It was a cold night in Star City , rain was pouring down on Mason as he rode his motorcycle through the streets of Star City. It had been a long time since he was in Star City , memories flashed through his mind about how he used to sneak out of Gotham to see Laurel in Star City. Even though he had left almost everyone he knew without a notice he still regretted not saying goodbye to Laurel the most , though he was not quick to admit it. It was still something that had haunted him to this day but he hoped to make it up with her. He looked on his watch and noticed that it was almost midnight , not really the best time for a surprise visit but Mason had been hoping to come earlier and only just mustered up the courage to go. He had made sure to look into her current adress and hoped that she was home because he was freezing. He was only wearing a shirt with a leather jacket so there was not much for layers and the fact that he was soaked didn't really help either. His tyres were spinning as he took a quick turn , he was almost there. He shifted gears and spun the handlebar a bit more as his motorcycle sped up.

Shortly after he had reached the building and parked his motorcycle outside. He locked it and entered through the door heading straight for a woman standing behind a desk. Mason took a good look at the woman and noticed that she was very pretty , brunette , big green eyes and a nice smile. He leaned on the desk a bit and flashed a quick smirk before asking for Laurel's adress. He nodded with a polite thank you when she answered and stepped into the elevator. He pressed the button and headed to the penthouse. When the elevator stopped at the destination he stepped out before heading for the front door. Before knocking he quickly wiped some water of his face and moved his hands through his hair. He knocked on the door several times and waited a good 5 minutes without a response. "Great , either she is sleeping which is unlikely or she isn't home yet." He said to himself. "Well, guess we have to do it the old fashioned way" He said while taking out a lockpicking set. He played with the lock a bit before the door opened. "Too easy." He said with his trademark cocky smirk on his face. 


He looked around the appartment a bit and confirmed that Laurel was not yet home. He opened a drawer of her desk and his eyes fell on a picture he remembered , it was a picture of the two of them from back when they were dating. He guessed that she hadn't gotten over him completely too. That made it easier for him , his nervousness was almost completely over as usually since Mason didn't get nervous that often. He was just a balls to the wall type of guy and when he did that most of his fears usually went away.. Usually. His train of thought had stopped when he heard footsteps coming.. Damm , had he closed the door?

Tonight was one of those rainy nights that Laurel loved. She didn't know what it was about the rain, whether it was the pleasant scent it had, the soft pitter patter noise it made when it hit the roofs or sidewalks, or the beauty it created when it was blessing her wonderful city. Whatever the reason was, it was on rainy nights that she loved to try and go out on a short patrol the most. She didn't care for hanging around any so called friends, not when she could feel so free. Rooftops were her usual playground and vantage points to check her city but before she really started her patrol, her mind felt somewhat sidetracked. She didn't know how long she ended up spending on her own roof, donning her black leather costume and dark green, nearly black hooded cape.

Laurel sat on the edge, her hood drawn back so that the water could fall down onto her face. It drenched her hair and chilled her to her bones, but it was so calming, so nice, and she needed the moment to herself anyway. She'd been working herself to the max lately. Going back and forth between Star City and Gotham to try and get the transfer to go through. She preferred to be closer to Gotham so she could be more active in reforming the Birds of Prey. Then there were her trips to San Francisco in order to check up on the Teen Titans. She still felt some small fraction of loyalty to them. After all, she'd spent quite a few years not just among them but leading them as well. And then there was the fact she'd been filling in for her older brother lately at the company. With so much on her plate, this little rainy relaxation was almost too perfect.

She had nearly lost track of time as she watched the raindrops. A wasted night, sure, but it could have been used worse ways. Besides, even heroes needed their breaks. Putting her hood back up, she used the open window in the bathroom to come in. It wasn't the most convenient, but it would do. She was soaked to the bone and about to start taking off her costume when she heard it, someone opening a drawer in her penthouse suite. On sudden high alert, she quietly opened her bathroom door, being careful with each step she took as she got her bow ready. She drew a net arrow from her quiver as she made her way to her bedroom. Her eyes caught sight of the man and she was about to fire but she swore, just for a moment, that she recognized the man. But no, it couldn't be. He was gone. For all she cared, he was dead. Still, it made her fingers twitch, her heart kick up a few beats quicker. "M-Mason?" She flipped the switch to turn the light on. It was him, there was no denying that. So many different thoughts raced through her head on what she should do. However, despite all the thoughts that went through her head, it was more like muscle memory took over as she quickly let the arrow loose to net the bastard. "You have five seconds to explain just what the hell you're doing here or I'm putting you under citizen's arrest for breaking and entering." The man deserved it after all. Or at least that's what she told herself.

Mason's heart was beating faster and faster , he hadn't really thought of what he would do if he came face to face with Laurel and was frozen in place when he heard her voice. The slight shock had caused him to drop his guard and he failed to notice the bow pointed at him and the net arrow that had caught him and pinned him to the ground. This was a slight indicator for Mason that she still hadn't forgiven him for what had happened and to be honest he didn't expect her to ever forgive him he knew that he was a jerk but at that time he had just needed some space and didn't know how to tell her , at least that is what he told himself. Lying on the ground surrounded by a net made Mason remember how dangerous Laurel could be when angered , he was already happy that she hadn't screamed untill his ears started to bleed because that could prove dangerous. "Laurel , please let me explain and could you at least try not to shoot me for one minute please?" He said while reaching for a small pocket knife in his boot , he quickly cut through some cords of the net and tried to get out , this took him a moment but he got it and got up. He wiped some dust off of his clothes and took a step forward towards Laurel.

"Okay , Laurel I know that I screwed up but can you just give me a moment to explain?"

He put the knife in his back pocket and examined Laurel a bit closer , she had a new outfit , or at least a nice hood to go with it. She looked good though as if she had matured. He smiled a bit at how she had changed and figured she must have changed alot since he last saw her , he had just hoped that she had gotten over it a bit. He was careful not to get too close out of fear of being shot at again and lord knows what kind of arrow she would take out next , her whole family had an arrow fetish and sometimes they took it a bit too far. "So can you just put that little bow down and listen to me or are you going to keep sticking that thing in my face huh Pretty Bird?" 

He had no idea what kind of reaction him calling her by her old nickname would yield him but he hoped it was positive , he was still on his guard though but he knew that she wouldn't hurt him too bad. He took another step forward and opened his arms a bit , he hated to admit it but he knew that he probably would never het fully over what had happened unless he settled things with Laurel and had every intention of doing so. He wasn't too sure about her though he could at least try to be honest with her. He raised his hand a bit and tried to slowly and carefully lower her bow so that he could at least talk without fear of having to catch an arrow.

"Please Laurel. I need you to understand."

Laurel's features remained as neutral as she could make them, aside from that small scowl still tainting her lips. She notched another arrow just to play it safe, readying it at him in the ground. She had to admit, it felt pretty good to have him seemingly powerless there for just the moment. Just down on the ground, netting surrounding him. "Five.... four... three..." she began to count when he started to speak. Give him a minute? Unlikely. Five seconds was already too much, at least in her mind. She shouldn't have let him even get out of the net, though she had for some reason. She made sure the arrow followed him, now aimed for his right shoulder. Less likely to do much major damage that way, especially given the fact that she had practically chosen it at random. Who knew what it could be when she let it fly!

"I already gave you time to explain, you're the one still wasting it. Time's a ticking. Talk." As if to further prove her seriousness, she drew the notched arrow back just a little more. Part of her hoped it was just something like a flashbang or smoke. She didn't exactly want to hurt him, not too badly. Although a good few punches or a slap in the face for what he did wouldn't be out of the question, not from her at least.

All of that anger and hostility washed away for a moment at that name. Her breathe caught in her throat. Why would he call her that. That wasn't quite fair. There was the slightest tremble in her hand as it relaxed slightly on the bow string. She wasn't sure what he was playing at, but she was sure she wouldn't like it. The pain in her chest, though from an old wound, still felt so fresh. It just seemed cruel for him to do that. Slowly, he lowered her bow and she let him. While she still held the arrow, it was in no position to be fired. Though that didn't mean that couldn't change in an instant. "Need me to understand? Understand what? That you flaked without even saying goodbye? Disappeared, just like that. You could have been dead and no one knew it? So what, exactly, am I supposed to be trying to understand here? And what the hell are you doing in my house?" She was trying to keep her voice strong as she spoke, though she wasn't too sure just how well that was actually going.

Mason had noticed that Laurel was trying to keep herself stronger than she appeared when he spoke of her old nickname , it was a small sign and few would have noticed it but her body language betrayed her. She had shown that he hit a weak spot in her tough act and this was a good thing because Mason was meaning to be completely honest with her right now and that wouldn't work if she was not willing to open up to him too. He was relieved that she was at least willing to lower her bow and took another step closer to her and looked downwards straight into her eyes. He took a breath , his expression barely changing. "What I need you to understand is that I needed some time after what had happened and then I got entangled in some things I had to handle."

He slowly raised his hand and moved his hand through her hair and and smiled. "And I am in your house because I wanted to ask something of you , a favor" He hoped that he could work on her forgiving him. "And maybe have a drink with an old acquaintance , so what you say about at least one drink. I know you are pissed at me so if you can look me dead in the eye with those pretty blue eyes of yours and tell me honestly that you have no interest in moving on or at least having a drink with me then I'll be on my way out of here you just have to say the word."


Mason was thinking that she would most likely say yes and even if she said no he would still not give up , no way not on this. He had been infatuated with her for years and trying to get her to return those feelings for all that time Mason wouldn't accept a no from her , not now not ever , she meant too much to him for  that.

I heard you had a voice like an angel

Laurel looked up at him and, for a moment, she wanted to step backwards, put distance between the two of them, get away from him and maybe hide where he couldn't get to her. Or maybe even just go to sleep and wake up to find out it was all just a dream and he wasn't really here, he'd never really be here. She wanted that distance, but she knew that by taking even the smallest of steps away from him, that would be showing some form of weakness that she just didn't want him to see. So rather, she turned her head slightly so that she couldn't look him in his eyes. "So instead of at least saying goodbye, you thought it would be better to disappear completely? Yeah, that was such a good idea! Bad stuff happens to everyone. You had people who cared that would have gladly helped you through it. But not anymore." Was that harsh? That sounded harsh? Did she really care if she was harsh or not, though? Not really. Then again, it was also this whole 'I'm a tough cookie' act that she was putting forth for... was it his benefit? Or her own? She wasn't even completely sure at this rate.

She almost flinched at the hand moving to touch her. An almost trembling breathe escaped her as she reached up to grab his hand and move it away from her face. Her hair. Her anything. She didn't want to feel his touch, she really didn't. Because that would just make it all that much harder. Old feelings died hard, and this was the one thing in her life that she really didn't need. "You came to my house to ask me a favor?" That seemed like the most ridiculous reason for a random break in ever, but she supposed there were worse ways he could have gone about it. Still, he was freaking crazy thinking that she would ever want to do him a favor. 'But I guess that doesn't mean i can't hear him out,' she thought to herself. What was the real trouble? If she really needed to, she could always sing him to sleep or burst his eardrums. What was the worse that could actually happen, after all?

Laurel looked up into his eyes for a moment, staring before she sighed. "One drink," she finally conceded. "Just one. But don't push your luck." She stepped back so she could turn and put her bow and quiver on her bed before taking the wet hood off to hang up to dry. She ran a hand through her wet hair to push it away from her face again. "I have a mini-bar by the kitchenette if you want a drink. Don't think I'm going out in public with you for one, though. You should be counting your stars that you're ears aren't bleeding yet."

484	@cain
I hope that this is okay

Blinded by the light shining from your own halo

✿

Mason's cocky composure changed when she turned her head and spoke those words , those painful words that , especially out of her mouth, pierced Mason's heart like an arrow. The reason those words got to Mason as hard as they did was because deep down Mason knew that those words were true. He gulped when she moved his hand away from her face he had hoped that she wanted to pick up where they left off. Thoughts of doubt raced his through his mind , was she over him? Did she move on? Was she seeing someone else? He knew that he had her and others to comfort him but he hated to seem weak in front of them he needed some time but he never planned for it to take so long and at some point he was just too deep in it to return to them so he prolonged his return out of shame and fear but had to pay the price now.





His face lit up a bit when she agreed to a drink , perhaps hope wasn't completely lost for Mason. "Don't worry , one drink is all I need Laurie" He flashed a quick smile as he moved towards the mini bar. What was her agenda? Putting him down then give him hope again before putting him down again? Seemed like one of his old tricks but heck Mason was truly happy that his hears weren't bleeding and he at least got a drink out of it. He squatted down at the mini bar and allowed his eyes to scan the bottles , Laurel had good taste. He reached out for a bottle of whiskey and examined it a bit , this would do the trick. He grabbed two glasses from the counter and filled them both. He placed the bottle on the counter and walked towards her with a glass in each hand. He handed her a glass and raised his glass in a toast. "Every second counts I guess , let's make them fun"

I heard you had a voice like an angel

What could one drink really hurt, after all? She tried to tell herself that nothing could have really happened there. And she'd long ago learned to live with the pain in her heart. She didn't need him, and she wasn't really keen on just 'picking up'. It wasn't as simple as that. The lack of trust at the moment alone was enough to be a dent in that. Emotions weren't something she was going to let be toyed with here. Even though seeing him now brought back so many memories. Even if just his presence pulled at her heartstrings more than a Nicholas Sparks book. Even though there were so many things she would rather say to him. But she had learned that the romance had ended when he had disappeared. She wasn't really about to make what would seem like the same mistake twice.

She wanted to dry her hair or change out of her suit but she didn't bother. The least she could do was wash the make up from the rain off, but she wanted to get this over and done with. The sooner he was out of her house, the better. She didn't need to let him linger long enough for her past feelings to try and break out through the guise of her strength. She moved towards her doorway and leaned against it, watching him closely as he grabbed something for them. Whiskey? Okay, she could handle that. She didn't even offer a smile as she took the glass, though she did hold out and clink it against his lightly. "Every second counts when you're looking for a second chance." She almost wondered if a second chance was the favor. Or if it was the drink. If it was, then this seemed almost too easy. She took a sip, the alcohol burning down her throat. It was more welcomed than it usually was, given the circumstances. She held the glass a few inches in front of her eyes to examine it. "So what's this favor you needed to ask me?"

345	@cain
woo~

Blinded by the light shining from your own halo

✿

Mason wasn't expecting Laurel to answer his toast but he was definately glad she did , heck she even spoke of a second chance. Mason was feeling glad that she at least gave a mature response after that arrow that she shot at him. Maybe shel was calming down a bit or maybe she just hid her true feelings from him , Mason couldn't quite figure it out but then again Laurel was always a puzzle to him. " Exactly , every single one counts. And that's why I am planning on cherishing these moments after you kick me out on those cold streets in the rain." Mason jokingly said putting on his best 'puppy eyes'. He was trying to lighten up the situation a bit and relieve some of the tension that was hanging in the air. He took another sip of the cold whiskey to achieve the same effect.


"What I wanted to ask from you , is simple. Now I am not asking you to forgive me nor do I ask of you to be involved with me again. All I want is to maybe hang out together... Just as friends , you were right I need someone to help me through this all and at this moment I have no one who can help me. No one but you , I still consider you my best friend and that is the real reason I came here."


His breath stopped a bit in the middle of his confession as he tried to keep his composure. Now having to confess this someone was though for Mason but to Laurel? That was definately hard for him and possibly the first time he had done so. He took another sip , a deep sigh escaped his mouth and Mason leaned on the kitchen counter, he wasn't lying when he spoke he really had few friends left next to his family who all seemed to be a bit preoccupied to help him out and Laurel who pretty much held a grudge against him , there were no other people whom Mason had interest in letting know he was back let alone pour his heart out to. There was that one girl he met in that bar a while ago , she was nice but he didn't feel like getting too emotional with he  liked having fun with her better. Mason snapped out of his train of thought and was feeling more than a bit curious about what Laurel was going to say , he raised both his eyebrows and looked at Laurel with curious eyes.


"So , how about it?"

I heard you had a voice like an angel

Laurel almost wondered if he thought that she would let him stay or something, the way he was playing up the rain out there. Sure, it was wet outside, maybe even a little chilly, but he was a big boy. She was sure he could survive out there in the rain. After all, it wasn't that bad outside. She eyed her glass a little again, trying to not look into those puppy dog eyes before she took another small sip. "Aren't you glad that you have such a warm looking jacket to help you out there, then?" She knew that even just the smallest of looks to those puppy blue eyes, she'd crumble. No, she had her willpower, she was definitely going to try and use it. This drink was slowly starting to seem more and more like a good idea, actually.

But listening to him, she couldn't help but be guided back to them. He almost sounded sincere. Almost... no, he sounded completely sincere. She was just being too stubborn to let her believe it. With a small sigh, she finally let herself actually relax, just a little. "You really are sorry about it, aren't you?" She paused a beat to examine his features. He seemed like he really meant it. But why go through the trouble of breaking in just to ask to hang out. Seriously, she was starting to question her previous taste in men. To some, it might seem cute or even romantic or something like that but to her. Actually, she didn't know how she felt about it. Which was probably what worried her more than him being here. "I don't forgive you for just disappearing on my like that but..." The corners of her lips pulled slightly into a smile. Just a small one, nothing too noticeable. "I wouldn't mind hanging out i guess. You have quite a few years of making up to do, after all."

Lightening started to flash outside of her windows and she could hear the thunder rumbling the storm. "And I guess a good place to start would maybe be more than one drink." Dammit. Dammit dammit dammit. She shouldn't have agreed to the first drink. Should have just kicked him out before her emotions could actually get the better of her. Because even though she had missed her best friend, in the end, he had still abandoned her. No... she shouldn't think like that. Life happens, after all. She was just being selfish at this point. "But first, tell me. How did you find this address?"

428	@cain
half tempted to have the electric go out xD

Blinded by the light shining from your own halo

✿

Mason noticed that Laurel was still trying to escape eye contact with Laurel which he felt did not quite know how to feel about. But she did accept that drink so perhaps she wasn't completely disattached from him and maybe that whole friends thing wasn't completely outruled. Mason was happy about that , he examined his drink and shook the glass around a bit. He raised his head at her sarcastic comment and thought it was actually a bit funny but he didn't want to show it. When Laurel finally met his gaze his heart skipped a beat , he really missed those big eyes. At least she believed him about what he said , he really was sorry about it but sadly there were few things he could do to undo it , trying to travel through time was a terrible idea. But frankly he didn't want to change it , no he needed to learn from it and try to at least fix part of the damage he caused. With Laurel and everything else. "Of course I am sorry , in case you haven't noticed I am mister sensitive these days" He said with a smirk before taking another quick sip , this drink was good.


He listened closely to what she said and could barely believe it , after shooting an arrow at him she just accepted hanging out again , just like that? Well granted it was still as friends it didn't matter much to Mason. As long as he got his shot at redemption fine by him. "I know right , I want to know what happend during my ... 'absence' and I figure we'd be seeing a lot more of eachother since someone is going to join the Justice League." Mason said while handing out a quick wink. He frowned his eyebrows a bit faking a thinking face. " Of which , by the way , I heard you are one of the Council Leaders now? Nice job Queen you're moving up the ranks , do you mind putting in a good word for me? Getting a job is terribly hard in this economy" He joked.

Lightning flashed out and Mason got distracted by it. This rainstorm seemed to get worse he thought to himself. "And I really would like another drink great idea Laurel" He sarcastically added before taking another sip of the drink. He was a bit insulted by the fact that she had to ask how he found her place. He took some slow steps towards Laurel while teasingly saying "Who knows? Maybe a unicorn told me or maybe I used a thing called the internet. Nothing the old Bat-Computer can't do and by the way if I were you I wouldn't hang up cameras in the bedroom or maybe I would." He knew it might be too early for sarcasm but he just couldn't help himself , some parts of him would never change. "But enough about me , tell me what are you up to found a replacement for me yet?"

I heard you had a voice like an angel

She gave a small roll of her eyes as she pointed her glass towards him. "Oh yeah, totally Mister Sensitive. It could be your new codename," she said quite sarcastically. Wow, sarcasm really was a defense mechanism, wasn't it? Could she at least try, for just one moment, to not be so sarcastic? Probably not, but at least the thought had passed her mind and, as they say, it's the thought that counts. She hid a smirk behind her glass as she turned away from Mason, her eyes moving towards the window. The steady tapping of the rain against them probably would have been relaxing were this any other situation, honestly. In her head, she counted the seconds between flashes of lightning and cracks of thunder.

She had gone to take a sip of the drink when he said that he was going to become a part of the Justice League. It took pretty much everything that she had not to spit her drink right back out. Coming here to see her was one thing. She didn't approve of it, of course, and she couldn't quite wait until she got up the courage to actually kick him out, but at last it would have been a one and done thing. Or at least she thought it would have been a one and done thing. But being on the same team again? No, that wasn't allowed. She could veto that, right? Under the pretenses of... yeah, no, she couldn't do that. It'd be both selfish and, let's be honest, extremely petty. She had to force herself to swallow the alcohol and kept her back towards him. Of course, she couldn't keep her back towards him to address the issue. How could she? So, a bit reluctantly, she turned back to him, catching sight of the wink and sighing. "Thank you," she tried to sound at least appreciative of the consideration, though she couldn't help but feel there was a slight hint of bitterness in it. She did shake her head lightly at his little joke, trying not to chuckle. "I'm not sure how keen I'm going to be about being on a team with you again, though. So you might have to find someone else to put that 'good word' in for you."

His sarcasm back, though, did make her break down a little and laugh. "Okay, smart ass, I think this room can only handle so much sarcasm," she teased, taking another drink from her glass. She looked down when he stepped closer to her, though tried to keep her ground once more. She wasn't about to show uncomfortability in this situation. No, she quite refused to do that. This was her house, she didn't need to be uncomfortable in it. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the camera comment and she had half a mind to toss her drink in his face. "I can go and get my quiver back if you don't behave, Mason," she warned. Not that she really needed them. Just a little scream would do the trick nicely. But if he really was the newest member of the Justice League, it was very possible she'd be questioned for why he suddenly couldn't hear out anymore. Yeah, that might be a bad idea. "Oh, so that's why you're here, huh?" She downed the rest of her drink before pointing the glass at him again. "You just want to know if I have a new boyfriend. See if you still have a chance, huh? Could have been a little more slick with that question. Maybe disguise it. Maybe I did find a replacement for you. And he could be here any minute, oh my!" She tried to keep her tone as serious as possible, though a snicker wanted to escape her so badly. She held it back, however. She could do this, she knew she could.

648	@cain
it's always so fun looking for gifs for this thread x3

Blinded by the light shining from your own halo

✿