Chlollie Fanfic: Love For Realsies, Chapter 19
*deep breath*
Okay, I just want to be upfront and honest with y'all now. This is the final cockblock. I swear! Please don't hang me out to dry just yet!! I'll make it all better, you know I will!! Remember Over The Linesies - proof of a happy ending!!!
Right, here we go: Chapter 19 of Love For Realsies in the house. I'm afraid to say 'enjoy.' Eep. :-/
*runs away fast*
Nominated for 4 Chlollie Fanfiction Awards:
*Best Smut Fic
*Best Fluff Fic
*Best Multi-Chapter Fic
*Best Romantic Fic
Title: Love for Realsies
Author: BabyDee
Pairing: Chlollie
Rating: NC-17. Sequel to Just for Funsies.
Warnings: Angst!
Timeline: Season 9 (Conspiracy- Checkmate)
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Chloe finds it increasingly difficult to resist Ollie’s affections.
Feedback: …is a terrible thing to keep to yourself. J
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 19
The miles zipped by at lightning speed, but Oliver Queen couldn’t drive fast enough to get where he was going. He was cautious to mind speed limits on indicated roads, but any areas without signs were fair game for a Ferrari at full-tilt.
As soon as he’d seen Chloe speed off with Clark, a gnawing ache had settled in his gut that just wouldn’t quit. He was sure it was nothing, but he just wanted Chloe back in his arms again before sundown. Clark probably meant well, but the other man’s actions were seriously getting in the way of his grand plans.
Carefully he reached down and pressed the speed-dial for Chloe’s number, but there was no answer. Cursing, he hung up and tried not to think of all the possible reasons she wasn’t answering her cell. Most likely she was still just not taking his calls; he’d take that over anything other scenario at this point.
A quick glance at the road signs indicated that he was just 30 kilometres away from the Welcome to Smallville! sign. He pressed the gas pedal down harder, smiling in satisfaction at the instant acceleration achieved.
***
“I don’t understand how or when it happened,” Chloe said, genuinely puzzled. “I was so dead set against forming emotional attachments of any kind. It’s like one minute, we were ‘no strings, just having fun,’ and the next, ‘boom!’ Everything had changed.”
Clark’s arm tightened lightly around her as they sat side by side on the pier. Chloe rested her head on his shoulder and put her other arm around his waist, swinging her feet so that her toes brushed the water with every swish.
She grinned to herself. It was like old times, sitting here with Clark; only a million times better without the nagging twinge of unrequited love. Back in the day, they’d have been sat exactly like this, only she’d have been waiting, heart pounding, anticipating a kiss, just waiting for him to turn his head and realise that she was actually a woman with breasts.
But now...it had all changed. For the first time in ten years, she could sit beside him without expecting anything more than what there was.
“Oliver can be pretty persistent about what he wants,” Clark said observantly. “He nearly went crazy when Checkmate took you.”
“He’d have done the same for any of the Leaguers,” she said, blushing, but Clark shook his head.
“I strongly doubt he’d have threatened to dangle Tess Mercer off the side of a building to get information on Victor’s whereabouts,” he said dryly.
“Well…he did say he’d been in love with me for the last six months,” she admitted. “How on earth did I fail to notice that?”
“Because you were falling in love yourself, and not realising it,” he replied softly. “I knew you were a gonner for sure when I rescued you the other day.”
She frowned. “From Checkmate?”
He nodded. “You blew off my apology and asked for a phone to talk to Oliver in the same breath.”
She winced. “Ouch! Sorry. That was pretty cold.”
He gave a sad smile and patted her shoulder. “It’s alright. To be honest, for a while now - the past couple of months most especially - it’s been obvious to me that what you and Oliver have is more than just physical.”
She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him. “A few months? Seriously?”
He nodded. “Yep.”
“Wow. I had no idea I was that…transparent.”
He smiled. “Well, I have the unfair advantage of knowing what you’re like when you’re in love, Chloe.”
She stiffened. “Call me crazy, but I always got the feeling that you never took my relationship with Jimmy seriously.”
“You’re not crazy; I didn’t.”
She frowned. “Then how…?” Clark stared intently at her, and her eyes widened. “Oh. You’re referring to you and me, right?”
He reddened and averted his gaze. “Let’s talk about something else-”
“No, let’s talk about this now, Clark,” she said determinedly. “Let’s once and for all fully address the issue of you and me, get this sucker out in the open. Total honesty.”
***
Lewis Hamilton, eat my dust, Oliver thought smugly as he screeched onto Hickory lane in record time. Quickly he cut the engine and stepped out of the car, approaching the farmhouse in a quick jog.
“Chloe?” he called, pushing open the screen door. “Clark?”
Silence. Frowning, he did a quick check of the entire house which confirmed his suspicions; they weren’t there, even though Chloe’s cell was on the table, displaying his missed call. He headed over to the barn, calling her name, but was met with silence there as well.
“Where are you, Chloe?” he wondered aloud. His only answer was a deep bark followed by a few short yaps that approached from behind, and he turned to see two dogs running towards him at top speed.
“Onyx!” he exclaimed, grinning as the pup all but leapt into his waiting arms. “Look at you! You’re huge! What on earth is Mommy feeding you?”
Shelby, Clark’s Golden Retriever, trotted over and planted a paw on Oliver’s knee.
“Yes, there’s some love for you too, buddy,” he said as he rubbed the older dog behind the ears. “And there might be a doggy biscuit or two in there for you as well if you can take me to where Chloe is. Deal?”
Shelby barked happily and trotted off down the road, leading him in the general direction of Crater Lake.
***
“Total honesty, Clark.”
Clark took a deep breath. “Fine. What do you want to know?”
Chloe fixed him with a direct stare. “Did you always know how I felt about you?”
He sighed and lowered his head before nodding slowly. “Pretty much.”
Her jaw dropped. “Then, you stupid lunkhead, why did you never say anything to me about it?”
He swallowed hard. “I wasn’t sure I felt the same way. For the longest time I had feelings for Lana, but I also realised I was closer to you that I was to her. I guess I’d classified you as Friend, and filed Lana as Girlfriend. So I…I had feelings for you, but I didn’t let it go further than that, which it would have if I’d acknowledged your feelings.”
Chloe folded her arms and frowned. “But was the idea of being with me so unattractive that you ignored my feelings entirely?”
He shook his head. “You misunderstand me, Chloe. It was so tempting and desirable that I was afraid that if I did make a go of it with you, I’d probably mess it up like I did with Lana. You know what I’m like with relationships.”
She snorted. “Tell me about it. Oh, wait - you did that all the time!”
Clark mock-throttled her, making her squeal, but then his voice turned serious. “I always expected to break-up with Lana, maybe even anticipated it, so I was always ready to handle it. But if I shook the status quo with you and we ended up in Splitsville, I’d have lost more than just a girlfriend; I’d have lost my Friend, my Best Friend.” He sighed deeply. “I just couldn’t take that risk.”
Chloe pointed a finger at him. “A-ha! See? You know where I’m coming from with my feelings about Oliver!” she said triumphantly. “And yet here you are, urging me to take a chance on Ollie when you were too chicken to do the same with me!”
“Exactly.”
She blinked. “What?”
Clark swallowed. “I wish I had taken a chance on us, Chlo,” he admitted. “But it’s too late for you and me. You and Oliver on the other hand…I’d hate to see you both go miserable for no reason.”
“I’ve missed him so much these past few weeks,” she said, her voice wrought with emotion. “I just…really hurt. In here.” She held a hand over her heart. “Like there was a vital piece of me missing, y’know?”
Clark looked at her hand over her heart. When he finally answered, his voice was little more than a whisper. “Yeah, I do.”
She grinned. “I know this sounds corny, but...I really don’t think I can live without him now. He’s gotten under my skin, and I just. can’t. stop. thinking about him.”
“So, what are you sitting around here with me for?” he asked with a little smile. “Go! Your man needs you!”
Her grin widened. “Well, aren’t you full of bright ideas today!” she chuckled as she rose to her feet and dusted off her skirt.
“Do you want me to run you back to the farm?” he offered.
She shook her head. “No, I feel like going solo on this one. But thanks.”
“Just yell if you change your mind, okay?”
“Will do,” she said, slipping her sandals on her feet. “But I think I’ll just borrow your truck for the afternoon, if that’s okay with you.”
He smiled. “Of course. I’ll pick it up later.”
“Thank you. Wish me luck!”
“All the best,” he replied. “I’m rootin’ for ya.”
She grinned back. “Thanks. Oh, and Clark?”
He looked up at her. “Yeah?”
She crouched down, took his face in her hands and gently pressed her lips to his. “Thank you,” she whispered, smiling. “Thank you for not letting me give up on myself.”
Clark lifted a hand and squeezed hers, which was still on his cheek. “I love you, Chloe,” he said seriously. “”You do know that, don’t you?”
She tilted her head and regarded him through new eyes. “Yeah, I do,” she said, feeling strangely content. “And I love you, too.”
***
On the other side of the lake, Oliver Queen stood staring with wide eyes, paralysed and numb with shock.
“No,” he whispered, unable to believe what he had just seen. “Oh God, no.”
But his memory was definitely not playing tricks on him. Chloe had just taken Clark’s face in her hands, and kissed him.
She’d kissed him, not the other way around.
And then their softly spoken words which carried clearly over the water shattered what was left of his heart.
“I love you, Chloe,” he heard Clark say earnestly. “You do know that, don’t you?”
Heart thumping loudly, knees shaking, Oliver willed Chloe to tell Clark where to shove his words. It didn’t work.
“Yeah, I do,” Chloe replied, never taking her eyes off of Clark. “And I love you, too.”
And with those words, it was over. Oliver closed his eyes and turned away as his entire world came crashing down, unable to listen to anymore. When he could move, he walked unsteadily back in the direction of the farmhouse.
***
Chapter 20…