Silence and Lies (one-shot) M
Spoilers: S9 is fair game...
Standard Disclaimers Apply
There was a comfort in the silence they shared.
There was no romantic music, no scented candles or wine to accompany the mood.
Just two friends, who happened to be naked, lying quietly in the bathtub. Thankfully, Lois was away on assignment with Clark and there was no need to worry about unexpected intrusions.
Settled between her legs, Oliver stayed quiet as she continued to massage him hoping to relieve some of the stress from the last mission. The subtle hint of ylang-ylang filled her senses, and Chloe felt her own mind begin to wander, until Oliver leaned completely against her, his own hands drawing hers forward.
She watched as Oliver intertwined their hands, his eyes looking ahead, but she knew that he couldn’t really see anything.
“It wasn’t your fault, Oliver. You tried. We all did.”
“It’s never going to be enough...”
“Ollie...”
“She begged me to save her life, Chloe. I couldn’t. I held her in my hands as she died.”
She tightened her hands with his and leaned on his shoulders. Chloe remained quiet. She knew that there was nothing she can say at the moment to relieve Oliver of his pain. She slowly untangled her hands from his and lightly grasped them with the palm of her hands and stared at his bruised hands.
She marvelled at how the same bruised and calloused hands could feel so soft against her skin. It was at this point that the things she didn’t want to consider floated back to the surface.
Chloe could pin point the very moment they became lovers, but she couldn’t exactly figure out when the fun indoor activities became intimate.
She knew they were physically intimate, but some point in time, his touches meant so much more. The way he moved within her became different, almost as if he became her anchor at that very moment. If she wanted to be honest (which she didn’t) what they were doing is starting to become more different that fun.
His smiles were starting to cause a flutter; his teasing whispers were making her giddy.
She’d never reacted this way, not even to Clark.
Intimate was slowly having an emotional connotation, which she wasn’t ready for.
But at this very moment, she didn’t care. All that matters was that he was safe, and he was with her.
She focused her thoughts back to his hands and intertwined them again.
“You don’t give yourself too much credit, Ollie. Maybe you’re right. Maybe nothing we can do will ever be enough. But we won’t let that stop us. The day we stop is the day we fail.”
Oliver gave a short chuckle, and Chloe smiled a little as she felt the tension leave his body.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to loosen up.”
“Maybe you weren’t doing a good enough job, and I’m just starting to fall asleep out of boredom.”
The two relapsed back into silence, the short moment if humour easing Oliver’s pain.
“I mean it Ollie. Don’t ever think you aren’t enough because you are. You could’ve simply remained a billionaire playboy and not even worry that this stuff was going on. Being the Green Arrow and putting your life at risk means so much to the people you’ve rescued.”
Oliver turned his head, and face to face, Chloe felt that annoying flutter again.
There was a look of vulnerability in his eyes, and Chloe couldn’t look away, couldn’t think of anything snarky to break the mood, until Oliver’s lips formed into a smirk that Chloe knew all too well.
“Careful Sidekick, or I’m going to think you’re falling for me.”
Throwing her own words back at her made her blink, before Oliver spoke again.
“I should go...”
Chloe felt Oliver move away, and before she could even think, the words were already out of her mouth.
“Stay.”
Oliver looked at Chloe, and while she didn’t avoid his eyes, he knew that there was no way Chloe was going to explain why she said what she did, and he didn’t want an explanation. This was enough.
“Careful Sidekick, or I’m going to think you’re falling for me.”
His words echoed in her mind as they settled back into the tub, their hands intertwined again.
She’ll never admit it. If anybody asked her if she was falling for Oliver Queen, She’d lie.