Breakeven (3/8)
Author:
serafina19
Title: Breakeven
Rating: PG-13
Summary: When Chloe and Oliver’s path unexpectedly cross, they soon realize that letting go of what happened between them is harder than they thought. Sequel to “ In the Grip of a Hurricane.”
Timeline: AU, but I dabble (and mess) with canon events.
Warning: Coarse language
Thanks to:
poetgirl925 who has been an amazing support system on this fic, and
kachica for the beautiful banner.
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Getting out of her car, Chloe thought Oliver was playing a joke on her. Special assignment he says, but the address was one Chloe knew all too well. Even as she drove there, she thought it might have been a mistake but sure enough, her wheels stopped at the Met Gen parking lot.
She looked around, trying to fathom what on earth he would be doing here besides a press conference, and there was no way he needed a technical officer for that. But Chloe knew that she didn't have a pass for Queen Towers and without that, she might as well let him chuckle over the fact there was some weird inside joke in all this and get it over with. Except when she entered the building, she noticed the man himself turning around, smiling when he saw her.
"Glad you could make it," he called from down the hallway, as part of him expected Chloe to change her mind about taking the job.
"Why are we here?"
"Do you know how to use one of these?" Oliver asked, but with little seriousness in his expression, as he knew her credentials covered using a laptop, but even once Chloe nodded, it didn't stop Oliver from teasing her further. "Software experience?"
Taking the computer from his hands, Chloe scoffed lightly. "I really do enjoy how you're interviewing me after you hired me. Do you have similar tactics with the bill of health of the women you sleep with?"
Oliver laughed back. "I think you know the answer to that question."
Chloe momentarily cringed as that fact sunk in. Part of her hoped Oliver would at least try to forget that ever happened, but that didn't seem to be possible just yet. "Look, I know my stuff. I wouldn't have taken the job otherwise."
"I thought it was because you couldn't get a job," he said, pointing his head down the hallway before lifting his feet to head in that direction.
After a quick eye roll, Chloe followed him. "You're really enjoying yourself right now, aren't you?"
He smiled, knowing he was far enough ahead of Chloe that she couldn’t see it. "I am."
"Well, in that case, could you tell me why we're here?"
He didn’t get a chance to respond, as a doctor rounded the corner and upon seeing Oliver, his eyes immediately widened. "Oliver, what a surprise!"
His signature grin in place, Oliver shook the doctor’s hand. "I had some time to kill, and I thought maybe the kids wouldn't mind an encore."
Chloe felt confused, as it was almost impossible to miss the chatter surrounding Oliver, yet the fact Oliver would be having a positive form of an encore seemed to be missed.
However, the doctor’s genuine grin never faded as he admitted, "They've been talking about you all day.” He then turned his attention to Chloe. "And this is...?"
“Chloe Sullivan,” she said before Oliver had a chance to interject.
Except to her surprise, Oliver wrapped his arm around her shoulders momentarily, tugging her slightly towards his side. “Chloe here is our newest hire at Queen Industries.” Just as quick as he placed it, he retracted his arm, moving slightly to stand between them. "Chloe, meet Dr. Alfred Price."
"Call me Al,” he replied as he shook Chloe’s hand. “And any close employee of Oliver's is a friend of mine." As Al turned around, he gestured for Chloe and Oliver to follow him. "Right this way."
~0~
Chloe was still trying to process what just happened. Sure, the job that she was doing was a bit of an insult to her credentials, but the work was admirable. Sitting back, all she had to do was run through a couple of slideshows as Oliver gave an interactive rendition of children’s books. It was impossible not to smile as the laughter roared throughout the room and the only cameras that were in the room were the parents’ digital cameras, the flashing going off for the memory, not for profit.
Oliver wrapped off his reading, quickly pointing out Chloe in the room and everyone gave a loud round of applause, which Chloe joined in, but not without giving Oliver a playful glare. He just shrugged and smiled at her, and for some reason, this time, she let a smile slip.
A couple of the parents stopped by her station, thanking her personally for her efforts. However, it wasn’t until she saw a couple of the children approach her that Chloe realized how something so small in her mind could mean so much to these people. She only wished that she knew what they were doing before arriving at the hospital, she would have brought them something.
Packing up her stuff, Chloe left the room quietly, as she figured that Oliver would be busy for the next little while. It was still early, so she thought about heading to Queen Industries and finding a way to get herself organized. But she didn’t get far before she heard Oliver’s voice call at to her. "So... how's that for an initiation?"
She chuckled under her breath and turned around to see Oliver running towards her. It was nothing of what she expected from the company or him, which probably was the point. “What did that have to do with Queen Industries?”
She had a point, as normally, he got one of the moms to run the computer, but this time... Oliver wanted Chloe to see it for herself. “Companies like mine have to contribute more than money, as sometimes, face time means more than the dollars inputted to a cause.” His donation to this children's wing was substantial, even for a city far from his hometown, but lost innocence was something he knew all too well. Although this was different, as disease couldn’t relate to orphanhood, Oliver always relished the moments where he could help a kid be a kid.
“But you’re right. To an extent, I do this for me.” To the kids inside the room, the parents who had been there, Oliver was a completely different person. There was no reputation to live up to, just an enjoyable experience to be had. It was the highlight of every trip to Metropolis. “It's a chance to get away from everything, to do something outside of prying eyes.”
Chloe believed him, even after they turned the corner and noticed the commotion at the main entrance. There they were, Oliver’s screaming fan base, aka the paparazzi, right on cue. “You sure about all that?"
Oliver shook his head, knowing that was really crappy timing. "Unfortunately, that might have more to do with you than me." For years, he had this visit in peace, but he hadn’t done anything overly extraordinary. Apparently carrying a woman up to his penthouse and letting her sleep alone was more scandalous than the legitimate debauchery he had committed. “Do you trust me?”
"No, but do I have a choice?" Chloe asked as she peered up at him, trying to figure out how this was her fault. It wasn’t like people really cared about who she was. Unfortunately, when Oliver just shrugged at her, she sighed back. "Then lead the way."
When she said that, Chloe figured it would be as simple as waiting it out, or having a car pull out front. But instead, he took her hand and guided her down an adjacent hallway. The game room, the kitchen even, before they found a door that seemed to be meant for employees only, but no one seemed to complain. Neither was Chloe, as she had graced enough covers for a lifetime with the photo of Oliver carrying her.
When they got outside, she figured they would just say their goodbyes, but when she opened her mouth to say it, Oliver grabbed her hand again.
“If you go to your car, kiss goodbye to privacy.”
To be honest, Chloe was tempted to risk it, but when she noticed the crowd rounding the corner, she turned back, trusting him enough in broad daylight.
~0~
She wasn’t entirely sure what she's doing here, why she accepted his offer to go back to the clocktower instead of going back to her own apartment. However, despite the persona he was, he had this odd way of making her feel comfortable and suddenly, the negative stigma for this place felt unwarranted. Maybe because the women who normally came here didn't have a head on their shoulders, but she almost wanted to believe he was better than that. Which sounded ridiculous considering her opinion of him weeks ago. Heck, days ago.
But the whole judging a book by its cover cliché exists for a reason, and he was no exception. Sure, she could have been played, but she didn't think that was true either.
"How often do you come here," she asks, finally breaking the silence. There were no drinks this time, just space separating them, yet they both noticed the difference of the air around the room.
"Three or four times a year. Why?"
"You seem to know everyone in this city." She had to admit that she was at least a little impressed, as for a city the man didn’t live in, he had a knack for faces and a memory that she couldn’t explain. Furthermore, everyone at the hospital addressed him on a first-name basis not because they had to but because he'd insist on it. He even gave a nurse a reminder to call him that way. If today taught her nothing else, it was that the man sitting across from her had fooled a lot of people, herself included.
Going around the city, getting to know the people he needed to, was something Oliver took great pride in. Respect was earned and if he stayed up in his penthouse and office suite, no one would ever give it to him. Sure, the playboy tendencies were there too, but Oliver ensured that he had the business sense to back it up.
Yet he found himself smirking at Chloe as he said, almost embarrassed, “I managed to miss you.”
But she didn’t take any offence to it, shrugging it off as she peered towards the skyline on display outside his terrace. “I take it publications of any sort tend to miss your attention or else you’d take better care of your reputation. Besides, Lex had me buried way behind the front page.”
That may be true, but Oliver couldn’t explain how he never knew about her. He dated her cousin and still, he knew nothing. "Do you mind me asking a question that you probably ask yourself?"
"Shoot," Chloe replied as she sunk down further into her seat.
Meanwhile, Oliver leaned forward, staring at his hands as they came together. It took a second to find the exact question he wanted, settling on, "Why do people underestimate you?"
Her initial reaction was to blink in surprise, but Oliver’s eyes met hers, Chloe laughed. "With Lex, it was about putting me in my place. I don't think the man ever underestimated me."
"I guess that makes sense considering what you're capable of," Oliver said with a smile, unsure how Chloe would take what he was about to tell her. "I talked to the current high school principal in Smallville. He was more than willing to provide me with previous editions of the Torch."
The stories were unlike anything Oliver had seen. While most high school papers covered dances, fundraisers and gossip, Chloe spun things that seemed to be straight out of science fiction. The former did make an appearance, but it was small print next to the exposes of Chloe Sullivan. As crazy as reading it all sounded, seeing the woman in front of him, Oliver couldn’t help but wonder how much of it was true.
Chloe’s eyebrows rose, as she couldn’t believe that Oliver had bothered to research into her high school days. “You did a background check on me?”
"Consider it levelling the playing field,” Oliver said with a chuckle. “Besides, if you're going to be my employee... have to know that I can trust you."
Sighing as she stood up, she replied, “If I screw this up then I really have no place to go. Trust me Mr. Queen."
He stood up, surprised at the way she addressed him. "Chloe...I like to think we’re past last name pleasantries."
They probably were, but he was still her boss and Chloe didn’t want to take any chances. “I should be going though. I have to get my car from the hospital parking lot and, I don’t know, report to work.”
“Speaking of,” Oliver replied as he walked over his desk. After opening the top drawer, he quickly found what he was looking for. “Your temporary ID. Saves you the trouble of explaining your unique hiring situation.”
At this point, her identification was a blank key card, but she could only hoped it sufficed at the door. Then again, Oliver had a point... people knew who she was, and not for the reason she wanted to. “And whose fault was that?”
He pretended to think about it for a minute. “I’m going to have to go with the alcohol on this one.” Seeing her less than enthusiastic expression, Oliver smirked before picking up the phone. “Unless you wanted me to tell the truth, because I am more than willing to -”
Reaching forward as she noticed him dialling a couple numbers, Chloe held the hook switch, grateful he used the landline instead of his cell phone. “That couldn’t be farther from what I want.” Thinking further as she released it, Chloe realized it probably wasn’t what Oliver wanted either.
Oliver did hang up the phone, but it was lifted again when something crossed his mind. “If you want, I could have a driver take you to - ”
Chloe laughed lightly, knowing where he was going with that, but he had honestly helped her enough. “I appreciate the sentiment, Oliver, but it’s a nice day. I think I’ll walk.”
He smiled at the use of his first name and figured he could deal with that. From what he knew about Chloe, she was used to taking care of herself, so giving her this one was probably best. “See you around Chloe.”
Narrowing her eyes, she replied honestly, “We’ll see.” She knew that he was leaving in the next couple of days, for sure this time, and it wouldn’t surprise her if Oliver forgot about her completely in a few weeks.
~0~
As she closed her car door, Chloe wondered if she would regret this decision. It had been a while since she had talked to him, as she ignored his calls after the photo came out. He was concerned, and Clark would always be concerned, but she didn’t want to deal with his big brother act.
However, when weather took a turn for the worst, Chloe called in a favour for Clark to take her to her car at Met Gen. It took awhile for her to convince him that she was perfectly healthy, but once Chloe did, he came and he did as he told. But when Clark was about to leave, Chloe stopped him, offering him a ride back to the Daily Planet. It was a ride he didn’t need, but it was a chance for them to talk, so Clark accepted.
“Well, I’m just going to say it,” he said as Chloe turned her car out of the parking lot. It was going to be blunt, but she would know how he felt about this whole thing; there was no point avoiding that. “I don’t like it and I’m worried about you. Oliver Queen is bad news, Chloe.”
Shaking her head, Chloe thought about how it was really amazing how a couple news stories could really muddle a person’s true self. On the surface, Oliver could be that guy, he could be anyone. But in spending time with him, she got a sense of a different person entirely. “The papers don’t see him when he’s reading to the children's ward of the hospital. Or when he spontaneously drops off a cheque to the nearby homeless shelter... just because he felt like it.”
“That doesn’t mean that -”
“I know that,” Chloe interjected, hoping eventually that Clark would see her side. But it continued to go back and forth, getting all of their crap to the surface.
Eventually, Chloe found it within herself to say calmly, “He was trying to take me home when I fell asleep. Considering a guy with his reputation, a situation like that could have been a lot worse.”
Seeing the Daily Planet approaching, Clark wanted to say more, but between the validity of Chloe’s argument and the time left in this conversation, he decided against it. “How’s the job?”
She knew Clark would never say outright that her point was solid, but with him, it was all about little victories. “It pays, decent benefit plan." At this point, that was about all she knew about her job. Regardless, she said, "I won’t lie to you Clark, I know it sounds strange but... I think it’s a good thing for me.”
As the car stopped, Clark turned to Chloe, reaching across the car to grab her hand. Squeezing it lightly, he said honestly, “I’m glad.” With that, he released it before opening his door. Clark stood next to the car for a minute before leaning down to add, “Take care Chloe.”
“You too,” Chloe replied quietly, barely hearing the door shut. All she could focus on was the fact that Clark had held her hand, and for the first time in a very long time, Chloe didn’t feel any different.
Chapter 4
Sera’s Scribbles: Shout-out to madlenita. It’s kind of late, but happy birthday! This one’s for you