Breakable

Chapter Two

Summary: Chloe and Oliver are friends. When certain unforeseen events unravel in both their lives, the two make a pact that can either prove that theirs is a friendship that could break and remain broken or break into something more. Chlollie.

Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville, Superman or Batman


Calling her editor to say that she's out to do more research for her subject and a promise to hand in her article before 9 p.m. that night, Chloe proceeded to spend the entire afternoon, helping Oliver to organize the proposal and picking up the engagement ring. Tired but extremely excited, Chloe wonders and imagines what it would be like when her turn comes. As much as she tries to act the stoic when it comes to the idea of Clark finally falling in love with her and play down her relationship status or lack thereof, truth be told she was still hoping that one day she'd get that chance when someone would be nervously plotting how he'd propose to her and whether he would eagerly hope that her answer would be "yes". For Chloe is a closet romantic and that she chose to live in a world where facts are the currency of trade is a carefully crafted mask to protect herself from getting hurt by the repeated rejection. It was the only way she knew how to survive and most days it was easy to pretend that she was fine with what she had but then there are days, like this, when pretending is an onerous task.

It was a quarter to 9 when Oliver and Chloe dropped by the Planet so that she could submit her article. As she waited in front of her computer while it authenticates her username and password, Oliver was seated across in Lois desk. His love for her shining uncharacteristically in his entire demeanor as he sat there surveying Lois things. A sound of a box falling in the copy room caused both their heads to shoot up. Oliver stands to investigate but Chloe gestures for him to stay. "Don't bother. It's normally just Ruby and one of her boy meats doing something they should be doing in the privacy of their house, which is beyond disgusting." Her nose wrinkling in disapproval at the temerity of people to treat every confined space in her sacred DP as a place for shagging. Chloe gets up to go to the copy room to give Ruby, the office Lolita, and her current paramour a piece of her mind.

"You sure? Because I could break that up more effectively than you," Oliver bemused at Chloe's reaction wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at her.

Chloe nods, "Easy there Voltaire. I think I can handle this". Smoothing her skirt and marching like the shag Gestapo onto the copy room muttering about respect and people working under her breath.

"Okay Chloe but if you're not back in a minute, I'm coming after you."

Waving her dismissal without turning back, Oliver shakes his head and suddenly feels sorry for the couple in the copy room as he imagines them getting a full blown lecture from Chloe who considers the DP as sacred as a church.

Reaching the copy room, Chloe pushes her sleeves up her elbows and quickly opens the door flooding the darkened copy room with light, hoping to surprise the couple in flagrante delicto. "Just what do you think you're doing?" At this the couple breaks free of each other long enough for Chloe to see who it was. A strangled shout escaping from her, "Oh my God!" as she slams the door horrified at what she has seen.

Hearing Chloe's muffled scream, Oliver jumps up and runs toward the copy area. He sees an obviously distraught Chloe running away from the copy room, white as a sheet, her hand covering her mouth. He catches up with her at the elevator as she frantically pushes the buttons for the lift to open. He approaches her cautiously and turns her around, "What is it?"

Chloe unable to speak shakes her head. Despite that her eyes were squeezed shut, a few tears escape. Knowing that only Clark could be the cause of this, Oliver pulls Chloe into an embrace and Chloe's attempt to not cry appears sadder to him as the tiny blonde chokes back her emotions. Talking to himself, Oliver issues a threat, "I'm going to wring Clark's neck. Couldn't he at least have used his super hearing to advantage while he practiced his indiscretion with Ruby?"

Pushing her gently away, Oliver vows to confront Clark, right there and then. But, the elevator door dings open and she practically drags him into the empty lift, her voice breaking as she pleads with him, "Ollie, let's just go. Please."

As Oliver stands unplacatingly rooted to the spot, Chloe pleads with her eyes for him to get into the elevator with her. Resigned to his choice, Oliver concedes that Chloe needs him now and figuring that he could deal with Clark later gets on the elevator with her. As the door moves to a close, Clark's hand shoots out to stop it from doing so. "Chloe wait! I can explain." The door opens and Oliver stands in front of Chloe, hoping to shield her further from any pain.

Oliver was eye to eye with a disheveled Clark, Oliver's angry words unbidden lashed out, "Have you no shame, Kent? Who was it you were busy doing, busy enough to not hear anyone approach the room, huh?" Just then a woman's hurried approach could be heard tracing its path towards the elevator lift. Not wanting to cause a scene, Oliver keeps an eye out for the approaching woman. An intense pain gripped his heart in a vise, not wanting to let go as his eyes alight on an equally disheveled Lois Lane. Looking at Clark's tousled hair and Lois' untucked blouse, Oliver puts two and two together. Lois seeing Oliver's face, whimpered "Ollie! I didn't…."

Chloe peering around saw that what she was unsuccessful in trying to save Ollie from the same heartbreak she had to suffer, let an uncontrollable sob break out, a plaintive and quiet plea that hurtled at Lois much more effectively than an angry and loud outburst, broke the tension, "Why Lois?"

Before Lois could answer, the elevator doors closed. One couple on the other side of it, left more broken than the other. Oliver steps back and leans against the wall of the elevator. Head bowed, ignoring the roaring in his ears and the pain in his chest, rendering him incapable of comforting the petite blonde beside him who was hurting just as much as he was, if not more. Incapable of even breathing as each breath felt like a sharp stab that seems to push an imaginary knife further and further into his heart. Chloe inches farther until she was standing as far away as she could be from Oliver and hugs herself, biting her lower lip, drawing blood as used to be her habit when her mother left her. The elevator door dings open and Chloe half-expects that Clark would be waiting for them on the opposite side. The hallway was empty and dark. Oliver Queen steps out, blind to his surroundings. A few steps away from the elevator door, Oliver notices that he is alone, turns back and looks at Chloe who stands looking lost not moving inside the elevator. He holds out a hand to her and tries to find his voice amidst the agony he was desperately trying to stamp out, "Chloe, I think you and I could use a drink."