Yin and Yang: Chloe and Oliver Oneshot
Title: Yin and Yang
Pairing: Chloe/Oliver
Author: Genevieve
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Oliver decides to train Chloe
A/N: This little ficlet was inspired by manips made by
kc_2009 , and used with her permission cuz we work well like that. This is written a little differently, a bit quirky, but I hope you enjoy.
Yin and Yang
Day 1
She waits for him impatiently, not really wanting to do this. She doesn’t see a reason. When he enters the makeshift gym, wearing nothing but black sweat pants, she swallows. She wants to tell him to put a shirt on, then thinks better of it. She folds her arms over her chest and scowls instead to show her displeasure.
“Ready?” he asks with his charming grin, somehow knowing she’s not entirely displeased.
“I still don’t see why I have to do this.”
“I think the shiner you’re wearing is proof enough.”
She juts her chin out defiantly, well, as defiantly as she can with a black eye. “I handled it.”
“Right," he says, lifting her chin with his fingertips, inspecting her slightly fading injury, his brows knitting with concern she doesn’t want to see.
He tapes up her knuckles, his touch almost too gentle, and she notices for the first time how large his hands are in comparison to hers. He fits her with red boxing gloves. She feels ridiculous.
Until he stands behind her, and grasps her elbows. He’s only showing her the correct fighting stance after all. But his body is too close, and she’s eyeing the heavy bag warily. Good thing he can’t see her face, because she’s not sure if the uneasy expression is for the bag in front of her or the man behind her. Does it matter?
Day 5
They’ve been at this for five mornings now. In a row. Five mornings of torture. Stretches, yoga, meditation, Tai chi, mock duels. It’s not so bad really, and sometimes she enjoys it, more than she thought she would. Especially the first time she actually takes him down. She can’t help but gloat and smile. He laughs good-naturedly. Secretly, he’s proud of her. She’s sassy. He likes it.
Day 10
Maybe he can do handstands, but she can’t, and no matter how many times he’s grasped her ankles and held her up, her body eventually starts leaning in one direction or another as soon as he lets go. There’s a moment though, when she can hold herself up, and then she comes tumbling down like Humpty Dumpty, his hands grasp her upturned thighs in an effort to catch her, and he comes tumbling after, and somehow they’re laughing on the floor, and suddenly his face becomes serious and his eyes darken, and he’s looking at her with that look. Her heart flutters.
He clears his throat, blinks, looks away. “Maybe that’s enough for today, Sidekick.” He mutters, and leaves the room, heading for the shower.
Day 15
She’s sure she’s got this whole tai chi, fighting thing down by now, only now she’s fighting herself. He stands beside her in all his shirtless glory as they ease into the next position like a dance, and she wonders how she’s supposed to concentrate.
She doesn’t notice that he’s fighting too.
Focusing the mind on movements of the body is supposed to bring about mental peace and clarity.
Neither of them is feeling peaceful.
But maybe there’s clarity. Just a little.
She beats the crap out of the heavy bag later. He’s thoroughly impressed. But not enough to end their training sessions. Not yet.
She smiles at his praise. He melts a little.
Day 20
“It’s called pushing hands,” he explains close to her ear behind her. His voice makes her entire body tingle. She closes her eyes, relishing the sound of it, the feel of his body at her back. Concentrate.
Pushing hands works to undo a person’s natural instinct to resist force with force, teaching the body to yield to force and redirect it. She’s wearing this skintight black workout outfit. It’s torture. And he wonders vaguely why he’s resisting, why he doesn’t yield and redirect the force of energy she has over him. His hands linger a little too long at her waist as he positions her. He pulls her just a little too closely against his body. If his hands had a mind of their own, they’d be going places he didn’t want to think about right now. His breathing is heavier, and he almost groans out loud. And worse, she notices.
She has to notice. But she’s not protesting, and he realizes that she hasn’t protested anything in at least a week.
Day 25
Training with a partner allows a student to develop ting jing (listening power), the sensitivity to feel the direction and strength of a partner's intention.
His intentions are not good. Well, they are, but.. not. He’s sure she knows. She doesn’t seem to mind though. She flirts with him over the comm later during a mission. He eats it up. And right there in the middle of a mission he thinks he just might have fallen.
Day 30
They are getting good at this. Yin and Yang. Male and female. She anticipates his movement, and redirects him. He knows her too, senses her now before she even begins to move. He knows her in a way he’s never known anyone else.
She saves his life. He saves hers. She guides him. He listens. She heals him. He protects her. Watchtower and Green Arrow. Oliver and Chloe. Man and Woman. Yin and Yang.
He stands behind her, arms coming around her, it’s almost an embrace, his hands gently push against hers. Eyes closed, mental peace, and then clarity. And it’s all so clear now, so loud in the silence, it makes them both wonder why they hadn’t seen it before. Why they resisted.
Yin and Yang. Female and Male. Watchtower and Green Arrow. Chloe and Oliver. She’s become the other part of him somehow.
Chloe knows him. So well it doesn’t even scare her anymore. When he moves again, she's right there, he redirects her, she moves with him then redirects him. Male and female. Green Arrow and Watchtower. Oliver and Chloe. He’s become the other part of her somehow.
He moves, she follows. She moves, he follows.
They’re standing face to face, bodies brushing from breast to hip. They become still, as still as the silence between them. He’s giving her that look. And this time she’s returning it.
Yielding to the force, he moves. She follows. And when their lips touch, meeting breathlessly for the first time, there’s clarity. There’s peace. Yin and Yang. The perfect balance. Oliver and Chloe. Chloe and Oliver. Friends. Lovers.
End Oneshot