Part 10

Oliver had no idea how they had gotten into this position, but he wasn't fighting it. Instead, as he stared down at her peaceful expression, Oliver carefully moved a loose strand of hair behind her ears, noticing how Chloe leaned towards him on the couch after doing so. Seeing her like this, looking so relaxed, it further affirmed to him that this was like the vacation that the woman desperately needed, but would never take. It wouldn't surprise Oliver if magic would be the only way Chloe would take a break from Watchtower these days, even to take care of herself.

That was why Zatanna had sent Oliver with her, that much was clear, because he had to admit, the little blonde in his arms had gotten to him, more than he could have ever imagined. It was such a simple moment, seeing her mouth unconsciously twitch into a grin as he tightened his arms around her, it was something most would take for granted, yet that was probably why Oliver was so lost in it.

Taking a moment, letting it sink in, not running off to save the world, to salvage a reputation. Taking a selfish moment in an unselfish manner, with someone Oliver trusted more than anyone, And, especially now, he could tell Chloe trusted him too. Maybe even one day, she'd let him in, let him take care of her like she deserved. It wasn't that Chloe Sullivan couldn't take care of herself, quite the opposite, but what was lost in the way she ensured the guys didn't overdo it was the risk she ran of not following her own advice.

Trying not to wake Chloe, Oliver carefully pulled himself from the couch, readjusting the blanket over Chloe as he stood up. He knew that if she woke up and saw him there, she'd panic in some way, so to make things easier, Oliver figured he'd make them some breakfast, no matter how much he wanted to stay with her on the couch. Weaving his fingers through her hair again, Oliver felt a smile embrace his features, finally looking up, only to see the eyes of Gabe Sullivan staring back at him.

Gabe gestured his head towards the kitchen, so Oliver was quick to oblige, hoping that he didn't screw up in any way. The whole time this morning, Oliver had forgotten that Chloe's parents were here, reminding Oliver that he would likely have to call his own parents to let him know that he was okay. Yet as he approached the doorway to the kitchen, Oliver couldn't help but feel a little nervous, even though he knew Gabe was an understanding man. After all, the reason Gabe was coloured was because he was so accepting of Moira being coloured, but Oliver hadn't really done this before, and even though this could be considered a practice run, he still felt a little tentative as he entered the kitchen.

Gabe seemed to sense that, so he broke the silence between the two men. "I called your parents last night... told them you were still here."

Pulling the chair across from Gabe out, Oliver had a seat, ready for anything. "Thank you."

To Oliver's surprise, Gabe smiled as he looked towards the entryway. "Well, it seemed like a crime to wake the two of you up last night."

When the elder Sullivans got home, most of the lights were still on, and while they were surprised by that, they headed to the living room, where they found Oliver and Chloe together on the couch. His arms were wrapped around Chloe, and their foreheads just barely touching each other. But what made Gabe and Moira leave the sleeping couple was seeing the unconscious smile on their daughter's face.

"It's the happiest I've seen Chloe in days."

Oliver smiled momentarily, as he felt the same way when he woke up. But there was something he wanted to admit, the reason he made sure to stop by the previous night, the reason he stayed. "After our misunderstanding... I wanted her to be sure that I was there for her."

~0~

Opening her eyes, Chloe frowned upon noticing that she was alone, but she couldn't blame Oliver. It was morning after all, and he likely had places to be. Besides, they weren't actually a couple, so it wasn't protocol for him to stay here anyway.

The night had been a bit of a blur, but Chloe remembered leaning against Oliver after he hugged her, and the space beside her on the couch was still warm, so Chloe knew she wasn't imagining things; he had stayed the night, and he hadn't been gone long.

Getting off the couch, Chloe did a quick take in the television screen to check her appearance. Not perfect, but considering she had just gotten up, not bad either. Combing her fingers through her hair, Chloe turned to head towards the kitchen for breakfast, but she stopped suddenly when she noticed Oliver's shoes still in the doorway. It was then she heard voices in the kitchen, so Chloe continued to head there, but stopped again, just outside of the kitchen when she heard a particular question in her father's voice.

"Oliver... you're a good kid, but I can't have these misunderstandings happening too often, you get what I'm saying?"

She didn't want to interrupt, so she leaned her back against the wall, keeping her out of sight, and listened.

~0~

It was a valid point, as Chloe hadn't had the best luck in her life, and sadly, in their world, her father was part of that. But here, he seemed to be genuinely concerned, so Oliver nodded, showing that he understood the sentiment Gabe was dictating. "I care about your daughter," Oliver added confidently, "more than she knows right now."

Oliver turned his head towards the doorway, smirking at how he woke up this morning, grateful Chloe let him get that close. "I know she's been hurt, but that's not going to happen with us, Mr. Sullivan." Looking back at Chloe's father, Oliver wanted to make sure that he knew, "I'm not going to give up on her."

Now that Zatanna had provided circumstances where they made sense as a couple, Oliver wanted that in Metropolis. He knew it wouldn't be the same, probably not even close, but the foundation would be the same. They would be the same, and that would be the only thing that mattered.

When Gabe nodded in response, Oliver nodded back and decided to take his leave here, keeping his footsteps quiet as he headed towards the front door, not wanting to wake Chloe.

But once he entered the hallway, he turned his head and noticed Chloe was already up, as she had emerged from the couch, and unbeknownst to him, had heard everything

Oliver had been quiet, but Chloe had heard the chair pull out, and that was enough for her to scamper back to the couch and play innocent. It may have seemed like an immature move, but if he meant those words, Chloe wanted Oliver to tell her that to her face. For now though, it made Chloe feel a lot better.

"Good morning," Chloe said as she rubbed her eyes, smiling as she approached him. "And thank you... again," she added, a reference to the previous night. It was something he didn't have to do, but did anyway. In a way, that was almost a catchphrase for Oliver.

But he just grinned back as he pulled her close, kissing her forehead. "It's the least I can do to make things easier around here." Oliver knew that she wasn't having the easiest of times here, but it was good to know that he was part of the solution now.

Trailing her fingers up his shirt, Chloe gestured her head towards the kitchen. "You want some breakfast?" Seeing him looking at her quizzically, her smile widened as she added, "I swear you won't have to eat my cooking."

That had been his plan, but unfortunately Oliver remembered that he had plans. "I'm meeting up with Clark this morning." But looking down at her like this, Oliver wished he didn't have to, so he leaned down a little more and asked, "Raincheck?"

"Okay," Chloe replied with a slight chuckle, unconsciously leaning up to kiss him, backing away with a grin to head into the kitchen alone, leaving Oliver shaking his head slightly. She was close; that much he knew for sure.

As he heard Chloe talking to her father in the kitchen, Oliver suddenly wanted to forget about his plans with Clark, but he decided against it, heading for his shoes in the entryway. Grabbing his coat from the hook, Oliver whipped it over his shoulders and opened the door to head outside, where it looked like a whole new world... again.

As Oliver descended the steps, he took notice of the orange and yellow leaves that scattered the trees and the streets. Most people were coloured too, and the discrimination seemed to be subsided for now. In fact, it felt really awkward for Oliver, being one of the few still in black and white. But his time would come, as he felt Chloe's defences weakening. A little more time, and Oliver would make his move, and with any luck, it will all be over, and they would be back where they belonged.

But Oliver quickly noticed that he wasn't the only one who wasn't coloured, as he saw Clark approaching him. It was really a shame that his stubbornness was in full effect, as Oliver knew it wasn't the real Lois, but she didn't deserve the treatment she got from this Clark. Then again, Oliver wasn't sure if Clark would even dare what he did if Metropolis-Lois was here. With any luck, Oliver hoped he could change things for the better before he and Chloe left this place for good.

Finally spotting Oliver, Clark tossed the ball in his direction, so Oliver held out his hands to catch it easily. He tossed it in the air a couple of times, trying to find a way to make Clark believe in his powers so that he would be coloured too. It seemed like a better job for Chloe, but she had been doing the heavy lifting lately, and Oliver figured it was his turn, and as odd as it was to believe, alt-Clark trusted Oliver more.

"How are you doing?" Oliver asked cautiously, now knowing about his break-up with Lois, but knowing better than to bring it up directly.

"I've had better days," Clark admitted, "but not too bad."

Oliver opened his mouth to say something, but before he had a chance, a little girl a couple blocks down from where they were standing called out, "Help! My cat is stuck in our tree."

Both men rushed towards the house, as Clark's do-good nature kicked in, and Oliver thought this might actually be the break he was waiting for. Sizing up the branch, Oliver knew that a ladder was needed, as it was outside of normal jumping distance and it wasn't reachable through the other branches, so climbing seemed impossible too. However, it wasn't impossible for Clark to jump up and get it.

Turning around, Clark said, "We should go get the fire department," ready to run when Oliver caught his collar, holding him in place.

"We don't have time, Clark," Oliver told him, surprised at how serious his voice came out. Sure, finding out he had powers would make Boy Scout's life more difficult, but if he could manage it in Smallville, he could do it here. "You need to get it down."

Clark's eyes bulged out for a second. "Are you insane? I can't jump that high."

"Sure you can," Oliver replied, slapping Clark's back, surprised that he actually started to walk towards the tree. Standing under it, Oliver could tell that Clark was thinking about it, so he added, "Just... really focus. The cat needs you, Clark." After that, Oliver had to sigh quietly, grateful that Clark wasn't facing him, because he could barely say that last sentence with a straight face.

Standing back, Oliver waited as Clark aligned himself at the base of the tree, taking a couple seconds to consider his trajectory. Once he took off, it was one of the weirdest things Oliver had seen, a concept considering what he had seen in the past.

It was like an artist threw a whole spectrum of paint towards the front yard, as the cat, the little girl, even Clark turned into full colour. And it didn't take Clark long to notice as he looked at his hands, his jacket, moments after he handed the cat back to the little girl, who was more than willing to thank him.

Mission accomplished.

Seeing how speechless Clark was, Oliver tried to reassure him that, despite his negativity towards being coloured, "It's not a bad look for you."

Oliver raised an eyebrow when Clark still hadn't answered, but eventually, he broke his silence with one word. "Lois."

Not quite the reaction Oliver was hoping for, but one that got him to laugh sarcastically. "Right, you're going to have to apologize for that one."

"You think she'll forgive me?"

With time, anything was possible with Lois Lane, but Clark didn't need to hear that. Here, things needed to be simple, to the point. "Yes."

"I never thought I'd miss her so much already," Clark admitted as they kept walking towards the school.

Oliver wanted to say that Clark only had himself to blame, but he could tell the other man was genuinely disappointed in himself. "Come on Clark, it can't be that bad."

"Not everyone can internalize their problems as well as you can," Clark remarked back, not shocked to see the resulting surprise in Oliver's eyes. "I know when you and Chloe were having problems that you missed her just as much."

Oliver hated to admit it, but he was right, and there was no way he could refute it. Clark had been there the entire time, and Oliver had been miserable. Regardless of whether Chloe was in his life as a friend, or something more, his life was better with her in it.

Smirking at his friend's change in disposition, Clark took the football from Oliver, tossing it in the air. "I'm glad you two made up though. Like I told her at the formal, even though she ran, I still believe she's the best decision you've ever made." Clark's final words were spoken as the ball smacked his hands, and with that, a realization hit Oliver.

She knew.

All this time, she knew exactly why they were here, and she said nothing, did...

That wasn't true either. She kissed him, and her lips had turned red, but she covered it up both from the world and from Oliver. But that all stemmed back to her figuring out their lesson. She found out the reasons they were here and hid behind the fantasy in order to avoid falling for what she thought was another case of unrequited feelings. What she didn't know was that, this time, it wasn't unrequited. While Clark may have been blind to the wonders of Chloe Sullivan for years, Oliver had long been paying attention, and had become more amazed as each day went by.

Staring down at himself, Oliver realized that it was his turn to do something, to show Chloe herself what she really meant to him. "Clark... I have to go."

The other man nodded as Oliver took down the street. Clark knew exactly what he had to do, in fact, he had to do the same thing.

The whole run to Chloe's house, all Oliver could think was the things he had admitted to everyone else, but also the light banter they had about keeping the 'relationship' real. It had started as a mandatory pep talk, but it grew into a reason, an excuse for them to explore contact they wouldn't normally attempt in their current relationship in Metropolis.

Over time, she allowed Oliver to put an arm around her shoulder, hold her hand, even kiss her. Not to mention this morning when she kissed him, and didn't even think anything of it. Chloe knew exactly what she was doing, which was the same thing Oliver was doing.

Knocking on her front door, Oliver waited patiently for Chloe to come to the door. This time, he wasn't going to leave until he saw her, because he was tired of running around the facts.

Sera's Scribbles: Updates may slow down a little from here, but I do hope to finish this in the next 10 days or so. For more information regarding my other WIPs, consult my Fanfic To-Do list, found on my livejournal account (the link is on my profile)