[For Derek, July 2]

[likeahero]

Oliver is quick to anger, and is completely irrational when it comes to Thea. He knows this, but the combination of the two makes it difficult for him to see anything clearly. It's only Thea's anger that punches through and reaches him, shaking him until he lets go of anger over something that not only can he not change, but isn't any of his business in the first place.

She's a grown woman who can make her own decisions, but it's still hard for Oliver to let go of the little girl he remembered.

Worse still, after he apologizes to Thea, is remembering the way Derek had looked when he left him. How callous was he that he was so willing to drop a friend so easily because he couldn't get a hold of himself? Had Diggle not pushed back against Oliver constantly, he would probably still be alone, lost as the Arrow and fighting a war he could never win on his own.

It doesn't take long for Oliver to suck it up and head over to Semele's one evening. He's in all black, his usual outfit for a later shift at Lush, but he stops by the bar first to find Derek.

And he will, for once, try to apologize.

Comments

[triskehale]

"I think you'd make a good wolf," Derek says easily, but he smiles and shrugs one shoulder. "But that isn't something that you have to worry about."

He's glad that Oliver accepts him for who he is, and doesn't shy away from it like others would. Derek feels like he can be himself around Oliver, which is incredibly rare. "I'm glad you stopped by."

[likeahero]

Oliver, a werewolf. The idea of it makes him laugh. He's gone through enough transformation in his life.

"I'm glad too," he says, finding it easy to admit so. He holds up his empty glass. "One more drink? I've got to head to work." As close as he is to his shift starting, Oliver finds himself reluctant to start heading over to Lush. The atmosphere has been tense the past few months, and he isn't sure just how much longer he can keep putting Alexei off.

[triskehale]

"Sure." Derek gets up and grabs the glasses, and he catches a hint of a change in Oliver's scent, not quite anxiety but close. He refills their glasses and comes back to sit down, looking at Oliver curiously as he slides his beer over to him. "You don't sound thrilled about it. What is it that you do, exactly?"

[likeahero]

"I'm a bartender," Oliver says, the corner of his mouth going up briefly in amusement. From CEO of a multi-billion dollar company to a bartender in a club run by the Russian mafia. Moira would have had a heart attack. "Work hasn't exactly been pleasant lately. Too much pressure from the owner to take on more responsibility."

The sort of responsibility that involved a bevy of illegal activity that Oliver was more inclined to stop now than commit.

[triskehale]

"Huh, well. If you ever want to tend a different bar, I know a guy." Derek smirks at him, but he would hire Oliver in a heartbeat. Because he likes Oliver, which makes him think about their prior topic of conversation.

"Hey, let me ask you something," Derek says quietly, expression going serious as he meets Oliver's gaze. "You're in a dangerous business," he says and he isn't talking about bartending. "If you're ever in a situation where you're hurt, and you might not make it out, would you want me to bite you? Or let you go?"

It's something that he's been thinking about asking his friends, ever since it came up with Neil. Whatever they decide, he'll obviously respect, but he wants to know.

[likeahero]

Oliver inhales sharply, not expecting the question even though he'd noticed the shift in Derek's expression. He can't say the idea isn't appealing on some level, but he can't say he thinks he deserves another chance, either.

Given the chance, Oliver doesn't think he could ever willingly give up the life he has now, but he's been living on borrowed time ever since his father killed himself to save his son. Facing death has always been the easy part.

"I should have died a dozen times over in the last few years," he says after taking a drink. "No. If it's my time to go, then I'll go."

[triskehale]

Derek flinches slightly at the answer because to him, it sounds like Oliver would rather die than be a wolf like him. He swallows hard and nods, schooling his expression and looking down into his glass.

"Well, I hope it'll never come to that," he says quietly, looking back up at him. "But okay."

[likeahero]

Oliver doesn't miss the flinch, but he's not sure why Derek does so and he shutters his expression quickly enough that Oliver knows not to ask.

"I think," he adds after a quiet moment, "if anything does ever happen to me and I can't make a decision...Felicity's word is as good as mine."

He's never really thought of this before, has always resigned himself to knowing that the sort of life he leads is heading down a certain path. Lately, though, that path hasn't been so dark, and Felicity's saved him enough times in the past that he'd trust her-- even if he wasn't completely in love with her.

[triskehale]

"What do you mean?" Derek asks, because what Oliver says isn't exactly clear to him. He looks at him, head tilted curiously. "If Felicity were to tell me to save you, do it?"

He bites his lip and then shrugs helplessly, dragging his finger through the ring of condensation on the table. "It isn't so bad, you know. Being a wolf."

[likeahero]

"Yeah." He nods after a long moment, knowing that even if he told her his wishes, Felicity would do everything to save him anyway -- and he would never hate her for it. Sometimes it seems like she knows him better than he knows himself.

"You seem to have it good compared to lots of movies I remember."

[triskehale]

"Alright then," Derek says with a shake of his head. It's maybe an unconventional answer, but he'll remember it. Hopefully, he'll never have to go to Felicity with that question, but he feels better for having asked it.

"Yeah, they seem to get a lot of things wrong." He shakes his head in amusement and finishes his drink. "And I do have it better than some wolves here. There are two more here that are where I'm from, but only I can fully shift into a wolf."

And Malia isn't technically a wolf, but that's more than he needs to get into right now. "And there are others here that are from different places with rules of their own. Some do lose control on the full moon, but they take precautions to keep everyone safe, including themselves."

[likeahero]

"You keep an eye on them?" It seems like that would be something Derek would do even if only as an alpha, if Oliver is thinking right. The lack of any news about strange wolf attacks or a werewolf problem proves that there isn't much to worry about at all, which Oliver finds a bit comforting.

[triskehale]

"I'm not their alpha," Derek tells him, but he shrugs his shoulders. "But I am usually out running around on the full moons. I don't like being cooped up."

He refills their drinks and leans back in the booth, taking a long sip of his own. Luke locks himself up, but Derek swings by in the mornings sometimes. He's not sure what Scott does, but Derek knows that he doesn't have to worry about his control. Malia is usually with him or out in the woods, just like Biffy. "No one has anything to worry about during full moons. Staying out of the woods would probably be smart, but that's about it. Only one wolf loses complete control, and he takes precautions."