Author's Comment: WARNING: SPOILERS FOR ABSOLUTE JUSTICE. I just finished watching it and this idea came to me as a continuation for the end. Hope you enjoy! I enjoyed writing this one.

This was new. Very new. In fact it was just plain different, walking Chloe home. The Martian had already left them, going in a separate direction after they left the restaurant.

Chloe was laughing and talking about something that he wasn't really listening to, something to do with Jon'z discovering his love for oreo cookie pie that evening. He didn't honestly hear, though. He was enjoying just watching her talk. She was so animated and so cheerful. It struck him that he hadn't really been around her when she was like this. The time they spent together was entirely business and serious, usually with the world itself hanging in the balance. This was just...new.

Chloe was vivacious, light-hearted, and laid back. And as he watched her, making this discovery for the first time, something kept nagging in the back of his head, something Hawkman had said. Something about hiding it when he cared for people. Had it been before or after the embittered hero had tossed Oliver clear through Chloe's window?

That reminded him: he needed to pay to have the stained glass replaced. That was going to cost way more than Chloe's salary would allow for.

He should probably give her a raise. She'd earned it. He thought of her cleaning up all of his cuts after the window incident with a grin. Talk about a bruised ego.

"Ollie!"

He jumped. "What?"

"Oliver, you've been spaced out for a good five minutes. What's going on in that head of yours?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, nothing. What did you say?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, smiling her Mona Lisa type smile--the one that meant she knew something you didn't, or maybe that she knew you were keeping something from her--and said, "I asked if you wanted to come up for some coffee?"

"Yeah, sure," he said, a little surprised. Jeez this whole thing was so weird. A good weird, but weird nonetheless. It was almost like walking a girl home from a date. Almost.

Back in Watchtower, Chloe handed him a mug of warm coffee and he swirled it around in the cup thoughtfully.

"That's for drinking, Arrow. I assume you've seen it before, yes?" He smirked at her sarcasm. It was cute when it wasn't biting, which it generally was when she was stressed out. Not that he minded it then, either, he decided. "Okay, seriously, Ollie. You've barely said a word. What are you thinking about?"

"I don't know. Carter Hall gave me a lot of food for thought."

Chloe nodded, looking around her as she sat down on the small couch beside him. "I know what you mean. Courtney did the same for me."

"Like what?"

"You'll laugh."

"What?" he pressed, grinning.

"I think I'm going to do some remodeling."

He did laugh, surprised.

"I told you!" she admonished, laughing herself. "No, really. The way Courtney was talking about the JSA, I realized we could stand to take a page or two from their book. The first thing I'm going to do is give this place a more welcoming atmosphere. More couches, a little kitchen-type area, some picture frames maybe--"

"Less broken glass," he joked, looking around. There was a definite draft with the gaping hole in the wall. "Which reminds me: it's going to be freezing in this place tonight. Do you want to crash with me for the night, or maybe until the window gets replaced?"

She glanced at him, frowning slightly, but he wasn't looking at her, just at the broken window. "I'll think about it. I might talk to Lois first, but I'll definitely keep it in mind. I love my cousin, but she is a lousy roommate. Thanks," she added as an afterthought.

He shrugged. "No problem. Actually, I'd enjoy the company. I've been going it alone too much lately."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding."

He looked at her and then realized what she meant. "Hey look, just because the magazines are still pinning me to every female I happen to walk past on the street doesn't mean I'm actually sleeping with all of them!"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Right."

"I'm not!"

She only laughed, shaking her head.

"Aw come on, Sidekick, are you going to tell me you don't think I've at least grown up a little bit since the downward spiral last year?"

She studied him through squinted eyes, the corner of her mouth fighting a smile. "I suppose you have."

"You suppose." He rolled his eyes humorously.

"Yeah I do. So anyway what did you and the bird man talk about?"

Oliver thought for a moment before setting his half-drained coffee aside. "Well I know he called me a jackass at some point."

Chloe laughed. "I'm sorry I didn't spend more time with him."

"You are so unkind," he accused.

"And what else is new?" she countered.

"Honestly, why did Clark keep you around all this time? You can't possibly treat him like this."

"Clark isn't a jackass," she pointed out.

"Point," he conceded and she laughed. He sighed, his smile slipping a little. "No, in all seriousness though, the man is something else. He told me about him and his wife--"

Chloe looked at him sharply, but once again he wasn't looking at her, only staring into space.

"He said they'd lived hundreds of different lives, being reincarnated or something. They were doomed to see the other one die again and again."

"Wow." It was the only word that came to mind.

"Yeah. The way he talked about her, too. You should have heard it. Like there had never been anyone else in his world to matter more than her. She was his equal, the one he would choose to be by his side again and again, life after life. They weren't just husband and wife, they were partners. They faced the same battles every day, side by side."

"That's beautiful."

Oliver nodded, raising his eyebrows. "I wonder what that's like, to just know without question that the person you're with is meant for you. That no matter the circumstances, that person will without fail be there for you. Love that deep doesn't come along everyday."

Chloe shook her head. "No, no it doesn't." She rose from the couch and took her empty mug and his abandoned one away.

He watched her go thoughtfully.

He steeled himself and dared to ask a much too personal question. "Is that what it was like for you and Jimmy?"

She stopped, then she set the mugs aside and leaned against the counter, back still turned from him. "No. No, I wish it had been, but it couldn't be. I've been in love twice in my life, and it wasn't like that either time. With Clark it was because we were young and foolish and my love was a high school girl's unrequited love. With Jimmy the love was mutual, but we weren't equal partners like we should have been. My life was so convoluted with secrets that I couldn't trust him with...It was doomed from the first."

Oliver kicked himself for asking. It was hardly fair of him. "I know what you mean," he said finally, sighing. "I really thought Lois was the one for a while, but it was the same problem. My life was so tangled up with things I didn't want her to get involved with. By the time I realized I should at least trust her with it, it was too late. I guess until Hall talked to me tonight, I'd just sort of given up on the idea. Like maybe people in our racket just shouldn't mess with romance. Seemed kind of impossible to make it work."

"Yeah," Chloe said, turning back around finally, seeming to have gathered herself. She stayed over by the counter.

"Do you believe in soul mates?"

She nodded slowly. "Sometimes. Not always. When I look at people together like Lois and Clark I do. And then, every once in a while, I think it might be possible for the rest of us, too."

"Maybe. Would be nice, wouldn't it?" he sighed, a small smile gracing his features.

"Mmhmm," she said slowly.

"Do you think I hide what I feel about people?" he asked bluntly, before he could stop himself.

"Well yeah," she said matter-of-factly. "Of course you do."

He frowned, startled by how readily she had answered. "Stupid bird man. I was hoping he was wrong about that aspect."

Chloe walked back to him, sitting down and throwing an arm around him. "Oh, Ollie. You already knew that about yourself even if you didn't think of it in that light. For instance, we both know you think the world of Clark. You admire him and occasionally you're even a little jealous of him. However, you treat him with total condescension."

Oliver shook his head, rolling his eyes. "He makes it so easy, though!"

Chloe laughed. "You don't have to worry about Clark. He knows you respect him when it comes down to it."

He just chuckled. "Yeah I guess." Then he frowned again. He looked at her. "How do I treat you?"

Chloe shifted uncomfortably, pulling her arm away. "I don't know."

He looked at her skeptically. "Right."

"Well, honestly, you generally treat me like a computer."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"As in, I'm a source of information and not a lot more."

"Chloe--"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I know that's not what you really think of me."

"Yeah but that's no excu--"

"Really, Ollie. It's no big deal. Honestly I'm kind of used to it."

"Well you can get un-used to it. You have permission to hit me the next time I treat you like electronic equipment."

The corner of her lip twitched. "Why do I not believe that will last?"

He persisted. "I'm serious. You said it yourself. We need to take a page out of the JSA's book. Starting right now," he said, "Boy Scout's honor." He raised his right hand, chuckling at the reference to Clark. "I promise to treat you like a human being."

Chloe just rolled her eyes, laughing at him.

"Come on, I'll prove it right now. Forget Lois; you're sleeping at my place tonight. I will make you some really good, really overpriced coffee in the morning, too."

"Uh huh."

"You don't believe me?" his eyebrows shot up, almost enjoying the challenge of proving himself. "Fine," he got up from the couch.

"Where are you going?" she asked, not moving from her seat.

"To your room."

"What?" Her eyes widened.

"I'm packing your bag. Now, which one is your underwear drawer?" he called from her room.

"Oliver!"

"What?" he demanded, still not exiting her room.

"You don't see any reason why it might be inappropriate for me to stay with you?"

She could almost hear the frown in his voice. "No. Why?"

"Ollie, you do realize I'm female, don't you?"

There was no response.

"Ollie?"

"I think I just did."

"What?"

"Realize it, I mean."

"Oliver, what are you doing in there?" she said, getting up at last to go after him. When she walked in the room her heart about stopped and then she was doubled-over laughing. He had managed to find her underwear drawer all right.

Oliver was standing with an especially lacy, emerald green bra in his hands, staring wide eyed at the garment. His mouth had gone dry.

"Oliver, put that back," Chloe said amidst her peals of laughter.

He ignored her, still staring at it. "We have a problem."

"What would that be?"

"I'm having trouble not thinking about you as a female now."

"Ollie!" she scolded, finally grabbing the article from him and stuffing it back in the drawer and closing it. She looked up to find him staring at her. Sort of. She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. "Hey, cowboy, I'm up here," she said, pointing at her face in amusement.

" 's no good."

"What is?"

"Putting the bra away. I'm officially going to picture you in that bra every time I see you for the rest of your life."

Chloe laughed. "God help you."

Oliver nodded, eyes still slightly wide. A few thoughts seemed to be rushing through his head. Chloe was female. Something about equal partners. Chloe was an attractive female. Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Chloe was a girl. Something about trust being essential. Chloe was a girl.

"Ollie? Ollie. Oliver!" Chloe waved her hand in front of his face. "Earth to Green Arrow."

Oliver shook himself. "What?"

"Well, you were discussing what a pig you were and before I could agree you totally spaced out on me."

Oliver just blinked at her.

"Ollie what is up with you?"

He grabbed her forearms, pulled her to him and kissed her. Chloe emitted a muffled sound of surprise, which he ignored. Why this had not occurred to him before, he had no idea. He was planning to chalk it up to stupidity. He released her, still gripping her arms. She just stared at him in shock.

"Umm..."

"Right..."

"That was..."

"We should..."

"Would you mind letting go of my arms now?" Chloe asked pointedly.

He looked at his hands and jumped, letting her go. "Right."

They stared at each other for about a minute.

Then they flew at each other, Chloe flinging her arms around his neck, Oliver grabbing her around the waist and pulling her as close as possible as their lips met in a scorching, long over-due kiss.

"Boy am I stupid," Oliver said, still kissing her.

"You're telling me," Chloe laughed against his lips, to which he responded by squeezing her even more tightly and causing her to squeal. "But what will the children think?" Chloe teased, throwing her head back as he kissed her neck.

"The what?" he asked fuzzily.

"The JL, Oliver."

"That I got first dibs, so they can just get over it," he said frankly.

Chloe laughed mirthfully and he threw her over his shoulder, carrying her around her own room. She kicked her legs and tried to get him to put her down to no avail, giggling all the while.

"Now what stuff do you need? 'cause we're going to my place, like, five minutes ago."