Notes: Just a quick little one shot that I put together. I haven't stopped my other story. Just took a break. I was sice this past week so I wasn't much up to writing. I hope you like this little bit of fluff and Oliver angst. Reviews would realyl boost my writing you know. ;)
Doubts
"I heard you were in town." Chloe fumbled nervously with her cell phone. There was something about this spur of the moment meeting with Oliver that made here uncomfortable. In the past six months she'd only talked to him on and off about business but she never saw him. Most of their communication was through e-mail, the times they did speak on the phone were all business. For him to all of a sudden call her up and ask her to meet him on the top of the Daily Plant was strange. "You know I could have just come by if you needed something. You didn't need to make this special trip."
"I needed to speak with you and you were already here." The sound of his distorter momentarily distracted him. After flipping it off he stepped closer. "Actually I just needed to see something for myself." Without even worrying about she would think of his actions Oliver grabbed her hand. "What are you doing here so late?"
"I-." That was as far as she got. He inspected her hand, even turned it over, and then dropped it. There was something very off about his sudden appearance and his strange actions. She couldn't place it, but she knew that something was going on with him.
"You were saying?" Oliver arched an eyebrow behind his glasses, knowing full well that if she could see his face she might have suspected something. Usually he was pretty good at hiding his emotions, but he wasn't sure he could hide the burning need to know the truth. She seemed slightly flabbergasted by his current behavior, and he couldn't blame her. "Chloe."
"I, um, I don't know." Everyone knew that the past few months had been difficult for her, but even she had to admit that Oliver and his strange behavior had her forgetting everything. "You still didn't say what you needed."
"Why don't you meet me at my place in about three hours? Go home."
The last two words were said hard and firm, almost as a command. Did he know everyone's concerns about her long hours at work? Had Clark sent him to see her since he was in town? "Okay." With that he was gone, not even a trace of him left.
As Chloe made the ride up the elevator to Oliver's penthouse she couldn't push down the anxiety that had remained since his departure. Even with the time Oliver had given her she still hadn't been able to shake the feeling that there was something going on. After pushing the door of the elevator away she spotted Oliver sitting at his computers, but his eyes weren't on them. Instead, his intense gaze seemed to be on her. "What's with all the secrecy Oliver?" Just as she set her things down in their old spot he was up and moving towards her. "Not an emergency I'm assuming since you seemed to be rather relaxed."
He'd been back for at least thirty minutes. That had given him enough time to shower and change for her arrival. She was right, there was no emergency. "No emergency."
As she began shrugging off her jacket Oliver's hands brushed hers and she froze as he pulled it down her arms. Although Oliver had always been courteous, he had never taken her jacket. "Thanks." There was definitely something off. As he hung her jacket she stood there dumbfounded, not sure if she should move or not. His strange behavior had left her unsure of what her own should have been. In silence they walked further into his townhouse. There was obviously something he had on his mind. She knew that now. Something he had to tell her. Just as she was going to voice her suspicions his hand grabbed here wrists, stopping her in her tracks. She immediately turned to him with a questioning look. "What is it Oliver?"
There was a chance he could have been wrong, but Oliver Queen wasn't usually wrong. So he'd take the chance. If he was wrong, well nothing would be really harmed, he'd hardly spoken to her in the past few months anyway. "I need to do something. I wanted to months ago, but I never did. If I don't do it now I'll regret it."
Chloe hadn't even been sure what he was talking about when his fingers threaded through her hair and he tilted her head back. As his lips descended on her own his arms wrapped around her waste, pulling her closer. It was just an innocent kiss, and then he pulled away, just slightly. She could still feel his breath on her lips. He was waiting, waiting for her response. Chloe exhaled shakily. She didn't understand his sudden change in heart. It probably would have been a good idea to inquire about it but she just couldn't bring herself to. Instead she grabbed his t-shirt in her hands and pulled him back to her. This time his kiss wasn't chaste.
Oliver goaded her mouth open and tightened his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She whimpered into his mouth and arched into him, urging him on. It was moments later that she pulled away from his kiss, but she remained in his arms. "I don't understand." Chloe said breathlessly.
"Clark said you weren't engaged. " Oliver said simply and rested his forehead against her. "I wanted to see it for myself."
Chloe briefly recalled that he had taken her left hand in his on the rooftop of the Daily Planet and inspected it. Was he looking for an engagement ring? "Call me a fool, but I still don't totally understand." She whispered softly. He released her body and took her face in his hands. "You never ever acted like…." He liked her? She couldn't even say it. She felt foolish for even implying it; even though he had just kissed her with enough passion to make her body ache for his.
"I'm very good at keeping secrets. Plus, there was no reason to tell an engaged woman that I wanted her." Oliver searched her face for some confirmation that she felt the same, but he saw nothing. She'd kissed him back enthusiastically enough, but that wasn't enough.
What would have she done if she'd known. Run into Oliver's arms and leave Jimmy behind? Probably not. But it probably would have made her start to think. Perhaps if she had known that Jimmy wasn't the only one, that there were other men out there that believed in her more and knew her secrets, she might have realized sooner that her and Jimmy were not compatible. But that was the past. Oliver had done the honorable thing and said nothing. It was over six months ago that her and Jimmy had went there separate ways. If Oliver had feelings for her before that he'd been holding on to them for quite a while. "I never thought-." Chloe stepped back; his hands fell from her face as she did so. She found that she missed his touch but she couldn't think when he was so close to her. In fact it was almost intimidating to have Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow, admitting his had feeling for her the better part of the year and had been keeping it to himself the whole time. How had she felt keeping her feelings for Clark to herself? Had it been like that for Oliver? It seemed ridiculous to think so; after all, he was Oliver Queen. She was just some simple news reporter from a small town. It made more sense for her to pine miserably after some one, not him. No, maybe it was just a fluke. "I mean come on Oliver. Me?" The whole thing seemed ludicrous the more she thought about it. "Maybe it's just a little crush."
"Crush? For this long?" Her face was set. She was determined to think what he felt wasn't real. "Do you think I felt good about my decision to keep my feelings to myself?" His voice rose slightly, and it took him a moment to gain his control again. With much effort he spoke more gently. "I get a kick out of doing good deeds, but this wasn't one of them Chloe. I didn't feel good about this. I'm not expecting you to tell me you've been thinking about me for months now. If you know for a fact you feel nothing for me say so, but I was hoping that there might be something. Or at least you'd give this a chance."
She'd never thought about Oliver in that way. Chloe wasn't blind by a long shot. She knew Oliver was attractive and had a lot of qualities she could easily be attracted to. Qualities most women would be attracted to. He was handsome, wealthy, and a flirt by nature. On top of it he was a super hero in disguise. That was one quality she could always appreciate, some womand probably couldn't, they wouldn't be able to deal with it. It would be too much, just like it had been for Lois. Lois. Her cousin hadn't even entered her head as Oliver practically ravished her. There was no way she knew about this. It was less then two years ago when they finally ended it for good. Was he really over her? When Lois turned away from Oliver he'd been hurt. Chloe knew that. It takes a while to get over that. "What about Lois?"
Perhaps he hadn't thought it through. Oliver had not counted on her resistance and questions. Maybe he had been a little over confident in his ability at wooing the opposite sex. Or maybe Chloe just knew him too well. "How long was I supposed to pine after Lois for? Like I said. I'm not fifteen."
Chloe only frowned. She had hoped for more of an explanation. "So why now? I mean what's different now?"
Oliver resisted from groaning. "I'm not wrapped up with someone else. Up to six months ago I was working with you almost everyday. What did you think would happen?"
"That's not the point. I mean I'm not trying to sound mean but I was there the whole time, but it was Lois that you wanted. Maybe you have this confused, but I'm not Lois."
"I know that!" Oliver rubbed his face in irritation. "You are making this a lot more difficult then I thought you would." With a sigh he continued. "People change Chloe. I've changed, and you've obviously gone through a big change. I don't want Lois. I mean do I need to list all of my reasons." She only stared back at him with her untrusting eyes. It bothered him that she didn't totally trust him. He'd done anything to her to make her doubt him, but for whatever reason she was unwilling. The only way of convincing her was to lay it all out. "What do you think I want Chloe? I want somebody that I can trust. Someone that knows my secret and can accept me for who I am. I need someone that will work along side me." He stepped forward and cradled her face in his hands. "You're the only person I've ever met who can do that. Along with that fact that you are five times smarter then me and have helped me and saved my ass a couple of times, you are also kind, beautiful and would die to save your friends. Literally."
"No one has ever said that." Chloe said softly. She didn't cry but her heart was thudding in her chest a mile a minute and her stomach did this weird summersault thing that it hadn't done since she'd been a kid.
"No offense to Jimmy but the whole time you were with him I knew I would be better for you. Do you really want a lifetime with some lame reporter or would you rather spend it with someone like me?"
The possibilities were endless. Truthfully, Oliver met every quality that Chloe had ever dreamed of. Had she never realized that? Of course she hadn't. She had been wrapped up in her first love, Jimmy. How many other handsome heroes were out there that would love her? It wasn't even because he was perfect or a super hero that cared for was perfect for her and that's why she could see herself loving him one day. "I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. If you don't care, you can leave. I won't hold it against you. Or you can stay." He'd let her go but it would be hard. How many times could he lay his heart out on the table? Oliver didn't want to do it again. Finally, something felt right. Chloe felt right.
He'd answered all of her questions and now she was at the point she had to make a decision. She didn't need to commit herself to him yet, but she had to give him some kind of answer to his feelings. It wouldn't be kind to string him on. But how would it work. Chloe believed she could accept his life as the Green Arrow. But what about his life in Star City. Could she handle that? Could she handle knowing sometimes he would be hundreds of miles away? Would it not work in the end because of the distance between them? Or would one day she throw caution to the wind and move to Star City for him. It was a little foolish to think that far in advance, but her mind had run away with itself. For the first time in a very long time she was excited though. She felt that warm feeling again that someone cared about her, wanted her. Would she throw that away by leaving because of her doubts? "I'll stay." Not by a long shot.