Beauty And The Beast. (Oliver Queen)
Summary: She was soft, supple and he was hard, scarred but when her hands touched him, he felt like precious silk and red hot love.
Her hair fell over her face like a curtain, eyes focused on the book in front of her as her leg bounced sporadically. She was getting to an intense part, he could tell from a mile away and a smile lifted his lips as he continued to slam fist after fist into the punching bag. He couldn't really focus on anything when she was sitting there like that, curled up on top of the desk with a thick blanket over her lap. Her eyes roved the pages, delicate fingers flipping pages with slow turns as she drank in each letter. The gasp that left her lips drew his attention fully, his feet stumbling as he missed the punch and whirled around to face her.
"Darling?" He demanded, her face popping up as she gave him a breathtaking smile. He relaxed, eyes searching for any sign of pain on her face but she was seemingly alright as he positioned himself in front of her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing! They got together. The weird couple, the one that other readers refused to ship because they are so different but I knew it!" She grinned, poking his chest as she leaned into his sweaty chest.
"How are they different?"
"It's a play on Beauty in the Beast, so she's this demure girl who runs a bakery and he is an FBI agent, but I knew she'd chose him." Oliver's ears quirked. A little pang of hidden insecurity in his chest at the parallel between him and her, the beauty and the beast.
"How did you know?"
"Because, the other guy was nice and all but he didn't make her feel. He was just someone she could be with, no problem. While the man she chose, made her feel alive. Yeah, it was dangerous and scary but what they had was tangible and safe, something that draws you in and holds you close because it's so real and beautiful - and I'm rambling, sorry." She gave him a sheepish smile, ducking her head into his collarbone. Her teeth raked a healed bullet wound as she smiled at his laugh.
"Did you know I used to think you wouldn't give me a chance?" Her head snapped up, a delicate hand touching his cheek. He had thought his sheets were soft after being on that island but nothing beat the feel of her, her skin and her touch.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm all of the dark things this world has to offer and you're everything bright and love-filled. And you know what, I did know you'd give me a chance because you're a good person but that just made me work harder not to fall in love with you. I knew I was the monster that lurked in the shadows of your life, that I would be the one to ruin the good in you and I couldn't do that to you." He smoothed the back of his hand over her cheek, finger catching her chin as she smiled sadly at him.
"Oliver, as much as you like to hold the weight of literally everything on your shoulders, that isn't true. You aren't dark. You're a survivor who did what he had to do to live through the island, and all the other places you went during those five years, and you shut off the parts of you that feel because you can't survive something like that if you're letting emotions cloud you. But I have always seen the good in you, the little flickers of light that shine out when you help someone while in the suit, or as you lead this city as Mayor. You're a good man Oliver Queen, who has been through a lot and no matter how 'dark' you get, I am going to be by your side."
He had to kiss her then, her lips rounding letters into a beautiful soliloquy of hope and love. She was radiant, even under the ugly fluorescent she shined and he had to thank his lucky stars. She was more than he deserved and more than he could hope to have, but here she was - kissing him back with a smile on her lips and soft fingers dancing over his scares.
And for once he felt less like the beast within, and more like a man.










