Chapter 10 - Too Lost In You

Zoey drops a heavy binder on the counter in the kitchen of Max's house. Oliver raises an eyebrow. "This is everything I could find on the Green Arrow," she tells them. She hadn't gone back to Smallville since she took off to Athens. The only person she had spoken to was Lana and that was to apologize for leaving her to run the Talon by herself. Zoey had told her friend that she left due mental breakdown and asked that she not tell anyone. Austin had dealt with the Kents and picking up her car from Metropolis airport. Max had dealt with Smallville High School and forced the school to accommodate Zoey for the rest of the school year. "Everything single article that was written about him since he first appeared. And a map of everywhere he's been sighted."

Max stares at her. "Zoey, honey, stalking is illegal."

Zoey rolls her eyes. "It's not stalking. I'm gonna find him. I'm gonna find out his true identity."

Oliver frowns. "Why do you want to do this?"

"Because I need to do this. I just have to."

Max shakes his head. "Have you finished all the schoolwork you missed?"

"Yes. And I already emailed it to my teachers. I'm officially on summer vacation."

"I'm telling maintenance to not give you any keys to roofs."

Zoey turns to Oliver. He lets out a sigh. "You can hang out on my balcony," he relents. She shoots him a thankful smile. He grabs her wrist. "You have to tell me why you need to do this."

"I just do," Zoey repeats.

"Not good enough, Zo."

"I just…There's something I need to know. And it's personal. I'm gonna go pack an overnight bag."

Zoey runs out of the kitchen. Max shakes his head and looks at Oliver. "Why did you agree to this?"

"At least this way we can keep an eye on her," Oliver argues.

Max moves close to Oliver. "Look, Oliver, what you do is your business. But do not drag her into it. Let her meet your buddy and then tell her she can't ever meet with him again for her safety," he sternly says.

"Max, if she has her mindset to something, I can't stop her."

"I don't care, Oliver. One week. After that, it's over."

Oliver shoots Max an amused look. "This whole parent thing then oddly suits you, Max."

"Fuck you. And thank you. Hey, maybe you can convince Zoey to make up her mind about where she wants to go to school in the fall."

Zoey yawns as she sits on the balcony of Oliver's penthouse apartment. Every night for the past week, she had been sitting out there, waiting for the mysterious Green Arrow to show up. She didn't...couldn't explain why it was so important that she meets Green Arrow. She could barely understand it herself. "I heard you were looking for me."

Zoey shoots up and turns. There he was. Green Arrow. "I-I-I-I am," she softly says. Everything she had worked on saying to him had flown out of her head the moment she saw him.

He holds out his hands. "Well, I'm here." She stares as he walks towards her. "Was there something you wanted to ask me?"

She stands there for a moment. Then she decides to take the risk. Zoey closes the gap between them, then leans up and presses her lips against his. This...it felt familiar to her. Flashes of a drunken kiss from her birthday shoot through her mind. She grabs his arm. He pulls back. "Oliver," Zoey breathes.

She reaches up to grab his hood, but he wraps a hand around her wrist. He pulls her into another kiss. He guides her into the penthouse. He doesn't stop her this time when she pulls the hood off. Zoey pulls back. He reaches up and takes off the night vision goggles.

"Oliver," Zoey repeats.

Oliver runs a hand through his hair. This wasn't what he was expecting. He figured that Zoey would ask the questions he had seen her working on throughout the week. He had even worked out his answers to her questions. "Zo—"

"You're Green Arrow," Zoey interrupts. "You saved me in the alley last summer. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Defeats the purpose of having a secret identity, Zo. Are you gonna tell me why you were so desperate to meet, well, me?"

"I just...I needed to."

Oliver shakes his head. "Do better, Zo."

"I can't explain it," Zoey shouts. "I just needed to know."

"Needed to know what? Tell me! What did you need to know?"

"I needed to know if I love you," Zoey screams. She covers her mouth in shock. Oliver stares at her in shock. That was the last thing he expected. "I-I-I-I-I-I should go."

"Or you could stay. I could use the help."

Zoey shakes her head. She avoids looking at him. "I-I should go. I can get a cab home." She moves to start picking up her stuff, but he grabs her arm. "Ollie—"

"You're not taking a cab home. I'll take you home in the morning."

"Why do you do it?"

"To protect our home. Our city."

"So, you dress up as an S&M Robin Hood?" Oliver rolls his eyes. When Max had first confronted him about being Green Arrow, he had made the same comment. "It's a lot of leather, Ollie. What would I do? If I helped you out?"

Oliver shrugs. "Monitor the police scanner. Let me know anything. Are you any good at stitches?"

"I think this is a new record for us," Bruce says, sitting down next to Zoey at the Annual Carmichael Fourth of July party. He hands her a bottle of sparkling water, before opening his own bottle. "I think this will also shortest party Max has thrown."

"The no booze will do that," Zoey replies, turning her gaze back to the ocean. "At least Uncle Max doesn't make me pee in a cup anymore."

"He really made you do that?"

"He went a little overboard. I think he's starting to calm down. But he wants me to pick where I'm going to school in the fall. Do I stay in Star City or do I go back of Smallville?"

"You could always join me in Gotham."

Zoey looks at him. "Seriously?"

"I wouldn't have mentioned it if I wasn't serious."

Zoey sighs. "I don't know, Bruce."

"At least think about it."

A silence falls over them. He covers her hand with his. "What are we," she softly asks. "Like are we friends or friends with occasional benefits or what?"

"What do you want us to be?"

Zoey turns to look at him. "You answered my question with a question."

Bruce shrugs. "I don't think we need to put a name on what we are."

Zoey stands up and grabs his hand. "You know what? I want to dance." He laughs. She wraps her arms around his neck. His hands settle on her hips, pulling her against him. Neither of them says anything as they gently sway to the music coming from the party.

Max shoots his assistant a thankful smile as she hands him the paper bag filled with their takeout. He takes out two containers and watches Zoey eagerly grab one. "Have you decided where you want to finish high school," he asks.

"Smallville," Zoey answers, digging into her salad. "It's just easier. I don't want to be the new kid."

"But you don't mind being the kid you had a mental breakdown and left town," Max points out. Zoey bites her lip. That part hadn't occurred to her. "Look, if you want to do Smallville, we can."

"We?"

"I'm not letting you live by yourself."

Zoey lets out a frustrated breath. "Uncle Max—"

"No. This isn't a discussion, Zoey. You are not living by yourself. Austin has already agreed to stay with you when I have to leave for work. Oliver has even volunteered to stay with you if needed. But you living by yourself isn't an option."

"Fine." She shoots him a smirk. "How am I supposed to throw a keg party if I'm never alone?"

Max shoots her an unamused look. "You throw a keg party and your ass is going straight to rehab."

"I don't like this parenting thing on you. It's weird."

"Fuck you. And thank you."

"I really think you should have a doctor doing this," Zoey softly says, stitching up the cut on Oliver's abdomen. He starts to sit up, but she pushes him back onto the bed. "Stop moving or you're gonna make it worse. Seriously, when was the last time you had a tetanus shot?"

"I honestly can't remember, Zo," Oliver replies. He smiles at the disbelieving look she sends him. "I'm sure I'll be getting one soon though."

"Damn right," Zoey tells him. She cuts the string and places a bandage over the cut. She places a hand on his thigh as she pushes herself up. He lets out a hiss and she notices the cut. "Pants off."

"Zo, I can take care of this one." She rolls her eyes and starts to unbutton his pants. "Zoey—"

"Stop being such a baby and take off your pants." He shoots her an annoyed look and reluctantly pushes his leather pants off. Her sharp intake reminds him that she probably wasn't expecting him to have gone commando. Zoey clears her throat and picks up the needle and thread. "Do you really go without underwear while you're out saving people?"

"I was in a rush," Oliver defends. He glances at her, working diligently on stitching up the cut on his inner thigh. Her hair was brushing over his hardening cock. He takes a deep breath and turns his gaze back to the ceiling, trying to focus on anything but her so close.

"It's a perfectly natural thing."

Oliver huffs. "Are you telling me that or yourself?"

"Both." Silence settles over them as she works. After placing a bandage on the cut, she sits up. "Make sure to keep it clean and change the bandage every day. Otherwise, it will get infected and you will have to go see an actual doctor."

Oliver sits up. "Yes, ma'am." A light blush appears on her face. Zoey busies herself cleaning up the medical supplies, giving him some privacy. After pulling on a pair of sweatpants, he finds Zoey in the bathroom. He frowns, watching her quickly wipe away some tears. "Zo—"

"I'm fine," she softly tells him.

He places a comforting hand on her arm. "Talk to me."

"You need to be more careful. What if you get seriously injured or worse? You got so lucky when you didn't die when your yacht went down."

Oliver gently cups her face. His thumb brushes away a tear. "I promise that nothing is going to happen to me, Zo."

"You can't promise that, Ollie."

"Then I promise to be as careful as possible." Zoey looks up at him and he's taken in by her bright green eyes. He doesn't know what possesses him to do so, but he leans down and presses his lips against hers. He wasn't going to deny that the drunken kiss they had shared had replayed on his mind. Or the dreams it would lead to. She hesitates for a moment, then slowly kisses him back. He buries a hand in her curls. They break apart, panting. Zoey draws him into another kiss. Her hands trail down his chest. Oliver lifts her up and she wraps her legs around his waist.

Oliver runs a hand over his face as the memories from the night before replay in his mind. The image of her spread out beneath him, the feel of her body pressed against his, the soft moans she had made. "Ollie?" He opens his eyes to find Zoey standing in the doorway of his bedroom. Her wet blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun. She wore the same shorts and tank top she had on the night before. "I wanted to say bye before I left," she says, moving towards the bed.

"That's right. You head back to Kansas today," he replies, sitting up.

Zoey sighs, plopping down on the edge of the bed next to him. "Yeah. I start school next week."

Oliver frowns, seeing that she was trying not to be upset. "Zo, is everything okay?"

"It's just…everything is going to be weird. And Uncle Max is coming with me."

"Max just worries about you."

"I know…it's…everything is going to be weird at school. I know everyone is going to be staring at me. Hi, the girl who had a mental breakdown."

"You were living two lives, Zo. That's something that can't last for a long time."

Zoey raises an eyebrow. "Um, that's what you do."

Oliver shrugs. "I choose it. You didn't." He pulls her into a soft kiss. "Everything will be fine, Zo. Plus, I promise to come to visit."

"You better. I'd like to actually have a fun babysitter."

Zoey starts to stand up, but Oliver grabs her wrist. "I got something for you," he says. He reaches into the nightstand and pulls out a small powder blue box. She takes the box from him and opens it to reveal a silver bracelet with an arrow. She smiles seeing the emerald embedded in the arrow. "I wanted to say thank you, for helping me this summer."

"Ollie, you didn't have—"

"I wanted to," Oliver interrupts. He grabs her hand. "And I promise you, everything is going to be fine."

Baby, I'm too lost in you

Caught in you

Lost in everything about you

So deep, I can't sleep

I can't think

I just think about the things that you do (you do)

I'm too lost in you

(Too lost in you)