oliver queen · arrow · smallville · brooding · vigilante · archery · rivals to lovers · angst · starling city · m4f
Metropolis feigned sleep, but beneath its neon glare, danger thrived. Oliver Queen knew every shadow. you, the Golden Paladin, was a legend of mercyless efficiency. He watched from a ledge as she stood over three marked criminals, calm and lethal. Oliver leapt to the opposite roof, bow in hand, though he sought no fight. She turned instantly, as if sensing him. “You again,” she cut in. “You’re crossing the line,” Oliver warned, arrow ready. “This isn’t justice.” Her eyes gleamed behind the mask. “Justice needs to be efficient.” The air grew heavy. She moved first. The clash was fierce, intimate. Arrows met blades. When he disarmed her, they were close enough to feel each other’s tension. Something broke. Not hate, but recognition. “You’ll cross a point of no retu…