Out of Time {Arrowverse A/U}

Chapter Seven- Political Stress

"So, theoretically. . ."

"Whatever you're about to say, I suggest you don't." Bart's voice said into my ear as we were talking on the phone.

"Why not?" I asked confused as I round the corner of the street.

"Because your bad ideas, usually turn into our bad ideas. Then we get yelled at by Nora."

"You sound scared."

I could feel him roll his eyes to the back of his head.

It had been a couple weeks since I had been back in twenty forty nine and I had yet to use my speed since returning.

Did I even want to?

I had to admit, there had been times where it was like an itch.

"Fine, hit me."

"So as I was saying, theoretically since I am immune to temporal changes could I like go see my future self, or the dinosaurs?" I asked.

"That's not how it works, just because you're unaffected by timeline changes does not mean the timeline can't be affected by actions you make."

I timed my webs perfectly as I swung directly into the open window in the apartment.

"Besides, if we lost you in the Jurassic period. Nora would forgive me. Or you for that matter." Bart said turning towards me eating a piece of toast.

"Whatcha guys talking about?" Nora asked coming down from the loft.

I spun on my heel, facing her. "Oh, um, nothing."

"Luke wants to time travel." Bart said being the master instigator that he is.

Nora passed and went directly to the coffee maker. "No, absolutely not."

"You don't control me." I said sarcastically.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and turned back towards me.

"I'll tell your mom, or better yet. I'll call Barry."

"That's not fair, you guys get to do it all the time."

"We wouldn't better together if we didn't and we are much more experienced and connected to the Speedforce than you."

I saw Bart out of the corner of my eye smiling like an idiot at us bickering.

A knock at the door sounded sharply.

"Loud and clear." I said raising my hands in defeat at Nora as I walked the door.

As soon as I turned the handle the door was pushed open and a woman with silver/ brown hair, a red jacket, and a pair of black jeans walked through the door.

"Hey, Nora."

"Thea? What are you doing here?" I asked confused. She was clearly stressed and full of anxiety, I remembered her characteristics like the back of my hand.

"Sorry for just barging in but I need to vent." She said as we all just looked at her waiting for her to start. "Well as you guys know I'm running for mayor, right. Pretty much had the position bagged. But then this knew guy decided to put his name in the running and he's threatening to use my past against me."

"You mean like the murdering people part, the vigilante part, oh wait, maybe it was the drug addiction." I said trying to mess around.

Thea scowled at me. "Not the time, Lukas."

"Sorry, sorry."

"Who is it?" Bart asked.

"Norman Osborn."

My mouth dropped. "You mean the guy who owns the big ugly skyscraper downtown?"

Thea nodded. "Yeah, I don't know what to do."

"Well everyone has a dark side." Nora said. "Just find his. Plus, you were a hero. Play that angle."

Bart flipped his hand open. "You're also friends with the mayor of Star City, talk to him."

Thea pulled both of her hands through her hair. "There's something off about this guy, but I can't figure out."

"Until he does something wrong, there's nothing we can help with." I said to her leaning against the table.

"I know, I know." Thea said. "But my kids, they can't see that stuff."

I rolled my eyes.

"What was that about?" She asked.

"Did you hate Oliver when you found out about his past?" Nora asked her.

Thea looked over at her. "That's different."

"No, it's not." Bart said. "Just be yourself, what the city wants, what the city needs. Your nice list is a lot longer than your naughty list."

Thea looked at her phone. "I have to get back to work, I thought I'd come over and chat." She said crossing to the door. "Sorry for dumping all this on you."

"It's okay." Nora said. "Come back any time."

Nora closed the door with a smile on her face.

"I thought you hated her?" I asked confused. "Jealousy all gone?"

Nora rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Luke? She's almost fifty, you chose me. I have nothing to be jealous about anymore."

I took a seat at the counter. "You didn't have anything to be jealous about anyway."

"But I was." She said to me. "As much as I didn't want to be."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." She said leaning across the counter in front of me. "Anything."

"In this new future of yours, you said that I was here and that you remembered me being on the team." I said to her. "Why weren't we together, what was different."

She took a deep breath and turned towards the sink.

I saw her pull a hand through her hair, clearly stressed out and didn't want it to be discussed, probably why she had kept it hidden for so long.

"I don't want to talk about it." She said giving me a small forced smile.

"There was someone else wasn't there?" I asked her.

She nodded. "It was complicated, you two. But I knew where your heart lived, it lived with her, and I could never compare to her."

I stood up and walked behind the counter. I wrapped my arms around her back and I heard her sniffle as she put her head into my shoulder. "That's where you're wrong, no one can compare to you."

"My turn for a question." She said not moving.

"Yeah?"

"Are you done waiting yet?"

I looked down at her as she shook the hair out of her face.

"Yeah, I think I am."

She gave me a smile as her hand moved up to the back of my head and into my hair as she pulled my lips into her hers.