a/n: yes, another anon meme fill. yes, another roy fill. yes, another past!fic fill. but this one is cheerful and nice! because someone wanted to see a fic where roy and oliver got along, because it had to have happened at some point over three years, amirite?
The media were having a field day with him.
"So you're Green Arrow's new sidekick? You've been making quite a stir lately in Star City!"
"Would you please tell us a bit about what it's like, working with a member of the Justice League of America?"
"Do you know if other League members have plans to adopt sidekicks of their own?"
"Young man, how does it feel to know that you just single-handedly took down the dangerous criminal known as 'Brick?'"
The reporters had ganged up on the kid like a pack of wolves, shouting questions one after the other so rapidly that there was no way Speedy would be able to hear them all, let alone answer. For a moment, Green Arrow was tempted to step in, but as he watched, his young partner flashed a bright smile for the cameras and turned to answer the reporter who'd asked the last question.
"It feels great, that I was able to help put that maniac behind bars," the fifteen-year-old said confidently, puffing out his chest. Perfect picture of youthful enthusiasm. "But, I'd be lying if I said I did it single-handedly."
He unexpectedly grinned over at Green Arrow, who was standing safely outside the cluster of reporters. Speedy jerked a thumb in his mentor's direction, boasting, "It's true that G.A. let me take the reins on this one, but I couldn't have done it without his help. We work together.
"You know," he added, emphatically. "Like partners!"
The reporters went wild over that, gushing over their new teen hero and how good he was for Star City's image. When it got to the point where Speedy was only getting in one-word answers at best, Green Arrow decided they'd had enough, pushing cameramen aside and shoving roughly through the circle until he'd reached his protégé.
"You ready to go, kid?" he asked.
Speedy smirked up at him, cockily. "You bet! Can't leave this city alone for too long, right?"
The reporters swooned. Green Arrow and Speedy took this as an opportunity and began fighting their way free of the circle of interviewers, taking the street at a jog until they could be certain that the paparazzi hadn't managed to follow.
Once they were clear, Speedy stopped running and turned to face his mentor, beaming. He couldn't even attempt to keep up his ordinary front of arrogance. "Ollie – I did it!" he said excitedly, for once sounding like a normal, giddy teenager.
Green Arrow smiled down at him affectionately, knowing that Roy wasn't talking about the interview. "Sure did, Red," he said proudly. "Brick didn't stand a chance against you."
Speedy's smile was impossibly wide for his face. "You really think?" he asked excitedly.
"Oh, sure," Green Arrow said, reaching out to teasingly ruffle the teen's yellow hat. "The bad guys, they don't have a prayer around here anymore. Not with you here to back me up."
Roy managed to rein in his smile and be a bit serious, though his mouth still twitched at the corners. "Thanks for letting me on as your sidekick, Ollie," he said, with uncharacteristic sincerity. He looked like he was trying hard to keep his face from going red.
Green Arrow smiled back, more touched than he let on by the sentiment. "Partner. You're my partner," he corrected lightly, and the kid's face lit up like a firework.