Naturally, I own nothing.

Unfortunately, when one spends her days around more computers than people, the ability to pick up on subtle hints becomes dulled. But Chloe knew right away, just from the way Oliver actually shut the door instead of leaving it wide open, that he was focused on something outside of Watchtower.

Chloe turned from her current station and smiled at him, trying not to react to the thoughtful scowl on his face. "Well, looks like somebody woke up on the wrong side of the riches this morning."

The usual snark appeared to go right over her boyfriend's head, as he said nothing, merely passed by her with a kiss on the cheek. Chloe turned again to face him.

"Earth to the Emerald Archer." Chloe moved closer to him, her eyes transitioning from playful to concerned.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Chloe." Oliver stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and shrugged his shoulders. "Work's just been riding me the last couple of days."

Relieved by the sound of his voice, Chloe allowed herself a quiet laugh. "Considering how much time you spend doing your actual paying job, you're probably just out of practice." She resumed her work at the keyboard, confident that whatever Oliver was thinking about was not a matter of planetary life or death.

He hung on the side of one of her free-standing monitors. Chloe could tell that he needed to vent, and the last thing she wanted was someone as volatile as Oliver keeping anything bottled up. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering Your Highness?" She kept her eyes on the screen to keep her from appearing tooconcerned.

Oliver shifted again, his hands back into his pockets. "Tess has got this fresh young thing doing her bidding now."

Chloe shot him a sideways look, her eyebrows raised. "That's quite the title for someone I presume you have only just met." She wasn't sure that she liked her boyfriend calling anyone a "fresh young thing". But she decided to keep her own opinions away from the conversation. With Oliver, it was easy to take a step forward for granted and send him two miles back.

He shifted his stance before answering, rolling his shoulders and exhaling sharply through his nose. "You know Tess, Chloe. She's the last person I would want my kid associating with."

"No offense, Oliver," Chloe muttered in the midst of a keystroke, "but you've never shown much interest in the safety of every person who associates with Tess."

"Well, the great majority of them know what mess they're dealing with." Oliver was getting worked up now, and Chloe thought it best to give him her full attention. "She's spent her life halfway across the country."

Chloe weighed options for a moment. Most of her wanted to push harder. This didn't seem like the sort of thing that Oliver normally worried about for more than a fleeting though wave. But rationally, she knew that his was not a personality that was known for coping with pressure, at least not lately.

But Chloe Sullivan was not afraid of Oliver Queen. So her proverbial safety protocols cooled, and she probed a bit deeper.

"Oliver, I'm not disagreeing with you. I've seen more than one good soul warped by the Luthor name." Chloe moved away from the computer station and closer to him, wrapping her arms around his torso. "But was I right? You just met this girl?"

Oliver didn't answer. He didn't really have to.

She rested the side of her head against his chest for a split second before straightening back up, at the same time pulling away. "Don't blow this out of proportion, Ollie. Give this 'fresh young thing' a chance to prove herself." Just from the sound of the phrase to her own ears, Chloe hoped that she wouldn't have to have this conversation again, or would at least have a name to work with next time.

Oliver laughed, a light sound in the back of his throat. "Tess said the same thing."

"Were you going to listen to her?"

"I'd rather say that I listened to you."

Now Chloe laughed. That sounded more like him.

"I'd better go." He said, quickly kissing her on the lips. "Apparently there's a party tonight."

"Need a plus one?"

"No, I can't imagine that I will be there long." He said this as he walked towards the door. He ducked out without another word, but as Chloe turned back to her work, she heard the door open again.

"Thanks, Chlo."

She didn't turn around, so he didn't see her smile. "Just doing my job."