Home. Heart. Hero.

The Hero's Dilemma

"It is surmounting difficulties that makes heroes."
-Louis Pasteur

Oliver Queen liked to think of himself as a very complex individual who was really good at hiding things from everyone. Almost everyone. There were a few individuals who saw through his facade. One person in particular who he forgot he had to try harder to hide from.

His chest heaved as his feet moved slowly along the mat, his eyes on the woman standing across from him looking just as tired and worn as he was. And yet there was a smile on her face as she watched him and he couldn't help but return it. Before he knew what was happening, Katie ran over to him tossing a fist that he dodged, before grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back, pulling her against his chest. Her head fell back against his shoulder in exhaustion, as his head rested on the side of hers just breathing her in. At this point his heart was ramming in his chest from both the adrenaline, and from the fact that he was holding her so close to him. In a move that Oliver didn't see coming, Katie lifted her foot to step on his, causing him to loosen his grip on her. Once she was free, Katie dropped to swing a leg under his feet.

Oliver's fell on his back against the mat, once again letting out a grunt in pain. He heard a chuckle escape her lips as she moved around him.

"You're distracted." Katie said bringing her arm up to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "And if you're distracted then this is pointless." She walked over and stared down to him as he just laid there trying to catch his breath. "What's going on in your head Liver?" Oliver met her eyes and sighed. That was definitely a loaded question. He was thinking about his mother and her part in some plan with Malcolm Merlyn. His head was spinning with the fact that his best friend's girlfriend, his ex girlfriend showed up and told that she still had feelings for him. Oliver couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Tommy refuses to even acknowledge his existence in the past couple of weeks. Katie was right, Oliver was distracted, but at the moment his biggest distraction was the fact that she chose to spar with him in very tight yoga pants and a sports bra. Ever since she stepped out from the bathroom, very impure thoughts, thoughts he wasn't proud of, floated into his head and they had yet to float out.

"This is sad, you know I sort of expect more from the guy arrogant enough to put on a hood, and put on his eye make up-" In one swift movement, Oliver kicked out a leg, sliding underneath Katie's legs and knocking her off her feet causing her to drop on the mat beside him with a thud.

"Gah!" she grunted hitting the mat.

"You were saying?" Oliver asked.

"Jackass." she muttered slapping his chest with the back of her hand. They both just laid there, their chests heaving trying to just catch their breaths. Katie tilted her head to look over to him. "Hey?" Oliver turned to her and was once again just distracted by her. Sometimes he wondered why she couldn't see it. It had to be just written on his face whenever he looked at her. Even now, her hair wet from sweat and her face a slight tint pink as she stared at him. It was always on the tip of his tongue when he looked at her, but he couldn't say it. So he let out a deep breath and turned away, hoping that lessened the temptation. "Seriously, talk to me."

"You know how ironic this is coming from you" Oliver said staring up to the ceiling, but he could feel her eyes on him. "I'm fine. We'll find out what the Undertaking is and we will stop it and make sure justice is served in the end."

"It doesn't make sense does it?" Katie spoke turning on her side to face the man who was avoiding her eyes. That was the constant thought Oliver had as he thought of all of this. "I always thought of your mother as like a second mom, she was kind and had a good heart. What could have lead her to taking up arms with Malcolm?" she noticed the slight clench of Oliver's jaw and so she reached out a hand and placed on top of his chest. He released a breath, and relaxed against her touch. "I know I am as emotionally damaged as the best of them, but I know you Oliver and I know how hard this must be for you, so if you want to talk to me about it, then I'm just a couple of feet from the room you're squatting in." Despite the will power Oliver thought he had, he turned to her.