Can’t Fix This - Dinah Drake x Reader
Warning: angst, pain, heartbreak
The entire concept of time travel was a bitch.
You hated it, but not for reasons people would expect.
You and Dinah had been dating since you’d broken down each other’s walls gradually ever since you two met two years ago. Back when your best friend, Laurel, had died and you were a wreck.
That probably could have been a flag, looking back.
Two broken people using each other to fix themselves before eventually turning into what was a loving relationship.
Dinah was gone when you woke up the morning after crisis had changed everything.
Every trance of her was gone but the memories of her fingers on your skin, her lips on your lips, her green eyes staring into yours as the sunrise lit up your bodies.
The doppelganger of your best friend found you sat on the balcony of your apartment you were sharing with Dinah pre-crisis.
Staring at the sunset with despair in your eyes and a bottle of an alcoholic beverage in your hand.
You didn’t usually drink so this was new to Laurel, especially since she’d heard about her E1 doppelganger’s struggle with alcohol and how you’d seen that firsthand.
“Didn’t think it was your thing?” Laurel’s voice made you cringe, memories of E1 Laurel trying to sneak through before you spotted her shorter hair.
“I thought Dinah was, but, do you see her here? No, because I don’t fucking know where she’s gone!” Your voice growing louder and louder with the devastation of abandonment emanating through.
“Or if she’s even okay...” You trailed off, voice croaking enough that you downed another mouthful of alcohol, grimacing at the taste before wiping angrilly at the tears trying to cascade down your face.
“Y/n... Dinah’s...” Laurel just sighed, noticing how red and puffy your eyes were in that moment in time, the sunset’s rays leaving your e/c more vibrant than ever.
“What- what’s going on?” The minor blubber that escaped your mouth as you asked that went on to be ignored by both of you as you left the half drank bottle of alcohol with it’s empty twin, pushing off your knees to stand up with a wobble.
“Dinah’s in 2040... and you’re drunk... god, you’re drunk, Y/n L/n, the last person I ever expected to get wasted, is drunk-”
“Drunk on alcohol to try wash away feeling emotionally void, thank you very much.” You growled, grimacing at the feeling in your head before your hand went to your chest, wincing at the overwhelming chest pain.
“Whoah, are you okay?” Laurel enquired, tilting her head to the side in worry as you just coughed slightly.
“Just chest pain, y’know, heartbeat manifesting itself as physical pain, absolutely delightful.” You growled before your eyes landed on the horizon and the setting sun.
“Sunsets aren’t as beautiful when Dinah isn’t here with me... no offense Laurel... Laurel... oh-” A whimper escaped your lips leaving E2 Laurel to panic as she gently took you by the shoulders, leading you back to your apartment from it’s rooftop.
You didn’t remember getting to bed but somehow you were in bed and waking up with a pint glass of water and some headache medication on your bedside table when you woke up.
Courtesy of one Laurel Lance of Earth 2.
But what could hurt more than your girlfriend disappearing from the face of the earth on you one morning?
You were eating a tortilla wrap with nothing in when Laurel returned to your apartment, giving a pointed look of confusion to the tortilla wrap before explaining what was going to happen.
Entering the bar, The Fish Net, you weren’t entirely sure what to expect as you stood behind Laurel who was asking for the owner.
Until you realised who the owner was as they sung and played piano for the people at the bar, socially distancing which seemed to hint at something later to come in 2020 which you hadn’t realised yet but happened to be vaguely aware of on the news.
You were so entranced with seeing her on the piano that you almost whacked Laurel for trying to usher you along and breaking your concentration on your lover.
“Y/n, come on!” Laurel whispered, a harshness that made you glance at her, giving her a slight nod of acknowledgement as Laurel led you over to a table.
You spent a chunk of time watching Dinah play as Laurel ordered the drinks, you being given fruit juice because Laurel didn’t need to deal with a repeat of yesterday at the moment.
“Hi Laurel, are you going to pay your tab this time or- oh, I’m sorry, I’m Dinah, Dinah Drake, and you are?” Dinah asked, leaving your heart to crack and that rib pain to become ever so more familar.
“Leaving. Thanks for the juice, Laurel.” Your voice cracked slightly, leaving Dinah to frown as Laurel just stared wide eyed at what was going on.
“Dee, seriously? Do you not know who this is?” Laurel asked, her hand on your shoulder to stop you from leaving as Dinah just frowned.
“No... should I?” Dinah’s question and the confusion in those damn green eyes made bile rise up your throat.
Choking down your sadness, you pulled your shoulder away from Laurel’s grip.
“You okay?” Laurel asked but you just sighed.
“Just swell.” You replied, the sarcasm so thick it was choking, like you currently choking on sadness.
“Y/n!” Laurel exclaimed as you walked out quickly, your money for the juice slipped into Laurel’s hand as you went.
On your way out you were barely able to dodge a blonde who stared at you like a deer in headlights before heading over to Dinah and Laurel.
“Why is Y/n L/n in 2040?” Mia Queen enquired, leaving Laurel to grimace.
“You know who Y/n is but Dinah doesn’t, what kind of world is this? Wait, how do you know who Y/n is?” Laurel asked, leaving Mia to just smile slightly.
“Y/n L/n wrote one of my favourite books ever, it was about a relationship of two people who lost people close to them and their relationship, until one day it all changed and it turned into this book on heartbreak and it was so good that we even analysed it in English class-” Mia began before pausing, staring at Dinah.
“Oh my god, it was based on a true story.” Mia realised, leaving Laurel to barely withhold face-palming.
“God, I hope this works.” Laurel grumbled before messing with the memory restoration ring, taking Dinah by the wrist.
“Hey, Dinah, this is Y/n L/n.” Oliver smiled, gesturing towards you as you just stared at her with a confused look before grimacing slightly as you were offered champagne.
“Y/n is working towards becoming a writer-” Oliver added, leaving Dinah to just nod as she offered you her hand to shake.
Your hand was soft and warm, not sweaty like a lot of people’s at such important political events.
“What if we’re all just broken and we spent our entire lives trying to fix ourselves out of desperation. Humans are broken creatures, Dinah. Just trying to fill voids left by people with other people, or other things... how do you fill a void left by the death of your best friend?” You asked, staring off at the sunset as Dinah stood next to you, her eyes on the side of your face.
“I don’t know, maybe we could find out, together...” Dinah asked, fiddling with the threads of the blanket that the two of you were sharing.
You just nodded at that, turning to face her before leaning into Dinah’s body, accepting her arms around you waist as the two of you watched the sun gradually disappear and the night creep through.
“Oh...” Dinah whispered as more memories of the past two years flashed by.
“Do you remember Y/n now, the person you’re in love with-” Laurel began but Dinah had just walked out of the bar, trying to work out where you would go, in a time you were not familiar with.
The docks were creeper in 2040 than 2020 and that was really saying something.
Dinah did teach you self-defense, even though some lessons turned into make-out or cuddling sessions depending on the mood when you were pinned on your back into the wall or floor. Eventually you did pin Dinah but playing dirty wouldn’t always help you.
“I remember our relationship.”
Dinah’s voice broke you from your staring contest with the crashing waves coming into the docks, hastily swiping at the tears that ran down your cheeks as you turned to face her.
“What?” your voice was dry and throat felt like you’d been gargling gravel as you stared at her. She was playing with her hands. That happened on two occasions, nervousness or guilt.
“I remember our relationship, all of it... but, I’m sorry Y/n, I don’t feel anything for you anymore-” Dinah began but you were laughing, a broken laugh leaving your lips that she’d heard only once before.
Before the two of you were dating, back when someone said something about Laurel after she’d died. You punched that person in the face afterwards but this wasn’t the scenario now.
“Damn, this would make a good story, wouldn’t it? Ugh, fuck. Goodbye Dinah.” You chuckled, cold tears running down your cheeks with no acknowledgement on your part.
“Why don’t you stay in 2040? Laurel’s here-” Dinah began but you had already turned around to leave, pausing to turn your head to the side.
“If I stayed, I don’t think I could let you go. But you don’t want me anymore, so I have to go. For both our sakes. Have a nice life, Dinah.” The sad smile on your face left a lone tear dripping down Dinah’s face, her eyes on your back as you walked away, your hands shoved in your pockets to hide how much they were shaking.
You’d kept walking until you were able to get to where Sara had parked the Waverider after you’d called her to pick you up and take you back to 2020.
“You okay?” Sara enquired but you just stared at your shoes, wiping at your tears with a sigh.
“Time travel’s a bitch. I hate it. I hate it so damn much.” You whispered as Sara just sighed sadly, asking Gideon to return to 2020, much to the AI’s reluctance to go anywhere near the year 2020, much to yours and Sara’s confusion.
