Title: The Date
Genre: Humor/Family
Rating: K
Pairing: Chloe/Oliver
Summary: Oliver's daughter wants to date.
The Date
1/1
Amelia "Mia" Queen was fifteen years old and about to ask her father a question he hoped would never arise. She weighed her options, watching him covertly from the doorway to the kitchen. He was at the table, his coffee in front of him and his newspaper in hand. Freshly showered and obviously in a good mood (she knew because the comics were already read and lying next to her mom's steaming coffee. Currently, her mother was struggling with her younger brother to get him ready for school. He hated Mondays. She was pretty sure her mom hated them more.
At fifteen, Mia was the only girl in her grade to never date. Not once. Not even a date to a dance in elementary school. It wasn't that she was disliked or cut off from her school mates. She had a large group of friends and she loved school for its social life more than what she could learn. So far, there weren't any boys that had caught her attention enough for her to do this. That was until she met Ben – the cute boy that sat behind in her Math class. He was funny and adorable and maybe a little too confident for his own good. And he had asked her to a movie that Friday. She nearly fainted she was so ecstatic. Until she realized that her dad would never let her go.
He was wary of boys entirely. He didn't let them look at her if he could help it. The only males allowed around her were her league of uncles; Bart, Roy, AC, Clark, and Victor. She'd add Bruce to the list, but he hated being considered uncle material and so he was just Bruce. The brooding, stoic man that bought her the best presents she could ever ask for. He never forgot a birthday or a big milestone. During her grade seven graduation, he sent her a car that would take her and her three closest girlfriends for a spa weekend. Her parents thought it was excessive but she wasn't turning away the gift and when she next saw him she nearly strangled him with her hug. He acted as if he didn't care but she knew he did. He was her uncle at heart, even if he refused to say it out loud.
She figured it was best to ask her dad if she could go when her uncles weren't around. They'd all come up with elaborate plans to "take care of her." Follow her, bug her, hide a tracking device in one of her shoes. They were tricky that way! She just knew Bart would sit behind them at the movie and every time he thought Ben was getting too close he'd interrupt. "Back it up, buddy. Lemme see those hands!" he'd tell him, eyes suspicious. And the whole date would be entirely ruined.
She took a deep breath. Yes, the best idea would be to beg her dad to trust her and let her go out on this date.
"Something wrong, Mimi?" she heard her dad ask and she realized her cover was blown. He looked up at her from behind his newspaper, a brow lifting in question. He was the only one who used that nickname and though she usually groaned in public, she didn't mind so much in private.
She lifted a shoulder and walked over to sit down at the table. She didn't bother trying to sit in her mom's chair, despite the fact that it was closer and it would give her puppy dog eyes better advantage. Nobody was allowed to sit in her mom's chair; it was the unspoken rule of the house. Wherever her dad was, the place next to him was reserved for his wife. She'd thought it was excessive once, until she learned that he'd nearly lost her. Years before she was even born, her mother had almost died. She didn't know what from, her parents refused to discuss it. But it opened her eyes a little more to just how close her parents could be. She knew then why her dad's eyes always searched for her if she was gone for longer than five minutes and why he always had to be holding her hand, as if scared that if he wasn't touching her, she'd disappear. They'd been married seventeen years and she'd never known two people more in love.
"Well, see there's this great movie playing this Friday…" she began, her voice as innocent as could be.
He nodded, eyes set on hers, seriously listening. She wished her mom was there, then he'd be at least somewhat distracted and might by some off chance say yes simply because he didn't want to admit he hadn't been listening. It was rare, but it happened. When he got around her mom, the outside world ceased to exist. It came in handy sometimes and bugged her others. She was like any other kid; she did not want to see her parents making eyes at each other. Bleck!
"Okay," he said, shaking his head slowly, not quite comprehending. "You get your allowance on Friday, Mimi, I don't see the problem."
She felt herself flush and shifted in her seat, eyes darting around in discomfort. "Well, you see… Uhm… There's… There's this boy."
Her dad's brows rose in the most comedic face she'd ever seen on him. His jaw went slack and he paled a bit, tipping his head to the side. "A boy," he repeated slowly before blinking at her.
"Yeah," she said nodding. She smiled. "His name's Ben and he's in my Math class and he's reeeeeally cute! He's got blue eyes and brown hair and—"
He lifted a hand for her to stop and she closed her mouth, realizing she'd probably said more than he wanted to know. He wasn't like her mom, he didn't want to hear about crushes or cute boys or the latest fashion trend. "And this boy asked you out to the movie? As in a group thing?"
He looked so hopeful she almost didn't want to admit the truth. But, she shook her head. Honesty was the policy of the house, she knew. And she never could lie to her dad. He was a human lie detector. Ever since she was just a little girl and she told him she hadn't eaten all the candy in the dish. He decided her tummy ache was punishment enough but after that he always took everything she said with a grain of salt.
"See, I really like him and he…" She lifted a shoulder. "Well, he asked me to the movie as sort of… A date, you know?" She was pretty sure she was blushing. How could it be so awkward to ask her dad while it had been so much fun to tell her mom?
Oliver took on his stoic expression, a seriously thoughtful look passing his eyes. His coffee and paper were put to the side as he took in the question she'd asked. She waited patiently, her knee jumping with hope. She gave him her best look; doe eyes, lip stuck out slightly, seriously desperate for him to let her have this little moment.
"Have you asked your mom?" he wondered, stare inquisitive.
She sighed. "Yeah and she already did a background check on the whole family." She crossed her arms, lifting a brow in an expression that quite resembled her father. "My biggest threat is his grandma. She's handy with the lawn shears because of her background in landscaping." She rolled her eyes.
Her dad chuckled slightly, amused by her candor. "We're only looking at for you, sweetie."
"I know," she sighed, her shoulders slumping. "But come on, dad. He's fifteen! Same age as me. And I know what I'm doing. It's just a harmless movie."
He stared at her, expression hard. "What time is the movie?"
She felt triumph on the horizon. "Seven."
"When's it end?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Nineish," she said, frowning with uncertainty.
"And it's just a movie? Nothing afterwards. Metaphorically, if I said yes, he'd drop you off right after?" he asked, eyes boring into hers, wanting the truth.
She nodded before lifting a hand. "Well, his mom would drop me off. He can't drive yet."
He leaned back in his chair thoughtfully; face a mask she couldn't read. It was the longest minute of her life! "I want to meet him before you leave."
She nearly leapt out of her chair with excitement, but instead grinned at him before rounding the table and wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said before kissing his cheek.
Her mom entered the room, a knowing smile on her face and Dillon trailing behind her. "So?"
"Daddy said I could go," she half-squealed to her mom.
She simply smiled.
"Go where?" Dillon asked, looking up wonderingly. At eight, he was always asking questions and getting into trouble. He bypassed the two women to the table, crawling up and digging into the pancakes waiting for him, syrup smudging on his face. Oliver passed him a napkin that he wiped over his face before smothering it once more in syrup.
"Your sister is going on her first date," Chloe Queen announced to her son. She reached out, her arm wrapping around Mia's shoulder, fingers delicately stroking her hair like they'd done since birth.
"Like you and daddy do on Saturdays?" Dillon asked, mouth full of pancake.
"Yep."
He made a face. "Is she gonna kiss like you and daddy do?"
"No," Oliver said, frowning.
"Good. Cause that's gross!" He stuck his tongue out at his older sister before licking the syrup up from around his lips.
"Shut up, Dill Pickle. One day you'll go on a date with a girl, you know!" she told him, head resting on her mom's shoulder and a sneer on her face as she held back the urge to stick her tongue out at her younger brother.
"Nu uh! Girls are gross! They have giant cooties on them!" he told her, lifting his arms to show her how big they were.
"Your mom has cooties?" his dad asked, looking shocked as he turned to his son.
He shook his head. "No, mom's don't have them. Only other girls." He nodded sagely before filling his mouth once more.
"Chew carefully, Dillon," his mom chastised.
He rolled his eyes before opening his mouth to show her his chewing.
She frowned, unamused. "We can go back to cereal, mister."
He closed his mouth with a quick snap and ate carefully as requested.
Mia stood up, smiling. "I'm gonna go call Chelsea and get her to come over so we can find what outfit I should wear," she announced before turning around and fleeing from the room.
Oliver turned to his wife with a defeated expression. With a soft smile, she crossed the room and slid into his lap. "She's growing up," he muttered, resting his head against hers as it leaned onto his shoulder, forehead pressed to his neck.
"It was bound to happen," Chloe told him, her hand rubbing his chest soothingly.
"Yeah, but it was so fast!" he said, stroking her side affectionately.
She chuckled. "It's been fifteen years, Ollie. How old would you prefer she be before she dated?"
He scowled. "Is never an option?" he asked.
She laughed.
"I'll never date, dad!" Dillon told him proudly.
Oliver turned to his son, smiling. "I appreciate it buddy. But I have a feeling your view is going to change when you're older."
"Nope," he said, lifting his chin and shaking his head. He wiped his face with his sleeve and smiled. "I'm gonna stay here with you and mom until you're way old and I'll never leave you!"
Chloe giggled against her husband's neck before lifting her head to smile at her son. "All right, but if that happens, you're gonna have to start getting dressed on your own in the morning, mister. None of this sleeping in and then telling me you're too sick to get up."
He groaned, slumping back in his chair. "I don't like clothes," he whined.
Oliver laughed. "You're mom didn't always like clothes either."
"Oliver!" she chastised, slapping his shoulder.
He laughed, hugging her against him.
"You didn't, mom?" Dillon asked, ever the innocent one.
His mom flushed slightly, clearing her throat. "Eat your breakfast, little man."
Dillon sighed, shaking his head before he went back to his pancakes. He'd never understand his parents.
They went back to whispering, kissing in between their laughter, once again in their own little world. He'd never be like them. Girls were gross and he was sticking by his opinion. He didn't get what was so great about it anyway. He wouldn't want some girl sitting in his lap, getting in the way of his pancakes! And he wouldn't want her sleeping in his bed, hogging the covers! Or cuddled up to him on the couch, whispering in his ear all the time while he was trying to watch his cartoons. Nope, girls were just a big hassle. He'd be fine without them. He had his mom to cuddle him when he wanted to be held and to kiss his ouchies like she did his dad's. Yup, he didn't need to go on any dates. He was set.
Author's Note: I finally found this! I had it somewhere on my computer and I can finally post it. Hope you enjoyed this! Luv yas - Fina!