Arrow: Fanfic: A second chance

[m_findlow]

Title: A second chance
Fandom: Arrow
Characters: Laurel Lance, Tommy Merlyn
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 666 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for m_findlow's prompt "Arrow, Laurel Lance, learning to love again" at fic_promptly
Summary: Laurel didn't want to get into another relationship

Laurel really wished Tommy would give up his endless attempts to ask her out on a date. He loitered outside her office, waited for her after work, chased her down the street, never giving up for even a second at a chance with her, despite her continual refusals. It was too late to be arguing about this, she was tired and still had two more case files to review before court tomorrow.

'Go home, Tommy,' she said, as the blue BMW crawled by at two miles an hour, its driver half hanging out of the door to speak to her. She'd done the rich playboy thing and look where that had gotten her. He'd cheated on her with her sister, and now they were both dead. She'd forgiven Sara a hundred times over in her head, just wishing she could have her best friend back. For Tommy, it was different. He didn't have to forgive anything with Oliver. His best friend was gone too, but he didn't have to also stomach the betrayal.

'Please, please, please, Laurel, I'm begging you,' Tommy pleaded. 'I will be the best thing you've ever had. Wait, no that's come out all wrong. What I meant was that I would make an amazing boyfriend, who would cherish the earth you walk upon. Hang on, is that too creepy? Or it's a bit stalker-ish, isn't it?'

'Well, you are stalking me,' she replied, as he'd trawled along the street in his car as she walked from the office, the sound of her high heels clicking over the rumble of the engine practically idling.

'I'm trying to get you to get in the car so I can take you home,' Tommy replied.

'And why would you do that?'

'Starling is a dangerous place at night. A lady shouldn't be walking the streets on her own.'

She was about to make a quip about it before remembering that Tommy's own mother had been mugged and killed on those same streets.

'I'm telling you, Tommy, I'm not interested. Let it go.'

'I can't. It's all I think about.'

'Why doesn't that surprise me?'

'Come on, Laurel. Just one little date?'

'Tommy, unlike you, I have a job, and it's long hours and I really don't have time for going out and hanging on your arm at parties all night. I'm sure you can find a hundred other girls who are more interested in that than me.'

'We don't have to do parties,' he said. 'We can do whatever it is that pretty, intellectual girls like you do.'

She looked at him with an air of skepticism. 'Uh huh. Pretty, intellectual girls?'

'Women!' He let out a groan of desperation. 'Please don't make me grovel.'

'That could be fun,' she replied.

'Okay, so what if it wasn't a date? Dinner. Two friends going out for dinner.'

'We're friends now?'

'Coffee. What's more platonic than coffee? Lawyers like coffee, don't they?'

She fixed him with a look. Oliver had never done the puppy dog eyes at her, but Tommy seemed to be an expert. He was handsome, there was no denying that, but did she really want to give in? He struck her as the give an inch, take a mile type. She didn't want another love interest, but she really could use another friend, and it wasn't as if she and Tommy were complete strangers. She'd been through enough heartbreak that she didn't want to go looking for love again any time soon.

'Just coffee,' she qualified.

'Not so much as a cookie on the side, if you'll only say yes.'

She stopped, turning on her heel, files still clutched carefully in her arms. 'Fine. You can come and meet me for coffee tomorrow after court.'

'Yes!' It was like he was five years old again, wanting to fist pump the air in victory.

'Don't get excited. It's just coffee.'

'Of course. Now will you please get in the car and let me take you home?'