Hold It Against Me 3/3
Title: Hold It Against Me
Author: ihearttvsnark
Chapters: 3/3
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Chloe and Oliver Queen
Banner: geek_or_unique
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 11,017
Summary: Oliver feels guilty about what happened at Lois and Clark’s wedding and despite Chloe’s repeated warnings, he decides to in debt himself to Lois.
Previous Chapters: | One | Two |
Chapter 3
Chloe stared wistfully at the coffee selections and wondered if the café was the best choice for this meeting after all. She supposed if she couldn’t have her favorite beverage, at least she could bask in the heavenly smell.
A server appeared beside the table, pulling her from her thoughts. Chloe ordered green tea for herself, an espresso for her cousin and a few pastries that she really hoped Lois would share with her so she didn’t feel guilty for eating them all in one sitting. Her belly was starting to get rounder and Chloe knew it was only the beginning.
Reaching for her phone, Chloe scrolled through the news headlines. It had been three days since the jewelry store incident and this was the first time Green Arrow wasn’t in the headlines. Oliver had been right about the owner’s suspicions and the woman seemed to enjoy talking since she’d given a ton of interviews. Thankfully, no one seemed interested in her conspiracy theories and all the articles continually praised Oliver for his actions.
The server returned with the drinks and the plate of pastries just as the café door opened and Lois bounded in, making one of her signature entrances. She waved when she spotted Chloe, pushing her way through the small crowd that was waiting to be seated.
“Hey cuz,” Lois greeted her as she reached for one of the pastries. “Yum, I’m starving.” She took a bite and settled into the seat across from Chloe. “So what was so urgent?”
Chloe simply raised an eyebrow before taking a sip of her tea and wishing it was coffee like she did every single time. “We need to talk about Oliver.”
Lois had the good sense to wince while taking another bite of the pastry. “How’s he doing? Is his shoulder better?”
“Yes, but it could have been a lot worse.” Chloe held up her hand when she saw Lois open her mouth. “I’m sure Clark has lectured you enough for all of us so that’s not what this is about.” Chloe loved Clark, but he could drive something into the ground like no other and she imagined he’d already covered every point she’d want to make. “But you need to stop asking Ollie for these outrageous favors.”
“I’m sorry about this.” Chloe was right; Clark had been on her case for days and as much as Lois hated to admit it, he was justified. She’d been wrong and things could have turned out a lot worse if Oliver hadn’t stepped in to smooth them over.
“Lois, I know you mean well, but you have to stop taking advantage of Ollie’s guilt. We both know you don’t blame him for what happened,” Chloe pointed out.
“Of course not and I told him that. He’s just too stubborn to hear it.”
“I get that, Lois.” Chloe understood better than anyone how deep her husband’s guilt complex ran. “That’s why you need to stop asking him for things. I need him in one piece.”
“Okay,” Lois agreed. She did feel bad that Oliver was just trying to help and she’d made things harder for him and Chloe. “But you know Ollie won’t completely let this go. It was his idea.”
Chloe sighed. “I know.” And she’d told him that it was a bad one from the start. But Lois had a point. Even though Lois drove him crazy, Oliver wasn’t going to completely let go of the guilt until he successfully did something for Lois or she pushed him far enough to realize that he was going overboard for no reason.
“We’ll figure it out,” Chloe conceded, “But for now I want you to promise me that you will not go to Ollie with any crazy requests.”
Lois held up her hand. “I promise.” She smiled at her cousin. “Now that we got that out of the way, how’s my niece treating you?”
“Or nephew,” Chloe reminded her. They were going to find out in a few weeks. She and Oliver had gone back and forth over whether or not they wanted to know and had ultimately decided that they did. “The baby is good and will be even better now that we don’t have to worry about you putting Oliver in an early grave.”
Lois rolled her eyes. “You’ve definitely gotten more dramatic since you married Oliver.” She laughed when her cousin shot her a dirty look.
***
Oliver glanced sideways at Chloe as he drove through downtown Metropolis. She’d been shifting in the seat beside him since they’d left the clock tower. “Are you sure you want to do this? The store has an online catalog.”
“Yes,” Chloe snapped, her tone sharper than she’d intended. “This is what expectant parents do, Oliver. They go to the store and buy things for their baby even if one of them looks and feels like a beached whale.”
He automatically opened his mouth to remind her that she was adorable, but stopped when he saw the warning look she shot in his direction. “You’re being too hard on yourself,” Oliver said simply.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “You have to say that because you married me.” She reached up and ran her fingers over the rings that now hung from her neck since they no longer fit on her swollen, stubby fingers. Chloe hated how petulant and whiny she sounded, but she was eight months pregnant and every inch of her was uncomfortable.
She couldn’t get in or out of bed without Oliver helping her. She couldn’t drive anymore because she needed to push the seat so far back to accommodate her stomach that her feet didn’t reach the pedals. She felt like a whale that swallowed a rhinoceros and she kept randomly falling asleep, only to wake up when their son stated doing cannonballs in her stomach.
Oliver kept assuring her that she was gorgeous and attractive and he loved her. Chloe knew he meant it, but somehow that only upset her more. She took a deep breath, doing her best to ignore the way the seatbelt was digging into her shoulder. This trip had been her idea and she didn’t want to ruin it for Oliver. “I’m sorry, Ollie. I really want to do this.”
“I know.” Oliver reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. Her mood swings were nothing new at this point, but he’d rather she yell at him than cry. He always felt completely useless when she started crying and nothing he said or did could make it better. But he had a feeling once they got to the store, her mood would improve.
Chloe kept her hand in his and placed both of them on her stomach. She spotted the store up ahead and let out a relieved sigh before she started to perk up. “I can’t believe we’re finally doing this.”
Oliver chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at her sudden excitement. They’d picked out the paint and carpet for the nursery nearly a month earlier and Oliver and Clark had installed everything while Lois and Chloe had gone on a baby clothes shopping spree. But they still had to pick out furniture and decorations as well as pick up the other stuff they were going to need like car seats, a stroller, a high chair and basically everything else a baby needed.
Chloe had been adamant that it was something they needed to do together and in person, despite her aversion to being seen in public. The tabloid reporters didn’t really have much interest in them since there was nothing scandalous about their relationship. But Chloe insisted that she wanted to keep the pictures at a minimum.
After parking the car, Oliver moved around to the passenger side to help Chloe out of her seat. He took both her hands in his and gently tugged her up and out of the car. “Are you feeling better now?”
“A little,” Chloe replied as she turned and reached for her purse. It was nice not being in the confines of the car. She turned back to Oliver and held out her hand. “I’m sorry this is such a hassle.”
“It’s not and neither are you,” Oliver replied, knowing that she was thinking it even though she hadn’t said the words. He took her hand and leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. “Are you ready to go pick out some baby furniture?”
Chloe nodded and let Oliver lead her into the store. Her eyes widened when she saw just how large it was and how many different aisles there were. Her hand tightened around Oliver’s. “Where should we start?”
“The crib,” Oliver suggested, figuring that was the focal point of the room and he assumed it would be the easiest thing to pick out. He turned to the sales rep that was hovering near them and asked her to point them in the direction of the cribs. She led them to the middle of the store where there were at least fifty cribs set up.
By the time the sales rep finished explaining the different types of cribs and which ones were the most popular, Oliver’s head was spinning. He politely asked her to give them a few minutes and once she was out of earshot, he turned to Chloe. “Any chance you’re having a love at first sight moment?”
“No.” Chloe’s eyes were wide as she tried to keep everything the sales rep had said straight. “Who knew there were so many choices?” She stepped forward and ran her fingers over the edge of a white oak crib. It looked nice, but then her eyes drifted to a polished crib made of cherry wood. “Ollie...”
Oliver was having the same problem. The crib in front of him looked nice, but so did the one Chloe was looking at. He silently cursed the parenting books for not warning them that shopping was stressful. He started to suggest they just stick with one row and choose from those when a familiar voice broke out behind them.
“Hey guys,” Lois called. “Sorry I’m late. I had to stop at the Planet and finish an article for Clark.” She kept her voice down as she added the last part. He’d been so busy lately that she’d found herself writing more and more articles for him. Lois didn’t mind; it was the least she could do to help keep the world safe.
“Lois,” Oliver said as he shot a confused look in Chloe’s direction. “I didn’t realize you were going to be joining us.”
“It’s a shopping trip,” Lois replied like he was insane for even suggesting she wouldn’t be there. Lois gave Chloe a hug and patted her stomach, “Hi Nephew, whose parents refuse to even hint at what they’re going to name you.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Give it up, Lois.” The truth was that she and Oliver hadn’t actually decided on a name that felt right yet, but they’d agreed that there was no need for outside input despite the team members each vying for why the baby should be named after him.
Lois made a face. “You two are no fun and those are boring cribs you’re looking at.” She grabbed Chloe’s hand and tugged her down a different aisle.
Oliver sighed., This wasn’t exactly what he’d had in mind, but as long as Chloe was happy, he could deal with Lois and her input. He followed them down the aisle, looking at the various cribs. Everything was once again starting to blur together and then Lois made an excited noise.
“I found it!” she declared, clapping her hands together before she stepped out of the way so Chloe and Oliver could see what she was so happy about.
Oliver’s mouth fell open a little when he saw the crib. ‘Hideous’ didn’t seem like a strong enough word to describe it. The crib itself was white, but there were painted designs all over it featuring various circus acts. “No,” he said firmly. “We’re not going to traumatize our son by forcing him to sleep in that contraption.”
“What are you talking about? This is fantastic. It’s bright and colorful and who doesn’t love a circus? We can pick matching decorations. I saw a clown lamp in one of the front aisles.”
“Chloe…” Oliver needed his wife to handle this before his head exploded in the middle of the store. He knew that even on her most hormonal day, Chloe would never want anything like that crib in their home.
“Ollie’s right, Lois,” Chloe agreed. She sent her cousin a tight smile. “The crib might be a little too colorful. I think we’re looking for something more like that one.” She gestured to one on the other side of the aisle made from natural wood with a few simple designs carved into it.
“That one is nice,” Oliver agreed as he stepped forward to take a closer look. The wood had a gloss finish and he checked the tag to make sure it had all the features the sales rep had explained were necessary. “What do you think?” he asked Chloe.
“I like it,” she replied quietly as she imagined the two of them standing over it, watching their son sleep. Tears sprang up in the corners of her eyes and Chloe quickly blinked them back before she wrapped an arm around Oliver and hugged him.
Oliver pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Let’s ask the sales rep to show us the matching pieces.” He glanced around and spotted the woman, motioning for her to come over. She was more than happy to help and a few minutes later, they’d agreed on a dresser, a changing table and a rocking chair.
“I still think you guys should have gone with the more colorful stuff,” Lois said once the sales rep left them alone again and they’d moved to the next section of the store to pick out bedding and other decorative pieces. “But we can make up for that now.”
Oliver didn’t like the sound of that. He glanced at Chloe, but she was already engrossed in a display of baby blankets. He started to move toward her, but Lois let out another excited shriek and Oliver cringed as he turned to face her.
Lois didn’t seem to notice the look on his face. “These are perfect!” She held up a royal blue bedding set and pointed over her shoulder to a window display with bright red curtains.
“We’re not using red and blue decorations,” Oliver stated. “It wouldn’t match the walls and the carpet in the nursery without making it look like a holiday gone terribly wrong.”
“I think it would look nice. Why are you dismissing all my suggestions?” Lois didn’t wait for an answer before she turned to her cousin. “What do you think?”
“Lois, Ollie is right. Those are nice, but they don’t go with the décor. Maybe something a little more neutral would work better,” Chloe replied.
“Neutral is boring,” Lois pointed out. She gestured toward the curtains again. “I really think those would look great. You can always repaint the walls. I became pretty familiar with color schemes when I was planning the first wedding that didn’t work out and then the second one…”
“No!” Oliver practically shouted before she had a chance to finish her sentence. He felt Chloe’s hand on his arm and knew she was silently urging him to calm down, but he ignored her.
“That’s not going to work this time, Lois. I am sorry about your wedding getting ruined and my part in it, but you are not going to guilt trip me into agreeing with you. I did everything I could to help with the second wedding attempt and I almost got myself into a lot of trouble when you were wrong about the jewelry store. But enough is enough.”
Oliver felt Chloe’s hand tightening on his arm and he knew he was probably being way too loud, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself as his frustrations poured out. “You’re my friend and I love you, but we have to draw the line somewhere and this is it. You can’t play the wedding card anymore. It’s done. Chloe and I are perfectly capable of making our own decorating decisions and…why are you laughing?” he demanded.
Lois covered her mouth, fighting the urge to double over and howl with laughter at the confused look on his face. “I’m sorry, Ollie. It’s just…” She cut herself off when she started laughing harder.
Oliver had no idea what was so funny. He glanced at his wife and noticed that she was fighting the urge to laugh, her cheeks turning red from the effort. “Okay, would someone like to clue me in on the joke?”
“Chloe told me that I had to stop asking you for favors.” Lois took a deep breath to get her laughter under control. “But we both knew you’d still feel bad if you didn’t do something to help me.”
“So you decided ugly baby furniture was the way to remedy things?” Oliver didn’t see the logic. He glanced at Chloe again. “Can you explain what she’s talking about in a way that makes sense?”
“I did ask her to stop taking advantage of your guilt,” Chloe admitted. She shifted so she was standing in front of Oliver and placed her hand on his chest, “And then Lois pointed out that you’d still feel guilty since none of your attempts to help worked out well, which was not your fault.” She sent Lois a warning glance over her shoulder and then met Oliver’s gaze once more.
“Since neither of us wanted you to feel guilty for the rest of your life over something that you had no control of, we figured that if Lois pushed you hard enough, you’d realize there was no reason to keep doing her bidding.” Chloe gave him a sheepish smile, hoping that he wasn’t mad.
Oliver opened and closed his mouth, not sure what to say to that. He could see Lois trying not to laugh again out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored her for a moment and focused on Chloe. “So this shopping trip sabotage was your idea?” When she nodded, he laughed and wrapped his arms around her. “I guess it’s better than a rabid dog.”
Chloe laughed as she returned his hug, doing her best to get close to him without her stomach getting in the way. Lois watched both of them with a confused look on her face. “Rabid dog?” she repeated.
“Don’t ask,” Oliver replied. He motioned for her to come over and hugged both women at once. “I’m sorry I snapped at you and I am sorry about the wedding. It might have been out of my control, but it was still me.”
Lois rolled her eyes. “No, it wasn’t and we’re done with that. Apology accepted and all of that jazz.” She pulled back from the hug and pointed to the far wall of the store. “That’s where they keep the toys. This bedding stuff is so not my thing.” She smiled at them and then hurried off to check out the toys.
Chloe shook her head and glanced up at her husband, happy to see that he looked amused by the whole thing. “You’re not mad, are you?”
“No,” Oliver replied. He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “We both know I should have just listened to you in the first place. Now what do you say we get back to shopping before Lois comes over here with a giant cart of toys?”
“Good idea,” Chloe agreed. She leaned into his side and let Oliver lead her toward the next row of bedding, happy that they’d finally put this issue to rest.