Title: Under A Different Sky 10/?
Fandom: Smallville
Genre: Angst/Romance
Pairing: Chloe/Oliver
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Seasons 6 & 7
Summary: AU. Chloe seeks out a new life in Star City, far from the painful reminders of her life in Smallville. Set around seasons 6 & 7
Author Note: All comments and reviews are appreciated. They are my addiction, so please feed it! I need to know if I am doing things right.
A big thank you to Chloesilvers for being my beta on this project. Banner on my LJ by selene2 - isn't it fab?
The mansion was quiet. It was a rare moment that Oliver had been left here on his own, and he was trying to take advantage of the peace. They were now four days into the arrangement with Merlyn, and he had spent the last two nights watching Chloe's apartment.
He had chased Merlyn away only on one occasion, disabling the dark archer's shot with a well placed arrow of his own. By some miracle Chloe seemed oblivious to the nightly danger posed from the neighbourhood's rooftops.
Oliver settled down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. He had finally worked out how to work the machine Chloe had installed, and was now able to enjoy a black coffee without the machine leaking hot water on the floor. He smiled to himself in triumph - she would be proud.
Apart from the occasional text message, Oliver had had no contact with her since he gave her his gift. Merlyn was clearly keeping a close watch on her, and he didn't want to arouse suspicion. Victor and Bart had dropped by the last two nights to check on her instead.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and put it on the table next to his mug. He hated to admit it, but he missed her company. The guys were great, but it just wasn't the same. It seemed as though he had grown familiar with the snaky banter that only she provided.
It didn't seem to help that whenever her name was mentioned, all his mind could bring up was the image of her wrapping her arms around him, holding him close. The scent of her perfume stayed with him that night too.
She was in his thoughts too much, even distracting him from work. He initially put it down to a complete lack of female company, but now he wasn't so sure. She had been the first person to make him genuinely smile in a long time, and he didn't have to pretend with her. She knew both sides of his personality, and was still willing to help him whenever he asked.
The kitchen remained eerily quiet. He could faintly make out the clock in the hall ticking with each passing minute. The last time the mansion had felt this empty to him was the night he found out his parents died.
"Maybe I should call her?" He spoke to himself.
The phone just lay there on the table, taunting him.
Bart was watching over her neighbourhood tonight, promising to call if there were any sightings. In an emergency, he would keep Chloe locked safe in her apartment until Oliver arrived.
'He'll probably set himself up right next to her on the couch.'
The stray thought had Oliver reaching for his phone and hitting his speed dial. She answered on the fourth ring.
"Hey, Chloe."
"'Hey', yourself. What's up?"
"Just thought I'd call, see how you were."
"I'm fine. You?"
"I'm good."
"I take it that the lack of your gruff voice means you're not staking out my neighbourhood again?"
Oliver smiled. There weren't many women he knew of that would complain about the Green Arrow following them home every night. "Night off."
"I thought so. For someone so quick, Bart needs to work on his stealth. I've seen him outside my building twice tonight."
"Seriously?" If Merlyn caught even a glimpse of him…
"It's fine Oliver. If I really do have a target on my back still, no one would have noticed him. He's Bart; he always makes sure he has my attention. It's nothing to worry about."
Oliver really didn't know how he felt about that, and instead of making a scathing remark like he was tempted to do, he pressed ahead with his earlier plan.
"So how do you feel about keeping me company this evening? We could grab something to eat?"
"Is this another thinly veiled dinner invitation from the Overprotective Hero Club? I've already had to turn down offers from Bart and AC."
Oliver frowned. He hadn't known about that. The team was under orders to keep her in their sight; to interact just enough to keep Merlyn's suspicions at bay. Dinner dates were not a part of the plan. He'd have to talk to them tomorrow.
"I'm sorry, Chloe. I've no control over what they do in their spare time. I can ask them to back off." He was certain he would regardless.
"I'm sure it's just the novelty of my visit." She said.
"It's more than that. Outside of the team, you're the first person in a while who they can be themselves with. That means more than you can imagine."
There was a slight pause on the other end of the line. "I can imagine it, which is why you shouldn't discourage them."
This was a change from the woman who first arrived in Star City, and Oliver smiled at the thought. Chloe couldn't keep the heroes of the world from her life. Despite what she thought, he knew she needed them as much as they needed her.
"So does this mean you'll reconsider my invitation?" Oliver asked hopefully.
"The last few days have killed my love of eating out. I really need a night in with some home cooked food and bad television."
Oliver's heart sank. He was actually disappointed he wouldn't be seeing her that evening. "Oh. Okay."
"Oliver Queen…are you pouting?"
The amusement in her voice should have aggravated him, but at the most he only felt slightly defensive. "I do not pout, Chloe."
"Well, before you mope any further, I was about to suggest you come over to my place. I always make far too much anyway."
"You want to cook for me?" He wasn't sure if he should be surprised or nervous. The only time he had seen the oven used at the Sullivan-Lane apartment the smoke alarm had sounded. Five times.
"Don't get too excited. Your refined palate would have to make do with my mac and cheese."
Oliver laughed. "Mac and cheese?"
"Come on, Ollie. You can protect me from the comfort of my couch and eat at the same time. What do you say?"
"You had me at cheese."
Chloe was laughing this time, the pleasant sound making him smile like a fool. He swore that if she had a superpower, it was the one to make him smile like a kid at Christmas."
"I'll see you soon then."
As soon as the call ended, Oliver ran to his family's wine cellar, grabbing the nearest bottle before heading to the door. He wouldn't be much of a gentleman if he turned up empty handed. He knew Bart never did.
Oliver couldn't remember the last time he had eaten a meal in front of the television. He was sat next to Chloe, who was currently complaining that she had eaten far too much.
She picked up the wine bottle and refilled their glasses. Oliver was glad she was paying him no attention, because he couldn't suppress his grin.
He really should have paid more attention when picking out that wine. He had been in such a rush to get to Chloe's he hadn't noticed the label until he knocked on her door. A 1987 Montrachet.
If Chloe knew she was drinking a $24,000 bottle of wine, she would probably freak out. He was almost tempted to tell her, just to see her face. Most women he knew would be delighted to drink it with him. Chloe would probably slap him upside his head and call him crazy. He probably was.
So, he kept quiet; watching her drink the world's most expensive bottle of wine with her mac and cheese, and smiled at his little secret.
"You weren't kidding about making too much food were you?"
"No. It's a habit I developed living with Lois. Leftovers saved her from calling the fire department on a regular basis."
"What happened between the two of you? I still want to hear that story."
"There's a story there, but I'm not ready to tell it yet." She sipped on her wine, avoiding his eyes.
Oliver shook his head. So much had failed to make sense to him. "I'm sorry Chloe. I just can't see what was so bad for Lois to give up the only person she's ever cared for more than herself." He paused. "Wait. That didn't come out right."
She smiled sadly. She knew that Oliver hadn't meant to insult her cousin. She and Lois had been closer than sisters and at one time, Lois had valued her family's well being before her own.
"Obviously I'm not the only one who's changed."
"I'm sure she still loves you. You two were so close, I was even a little jealous. You had some great friendships back in Metropolis."
"I haven't heard from Lois, Clark or Lana since before the move." She set her glass down. "Still jealous?"
Things really had changed. Oliver knew life had been hard for Chloe lately, but he hadn't realised that her relationships had dissolved to that degree.
He sat closer to her and put his arm around her. She sighed as he held her close, her head resting on his shoulder.
"You have me and the guys now. We'll be all the family you'll ever need."
Chloe smirked. "Does that make Bart the hyper younger brother?"
It pleased Oliver that Bart was immediately thought of as a sibling. "I'd say that's a fair assessment."
The two sat huddled together in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company.
"It feels like I've known you for years. Weird, huh?" She said. Her cheeks flushed from the wine she had consumed.
"Not really. I'd say the feeling's pretty mutual."
She turned her head towards him. "You don't think that's creepy?"
"Why would it be creepy?" He asked, looking at her.
"You're my cousin's ex, and you two were totally in love. How can that not be weird?"
"It wasn't love - not really. As time's passing I'm starting to realise how little we really knew each other."
"The break up…it wasn't just the Green Arrow that got between you was it?"
Oliver shook his head. "No. I think she was in love with the idea of me – not who I really am. As strange as it sounds, you know me better than most of the girlfriends I've ever had. What does that say about me?"
"Are you sure about that?" Chloe quirked her eyebrow "Because that picture of you and the underwear model in the Daily Planet last year…"
"You saw that?" Oliver cringed. Being caught with his pants down and his date on her knew was not his proudest moment.
"A different camera angle and everyone would have seen a whole lot more! My point it that she seemed to really get to know you well." She teased.
"You're real funny."
"A media favourite receiving oral sex in a public place makes it easier for my talent to shine through."
Oliver watched her eyes twinkle with amusement. "I'm not that guy anymore."
"I know that." Chloe put her hand on his knee reassuringly. "But you do have a reputation to uphold. No one would ever tie the playboy to the hero."
"It's a lot harder to pull off these days."
Chloe turned towards him, his arm still securely around her shoulders. "Bart's mentioned that you've lost the desire to have a life outside of the team."
He shrugged it off. "Things aren't that bad."
"Really? Because you were described as a workaholic hermit."
Oliver let out a small sigh. "Since Lois, my heart just hasn't been in the dating game. I can't change who I am, so why start pretending again?"
"You shouldn't give up on having a life, Ollie. You don't need to change who you are, maybe just the way you do things. It's your life, so take control."
"It's that easy, huh?"
"I did it, and I have never looked back. Being here in this beautiful city with my job and you guys…it's the happiest I've been in years." She said with a warm smile.
"So you don't mind that I've practically forced my way into your life?"
"There are worse people I could spend my time with."
Oliver pulled Chloe closer to him. He could only agree.