Disclaimer: I own nothing...title and lyrics are from based on the song of the same name by Amanda Marshall.

Right Here All Along

In your eyes I see the reason
In your smile I see the road that takes me home
In my heart I know the answer
That all the things I looked so hard to find
Were right here all along

For Oliver, Chloe Sullivan had been the one who had gotten away. She was probably the single person who knew him best, even more than his parents. Since he was ten, they had grown up together, watched the world around them change, and stayed with each other through the good times and the bad.

They were the best of friends, something Oliver cherished more than anything, but that all changed six years ago when Chloe's mother died. The day had been a long time coming with her declining health, but the aftermath was something Oliver would never forget.

Upon hearing the news from Chloe's father, Oliver walked out of his class and rushed to the hospital as fast as he could. It had been pouring rain outside for the last couple of hours, so the road conditions were less than favourable, and he lost count how many times he had almost hydroplaned his car because he had to get there. It was Chloe's nineteenth birthday, and with her father working and her idiot boyfriend out of town, there was no way Oliver was going to let Chloe spend it alone, especially considering the circumstances.

He had turned his car to block two other parking spots, but his parking ability was the last thing on his mind as he pulled his keys out of the ignition. Regardless of the rain, Oliver would have been running to the hospital anyway, but he stopped suddenly as he noticed Chloe running towards the other parking lot.

Oliver called out her name, but the rain was too loud for her to hear it, so he chased after her. She was caught off guard when he caught up to her, but she allowed him to hug her as she let go of her emotions.

It was that moment when Oliver knew... he was in love with his best friend.

But she wasn't single then... she wasn't single often. Chloe was one of those girls who could have any guy she wanted, and it never had been him. Oliver continued to play the friend card and waited for her to see him, but three years after that fateful day, she received an offer that she couldn't refuse to work at a reputable paper in Kansas. While Oliver was away on business with his father, she had kissed her father goodbye and left on a moment's notice, leaving Oliver only with a note to remember her by, telling him that she'd stay in touch. But she didn't, even her father didn't hear much from her because her work kept her busy, which was understandable because Chloe had always been career driven.

When Lex Luthor took over the Daily Planet last year, Oliver again found himself struggling with his feelings for her. Bullying Lex at Excelsior was not one of Oliver's best moments, but after being indirectly responsible for the death of Duncan Allenmayer, Lex's best friend, he made sure to mock Oliver's friendship with Chloe whenever she came to visit. Oliver could deal with Lex calling him a hypocrite, because in a lot of ways, he was right, but hearing him call Chloe a gold digger made Oliver's blood boil. While he genuinely felt terrible for what happened to Duncan, Lex's treatment of Chloe clinched that the two boys were never going to see eye-to-eye.

As time passed by, and the boys grew up into men, Lex would persist in his teasing in a more subtle matter, so Oliver had half a mind to fly out Metropolis to make sure that she was okay. However, Chloe was a strong woman, stronger than most people Oliver had met, and he knew that she could take care of herself... and he had to let her go.

But all that was gone the moment he saw her today, although if it wasn't for her eyes and infectious smile, he wasn't sure he would have recognized her. Chloe had done a lot of growing up in three years, trading in her jeans and converse for an emerald blouse, a black pencil skirt and high heels. However, some things hadn't changed, as her smile still lit a room like no other, and she was still surrounded by guys no matter where she went.

For a split second, her eyes caught his and once she realized he was there, she pushed through the mob around her. "No way!" She exclaimed, smiling brighter as she approached him, giving him a hug. "I can't believe you're here."

Returning the hug, Oliver stated, "I could say the same to you."

Chloe sighed as she backed away. "Yeah, I suppose you do live here... I just thought that... I was expecting to see your parents."

That had been the plan, but his parents had a last minute engagement and sent Oliver in their place. "You're not disappointed, are you?"

"Pleasantly surprised."

"How long have you been in town?"

She pursed her lips before responding, "About a week, and yes, I know I could have called, but I wanted to get things settled before getting in touch."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Settled? So you're moving back here?"

"Yeah."

"That's great. I'm sure your father's glad to have you back."

She dropped her head and said softly, "Yeah, he says the apartment is a lot quieter without mom and me."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring up bad memories," Oliver said as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay." Moving just her eyes up to look at him, Chloe added, "It feels like yesterday, doesn't it? That day in the rain?"

Oliver retracted his hand to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah."

Desperate for a change in conversation, Chloe cleared her throat and tried to smile. "So... how have you been? I hear your father is close to having enough faith in you to run the company."

Taking the hint, Oliver answered, "Yeah, Dad's pulling his hair out on some days, but I think I'll get it all soon. However, now that you're back, I know that a batch of your cookies would go over well with him and the board. It might even help me get back into his good books."

"I'll see what I can do."

The cookies had been a secret weapon of Chloe's since the board raised an eyebrow to their friendship. One day, she walked into Queen Industries, let herself be known and gave each member a dozen cookies. Watching a sixteen-year-old girl win the approval of ten senior executives so easily was something that Oliver thought he'd never see, but truth be told, he never met another woman like Chloe. From the moment he met her, he knew that she was different and the way that she could put any man under her spell was unlike anything he had ever seen. She didn't have to use her body or charm to get what she wanted; she just had to be herself.

Seeing her eyes wander, Oliver asked, "Want to get some coffee?" As much as he was enjoying the moment, he didn't want to risk losing her in the crowd of the party.

With a glint in her eyes, Chloe asked back, "Is that a serious question?"

"You want to back to Tahli's or do you want to try the new place on 7th?"

Chloe scrunched up her nose at his question. "Is Eric still working at Tahli's?"

Eric was one of Chloe's many exes, and even though they only lasted a couple months, Oliver never liked the guy because he made Oliver seem humble. Proudly shaking his head, Oliver answered, "I think he left to pursue his acting career."

Chloe scoffed loudly as she began heading for the door. "I wonder how long it'll take him to realize how much of a mistake that is." Pausing at the entranceway, she raised an eyebrow at him. "You coming?"

Finding his footing, Oliver caught up to her and held the door open. "After you."

She walked outside and upon feeling the warm sunshine on her, Chloe smiled. "I like winter as much as the next person, but sometimes you just can't argue with sunshine."

Oliver stood behind her, almost mesmerized by how her eyes gleamed in the sunlight. "No argument here."

Chloe momentarily squinted her eyes before turning in his direction. "Have you even seen snow?"

"Plenty of times actually, during business trips."

"I stand corrected."

"It's okay, I'm sure you're not the only person who thinks that way," Oliver said as he shrugged a shoulder.

Looking around, Chloe pointed to her right. "It's that way, right?"

Oliver nodded and took her hand as he led her down the street. "So what happened to your cushy job at the Daily Planet?"

She rolled her eyes and chuckled slightly. "I was fired."

"What?"

"Trying to get the print the truth has its costs," Chloe said plainly, "especially when it involves dirtying your boss' reputation."

Oliver knew it was an opportunity of a lifetime, so it surprised him that she was so calm about it. "You okay?"

"Fine... actually better than fine."

"Really?"

At the sound of his question, Chloe stopped for a moment to look at the life on the streets. Traffic was hardly moving, but across the street there were people walking their dogs, children playing in the park, and people just living. In California, everything seemed normal... peaceful, in comparison to the live she had been living across the country.

Chloe moved a stray bang from her face before she continued down the street. "I missed being here, you know. The sunshine, the festivities," Chloe paused as she looked up into his eyes, "the people I left behind."

"So this is a permanent move?"

"You don't exactly sound thrilled at that prospect."

He titled his head towards her and told her the truth, "Don't want to get my hopes up for nothing."

"In that case, you'll be glad to know that I've moved back in with my dad until I find a place, and I have no intention of leaving California again."

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back? You know that I'd be more than willing to find you a place." He honestly felt hurt that it took her a week to reach out to him, despite what she said.

However, it didn't surprise Oliver to see Chloe stand her ground. "I can stand on my own feet you know. Just because you have a little more money than me doesn't mean you always need to help me out."

"A little?" Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Seeing his reaction, Chloe rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. What your parents did for my mom was more than I could have ever asked for."

For months, Queen Industries had paid for Moira Sullivan's treatment in the hospital when her cancer got worse. Her father always tried to refuse, but Chloe's parents were as close to Oliver's parents as Chloe was to him, so they always insisted. It was a tough time after she died, and everything seemed to change. Oliver was close to graduating and therefore was had to start attending meetings and business trips with his father. Chloe, meanwhile, became more distant. because while she made time for everyone, she had completely blindsided everyone with the job offer. However, she was back now, and she seemed happier.

Seeing their favourite coffee shop just down the block, Oliver couldn't help but smile at the memories shared there until she broke up with Eric. Looking down at her, he noticed that she was smiling too, likely anticipating the reunion with her favourite drink.

However, there was one plaguing question on his mind and he couldn't hold it back anymore. "You seeing anyone?"

She quickly shook her head. "The closest thing I got to a date since I left California has been with a computer. You?"

"No," Oliver said walking into Tahli's. "So let me guess... large almond mocha... extra whip?"

She looked back at him with slightly widened eyes. "I'm surprised you still remember... it's been a long time."

"It's not something I'll likely forget... remember when your dad held an intervention for your coffee habits?"

"Worst week of my life," Chloe answered as she shut her eyes.

"Except that you cheated," Oliver remarked. "You're lucky my parents loved you so much that they obliged you when you came to our place to get a fix"

"Come on Ollie, what's a cup of coffee to them?"

Oliver said raising an eyebrow, "Chloe, you were fourteen!"

"Exactly... if anything they made it worse by banning it in our apartment."

They both burst out into laughter in the middle of the cafe, not caring about who was staring at them. Oliver came out of his laughter first and wrapped a hand around her back as they stood in line. "I missed this... I missed you."

Leaning against him, Chloe whispered, "Me too."

Seeing how peaceful she looked and how naturally she fit around his arm surprised Oliver, but as he looked around the cafe, he noticed a slight flaw in their plan. "How about you grab a table before they're all taken? Your feet are probably killing you."

Standing up straight, Chloe replied, "You'd be surprised. I've actually gotten used to wearing heels on a regular basis." She paused as she looked behind her at the tables, "You're right though... how much do I need to give you?" Chloe attempted to pull out her wallet when Oliver stopped her hand in its place.

"I got it."

Chloe grinned as she turned to walk away, but Oliver's eyes never left her as she wandered through the little cafe.

The next few hours were spent catching up about everything they missed during the three years apart. Chloe told him about the weird and unexplained events that seemed like an everyday occurrence in Kansas, while Oliver filled her in on his rise to inevitably becoming the new CEO of Queen Industries, which seemed boring in comparison, but Chloe listened intently nonetheless as she sipped her coffee. Seeing her sitting across him made him realize that she was truly happy to be home again, and that they could really pick their friendship up where they left it.

Sipping the last of her coffee in her cup, Chloe grinned. "Well, I should probably be heading home."

"Can I walk you home?"

Chloe hadn't been expecting the offer, but she nodded as she placed her mug on the saucer. "I'd like that." Together they stood up and Chloe made sure to wave at the baristas as they took their leave.

Her childhood and temporary home wasn't far from Tahli's, one of the many appeals of the local cafe, but in the process, most of the walk had been spent in silence, with Chloe or Oliver stealing the odd glance at the other.

As they approached the building, Oliver tried to open the door, but Chloe beat him to it and gestured for him to enter first. "Please... you first. You've been opening doors for me all day."

"Well, I haven't exactly had the opportunity to do so in a while."

Letting go of the door, Chloe followed him into the building. "You could have visited."

"You could have told me you were leaving before you left."

Chloe hung her head and sighed. "I'm not sure I could have left here if did."

Putting a hand on her back, Oliver said reassuringly, "Don't worry about it... you're here now."

"Thanks," Chloe said through a chuckle as she headed towards the stairwell. "Want to race up the stairs for old time's sake?"

"Do you actually expect to beat me in those heels?"

"If memory serves me correctly, I've beaten you twice in heels."

"Because I let you," Oliver remarked.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Chloe fired back.

"On your count then," Oliver said lining himself up with Chloe.

"Three...two... one..." Her voice trailed as she looked at Oliver, waiting for the word, but Chloe was testing his patience. Unfortunately, her tactic didn't seem to be working.

"If you're expecting me to back down now, you're severely mistaken."

Ignoring him, Chloe continued counting, "A half... a quarter..."

"Really, we're going to fractions?"

"One-eight, one-sixteenth..."

Letting up on his stance, Oliver rolled his eyes. "Come on Chloe, just –"

Seeing her opening, Chloe said, "Go!" and slipped through the door and ran up the stairwell. She could hear the clatter of Oliver behind her, but she knew that she had enough of a lead to win. It was weird doing this again, they used to have stair races all the time when they were kids, but she felt more joy doing it as an adult than she ever got as a kid.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Chloe whipped through the other door and waited for Oliver as she leaned against the wall. Sure enough, within seconds, Oliver had made his way to the door and smiled upon seeing her smirking at him on the other side.

"Nicely played, Sullivan."

With a shrug, Chloe said, "I learned from the best... thanks for letting me win again."

"Who said that I let you win?"

She scoffed. "Come on Oliver, you honestly didn't think that I'd notice you delaying your start by a couple of seconds?"

Oliver conceded, "You haven't lost your perceptiveness I see."

"As if there was any doubt?"

Motioning his hand towards the north hallway, Oliver asked, "Can I escort you to your door?" as he offered his arm.

Accepting it, Chloe nodded with a slight grin. "You may."

They walked in unison down the hallway for the necessary steps to get to the apartment Chloe shared with her father.

Releasing his arm, Chloe fumbled in her purse for her keys. Upon successfully finding them, Chloe said softly, "Thanks for today Oliver, it was great to see you."

Without thinking about it, Oliver leaned to softly kiss her lips. It was just for a second, but he knew that he had caught her by surprise when he heard the keys hit the floor and saw the slight pink that encompassed her cheeks as he backed away. "You too," Oliver said with a grin, and he left Chloe standing at her door, only looking back once more as he opened the door to the stairwell to see her zip into the apartment and out of sight.

It probably was a mistake, but Chloe's window of single-dom never stayed open very long, and Oliver wanted to know what it felt like to kiss her, even if it was for just a moment.