Title: Cupcake
Fandom: Smallville
Genre: Romance/Friendship
Pairing: Chloe/Oliver
Rating: PG
Spoilers: through to season 9
Summary: Chloe is thinking far too much about her birthday cupcake.
Author's Note: I haven't been hiding away, I promise. I have been working on plenty of fics, all at different stages of completion. Life's been keeping me away, but I am back. I have missed you!
Chloe stared at the single cupcake in front of her.
It wasn't unlike the one she was given for her birthday the year before, except this one lacked the single candle and a cousin's apology.
At least last time there had been a party with a handful of familiar faces, and a few messages of regret.
No one had remembered this year except for the barista at her favourite coffee shop; and that was only because of the free birthday coffee she was entitled to through her loyalty card. That voucher had been the only thing she had received that day.
She tried to tell herself that she was used to it, that it was just another day of the year. Her loved ones were important, busy people, and that it was perfectly understandable for them to forget.
Again.
When she was a little girl, her mother would always make her a big cake, and cover it with buttercream frosting. Chloe had been allowed to lick the spoon and help add the decorations herself. After her mother had left, her dad would bring home an ice cream cake for the two of them to share.
She missed her dad the most on her birthdays. They used to be so close; the two Sullivans taking on the world together. Or at least Smallville. Now he had a new life in Kentucky, she hardly heard from him.
It was her fault really. He had always told her that her curiosity would get her killed, but when they had both almost died in the safe house explosion, the reality of his statement seemed to hit home for the pair of them.
Her dad no longer saw her as his little girl, and that was when their troubles began.
Perhaps his card had been lost in the post.
Last year, she had told Oliver that birthdays made her reflective, and today was no different. Maybe instead of wishing to be more like Lois last year, she should have asked to never be lonely on her birthday again.
With the way the year turned out, the few home truths she had discovered wouldn't have been a mystery for much longer. Jimmy's problems with her and his drug habit were soon out in the open, and Clark's absence from her life at the moment was more than obvious.
Chloe didn't want much; not really. A small hug, a birthday wish, and maybe a card. Just a little something to make her feel wanted, and that she mattered to someone. She was sure that it had slipped her cousin's mind. Lois was working on a major story, and hadn't even had the time to tell her what it was about. She only had the time to leave a brief message scrawled onto the back of their water bill that she'd be out all night.
And here she was again, looking at the little baked good.
She should just eat the damned thing and have this day over with. There were plenty of things for her to be doing instead of moping around Watchtower.
Chloe pushed it away and turned back to her console. She would be here until early tomorrow, and there was a good chance that she would become peckish at around three in the morning. The little cake could serve as an early breakfast.
She popped her iPod into its dock and hit play, then brought up the feed to the local emergency call centre. It seemed to be a quiet night, and Clark was tackling any disturbances before the police were able to mobilise units. Tonight he was getting to crime scenes before she even had a chance to alert him.
The temptation was there to tap into Keystone's systems and offer Bart her help. She knew that he wouldn't mind her input, unlike Dinah, who had been seconds from screaming her earpiece into a million pieces last week.
Bart had been the first to speak to her once the team disbanded, and despite her protests, had insisted that the blame didn't land squarely on her shoulders. In a rare moment of seriousness, he had told her that a team shouldered the good and bad together, and that more than one of them had made bad decisions that day.
She didn't believe it, but it was nice that he thought so.
Chloe stood up and made her way over to the coffee machine. As she ground the beans, she contemplated just calling it a night. Clark was obviously running solo tonight, and not interested in her help. Maybe snuggling on the couch with a bad movie and pint of ice cream would lift her mood.
The thought of a two hour drive to an abandoned apartment didn't bring much excitement, so maybe she could just set it up here in watchtower. It wasn't like she regularly received visitors here - too many people remembered the blood stains left on the floor.
With her decision made, she made her way upstairs to where she kept her spare clothes and toiletries. After taking a quick shower in the small bathroom, she dressed in her green tank top and shorts set, and slipped on the bunny slippers Lois had bought for her last Christmas.
Chloe began to towel dry her hair, and made her way back downstairs. She was going to pull out the couch into the bed, and keep an eye on things from her laptop. Her feet were about to hit the second step on the staircase when the doors burst open, the computer barley giving any warning.
Oliver staggered into the room, not even bothering to rid himself of his hood or glasses. He staggered towards her workstation, and perched on the edge of the table. Chloe had abandoned her towel and ran to the injured hero, somehow negotiating the stairs in her bulky footwear.
"Oliver! What happened?"
"I was too slow. Got caught by a dealer with a knife."
There was blood dripping from his left arm, despite his right hand applying pressure.
"I'll call Emil."
"I'm not waking him in the middle of the night for this. It'll be fine."
A queasy feeling settled in her stomach as she smelled the coppery scent surrounding him. The scent of blood, in this room particularly, always twisted her stomach in knots and forced a lump in her throat.
She gently pulled his gloved hand from the wound. "Oh my God, Oliver, you need to see a doctor for this."
Chloe went straight to the first aid pack that she stored in Watchtower and brought it over to her desk.
"Take off your vest." She began to remove the gauze from their packets, putting them in handy piles.
Oliver removed his green leather vest, leaving on his black undershirt. Sitting on the edge of the desk, he put his good hand down to steady himself.
"Urgh, what is that?"
Chloe looked up to see his hand covered in vanilla frosting and sprinkles. She felt herself physically deflate at the sight of her squashed treat.
"Is that cake?"
"Well, it was." Picking up a piece of gauze, she soaked it with sterile saline and began to clean the cut.
The squashed baked good on the table seemed to summarise her day perfectly.
Oliver ducked his head to get a good look at her face.
"You know, I can always get you another one."
Chloe just shrugged and continued with her task. "It's ok. It wasn't anything important. Just a cupcake."
"Your pout is telling me different; Like I've killed your puppy."
She just shook her head and continued."I'm not pouting, I'm concentrating, because someone is too stubborn to let me call in a professional."
"It's not as bad as it looked. See, the blood's slowing."
"You're being unnecessarily stubborn."
He shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I'm still a little rusty. A few scrapes and cuts had to be expected."
"But knife wounds, Oliver? I didn't even know you were patrolling. I could have helped."
"I have a lot to make up for, and it's up to me to make sure I'm mission ready. Tonight was a blip."
"It was still a bad idea."
They remained silent as she continued to clean and patch him up. Chloe was sure that even though the bleeding was slowing, he could really do with some stitches. She would have to put learning basic field medicine on her list of things to do. It wasn't like she couldn't make the time for it.
"I think you're done." She said as she taped down the final corner of his bandage.
"Thank you." Oliver hopped down from where he was perched, and picked up his jacket. "I'm sorry I interrupted your evening. Although, I didn't think you'd be here still."
"It's my job, even if I'm running pretty much solo lately."
"No, I meant because today's your birthday."
His words took her by surprise.
"Yeah. It is."
"You didn't think I'd forgot, had you?" He asked with a playful smirk.
"It's only a birthday. To be honest, I had forgotten myself until my local coffee stop gave me the cupcake." Chloe started to collect her first aid supplies and dispose of the bloody gauzes.
Oliver's hand stilled hers. "Am I the only one to remember?"
"It doesn't matter, really. Especially if the birthday girl herself forgot too, right?" She said, trying to inject some light humour into her voice.
"I think it does, and I think it bothers you too." Oliver stood in front of her and lifted her chin with his finger; his eyes meeting hers. "Have you even heard from Lois?"
"She's working on a big story right now, it probably just slipped her mind."
Surprising her, Oliver wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a giant hug.
"We've really let you down, haven't we?"
"No! Of course you haven't. You're back, and having Green Arrow patrolling the streets of Metropolis is so important."
"I'm not talking about keeping the city safe, I'm talking about you as a person. When did you start thinking you didn't matter?" He asked.
Chloe swatted at his good arm. "Don't be silly."
"You told me that birthdays make you reflective, so humour me." He said, maintaining eye contact. It felt intimate, and it made her uncomfortable.
"I'm surviving. That's what I do. I'm focusing on what's important."
"Wrong answer, Sullivan."
Oliver released her from the hug, but before she could recover, he spun her around, grabbed her hand, and began leading her to the door.
"Oliver! What are you doing?" She screeched as she tried not to follow. It was hard to resist without the worry of making his wound worse.
"We're going out. It's time to celebrate your birthday, whether you want to or not." Oliver said, cheerfully determined to follow through his plan.
"There are two really obvious things you're forgetting here,Ollie."
He shook his head, not looking back at her. He was determined in getting her to the elevator. "I think my plan's pretty solid."
Chloe finally managed to pull him to a stop. She spoke slowly, and looked intently into his eyes. "I'm in my pyjamas, and you're still in your leathers, bleeding."
Oliver paused to really look at them. "I don't have any objections to what you're wearing, but it might be worth me getting a change of clothes."
"I appreciate the gesture, Oliver, I really do." She said sincerely, "But it's kinda late, and I don't think it's a good idea for either of us to be out tonight."
He stood there, and she could see him thinking. "I've got a compromise. You can stay in your pyjamas, and I order us in a birthday meal. Given the ridiculous amount of money I've spent on the equipment here, we've got a DVD player, right?"
"Yes, we have a DVD player." she said, rolling her eyes.
"That's settled then. You find the cheesiest comedy you can think of, and I'll try to find something more appropriate to wear." He flashed her a smile before slowly heading to the back room to grab his spare clothes.
Instead of making a move for the small DVD collection she kept at Watchtower, Chloe just stood still.
She felt anxious, and skittish. Part of her wanted to throw on some jeans and hightail it to Smallville.
That's when it finally slipped into 's been alone for so long now, communicating mainly through emails and telephone calls, that it felt weird to be in the presence of another person. People at her favourite coffee shop didn't seem to count.
Oliver was being so kind, like he actually cared. It felt good, but it hurt at the same time.
It was a sorry state to be in.
She wasn't sure how long she stood there reflecting, but it must have been a while.
"Did you find anything?" Oliver called as he walked back into the main room. He had managed to find the spare jeans and t-shirt he kept there for emergencies.
"I couldn't decide." She lied.
"No problem, I'll help. I've ordered a special treat for us tonight - including cake. Can't have a birthday without cake."
"As long as there aren't any candles to blow out, then cake sounds great." She said with a small smile.
"You know, you never really did tell me what happened that day." He said as he led her to the couch. "Why don't you spill the beans on what it's like following Boy Scout around all day in six inch heels?"
Oliver pulled her into his side. The warmth felt nice. The last time someone had given her this amount of physical contact was the day of the funeral.
Chloe let herself sink into the comfortable contact, knowing immediately that she would be reluctant to leave it, and began thinking back to the day she became Lois Lane.
"Did I ever tell you how Clark's idea of being a hero was calling 911, instead of jumping in to stop a mugging?"
"You never told me this!" Oliver's eyes were practically shining with humour.
"He just stood there, and calmly asked for the police. That was after I told him to do something."
And that was how she finished her birthday. In the arms of a handsome friend who cared, with good food, and funny stories.