Roy Harper

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         Roy was rough, yet caring — having put enough forethought into his action to protect her head from striking the wall her back was now pressed firmly against. He was calculated, something she had never really thought about him as. There had to be some deliberation between those eyes though. If not, how did he make perfectly times shots at moving targets. It just hadn’t been a thought to cross her mind as she watched his perfectly sculpted muscles move with the agility of a leopard. Her eyes met his as he guided her chin towards him. There was no fight left in her. The truth of it was that Donna Troy  — no matter how hard she tried to deny it  — had always belonged to Roy Harper in some capacity. She was his just as much as he was hers, and that was what every great love was about. But just like every great love, they were destined to end in tragedy. There was no fighting it. Donna knew that. She could face that and wear it on her shoulders like Atlas holding the world upon his if it meant that she got to have him for the rest of his life. Roy was all she had ever wanted. He was worth living a life for. He was worth grieving over. He was worth all the heartache she had been through and would go through. 

       Her face remained there, inches from his as she focused on her breathing. Her lungs expanded rapidly against her chest almost as quickly her heart beat against it, thumping so hastily she thought it might explode there. Then he spoke, shattering the growing tension, returning air to her lungs. Donna’s chest swelled with love and hope as she listened to his confession. Her eyes never once left his, connecting with him there in the space between them as she leaned her cheek against his palm. “No,” she whispered in response. “That would be a lie.” Donna knew that Roy was true to his word; that if she said she didn’t want him now then he would be gone. He would slip through her fingers like water, gone before she could figure out a way to contain him. She couldn’t risk that. Not after having lost him so many times before. “I deserve you. All of you. The good and the bad. The parts no one wants to see and the parts you’re too scared to show anyone. I could never hate you. I love you too much.” She finally admitted, eyes lost somewhere in a field of forest green where she searched for his thoughts.               

She loved him. 7 billion people in the world and she loved him. He knew in his heart of hearts that she did. But boy had he worried he was wrong. Hearing her say it was like hearing the sweetest of melodies. There weren’t words for feeling that crept up from the bottom of his toes to the tips of his ears. He wanted to argue when she said she deserved the worst parts of him, but he didn’t want to risk losing the moment. She loved him. Roy closed the gap between them, kissing her deeply. Desperation and desire dripping off his lips with each motion. Many probably would have thought there was no way the two of them could get any closer, but Roy somehow managed to. His hands twitched with the need to run over every inch of her. When he finally felt like his lungs might have exploded, he pulled away, just enough to catch his breath. “I feel like I’ve been waiting a thousand lifetimes for that.” he gave her a goofy grin, lovestruck eyes staring down at her. Gods she was beautiful. He’d fight Zeus himself if it meant keeping her for the rest of his life. 

That annoying voice in his head scratched at him. As much as he loved the result, getting Donna back wasn’t why he had come tonight. He let out a low growl of disappointment. I’m going to back away now because if I stay any longer, I might just rip your clothes off right here and now. But I must address the other reason I came here tonight.” he placed his lips to hers once more. “To. Be. continued.” he told her, and he meant every would between kisses. It took him a moment to find the strength to, but he eventually backed up, the clear air helping calm his racing, and quite frankly very filthy mind. His eyes went over her messy hair, and swollen lips. Gods those lips. Roy literally had to spin around to force himself to not pounce on her. The LAST thing I want to do is talk right now. BUT he would do that. He would talk to her. And then he would be sure that he kept his promise to continue their previous activity. He forced his legs to move, about to sit on her bed. Thoughts of her IN that bed flooded his brain.  He took a seat on the small stool of her vanity instead. “I met my daughter a few days ago.” he started. “Which wouldn’t be weird, except she was an adult...from the future.”

“Hardly! I was just going easy on you. Didn’t want to completely embarrass you when I kicked your butt in a minute flat.” He joked after Roy fell onto his back. Letting out a small laugh before the other man quickly got back up to his feet. “They may have called you Speedy, but that doesn’t mean you’re at all faster than me, sport.” He said with a smile on his lips. He may have been only a year older than Roy, but if he was going to call him old… then why not tease him like he was a still a kid? 

 “Maybe I was going easy on you boy wonder.” Roy testified. He wasn’t. It was clear domestication had put him off his game. “SPORT? What is this great gatsby?” he asked proud of himself for knowing that refernece. He entirely blamed Jason for any thespian knowledge he had.  “Come on. Again.” he stretched before hopping from foot to foot trying to limber up. Also trying to gain the courage to tell Dick everything he’d learned from his future daughter. Something he was still trying to wrap his head around. When he came to talk to him originally he chickened out, claiming to want to spat instead. But he knew he couldn’t sit on this information.   

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       As soon as Roy spoke, Jason knew who the intruder was. Sighing, he clicked the safety back on and holstered his gun. “Why are you sitting in the dark?” In my apartment. It was left unsaid but lingered in the air between them. “You could have a tall stiff drink of water. The kitchen is right there.” Jason’s eyes moved to the entry of the kitchen, making no move towards it. He was glad that Roy came to his apartment rather than the bar, but a warning would have been nice. 

“awww. And here I thought this was foreplay.” Roy pouted when Jason put the gun away. “Because my head hurt and cutting the lights usually helps. I planned to turn them on when I heard you get back but you were quieter this time.” he answered. Jason mentioned the water and Roy waved his hand. “Already on my second cup. I made popcorn too.” he motioned to where he had been sitting, snacking away. “sooo, how was your daaaaay?” he asked.

Lian knew better then the rest when it came to talking about the future with those of the past but there was still a part of her that longed for her father. In her time she barely remembered him, not to mention the fact when she’d finally figured out who she was he was gone. “She’s my friend, this little ball of sunshine even I can’t understand…Kori’s Daughter actually” She mused looking at the other get close tensing slightly at the nickname No one called her such but him and she could feel her resolve breaking. “This weight could break you and I don’t want to lose you again” She whispered honestly, sounding much younger then she was.

Roy tried to hold the shock of hearing Kori would have a daughter in the future. And even more so that she was here. But that was a conversation for another time. Lian tensed as he moved closer, and he stopped. She sounded like she was about to cry. He knew the look on her face all too well. The look of someone who unfairly shouldered burdens far beyond her years. He saw the look in his friends. In himself. “What ever happened, we’ll deal with it. Together." he assured her. He held his hand out, hoping she’d take it. “You’re not alone Kitten.”

“Are we sure those feelings are tenderized and not medium rare?” Artemis spoke with a teasing uptone in her voice. Roy was practically family but he COULD very well be dramatic, it was usually more humorous than a problem. “Probably roasted, I wanna say.” She grinned. 

“That was a horrible pun. I would think all that time with Dickie boy would have taught you better.” he frowned, shaking his head in mock- disappointment. He was glad to see she was taking herself less seriously though. When they had first met the two of them had bumped heads constantly. Between the drugs and the feeling of being replaced, the two of them had a less than cordial relationship. But like with all things, time had managed to heal them.

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        There wasn’t much that Donna had faith in more than the Gods. Unlike most others, she had direct connections to them. The only reason that any of her sisters and adoptive mother were who they were was thanks to Aphrodite. “The Gods don’t control you. You control you, but you fate is set out in front of you waiting for you to follow it. There’s nothing you can do to stop it or change it.” Donna said, despite having tried over and over to change the fate of the people around her. She didn’t know how Diana did it: lived while knowing that everyone around her was bound to die. It weighed on Donna, just another reminder that everything changed and nothing was forever. 

       His words cut into her like the edge of a newly sharpened blade, deep and accurate. She was scared. Scared that she would lose him because she was selfish. Because she wanted nothing more than to feel his arms around her, washing away all the reasons that she shouldn’t want them there. She wanted to feel his lips against hers, to drown out any reasoning she could come up with to deny them happiness. Her mind had been too quick though, not allowing the want to overtake her before she was able to pull from his grasp. Their eyes met and Donna wasn’t sure how she was able to stay so strong. Her façade quickly started to crack, coming apart at the edges where her features softened. “Always?” The word was a question, one she hadn’t meant to speak aloud. It hadn’t felt like he was always hers or she his. 

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Despite his many claims to not be, Roy was an overly emotional person. Between what Lian had told him, the situation now, and fighting the never-ending ache that lurked in the deepest parts of his brain, the need for release was bubbling to the surface. Impulse control was something he had learned to curb in rehab.  And normally all that emotion was redirected into something more constructive. But then Donna looked at him. And when he saw that hope and longing flash in her eyes, every non-selfish thought flew out the window. He took the moment, pulling her closer to him.

He backed her against the wall, his hand stopping her head from the slam. The other supported his weight as looked down at her. The hold she had on him was stronger than any bullshit prophecy. He wanted to prove that to her. Lifting her chin so that she looked up at him he brought his face down closer to her. All she had to do was lean up and they’d be connected “always. Until the day I die...and even then. Even if this all ends in blood and ash, it would be worth it. All the pain in the world is worth a moment of your affection. I’d die a happy man and I’d wait for you for the rest of eternity.” he whispered to her. “He moved his hand , running it softly down the side of her face. His thumb ran across the bottom of her lip. “ I know I’ve fucked up. And I know you deserve better than me. So say you hate me. Say you don’t want this. Want me. Say it and mean it and I will never bring it up again.”

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Lian loved her father even if she couldn’t remember his face after a while she knew that he loved her, the only problem was that he wasn’t there watching her grow. Her mother had taken her younger self once they’d proved her to be theirs meaning she’d already changed Young Lian’s fate at this point. “I didn’t want either of you to find out, came back because Mar’i couldn’t handle this alone but I never planned to face my past” She explained before looking down at the floor. “Bad things happen in the future dad…..you shouldn’t bare that weight with me.”

Roy was grateful when Lian finally stopped to talk to him. His mind was reeling but...he was happy. His daughter was here in front of him. Alive and beautiful. Proof that he wasn’t a complete waste of space. “Mar’i? Who’s that?  Handle what?” he asked getting closer slowly. She clearly was upset by something, and he didn’t want to make it worse. “Kitten I’m your father. It’s my job to bear your weight. No matter the timeline.” he said softly. “What happened Lian?”

Roy waited for Jason in the apartment, the ever growing headache of his pounding. It’s why he had been in the dark. However, he could now see — with Jason’s gun pointed under his chin —how that may not have been the greatest idea. Especially since he hadn’t warned his friend that he was coming. ❛ You are so incredibly violent. It still turns me on. ❜ roy smirked when he watched Jason’s eyes change as the recognition kicked in. “I’ve had a shit night and all I want is a tall stiff drink. I figured you were the next best option.” He was determined to stick to the program this time. That meant asking for help when he needed it. 

Why was it when ever the two of them got a moment alone, this is what happened?  Roy had come to see Donna, hoping to be able to talk to her about Lian. However, he over estimated his ability to be alone with her. There wasn’t a substance on this earth more addicting than Donna Troy’s lips. And he knew that which is why he tried to keep their meet ups public. But he couldn’t exactly tell her about his daughter from the future while sitting at a Denny’s. 

Needless to say, things between them got a little...heated between them. Had she pulled back and claimed she didn’t want him, his reaction may have been different.  If she even blamed his sobriety, though he’d been clean for a year now. But he knew that wasn’t the case. It was that damn prophecy she’d gotten. And that was what brought them here. Having the same argument they always did.  “I don’t CARE about the gods Donna! FUCK the gods, the oracles, the fucking loch ness monster and anyone else who thinks my fate is anything but my own. The gods do not control me. my decisions. or my fate. and i am sick and tired of you using them as an excuse. Because you’re scared. You’re scared that what I feel for you is fleeting. But it’s not. Look at me Donna.” his voice was desperate as he looked at her. Pleading with her. “From this moment until the last moment, I am yours.  I always have been.”

❛ When you listen to me, I think the stars will fall. ❜ Roy sighed as he looked at his daughter. A fact that he was still trying to wrap his arm around. Jade had left with the smaller version of their daughter, worried about her being in such close proximity with their larger version. “Lian please. I just want to talk.” he begged. “why are you back here?”

❛ You’ve wounded my tender feelings. ❜ Roy gasped , placing his hands to his heart. The red head did so love his dramatics. He slid to the ground, the squeak of his shoes against the tiles on the floor making a loud piercing noise. “how will I ever go on?” 

‘ i thought you’d have more fight in you. ’ - roy

@arsenalsarrow 

“Yeah, yeah. Less talking, more sparring!” Dick replied quickly. (Which was a bit hypocritical. He was probably the most talkative fighter he knew, but he wasn’t about to point that out.) Roy was pretty quick to try and he wasn’t throwing his punches either. Making this little training session more interesting than he originally thought it might be. Dodging another hit, Dick tried to go for a kick and sweep his feet from underneath him. 

“Oh, seems like we’ve hit a soft spot huh birdboy? Got your head in the clouds?” Roy continued to playfully jab at Dick. But his luck ran out when he went to block Dick’s kick. Sometimes he forgot how agile the man was. Roy fell onto his back with an oof. “Nice to see you haven’t gotten slow in your old age.” he coughed, wincing as he kicked himself up. 

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Lois snorted, raising an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, your what now?” she said. “I think it would be easier for me to steal the Declaration of Independence. At least that still exists.” She flashed him a playful grin and shrugged. “Yeah, Lian left her sweater at my house when she and Jade were over there the other day,” she said. “I found it doing laundry, I thought I’d bring it over.”

“You know what Lois, I’m hurt. Here I thought you were the nice one.” he sighed dramatically, one hand on his head. He stood up, taking the sweater from her. “Oh good. She’s been looking for this anywhere. Leave it to jade to find a crochet freddy vs jason toddler sweater.” he sighed. “sometimes i wonder if i should be worried about how much my kid liked violence.”

“Be king rewind, since when do you have innocence left to steal?” Mia joked, a wide grin on her face. “I’M the innocent gal around here,” Okay no she really wasn’t but it was still fun to laugh about the incredulousness of it all (like either of them were innocent, ha). “Honestly? I wanted to see you. I worry about you a lot. Mostly I worry about you not telling me if Lian learns the alphabet or she changes her favorite color– I need updates on these things. Super important Aunty business.” 

“I certainly have more left than you.” he teased back, moving over so she would have room on the step if she chose to sit as well. “It’s the middle of then night. You’re lucky you caught me.” To be honest, any time was sort of a bad time when it came to Roy. Now or days he tried to keep himself busy. Helped keep his head clear.  “it’s still green right now. and she’s known the alphabet for 6 months Mia.” he chuckled.