especially frustrated with this whole Steering Committee…given all the different, stressful factors that came with it. The pressure he didn’t really want, the staying away from LA even MORE and especially the weirdness between himself and Guy. His mind kept drifting back to Warriors, annoyed that he wasn’t there as well, watching the renovation magic take place.

Well, he wasn’t going to wait any longer. The League was still figuring out the whole Batman mess, and Kyle didn’t think he was needed for that line sticky debate. Instead, he headed back to LA. Headed back home.

It was evening now and quiet, since it was a weeknight. Kyle slowly entered and as luck would have it, Guy was in the bar area, setting up some track lighting on the back wall.

“Evening,” Kyle said with forced cheeriness. They’d been like this with each other for the past couple days now, ever since Guy found out that Kyle was on the stupid Steering Committee. “Que pasa?”

( to-do lists )

friendly chat

[bossymarmalade]

Three tenths of a second after he’d sent his last text, Wally immediately wished he hadn’t. Staring at the phone in his hand, he cursed his own stupidity, gripping at his hair a bit. Great…why had he thought this was a GOOD idea anyway?

Even though he drug his feet, he STILL left about 2 minutes later, arriving at the door and just staring at it. This was probably the dumbest thing he’d done in a long time, but…well whatever. Given the circumstances, he and Roy had a LOT to talk about. A whole lot.

He finally raised his hand and knocked, the motion rapid, barely belying his nervousness.

Roy regrets saying yes. Mostly because he feels like this is an ambush in some way. That Wally’s going to come in here, bags ready and Dick at his side with some goofy grin and a weak apology.

Forgive him for thinking he’s going to get kicked out. God he knew this was stupid. What the fuck was wrong with him? Mom was right about one thing. The fearless kid had gone and turned tail. Where he was now though…Roy didn’t know.

Pacing the room he collected what was left of his resolve. He rushed to the door, opening it and smiled loosely as he dragged Wally inside. “Told you it was open, silly.”

( sharing is scaring )

chiaroscuro

[bossymarmalade]

When Kate arrived at the partially renovated Warriors on Venice Beach, Kyle hurried her upstairs and into his bedroom without saying much beyond “Hola.” She felt like she was being smuggled through airport security, for all of Kyle’s furtive glances and hustling. Once they were in his room and the door was closed, Kyle looked relieved.

His room wasn’t much to look at. There was a mattress on the floor, some scattered heaps of clothes (not much) and an array of art supplies lined up on one side of the wall. On the wall facing the bed, a myriad of pencil and black paint scrawled on the white paint, forming what Kate could only guess was the start of a giant mural painting.

Kyle turned to her with a sigh of relief. “Sorry for the rushing. I’ll give you the grand tour later. Right now I’m just trying to dodge oncoming red-headed storm clouds.” He went to the other side of his ‘bed’ and retrieved a couple beers from the mini-fridge. “Oh ah haaaa, not really much place to sit, huh?” Kyle said, kicking the forlorn blanket on the bed so that Kate could sit down. Kyle’s shoulders slumped. “I’m not usually like this, when I’m at home. I just want you to know that. I CAN live like a grown-up.”

“Grand tour plus an explanation,” Kate said, crossing her arms and leaning against the non-painted/penciled wall until Kyle indicated she could sit down. She slid down onto the mattress, kicking off her sandals and accepting the cold Corona. Twisting open the cap, she continued, “We need to get you to Pottery Barn. Or more like IKEA, Pottery Barn is muy yuppie for you, but better than the flophouse look.”

Her expression grew pointed as she kicked her legs out, pointed her toes for a moment, then took a sip of beer. “What’s with all the cloak and dagger shit, Kyle? You look like you’ve been through the wringer—more than what I’d expect. I know losing your mom has been really hard, but Ollie said you were holding up okay when he saw you last week, and I’m guessing it’s not just that you and Guy are having a Mommy And Daddy Are Just Disagreeing Honey fight over League politics. That’s not something you’d lose this much sleep over.”

( the artist and his muse )