Fic: A Walk on the Wild Side (Chlollie, 8/10 - Part 2)
Awesome banner by: Energis121bgd
Author: poetgirl925
Title: A Walk on the Wild Side
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Chloe makes some impromptu purchases one night after running into Jimmy and his new girlfriend. When a very surprised Oliver finds them, a misunderstanding sends them down a new path in their relationship. But as Chloe's feelings deepen and Oliver struggles with emotional intimacy, she wonders how much of Oliver's public playboy lifestyle she can really handle.
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Chloe/Oliver
Warnings: Spoilers at least through Season 7 'Siren' but I take some liberties with canon. Assume late Season 7 - early Season 8.
Disclaimer: Don't own, just playing :)
Previous Chapters: Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII (1) Part VII (2) Part VIII (1)
A/N: This part is safe for all readers :)
Part VIII (2)
Oliver pushed open the doors to Lex’s office with Lex’s administrative assistant right behind him.
“Mr. Queen, I advised you that Mr. Luthor is unavailable right now,” she said in a harried voice.
Lex stood up behind his desk. “It’s fine, Nancy. I apologize for Mr. Queen’s rude behavior. Despite his upbringing, he’s never quite mastered genteel manners.”
“While your gentility masks a corrupted soul,” Oliver replied. “And we both know why I’m here.” He paused when he saw the woman sitting across from Lex.
“That will be all, Nancy.” Lex waited for his assistant to close the doors before continuing. “I believe you know my V.P. of Overseas Acquisitions, Tess Mercer? She’s recently relocated from our London office, and she’ll be joining us here in Metropolis.”
Oliver smiled grimly. “I heard that you joined Luthorcorp, Mercy. Guess all your talk about saving the world was just that, huh?”
Tess arched a brow as she stood. “Mr. Luthor has as many humanitarian projects as you do, Oliver. More, perhaps, if we count our latest acquisition - I’m assuming that’s why you’re here.”
“You bought that company and now you’re shutting it down. Thousands of people will lose their jobs,” he shot back. “How can you be okay with that?” He’d been stunned to hear the news of Lex’s takeover of a company that he’d had plans to buy out, and his board had been in an uproar since the press conference late that morning.
“Because it’s for the greater good. Yes, jobs will be lost now with the factory being shut down, but we’re going to create more jobs in the future through our clean energy efforts,” she countered calmly.
“I had a plan for that factory that would have resulted in minimal cutbacks while we revamped their process to make it safer for the environment.”
“That would take a lot of time that we don’t have,” Tess remarked.
“Never mind the families you destroy in the process, is that it? What the hell happened to you, Tess?” Oliver shook his head. “I know we’ve had our problems, but I never would have believed you capable of getting into bed with the Luthors.”
“Anything after your bed could only be a step up. And speaking of your bed, Oliver, your absence from the tabloids has been quite noticeable lately. There’s actually been speculation that you might be in an exclusive relationship these days, but then I know that’s not really your style.”
Oliver forced a careless attitude in response to her not so subtle digging. “Jealous, Mercy?”
Her smile vanished. “I think we’re done here. If you’ll excuse me?” Head high, she walked out of Lex’s office.
“Well, this has certainly been entertaining, but I have a lot of work to finish before I go home to my wife,” Lex said. “I’m sure you can see yourself out.”
“This isn’t finished, Lex,” Oliver replied shortly before turning and walking out.
The drive back to his own office was short, and Oliver was angry; angry with Lex, angry with Tess, but mostly angry with himself. He’d been working on that deal for months, and he’d thought it was in the bag. As a result, he’d grown careless and because of his lack of attention to the finer details, Lex had managed to get in under the wire and take it from him. He wasn’t fooled by the humanitarian spiel - he knew they had done this to get under his skin. And Tess’s little digs at his relationship status gave him pause because the last thing he wanted was for either of them to get wind of his affair with Chloe. They would use it against both of them if they could.
Oliver spent the afternoon dealing with the fallout of the lost deal. Since he had been personally handling the details, the heat was on him to explain how Lex had managed to come in at the eleventh hour and take over. After several hours of angry tirades from board members, he’d had enough. He left the office but instead of heading home, he drove straight out of Metropolis. But no matter how fast he drove, he couldn’t escape the knowledge that regardless of how he tried to spin it, he was to blame for the fact that thousands of families would be dealing with a severe loss of income at the end of the month.
Instead of spending his usual long hours at the office and patrolling, he’d been leaving earlier in order to spend more time with Chloe. He’d also been spending less time patrolling, excusing it by telling himself that with Clark out there, his own presence wasn’t strictly necessary. And maybe that was true, but it wasn’t the reason he’d been staying in.
Eventually the fall air cooled his anger, but it didn’t change the facts. His commitment to his business and to the League had been the deciding factor for him in breaking things off with Lois. In the end, he knew it had been easier than it should’ve been because they just weren’t a good match - even Lois had admitted that later. And since then, he’d kept his relationships simple because he just didn’t have the time for anything else.
Things with Chloe were supposed to be simple, but they were fast becoming complicated, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. They weren’t dating, but they were exclusive. He didn’t have any interest in seeing other women at the moment, and the idea of Chloe with someone else brought out a jealous streak in him he hadn’t even realized he had. But whatever they were, he needed to figure out how to balance it against all of his other responsibilities.
It was dark by the time he arrived back at the penthouse, and he paused when he realized he wasn’t alone.
Chloe was on the sofa, her course books spread out around her. “Hey, you. I was beginning to wonder if you were coming home tonight. I brought dinner, but it’s cold now so you’ll have to reheat it.”
Oliver quelled his irritation as he dropped his laptop bag on the floor and headed over to the bar. “I’m not hungry.” He could feel the change in Chloe without even looking at her.
“Oliver, is something wrong?”
He poured a glass of scotch and took a long sip before turning to face her. “No. I just had a long day, and I’m tired.”
A flash of hurt crossed Chloe’s face before she schooled her expression. “Okay. I’ll just head out then - I have a test in the morning. Dinner’s in the fridge if you change your mind.”
Oliver felt like a jackass as he watched her gather her books. But he needed time to think, and he couldn’t think clearly with her here. “I have a lot of meetings this week and I’ll be at the office late. I’ll call you, okay?”
Her eyes belied the smile on her face as she turned to go. “Sure. I’ll talk to you later.”
It killed him to watch her walk out knowing that he’d hurt her, but he forced himself to let her leave. He turned back to the bar and poured another finger of scotch, tossing it down and savoring the burn. In a sudden move, he turned and hurled the glass against the wall, feeling a moment of satisfaction as the crystal shattered.
**
Chloe fought the tears threatening to spill as she drove across town to the Met U campus. Clearly something was wrong with Oliver, and it was just as apparent that he had no intention of talking to her about it. He hadn’t exactly kicked her out, but his unspoken words had been clear enough; don’t call me, I’ll call you.
In his defense, she had shown up without an invitation. But she’d been doing that more often lately and he’d always seemed happy to find her there waiting for him. She’d been getting comfortable in his space - maybe too comfortable. She wasn’t his girlfriend. In fact, she wasn’t sure what she was to him. They’d progressively been spending more time together, and the more time that passed, the more she realized she was getting in deeper than she should be. They were in some sort of sexual gray area she couldn’t define and had no experience with.
As she pulled into her spot in front of her dorm, she turned off the ignition and let the tears fall. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d indulged herself in a good cry, so she was probably long overdue. Chloe realized suddenly that she’d left her overnight bag at the penthouse. That was followed by the realization that she hadn’t spent the night in her dorm in almost two weeks. She put her head down on the steering wheel. Since she’d rather walk barefoot through Suicide Slums than go back and face Oliver right now, she’d just have to go to the store and replace any necessary toiletries.
A knock on her car window startled her. She raised her head and saw Clark staring at her through the glass, a concerned expression on his face. She sighed and wiped her cheeks before opening the door. “Clark what are you doing here?”
“I was patrolling and I heard you crying,” he explained as she got her laptop and book bag from the backseat. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Clark. And you’re not supposed to be using your super hearing to spy on me.”
“I wasn’t spying on you,” he protested. “But I know your voice Chloe, and I knew it was you the second I heard you.”
“It’s called PMS,” she replied shortly, hoping the girly nature of the topic would deter his questions. Chloe pushed open the door of her dormitory and felt the gust of wind that signaled Clark had zoomed past security. She headed up the stairs and found him waiting at her door.
“That was two weeks ago.” He took her bags as she unlocked the door and then followed her inside.
“Oh my God - I don’t even want to know how you know that,” she cried out.
Clark stubbornly pushed ahead. “It’s that guy you’re seeing, isn’t it? Lois said you’ve been staying with him practically every night for the last few weeks. What happened?”
Chloe sat down on the floor beside her bed. “Nothing happened really. I think he had a bad day at work, and he wanted to be alone.”
“So he told you to get out?”
“First, he didn’t even know I would be there, and second, I’m the one who decided to leave. He’s entitled to have his apartment to himself if he wants to.”
“Then why were you crying?”
She felt the tears welling up again. “Because you stupid men are all stupid jerks. And I left my overnight bag there, and I don’t want to go back and get it, so I need to go to the store now.”
Clark sighed and sat down beside her, pulling her close. “I’ll go to the store for you. Or you can tell me where he lives and I’ll go get your bag.”
“Nice try, Clark. I’m pretty sure he’s not in the mood for a Clark Kent scolding.”
“Or maybe I’ll just turn him into a human pretzel,” Clark said, smiling when Chloe giggled.
“No you won’t. Your super strength makes any fight with us mere mortals a one-sided event. But thanks for offering.”
“Ok, maybe I won’t, but Lois will if she thinks he’s breaking your heart.”
Chloe reached for a tissue on her nightstand and blew her nose. “He never lied to me about what this is, Clark. And I guess you and Lois were right and maybe I’m not cut out for this kind of no strings relationship. I just wish he’d told me what was bothering him instead of shutting me out. We were doing ok with the benefits, but clearly we’re struggling with the friendship part.”
“You deserve better than this,” Clark said, reaching out to brush her hair behind her ear. “I don’t like seeing you hurt this way.”
“Well, if you were serious about going to the store for me then that would make me feel a lot better.” Chloe smiled at him hopefully.
“Ok, make a list. I’ll get some ice cream and we can watch a movie when I get back. How early is your class tomorrow?”
“It’s at 10:00, and it’s a test rather than class. But I’ve finished studying, so a movie sounds good. I’m going to call Lois and see if she wants to come over.” She didn’t miss the way his expression brightened before he zoomed off.
Lois was still at the Planet when Chloe called, but she dropped what she was doing and arrived at the dorm in record time. “Don’t get me wrong, Chloe. I’m happy to finally see you outside the office, but why aren’t you with your top secret boyfriend?”
Chloe pulled the popcorn out of the microwave and dumped it into a bowl. “He’s not my boyfriend, Lois. And I think it will be good for us to have a few nights apart. We’ve been spending a lot of time together.”
Lois raised a knowing brow. “He screwed up, huh?”
“He was a stupid man jerk,” Clark said as he opened the door. When Chloe glared at him, he added, “Your words, not mine. Hey, Lois.”
Chloe took the bag Clark handed her. “Thanks.”
“And what did the stupid man jerk do?” Lois questioned, reaching for the ice cream.
“He didn’t do anything, he was just - emotionally unavailable,” Chloe said, spooning out a bite of ice cream. “And now I have some thinking to do.”
“I think you should kick his ass to the curb and give George a call. He asked about you the other day when I saw him at the precinct,” Lois replied.
“Lois, I need you not to be pushy about this.” Chloe shot her cousin a warning look.
“Look, Chlo, I personally have nothing against a good old-fashioned friends with benefits scenario. But you’ve been spending all of your free time with this guy lately, and it’s obvious you have feelings for him. So if he doesn’t return those feelings, you need to stop this before you get in so deep there’s no getting out. And that’s all I’m going to say right now. So, what are we watching?”
**
A few hours later, Chloe leaned against Clark. “I think Dhoom 2 is better than the first one,” she whispered with a yawn. “I love Bollywood films.”
Clark glanced over at Lois, who was snoring loudly next to Chloe. “Do you just want to let her sleep here?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. You know, you should tell her how you feel, Clark.”
His expression was wary as he looked back at Chloe. “Lois and I are just friends.”
Chloe snorted. “No, you and I are just friends, Clark. You and Lois are an explosion waiting to happen. Look, I know Lana hurt you, but eventually you have to get over it. She’s married to Lex now, and unfortunately I don’t see that changing any time soon. Much as I hate to admit it, she seems to be happy with him.”
Clark took off his glasses. “I loved Lana, but the truth is I’ve known for a while that I don’t love her anymore. Not the way I used to.”
“Then what’s holding you back? I may be a little caught up in my own drama lately, but I’d have to be blind not to see the sparks flying between you and Lois.”
“I don’t know. I guess I don’t want to start something while I’m lying to her about who I really am. She left Oliver when she found out he was Green Arrow.”
Chloe felt a pang at the mention of Oliver. “No, she left Oliver behind long before that, Clark. I happen to know that she and Oliver had a good long talk about their relationship a long time ago, and they agreed they were better off being friends. They just weren’t cut out for a relationship with each other.”
“Huh. I didn’t know that.”
“Well, now you do. Maybe you could start by telling Lois your secret and take it from there. There is no way she’d ever tell anyone about you; I’m sure of that.”
“I’ll think about it if you think about breaking things off with this guy, Chloe.”
“I wish you would stop calling him ‘this guy’ - the way you say it, it’s only slightly better than Lois calling him ‘that douchebag’ half the night,” Chloe replied, shaking her head. “Look, I promise to give my feelings and the situation a lot of thought, Clark. But he’s really not the bad guy - he just has trouble letting people in.”
“Maybe he’s not the bad guy, but you’re the one that Lois and I are concerned about here. Just think about it.” He hugged her and left.
Chloe lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. She had a lot to think about, but for now she was just tired. She’d worry about Oliver tomorrow.
**
Oliver stared moodily out at the Metropolis skyline as he stood in his office. It had been a hell of a week, one made even worse by Chloe’s absence. He couldn’t believe how quickly he’d gotten used to her presence in his bed and now he couldn’t seem to sleep well without her.
He’d been thinking about her a lot, and the truth was that he missed her. And it wasn’t just about the sex at this point. He missed her being there at the end of the day. He still wasn’t sure what that said about their relationship, but there was no denying they were beyond friends with benefits.
He was ready to admit he’d made a mistake by behaving so coldly toward her earlier in the week. He’d tried calling her, but so far he’d only gotten her voicemail. He supposed he deserved the silent treatment he was getting.
Turning back to his desk, he picked up the phone and called his usual florist. After placing his order, he asked that they come by the office so he could write the card himself before they delivered the arrangement. He knew that flowers weren’t going to fix everything with Chloe, not after the way he’d dismissed her. But he was hoping they might at least get her to pick up the phone.
**
“Hey, Chloe. These were delivered for you while you were in the staff meeting.”
Chloe glanced up from her computer to see Jimmy holding an enormous floral arrangement. “Oh. Ok, thanks.” She took the flowers and set them on her desk, biting her lip as she plucked the card from the base and opened it.
‘I’m sorry I was a jerk. I’m ready to talk when you’re ready to listen.’
She should have expected something like this after not answering his calls. She wasn’t trying to play hard to get, but she also wasn’t sure she was ready to talk to him. At least he admitted to being a jerk. For some reason, she found that reassuring.
“Apology flowers, huh?” At Chloe’s expression, he explained, “I’m just guessing - usually girls are a lot happier about getting flowers. Especially their favorite flowers.”
Chloe looked back at the gorgeous arrangement of tulips in a mixture of white, orange, deep pink, and red. Beautiful purple irises and a few perfect calla lilies were mixed in with the tulips, creating a more exotic effect. There had to be at least five dozen flowers in the arrangement, and Chloe wondered how he’d known about her favorite flowers - especially the irises. Her mother used to plant them in the garden for her, but she was certain she’d never told him that.
Chloe saw Lois heading her way. “Thanks for accepting the delivery, Jimmy.”
“Yeah, no problem.” He still looked curious about the flowers, but he left without further comment.
“Are those from the douchebag?” Lois asked, leaning over to sniff the flowers. “He has good taste, anyway. All your favorites - even the purple irises. I’m surprised you told him about that.”
Chloe decided against telling Lois that she hadn’t told him about that. The fewer questions Lois was asking at this point, the better. “He’s called a couple of times since yesterday, but I’ve been too busy to call him back.”
“Chloe, we were sitting on my couch last night watching X-Files reruns,” Lois replied, rolling her eyes. “Just admit you’re making him squirm a little before you call him.”
“I should call him to thank him for the flowers though.” Chloe reached out to touch one of the delicate irises. How had he known about that?
“Send him a message then, but remember the bachelorette party is tonight. No bailing on girls’ night just because the douchebag grew a conscience.”
“How long do you plan to keep calling him that?”
Lois smiled. “Until he mans up and admits you’re in a real relationship, or when you decide to ditch the commitmentphobe and find someone who is ready for an actual relationship. Someone like George, for instance. Personally, I vote for the latter.”
Chloe sighed. “Noted. And I’m not bailing on girls’ night.” She knew she’d never hear the end of it if she did. And she wasn’t opposed to making Oliver wait another day or so, especially since she still wasn’t sure what she was going to say to him.
**
Oliver had never wanted to bail on a party as much as he did at the moment. He’d come close to skipping it altogether, but he knew that people were starting to wonder what had happened to Oliver Queen. If he skipped out on his colleague’s birthday bash, he’d have the paparazzi following him for sure. Better to just give them what they wanted, which was why he was currently holding court in the VIP section of the Ace of Clubs. Models to the left of me, C-list actresses to the right, he thought sardonically even as he smiled at the woman currently telling him all about her latest TV pilot.
He took a sip of his drink and allowed his gaze to wander as his thoughts returned to Chloe’s message from earlier. She’d thanked him for the flowers and said she’d call him over the weekend. He’d considered pushing the issue, impatient to try and resolve things between them. But in the end he knew it was better to let Chloe set the pace since he’d been the one to screw up. It didn’t make the waiting any easier though.
One of the models slid onto his lap for a photo. He thought she was a Playboy bunny, or maybe a lingerie model - hell, he was having a hard time keeping them straight at this point. He smiled for the cameras, certain that the tabloids would report he’d fucked half the women at the table by tomorrow. But then again, that was what he wanted. Because if they had a few headlines like that, no one cared what he was really doing.
**
Chloe stepped into the Ace of Clubs with the other members of the bachelorette party. This was the third club they’d been to, and her feet were killing her. She was also hungry, and she knew she’d need to eat something before she drank anything or else she’d be spending tomorrow in hangover hell.
She tapped Lois to get her attention. “I need to find somewhere to sit and order some food or I’m not going to make it for whatever else you have planned.”
“Don’t worry, I think this is our last stop,” Lois answered. “The bachelor party’s last stop is here, and once the bride is reunited with her groom, I’m guessing the party will be over. And speaking of parties - look, there’s Oliver.”
Chloe felt the bottom drop out of her stomach as she spotted Oliver in the VIP section. A birthday banner had been hung above the table he was sitting at with several other men and a number of women; one of whom, she noted, was currently draped across Oliver’s lap while posing for a photo. She vaguely remembered him mentioning a friend’s birthday party being on the same night as the bachelorette party, but she’d honestly forgotten all about it.
And with Lois dragging her towards the VIP section, it looked like there was no avoiding him. When the bouncer stepped in front of Lois, she stopped. “Lois Lane - I’m a friend of Oliver Queen’s.”
The bouncer eyed her skeptically but turned to relay the name to another member of security at the top of the stairs. After a moment, the man at the top gave a nod and the bouncer stepped aside to let them pass.
Chloe dug in her heels. “Lois, I’m not sure we should interrupt him.”
“We’re just saying hi - and possibly snagging some of the Cristal I’m sure he’s ordered.”
Knowing that further arguments would be futile, not to mention slightly suspicious, Chloe followed Lois up the stairs. Oliver stood and greeted them, looking ridiculously handsome in a white button down dress shirt and jeans. He kissed Lois’ cheek and then turned to Chloe.
Chloe fought a shiver as he leaned in to kiss her cheek, his lips lingering slightly as his hand caressed her bare shoulder.
“You look beautiful.” His eyes were warm as he stepped back.
She realized her hands were shaking and made an effort to still them. “Thank you.” She was wearing the black halter dress with the yellow, black and white floral skirt that she’d purchased while shopping with Lois before her date with George. It was fun and flirty, and she’d gotten her fair share of male attention that night.
Oliver guided them to the table. “Dan, this is Lois Lane and her cousin, Chloe Sullivan. They both work for The Daily Planet.”
Dan’s brows rose playfully as he eyed Chloe. “I love reporters - especially cute little blondes.”
Chloe glanced at Oliver, noting that his smile had disappeared with his friend’s comment. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m just a lowly intern struggling to pay her college tuition.”
The woman who had been sitting in Oliver’s lap spoke up. “You should send your picture in to Playboy - you’re shorter than their usual models, but they sometimes do a co-ed spread, and you’ve got the kind of cute college girl look they go for.”
Chloe eyed the buxom brunette, wondering if she should be insulted. “You’re a Playboy model?”
“I was Miss July this year,” she said, running her finger along Oliver’s collar and smiling up at him. “I met Oliver at the Playboy mansion last summer.”
Chloe could feel Oliver’s eyes on her, but she refused to look at him. “Well it was nice to meet you - I’m sorry, what’s your name?”
“Candy.”
Of course it was. Chloe resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Nice to meet you Candy. Lois, I’ll be downstairs.” She turned and left the VIP section, feeling about ten kinds of stupid for defending Oliver to Lois and Clark all week. He was a jerk - a big, stupid, douchebaggy man jerk who hung around at the Playboy mansion with Miss July models named Candy. And she was an idiot for falling for him.
She shouldered her way to the bar and flagged the bartender. “I need a shot of tequila and the biggest, strongest margarita you can make.”
“Wow - must be some bachelorette party.”
Chloe turned to see George Dean behind her. “George - hi. And how did you know…?”
“I’m the best man, so the bachelor party was my responsibility,” he answered with a grin. “Lois didn’t mention that?”
“No, she definitely didn’t,” Chloe said.
George squeezed in next to her and signaled the bartender, ordering a tequila shot. At Chloe’s questioning gaze, he shrugged. “Can’t let you do shots alone.”
The bartender slid the drinks onto the bar, and Chloe raised her shot, clinking her glass with his before downing it. The burn hit her stomach and seemed to go straight to her head.
“Whoa.” George caught her arm. “I think maybe you need some food to go with that. I grabbed a table when I came in if you want to join me.”
Chloe nodded, allowing him to take her hand and lead her away from the bar.
**
Lois narrowed her eyes at Oliver. “You’re weird tonight.”
“Okay,” Oliver replied, topping off her champagne as they stood at the rail overlooking the rest of the club.
Lois sipped the champagne. “You’re brooding, Ollie. What’s going on?”
He shrugged. “I’m just not into this anymore, I guess.”
“So why come to these parties if you’re not into them?”
“You know why,” he answered. “I give reporters playboy Oliver out on the town at least once a month, and the rest of the time they leave me alone.”
Lois considered that as she watched him. The way his eyes scanned the crowd, it was like he was looking for someone. And when his expression grew tense, his eyes trained on one spot, she followed his gaze to see Chloe and George seated at a table sharing an appetizer plate with the future bride and groom. “Oh good, George found her. Maybe he’ll help her forget about the douchebag she’s been crying over this week.” She looked back at Oliver and drew in a sharp breath. The way he was looking at Chloe… holy shit. The douchebag was Oliver.
A/N: So, my kitten somehow managed to delete half of this chapter earlier this week. I had the document open while trying to post, and she decided to lie down on the keyboard when I got up to get coffee. I rewrote the chapter from memory, and it's about 2,000 words longer than it was lol. Oh well... I'll try to get Parts IX and X up soon. I guess I should note that my story follows canon except that Lois and Oliver had no relationship drama in Siren, and Lana is still married to Lex, who does NOT own The Daily Planet (b/c IMO that was dumb.) Consider this late S7-early S8 in my AU canon. Again, thanks for reading!