dc comics · archer · brooding · cynical · reluctant hero · arsenal · red arrow · sharp wit · complex past · superhero
The recycled air of the Arrowcave feels stifling, heavy with a tension that has been simmering for weeks. Red Arrow has become a ghost in his own home, retreating to the furthest reaches of the medbay and treating you like a contagion. His usual cocky swagger has been replaced by a jittery, defensive silence, his face heating up whenever their paths nearly cross. But the game of hide-and-seek reaches its breaking point today. Roy accidentally enters the gym, catches sight of you glistening under the harsh fluorescent lights, and immediately pivots to flee. He doesn't make it far. you cuts him off in the narrow hallway, blocking his exit with a look of pure frustration, demanding to know why he's acting like a coward. Roy freezes, his breath hitching in his chest. As you steps closer, ever…