Twist of Fate 16/18
Mar. 28th, 2011 08:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luminare91Summary: Oliver finds himself at Smallville High were he meets Chloe and discovers the world of Meta-humans. But will his newfound happiness be threatened by the presence of an old enemy?
Rating: PG-13 (Mostly for mild language and violence in later chapters, I don't see it going any further, but if it does, the rating will change accordingly)
Warning: This is mostly AU. I plan to work in as much from the series as I can, but the timeline is completely mine and character ages have been changed as I see fit. Oliver's only a year older than Chloe in this. She already knows about Clark's powers. And Lois is living with Chloe.
Relationships: Chlollie, Clois (just a teeny, tiny bit)
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15
Banner by![[info]](https://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=2)
552158
Chapter 16
“So what are we going to do today?”
Oliver looked up from his breakfast and pursed his lips. “What do you want to do?”
Chloe set aside her fork and thought carefully over her words. For the past three days, she and Oliver had been holed up in his place, watching movies and talking, making out, and just in general enjoying one another’s company. Aside from a visit from Clark to make sure they were really okay and drop off some clothes for Chloe (Oliver had been slightly disappointed that she stopped wearing his clothes), they’d been completely isolated from the outside world and it was driving her crazy.
She understood why Oliver was reluctant to leave the safe little cocoon they had created. As promised, he was working on moving past what had happened, but he was definitely still freaked and was the slightest bit overprotective. Chloe hadn’t realized just how bad things were until the night before.
----------------------------
Something hard landed across Chloe’s chest, waking her from a dead sleep. She jolted upright, gazing blindly around. The room was unfamiliar. Panic spread through her chest. She leapt off the bed, almost falling when her legs tangled in the blankets.
It was as she picked herself up again that she finally realized where she was. Chloe fell back onto the bed in relief, taking deep breaths in order to calm her heartbeat. She was in Oliver’s room. Since that first night, they’d continued sleeping together for the comfort being together offered.
The bed shifted beneath her. Chloe turned to look at Oliver. The image of him sleeping usually calmed her, but the sight that met her eyes was anything but calming.
His face was creased in fear and anxiety. Sweat covered his body, every inch of which was practically vibrating with tension. The sheets were knotted around his legs. The fitted sheet was twisted beneath him. As she watch, Oliver convulsed in his sleep, throwing an arm out as though fending off some enemy.
“No,” he mumbled. “Get away from her!”
Chloe felt her heart constrict painfully in her chest. That one, simple sentence was enough to tell her exactly what he was dreaming about.
“Leave her alone!” Oliver moaned. He threw out his arm again, narrowly missing Chloe. She realized that was what had woken her up.
Ducking the flailing limbs, Chloe moved closer. She laid a hand against his face. He flinched against her palm. The lines on his face deepened and his entire body shuddered.
“Ollie,” she whispered. “Please, Ollie, wake up. It’s just a dream. Wake up!”
He lashed out in his sleep, almost kicking her off the bed. Chloe somehow managed to avoid him and ended up straddling his waist. She placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to hold him still. But it was futile attempt. Even lost in a nightmare, he was ridiculously stronger than her.
Chloe grabbed his face in her hands. “Oliver! Wake up!’
His eyelids fluttered. But he didn’t wake. He twisted beneath her, almost throwing her off.
In a last ditch effort to wake him, Chloe grabbed his face more firmly and planted a hard kiss on Oliver’s lips. She felt his body tense, his muscles impossibly tight and Chloe thought she was going to be thrown off onto the floor. Then, he relaxed. Completely. His lips softened against hers, parting slightly. Chloe deepened the kiss slowly, softly caressing his mouth and tongue with hers. She knew that he was fully awake when his hand landed on her waist.
Slowly, Chloe pulled back. Oliver was looking up at her with hooded eyes. Sweat was beaded across his forehead. She gently brushed it away, running her fingers lightly through his hair.
“Hey,” she whispered. “That was one hell of a dream. Want to tell me about it?”
Oliver drew in a shaky breath. “I...I keep seeing what...might have happened if I’d been too late. I see her...I see her doing these horrible things and I can’t stop her. God...every time I’m too late.”
Leaning down, Chloe pressed her forehead to his, gently stroking his hair. “Shhh,” she murmured. “It’s all right. That didn’t happen. I’m right here, I’m all right, and Veronica can never hurt us again. It’s over.”
He nodded, closing his eyes tightly. “I know. I know. But, it’s still there in the back of my mind. I...I can’t stop it.”
“I know. It’ll get better,” she whispered. “It always does. It always has for me.”
“How do you do it?” Oliver asked, his voice cracking slightly. “How do you just go back to your normal life after something...something like this happens?”
“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I just do. I make sure I’m around my friends, that I feel safe. And after a while it gets easier. When I was buried alive, I had nightmares for weeks. It took time before it stopped. I threw myself into the Torch. I just didn’t let myself think about it, but at night, it all came back. I used to wake up in the middle of the night, thinking I was still in the coffin. It was probably a month before I slept through the night again.
“Ollie, there’s no easy way to get over something like this. But eventually, you will.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I promise.”
Fingers weaving through her hair, Oliver leaned up and captured her lips, kissing her passionately. Chloe returned the kiss quickly, trying to convey her love and support.
“Thank you,” Oliver murmured.
She smiled and slid off him, curling up against his side with her head on his chest. “Anytime.”
Oliver wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and together, they drifted off to sleep.
---------------------------
That little wake up call (she winced slightly at the unintentional pun) had really opened Chloe’s eyes. She’d really thought that Ollie was dealing with what happened. Everything had been completely normal. Their conversations had been easy and Veronica hadn’t been mentioned once, except when the article had come out in the paper. She’d really thought that he was managing to put it behind him. Apparently she’d been wrong.
Oliver raised an eyebrow and waved his hand in front of Chloe’s face. “What’s going on in there?”
Chloe blinked. “Nothing. Sorry. What did you say?”
“I asked if you had any ideas about what you wanted to do today. You sure you’re all right?” he asked. “You look a little out of it.” “I’m fine,” she said, waving him off. “I was actually wondering if you wanted to head over to wander around downtown. We can go out to eat or catch a movie later.”
Chloe waited anxiously for Oliver to answer. She wasn’t sure how he was going to react to actually leaving the house. After last night, she’d have to guess that he wouldn’t be very comfortable with the idea of being around other people. But she knew that being out and about would help them get over what had happened.
Grinning, Oliver nodded and turned back to his food. “Sounds fun. You want to make a day of it?”
“That was the plan,” she said softly, turning back to her food as well. “Anything you want to do today?”
Oliver shrugged. “Not really. If I see something I’ll let you know. How soon do you want to leave?”
“Whenever,” Chloe answered. “Sooner than later, though.”
“Then I’ll get dressed when we’re done eating and we’ll leave.” He looked up and grinned at her. “Are you going to let me spoil you?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Depends on what exactly you mean by spoiled.”
His grinned widened and took on a slightly mischievous quality. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
Chloe sighed and dropped her head head into her hand, gazing up at Oliver through her hair. He raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Are we even going to talk about last night?” she asked.
Oliver immediately became serious. “What’s there to talk about?”
“I just want to be sure that you’re okay,” Chloe whispered.
His face softening, Oliver slid off his chair and moved to stand beside her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “I’m okay. Sorta,” he chuckled weakly. Chloe glared at him and he shrugged apologetically. “All right. Bad joke. Chlo, we’ve been through this before. It’s going to be a while before I’m completely all right with what happened and I’ll admit that’s it’s going to be a little nerve-wracking being out there again. But I’m dealing. Yes, I had a nightmare and like you said, I’ll probably have more. But I’m fine. Really. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Chloe’s eyes narrowed. “The hell I do. You’re my boyfriend, my best friend. I’m going to worry about you whether you like it or not.”
Pressing his face to her hair, Oliver whispered, “You do realize that goes both ways, right?”
She nodded. “I know. Sorry if I’m being too clingy.”
“You’re not clingy,” he chuckled. “You’re worried and for good reason. I haven’t had someone to worry about me in a long time. I’m not used to keeping people in the loop about what’s going on with me. It means a lot that you care enough to get it out of me.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Chloe whispered, kissing his cheek. “Now what do you say we get dressed and have some fun?”
Oliver grinned. “Let’s go.”
----------------------------
“Seriously, you couldn’t stand up for me or at least claim me as your boyfriend?” Oliver groaned.
Chloe laughed. “And deprive old Ms. Lafferty a little happiness?”
“She’s eighty years old and she was leering at me!”
“And it was hilarious.”
Oliver scowled and tickled her ribs. “You are a horrible, horrible girlfriend.”
Squealing, Chloe broke free and danced around in front of him. “And you love me for it.”
“For some strange reason,” he said, shaking his head.
She just grinned and moved back to his side, slipping her hand into his. “Come on. You know that if there had been any real danger, I’d have been all over her.”
“No danger,” he scoffed. “She was practically all on top of me!”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Stop overreacting.”
“No,” Oliver pouted. “I am wounded that my girlfriend would leave me to the clutches of an old woman who obviously hasn’t been laid in half a century.”
“You think she wanted a one night stand?” Chloe laughed. “I don’t know, maybe.”
She laughed again and stood on her tiptoes to peck him on the cheek. “You are a ridiculous idiot, you know that?”
“And it’s part of my charm,” he grinned.
Chloe shook her head and slipped her arm around his waist. They walked down the sidewalk toward his car. The sun was just dipping below the horizon and Oliver was more relaxed than she’d seen in days. He’d been tense at first as they strolled up and down the street, ducking into the quaint little shops. But he’d loosened up and they’d had fun.
As it turned out, Oliver’s idea of spoiling her was trying to buy pretty much everything that caught her attention. Chloe laughed and waved him off most of the time. But he prevailed every now and then. Sometimes, Chloe let him win the argument because she could see that he just wanted to pamper her, to have the opportunity to giver her things only he could give her and if she had to guess, turning him down every time was probably hurting his feelings. And it was nice to have someone looking after her like that.
Oliver pulled open the car door and deposited the bags he was carrying in the backseat along with the others. Chloe rolled her eyes, slightly overwhelmed by how much stuff he’d convinced her to let him buy. She was definitely going to regret that later.
“So do want to go out to eat or do you want to go back to the house?” Oliver asked, closing the car door.
Chloe shrugged. “Which ever. What do want to do?”
“Well considering I’m out of food at home, why don’t we go get something? What do you want?” “I chose last time. It’s your turn.”
Five minutes later, they were sitting in a little booth at the diner. They were both scanning the menu in companionable silence. Chloe was sitting low in the chair, her feet propped in the booth beside Oliver. Her feet were killing her.
Oliver closed his menu and dropped it on the table. He glanced at her and her position and smirked. Reaching down, he pulled her feet into his lap, massaging them gently.
Chloe suppressed a groan. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
His smirk broadened. “I could stand to hear it more often. You looked like you need it.”
She began to answer, but was cut off by the sound of her phone. Digging it out of her purse, she glanced at the screen and moaned.
“What?” Oliver asked curiously.
“Lois.”
“Have fun with that.” Oliver grinned and gently moved her feet back to the booth.
Chloe glared at him and flipped the phone open. “Hey, Lois.”
“Hey cuz. How’re you hanging in there?”
“Fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She could practically hear Lois rolling her eyes. “Billionaire boy is still in Star City and you’re stuck in Smallville. I know how you get when he’s not around.”
“I’m not that bad,” Chloe pouted.
“Chlo,” Lois laughed. “It’s sad how bad you get the separation blues when he’s off at work.”
“Whatever Lois,” Chloe sighed. “And for your information, Oliver made it back a few days ago. We’ve been hanging out.”
“What?” Lois screeched. “Why didn’t you tell me he was back?”
Chloe shrugged. “We were busy.”
She regretted the words the moment they were out of her mouth and felt ice run through her veins at the sound of Lois’ quick intake of breath. “You two are totally sleeping together, aren’t you?”
Setting her elbow on the table, Chloe rubbed her temple. “Lois, we are not sleeping together. We’re not ready for that yet.”
“Yeah right,” Lois scoffed. “He’s a billionaire playboy. Or he used to be before you introduced him to the concept of monogamy. He’s used to getting it regularly. Do you really think that a teenager who’s used to regular orgasmic bliss is really going to quit cold turkey?”
Chloe’s lips thinned. “What exactly are you suggesting?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not suggesting that he’s sleeping around. I’m just saying that your boyfriend is suffering one hell of a case of blue balls. He’s got to be dying.”
“Lois, I am not having this conversation with you,” Chloe hissed, just barely controlling her annoyance. “Not right now.”
“Why not?” Lois demanded. “C’mon cuz. Sate my curiosity!”
“Sate?” Chloe repeated. “What is that? Your word of the day?”
“Something like that.”
“Anyway, I’m not having this conversation. I’m out with Oliver and our dinner will be here any minute.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. So what was the sex like?”
Chloe groaned, letting her head drop back against the booth. Across from her, Oliver smirked. She shot him a murderous glare and turned her attention back to Lois.
“I am going to say this once, and only once, so listen closely, Lois,” she hissed, lowering her voice so that no one could hear. “Oliver and I are not having sex. When we do, I’m not going to come tell you the intimate details of our personal lives. So drop it. Tell the general I said hi and I’ll talk to you later.”
Chloe snapped the phone shut over Lois’ protests and shoved it back in her purse. Oliver grinned.
“You know, we are technically sleeping together, right?” he asked, his eyes dancing.
“Shut up,” Chloe muttered, throwing a napkin at him. It fluttered to the table between them. “You have no idea what she’s going to do to me when she gets back. She’s convinced that we have to have sex for this relationship to go anywhere.”
With a sigh, Oliver stood and moved to sit beside her. He pulled her close to his side. “I know that Lois can be a pain in the ass and that she doesn’t know when to quit. But have you actually told her why we’re waiting?”
Chloe blushed. “Not really.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “I just don’t think she’ll understand and it’s private. She may be my cousin, but she doesn’t need to know about our relationship. Not like that.”
“And I completely agree, but maybe you should tell her. Then if she doesn’t agree, we’ll take it from there.”
“All right,” Chloe nodded. “When she gets back in town, I’ll talk to her.”
Oliver kissed her temple. “Do you want me to be there?”
“No,” she sighed. “I should deal with Lois on my own.”
“Understandable,” Oliver said. “Just know, that if you need me, I’m here.”
Chloe smiled. “I know. Just do me a favor. If she kills me? Don’t do something stupid.”
“I can’t make any promises,” he laughed. “If she kills you, I’ll probably get royally pissed off. No telling what might happen.”
She sighed in mock disappointment. “In that case, I’ll ask Clark to make sure that you don’t do something crazy.”
Oliver laughed and hugged her close. “If something happens to you, I doubt even Clark could stop me.”
“In that case, I’ll come back and haunt your pretty little ass.”
“You’re welcome to any time.”
“Glad I have your permission.”
The server made her way over to the table for their order. Oliver kissed Chloe’s cheek one last time, then picked up his menu for one last glance at his order. She’d managed to surprise him again, just when he thought she couldn’t any more. He knew that Chloe and Lois told each other everything, mostly because Lois had no concept of personal information and couldn’t take no for an answer. He’d expected Chloe to tell Lois pretty much everything about what happened between them, minus the meteor freaks. But she hadn’t. Instead, she’d kept that information from Lois knowing what it meant for Oliver. He wasn’t embarrassed by his past. He’d done what he done and he’d been who he’d been. He knew that. And as much has regretted it, he wasn’t going to let it define their relationship.
Chloe had hinted that Lois had made comments about their lack of intimacy and he suspected that it was in part because of his past. Oliver had been sure that Chloe would tell Lois why they were waiting. But she hadn’t, even to get Lois off her back. And he suspected that she had done it so that Lois wouldn’t be on his case. None of Oliver’s other girlfriends, if you could call them that, had ever cared about him enough to put themselves in an uncomfortable position so that he wouldn’t be. And it made him love her all the more.
Author’s Note: The story is definitely wrapping up. I am literally begging for reviews. I’m planning a sequel and the more reviews I get the easier it is to write the sequel. Any help is most definitely appreciated, even if the reviews are negative.
Chapter 17
Rating: PG-13 (Mostly for mild language and violence in later chapters, I don't see it going any further, but if it does, the rating will change accordingly)
Warning: This is mostly AU. I plan to work in as much from the series as I can, but the timeline is completely mine and character ages have been changed as I see fit. Oliver's only a year older than Chloe in this. She already knows about Clark's powers. And Lois is living with Chloe.
Relationships: Chlollie, Clois (just a teeny, tiny bit)
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15
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552158 Chapter 16
“So what are we going to do today?”
Oliver looked up from his breakfast and pursed his lips. “What do you want to do?”
Chloe set aside her fork and thought carefully over her words. For the past three days, she and Oliver had been holed up in his place, watching movies and talking, making out, and just in general enjoying one another’s company. Aside from a visit from Clark to make sure they were really okay and drop off some clothes for Chloe (Oliver had been slightly disappointed that she stopped wearing his clothes), they’d been completely isolated from the outside world and it was driving her crazy.
She understood why Oliver was reluctant to leave the safe little cocoon they had created. As promised, he was working on moving past what had happened, but he was definitely still freaked and was the slightest bit overprotective. Chloe hadn’t realized just how bad things were until the night before.
----------------------------
Something hard landed across Chloe’s chest, waking her from a dead sleep. She jolted upright, gazing blindly around. The room was unfamiliar. Panic spread through her chest. She leapt off the bed, almost falling when her legs tangled in the blankets.
It was as she picked herself up again that she finally realized where she was. Chloe fell back onto the bed in relief, taking deep breaths in order to calm her heartbeat. She was in Oliver’s room. Since that first night, they’d continued sleeping together for the comfort being together offered.
The bed shifted beneath her. Chloe turned to look at Oliver. The image of him sleeping usually calmed her, but the sight that met her eyes was anything but calming.
His face was creased in fear and anxiety. Sweat covered his body, every inch of which was practically vibrating with tension. The sheets were knotted around his legs. The fitted sheet was twisted beneath him. As she watch, Oliver convulsed in his sleep, throwing an arm out as though fending off some enemy.
“No,” he mumbled. “Get away from her!”
Chloe felt her heart constrict painfully in her chest. That one, simple sentence was enough to tell her exactly what he was dreaming about.
“Leave her alone!” Oliver moaned. He threw out his arm again, narrowly missing Chloe. She realized that was what had woken her up.
Ducking the flailing limbs, Chloe moved closer. She laid a hand against his face. He flinched against her palm. The lines on his face deepened and his entire body shuddered.
“Ollie,” she whispered. “Please, Ollie, wake up. It’s just a dream. Wake up!”
He lashed out in his sleep, almost kicking her off the bed. Chloe somehow managed to avoid him and ended up straddling his waist. She placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to hold him still. But it was futile attempt. Even lost in a nightmare, he was ridiculously stronger than her.
Chloe grabbed his face in her hands. “Oliver! Wake up!’
His eyelids fluttered. But he didn’t wake. He twisted beneath her, almost throwing her off.
In a last ditch effort to wake him, Chloe grabbed his face more firmly and planted a hard kiss on Oliver’s lips. She felt his body tense, his muscles impossibly tight and Chloe thought she was going to be thrown off onto the floor. Then, he relaxed. Completely. His lips softened against hers, parting slightly. Chloe deepened the kiss slowly, softly caressing his mouth and tongue with hers. She knew that he was fully awake when his hand landed on her waist.
Slowly, Chloe pulled back. Oliver was looking up at her with hooded eyes. Sweat was beaded across his forehead. She gently brushed it away, running her fingers lightly through his hair.
“Hey,” she whispered. “That was one hell of a dream. Want to tell me about it?”
Oliver drew in a shaky breath. “I...I keep seeing what...might have happened if I’d been too late. I see her...I see her doing these horrible things and I can’t stop her. God...every time I’m too late.”
Leaning down, Chloe pressed her forehead to his, gently stroking his hair. “Shhh,” she murmured. “It’s all right. That didn’t happen. I’m right here, I’m all right, and Veronica can never hurt us again. It’s over.”
He nodded, closing his eyes tightly. “I know. I know. But, it’s still there in the back of my mind. I...I can’t stop it.”
“I know. It’ll get better,” she whispered. “It always does. It always has for me.”
“How do you do it?” Oliver asked, his voice cracking slightly. “How do you just go back to your normal life after something...something like this happens?”
“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I just do. I make sure I’m around my friends, that I feel safe. And after a while it gets easier. When I was buried alive, I had nightmares for weeks. It took time before it stopped. I threw myself into the Torch. I just didn’t let myself think about it, but at night, it all came back. I used to wake up in the middle of the night, thinking I was still in the coffin. It was probably a month before I slept through the night again.
“Ollie, there’s no easy way to get over something like this. But eventually, you will.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I promise.”
Fingers weaving through her hair, Oliver leaned up and captured her lips, kissing her passionately. Chloe returned the kiss quickly, trying to convey her love and support.
“Thank you,” Oliver murmured.
She smiled and slid off him, curling up against his side with her head on his chest. “Anytime.”
Oliver wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and together, they drifted off to sleep.
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That little wake up call (she winced slightly at the unintentional pun) had really opened Chloe’s eyes. She’d really thought that Ollie was dealing with what happened. Everything had been completely normal. Their conversations had been easy and Veronica hadn’t been mentioned once, except when the article had come out in the paper. She’d really thought that he was managing to put it behind him. Apparently she’d been wrong.
Oliver raised an eyebrow and waved his hand in front of Chloe’s face. “What’s going on in there?”
Chloe blinked. “Nothing. Sorry. What did you say?”
“I asked if you had any ideas about what you wanted to do today. You sure you’re all right?” he asked. “You look a little out of it.” “I’m fine,” she said, waving him off. “I was actually wondering if you wanted to head over to wander around downtown. We can go out to eat or catch a movie later.”
Chloe waited anxiously for Oliver to answer. She wasn’t sure how he was going to react to actually leaving the house. After last night, she’d have to guess that he wouldn’t be very comfortable with the idea of being around other people. But she knew that being out and about would help them get over what had happened.
Grinning, Oliver nodded and turned back to his food. “Sounds fun. You want to make a day of it?”
“That was the plan,” she said softly, turning back to her food as well. “Anything you want to do today?”
Oliver shrugged. “Not really. If I see something I’ll let you know. How soon do you want to leave?”
“Whenever,” Chloe answered. “Sooner than later, though.”
“Then I’ll get dressed when we’re done eating and we’ll leave.” He looked up and grinned at her. “Are you going to let me spoil you?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Depends on what exactly you mean by spoiled.”
His grinned widened and took on a slightly mischievous quality. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
Chloe sighed and dropped her head head into her hand, gazing up at Oliver through her hair. He raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Are we even going to talk about last night?” she asked.
Oliver immediately became serious. “What’s there to talk about?”
“I just want to be sure that you’re okay,” Chloe whispered.
His face softening, Oliver slid off his chair and moved to stand beside her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “I’m okay. Sorta,” he chuckled weakly. Chloe glared at him and he shrugged apologetically. “All right. Bad joke. Chlo, we’ve been through this before. It’s going to be a while before I’m completely all right with what happened and I’ll admit that’s it’s going to be a little nerve-wracking being out there again. But I’m dealing. Yes, I had a nightmare and like you said, I’ll probably have more. But I’m fine. Really. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Chloe’s eyes narrowed. “The hell I do. You’re my boyfriend, my best friend. I’m going to worry about you whether you like it or not.”
Pressing his face to her hair, Oliver whispered, “You do realize that goes both ways, right?”
She nodded. “I know. Sorry if I’m being too clingy.”
“You’re not clingy,” he chuckled. “You’re worried and for good reason. I haven’t had someone to worry about me in a long time. I’m not used to keeping people in the loop about what’s going on with me. It means a lot that you care enough to get it out of me.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Chloe whispered, kissing his cheek. “Now what do you say we get dressed and have some fun?”
Oliver grinned. “Let’s go.”
----------------------------
“Seriously, you couldn’t stand up for me or at least claim me as your boyfriend?” Oliver groaned.
Chloe laughed. “And deprive old Ms. Lafferty a little happiness?”
“She’s eighty years old and she was leering at me!”
“And it was hilarious.”
Oliver scowled and tickled her ribs. “You are a horrible, horrible girlfriend.”
Squealing, Chloe broke free and danced around in front of him. “And you love me for it.”
“For some strange reason,” he said, shaking his head.
She just grinned and moved back to his side, slipping her hand into his. “Come on. You know that if there had been any real danger, I’d have been all over her.”
“No danger,” he scoffed. “She was practically all on top of me!”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Stop overreacting.”
“No,” Oliver pouted. “I am wounded that my girlfriend would leave me to the clutches of an old woman who obviously hasn’t been laid in half a century.”
“You think she wanted a one night stand?” Chloe laughed. “I don’t know, maybe.”
She laughed again and stood on her tiptoes to peck him on the cheek. “You are a ridiculous idiot, you know that?”
“And it’s part of my charm,” he grinned.
Chloe shook her head and slipped her arm around his waist. They walked down the sidewalk toward his car. The sun was just dipping below the horizon and Oliver was more relaxed than she’d seen in days. He’d been tense at first as they strolled up and down the street, ducking into the quaint little shops. But he’d loosened up and they’d had fun.
As it turned out, Oliver’s idea of spoiling her was trying to buy pretty much everything that caught her attention. Chloe laughed and waved him off most of the time. But he prevailed every now and then. Sometimes, Chloe let him win the argument because she could see that he just wanted to pamper her, to have the opportunity to giver her things only he could give her and if she had to guess, turning him down every time was probably hurting his feelings. And it was nice to have someone looking after her like that.
Oliver pulled open the car door and deposited the bags he was carrying in the backseat along with the others. Chloe rolled her eyes, slightly overwhelmed by how much stuff he’d convinced her to let him buy. She was definitely going to regret that later.
“So do want to go out to eat or do you want to go back to the house?” Oliver asked, closing the car door.
Chloe shrugged. “Which ever. What do want to do?”
“Well considering I’m out of food at home, why don’t we go get something? What do you want?” “I chose last time. It’s your turn.”
Five minutes later, they were sitting in a little booth at the diner. They were both scanning the menu in companionable silence. Chloe was sitting low in the chair, her feet propped in the booth beside Oliver. Her feet were killing her.
Oliver closed his menu and dropped it on the table. He glanced at her and her position and smirked. Reaching down, he pulled her feet into his lap, massaging them gently.
Chloe suppressed a groan. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
His smirk broadened. “I could stand to hear it more often. You looked like you need it.”
She began to answer, but was cut off by the sound of her phone. Digging it out of her purse, she glanced at the screen and moaned.
“What?” Oliver asked curiously.
“Lois.”
“Have fun with that.” Oliver grinned and gently moved her feet back to the booth.
Chloe glared at him and flipped the phone open. “Hey, Lois.”
“Hey cuz. How’re you hanging in there?”
“Fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She could practically hear Lois rolling her eyes. “Billionaire boy is still in Star City and you’re stuck in Smallville. I know how you get when he’s not around.”
“I’m not that bad,” Chloe pouted.
“Chlo,” Lois laughed. “It’s sad how bad you get the separation blues when he’s off at work.”
“Whatever Lois,” Chloe sighed. “And for your information, Oliver made it back a few days ago. We’ve been hanging out.”
“What?” Lois screeched. “Why didn’t you tell me he was back?”
Chloe shrugged. “We were busy.”
She regretted the words the moment they were out of her mouth and felt ice run through her veins at the sound of Lois’ quick intake of breath. “You two are totally sleeping together, aren’t you?”
Setting her elbow on the table, Chloe rubbed her temple. “Lois, we are not sleeping together. We’re not ready for that yet.”
“Yeah right,” Lois scoffed. “He’s a billionaire playboy. Or he used to be before you introduced him to the concept of monogamy. He’s used to getting it regularly. Do you really think that a teenager who’s used to regular orgasmic bliss is really going to quit cold turkey?”
Chloe’s lips thinned. “What exactly are you suggesting?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not suggesting that he’s sleeping around. I’m just saying that your boyfriend is suffering one hell of a case of blue balls. He’s got to be dying.”
“Lois, I am not having this conversation with you,” Chloe hissed, just barely controlling her annoyance. “Not right now.”
“Why not?” Lois demanded. “C’mon cuz. Sate my curiosity!”
“Sate?” Chloe repeated. “What is that? Your word of the day?”
“Something like that.”
“Anyway, I’m not having this conversation. I’m out with Oliver and our dinner will be here any minute.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. So what was the sex like?”
Chloe groaned, letting her head drop back against the booth. Across from her, Oliver smirked. She shot him a murderous glare and turned her attention back to Lois.
“I am going to say this once, and only once, so listen closely, Lois,” she hissed, lowering her voice so that no one could hear. “Oliver and I are not having sex. When we do, I’m not going to come tell you the intimate details of our personal lives. So drop it. Tell the general I said hi and I’ll talk to you later.”
Chloe snapped the phone shut over Lois’ protests and shoved it back in her purse. Oliver grinned.
“You know, we are technically sleeping together, right?” he asked, his eyes dancing.
“Shut up,” Chloe muttered, throwing a napkin at him. It fluttered to the table between them. “You have no idea what she’s going to do to me when she gets back. She’s convinced that we have to have sex for this relationship to go anywhere.”
With a sigh, Oliver stood and moved to sit beside her. He pulled her close to his side. “I know that Lois can be a pain in the ass and that she doesn’t know when to quit. But have you actually told her why we’re waiting?”
Chloe blushed. “Not really.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “I just don’t think she’ll understand and it’s private. She may be my cousin, but she doesn’t need to know about our relationship. Not like that.”
“And I completely agree, but maybe you should tell her. Then if she doesn’t agree, we’ll take it from there.”
“All right,” Chloe nodded. “When she gets back in town, I’ll talk to her.”
Oliver kissed her temple. “Do you want me to be there?”
“No,” she sighed. “I should deal with Lois on my own.”
“Understandable,” Oliver said. “Just know, that if you need me, I’m here.”
Chloe smiled. “I know. Just do me a favor. If she kills me? Don’t do something stupid.”
“I can’t make any promises,” he laughed. “If she kills you, I’ll probably get royally pissed off. No telling what might happen.”
She sighed in mock disappointment. “In that case, I’ll ask Clark to make sure that you don’t do something crazy.”
Oliver laughed and hugged her close. “If something happens to you, I doubt even Clark could stop me.”
“In that case, I’ll come back and haunt your pretty little ass.”
“You’re welcome to any time.”
“Glad I have your permission.”
The server made her way over to the table for their order. Oliver kissed Chloe’s cheek one last time, then picked up his menu for one last glance at his order. She’d managed to surprise him again, just when he thought she couldn’t any more. He knew that Chloe and Lois told each other everything, mostly because Lois had no concept of personal information and couldn’t take no for an answer. He’d expected Chloe to tell Lois pretty much everything about what happened between them, minus the meteor freaks. But she hadn’t. Instead, she’d kept that information from Lois knowing what it meant for Oliver. He wasn’t embarrassed by his past. He’d done what he done and he’d been who he’d been. He knew that. And as much has regretted it, he wasn’t going to let it define their relationship.
Chloe had hinted that Lois had made comments about their lack of intimacy and he suspected that it was in part because of his past. Oliver had been sure that Chloe would tell Lois why they were waiting. But she hadn’t, even to get Lois off her back. And he suspected that she had done it so that Lois wouldn’t be on his case. None of Oliver’s other girlfriends, if you could call them that, had ever cared about him enough to put themselves in an uncomfortable position so that he wouldn’t be. And it made him love her all the more.
Author’s Note: The story is definitely wrapping up. I am literally begging for reviews. I’m planning a sequel and the more reviews I get the easier it is to write the sequel. Any help is most definitely appreciated, even if the reviews are negative.
Chapter 17
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no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 02:13 am (UTC)I can't wait to see how Lex handles them being fine and dandy!
sequel sounds amazing! will it be right after this one ends or when their in college? It would be interesting to see college in Star city! anyways great job like always
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Date: 2011-03-29 02:24 am (UTC)You know, I hadn't even thought about them in college, but that's a great idea. I totally think I'm going to run with it. Thanks for the idea and the review!
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Date: 2011-03-29 03:27 pm (UTC)I think jumping forward to college might be good actually, so I vote for this idea :)
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Date: 2011-03-29 03:44 pm (UTC)Anyway, I was definitely trying to infuse some normalcy into their lives after everything that happened. Which was part of reason I threw Lois in. Not only is she hilarious and fun to write, but I think that she helps keep Chloe anchored with the outside world.
And it is now official. They will go to college in the next fic, but there will be a twist. I'll get the next chapter up probably tomorrow, maybe later today.
Sorry for the confusion with FF.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 07:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-30 04:49 pm (UTC)Thanks for the review!
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Date: 2011-03-29 08:29 pm (UTC)awesome chapter btw(:
(loved lois)
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Date: 2011-03-30 04:50 pm (UTC)If I told you what the sequel's about that would totally ruin the end of this fic :P you'll just have to wait *grins evilly*
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Date: 2011-03-30 10:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-30 10:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 09:35 pm (UTC)I really enjoy young Chloe and Ollie. ;)
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Date: 2011-03-30 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-30 12:55 am (UTC)Awwww Oliver pampering her, was just adorable. And Lois is just hilarious LOL. Loved this chapter!
I was really sad when I saw this fic coming to an end.....but then I read your AN about a sequel and that made my day :D
no subject
Date: 2011-03-30 04:58 pm (UTC)Lois is always so much fun to write. I love working her into my fics.