Even In The Blackout I Know
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Tess/Oliver
Summary: Tess & Oliver are trapped in the darkness and Oliver wants to think Tess is smiling.
Notes: Title taken from 'Living In Colour' by Frightened Rabbit, planned from this are lots of other one shots which may or may not materialise, if they do great but even if they don't there's this one. Tell me what you think. Also one big super-duper thank you for my lovely Miss Yvonne Hartman (love you) cause she's so kickass it's nearly unbelievable, she betad it for me but if there are mistakes in there then they're mind cause I'm a stubborn little thing and because she'd point something out and that would set me off on a tangent!
So this is also for the magical Miss Yvonne Hartman for encouraging me to finish it and for writing such wonderful Tess/Oliver stories of her own, go read them and review her and reinforce my pleading/begging/demanding/poking-with-a-stick/motivating her to update her stories and write more of them haha.
… & …
The lights had been shut off for about half an hour now and no amount of flicking the switch back and forth was going to change that it seemed, the view outside the window indicated it was a city wide blackout there was nothing they could do. Oliver Queen had resigned himself to that quite happily, he wasn't worried, he knew it would be fixed sooner or later. Instead he concentrated on the company he had and found while he was quiet enjoying the moment, she however most certainly was not. She tried the door handle again but being an automatic door hooked up to the building's electricity it didn't budge any more than it had the last six times she'd tried it. She sighed in frustration.
"Still not moving?" Oliver asked, spinning a complete circle in the office chair he was sitting in as he heard Tess make her way back across the room slowly edging her way through the darkness. "That's strange isn't it? I mean you tried it five minutes ago and nothing's changed so you'd think it'd work right? Oh wait maybe not. You know one of those signs of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting a suddenly different outcome."
"Shut up Oliver." Tess snapped at him sitting back down on the lounge she had claimed and firmly refused to share with him.
"Oh come on Mercy relax." Oliver said stopping the chair so he was facing the direction of her voice. "You'll get frown lines if you keep on sulking like that you know."
"It's pitch black how do you know if I'm frowning or not?" Tess asked.
"You're always frowning." Oliver remarked casually.
"Only when I'm around you."
"Well that's not true, I remember your smile." Oliver said and he did, vividly.
… & …
The first real smile he'd seen of hers, full of relief came as she leant over him in the cabin of Marcos boat adrift in the Pacific Ocean. They'd found the food supply and he'd ignored her warnings of slowing down or making it last for however long they would be 'floating in the middle of nowhere', Tess picked a little here, a little there, small bites of small portions and Oliver remembered thinking 'please let her eat meat' not wanting her to be one of those women who were brilliant at maths because of all the time they spent counting calories. Instead he woke to that relived little smile that made him think for the first time in such a long time, that someone cared. She had explained his body was not used to the intake of such a high quantity of processed food, with lots of sugar and fat and feeling strange he'd stood to make his way to the bathroom but halfway there he'd collapsed. Tess hadn't been sure if he'd hit his head or not but he assured her he was fine. He wasn't sure if he had hit his head harder than he thought or the boat was swaying to and fro more than before or a combination of the two but his head was throbbing, she was smiling at him though so the pain lessoned.
"Trust me I'm fine." He promised with a smile.
That night, both with small meals (he'd learnt his lesson earlier) he studied her intently, she was beautiful yes but in a way he'd never experienced, there was more to her than simple beauty, she was something complex and mysterious and she all in all simply intrigued him, he wanted to know everything about her and he wanted her to know he could be better than what she was sure to hear about him when they reached land.
"When we get home what's the first thing you want to do?" he asked curiously. Tess, looking disdainfully at the olives on her plate, replied.
"Order the biggest, juiciest steak available to me."
"Thank God! I was afraid you were a vegetarian." Oliver said and Tess laughed and shook her head no.
"Definitely not." She said pushing the olive around her plate with her fork, Oliver reached out and stole it from her plate, popping it in his mouth as he leant back into his seat, Tess looked at him, setting her fork and plate down and settling back into her chair, tucking her legs underneath her body.
"I'll have to take you out to dinner then." Oliver said. "Get you that steak you're dreaming of."
"Medium-rare." she told him tossing her other olive at him, Oliver caught it and ate it, Tess smiled brightly.
It was that smile there that made him fall in love with her.
… & …
The most serene smile he'd ever seen on Tess' face was in place when she was sleeping at his side, the perfect place for her he'd always thought. He loved the way she hugged the blankets to her chest, curled in facing him, her brow finally free from creases of from worry the waking hours gave her, in was in her nature to worry but no stress lives here in these moments, her hair loose, he folded over the corner of the page he was up to and placed the book he had been reading on his bedside table, turning back to Tess, the soft light from the lamp only highlights her beauty, he ran his hand down her cheek, his thumb tracing the curve under her eye gently before he twisted and, using his other hand, turned off the lamp, sliding down into the bed he pulled her gently into his arms, Tess shifted her head against him chest and Oliver kissed her hair, he wanted her to always stay this way, uncomplicatedly happy, no stress, no worry, just a safe world made of serene and peaceful dreams, he thought maybe he could help keep her that way for the rest of their lives.
He'd always wanted to be something important and he'd used to think that meant in the spotlight, in the thick of the attention, loved most by many. He had always been searching for that, in childhood he'd been the class clown and during his adolesce he'd happily played the heartthrob playboy but looking at Tess in these moments he realised he wanted to be someone else now, someone real. On the island, he'd had dreams of turning his life around, no longer wanting to be the shallow party boy he'd thought of saving people, saving the world, being adored and loved by people who praised him as a hero. He had been sure that would make him important but he realised now that with Tess believing in him he didn't need to save the world. The best thing he would ever do in his life was help make her life a happy one. He found that the idea was appealing rather than worrying and drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face he knew matched the one on hers.
… & …
"Happy birthday." He whispered in her ear, his arms looping around her waist, his breath against her throat as he kissed her neck once and then again, Tess closed her eyes and leant back against him.
"Hi." She said happily.
"Do you want your present?" he asked, Tess spun herself to him and draped her arms around his neck.
"I'd rather have a happy birthday kiss." She said and Oliver kissed her, pulling back slightly he saw her soft smile and grinned broadly because he was the one making her happy.
"So I guess you don't want your birthday present?" Oliver teased, Tess opened her eyes.
"I have fast become accustomed to being spoiled Mr Queen." She said.
"What a coincidence because spoiling enthralling, brilliant, smart, sexy, beautiful redheads who majored in Marine Biology at Harvard when they were 15 whose birthdays happen to be today is my specialty." Oliver joked. "Know anyone like that?"
"Well that is an extremely narrow specialty." Tess said her eyes laughing as she tried to keep a straight face.
"It's what I'm good at." Oliver said. "Want to see how good?"
Tess grinned as he winked at he before revealing her present, two tickets to Queensland, Australia, he was taking her to see the Great Barrier Reef, something she'd always wanted to see.
"Oliver." She said almost breathlessly. "Really, you didn't have to."
"I wanted to, besides what else am I meant to get you? You've already got me, that's half of your dreams come true right there." Oliver joked, Tess rolled her eyes at him smiling.
"You're so full of yourself, but thank you." she said sincerely and Oliver kissed her quickly again.
"Come on, let's get packing." he said taking her hand and pulling her towards their bedroom.
"We're leaving now?" Tess asked shocked.
"Well, I'm sure we could find a few minutes spare." Oliver said smirking as he turned back to look at her, Tess grinned.
"I don't know if I've made it clear how much I like this present." She said.
Later, naked between the sheets, it's peaceful for a moment until she snaps into action, the sheet ripped away from him and wrapped around her body. She rushed from here to there and all around the room, 'what should I pack? It's summer there right?' 'How long are we going?' 'Toothbrush' she exclaimed and ducked into the bathroom, Oliver laughed as he heard her curse.
"I've stubbed my toe don't laugh at me." Tess called from the bathroom. She tossed the sheet back at him, landing on his face, half balled together half flowing free.
"Get up, we've got to get dressed and pack." She demanded.
That same day at the airport Oliver wasn't sure what Tess was expecting when they got there but a private plane? Probably not.
"Just the two of us?" Tess asked, Oliver nodded yes and Tess smiled in a way that encompassed everything she was and everything he loved about her.
"I think we can find some way to amuse ourselves." He said suggestively and Tess smiled.
They touch down in Australia and all Oliver can think is he has got to get himself a private plan of his own; Tess intertwined their fingers after they cleared customs.
"Best birthday ever." She told him happily.
… & …
She had a sad smile too, he didn't love that one quite as much. She was still beautiful even heartbroken. Oliver had always had a sinking feeling that anyone who knew Tess inevitably knew that she looked beautiful when she cried. She hadn't had a happy life. He had tried to be the one to change that, he'd tried to be different to all the others in her life who'd come before him but looking back he knew he'd failed her. He was afraid he'd hurt her worse than the rest, if he hadn't he knew he could have made her happy until they were both grey with old age.
He never admitted that he still hoped for this, for his second chance with her, because he was afraid he would never get it.
He remembered coming home once to find her sitting on the floor, her back against the coffee table, her knees pulled to her chest, a million different photos and objects scattered all around her, she was holding one photo in her hands, tears streaming down her face. He dropped his things in the hallway and dropped to his knees next to her.
"Tess what's wrong?" he asked, Tess wipes at her face and shook her head, she couldn't speak, her thought would let her form words, her brain couldn't find them.
"Mercy?" he pressed. "Talk to me."
He waited while she took a deep but shaky breathe.
"It's not fair Oliver." She said showing him the picture she held in her hands, it was Tess and Megan years ago, Tess with her graduation cap and gown, holding her diploma high in the air, so happy, so excited, her arms around her best friend, he remembered Megan, sometimes he was still haunted by not being able to save her, by the way she'd looked when he'd woken in the tent, almost catatonic, her eyes, far away but full of fear. But ultimately he held onto the fact that he saved Tess.
"We were so happy." Tess told him, her voice so sad and broken.
"I feel so guilty being happy without her, she died and it's like I've forgotten her." Tess said.
"You haven't forgotten about her Mercy look around, all of this." Oliver said his arm sweeping out across the floor, over the photos and trinkets, he didn't touch them, he was so careful not to, almost reverent, like his fingerprints would taint the pure memories Tess had of Megan. "All of this, it's you and her, you haven't forgotten about her at all and even if you didn't have this stuff you would still remember her in your heart." Oliver said, Tess looked at him apprehensively.
"Close your eyes." Oliver said, after a second Tess did. "Tell me about Megan."
She told him about when she'd first met Megan with a soft sad smile on her tear stained face, it stayed in place as she regaled him with stories of their youthful high spirited adventures across campus, the way she spoke, weaving words together to build something beautiful, it seemed that Megan could make even grocery shopping an adventure and he could tell Tess had loved her, her eyes had stayed closed until she had finished telling him everything and Oliver listened intently to every word. When she ran out of things to say that he hadn't known (which left only the way she'd died) Tess broke down into tears again and Oliver did the best he could to comfort her, pulling her into his arms and holding her close.
… & …
"Rome is beautiful." Tess told him, drunk and laughing just like he was as they stumbled their way over the cobble stones. They were in Italy and had rented a spacious, luxurious and private apartment from a nice little old man who had smiled at them when he handed over the keys, 'ah giovane amore così dolce, spero che sempre rimanere così' he'd said, Tess and Oliver looked at each other, neither of them knowing enough Italian to truly understand but they had heard amore, love, and smiled.
"Not as beautiful as you." He said and he meant it. Tess turned back to him slowly, easily, a lazy smile across her face.
"You're too sweet." She said, Oliver grinned.
"Yeah well I try." He said cockily, he was dressed in a tux and she was stunning in her fancy cocktail dress, he couldn't see anyone else pulling it off in the room full of ball gowns and coming away looking a thousand times more beautiful than any of them, a boring awards dinner his publicist had forced him to attend had been much more interesting with her by his side, they'd drank and listened to speeches, kissed in the coat room, stolen another bottle of wine and decided to have their own, much more interesting party, under the street lights and shadows cast by the stone statues depicted the Roman gods they hurried on to their unknown destination, wherever their adventures were to take them would be just fine as long as they were together. Oliver watched as Tess rushed ahead, the bottle of wine in her hand, she took a sip from the bottle and then swung her arms wide, spinning herself in circles, Oliver caught up with her and caught her around the waist. Tess stopped spinning and leant back against him and offered him the wine.
"We should have got glasses too." She mused, Oliver drank as she turned to him.
"Where's the fun in that?" he asked smiling, Tess looked over past him, over his shoulder, her eyes widening with excitement, Oliver turned to see what she saw and found the Trevi foundtain standing there has it had for decades before.
"Let's go swimming." she exclaimed, suddenly barefoot , one heel on the ground the other in her hand, he had no idea how that happened, Tess grinned as she reached down to scoop up her other shoe, she then grabbed him by the hand and pulled him along behind her as she ran for the fountain.
They stopped at the edge of the fountain starring at it in awe of its beauty, the eternal faces gazing down on them, the intricacy of it all, the delicacy both opposed and complimented with the durability of stone.
"We need some coins." Tess declared fumbling with the clasp on her clutch and she told him and Oliver reached into his pants pocket and pulled out what he could find, two quarters, three euro coins as change from the coat check and a button to his jacket, he held them out for her to see.
"Make a wish." She said, her eyes sparkling with excitement that was almost childlike, he'd say completely but he knew the look in her eye well enough, he loved her even more in that moment than he'd ever loved anyone before. He took one coin from his palm and held it out for her to see, he dropped it in the fountain making wishes for their future until all that was left was the button, he went to put it away but she stopped him, her fingers closing over his, he uncurled his hand and she plucked the button from his palm.
"This one's the most important." She told him in a whisper and he believed her, she held the button up between her thumb and index finger. "Promise you'll love me forever."
"Even when we're nothing but dust." He said.
"Me too." Tess promised and with one hand she grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him to her, capturing his lips with hers, with the other she tossed the button high into the air, it landed with a plop in the water somewhere. She pulled back.
"Let's go swimming." She suggested and she must be drunker than he thought as she stepped back, shimmied out of her dress and stepped into the fountain. She held her hand out to him. He smiled at the sight in front of him, she was an angel, or a devil he wasn't sure at times, all he knew was that it didn't matter, whatever she was he wanted, especially when she was standing in front of him in green lace and a determined smile, if she'd asked him to jump off a cliff he would, as it stood all she wanted was a dip in the fountain.
"Come on." She pressed reaching her hand out for him, Oliver wasted no time throwing his jacket to the ground and ridding himself of her shirt, shoes, pants and socks and joining her in the knee deep water. Once he did he took her hand in his and turned her in a slow dance, his hands then slid down her body to press her against him, catching her gaze and starring at her intently. He bent his head to kiss her neck, Tess tilted her head back to give him better access as he flicked his tongue over her pulse point, Tess moaned, Oliver moved to kiss her lips but after a moment Tess pulled away, Oliver blinked at her confused, Tess grinned and started to run through the water, trying hard to get some traction and not to slip on the coins, a million little wishes under her feet. Oliver took off after her, almost catching her one, then twice, Tess laughed and squealed loudly when he finally did grab her, they both splashed down into the water. Tess looked up at him and Oliver, not for the first time, not for the last, felt himself captivated by her, almost hypnotised by her eyes, he couldn't understand how the world had existed before he'd met her.
Oliver stood now redressed dripping wet in his clothes, handcuffs clicked around his wrists, the officer behind him clearly wasn't amused by the young lovers entertaining themselves with a midnight swim in the fountain, the other officer however seemed to find them amusing, he accompanied Tess to retrieve her shoes, still dropped a few meters away, Tess rushed back to Oliver dropping her heels next to him and wrapping her arms around his neck, capturing his lips with hers and kissing him passionately, they were forced apart and Tess stared at him, her hair still wet from the foundation, a hazy kind of smile, still touched by the alcohol but still the most honest thing Oliver had ever witnessed.
"I love you Oliver." She told him earnestly as her hands were also cuffed behind her back.
"I love you Oliver." Tess told him so earnestly as handcuffs were clicked around his wrists, suddenly she laughed and Oliver smiled, her laughter was the best sound he'd ever heard.
… & …
He heard her sigh again and was brought back to the reality of being trapped in a dark room with Tess who was hell bent on convincing herself they're nothing more than business partners.
"I can't believe this." She said to the darkness and Oliver just knows the frown lines on her face are deepening.
"I can basically feel your frown you know." He informed her.
"Maybe I'm developing some sort of superpowers like Clark." Tess deadpanned. "A weird sort of heat vision."
"Can you tell me if you ever get around to that?" Oliver teased.
"Believe me you'll be the first to know." She said imagining how she could solve her problems of Oliver's confusing presence in her life if she really did gain the ability to set things on fire with just a glance. Oliver grinned making out her silhouette in the darkness, he thinks she's smiling too in spite of herself and he remembers the brilliance of her true smiles just like he told her, he holds onto them and treasures them.
He can't be sure she actually is smiling but he remembered the day they went snorkelling together in the Great Barrier Reef and he kissed her in the water, tasted salt and happiness on her lips, and he thought about the smile she'd worn and imagined her wearing it now, who's to say he's wrong until the lights come back on?
… & …
'ah giovane amore così dolce, spero che sempre rimanere così'
ah young love so sweet, may it always stay that way