Disclaimer: I own nothing.
AN: Here it is! The companion piece to 'Love Soon,' Chloe's perspective. You guys asked for it and so I couldn't help but oblige. Thanks for everyone who read and reviewed the other fic. I hope you guys enjoy this as well. And if you read this I would advise you to reread Love Soon and note the difference. It would show that perspective really makes a huge difference. Special shoutout to SarahOL1, who adores Love Soon (song not fic). I started this fic with a John Mayer song, so I figured I should end it the same way. The title is another song of his 'Say'. Now on with the story...
Say what you need to say
Chloe Sullivan had always been proud of the fact that she could roll with the punches that life kept throwing her way. In fact her pride was actually bordering on arrogance. But then again she was fully justified in her overconfidence. Kidnapped and buried alive? No sweat. Almost torched to death? Big deal. Chloe had seen and done it all. And if she hadn't seen and done something, well it was only a matter of time before she encountered that situation. After all, she did have an alien, or scratch that, intergalactic traveler for a best friend.
So yeah, she can definitely deal.
But then life just had to throw her the ultimate curve ball, one that even she could never have anticipated, one that she didn't want to deal with. At all.
Christmas 2007
Clark was an ass. He was the biggest, dumbest, worst kind of ass in the history of asses.
Ever since he got back from the Fortress of Suck-itude he hadn't bothered calling her. He used to drop by at the Daily Planet at least once a day, but for the last two weeks, nothing. It was as though his life had become so hectic that he couldn't even spare her a moment's thought.
Lois was once again out of town, on assignment. Her dad was in Gotham; his workload just could not accommodate a visit to Metropolis, to his only daughter, who he had not seen in months. She already cursed Bruce Wayne until she was hoarse. Lana, well Lana was apparently being busy with Clark. With friends like those…
So really, no one could blame her for accepting Bart's spur of the moment invitation to spend Christmas with them, Oliver and his merry band of heroes.
Bart Allen, the fastest man alive, had been calling her at least once a month since he left Clark's barn many moons ago. It was amusing, talking to Bart. He always, without fail, asked her if she was still with a boyfriend. She always answered in the affirmative but it never stopped the guy from flirting with her via long distance.
This phone call was different. She had no Jimmy, no Clark to celebrate Christmas with. So yeah, she blamed the circumstances. She barely said yes and hung up, wondering what she should pack when Bart was right beside her, pointing to her underwear drawer enthusiastically.
A hop and a skip later (she hopped on Bart's back and he did the skipping), she was in sunshiny California, Malibu to be precise.
When she entered the house/mansion, there was no sign that it was Christmas, which displeased her to no end. She love, love, loved Christmas. Christmas at the Sullivan household was a big to do. It was one of the things that never changed even after Moira left them. Every year, there would be some amazing, sometimes bordering on tasteless Christmas decorations. They would have an inordinate amount of food (usually take out unless Gabe was really into the whole home cooked feast). And they would have gifts. Suffice to say, Sullivan Christmases? A whole lot of awesome.
She only stared at the house bleakly for a full minute before she was barking orders at the boys. Bart was sent on shopping duty, designated to buy the decorations. Victor was assigned the task of locating the perfect tree. She and AC went grocery shopping, to buy the appropriate Christmas sustenance.
They were slightly delayed by AC's hopeful suggestion of attending a rally. Chloe saw no harm in saying yes. She did not foresee almost getting busted by the cops, so much for a worry free Christmas. But she had to admit, she did enjoy the rally. She promised herself to be more aware of the environment and attend more rallies in the future, so long as she kept her run in with the law at minimum. She flat out refused to be on a list, like AC was.
The house was decorated and everything was set for Christmas. She even had the boys decorate their own Christmas stockings. Sure, Victor grumbled a bit at the immaturity of it all but she didn't care. She enjoyed the part when Bart bedazzled (he bought the bedazzler because according to him if the Rock used it why shouldn't he?) the back of Victor's shirt. Victor couldn't really do anything about it because Bart was well, Bart. He just retaliated by splashing glitter all over Bart, which caused Bart to have a sneezing fit, who knew he was allergic to glitter?
Chloe was out by the beach with AC when Oliver returned. It didn't stop Bart from describing to her Oliver's reaction, in great detail (His misgivings about her presence were not entirely unfounded, she did almost burned the house down, although she wasn't alone in that endeavor, Vic and Bart, who left them to fend for themselves the moment that Ollie arrived, were right beside her, baking Christmas cookies). She was slightly hurt that Oliver did not seem to want her there. But she got over it quickly when Victor proclaimed she was exactly what they needed for their vacation.
She even displayed her generosity by helping Oliver decorate his Christmas stocking. She had to keep reminding him that there were other colors that he could use. Predictably, he was stuck with the color green. His stocking was already green so she had to give him a red one so he could go to town with the green beads and glitter.
Hanging out with the guys always made her feel like she fit right in. She supposed the fact that she had two male best friends growing up contributed to her ability to divide her attention between four grown men, okay maybe three since Bart was more like a kid than man. Clark and Pete used to be the exact same way; they used to fight for her attention all the time. It was particularly hard since the two had very different interests, so at the end of the day she found herself with a migraine that wouldn't quit.
But this time, she chose to rely on her time management skills. She spent the mornings with AC, who seemed more contemplative whenever he was around the ocean, not at all the surfer dude that she thought he was. She spent her afternoons with Bart, exploring the wonders of Los Angeles. Mid-afternoons were spent with Victor, who gave her wonderful tips on hacking. She practically drooled at the sight of his computer equipment; she could not count the times she made a note to herself to save up for the many things that Victor ordered directly from Silicon Valley. Oh the perks of having a Queen Industries company credit card!
Chloe did not spend that much time with Oliver, though. He seemed busy with keeping his empire running. She saw him during their nightly dinners. The guys actually appreciated taking the time to hang out with each other, without the shoptalk. She learned a lot during those dinners. AC was completely enamored with an African princess, who he met during one of their missions. Victor was still in the process of getting over his break up with Katherine. And Bart was being the player he wished he could be. Oliver, apparently Oliver was too in love with saving the world to make time for a love life. It was nice, getting to know these heroes, who it turned out were just like the next guy.
On Christmas Day she offered to cook for them. But Oliver, ever the wet blanket, put a stop to the idea of a home cooked feast. He had the celebration catered and Chloe couldn't help but admit it was better than toiling in the kitchen for hours.
Over dinner, Bart kept asking her to get random things from the fridge. First it was soda, and then it was salad dressing. It went all night. Chloe would have snapped eventually, that she was not Bart's servant, but all throughout AC kept getting up on her behalf, which puzzled her to no end. She could only exchange confused glances with Ollie and Vic.
At the end of the meal the entire gang went into the family room. She rented a bunch of Christmas movies for their viewing pleasure. In the middle of watching "It's a Wonderful Life' her phone rang. She was slightly annoyed that Clark chose that exact moment to call her.
"Where are you?" Clark demanded the moment she pressed answer.
Chloe excused herself, so as not to disturb the others. The guys were quite engrossed in the movie, to her amusement.
"Merry Christmas, Clark." She remarked tartly.
"I was so worried. I went to the Talon and then at the Planet. You weren't there." Every word seemed like an accusation.
Chloe felt like apologizing. Just before the words were out of her mouth it occurred to her that she did not do anything wrong. Clark was the one who ignored her for weeks at a time. Now he had the gall to be mad at her. "I'm with friends." She replied curtly.
"Lois is back and she said that she hasn't heard from you either." Clark did not seem to hear her.
"Well pardon me for having a life outside of the Clark show." She retorted sarcastically. "You were the one who went MIA first, Clark. So don't blame me for not being at your beck and call."
Clark was quiet for a long moment. "Where are you?" He repeated his earlier question.
Chloe sighed. There were days that she just could not get through her best friend. This was one of those days. "I'm with the guys."
"Who-what? Who are those guys?" He said in his demanding tone again.
"The guys, Ollie, Vic, AC and Bart." She rolled her eyes at his reaction.
"Oh. When are you coming back?" Clark had switched on his puppy dog voice. It was fortunate that he was not in front of her. The voice was not as effective without the puppy dog eyes.
"Tomorrow." She answered impatiently. From the corner of her eye she saw Oliver enter the kitchen.
"You know, you could have told me that you were going to spend Christmas with them." Clark uttered a gentle reproach.
"It's not my fault that you didn't know." You were the one who ignored me. But those words were left unsaid. She bit her lip, trying to keep the hurt she was feeling at bay. Things between her and Clark were changing. She could feel them drifting, in separate directions. She didn't like it. She would do anything in her power to make it stop. But it was all pointless if Clark did not want to put in the same effort.
She could see that Oliver was studiously trying not to eavesdrop on her conversation. She shot him an apologetic smile. It was the reminder that she needed. She could not, would not lose control. Not now.
"So, you're coming home tomorrow. I could pick you up." Clark suggested lightly.
"Bart's taking me." She replied in her most emotionless tone.
Clark had a way f trying to overcompensate for neglecting her. So she had a couple of weeks that he would smother her with attention before they were back to regular programming. "No, you don't need to bother." She added. "Merry Christmas, Clark." Chloe uttered with such finality before hanging up the phone.
Oliver was rummaging through the fridge. He finally straightened up and held out a soda in her direction.
Chloe set her slumped shoulders straight. She attempted to smile at Oliver and was glad that she succeeded. She felt like crap, hopefully she didn't look it. "Thanks and thanks for letting me stay here. I had fun." She said with such sincerity. Being around the guys was way better than staying home, alone.
"Glad to be of assistance." Oliver focused his attention back on the fridge as he said the words.
Her brows furrowed. Oliver was acting, uncomfortable. That was the only word for it. And perhaps it had a lot to do with his initial reaction to her presence.
He finally got his own drink but it seemed like he was looking at everything but her. To her amusement he even turned his stare up the ceiling. "I think I just solved the mystery of Bart's earlier behavior." He smiled slightly.
She eyed him with puzzlement before she looked up as well. She laughed at the sight. Right on top of the refrigerator, high up the ceiling was a lone sprig of mistletoe. She shook her head in disapproval. "A mistletoe, really?" She had to give Bart a little credit, guys usually just asked her if she would let them kiss her, but this was more creative and slightly more appreciated.
"Too bad for him AC was in extremely generous mood tonight." Chloe remarked just before she took a drink of her soda.
Oliver shook his head imperceptibly. He was silent for a long moment, clearly occupied with his thoughts. Chloe smiled at that. It probably never occurred to him to kiss her already, seeing that they were under the mistletoe, at the same time. Tradition dictated that they kiss. She rolled her eyes as she placed her soda on the counter and decided to take matters in her own hands.
She stood on her tiptoes, placed her hand on his nape and kissed his lips ever so softly. She was not going to kiss him senseless. She was just abiding by the tradition.
Oliver was stock-still when she finally released her hold on him. She smiled at his obvious surprise. Of course, a guy wouldn't think to actually kiss her while under the mistletoe. Go figure. She shook her head before picking up her soda.
He cleared his throat before speaking. "What was that for?" His tone was low.
Chloe gave him her trademark megawatt beam. "What can I say; I'm a sucker for traditions." She murmured before heading back to the family room.
She left for Metropolis the next day. She was glad that she got to spend time with the team. It made her Christmas more memorable. Plus, she got to kiss THE OLIVER QUEEN.
New Year's 2007
Two days before 2007 was over Oliver asked her if she could assist with a mission.
The Justice League (thank god they finally settled on a name!), managed to find a connection between Lex and a high profile US senator. Someone from the senate had been making sure that Luthorcorp got the bids for some major military contracts. They needed to find who exactly was influencing the Congress and put a stop to everything ASAP.
It took her copious amounts of coffee, overused internet connection and a long distance partner in crime (Victor) before they managed to find the culprit. She and Victor discovered an offshore account in Senator Murray Scott's name. Aside from supporting legislation that benefited Lex, he also funded a lot of Luthorcorp's projects, most of which were not on the up and up.
So while the Justice League went off to New York to destroy yet another evil factory, she was typing furiously, writing the article exposing Senator Scott, all in vain of course, since Lex had already bought and paid the Daily Planet. Chloe wrote the article anyway. Even if her words never saw the light of day, it was just another evidence against Lex, which she was all for.
Of course, Oliver had to encourage her to publish her story. He made a phone call to the New York Times. The editor was not really encouraging, especially since someone like Oliver had to recommend her, but she figured what the hell? She sent the article and waited.
It didn't take long before they called her and told her they were going to print it, with a few reviews. It was going to appear on the OP-ED section, which surprised her, and the article by Moira Gabriel (a tribute to the two people responsible for her presence on Earth) was focused more on Senator Scott rather than on Lex.
All in all, a successful mission. Bart insisted on picking her up from Smallville and taking her back to New York with him since he claimed that she was part of the team.
And so she went.
While the Sullivan Christmases were always a big celebration, New Years were always low-key. She and her dad had a tradition of staying at home and watching the ball drop in Times Square. So when she had the opportunity to be in the Big Apple for the actual ball dropping, well she couldn't resist.
Oliver wanted stay indoors, complaining that the weather was too severe. But he was outvoted by Vic, AC and Bart, who were just as eager as she was to attend the event.
So there they were, at the Rockefeller Center, surrounded with thousands of people who had the same idea as them.
One by one the Justice Bros were dropping like flies. Vic found a pretty brunette. AC heard a red-headed siren's call. Bart spotted a group of blondes and he just gave her a 'what's-a-guy-to-do' look before heading for their direction.
So Oliver was stuck with her. She felt a little sorry for him. He probably felt like he should stay with her, him being such a good host and all. She told him that she would be okay by herself if he wanted to go someplace, but he just shook his head and focused his attention elsewhere.
Soon the crowd was counting the seconds until it was 2008. Chloe loved watching the people, most of who were already plastered. And then there was the kissing, as though everyone participating actually rehearsed prior to the moment of truth.
She looked up at Oliver and found him staring at her. Tradition! It was tradition for people to welcome the New Year with a kiss. She grinned at him just as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him gently.
She broke the kiss and smiled at him before watching the fireworks. Chloe could feel Oliver staring at her. She fought hard not to blush. It was the second time that she just planted one on him unceremoniously.
Her only thought as she watched the sky show was that the two kisses that they'd shared were nice.
Valentine's 2008
By Valentine's Day, Chloe Sullivan was a card-carrying member of the Justice League, which was all levels of awesome, at least now they could claim a bit of diversity. Oliver offered her the job the second time that they needed her assistance. He said that she might as well enjoy the perks of the job; Bart added that the dental plan was awesome.
Clark wasn't so pleased that she joined up. Chloe thought at the back of her mind that he was just jealous, because Bart was absolutely right; the dental was fan-frakking-tastic! She was a little embarrassed when she met up with Oliver just before he left Metropolis. Clark practically lectured him on exposing her to danger; it was as though Clark conveniently forgot all the times that she was exposed to danger because of her own investigations and because of their save-the-world-duties.
In fact Oliver did not disregard her safety, at all, during the mission. Sure it took him longer to jump in for the save, but he wasn't super powered like Clark. He actually acted like a mother hen when he took her back at his place to treat the scratch on her cheek. Chloe could not believe that he was getting all worked up, over a tiny scratch.
Once everything calmed down she asked him if he was going to let Lois know that he was in town. Oliver was strangely silent, as though he didn't know how to react to her question.
Lois had been dating Grant Gabriel, prior to his death. Despite that, she knew that Lois was hopelessly in love with Oliver before he left unceremoniously. If his damned secret hadn't gotten in the way, she knew that the two would still be together. So for her cousin's happiness she encouraged Ollie to see her.
And so he did. Chloe would hit herself later for trying to act as a matchmaker.
Lois discovered Oliver's secret identity. It was actually amusing the way she was trying to cover for him. But even if she was willing to keep his secret, Lois wasn't all that willing to give her heart back to Oliver. It was sad that Lois seemed unable to see herself sharing Oliver with the world. And it would be all levels of wrong to ask Ollie to deny his heroic side.
Her feelings on the entire hero business were the exact opposite of her cousin's. She had been pushing Clark to become the hero he was destined to be. Even Lana seemed to be displaying the Lois syndrome. And she just found it flat-out odd. It seemed cruel to deny the world of heroes such as Clark and Oliver. There were far too few people willing to do what Clark and the Justice League did everyday.
"I'm sorry." She murmured softly.
Oliver was busy gathering the paperwork on his desk. He had a plane to catch. The rest of the guys were in Europe, tracking a new Luthor lead. Chloe felt like Oliver was trying to keep himself busy, to avoid confronting his feelings.
"You didn't do anything." Oliver answered curtly.
"I encouraged you to go for it." Chloe muttered in a self-recriminating tone. She should have minded her own business.
Oliver finally looked at her. His features softened almost instantly. "You didn't do anything wrong, Chloe." He gave her a tentative smile.
"Still." She stuck out her chin stubbornly. She contemplated giving him a hug. They already kissed twice, platonically, so she saw no reason why she shouldn't comfort him with a hug. She took two steps in his direction and hugged him. She felt him stiffen and then relax in her embrace.
His arms tightened around her waist. She pulled back slightly and gave him a sad smile. The next thing she knew he was swooping in for a kiss; a kiss that was completely unlike the first two that they had shared. It was hungry and insistent. It made her feel…wanted. Her thoughts were muddled; it felt like the kiss would go on forever.
Rebound! The first word that came to her mind that she actually acknowledged. Oliver was still smarting over Lois' rejection. He shouldn't be kissing her. He was supposed to be sad over Lois. She tore her lips from his.
"Happy Valentine's Day." Oliver whispered to her ear when they parted.
Chloe closed her eyes. Her heart was beating furiously. Because of the kiss and because of anger. She felt betrayed. Oliver was using her to try and cover his pain. She pushed him gently, to try and escape from his embrace. He finally got the hint and released his hold on her.
Chloe could feel tears forming at the corner of her eyes. Oliver was her friend. He shouldn't have kissed her. She gathered her bag, she had to leave. Once she had her stuff all secure she headed for the elevator.
"Happy Valentine's, Oliver." She whispered without looking back. She refused to look at him. As the elevator doors were closing she finally found the courage to look up. Oliver was still standing in the middle of the room, looking bewildered.
Chloe leaned against the wall once he was out of sight. She had no idea what to do. Oliver just threw her entire world out of balance. He was not supposed to kiss her the way that he did. He was supposed to be in love with Lois. He was not supposed to use her the way that he did.
She promised herself that no guy would ever use her as a substitute for the woman that he really wanted. Her history with Clark made sure that all her romantic entanglements were not one-sided.
Distance. She had to distance herself from Oliver. It was the only way she could escape unscathed. She did not deserve to have history repeat itself. She thought back on the first two kisses they had shared and could only shake her head at the latest one that they shared. It was the opposite of nice.
The distance thing worked. Until Oliver had to mess that up too.
Chloe remained professional during their missions. He could still talk to her via communicator. It wasn't as though he could bring up what happened between them since the entire team would hear it too. It relieved her to no end.
Just when it felt like the status quo was back in place, Oliver dropped by for a visit. He was not there to see Lois; he wasn't there to see Clark. He was there to see her. Only her.
They couldn't be seen around the Planet; Lex might put two and two and finally come up with four. They couldn't meet in Smallville, because he said he didn't want to see Clark or Lois. He emphasized his desire to see her. It annoyed her to no end.
In the beginning she practically ignored him. Chloe would just ask him why he was there and he would reply with some flimsy reason. She usually did not bother sticking around long enough to discover the real reason. In fact she did not want to acknowledge the real reason.
But Oliver was relentless. Every other week he would drop by and as each week passed his short visits became coffee meetings. No one but her knew that he was there. The Justice League was unaware of his visits, she discovered during one of their missions.
Eventually, she started to treat him like her friend again. It was nice to have her friend back.
Easter 2008
She got used to Oliver's visits.
By Easter she was not even surprised when she was told to cover the Easter Egg Hunt that Queen Industries was holding for several orphanages. It seemed innocuous enough but Oliver had been hinting at something on his last visit.
Chloe spent the day interviewing the people who organized the event, the children from the four orphanages and the adults who volunteered for the cause.
She did keep an eye out for Oliver, who seemed to be trying hard to catch her attention, until another blonde captured his.
It was cute. The way that the blonde billionaire was being bossed around by a little blonde girl. She snapped a couple of pictures, blackmail material. Oliver's clothes, when the event started, were pristine. By the time that egg hunt was over, his black slacks were rumpled and muddy. He took off his jacket and his tie was loosened. It dawned on her that Oliver was damned attractive! Not that she never noticed before. In fact she noted that fact the first time they met. She took a moment to admire him for the fine specimen that he was and the summarily dismissed it for he was already taken: by her very own flesh and blood.
She watched him as he held the little girl's hand and took her back to the adults that she came with. Chloe took that as a sign that she could finally approach him. She was still unsure of his motivations, unsure why he kept on bugging her. She was not about to guess what was going on in his mind. But she walked towards him anyway.
Chloe bumped her hip against his side and he rewarded her with a slight smile. "Walk?" She asked distractedly. She was working on locating the photos she took of him and the little girl.
He nodded imperceptibly and she started for the direction of the secluded part of the park. She finally found the pictures and she found a certain amount of glee at the thought of showing it to him. "This is bad you know." She murmured lightly, her focus was still on her camera.
"What is?" He asked curtly.
Chloe could feel him staring at her. "This." She grinned at him broadly. She held up her camera for his inspection. She never knew that Ollie could be so good with kids. It was obvious that the little blonde girl was taken with him. She had one of him, on his knees, reaching behind the bushes, another was of him being led around the park by the little blonde girl; and the last one was their goodbye. "What would happen to your reputation, especially if everyone in the business community finds out that you were rendered helpless by a mere six year old?" She asked with such mischief.
Oliver was grinning at her, obviously enjoying her teasing. "Then you'll just have to tell me what I can do in order to keep this from the press." He replied huskily as he placed a hand on top of hers. For a moment Chloe felt like she was being seduced.
Chloe put on a faux thoughtful look. "I could think of a few things." She answered and she would not deny that she was flirting with him.
"Name it and it's yours." He said confidently. No trace of hesitation, none whatsoever..
"You must be really worried about my evidence." Chloe finally stopped walking. They finally reached the area that gave them complete privacy. She found the place one day, she was searching for the perfect spot to read a book and she just stumbled into the clearing. "I've had my eye on the new MacBook Air." She smiled at him.
Oliver was quiet, as though he was thinking over her suggestion. Then he nodded.
"Or," She began. Chloe watched him as he folded his arms across his chest. "You can just give me a…" She smiled. Maybe it was time to stop fighting what was happening between them. It was not as though they were doing anything wrong. And it wasn't as if they were starting an actual relationship otherwise Oliver would have said or done something definite, like ask her out on a date. Maybe this was just a fling. A no strings attached fling. Oddly enough, she was okay with that. Her first foray into the relationship world was not exactly a resounding success.
Oliver was obviously getting impatient. A crease formed between his brows and she decided to end the suspense. Without warning she launched herself towards him. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He was looking at her in astonishment, an expression she never thought she would ever see on Oliver Queen. She started to trace circles on his nape, waiting for him to get a clue. And then he finally understood.
Just like the third kiss that they shared, Oliver met her lips without hesitation. He kissed her hungrily, insistently, as though he had been longing for the opportunity to do so for years, decades even. She could feel his passion, his desire and it was all for her.
It was nice, to be wanted the way he clearly wanted her. "Happy Easter, Ollie." She whispered to his ear when they finally parted.
So began their wild affair. Chloe adored their arrangement. He would still visit her every other week but this time they no longer hid under the pretence of friendship. They had not fully defined what exactly they were doing but she didn't care. Her…thing with Ollie had all the perks of a relationship, without the responsibilities. Besides, it wouldn't be long before Oliver started falling for Dinah Lance, who Clark dangled in front of Oliver so he would leave her alone. Too bad for her best friend Oliver managed to have the cake and eat it too. Oliver would still 'take' her along with the league's missions, despite Clark's temper tantrum the first time he found out that she was working for Ollie.
They mostly stayed at his place. They would watch movies or sometimes they spent an entire night just making out. It was becoming such a habit that she convinced Oliver to buy a more comfortable couch.
"How about here?" She asked, for the nth time.
Oliver shot her a long-suffering look before moving the couch where she asked. "I'm telling you, this is the last time." He declared firmly.
Chloe eyed the furniture critically. It was too close to the windows, what if some would-be paparazzi decided to hang around the rooftop of the Daily Planet; they were pretty much giving the person the perfect view to get the money shot. She shook her head in rejection. "How about right next to the wall, there?" She pointed to the first place the delivery guys placed the couch.
"Chloe." Oliver said warningly.
"Oh come on, put those wonderful muscles of yours to good use." She grinned at him teasingly.
He shook his head in obvious exasperation but did as she asked. She figured she might as well help with the pushing otherwise their make out session might not happen at all. And she had every intention of putting the couch to good use.
Once she was satisfied with the location of the couch, she flopped onto it unceremoniously. She was right; it was way more comfortable than the other one that he owned. Oliver just rolled his eyes at her obvious enjoyment.
"There, now when you bring your girlfriend, she would be much more comfortable." She declared sagely.
Oliver was practically glowering at her assertion, which was odd since she knew, from what Bart was saying, that he was about to become attached. "Are you telling me that Lois never complained about your old couch?" She asked archly. Her back ached afterwards whenever they used the other couch.
Oliver took off his shirt mechanically. He shot her an annoyed look before heading for the bedroom. He reappeared again, this time with a towel. Oliver was all levels of sexy when he was all hot and sweaty from manual labor, she thought to herself. He rarely did anything blue collar so it was even sexier in its rarity.
"Do you mind?" He said curtly.
"Mind what?" She asked innocently. There was no reason why he should be so bad-tempered.
"You're the reason why I bought this couch." He retorted crabbily. "Don't bring anyone else up." He uttered with such finality.
Chloe's brow rose at that. "Why not? Your Lois' guy. Okay, ex guy but still her guy." She countered matter-of-factly. Despite their dalliance she still thought of Oliver was Lois' private property.
Oliver glared at her before he hauled her to her feet, without so much as a warning, and kissed her senseless. She completely forgot their line of conversation as they used the couch the way she envisioned it.
Oliver's reaction to her comments left a lot to be desired. When she finally had the time to contemplate it, i.e. his lips were nowhere near hers. It was a sign. That he was no longer looking at their fling the same way that she was. Maybe he was starting to view her as a nuisance. She knew she should end it. But she was enjoying herself too much. She liked being with him. He made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. It was cheesy but he made her feel like for the first time in her life a man would look at her and only her.
That cemented her decision to end everything. She was not supposed to feel this way. It was a meaningless fling. She was not supposed to start liking the way that his eyes crinkled when he smiled. She was not supposed to try her hardest to make him smile so she could see his dimples. She was not supposed to learn how he took his coffee. She was not supposed to share her heart, which had been broken one time too many.
But every time she tried to put a stop to everything she found herself balking. She would tell herself that she would do it next time she saw him. Just so she could enjoy his kisses, his conversation, and his presence one last time.
Fourth of July 2008
Chloe hadn't heard from Oliver in a week.
It was the fourth of July. Clark and Lana invited her to celebrate it with them. She acquiesced since she had nothing else to do. At least the gathering at the farm would mean a home cooked meal, which she was all for.
And since Oliver hadn't bothered contacting her, and it hurt like a bitch, she decided to finally follow through with her plan. She was not going to see him anymore. No more secret meetings and almost getting caught in the act (Clark almost caught them a handful of times; he seemed to think that Ollie's penthouse was his second home). It was over.
She could not help giving him a place in her heart. But she could spare herself further heartache. It was clear that his interest was waning anyway.
With her renewed determination she set foot on the Kent farm. The last thing she needed was Oliver's presence. She gave herself a strict talking to. She would tell Oliver it was over later. No more putting off the inevitable.
They greeted each other like they were merely acquaintances. As though they hadn't spent countless hours in each others arms.
She barely had an appetite. Her decision was already making her miserable. But she could only imagine how she would feel when he broke her heart. And then Clark had to contribute to her misery by bringing up Dinah.
"So Oliver, how's Dinah fitting in with the team?" Clark asked with a wide smile.
Chloe saw Lana and Clark exchange happy gazes. She stabbed her chicken viciously. Just because they were a couple did not mean that they should rub it in everyone's faces.
"She's doing okay." Oliver replied conversationally. "The guys like her well enough." He seemed completely at ease talking about his new lady love with his paramour in the room, because that was what she was, the other woman, the secret affair.
"Really, what about you? Are you getting along with her?" Clark seemed intent on getting a more straightforward answer.
He was looking at them with interest as he obviously contemplated the question. "Yeah, we're getting along." He answered finally. Chloe stabbed the chicken again, imagining that it was Clark and then Dinah.
"That's not what I heard." Clark was grinning like a fool. He probably talked to Bart, Bart was all for the Dinah/Ollie hookup.
"I don't know what you mean." Oliver replied innocently.
Don't know what he meant. Chloe scoffed. Who was Ollie kidding? He knew exactly what Clark was insinuating.
Clark shot her a confused look, her attack on the chicken finally garnered his attention. "Bart said that he could see sparks." He murmured absently.
Sparks, Chloe would show him sparks, if only her meteor power was electricity. And if only Clark was actually affected by electricity.
"Do you like Dinah?" Lana gave Oliver a slight smile.
Great, Lana had to join in. Her best friends were officially not her best friends anymore.
"I like her. She works great with the team." Oliver replied curtly. Of course he had to pretend to be the stoic leader. She should stab him instead of the chicken.
"You don't like her beyond that." Clark just had to keep the conversation going in that direction.
"She's not my type." Oliver shook his head in denial.
Clark took Lana's hand in his. "Oh yeah, your type run along the lines of…Lois." There had to be some kryptonite in the house. She should pound him with it. Couldn't he tell that her heart was bleeding; maybe he should use his x-ray vision so he could see what he was doing to his best friend.
"Lois and I, we're old news, Kent." Oliver replied after a long moment of silence.
Great, he was still not over her cousin, she was just torturing herself. She finally pushed her plate away. She couldn't pretend to be hungry anymore.
Clark held up both hands in surrender. "Okay, backing off, as of now."
Chloe didn't bother listening to the conversation. Someone switched subjects but she just could not seem to care.
Through the course of the meal Oliver tried to hold her hand under the table. But she practically wrenched her hand from his. She felt like his touch would burn her. She was not going to give him the power to keep her from saying what she needed to say.
They were talking about something or the other. Chloe felt her control slipping as the minutes passed. She longed to get out of there and crawl into her bed. She wanted to fast forward through time and not hurt anymore. She excused herself, mumbling a flimsy excuse.
She headed for the bathroom, she needed privacy. She felt like she was going to break down any second now. "Just say it. Just tell him the truth." She muttered to herself. "Say what you need to say and get it over with. It's better to say it now, before he takes more of you."
Chloe was just about to shut the door when something, or someone kept her from doing so. It was the object of her misery. "Oliver, what the hell?" She hissed at him angrily.
He entered the bathroom with complete disregard of her wishes. She glared at him.
"Why won't you hold my hand back there?" He jerked his thumb in the general direction of the dining room.
"You know Clark, he could see through anything." She retorted shakily. A poor excuse but that was the only thing she could think to say.
He was watching her quietly. She clutched her hands into fists. She wanted to shout at him, to scream at him to get out. But she was not going to create a scene and out their…thing.
"So what? So what if he saw us holding hands?" He folded his arms across his chest and looked at her expectantly.
"What do you mean so what" She assumed the same stance as him somehow the hurt she was feeling was giving way to anger. If he hadn't started everything then she wouldn't be in danger of getting a broken heart. "Our secret affair won't remain so secret if they catch us." She retorted impatiently.
"I don't care." Oliver remarked with utter seriousness.
She did not dare hope upon hearing his words. He was still in love with Lois. And he was starting an actual relationship with Dinah. He never suggested that they became more than what they were.
"You can cross the line whenever you want to, but I'm calling this…us, love soon."
Her eyes widened at his words. There he was, suggesting that they were actually something more. She shouldn't believe him, not when he had a wild array of women, clamoring for his attention.
"I understand I wasn't part of your plan. Believe me I never planned on falling for my ex-girlfriend's cousin. But here we are." He moved closer to her and stared deeply into her eyes.
Chloe closed hers in response. He was sincere. All the while she was fighting against gravity, Oliver was already falling. She opened her eyes and stared at him, stared right into his brown orbs and she knew.
"I am yours, Chloe Sullivan. Not Dinah's, not Lois. I am your man." Oliver declared resolutely.
She broke their eye contact and stared at her shoes. This was it, what she wanted for months. Oliver was finally defining what they were. He was not going to break her heart.
"You have to face it. It's not just about you now. Love, it's what we are." He said tenderly as he caressed her cheek.
Chloe finally raised her eyes to meet his. He was right. It was not just about her anymore. She was too blind that she failed to see that while she gave him her heart, he gave her his as well. "It's what we are." She murmured as she buried her face against his chest, taking comfort in his presence.
Oliver pulled back slightly Chloe allowed him to kiss her, much like their fourth kiss. But a slight change, they were love soon.
The End