The Longer You Run (24/28)
Author: serafina19
Title: The Longer You Run
Summary: On the surface, the only thing that tied together Chloe Sullivan and Oliver Queen was a story. But behind closed doors was an accidental relationship that unintentionally changed everything.
Rating: NC-17
Warning: adult content, coarse language, AU.
Thanks to: aradira for the fabulous banner.
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Hanging up his phone, Hal couldn’t help but laugh. Life always had a way of working in mysterious ways, and if that phone call wasn’t an indication, nothing was.
Entering the elevator, he stared at the numbers on his contact list. He shared plenty of numbers with Oliver, but there was one that was glaringly obvious now, and while Oliver may be too afraid to call her, Hal wasn’t.
As the ring tone activated, Hal hoped that he wouldn’t get her voicemail, and he wasn’t disappointed as Chloe picked up on the second ring. "Hal, hey. It's been awhile."
That was an understatement to say the least, but he wasn’t going to call her on it. "I thought it was only fair to tell you to break a leg on Dinah's show next week."
"How do you know about that?"
"We go way back,” Hal replied, more than willing to fill in that blank. "Granted, she's a friend of my ex, but AC and I used to surf together before he moved to Kansas for the job. He keeps me in the loop."
Chloe nodded as she stopped walking. She never considered just how small the world was and she wasn’t about to ignore the point Hal was trying to get her to understand. "Just you?"
It had been a few days since she had thought about him, as she was genuinely trying to move on. Taking the interview with Dinah Lance was supposed to be the start of a new phase in her life, but she never thought it would be an easy way to connect her life back to Oliver.
Hal smiled as he appreciated the mostly direct question. "I don't know. But you're free to ask him yourself." He figured that if he couldn’t convince Oliver to call her, then maybe Chloe could take the initiative.
However, he wasn’t going to be that lucky. "I am, but he’s got more important things to handle right now. Thanks for the call Hal."
"You bet Chloe," Hal replied with a sigh as he stood in front of Oliver’s office, hoping there was a chance that his friend heard her name. He had hoped to see Oliver’s expression behind the closed doors, but this would have to do.
He supposed he understood why Oliver had been quiet lately, as his company meant more to him and Chloe would have never forgiven Oliver if he did walk away from this crisis, but time was running out. It was Chloe that inspired this in Oliver and Hal didn’t want either of them to miss the good times they could have.
Realizing that there wasn’t much point on standing outside his office forever, Hal knocked on the door before opening it. All signs seemed to point to Oliver being oblivious, but Hal also knew that he gave him enough time to re-find his focus.
Gesturing towards the stack of files on Oliver’s desk, Hal decided to break the silence. "I think that pile has actually increased since I saw you last."
That's quite possible, but the hard part is over." Oliver's smile widened as he sat back in his chair. “They found him.”
Seeing the smile made Hal realize that the focus in his work was genuine, that he hadn’t heard what Hal had said before coming inside, but this was something that Hal would gladly accept. “That’s… that’s incredible news.”
Oliver put down his pen, letting himself relax for the first time since getting the call this morning. The betrayal still stung, but he wouldn't let himself get lost on that while he had a company to save. “We won’t get all of the money back, but the company will survive this intact. That’s what matters.”
The smile he maintained was small, but spoke volumes. It had been too long since Oliver had let himself smile in Hal’s presence, which was why it felt hard to be responsible for its imminent removal. "If that's the case, then I recommend that you celebrate by catching up on your Canary Call podcasts. From what I hear from AC, she's got some great material coming." Sure enough, the expression was gone and Oliver pushed out his chair, so Hal sighed before adding, "Which of course you already know."
Oliver nodded as he remained seated. "Dinah called me last night." It wasn’t a call he anticipated, but oddly enough, she had called to inform him of the interview, to thank him for indirectly providing her with the perfect replacement for her show on Tuesday. He had been tempted to ask more, but instead, all he told Dinah was that her gratitude wasn't necessary, that Chloe had earned this.
"I know I've said my peace on this matter, and feel free to leave this question unanswered, but you told me she speaks for herself. So have you let her?” Hal put his hands up in defence, hoping that Oliver knew that he didn’t mean to start an argument. “All I’m saying is... you could at least call to congratulate her, because your attempts to drop her from your life clearly aren’t working.”
Unfortunately for them both, Oliver couldn’t give Hal the answer he wanted. “Are you done?” He had wanted to call her, but every time he brought his phone up, all he could see was the face she gave him when she said goodbye. Besides, she was still hurting and she hadn't called him either since they last spoke in Star City. If she wanted to talk to him, she would.
“Almost,” Hal replied, hoping for another question from Oliver, but he would at least attempt to stand by his word. After all, that wasn’t the reason Hal had stopped by initially. “Can you let Leah know that I can’t go tonight? I had a last minute change to my schedule and I’ve got a flight in three hours.”
“Sure.”
Hal smirked, turning to leave Oliver’s office, but he stopped in the doorway. “You shouldn’t go either, you know,” he added quietly, hearing his friend’s harsh breath behind him. Hal put up a finger to stop his words. “Now I’m done.”
Oliver was still tempted to get the last word in, but instead, he let his friend walk away. Unfortunately, with his life, it wasn’t that easy to just stay in all the time. Headlines would run regardless, and with tonight, he could move forward and help Chloe get the independence she needed from his life.
But before he could do that, Oliver needed to know how that she was going to be okay. And as much as he didn't want to talk to him, Oliver knew that he was the only person in this city could help him.
~0~
Matt paused as he stood in the doorway of his office. It was his office, but as he looked at the other man, he felt like the one who owned the place. That expression was probably a matter of survival in his world, but it was amazing how much could be dictated in the smallest of things.
Like the fact he was staring out the window, his mouth having the slightest hint of a frown to it. Most people wouldn’t notice it, but Matt had been in that situation more times than he wanted to admit. Maybe that was why he was here.
Clearing his throat, Matt announced his presence. "You know, when my assistant said that you were waiting in my office, I thought she was kidding." After all, the headquarters weren’t set to open for another week, yet for some reason, Oliver Queen decided now was the best time to visit him.
"You were the one who called me," Oliver pointed out, turning fully to face the other man.
"Almost three weeks ago." Matt closed the door to his office, settling his things down on his desk before glancing back up. "When I heard nothing back, I figured it was nothing that you wanted to hear."
"How is she?"
Matt shrugged. "As fine as someone can be after losing a parent." Based on personal experience, she seemed to coping much better than he ever did. "I haven't talked with her directly, but based on Clark's reaction, things are looking up."
Grinning, Matt leaned against his desk, watching as his company hadn’t left his place by the window. "Of course, you do realize I could have told you all that over the phone."
“Maybe, but I wanted to hear it directly from you,” Oliver said, bowing his head as he headed towards the door. “So save whatever you think you need to say." While Oliver had been the one to broach that topic, he had heard enough from Hal and Lois.
Hearing the agitation in Oliver’s voice, Matt chuckled. “I have saved it until now, but I can’t do that anymore.” It wasn’t the reaction that Oliver wanted, but Matt was done avoiding a conversation they needed to have. "I don't think you fully understand what you're about to lose here.”
Oliver scoffed. “I think I have a pretty good idea.”
“Well, I know that look.” Oliver may have told the truth, but that wasn’t going to help in the coming days. He glanced over to where Oliver was standing before, taking in the sunset, the colours that lit up the sky. “You could fool a lot of people, but not someone who knows what it’s like to fall for Chloe Sullivan.”
“We’re just friends.”
That response clinched Matt’s suspicions, as Oliver had tried to backtrack, but it backfired. “Mr. Queen, I don’t think you know what being her friend means.” He expected some form of hostility from the other man, and his expression didn’t disappoint, but what Oliver didn’t realize was that he misunderstood Matt’s point. “Do yourself a favour and look at the tabloids back when they reported that Chloe and I were dating. She never looked at me like that, no matter how much I wanted her to.”
Oliver watched the other man smirk, his feelings for Chloe becoming easier to see. “How about now?”
“Now?” Matt was tempted to laugh, but didn't upon realizing that Oliver was serious. He actually considered Matt as competition, which seemed crazy, but it seemed like Oliver really didn’t know how much he meant to Chloe. “Now I’m wondering why you’re giving up so easily.”
He watched as Oliver opened his mouth, but Matt spoke again. “Don’t get me wrong, I get it. You want to be a good guy, give her the needed space, but take it from someone who did miss out." Despite their acceptance of each other, it still hurt Matt to see Chloe move on, but standing in his office with Oliver only confirmed that she had found the person she was waiting for, even if neither of them wanted to see it. "Don’t wait until it’s too late to change things, even if it backfires. Wondering what if didn’t do me any favours."
Oliver nodded, taking his words under advisement, but it didn’t help convince him that things were better than how he saw them. "Okay."
“That’s it?” Matt crossed his arms, as he couldn’t believe that the guy who had just fought tooth and nail for his company was giving up on the most amazing woman he had ever met. Unfortunately, Oliver didn’t seem to be giving any sign of the fighter that Chloe had once described to him. “Fine. Can you at least tell me the rumours aren’t true?”
Oliver couldn’t do that, so he shrugged casually before saying, "Can't stay inside forever."
Matt shook his head, hoping for another reason, but not surprised by the one he got. "You’re making a big mistake."
"No offence, but I think the window’s already closed.”
“If you think that… then you really don’t know her as well as I thought,” Matt said quietly, “But it’s your loss this time.”
“Thank you for your honesty,” Oliver said, reaching for the doorknob to leave the editor in peace.
Matt heard the click of the doorknob, and as much as he wanted that to be the end of the conversation, he couldn’t let this go that easily. “If honesty was what you wanted, I might as well tell you that a storm is coming. The self-inflicted pain will feel like nothing once Lois and Clark find out.” He saw Oliver’s hand drop from the knob, so Matt hoped that he would hear him out. “But that’s not even the worst part.”
Still facing the door, Oliver was able to piece together what Matt said, and unlike him, he wasn’t worried. “Chloe’s strong enough to get through this.”
“Usually she is,” Matt replied, speaking from personal experience. “But you do realize that meeting you was how she got over Jimmy.”
Oliver turned his head over his shoulder, wanting to smile at the memories, but they weren’t as favourable as they once were. “I have faith she has someone in her life that will make her happy again.”
There it was again, the denial Oliver was desperately holding onto, hoping it would make the pain easier, but Matt was quick to shake his head to inform him otherwise. “Trust me, I would love to be in your shoes, but after six years, I’ve finally accepted where we are. Like I said, there is someone in her life that made her remember who she was, but it wasn’t me.”
“What makes you confident that it’s me?” He turned fully again, much to Matt’s satisfaction. Oliver probably should have left, but Matt’s conviction on his role in Chloe’s life surprised him. Someone who barely saw them together, someone who had everything to gain from his mistakes… it almost felt like a trick.
But it wasn’t, and Matt was intent on making that clear. “You met Chloe’s mother. I could know nothing else about you and that would be enough… but you were also the first person she went to after her mother died.” His stare fell to the floor, eyes eventually closing. “I think even you know what that means.”
Oliver sighed at that particular memory. “I was just a distraction.” He watched Matt’s head come back up, likely ready to make another point, but Oliver knew it was his turn. “While Chloe came to see me, she left me as fast as she could when things turned to her problems. She said goodbye and since then, I haven’t heard from her.” He sighed again before adding, “Message received as far as I’m concerned.”
Matt took in his words, not expecting the picture that was forming in front of him, but that didn’t change the fact that distance was more their enemy than either Chloe and Oliver wanted to admit. “Mr. Queen, if I may be so bold to ask… why did you come back to Star City?” He gestured towards the skyline. “This is your parent’s city, it will always be Robert and Laura Queen’s city, may their souls rest in peace.”
“And?”
Matt pushed himself up from his desk, walking around it to stand behind his chair.“I came to Star City to make a mark somewhere where I wasn’t defined by my mother’s standards. Some call it the easy way, but I like to think it means that I have more to prove.”
“I’m not seeing your point.”
“Wasn’t that the reason you went to Metropolis? Wasn’t that the reason you wanted Chloe for the article in the first place?” He watched Oliver's eyes widen, giving Matt the answer he needed. “You were seeing success, positive recognition for the first time in god knows how long, and then you bailed for what exactly? A long-time dream that had probably changed right in front of your eyes?”
Oliver nodded unconsciously. “You weren’t kidding when you said you had a few questions.”
The verbal non-answer didn’t faze Matt in the slightest. “I want to know what was worth throwing away what you had in Metropolis, because there is a difference between living on top of the world and having it all, Mr. Queen. I’m not usually a betting man, but you seemed a lot happier with her on that terrace than you have ever been in this city.”
Oliver shrugged in defeat, not knowing what else he could say anymore. The arguments he had given were becoming stale, but the reasons he had remained distant were still holding strong. “I was, but there are only so many unanswered phone calls and texts that I’m willing to give.”
Hoping that was all, Oliver attempted to leave again, but he had heard the other man lift his feet, eventually coming close enough to line up a business card to Oliver’s line of sight. “I may not agree with what you’re doing, but take this.” Matt still hoped that Oliver would do the right thing, but if he didn’t, Matt wanted Oliver to know that there was at least one person who understood the decision he was making. “If you ever need to talk.”
“Thanks,” Oliver replied, taking the card, knowing the gesture Matt was making was a risky one, but one that he appreciated.
“Just tread lightly is all I ask,” were the final words Matt spoke to Oliver as he finally left his office. He returned to his desk, ready to start fresh from everything that had happened over the last few months. Because he had done his part, he had said his argument to both sides. From here, all he could do was wait to see if he was congratulating them or picking up the pieces.
~0~
Staring at her phone, Chloe sat down on her couch. She wasn’t sure why she held onto Hal’s number, but she knew why he had called her. The subtlety of his point wasn’t exactly present.
Was this just another example? A way of him reaching out to say sorry for your loss? She knew that Oliver couldn’t be there for her, but was there a chance that this was another case of her getting a break thanks to her connections instead of her merits?
If anything, she figured this break came thanks to a recommendation from AC, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that Oliver could be connected. She thought about the arrogant way he used to call her, to tell her anything from thanks to his initial offer of the arrangement. Now, the only thing she got was the silence she thought she wanted.
That fact didn’t help diminish her worry that Oliver arranged the interview, but what did was remembering what Hal had said.
I don't know. But you're free to ask him yourself.
If there was any scheme, Hal would have known about it, he would have come clean about it. But he knew that she wanted to call him when she got the call from Dinah. He knew that she wanted to call him... period. However, even with a reason to call him, for some reason, those ten digits still terrified her.
Chloe stood up, ready to think of anything else, and as luck would have it, her cousin appeared in her doorway. She hadn’t heard the door unlock, but she smiled before greeting her cousin. “Lois.”
“Clark called me,” Lois said slowly, trying to gauge her cousin’s mood. The phone left abandoned on her coffee table wasn’t a good sign. “He said you left the farm unannounced this morning.”
“There are things I need to handle in the city.”
Lois laughed as she read between the lines. “Code for Jimmy’s wedding is tomorrow.”
“Not entirely.” That was true, but Chloe had stayed long enough on the farm and needed her own space. She did appreciate what Lois and Clark were trying to do, but she couldn’t expect herself to move on if she couldn’t even come home to her place.
“Well, I’m not leaving.” Lois crossed her arms, holding her ground as she knew that her cousin would fight her on this, but Lois had seen Chloe come too far to let Jimmy get the best of her again. “You need company tonight and I’m ensuring that we don’t mellow out tonight.”
As much as Chloe wanted to insist that she was fine, she knew it was a wasted battle, so she went for a compromise. “Okay, but we’re staying in Metropolis.”
Lois’ eyes lit up, and before Chloe could say another word, her cousin was dragging her to her closet. Something told Chloe she had just made a huge mistake.
~0~
“Isn’t this so much better?” Lois got out of the cab, taking a deep breath as her cousin joined her on the sidewalk. "Get some fresh air, live a little.”
Chloe laughed as she swung her purse over her shoulder. It didn't surprise her that Lois thought a Friday night was wasted unless they went out, but the real message wasn’t lost on Chloe. “Subtle.”
Lois just shrugged. “Hey, when it’s true.”
Not wanting to argue, Chloe followed Lois into the building, as she had a point. It probably wouldn’t hurt to go out, and even though there were memories of him at the Ace of Clubs, there were a lot less and Chloe had faith she could put them behind her.
First would be the elevator, as Chloe stood on the opposite corner from where he first kissed her, the slight discomfort clearly noticed by Lois, but she didn’t say anything. Carrying on, Chloe left the elevator first, ready to start their night, especially after seeing that Ian was working tonight.
However, after a single step forward, Chloe looked elsewhere, realizing that his eyes weren’t the only ones on her. Her heartbeat picking up, Chloe couldn’t remember the last time she had this kind of recognition. After Oliver left, it had calmed down, it had almost gone away.
So what was going on?
Turning to face Lois, Chloe recognized the poker face she had tried to sell, leading her to glance down at the phone clenched in her cousin’s hand. “Give it to me.”
“Cuz,” Lois pleaded unsuccessfully, knowing that any progress that had been made would go down with the drain with a single headline and photo.
“If you don’t, I’m just going to pull out mine.”
Seeing there was no way she could stop her, Lois gave her the phone, knowing what she would see. Her cousin likely was being painted as the other woman or a possible distraction to the inevitable... or maybe something even worse. The only words Lois had time to read was the headline, Star City’s golden boy settling down?, but the photos said enough without reading the article.
Part of her wanted to kill Oliver, but she had this sinking feeling that the last thing he wanted was to pull Chloe in the headlines. He probably figured enough time had passed, but the stupid tabloid cockroaches decided to take Chloe down unnecessarily.
“Lois, I need to go.”
Lois didn’t have time to blink before her phone collided with her chest. Chloe attempted to walk around her to the elevator, so Lois tried to grab her hand to stop her, but her cousin easily shook her off. “Chloe,” she said, a hail mary attempt at best.
Chloe shook her head as she stood alone in the elevator. “Feel free to stop by sometime tomorrow, but right now, there’s something I need to do.” Seeing Lois nod, Chloe was grateful for her cousin’s understanding.
This time, she stood in the middle of the elevator, not wanting to risk feeling the cool metal against her skin. It was petty, Chloe knew that, but before Oliver brought his girlfriend back to Metropolis, Chloe wanted to retrieve the clothing she had left at the clocktower.
For as much as she wanted to move on, Chloe had held onto whatever sliver of hope that she thought existed. Now, it just felt so wrong… so stupid.
The only consolation was that she wasn’t far from his building, so the walk would be short. However, the elevator ride up to his place was much longer as she pulled up more pictures.
Her name was Leah Torren. A model. Of course.
But not just any model. Ivy League grad, business school no less. That was probably what allowed her to legitimately launch a clothing line as opposed to attaching her name to someone else’s clothes. Apparently, modelling only paid the bills until she broke big months after graduation, a moment that was shared with a familiar arm.
Looking up, Chloe tried to take in the silence as she stepped inside. This was only the second time she had used the code to get into his place since he left. The first time, she had lasted about five minutes, not enjoying the feeling of emptiness and quiet.
It was a bachelor’s pad, through and through, but there was something that was oddly comforting about it. It had nothing to do with the fact they had probably had sex on every possible surface or piece of furniture, nor that he lived here. It was just... calming.
Impressing considering that everything crazy she had ever done likely occurred here. The whole arrangement was pretty nuts, not to mention the night she had come here in a trench coat and underwear. She wouldn't realize it before she had left her apartment that night, but somehow, that night was one of the most satisfying in her life.
She almost made him speechless... him. The guy who had it all, the guy who had experienced it all, the guy who had experienced a huge triumph hours ago. She made him feel better.
Then, of course, there was the terrace, where he reassured her that everything was okay, the night before everything officially changed, but deep down, things had likely been changing for a long time. They both ignored it, they both didn’t want to hear it because neither of them wanted commitment. But they didn’t want to fight it either, and nothing solidified that more than the day before the QI gala.
As usual, Chloe wanted a place where she could relax and somehow, she made an excuse that this was the reason she needed to be here. He had been on the phone when she arrived, although he was also home an hour earlier than she had expected. But she had simply walked past him, up the stairs and into the master bathroom.
After stripping down, she had laid down in the bathtub, the warm water allowing her to relax, even take a moment to breathe for once. What she hadn’t anticipated was Oliver’s phone call had ended shortly after her arrival.
~0~
She had been soaking thoroughly, relaxing her back against the tub, head leaning up when she sensed him staring at her. His feet weren’t moving, so he was probably standing at the doorway, but Chloe wasn’t about to open her eyes or turn her head. This... was her time, or at least, that’s what she thought when she figured he would move on and continue with his work.
But instead, she heard the light tap against the bathroom tile. She felt her grin expand, a quip coming, but Oliver had something else in mind.
Feeling his hands slip underneath her neck, he started to massage her skin, his expert fingers determining just where the knots were. It didn’t take long for all thoughts to fade away, her head leaning forward and a soft moan releasing as he continued.
“Is this okay?” he said anyway, wanting to know for sure that he was wanted here. He hadn’t anticipated to see her today, as he figured she had enough on her mind with the gala quickly approaching. Then again, she had purposely come here when she thought he wasn’t going to be here.
“Mmm,” was about she could manage as this was some sort of heaven. Because it didn’t stop where he started, as he moved slowly down her neck to her shoulders. As she started to get used to it, her voice and her words came back. “Are you joining me?”
Oliver paused momentarily, unsure he heard correctly, so Chloe turned her head over her shoulder. “What,” she whispered upon seeing the surprise on his face. “I think your work can wait until tomorrow right?”
That seemed to be all the motivation he needed, as Oliver began to undress, leading Chloe to move forward in the tub.
~0~
They lay there for an hour. No dialogue or provocative touching. It was just them, enjoying each other’s company. Her skin was wrinkled and what not, yet he helped dry her off with little hesitation. His efforts were all for nought though, as the cleanness of their skin would leave after Chloe had turned around and kissed him.
Chloe stared at the tub now, sparkling clean, and all she could think about was the little things that Oliver did to make her happy. The way he’d smile at her, the simple way he’d tried to lift her spirits...
Just how long was she planning to kid herself? As Chloe backed away from the bathroom, she realized that night had everything she needed to know. Turning around, she scoffed, knowing that the master bedroom wasn’t going to be a better sight, a sick taste in her mouth forming as she realized she might be too late to fix things.
Leah and Oliver were long-time friends and there were rumblings of a new power couple. Maybe that’s why he backed away in Star City, because Clark was right, she expected him to find someone else. Regardless of her reasons then, Chloe knew she had to be here now, as she couldn’t take the chance that Oliver would come back with her and notice that Chloe never retrieved her clothing.
Leaning down, Chloe opened her drawer, but upon seeing the clothes inside, she fell to her knees, her fingers gripping the drawers’ edges.
She had a drawer and she used it. Heck, she had filled it.
But it couldn’t stay that way, Chloe couldn’t take that chance. With her eyes squeezed shut, Chloe stuffed what she could into her purse and left the bedroom before memories flooded her mind. However, it was no use, because there was no way to walk through this place and not think of him.
Collapsing down on the couch, Chloe dropped her purse and looked around, allowing herself to smile, even if it was bittersweet. It hurt inside, but Chloe knew it wasn’t going to be any better once she got back to her place. Lois would inevitably be there, and Chloe didn’t want to talk about it. Not when thinking about it hurt this much.
It seemed insane to stay here instead, to settle in on the couch for one night, but Chloe could at least rely on Oliver not showing up here tonight. At this point, she was ready for the night to be over, and with any luck, tonight would be her real closure.
Chapter 24
Sera’s Scribbles: In the words of scout09: “If I've learned anything from reading this story, it's that you have a solid plan and patience is heavily rewarded.”
In other words… trust me.
.
Title: The Longer You Run
Summary: On the surface, the only thing that tied together Chloe Sullivan and Oliver Queen was a story. But behind closed doors was an accidental relationship that unintentionally changed everything.
Rating: NC-17
Warning: adult content, coarse language, AU.
Thanks to: aradira for the fabulous banner.
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Hanging up his phone, Hal couldn’t help but laugh. Life always had a way of working in mysterious ways, and if that phone call wasn’t an indication, nothing was.
Entering the elevator, he stared at the numbers on his contact list. He shared plenty of numbers with Oliver, but there was one that was glaringly obvious now, and while Oliver may be too afraid to call her, Hal wasn’t.
As the ring tone activated, Hal hoped that he wouldn’t get her voicemail, and he wasn’t disappointed as Chloe picked up on the second ring. "Hal, hey. It's been awhile."
That was an understatement to say the least, but he wasn’t going to call her on it. "I thought it was only fair to tell you to break a leg on Dinah's show next week."
"How do you know about that?"
"We go way back,” Hal replied, more than willing to fill in that blank. "Granted, she's a friend of my ex, but AC and I used to surf together before he moved to Kansas for the job. He keeps me in the loop."
Chloe nodded as she stopped walking. She never considered just how small the world was and she wasn’t about to ignore the point Hal was trying to get her to understand. "Just you?"
It had been a few days since she had thought about him, as she was genuinely trying to move on. Taking the interview with Dinah Lance was supposed to be the start of a new phase in her life, but she never thought it would be an easy way to connect her life back to Oliver.
Hal smiled as he appreciated the mostly direct question. "I don't know. But you're free to ask him yourself." He figured that if he couldn’t convince Oliver to call her, then maybe Chloe could take the initiative.
However, he wasn’t going to be that lucky. "I am, but he’s got more important things to handle right now. Thanks for the call Hal."
"You bet Chloe," Hal replied with a sigh as he stood in front of Oliver’s office, hoping there was a chance that his friend heard her name. He had hoped to see Oliver’s expression behind the closed doors, but this would have to do.
He supposed he understood why Oliver had been quiet lately, as his company meant more to him and Chloe would have never forgiven Oliver if he did walk away from this crisis, but time was running out. It was Chloe that inspired this in Oliver and Hal didn’t want either of them to miss the good times they could have.
Realizing that there wasn’t much point on standing outside his office forever, Hal knocked on the door before opening it. All signs seemed to point to Oliver being oblivious, but Hal also knew that he gave him enough time to re-find his focus.
Gesturing towards the stack of files on Oliver’s desk, Hal decided to break the silence. "I think that pile has actually increased since I saw you last."
That's quite possible, but the hard part is over." Oliver's smile widened as he sat back in his chair. “They found him.”
Seeing the smile made Hal realize that the focus in his work was genuine, that he hadn’t heard what Hal had said before coming inside, but this was something that Hal would gladly accept. “That’s… that’s incredible news.”
Oliver put down his pen, letting himself relax for the first time since getting the call this morning. The betrayal still stung, but he wouldn't let himself get lost on that while he had a company to save. “We won’t get all of the money back, but the company will survive this intact. That’s what matters.”
The smile he maintained was small, but spoke volumes. It had been too long since Oliver had let himself smile in Hal’s presence, which was why it felt hard to be responsible for its imminent removal. "If that's the case, then I recommend that you celebrate by catching up on your Canary Call podcasts. From what I hear from AC, she's got some great material coming." Sure enough, the expression was gone and Oliver pushed out his chair, so Hal sighed before adding, "Which of course you already know."
Oliver nodded as he remained seated. "Dinah called me last night." It wasn’t a call he anticipated, but oddly enough, she had called to inform him of the interview, to thank him for indirectly providing her with the perfect replacement for her show on Tuesday. He had been tempted to ask more, but instead, all he told Dinah was that her gratitude wasn't necessary, that Chloe had earned this.
"I know I've said my peace on this matter, and feel free to leave this question unanswered, but you told me she speaks for herself. So have you let her?” Hal put his hands up in defence, hoping that Oliver knew that he didn’t mean to start an argument. “All I’m saying is... you could at least call to congratulate her, because your attempts to drop her from your life clearly aren’t working.”
Unfortunately for them both, Oliver couldn’t give Hal the answer he wanted. “Are you done?” He had wanted to call her, but every time he brought his phone up, all he could see was the face she gave him when she said goodbye. Besides, she was still hurting and she hadn't called him either since they last spoke in Star City. If she wanted to talk to him, she would.
“Almost,” Hal replied, hoping for another question from Oliver, but he would at least attempt to stand by his word. After all, that wasn’t the reason Hal had stopped by initially. “Can you let Leah know that I can’t go tonight? I had a last minute change to my schedule and I’ve got a flight in three hours.”
“Sure.”
Hal smirked, turning to leave Oliver’s office, but he stopped in the doorway. “You shouldn’t go either, you know,” he added quietly, hearing his friend’s harsh breath behind him. Hal put up a finger to stop his words. “Now I’m done.”
Oliver was still tempted to get the last word in, but instead, he let his friend walk away. Unfortunately, with his life, it wasn’t that easy to just stay in all the time. Headlines would run regardless, and with tonight, he could move forward and help Chloe get the independence she needed from his life.
But before he could do that, Oliver needed to know how that she was going to be okay. And as much as he didn't want to talk to him, Oliver knew that he was the only person in this city could help him.
~0~
Matt paused as he stood in the doorway of his office. It was his office, but as he looked at the other man, he felt like the one who owned the place. That expression was probably a matter of survival in his world, but it was amazing how much could be dictated in the smallest of things.
Like the fact he was staring out the window, his mouth having the slightest hint of a frown to it. Most people wouldn’t notice it, but Matt had been in that situation more times than he wanted to admit. Maybe that was why he was here.
Clearing his throat, Matt announced his presence. "You know, when my assistant said that you were waiting in my office, I thought she was kidding." After all, the headquarters weren’t set to open for another week, yet for some reason, Oliver Queen decided now was the best time to visit him.
"You were the one who called me," Oliver pointed out, turning fully to face the other man.
"Almost three weeks ago." Matt closed the door to his office, settling his things down on his desk before glancing back up. "When I heard nothing back, I figured it was nothing that you wanted to hear."
"How is she?"
Matt shrugged. "As fine as someone can be after losing a parent." Based on personal experience, she seemed to coping much better than he ever did. "I haven't talked with her directly, but based on Clark's reaction, things are looking up."
Grinning, Matt leaned against his desk, watching as his company hadn’t left his place by the window. "Of course, you do realize I could have told you all that over the phone."
“Maybe, but I wanted to hear it directly from you,” Oliver said, bowing his head as he headed towards the door. “So save whatever you think you need to say." While Oliver had been the one to broach that topic, he had heard enough from Hal and Lois.
Hearing the agitation in Oliver’s voice, Matt chuckled. “I have saved it until now, but I can’t do that anymore.” It wasn’t the reaction that Oliver wanted, but Matt was done avoiding a conversation they needed to have. "I don't think you fully understand what you're about to lose here.”
Oliver scoffed. “I think I have a pretty good idea.”
“Well, I know that look.” Oliver may have told the truth, but that wasn’t going to help in the coming days. He glanced over to where Oliver was standing before, taking in the sunset, the colours that lit up the sky. “You could fool a lot of people, but not someone who knows what it’s like to fall for Chloe Sullivan.”
“We’re just friends.”
That response clinched Matt’s suspicions, as Oliver had tried to backtrack, but it backfired. “Mr. Queen, I don’t think you know what being her friend means.” He expected some form of hostility from the other man, and his expression didn’t disappoint, but what Oliver didn’t realize was that he misunderstood Matt’s point. “Do yourself a favour and look at the tabloids back when they reported that Chloe and I were dating. She never looked at me like that, no matter how much I wanted her to.”
Oliver watched the other man smirk, his feelings for Chloe becoming easier to see. “How about now?”
“Now?” Matt was tempted to laugh, but didn't upon realizing that Oliver was serious. He actually considered Matt as competition, which seemed crazy, but it seemed like Oliver really didn’t know how much he meant to Chloe. “Now I’m wondering why you’re giving up so easily.”
He watched as Oliver opened his mouth, but Matt spoke again. “Don’t get me wrong, I get it. You want to be a good guy, give her the needed space, but take it from someone who did miss out." Despite their acceptance of each other, it still hurt Matt to see Chloe move on, but standing in his office with Oliver only confirmed that she had found the person she was waiting for, even if neither of them wanted to see it. "Don’t wait until it’s too late to change things, even if it backfires. Wondering what if didn’t do me any favours."
Oliver nodded, taking his words under advisement, but it didn’t help convince him that things were better than how he saw them. "Okay."
“That’s it?” Matt crossed his arms, as he couldn’t believe that the guy who had just fought tooth and nail for his company was giving up on the most amazing woman he had ever met. Unfortunately, Oliver didn’t seem to be giving any sign of the fighter that Chloe had once described to him. “Fine. Can you at least tell me the rumours aren’t true?”
Oliver couldn’t do that, so he shrugged casually before saying, "Can't stay inside forever."
Matt shook his head, hoping for another reason, but not surprised by the one he got. "You’re making a big mistake."
"No offence, but I think the window’s already closed.”
“If you think that… then you really don’t know her as well as I thought,” Matt said quietly, “But it’s your loss this time.”
“Thank you for your honesty,” Oliver said, reaching for the doorknob to leave the editor in peace.
Matt heard the click of the doorknob, and as much as he wanted that to be the end of the conversation, he couldn’t let this go that easily. “If honesty was what you wanted, I might as well tell you that a storm is coming. The self-inflicted pain will feel like nothing once Lois and Clark find out.” He saw Oliver’s hand drop from the knob, so Matt hoped that he would hear him out. “But that’s not even the worst part.”
Still facing the door, Oliver was able to piece together what Matt said, and unlike him, he wasn’t worried. “Chloe’s strong enough to get through this.”
“Usually she is,” Matt replied, speaking from personal experience. “But you do realize that meeting you was how she got over Jimmy.”
Oliver turned his head over his shoulder, wanting to smile at the memories, but they weren’t as favourable as they once were. “I have faith she has someone in her life that will make her happy again.”
There it was again, the denial Oliver was desperately holding onto, hoping it would make the pain easier, but Matt was quick to shake his head to inform him otherwise. “Trust me, I would love to be in your shoes, but after six years, I’ve finally accepted where we are. Like I said, there is someone in her life that made her remember who she was, but it wasn’t me.”
“What makes you confident that it’s me?” He turned fully again, much to Matt’s satisfaction. Oliver probably should have left, but Matt’s conviction on his role in Chloe’s life surprised him. Someone who barely saw them together, someone who had everything to gain from his mistakes… it almost felt like a trick.
But it wasn’t, and Matt was intent on making that clear. “You met Chloe’s mother. I could know nothing else about you and that would be enough… but you were also the first person she went to after her mother died.” His stare fell to the floor, eyes eventually closing. “I think even you know what that means.”
Oliver sighed at that particular memory. “I was just a distraction.” He watched Matt’s head come back up, likely ready to make another point, but Oliver knew it was his turn. “While Chloe came to see me, she left me as fast as she could when things turned to her problems. She said goodbye and since then, I haven’t heard from her.” He sighed again before adding, “Message received as far as I’m concerned.”
Matt took in his words, not expecting the picture that was forming in front of him, but that didn’t change the fact that distance was more their enemy than either Chloe and Oliver wanted to admit. “Mr. Queen, if I may be so bold to ask… why did you come back to Star City?” He gestured towards the skyline. “This is your parent’s city, it will always be Robert and Laura Queen’s city, may their souls rest in peace.”
“And?”
Matt pushed himself up from his desk, walking around it to stand behind his chair.“I came to Star City to make a mark somewhere where I wasn’t defined by my mother’s standards. Some call it the easy way, but I like to think it means that I have more to prove.”
“I’m not seeing your point.”
“Wasn’t that the reason you went to Metropolis? Wasn’t that the reason you wanted Chloe for the article in the first place?” He watched Oliver's eyes widen, giving Matt the answer he needed. “You were seeing success, positive recognition for the first time in god knows how long, and then you bailed for what exactly? A long-time dream that had probably changed right in front of your eyes?”
Oliver nodded unconsciously. “You weren’t kidding when you said you had a few questions.”
The verbal non-answer didn’t faze Matt in the slightest. “I want to know what was worth throwing away what you had in Metropolis, because there is a difference between living on top of the world and having it all, Mr. Queen. I’m not usually a betting man, but you seemed a lot happier with her on that terrace than you have ever been in this city.”
Oliver shrugged in defeat, not knowing what else he could say anymore. The arguments he had given were becoming stale, but the reasons he had remained distant were still holding strong. “I was, but there are only so many unanswered phone calls and texts that I’m willing to give.”
Hoping that was all, Oliver attempted to leave again, but he had heard the other man lift his feet, eventually coming close enough to line up a business card to Oliver’s line of sight. “I may not agree with what you’re doing, but take this.” Matt still hoped that Oliver would do the right thing, but if he didn’t, Matt wanted Oliver to know that there was at least one person who understood the decision he was making. “If you ever need to talk.”
“Thanks,” Oliver replied, taking the card, knowing the gesture Matt was making was a risky one, but one that he appreciated.
“Just tread lightly is all I ask,” were the final words Matt spoke to Oliver as he finally left his office. He returned to his desk, ready to start fresh from everything that had happened over the last few months. Because he had done his part, he had said his argument to both sides. From here, all he could do was wait to see if he was congratulating them or picking up the pieces.
~0~
Staring at her phone, Chloe sat down on her couch. She wasn’t sure why she held onto Hal’s number, but she knew why he had called her. The subtlety of his point wasn’t exactly present.
Was this just another example? A way of him reaching out to say sorry for your loss? She knew that Oliver couldn’t be there for her, but was there a chance that this was another case of her getting a break thanks to her connections instead of her merits?
If anything, she figured this break came thanks to a recommendation from AC, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that Oliver could be connected. She thought about the arrogant way he used to call her, to tell her anything from thanks to his initial offer of the arrangement. Now, the only thing she got was the silence she thought she wanted.
That fact didn’t help diminish her worry that Oliver arranged the interview, but what did was remembering what Hal had said.
I don't know. But you're free to ask him yourself.
If there was any scheme, Hal would have known about it, he would have come clean about it. But he knew that she wanted to call him when she got the call from Dinah. He knew that she wanted to call him... period. However, even with a reason to call him, for some reason, those ten digits still terrified her.
Chloe stood up, ready to think of anything else, and as luck would have it, her cousin appeared in her doorway. She hadn’t heard the door unlock, but she smiled before greeting her cousin. “Lois.”
“Clark called me,” Lois said slowly, trying to gauge her cousin’s mood. The phone left abandoned on her coffee table wasn’t a good sign. “He said you left the farm unannounced this morning.”
“There are things I need to handle in the city.”
Lois laughed as she read between the lines. “Code for Jimmy’s wedding is tomorrow.”
“Not entirely.” That was true, but Chloe had stayed long enough on the farm and needed her own space. She did appreciate what Lois and Clark were trying to do, but she couldn’t expect herself to move on if she couldn’t even come home to her place.
“Well, I’m not leaving.” Lois crossed her arms, holding her ground as she knew that her cousin would fight her on this, but Lois had seen Chloe come too far to let Jimmy get the best of her again. “You need company tonight and I’m ensuring that we don’t mellow out tonight.”
As much as Chloe wanted to insist that she was fine, she knew it was a wasted battle, so she went for a compromise. “Okay, but we’re staying in Metropolis.”
Lois’ eyes lit up, and before Chloe could say another word, her cousin was dragging her to her closet. Something told Chloe she had just made a huge mistake.
~0~
“Isn’t this so much better?” Lois got out of the cab, taking a deep breath as her cousin joined her on the sidewalk. "Get some fresh air, live a little.”
Chloe laughed as she swung her purse over her shoulder. It didn't surprise her that Lois thought a Friday night was wasted unless they went out, but the real message wasn’t lost on Chloe. “Subtle.”
Lois just shrugged. “Hey, when it’s true.”
Not wanting to argue, Chloe followed Lois into the building, as she had a point. It probably wouldn’t hurt to go out, and even though there were memories of him at the Ace of Clubs, there were a lot less and Chloe had faith she could put them behind her.
First would be the elevator, as Chloe stood on the opposite corner from where he first kissed her, the slight discomfort clearly noticed by Lois, but she didn’t say anything. Carrying on, Chloe left the elevator first, ready to start their night, especially after seeing that Ian was working tonight.
However, after a single step forward, Chloe looked elsewhere, realizing that his eyes weren’t the only ones on her. Her heartbeat picking up, Chloe couldn’t remember the last time she had this kind of recognition. After Oliver left, it had calmed down, it had almost gone away.
So what was going on?
Turning to face Lois, Chloe recognized the poker face she had tried to sell, leading her to glance down at the phone clenched in her cousin’s hand. “Give it to me.”
“Cuz,” Lois pleaded unsuccessfully, knowing that any progress that had been made would go down with the drain with a single headline and photo.
“If you don’t, I’m just going to pull out mine.”
Seeing there was no way she could stop her, Lois gave her the phone, knowing what she would see. Her cousin likely was being painted as the other woman or a possible distraction to the inevitable... or maybe something even worse. The only words Lois had time to read was the headline, Star City’s golden boy settling down?, but the photos said enough without reading the article.
Part of her wanted to kill Oliver, but she had this sinking feeling that the last thing he wanted was to pull Chloe in the headlines. He probably figured enough time had passed, but the stupid tabloid cockroaches decided to take Chloe down unnecessarily.
“Lois, I need to go.”
Lois didn’t have time to blink before her phone collided with her chest. Chloe attempted to walk around her to the elevator, so Lois tried to grab her hand to stop her, but her cousin easily shook her off. “Chloe,” she said, a hail mary attempt at best.
Chloe shook her head as she stood alone in the elevator. “Feel free to stop by sometime tomorrow, but right now, there’s something I need to do.” Seeing Lois nod, Chloe was grateful for her cousin’s understanding.
This time, she stood in the middle of the elevator, not wanting to risk feeling the cool metal against her skin. It was petty, Chloe knew that, but before Oliver brought his girlfriend back to Metropolis, Chloe wanted to retrieve the clothing she had left at the clocktower.
For as much as she wanted to move on, Chloe had held onto whatever sliver of hope that she thought existed. Now, it just felt so wrong… so stupid.
The only consolation was that she wasn’t far from his building, so the walk would be short. However, the elevator ride up to his place was much longer as she pulled up more pictures.
Her name was Leah Torren. A model. Of course.
But not just any model. Ivy League grad, business school no less. That was probably what allowed her to legitimately launch a clothing line as opposed to attaching her name to someone else’s clothes. Apparently, modelling only paid the bills until she broke big months after graduation, a moment that was shared with a familiar arm.
Looking up, Chloe tried to take in the silence as she stepped inside. This was only the second time she had used the code to get into his place since he left. The first time, she had lasted about five minutes, not enjoying the feeling of emptiness and quiet.
It was a bachelor’s pad, through and through, but there was something that was oddly comforting about it. It had nothing to do with the fact they had probably had sex on every possible surface or piece of furniture, nor that he lived here. It was just... calming.
Impressing considering that everything crazy she had ever done likely occurred here. The whole arrangement was pretty nuts, not to mention the night she had come here in a trench coat and underwear. She wouldn't realize it before she had left her apartment that night, but somehow, that night was one of the most satisfying in her life.
She almost made him speechless... him. The guy who had it all, the guy who had experienced it all, the guy who had experienced a huge triumph hours ago. She made him feel better.
Then, of course, there was the terrace, where he reassured her that everything was okay, the night before everything officially changed, but deep down, things had likely been changing for a long time. They both ignored it, they both didn’t want to hear it because neither of them wanted commitment. But they didn’t want to fight it either, and nothing solidified that more than the day before the QI gala.
As usual, Chloe wanted a place where she could relax and somehow, she made an excuse that this was the reason she needed to be here. He had been on the phone when she arrived, although he was also home an hour earlier than she had expected. But she had simply walked past him, up the stairs and into the master bathroom.
After stripping down, she had laid down in the bathtub, the warm water allowing her to relax, even take a moment to breathe for once. What she hadn’t anticipated was Oliver’s phone call had ended shortly after her arrival.
~0~
She had been soaking thoroughly, relaxing her back against the tub, head leaning up when she sensed him staring at her. His feet weren’t moving, so he was probably standing at the doorway, but Chloe wasn’t about to open her eyes or turn her head. This... was her time, or at least, that’s what she thought when she figured he would move on and continue with his work.
But instead, she heard the light tap against the bathroom tile. She felt her grin expand, a quip coming, but Oliver had something else in mind.
Feeling his hands slip underneath her neck, he started to massage her skin, his expert fingers determining just where the knots were. It didn’t take long for all thoughts to fade away, her head leaning forward and a soft moan releasing as he continued.
“Is this okay?” he said anyway, wanting to know for sure that he was wanted here. He hadn’t anticipated to see her today, as he figured she had enough on her mind with the gala quickly approaching. Then again, she had purposely come here when she thought he wasn’t going to be here.
“Mmm,” was about she could manage as this was some sort of heaven. Because it didn’t stop where he started, as he moved slowly down her neck to her shoulders. As she started to get used to it, her voice and her words came back. “Are you joining me?”
Oliver paused momentarily, unsure he heard correctly, so Chloe turned her head over her shoulder. “What,” she whispered upon seeing the surprise on his face. “I think your work can wait until tomorrow right?”
That seemed to be all the motivation he needed, as Oliver began to undress, leading Chloe to move forward in the tub.
~0~
They lay there for an hour. No dialogue or provocative touching. It was just them, enjoying each other’s company. Her skin was wrinkled and what not, yet he helped dry her off with little hesitation. His efforts were all for nought though, as the cleanness of their skin would leave after Chloe had turned around and kissed him.
Chloe stared at the tub now, sparkling clean, and all she could think about was the little things that Oliver did to make her happy. The way he’d smile at her, the simple way he’d tried to lift her spirits...
Just how long was she planning to kid herself? As Chloe backed away from the bathroom, she realized that night had everything she needed to know. Turning around, she scoffed, knowing that the master bedroom wasn’t going to be a better sight, a sick taste in her mouth forming as she realized she might be too late to fix things.
Leah and Oliver were long-time friends and there were rumblings of a new power couple. Maybe that’s why he backed away in Star City, because Clark was right, she expected him to find someone else. Regardless of her reasons then, Chloe knew she had to be here now, as she couldn’t take the chance that Oliver would come back with her and notice that Chloe never retrieved her clothing.
Leaning down, Chloe opened her drawer, but upon seeing the clothes inside, she fell to her knees, her fingers gripping the drawers’ edges.
She had a drawer and she used it. Heck, she had filled it.
But it couldn’t stay that way, Chloe couldn’t take that chance. With her eyes squeezed shut, Chloe stuffed what she could into her purse and left the bedroom before memories flooded her mind. However, it was no use, because there was no way to walk through this place and not think of him.
Collapsing down on the couch, Chloe dropped her purse and looked around, allowing herself to smile, even if it was bittersweet. It hurt inside, but Chloe knew it wasn’t going to be any better once she got back to her place. Lois would inevitably be there, and Chloe didn’t want to talk about it. Not when thinking about it hurt this much.
It seemed insane to stay here instead, to settle in on the couch for one night, but Chloe could at least rely on Oliver not showing up here tonight. At this point, she was ready for the night to be over, and with any luck, tonight would be her real closure.
Chapter 24
Sera’s Scribbles: In the words of scout09: “If I've learned anything from reading this story, it's that you have a solid plan and patience is heavily rewarded.”
In other words… trust me.
.