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Amber Millington was all for partying throughout the night. Something which Tristan had always frowned upon, but Jerome was different. The first time she met him he was getting wasted, and now, he had phoned her up, got them access to the most popular club in town. And she certainly wasn't complaining. In her opinion, the handsome billionaire was a definite upgrade. "Another shot!" she smiled at the bar tender, who dazed by her beauty handed her another one.

Jerome grinned, leaning back against the bar, admiring the view of everyone dancing. Amber followed his gaze. "Sorry babe, I'm not a dancer," he watched her and she shrugged. "Seriously? You look like a dancer,"

"Shut up, Jerome," she ran a hand through her lovely long hair. "Oh no," she had caught sight of something behind him. "Ex-boyfriend alert." Jerome turned to see Tristan, looking outrageously out of place, in a smart blue shirt and tie and jeans. He laughed at the sight of him. "Great, and he's brought Mara along."

Jerome's body seemed to awaken at the sound of her name "What?"

"Mara, she use to be my friend too, but she totally took his side in the break up," she shook her head "Not that I'm angry with her. It's sort of impossible to hold a grudge against her." She sighed "I'm gonna go powder my nose,"

Jerome let her go, turning to see Mara clutching a note pad and talking to the bar tender. Tristan was close behind her. The bar tender was shaking his head offering an apologetic shrug. Mara sighed, and turned back to Tristan, saying something he couldn't hear. Mara turned to leave when she caught Jerome's eyes. She stared back in shock, her mouth dropping open slightly at the very sight of him. And all of Jerome's problems seemed to disappear for a moment, because he was looking deep into her chocolate brown eyes, and nothing would ever bother him again as long as she didn't leave. But Tristan took her by the shoulders and led her away. And suddenly Jerome needed another drink

Line Break

"He was there with Amber," she whispered, walking into her apartment. Tristan sighed "Doesn't that bother you too?"

"Mara, Amber and I are meant to be together, it'll work out," Tristan nodded, although now he was finding it harder to believe that. He walked into her kitchen, putting the kettle on. "You and Jerome are meant to be together too,"

Mara massaged her head, collapsing onto the sofa. "I don't even know anything about him,"

Now, as you all know, Tristan was from a different planet, and different types of counters affected him in different ways

"I didn't know alcohol was so good for you," Jerome attempted to lighten the mood. Tristan stood and Jerome copied his movements. "Are…you gonna tell me what the hell that was?"

"Counters, Jerome. It's glucose and glucagon reacting with hydrogen and it does something to me. Different colours have different effects on me. Blue heals me, red intoxicates me, green strips me of my powers-"

"You're a faulty rainbow."

He lifted the kettle off and a piece of dust flew into the air, and in a tiny molecule of dust, there was a piece of red counter. He inhaled it accidently and shook for a moment. His eyes flashed red, and suddenly he wasn't himself.

"Well he is a bit of an imbecile." He snapped. Mara looked up at his harsh tone.

"Tristan! We don't talk about people like that,"

He rolled his eyes, striding confidently over to her, he arched an eyebrow "You don't talk like that Mara," Mara stood, turning away from him

"Right," she shook her head "I'll get us some food." She walked into the kitchen, opening the cupboard and stretching up to get some crisps, and she let out a loud shriek when she felt two large hands on her waist.

"I'm not hungry," Tristan whispered into her left ear. Mara squirmed uncomfortably, and managed to turn around and face him. He smiled down at her, well really he smirked. She arched her eyebrow at him

"Are you okay?"

"Never felt better," he whispered, leaning down and pressing his lips quite harshly to hers. Mara froze, not reacting. And he pulled away eventually a grin on his face "I knew you liked me," he chided. Mara pushed him away

"You're upset Amber's moving on." She stated "Tristan it's okay-" she turned to face him and snapped loudly "Eyes up here!"

Tristan raised his eyebrows, amused "So you don't like me?"

"You're a good friend," she smiled "But I think you should go home before this gets really weird,"

Line Break

Tristan was back to normal the next morning, and he could remember what had happened. He shuddered with guilt, and then remembered the kiss, something rushed through him and he gripped the banister as every muscle in his body ached. He let out a little cry of pain, and gritted his teeth as the strange feeling coursed through him.

He sighed, leaning back when the feeling had past. He looked down the stairs to see Patricia looking up at him. He stared at her and her eyes were cool and quick to judge. "Didn't you once tell me that when someone from your planet first falls in love they experience burning and muscle spasms?"

He looked down at her, his stare was even. And he managed to force it out of his mouth "I must have finally fallen for Amber."

Patricia raised her head, "Right."

"Shut up, Patricia," he called after her. She laughed.

Line Break

"Here to talk some sense into me?" Jerome guessed, he was out on his balcony, dressed in an expensive suit, which was getting ruined in the rain. Tristan said nothing, relishing the cool relief the rain brought from the burning he was experiencing. "I saw you and Mara in the club,"

"No kidding," Tristan rolled his eyes "Jerome, what's it gonna take for you to snap out of this drunken faze? Your business is suffering, and it needs some attention," Jerome rolled his eyes, but Tristan continued "Mara's hurt, and what the hell are you doing with my ex-girlfriend?"

At this, Jerome looked him in the eyes "Just having some fun,"

"I'm not your father Jerome," Tristan ground out, and paused after he said it. Jerome stood too

"I know that."

"Jerome, I just want to make sure that you finding out this secret doesn't change everything,"

"It's not that, superman," Jerome sighed. He couldn't look at him. And he suddenly wished he was confessing this to Mara instead of Tristan. "I hide behind this mask as the green arrow, because I didn't know who I was. Now, I find out who my parents are, and I still don't know who I am." He looked out to the shining bright lights of the city "Tristan, I've been hiding behind this mask for so long…now I'm taking it off and I'm realising there's nothing underneath it!" the rain made his fringe stick to his forehead, and he looked like a teenager. Scared and shaken.

"Jerome," Tristan whispered "The Green Arrow is Jerome Clarke. Jerome Clarke is not just the Green Arrow."

Jerome let the rain wash his face, never feeling more lost in his life "I need to talk to Edmon,"

"You need to talk to Mara,"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Jerome cried loudly "I just met you! You don't know me!"

"Neither do you!"

Line Break

"Well," Edmon said finally, he had flown in the next day due to Tristan's demand. He lay on top of the kitchen counter, and Jerome was watching him from the weight lifting bench. Edmon was exhausted, he listened to the whole story, and Jerome, in his intelligent way, made sure to give both sides of the story, so that Edmon could be unbiased. "It's safe to say there is one clear way to solve all your problems,"

"Yeah?" Jerome asked eagerly, turning towards his childhood friend.

"Get back together with Mara." He sat up to stare at Jerome "Jerome, do you know how sad it is for me to watch you turn into Icarus?"

"Icarus?" Jerome repeated with a frown. He was intelligent, and it wasn't often he didn't get someone's reference.

"You know, the man who was sentenced to life in prison. So he made these makeshift wings, put them on and flew out of his prison. He was free. He flew higher and higher when he should have just landed. He embraced his freedom-"

"And he flew too close to the sun, his wings burnt and he fell into the ocean-"

"His life ending just before it begun," Edmon nodded "You were so unhappy, then you found Mara, and now Jerome, you're falling,"

"Shut up, Edmon," Jerome scoffed "That analogy doesn't make sense,"

Edmon swung his legs off the side ""Fine, Icarus. Don't get back together with the one girl who actually cared about you and not your money. Tell me Jerome, did she accept any of the gifts you gave her?"

Jerome looked down at his fingers. He had bought her diamond necklaces, bracelets and earring. "She declined them all,"

"Because she doesn't want your money," Edmon sighed "She wants you." He walked towards his friend "Jerome, why don't you go to your parents grave? Just…you know…talk to them," Jerome looked up at his friend and wished he could tell him he was the Green Arrow. "It might make you feel better."

"You don't believe that," he accused. Edmon shrugged

"I'm open to anything," he slid on his large black over coat and pressed the button on the elevator "Also, stop buying vodka, you can afford the most expensive wine on the market, have some class." Jerome laughed at that, and watched his friend leave.

Line Break

He knocked on her door, running a hand nervously through his hair sideways. Clutching flowers with one hand. The door opened and Mara's bright smile greeted him. But it faltered as soon as she saw him. "I got you these," he offered. She took them and couldn't help but inhale them.

"Thank you…would you like to come inside?" He nodded, following her into her home. And he flinched when he saw Tristan's jacket slung over the couch.

"Tristan was here?" he guessed. Mara nodded and he couldn't help but grit his teeth "Why?"

"Why not?"

"Did…um…you two-"

Mara turned to give him a pointed look "You have a very low view of me, Jerome." She sighed placing the flowers in some water and putting them on her window cill. "No, he just came over made some tea and…" she trailed off, remembering that Tristan had in fact kissed her. But that meant nothing. That was-

"What? And what?" Jerome prompted

"Nothing, I sent him home,"

Jerome let it go, surprisingly. And he brushed a lock of hair from her face "Mara…I love you. And I'm sorry, and I'm stupid. I need you, a lot more than I'll ever admit too,"

Mara looked up at him "You have a lot of secrets Jerome,"

"Then stick around," Jerome urged "You just might discover them," he smiled when she smiled, and he pressed her lips to his. And while she was content, and part of him was, he couldn't help but think that one day she would know. And she might not accept him. She might resent him from keeping from her. "I love you," he whispered into her hair. Mara whispered her love into his shirt.

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