Oliver Queen was a great appreciator of beautiful things. This trait of his hand rightfully earned him the title of playboy, a carefree addiction to all things gorgeous. Yet, he wasn't as shallow as people believed him to be. For the beauty he was attracted to was more than the outward appearance that caught everyone else's attention. He enjoyed the type of beauty that came with that extra spark, something that could only be created by an electric personality.

Years ago, before Oliver had taken on the mantel of Green Arrow, Tess Mercer had been one of those women whose beauty was not found in red tresses or skin made from pearls or well-sculpted cheekbones or event the lavious curves. Rather, Oliver had been captivated by cunning, dark green eyes and an intellect that had saved them both. Tess had that spark. At least, she had it once upon a time.

Then there was Lois Lane, the one he had thought just might be the love of his life, even past the point in which he came to understand that he wasn't hers. True, he had originally invited her to the ball because of her dark hair and long legs, but as the evening wore on, he became enamored by her sharp tongue and hate towards anything resembling abuse of power. She had quickly proven herself to have no interest in his status or money, as she paraded herself around the ball mocking the rich and shaming the corrupt.

Even now Lois had that spark that lit her entire being. Except now, Oliver wasn't the only man to see past the beautiful appearance to the glorious light that shone inside her. He supposed he was still sore over the fact that Lois had told him off for good and was now being awkwardly courted by the Boy Scout.

And it may have been too much to deal with at the time. After all, Oliver had already been in a desperate state. Fighting against Clark in the mess that had been Doomsday and caused a rift between the two that had Oliver questioning his morality and the reasons he had done certain, unspeakable things. Jimmy's death had been much worse. The loss of a civilian, especially one as innocent and harmless as the photographer, had devastated the entire team. Without anyone to turn to in his self-hatred and depreciation, Oliver had turned away from everything and it had left him as empty as he needed to be.

Sometimes he wished that he had stayed that way. Being empty with nothing but alcohol and drugs to fill him, the occasional warm body to be used, had been much easier.

Too much had happened, though, and it was impossible to go back. He couldn't return to being useless after the horror he had allowed Lois to endure during the vampire virus. He couldn't go back to forgetting his ins after what the Toyman had put him through. And he certainly couldn't go back to his self-destructive ways after Chloe had done so much to remind him that he had become a hero for a reason.

So he had tried to get back onto his feet. He saved a young girl from the human darkness that lurked in the shadowed streets and tried to teach her how to defend herself. Then he had tried to show Lois he could return to who he had been when she had first met him, hoping to regain at least one person by his side, only to be shut down quite quickly.

All of that had led him to the WatchTower, a shot glass of whiskey barely sipped on the table as he played with his bow and arrows. Chloe was on her computers on the raised platform. He originally attempted to spend the time alone in his loft while the world outside had decided to stay calm for the time being, but alone meant dwelling on mistakes and the painful consequences of those mistakes. If he had stayed he'd have gone mad and done something reckless. He needed a distraction.

There had been plenty of choices concerning what distractions, he might delve into but with trying to turn over a new leaf, those choices had dwindled. Now the only thing he could find that wouldn't drag him back down was to enjoy the truest form of pleasure there was on earth: beauty.

And, despite what many ignore, Chloe was most definitely beautiful. Just like her cousin, Chloe had that spark inside her that was too brilliant to shield away.

There were times when Oliver wondered what would have happened if he had met Chloe first. If he hadn't already become infatuated with Lois's loud mouth and uncouth manners. Or if he hadn't found out Clark's secret, so that when he was introduced to the feisty blonde he had only seen her as an association to the super being. But she hadn't been the first person he had met in Kansas, and he had spent the last couple of years enjoying that beautiful spark just as a friend and partner

Still, Oliver had always seen that spark. It was the reason he couldn't help but smile when in her presence and why, when he found out that she wasn't just Clark's fiend but also his sidekick, he worked hard to get her on his side of things.

He had to admit that sometimes he thought about tempting her into something more, but it never felt right. After it had ended with Lois, it wouldn't have been right to ask anything from her cousin. There was also Jimmy to consider, an off and on thing, but still something that Oliver had no right to get in the middle of. Then, of course, there was the ever looming presence of Clark.

It had just never been the right time. Which had probably been a good thing, because he hadn't all that great of a track record with dating those he saw that beautiful spark in. The fact that he and Chloe had never been more had probably saved them from the same fate.

Now he found himself thinking about the possibility again.

"Hey," he called for her attention.

"Yes?"

"Want to come down to help me with this bottle?"

Without looking, she replied, "You've hardly even had any yourself."

"Which is why I need help."

She shook her head with a tilted smile, but made no sign to come down.

After her smooth rejection, he still kept his eyes on her. He wondered what she was working on now that held her attention so completely. Was it something for Clark? Or maybe it was something she and Dr. Hamilton were working on. Maybe one of her own personal missions that she kept secret from everyone.

Whatever it was, he decided to wait. Watching her in her element was much more appealing than doing nothing at all, and it was wiser than taking up any of his more recent ways of distracting himself.

A faint rumble came from her direction and he chuckled. "I know this Chinese restaurant that opened up about a block away." She paused in her typing thinking it over seriously. "I'm paying."

She smiled slightly, thought a bit more about it before her stomach rumbled again, and she pushed herself up.