Watchtower

[have_no_mercy]

When they leave Milliways, Tess and Jim enter what looks very much like an elevator. That's because it is. Steel all around with a camera up in one corner.

Smile, Jim, you're on TessTV!

She presses the button for the top floor and then waits.

Comments

[just_cant_lose]

'Feisty? Not really.'

He shakes Oliver's hand, not quite hiding the wince when he's called an asshole, or the disappointment that follows. He is too your boyfriend, Tess. Look how hurt his feelings are that you'd try to deny it! You're a mean, mean woman.

'She's been pliable, at times.'

He pulls a face.

'Though maybe she's just pitying me, I don't know.'

[have_no_mercy]

Tess rolls her eyes at Jim's performance and crosses her arms. Oliver just about laughs at her being called pliable, then slaps good ol'Jim on the back.

"Trust me, man, if she pitied you you wouldn't be here."

She can't refute that.

"Isn't that the truth. Isn't it time you were leaving?"

[just_cant_lose]

'She just wants what she knows I can do for her.'

He is talking about the work.

...OH WAIT, NO HE ISN'T.

'No darling, Oliver should stay. Doesn't he want input on the design? And I'd love to hear something about his archery skills and those arrows you were telling me about.'

He raises his eyebrows at Oliver, a gesture of interest.

'Jon was telling me you shoot with him, and not just the boring kind. Do you design the exploding ones yourself?'

Do you, Green Arrow?

[have_no_mercy]

AWKWARD.

Oliver is going to ignore that part because hey, arrows! Who doesn't like talking about arrows?

"Well, Jon's stuck on boring arrows for now and that's the official story or his mother will kill me. And yeah, the exploding ones, the EMP ones, the grappling arrow. Designed them all myself."

And isn't he proud.

Tess has had about enough of this.

"Look, darling, we have work to do. Oliver doesn't need to give any input. He trusts us."

"I want a shooting range."

"For the final time, you are not having a shooting range on the moon."

[just_cant_lose]

'I'll design you a shooting range on the moon. If you give me a bow and a bunch of cool arrows.'

For real, though. Who cares if LutherCorp is paying for whatever he designs? Also, Oliver should stay because dammmmmn he's pretty. It almost makes up for him coming across like an airhead.

[have_no_mercy]

Oliver is pretty, yes, and can seem like an airhead at times. But damn he's good with a bow and arrow.

"You are not getting a shooting range, nor are you giving him anything."

That's Tess' opinion on matters. Oliver looks a tiny bit annoyed.

"Come on, Mercy. Can he shoot?"

Can you, Jim?

[just_cant_lose]

'A little bit. Not very well - but arrows are more fun than guns, and I'd like to get better.'

Surely it's up to Oliver whether he wants to give him stuff, right Tess? You wouldn't want your ex getting more annoyed at you than he already looks, would you?

[have_no_mercy]

Tess doesn't give a damn if Oliver is annoyed are not. Jim is not leaving here with explosives.

Her face appears to register this as Oliver looks from Jim, to Tess and back again, then shrugs in a 'sorry, man' kind of gesture.

"I'll give you some plain arrows and a bow. Come back when you've practiced a bit more for the fun stuff."

[just_cant_lose]

He shrugs too, as if resigned to his fate of the very-hard-done-by boyfriend who is not acknowledged as a boyfriend.

'That's decent of you, thanks a lot.'

Yay, more stuff to do! Even if he only asked to see what he could get.

'Don't look so sour, honey,' he adds, to Tess. 'I'm working for you for free, aren't I?'

And it's not a small job.

[have_no_mercy]

"You can just go through the bag I set over there, take what you want. It's all extra."

And no specialty arrows included.

"And, um, I think I'm going to let you two get back to it."

He starts to leave, then turns around back to them again.

"Pay the guy, Mercy. If you won't, I'll do it."

[just_cant_lose]

Jim pulls an appreciative smile that lasts long enough for Oliver to see it, then looks down at the floor as if embarrassed to have put Tess into an awkward position with her friend. His body language says, 'yes, please pay me' but shows he's too unassertive to actually ask. Because Tess is clearly dominant, and he's a bit scared of her and doesn't want to lose her at the same time, see?

[have_no_mercy]

"He'll get paid."

Tess promises. No matter how long it takes, she will pay him back for this.

Oliver gives Jim a thumbs up, then waves as he's on his way back into the elevator.

"Take care, Jim. Tess. See you later."

Once he's gone she rounds on Jim ready to smack him.

"Why would you do that and if you say because it's fun, I will hit you."

[just_cant_lose]

Jim's grin could not actually get any wider without it splitting his face in half.

He says nothing, as he's apparently not allowed to give the answer. He just spreads his hands wide and shrugs, in an over-exaggerated gesture of just can't help myself.

It might only be some of the truth. She's denying him access to computers and tech. She said someone was better than him. And he's been in a bad bad headspace for weeks. This is really the best of all possible ways that meeting could have gone.

[have_no_mercy]

Oh, come on. He could take the hit.

Tess merely puts a hand to her forehead, then runs it through her hair.

"You're driving me up the wall. How much more time do you need?"

[just_cant_lose]

He assumed she'd hit him anyway, and is disappointed that she didn't. Oh, well.

'I always drive you up the wall, darling. Sometimes against the wall. Either way, you don't mind walls.'

He smirks, and slides past her to go and investigate Oliver's bag, kneeling next to it and pulling a bow out. He draws it carefully, sighting down his arm.

'Which desk is yours?'

[have_no_mercy]

"I get to break them down."

She's taken a seat on one of the chairs in the sitting area, vaguely remembering why they have this here in the first place. She points to an empty desk, with an actual telephone on it.

"That one."

Really, it's the only real desk int he room. Obviously, people are usually on their feet around here.

[just_cant_lose]

'Not mine. That's why you like me.'

He latches an arrow and tests the draw, then pulls all the way back as he looks her over, aiming at her desk.

'Can I have you on it?'

[have_no_mercy]

She looks over at him, clearly surprised.

"You want to have sex with me on my desk, right now."

He is the strangest man she's ever met.

[just_cant_lose]

'Now? God woman, you're insatiable. I assumed after we were finished working.'

Not that he's working now. He's determining whether or not to shoot her chair.

[have_no_mercy]

"Yes, I'm after you for it all the time. How do you put up with me pestering you constantly."

He can go for it. The chair or the desk she's not much concerned about.

[just_cant_lose]

'Darling, the proof is in the way you never say no.'

He's waiting on her response before he decides. Because; 'you haven't said no, now.'

He's not judging her for it. On the contrary, he thinks it shows admirable good taste.

[have_no_mercy]

She should say no. She should be angry with him - and she is - but mostly she just feels tired.

"And if I do now?"

[just_cant_lose]

He half-shrugs, and lowers the bow.

'Why would you want to?'

He knows she's not really mad, and he knows she likes him because he's not predictable, and he knows she has no stupid moral qualms about random quickies in the workplace.

'You know it'll be good.'

[have_no_mercy]

"Yes, but I'm a bit mentally exhausted at the moment, thanks to you. I don't know I'd be that into it."

He'll notice it's still not a no.

[just_cant_lose]

He has noticed that, yes. And looks amused.

'I expect I can get you in the mood, darling.'

Whether he can get himself into it far enough to finish the job is another thing, but it's an experiment he's interested in conducting. If it doesn't work this time, he'll probably just give up.

'I usually do.'