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fandomweekly2022-09-08 08:29 am
iluvroadrunner6) wrote in fandomweekly2022-09-08 08:29 am
Entry tags:
[#143] The Dream is Over (DCTV)
Theme Prompt: #143 - Nightmares
Title: The Dream is Over
Fandom: Arrow (DCTV)
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 | SPOILERS for 809: Green Arrow and the Canaries
Bonus: Yes.
Word Count: 990
Summary: Mia struggles with balancing two sets of memories.
Every so often, just when she thinks she has the sneaky memories from a 2040 that no longer exist under control, the nightmares will start again. She’ll wake up in a cold sweat to visions of Zoe’s blood on her hands and JJ’s laughter in her ears. She’s not sure what triggered this one. She hasn’t seen JJ in weeks. William and Zoe are both safe and sound, and none of the missions with the Canaries lately have felt like something that might have happened in the past. But her subconscious is clearly trying to tell her something, and right now, she can’t put her finger on what.
Which means it’s time for a drink.
Leaving her bedroom, she makes her way down the stairs to find the wet bar. There’s a large form sprawled across the couch, and tries to be as quiet as possible. She mostly manages it until her glass clinks against the decanter and the form shoots up behind her.
“Mia?”
“Sorry.” She turns to face Connor after she finishes pouring herself her drink. “Couldn’t sleep. Was going for a little liquid aid.”
Connor runs a sleepy hand over his face before looking at her with a smirk. “You know that alcohol doesn’t actually give you better sleep.”
“True, but I’m not sure I want better sleep right now. I just want some sleep.” She moves to perch in the armchair nearby, watching as he studies her carefully. She tries not to flush under the scrutiny, feelings that both have been earned and not bubbling up to the surface in response. She and Connor never got to see what they were in that version of 2040, too busy trying to save the world, but she already knows that the feelings she had for him were already more than any she ever had for JJ, and that feels like a betrayal, even if it was another her in another time.
“Bad dream?” he asks. She nods. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Getting it out might help. At least, that’s what Lyla always used to tell me.”
“I’m not sure you want to hear it.”
Connor, ever ready to rise to the challenge, swings his legs over the edge of the couch and frowns. “Try me.”
Mia continues to sit silently for a moment, but after mentally acknowledging that Lyla was rarely ever wrong, she exhales slowly. “I had a dream that JJ was a Deathstroke and he killed Zoe right in front of me.”
“Damn.” He sits with it for a moment before giving her a cheeky smirk. “Your brain really has it out for JJ.”
She laughs. “It does. I don’t.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t want to hurt him, but it just wasn’t working anymore.”
“Hey, you don’t have to explain yourself to me, Mia. JJ may be my brother, but if you would not be happy with him, then it’s better that you called it off.” A beat. “Have I mentioned how glad I am that we’re friends again? I know a lot of it was my fault, but I really missed you.”
Mia smiles softly, before nodding. “Yeah. I missed you too.”
Connor’s phone buzzes on the end table next to him, and he glances at the text with a sigh. “It’s JJ. He wants to know where I am. I should get home.” He pushes up, leaning in and presses a kiss to her forehead. “It’s not real. It was just a dream.”
She closes her eyes, catching faint hints of his cologne and the press of him against her, before nodding. “I know. I’ll figure it out. That’s what therapy’s for, right?”
“So they tell me.” Connor flashes her another smile before grabbing his jacket and heading towards the door. “See you later?”
She nods. “See you later.”
Connor leaves and Mia sits there with her drink, taking slow sips as she tries to calm her swirling thoughts. Wanting what she can’t have certainly isn’t helping matters. Rubbing her eyes, she finishes the whiskey and debates patrolling or trying to sleep again when her phone rings. JJ’s name flashes across the screen.
Swallowing, she reaches for it and answers. “JJ?”
“Apologies for the late call, but Connor mentioned that you two had been talking, so I figured you might be still awake.”
“It’s fine.” She tries to quiet her heartbeat, the remnants of the dream still fresh in her mind, including the steel of JJ’s katana against her throat. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to let you know that there’s no hard feelings. You don’t have to sneak around with my brother behind my back in an attempt not to hurt my feelings.”
She blinks. Where the hell did that come from? “There’s no sneaking. It was just late, so I gave him a place to crash.”
“For now, anyway. But no hard feelings. I know how close you two are.”
She blinks again. Something is off about this conversation, an itch in the back of her mind. “What are you talking about?”
“I think you know exactly what I’m talking about. And soon, he will too.” There’s a pause, and she hears a car switching into gear. “And Mia? Next time I have a blade to your throat? I won’t make the mistake of stopping for witty banter.”
She can feel the blood rushing from her face, and her heart racing. “You’re awake.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?” JJ hums. “That is pretty accurate. I haven’t felt this alive in years.”
“JJ—this isn’t you.”
“Actually, I think this is the best version of me, babe. And I can’t wait for you to get a proper introduction.”
He hangs up, and Mia listens to the silence before snapping herself out of it and moving to grab her gear. The only problem is, she isn’t sure if JJ just made this easier or harder.
Title: The Dream is Over
Fandom: Arrow (DCTV)
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 | SPOILERS for 809: Green Arrow and the Canaries
Bonus: Yes.
Word Count: 990
Summary: Mia struggles with balancing two sets of memories.
Every so often, just when she thinks she has the sneaky memories from a 2040 that no longer exist under control, the nightmares will start again. She’ll wake up in a cold sweat to visions of Zoe’s blood on her hands and JJ’s laughter in her ears. She’s not sure what triggered this one. She hasn’t seen JJ in weeks. William and Zoe are both safe and sound, and none of the missions with the Canaries lately have felt like something that might have happened in the past. But her subconscious is clearly trying to tell her something, and right now, she can’t put her finger on what.
Which means it’s time for a drink.
Leaving her bedroom, she makes her way down the stairs to find the wet bar. There’s a large form sprawled across the couch, and tries to be as quiet as possible. She mostly manages it until her glass clinks against the decanter and the form shoots up behind her.
“Mia?”
“Sorry.” She turns to face Connor after she finishes pouring herself her drink. “Couldn’t sleep. Was going for a little liquid aid.”
Connor runs a sleepy hand over his face before looking at her with a smirk. “You know that alcohol doesn’t actually give you better sleep.”
“True, but I’m not sure I want better sleep right now. I just want some sleep.” She moves to perch in the armchair nearby, watching as he studies her carefully. She tries not to flush under the scrutiny, feelings that both have been earned and not bubbling up to the surface in response. She and Connor never got to see what they were in that version of 2040, too busy trying to save the world, but she already knows that the feelings she had for him were already more than any she ever had for JJ, and that feels like a betrayal, even if it was another her in another time.
“Bad dream?” he asks. She nods. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Getting it out might help. At least, that’s what Lyla always used to tell me.”
“I’m not sure you want to hear it.”
Connor, ever ready to rise to the challenge, swings his legs over the edge of the couch and frowns. “Try me.”
Mia continues to sit silently for a moment, but after mentally acknowledging that Lyla was rarely ever wrong, she exhales slowly. “I had a dream that JJ was a Deathstroke and he killed Zoe right in front of me.”
“Damn.” He sits with it for a moment before giving her a cheeky smirk. “Your brain really has it out for JJ.”
She laughs. “It does. I don’t.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t want to hurt him, but it just wasn’t working anymore.”
“Hey, you don’t have to explain yourself to me, Mia. JJ may be my brother, but if you would not be happy with him, then it’s better that you called it off.” A beat. “Have I mentioned how glad I am that we’re friends again? I know a lot of it was my fault, but I really missed you.”
Mia smiles softly, before nodding. “Yeah. I missed you too.”
Connor’s phone buzzes on the end table next to him, and he glances at the text with a sigh. “It’s JJ. He wants to know where I am. I should get home.” He pushes up, leaning in and presses a kiss to her forehead. “It’s not real. It was just a dream.”
She closes her eyes, catching faint hints of his cologne and the press of him against her, before nodding. “I know. I’ll figure it out. That’s what therapy’s for, right?”
“So they tell me.” Connor flashes her another smile before grabbing his jacket and heading towards the door. “See you later?”
She nods. “See you later.”
Connor leaves and Mia sits there with her drink, taking slow sips as she tries to calm her swirling thoughts. Wanting what she can’t have certainly isn’t helping matters. Rubbing her eyes, she finishes the whiskey and debates patrolling or trying to sleep again when her phone rings. JJ’s name flashes across the screen.
Swallowing, she reaches for it and answers. “JJ?”
“Apologies for the late call, but Connor mentioned that you two had been talking, so I figured you might be still awake.”
“It’s fine.” She tries to quiet her heartbeat, the remnants of the dream still fresh in her mind, including the steel of JJ’s katana against her throat. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to let you know that there’s no hard feelings. You don’t have to sneak around with my brother behind my back in an attempt not to hurt my feelings.”
She blinks. Where the hell did that come from? “There’s no sneaking. It was just late, so I gave him a place to crash.”
“For now, anyway. But no hard feelings. I know how close you two are.”
She blinks again. Something is off about this conversation, an itch in the back of her mind. “What are you talking about?”
“I think you know exactly what I’m talking about. And soon, he will too.” There’s a pause, and she hears a car switching into gear. “And Mia? Next time I have a blade to your throat? I won’t make the mistake of stopping for witty banter.”
She can feel the blood rushing from her face, and her heart racing. “You’re awake.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?” JJ hums. “That is pretty accurate. I haven’t felt this alive in years.”
“JJ—this isn’t you.”
“Actually, I think this is the best version of me, babe. And I can’t wait for you to get a proper introduction.”
He hangs up, and Mia listens to the silence before snapping herself out of it and moving to grab her gear. The only problem is, she isn’t sure if JJ just made this easier or harder.
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