Dinah's POV :

The evening has just begun and I'm already forced to listen to a rich brat complain because she didn't get the Ferrari in the color she wanted. Mia is too busy networking for two since William has yet to show. So she can't rescue me from this obnoxious conversation. I could be working outside security with the canaries if I hadn't lost that coin toss to Riley. It's not a good week for me to be gambling.

"If you'll excuse me," I say, interrupting the young woman, "looks like Mia needs me."

She doesn't need me but I interrupt her conversation anyway. "Excuse me, Mia, the CEO from Galtech would like to speak with you," I tell her. There's a confused look on her face as she politely excuses herself from her guest. We sneak away to a table on the other side of the ballroom.

"Really Galtech?" she asks.

"I figured they were too old to know the difference," I reply. I take two drinks off the tray of a passing waiter and share one with her. She discreetly takes the entire glass of champaign into her system. "If you don't like these things why do you throw them?" I ask.

"I'm a Queen, it's what we do. I'm pretty sure my dad had to attend a few of these, right?" she asks.

I nod in agreement, recalling all the events Team Arrow had to attend in our time. A sudden furor erupts at the main entrance and we turn our focus toward the crowd. The masses part as the subject of all the commotion glides into our view. William arrives looking dapper in his black tuxedo, hence the camera flutters.

He sees us and a devious grin comes across his face. He bows his head then directs our attention to his date. I see the bottom half of a midnight blue gown with a slit that comes up mid-thigh. William extends his hand to his companion and guides her through the crowd. Laurel's glowing face emerges through the crowd and her bright eyes make contact with mine.

She starts toward us and I take a quick glimpse of my attire. I make sure to primp where needed even as my hands shake with nerves. A tingling sensation rushes through my body and I can hear my pulse inside my ears. My heart is pounding against my chest and my fingers begin to go numb. Her sashay causes a stir capturing the attention of some of the committed attendees.

Mia turns toward me then taps my chin, "Close your mouth you're drooling," she says. I don't notice that she leaves until Laurel is standing in front of me.

"Surprised to see me?" she asks.

I tuck my shaky hands into my pockets, "Very surprised, you look amazing," I say.

"Thank you, you're pretty easy on the eyes too," she replies. She runs her palms down my lapel. "This suit looks really good on you," she says.

"I thought you said you hate these things," I remind her.

"I did and I do," she says, as I follow her over to the window, "but since you lost the bet, I figured you'd be here alone and I felt bad for you."

"So this is a pity date?" I ask. Her response comes in a smirk.

"Admit it, my arrival has made your night," she says.

"Wow, how'd you manage to fit your ego in here?" I ask. She smiles at me and my skin goes hot. "Thanks for coming but you won the bet."

"We both know that's not true," she says.

I shrug, "Sorry I don't know what you're talking about. You crossed the finish line before me."

"D- you told me that you ran track all through high school. I know you threw that last obstacle," she says.

"You actually remembered that?" I ask.

"I make it a point to remember everything about you," she admits.

I look over her shoulder and see an attractive man with dark features walking over. "Excuse me," he says, getting Laurel's attention. "I don't mean to interrupt, but would you care to dance?" he asks.

She looks at me, "She's the only one I'm going to be dancing with tonight," she tells him. Her hand reaches for mines and she pulls my reluctant body to the dance floor. She holds me close to her and wraps her arms my neck. My hands wander aimlessly before eventually settling on her waist. "Ms. Drake, don't tell me you don't know how to slow dance," she says, sarcastically.

"Shut up- I just never had to lead is all," I reply. She lets out a light laugh after my admission. "Is this how you act on a date? It's a bit rude," I say.

"You just told me to shut up, and I'm the rude one?" she replies.

We settle into a comfortable groove and I feel the tension release from her body. My hands drift to the small of her back and ease her into me. I'm quickly submerged in the ocean of green staring back at me. I twirl her away from me to break our intense gaze, only to have her slingshot back into my embrace. She turns from me and lets out a light yawn, and I notice the exhaustion on her face.

"You still having those dreams?" I ask. She responds with a smile and nod. "I want to ask you something but I don't want it to turn into an argument," I say.

She rolls her eyes, "If you think it will start an argument then it's probably best not to ask the question," she replies.

I don't heed the warning and I ask, "Do your dreams have to do with things you've done in your past?" She remains silent and stares off into room. "Is Vinny in your dreams Laurel?" I ask.

Her arms fall from my shoulders, "I don't want to talk about it," she says.

My hands drop from her waist, "You're gonna have to talk to someone about it."

"Well, it's not going to be you." She starts toward the exit.

I catch up to her, "He was my fiancee," I remind her.

She turns to me, "Yeah, and I murdered him!" she snaps, "it's not exactly something I want to mention to you over breakfast." I follow her into the hall.

"So you're just gonna suff-"

"Yes!" she interrupts, "because it's my burden to carry, not yours."

She moves toward the exit and I grab her arm. "Well that's too bad Laurel, because I'm already in this," I tell her. I stare into her eyes, "We can't change it and I hate it. Everyday I hate it."

"Then maybe you should walk away and never look back," she says, refusing to make eye contact.

"I can't do that either-" I grab her chin and make her look at me, "having you around eases the pain, I need you" I admit. I cup her face between my hands then kiss her gently on the lips.

She pulls back, "You can't keep doing this," she complains, "you smell like alcohol." There's a look of disgust on her face as she rushes out the building. I follow her down the cascading stone steps.

"Laurel I'm not drunk!" I shout. I grab her and turn her toward me. "I kiss you because I want to, because I need you, and because I love you" I admit, staring down into her eyes.

Her forearms push against my stomach and she buries her face into my chest. "We have to be crazy...because I need you too," she whispers. She stares up at me before slowly devouring my lips. Her teeth bite into my flesh and she savors every ounce. It's almost more than I can handle, yet I don't want her to stop. I want her to give her all to me even if she can only do it physically.

I feel her hands inside my blazer, "Laurel-" I moan, through battered lips, "if you don't stop now this is gonna escalate," I warn her.

"Point taken, but I'm gonna have to leave," she says, as she pulls away, "because I won't be able to contain myself looking at you in this tux." She bites her bottom lip and caresses the front of my suit.

I slide her hands from my chest then gently kiss her palms. "We should ditch the party and head somewhere better," I whisper. I drag her to my bike then we take off into the night.

I park aside a bustling food truck and jump off my bike. She shoots me a look of disappointment, but I smile and extend my hand to her. As I assist her off my bike she glances up at the truck sign. "Vegan... I thought you said you love me," she says. I take her by the hand and we stroll over to the window.

We get to the front of the line and I gesture for two orders. It's my usual server at the window so there is no need for me to be specific. I pass him some cash and after a short wait he comes through with my order. She looks reluctant when I pass her the other order, but a kiss on the cheek persuades her to accept my offering.

"I promise you'll like it," I tell her. After taking a bite of the meatless wings her face lights up. "Try the sweet potato fries," I say. I grab a few from my tray then slip them between her lips. Her head tilts back and lets out a guttural groan. There's a drip of garlic sauce cruising down her chin so I use my lips as her personal napkin.

"This is not what I expected when you said,'somewhere better,'" she says. Her eyes are focused on my lips, "not that I mind. Besides the food at that party was..."

"Pretentious," I say, interrupting her thought. She blushes while I gaze into her eyes. We get back to the bike and we lean against it while we eat.

Its silent for a moment, then suddenly she shoots upright, "This is not us," she proclaims, tossing her food back on the tray in protest. "We don't say it aloud, we don't have date nights and we don't-"

"What... kiss," I say. I get so close that our lips touch, "Is that such a bad thing?"

"I'm- uh, just used t-" she stutters, "we argue, that's what we do," she says.
I pull away, "I'm sure there will be plenty of that in our future," I say. My reply is intentional and methodical. I want her to agree that we have a future together. She said she needs me, but never said she loved me. There's a part of me that needs to hear her say the words, so I know that I'm not in this alone.

"All I'm saying is we fight and bicker. It's all we've ever done," she says.

I take our empty food containers and throw them in the trash. "That doesn't mean that's all we know how to do," I reply. I remove my blazer, then toss it around her shivering shoulders. "Maybe we could learn to make love out of war," I suggest.

We get startled by the sudden voice that appears in our ears. "Guys, we need you back here," William says, "we have some unwelcome guest." We quickly jump onto my bike and race back to the party.

As we arrive we are met by Riley and the other canaries. "We managed to take out a few guys who were coming through the back," she tells us, "we didn't think they'd be dumb enough to rush through the front," she says. I grab my staff from the side of my bike and pass Laurel the gun I'd stored away. I take point and the others follow my lead.

I check the hall to make sure its clear then give them the signal to enter. "Riley, Perrie, Alex, go with Laurel and take the other entrance. Nina, Thuy, and Julissa, come with me," I say. Laurel and Riley look at me as though I'd committed some egregious sin. I charge onward and ignore their pleading expressions. They're reluctant but follow through with my command.

"We're here," I tell the siblings. I survey the layout and spot two guys over by Laurel entrance, and another two in front of me. There are three guys in the middle of the ballroom. Two of them are collecting the valuables while taking commands from the other. He gets agitated when one of the lookouts comes up and whispers in his ear. "I think they just realized they are missing some guys," I relay through our coms.

"Make your move when you see the two minions move toward the exit," Mia says, "I'll take care of the ring leader."

I wait till the two toadies move to the outskirts of the room then give the signal. We rush into the ballroom and I hit the first guy with my staff, striking him in the face. Nia rushes at the other guard and knocks him down while the other canaries tag team the guy holding the stolen goods. Gunfire erupts and I instruct Julissa to start getting people out.

Their leader is firing warning shots toward the ceiling. Mia who is kneeling with the other hostages swiftly makes her move. She kicks his legs from underneath him then slams his head against the marble floor. She climbs on top of him and throws multiple punches to his face. He flips her over and she lands hard onto her back. As he reaches for his gun I rush him from behind, and Mia kicks the gun out his grip.

I remove my arm from around his neck to allow Mia to finish him off. I rush over to Thuy who is taking on three guys I thought we'd already laid out. The sound of breaking bones echos as she strikes them repeatedly with her batons. Nina is busy helping the team with some miscreant stragglers that have joined the party late. So I hurry to Thuy's side and rid her of a portion of her problem.

"Dinah!" Laurel shouts from across the room. A sudden sharp pain shoots up my arm. There's a burly guy with large knife standing next to me. He's about to jab me again but Nina comes from nowhere and drops him with a left hook. She tops off the save with a wink and smile.

Mia runs over to me, "Are you okay?" she asks. The sound of SCPD sirens blare from outside. "You guys better get out of here," Mia says.

"What about you?" I ask.

"This is our event, William and I will talk to the cops," she answers, "besides we need to keep an eye on these guys." She gestures to the crooks subdued on the floor.

Perrie runs up and grabs the van key from William. "Do not crash the van," he says, before releasing the key to the excited blonde. She nods then takes off toward the exit, and the crew follow. "Expect them to come home late," William tells his sister.

"You and Laurel better get out of here," Mia says.

The police storm into the ballroom just as Laurel and I stroll out into the main hall. We casually blend into the crowd and skate pass the officers on guard to make it outside. I unwittingly reach for Laurel's hand and she disregards the gesture. It's not the indifference that offends me, but the cold manner in which hands my blazer back before getting on my bike. She's remains harshly silent as we head back to the apartment.

When we pull up to the bar her arms quickly fall away from waist. She jumps off the bike then tosses her helmet into my lap. I finally get a glimpse of the withdrawn expression that I felt the entire ride home. Her eyes fall away from me, but I make it a point to dismount my bike directly into her sight line. It becomes obvious that she's avoiding eye contact so I make my way into the bar without speaking.

She catches up to me just as I step onto the elevator and we take the ride in silence. I remove my shoes then head straight upstairs to my bedroom. There's a strong tension I feel at my back as I leave her standing in the living room alone. A few seconds pass after getting into my room, and I suddenly hear my door creak behind me. I don't bother to turn around because I already know what to expect.

"How could you do that?!" Laurel asks.

"Oh, so you're talking to me now?" I asks as I turn toward her, "what exactly did I do?" I inquire.

"You rearranged the girls at the last second and messed up the group cohesion. You could have bee-" she pauses, "let me see your arm," she demands.

"It's a knick," I tell her. She has no interest in my self diagnosis and takes it upon herself to remove my blazer. "What's the big deal?" I ask, "Nina had that guy. Hence why we work in teams."

She goes into my bathroom, "Well clearly, she didn't have him soon enough?" she shouts. She returns with a first aid kit, then forces me onto my bed.

"It's not her fault. The guy just got the drop on me," I say. I feel the sting of the alcohol and her tender touch wiping off the blood dripping down my arm.

"I know its not her fault," she says, as she tightens the bandage over my bicep. "It's your fault," she says, while staring down at me. "Nina is my second hand, Riley is yours, and had she been with you this wouldn't have happened."

I grab her wrist and stare up at her, "You don't know that," I say, "I sent Riley with you specifically because she's my second hand. If I couldn't be with you at least she's the next best option."

"For what... my protection?" she scoffs.

"Yep," I reply, frankly. She finishes tending to my wound then throws the kit onto the floor.

"I don't need your protection or Riley's-" she says, folding her arms over her chest, "-but it looks like you might."

I rise to my feet forcing her to step back and make space. "You can't seriously be upset with me for trying to keep you safe," I reply. She shoves me lightly then heads toward the door.

She stops in her tracks then turns to me, "It's the implication!" she yells, "if you put your life at risk to keep me safe then we can't do this," she argues. "I won't be able to focus, you won't be able to focus and we risk putting everyone in dan-"

"Shhh," I hiss. I draw close and place my fingertips on her lips, "We've already been doing it-" I close my eyes and lean my forehead into hers, "- I've been bias toward you for a long time now," I say.

She grabs me by the wrist and runs her lips against my hand, "These fingers have been busy all night," she whispers while kissing my index finger. "First to make requests," she says -running her tongue against my skin- "then to give commands," she adds, as her lips envelop my fingertips for a moment, "maybe you can find one more use for them tonight," she suggests; before devouring fingers in her mouth.

My jaw hangs open as she seductively engulfs my fingers between her lips. She moves her tongue across my skin as she stares into my eyes, then slowly lets my fingers glide from her soft lips. An eruption of emotions radiates from my stomach and spreads throughout every limb of my body. I grab her face and press our lips together forcefully, pushing her back against the bedroom door.

I ravage her lips with my teeth then shift down to her tender neck. Every accessible portion of milky skin grazes my mouth, sending chills up my spine. Her arms wrap around my neck and she guides my face into her bare chest. My fingers loosen the straps of her gown off her shoulders as I thrust my tongue between her breast. Anxious hands wander down her thighs and I lift the hem of her dress around her waist.

My lips linger by her ear, "You knew this dress would turn me," I whisper. She nods and buries her face into my neck. I wrap my arm around her waist, then slip my hand inside her lace lingerie. Her arousal becomes apparent as my fingers slide against her tender skin.

Her lips radiate as she moans pleadingly into my collar. My lips move away from her jawline, and I plunge my tongue into her welcoming mouth. She nibbles on my bottom lip as her body expels more of her sweet sap into my palm. Our eyes meet as I insert my fingers inside her soft tissue. The sudden breach causes her to moan with pleasure as she slumps into the door.

I stroke her gently and repetitively as she trembles underneath my hot body. Her lips teeter at the edge of mines and she mumbles incoherently onto skin of my mouth. The sound of ecstacy is defined in the timbre of her low murmur. "I want you back home with me," I whisper into the tip of her lips. She nods fervently as she bites on her bottom lip and stares into my eyes.

"You missed me didn't you?" I ask. She pulls me into her arms and I feel the warmth of her cheek stroke my face. "Admit you love me too," I demand, as I play my thumb against her pulsing member. She buries her face into my neck and kisses me softly. My hand re-emerges from the depths of her delicate tissue. I lift her off the ground and wrap her legs around my waist.

I take her to the bed then lie her gently onto the mattress. She inches her way back toward the headboard and I crawl between her legs. We fall onto the sheets as she pulls me into her for a kiss. She suddenly flips me onto my back and straddles my legs. "I think it's time to collect on that bet," she says, while gripping the collar of my shirt. I feel the fabric of my shirt rip open and expose my chest. "Lets start with this," she says, while flicking the fabric of my bra.