The Longer You Run (28/29)
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 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26
Chapter 27
“That concludes this segment of Canary Call. I would like to thank Chloe Sullivan for joining us on the air. Make sure to check out her latest article on the Metropolis mayoral campaign in this morning’s Daily Planet. It's a refreshing change from the usual material.” Dinah smiled at Chloe upon looking up from her microphone. “Chloe, it’s been a pleasure and I hope that it won’t be too long before you come back.”
“I’d love to be back,” Chloe replied, although she was slightly surprised at the shout-out of her article. Lex had considered it an olive branch, possibly a hope that she would come back to the Daily Planet, but even though she accepted the article, Chloe knew that the Daily Planet wasn't her dream anymore. Freelancing had its perks and now that she had established a base to work with, Chloe couldn't wait to see what lay ahead.
Dinah nodded before replying, “Glad to hear it. As for all of you listening, before I pass you onto Cat Grant with the local news, I advise you to use your voice and make it count Metropolis. This is your city... and this is your call.”
With that, Dinah signed off, taking a moment of silence before taking off her headphones. “Not bad at all, Chloe. I can’t believe you’ve never done radio before."
"Well,” Chloe said with a shrug as she followed suit, “it’s true.” The experience had been completely surreal, but Dinah was great at making her feel comfortable. Oddly enough, the whole thing felt like a conversation, so the time completely flew by.
“I’m glad to be your first then. That’ll be an honour to say in five years.”
Chloe blushed as she dipped her head. “You make it sound like I’m a celebrity.”
“You… are going places right now," Dinah replied, as she hadn't anticipated Chloe underestimating her credentials. "You realize that right?”
After a sigh, Chloe nodded, as she understood the other woman’s confusion. "I know what’s coming; it’s just taking time to adjust because I never thought fame suited me."
"You could have fooled me. The whole reason I called you was because of how you handled the last few months." Seeing the other woman’s head jerk back didn’t surprise Dinah, because her boyfriend had mentioned that he had run into Chloe and mentioned his recommendation, which Chloe seemed more than willing to point out.
"I figured..."
"Give me a little bit more credit, Chloe." Dinah pushed back her chair, relaxing in it before adding, "I have a bit more professionalism than that." Dinah had seen enough people who have had fame fall in their lap like Chloe, but it was pretty rare to see someone like her who didn’t change when everyone started looking at them differently. "In your case, fame allows you to inspire others and to make a real difference. It seems scary initially, but holding a quiet amount of fame can be a wonderful thing, because your words can go the extra mile." Pursing her lips before a smile came across her face, Dinah said, "Or at least, I hope so, or else I'm in the wrong profession."
Chloe laughed at that admission, but from where she was sitting, it was easy to tell that Dinah more than held her own in the radio world. "I think you're doing just fine."
"Well, so are you," Dinah replied, grateful for the compliment, but she hoped that Chloe knew just how well she handled the power she had.
After a smile, Chloe stared down at her phone, which displayed various messages from her friends. Lois giving her the standard Go cuz!, Clark being the assuring friend he always was with the reliable Told you that you'd be great. Matt even chimed in, admitting that he was late for a meeting to catch a snippet of the interview. Her smile grew as she remembered the last phone call she had with her friend, as it only lasted two sentences.
Tell me it's true, he said.
It is, was her reply, and after that, he had hung up, likely knowing that there were things that she would prefer doing at the time.
Speaking of Oliver, he hadn't passed the opportunity to be supportive of her either, as she had a few texts from him too. That reminded Chloe of something she hadn't said to Dinah yet. "By the way, I appreciate you cutting out that question about my personal life." Understandably, her producer also wanted to know if the rumours were true, if he had come back for her and if a happy ending was in their future. Luckily for them, Dinah immediately crossed it out.
Dinah grinned, shuffling her papers together as she got up from her chair. "Well, it wasn’t exactly the most professional question, but to be honest, I didn't feel the need to ask it while he was waiting outside." Her head dipped as she remembered her first few months of fame, how she was so convinced she was going to lose AC, but he stuck by her. "I get how it feels to worry about fame changing your life, so I won’t hesitate to have your back. I think you should tell people when you're ready, but that should be sooner than later."
Chloe understood that, but after enough time of confusion, they wanted to keep this as quiet as possible. The odd picture in the tabloids was fine, but they were okay with lying to everyone outside of their family and closest friends for now. "Trust me, we know, We're just hoping for a few weeks of privacy," she said as the door behind her opened, leading to Chloe turning around in time to see Oliver enter the booth.
"Hey, you were great." After a smile to Chloe, Oliver turned his attention to Dinah. "You don't mind that I snuck back here?"
"Why would I?" It wasn’t as if her opinion really mattered to him, because when Oliver Queen wanted to do something, she knew that there was no way she could convince him otherwise. She sighed as she watched them, smiles beaming on their faces and suddenly, Dinah felt like she was interrupting something. "For the record, I'm really happy for you both." They both glanced in her direction, but Dinah knew that it was best to take her leave now. After gathering her things, she grinned up at Oliver. “Try not to screw this relationship up, okay?”
Oliver nodded as she left, but as he turned back to Chloe, he noticed her eyebrows rose before gesturing towards Dinah. Knowing where she was going with that thought, he pulled Chloe close, determined to wipe the curiosity from her face. "We tried dating once a long time ago, but it was a case of wrong place, wrong time. We got out while we still could, which is why we work as friends." He grinned before asking, “Sound familiar?”
After a roll of her eyes, Chloe nodded. "Let’s get out of here.”
~0~
Chloe took a deep breath before getting in the elevator, knowing that tonight was a big night. Oliver had tried to convince her to get ready at her place, but instead, Chloe had dragged Lois and Clark to Star City so that she could take her cousin with her to get herself made over. It had been completely worth it, even though she did take the dress that Oliver gave her, despite Lois' objections, but in the end, her cousin relented before Chloe left the hotel. However, she couldn't resist offering a little bit of advice.
“Now remember cuz, as big of a deal that this is… remember one thing. You’re going to blow Oliver away and then you're going show those photographers who’s boss. It's the Sullivan-Lane way.”
That was something Chloe always loved about Lois, she always knew what to say to pick up her spirits, even when she didn’t want to hear it. But the funny part was that Lois was slowly rubbing off on Clark.
“Lois is right. You may be from a small town, but you deserve this Chloe. So knock them dead and don't look back.”
They were both tempted to come, but they knew that Oliver and Chloe weren’t going to be alone, so they decided to have a low-key evening touring Star City instead of being another thing for Chloe to worry about tonight. She also knew that Hal would be there, which was encouraging, but first, Chloe had to brace herself for meeting someone else. For some reason, Oliver also picked tonight to clear the air about the whole Leah Torren situation. He insisted that they would get along just fine, but Chloe couldn’t help but feel intimidated when the elevator opened.
Considering her achievements, Leah wasn’t just a pretty face on the modeling circuit. Granted, she was a beautiful woman who clearly knew how to dress her body, but Chloe always had a hint of suspicion regarding the other woman, even if Leah’s face completely lit up when she saw Chloe enter.
“Chloe, come on in. Oliver’s just on a call.”
“Miss Torren, it’s -”
“Leah, please. Any friend of Oliver’s is a friend of mine.” Leah immediately accepted Chloe’s hand, giving it a firm shake. “Sorry, I should have checked to see if it was okay for me to call you Chloe first.”
“It’s... fine,” Chloe replied, surprised as to how Leah was treating her. At least it helped quiet the last of the worries in her head. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. In fact, the pleasure is mostly mine.” Leah took a step back, clearly sizing Chloe up. “Not every day a person gets to meet the girl that got Oliver to grow up.” Biting her lip to keep herself from laughing as Chloe’s arms crossed her chest, Leah reached forward and put them back to her side. “Not to mention that he wasn’t exaggerating when he said how gorgeous you are.”
“Lee, please... don’t look too hard.”
This time, Leah couldn’t keep the laugh back. “Ronnie, I think he would kill me.” She had actually checked out Chloe for future business opportunities, but she knew what would put the other woman at ease. “And last I checked, I don’t have to look anymore.”
Chloe’s mouth gaped opened when Leah pulled Ronnie close to kiss her. Oliver had told here that she had no reason to worry, but Chloe wouldn't have imagined that this was among the reasons why. Clearing her throat when they had stopped, she said, “Not her type... that was a lot subtler than I thought.”
“Was that what he said?” Seeing Oliver enter the room, Leah added, “Oliver, you could have been a bit more blunt.”
“What?” He had just hung up on his call, so he hardly knew the conversation subject, but when he turned his head to see Ronnie, he had an idea of what Leah was referring to. “It wasn’t my secret to tell.” With that, he turned to smile at Chloe, but his phone buzzed again, leading to Oliver groaning as he left the room.
Leah rolled her eyes as she picked up her purse. “Best secret keeper in town, that one. I’m almost willing to bet he knew before I did.”
“He did, trust me,” Ronnie said from behind her, smirking as her girlfriend turned her head over her shoulder. Walking over to Chloe, she held her hand out to her. "Veronica Grey."
As Chloe shook her hand, Leah spoke up again. “Well, I’m still bummed that it’s taken this long for us to be introduced.” A day after they had made the deal, Oliver had called her to say he had done his part of their deal, she had heard a single Hello from Chloe over the phone, but after that, nothing. Leah understood, but it was more the principle that Hal had met the woman at least three times and she hadn't been introduced before tonight.
In the end though, Leah knew better than to focus on what couldn’t be changed. After all, she knew full well that Oliver had never been happier and her being selfish helped no one. Or at least, not that way. “Maybe you can make it up to me by wearing a few of my designs?”
Once again, Leah had caught Chloe off-guard. She shouldn’t have, but Chloe didn’t expect her to be so forward with the idea. “I’m... I’m flattered, but I don’t think I could afford them.”
“With the free publicity you’d give me, I think we could arrange a little something.”
“This...” Chloe said, pulling slightly at the navy material that surrounded her figure tonight, “This isn’t your dress is it?”
“No, that is a case of Oliver being a traitor, but I can forgive him because that dress is amazing on you.”
“I thought so,” Oliver announced, crossing the room to finally welcome Chloe. “Hi,” he said before leaning his head down to kiss her.
Chloe gladly kissed him back, but she also noticed him turning off his phone right before he entered the room. While she was glad he was with her now, Chloe didn’t want to keep him away from anything important. “Is your business handled?”
“Think so." If nothing else, Oliver felt like there had been enough calls on the subject for at least the next hour. "I prepared my publicist for tonight and assured her that we had our stories straight.”
“So everyone’s ready?” Leah called as she stood in front of the elevator. She didn’t want to interrupt the moment, as seeing them interact in person was really something special, but Leah knew that the sooner their night started, the sooner the tougher parts would be over. When Oliver nodded, she smiled. “Okay, then let’s go explode the tabloids.”
Chloe narrowed her eyes. “Haven’t we already done that?” After all, there had been a fair amount of press since Oliver’s sudden trip to Metropolis. They had tried to play down the stories, including Oliver coming back to Star City a few times since they got together, but based on the way Leah shook her head, Chloe realized there was more to this than she thought.
“Suspicion’s only half the battle. Admission is another one entirely.”
Seeing Chloe nod slowly, Oliver walked in front of her, assuring that she was okay. “It’s not too late to skip out if you -”
He stopped speaking when he felt Chloe grab his hand, wheels still turning in her head. It took a second to find her words, but eventually, she looked up at him. “Tonight, we do this on our own terms, not theirs. I can handle whatever they throw my way because you know all of my skeletons. And I think I know all of yours.”
“You do.”
Smile widening, Chloe tightened her grip of Oliver’s hand and started walking towards the elevator. “Then let’s go.”
~0~
This whole time, Chloe thought that this was supposed to feel different, but it didn't. When the car pulled up to the event venue, Chloe figured that having a relationship with Oliver would amplify her nerves, but instead, she felt fine. She knew that both Leah and Oliver had their eyes on her and Ronnie, the 'civilians' in this situation. But Ronnie gave Chloe a quick smile, as they both knew what they were getting into. The former had been waiting for a long time for this moment and she wasn't about to miss out on this. Chloe was probably less prepared, but she was still ready, clinched when she met Oliver's eyes. However, deep down, he was probably panicking more than she was.
This was a big deal, going out of this limo with someone that he cared about, someone who he could see himself with in six months, heck, six years. Also, as far as he was concerned, Chloe seemed to have been taking this facet of their relationship almost too well. Sure, there had been rumblings, but it was easy to squash the rumours, no matter how true they were.
However, there was one thing that gave him peace. She wouldn't be here if she wasn't ready and there was nothing they could say that would scare her away. She had heard everything they could throw at her and she shrugged it off, because for some reason, she was one of the few women who looked past his transgressions.
Lifting his hand, Oliver stared at Chloe, smile widening on his face while his fingers played with her hair. "Have I mentioned to you how beautiful you look tonight?"
"Actually… no."
"I have," Leah piped up, grinning as their eyes glanced in her direction. "Not my fault that you're focusing more on business than her."
"That works just fine for me.” In fact, that was probably Chloe's preference, as she understood all of the moving parts in his life. The last thing she wanted to be was a distraction from the things that mattered to Oliver as much as she did. “I knew long before this happened that there are always going to be things going on in his life. I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Huh," Leah said, albeit unintentionally based on the way she bit her lip in response.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Liar." Leah's head whirled around to look at her girlfriend, who merely shrugged. "I know that look and remember what you told me."
Leah sighed. "Okay, I was skeptical when the photos first surfaced, considering your career path et al. It wasn’t personal; I just figured that Oliver would never find a woman that was good enough for him. Now, I'm starting to wonder if he's good enough for you."
"I'm probably not."
Chloe shook her head, having a feeling that Oliver would say something like that. "While I'm incredibly flattered, trust me, if you weren't good enough, Lois would have destroyed you." Glancing up at Oliver, Chloe added, "We're far from being perfect, but we accepted each other's faults a long time ago. I think the reason this works because we're a team."
"You two are way too damn cute," Leah replied, leaning over to open the door, realizing that there was no reason to delay their arrival any longer. "C'mon Ronnie, let's blow some people's minds."
Watching the two women get out of the limo, Chloe felt herself laugh as she witnessed Leah's lack of hesitance of coming out with Ronnie. "She is a lot different than I expected."
"We've been there for each other for a long time, but we couldn't always provide the solution that the other person needed." After her big break, it was hard to keep up with Leah's schedule, but luckily for Oliver, he had introduced her to the woman who would become her agent... and her rock. "Ronnie's been there for her when I couldn't, so it's really rewarding to see them enjoy this moment."
"But I believe that it's our turn now."
"That it is." Getting out of the car, Oliver paused to take her hand, helping her regain her balance when she stumbled upon hearing all of the raised voices.
Only a few questions came out clearly this time, but at least the flashbulbs were less intense. Chloe was able to keep her eyes open as she walked down the carpet, slightly surprised at how much attention they were getting considering who was walking in front of them.
She had just met the two women, but there was this sense of freedom on their faces, the knowledge that they didn’t have to hide anymore, that they could be themselves. That was worth more than any photo taken of them as they walked down the street or made out in a club. They were happy, and they were completely honest with each other, which meant that nothing the tabloids could print would hurt them. That was what mattered, and it was something she hoped her relationship with Oliver would have.
"You okay?" Oliver asked her, as he had been staring at her while she looked ahead at Leah and Ronnie. One thing he could always rely upon was that Chloe was thinking about something, and while he knew it wasn’t the place to ask her what it was, he had hoped that everything was still alright.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Chloe replied, meaning the word for once, instead of using it as a placeholder for another emotion. Chuckling before turning towards him, Chloe stopped their progress down the carpet. "But you'd think they'd get tired of asking the same questions."
He was feeling confused as to why Chloe wanted to stop, but he obliged her. Shrugging before taking a look around, Oliver said, "It’s what they have to do. Until they get confirmation, all they can do is speculate."
"Yeah, I suppose hand holding isn't exactly the PDA they're looking for." Smirking as she released his hand, Chloe said, "So let's give them something else."
Oliver’s head had tilted to the side, and Chloe could practically hear the questioning tone in the words he was about to say, but she stopped him by placing a hand on his chest, hearing the voices behind them already getting louder. "Look, I’m still a little nervous, but when we gave in, it was a lot easier than sneaking around the truth." Leaning forward, she smiled at him. "I'm not embarrassed to be here. Are you?"
“Course not,” he said, not expecting her to be so open about this, but he wasn’t about to argue with her decision, especially considering she was right.
Hearing the confidence in his voice, Chloe shrugged. “Then let’s give them what they want.” Leaning up, Chloe was grateful that her shoes cut down a lot of the height difference, but Oliver had met her halfway, and she could practically feel the smile on his lips when they met hers.
They kept it short and sweet, but it was enough to get a reaction from the crowd around them. Taking a step away, Chloe licked her bottom lip before gesturing her head towards the mob of photographers. "Okay, how about I answer a few personal questions, while you handle the business stuff? Divide and conquer, right?”
Oliver nodded as he watched her walk alone towards the vultures that seemed determined to pick her apart, but she just stood there, like someone who had handled the press for years.
"You are so screwed, Oliver," he heard Leah say from behind him.
"No,” he countered, still looking at Chloe as he addressed his friend’s comment. “I'm the luckiest guy I know."
Leah shook her head as Oliver walked forward, handling his questions like the consummate professional he was. But he couldn’t resist looking over to Chloe, which immediately warmed Leah’s heart. God knows she had tried to find someone to help Oliver realize that he was missing something in his life, but it turned out that he just needed some more time.
Seeing the woman in question finish her end of the bargain, Leah made sure to catch up with Chloe before she got inside. “I knew you were tough Chloe, but wow. You’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
“Thanks Leah.”
With that came another reason why Leah was convinced her and Chloe were going along. Most girls lived for the spotlight, but to Chloe, it was a necessary thing to face, but it didn't define her. It made Leah excited to see what would happen as their relationship progressed. “Before you go…I wanted to know what you were planning for his birthday next week."
Chloe’s eyes immediately widened. “What?”
Catching the surprise in Chloe’s tone, Leah’s head jerked back slightly. “You didn’t know?”
After a shake of the head, Chloe realized the possibility of something before asking, “What day next week?”
“Thursday.” She almost couldn’t believe that Chloe didn’t know, but based on how Chloe was staring at Oliver right now, Leah had this feeling that there was more going on than she could ever understand. But she couldn’t resist asking, “I know you don’t read tabloids, but how is you guys know each other so well, yet birthdays never came up?”
Little did Leah know that there was a really good reason why it never came up. Besides the fact that neither of them were birthday people, Chloe had never realized that day had more than one meaning in her life now.
“He knows how I feel about mine, and probably wanted to save me the trouble of planning,” Chloe deadpanned, her eyes still on Oliver, who had just started to move away from the crowd.
“Sounds like him,” Leah replied, knowing that it was only a cover story, but she understood it was none of her business. With a purse of her lips, she added, “See you in a bit.”
“Hey Leah,” Chloe said, snapping from her trance. “Can you… not tell him that I know? I want to surprise him.”
No, I’m the luckiest guy I know.
One thing was for sure, Oliver was right about that. “Okay.”
“Thanks.”
Chloe watched as Leah caught up with Ronnie, and she couldn't help but smile when she saw their faces lighting up when they next to each other. But when they disappeared from her sight, she turned back to Oliver. Of course that night was his birthday. Thinking back to that day last year, Chloe had focused so long on her mood, but she had forgotten how he had been feeling.
He had sat down next to her, ordered his drink with little hesitance, before asking her the question that changed her life.
Rough night?
It had been for her, which he must have sensed because she had downed a shot right before he sat down. But for him, it should have been different; he should have looked happy… or even faked it. Instead, Oliver had looked like he’d rather sit at the bar the whole night than interact with any of the people in the VIP section.
Maybe that was why Chloe replied the way she did, sensing his melancholy and the fact that he wasn’t using a typical pick-up line. He seemed like a regular person that night, a guy who needed some sort of release. If he wanted, he could have quipped about it being his birthday, but he never did. The charm had been dialed back to a minimum, which was possibly why she even gave him that chance.
Back then, it had panned out, as it felt like one night to remember, but never one that had to be repeated. He never bragged about her, she never talked about it, making it their little secret. Well, that wasn’t completely true, as they always knew that one person in his life knew the truth.
“Chloe!”
Smiling at the sound of that particular voice, Chloe said, “Hal, hey.”
Hal matched her smile once Chloe turned around. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now.”
“Have you had a day off in the last month? I thought for sure you’d be running through the door once Oliver came back to Metropolis.”
“The few I’ve had I needed sleep more than anything. But because of you I have free reign of Oliver’s pad in Star City, so -”
“Remind me to change the lock,” Oliver said, wrapping his arms around Chloe’s waist. The pair could still hear the rumblings of the voices and cameras clicking behind them, but at this point, neither gave a damn. Chloe leaned her head against Oliver’s chest and closed her eyes, grinning when Oliver squeezed her tightly against him, knowing the toughest part was over.
Seeing that they were in their world, Hal quipped, “Spoilsport,” before going back into the event. They would be dealing with enough questions tonight, so he knew that it was best to let them have their moment now.
~0~
Sitting down on the grass, Chloe stared ahead at her parent’s tombstone. “My whole life I’ve hated this day, what it meant to my life, how it ended yours Dad... and changed Mom’s.”
She had left Star City a few days early, as Oliver still had a few business things to attend to, and she had to get back to her stories. However, that wasn’t the full reason.
“That feeling changes this year. Today...I’m happy, and I’m not looking back anymore.” Smiling, Chloe realized that was probably what her parents wanted in the first place. “I have someone in my life that makes this day special for another reason. He doesn’t know that I know that it’s his birthday today, or that he’s coming home tonight, but that’s just another reason why -”
Chloe paused as she realized a word she had just spoken.
Home.
After a light chuckle, Chloe continued, “It’s another reason why I’m excited to celebrate with him. He has done so much to make sure that I’m happy... it’s my turn to return the favour.”
~0~
It was so good to be back home. Oliver wanted nothing more than to head up to his place and relax for the rest of the night, maybe enjoy a drink to celebrate another birthday.
Hal had offered to take him out to some lavish club opening, but Oliver immediately refused. He had purposely booked his flight for tonight in case Chloe needed him for anything. It was the first time Chloe ‘celebrated’ the anniversary of her parent’s accident since her mother died, and Oliver knew that he wanted to provide more than verbal support.
In his mind, that was a lot more important than any other birthday celebration.
When the elevator stopped, Oliver pulled out his phone, tempted to reach out and tell Chloe that he was here for her if she needed him, but he stopped upon smelling something baking. Oliver didn’t know what was going on, so he walked carefully towards the kitchen, but his questions were answered quickly when Chloe turned the corner and saw him.
“Welcome home.”
Oliver’s eyes narrowed as he approached her slowly. She seemed to be in good spirits, which was a good thing, but her current state of dress was another matter. Clad only in her underwear, which was slightly covered by one of his shirts, Oliver was trying to figure out how he was supposed to feel about it. Part of him was understandably turned on, but he knew it wasn’t the time for that.
Standing close to her, he leaned his forehead against hers. “What are you doing here?”
Chloe grinned, pushing herself up to kiss him. “Today’s an important day.” And she had pulled all the stops. After Hal told Oliver about the faux-party, he was able to confirm Oliver’s departure home today, along with his time of arrival. She had also pulled her strings with Sam to let her know when they got to the clocktower, as Oliver’s driver always had a soft spot for her.
What she wasn’t anticipating was the continued confusion on his face, especially considering her lack of clothing, but Chloe supposed that was the way Oliver was. He was supposed to be a man whose libido ran his life, but he was a lot sweeter than most people gave him credit, clinched by his next words.
“I figured you would want space.”
Normally, she would, but Chloe was done letting her past dictate her life. That’s why she tilted her head before bringing herself closer to Oliver. “I wanted space to celebrate our pseudo-anniversary?”
She started undoing his buttons, thinking she had a few minutes to spare, but Oliver wasn’t having any of it, as his hands covered hers.
It took even last inch of his restraint to stop her, as he had missed her like crazy, but he couldn’t figure out why she was like this. “Chloe, you know what-”
“Yes I know. I also know today’s your birthday.” Taking a step backwards, Chloe sighed. “I wanted to celebrate today instead of mourn it. Even if you never told me.”
His eyes widened, wondering how she had found out. Oliver considered the most obvious route of the tabloids, but that didn’t seem to fit. “That didn’t matter,” he said, realizing that his words could also apply to how she knew. The point now was that she did.
“It matters now.” Chloe brought her head back up, about to say more, but the oven began to beep, so she moved quickly into the kitchen. Hearing him follow her, Chloe said as she took out her pan, “So... I made a cake.”
“You baked?”
Finally, Chloe thought as she heard the humour in his voice. “Hey, the place is still standing right?” Sure, it was just a cake mix, but that wasn’t the point. “I was hoping maybe we could spend our birthdays in a happier place this time.”
Oliver felt so stupid. Here she was, trying to convince him that they had suffered on this day for too long, and instead of celebrating with her, he almost pushed her to be alone. At least now Chloe knew that he didn’t really want her to leave.
That's why she continued to work on her cake, as she walked over to the fridge to pull out some store-bought icing before carefully examining when to take the cake out of the pan. It was still too hot, probably why she briefly looked back up at him, hoping that he would be okay with this, and Oliver decided not to disappoint her further.
“I don’t know... I think last year’s present was the best one I ever had.” He didn't fully appreciate it then, as at the time, Chloe was supposed to be one of many. Yet from the moment their lips touched for the first time, deep down, Oliver knew that he was never going to forget her.
“Is that so?” Chloe glanced up, turning her head to face him. “Because I was going to suggest that you could use the leftover icing however you wanted, but if I’m not topping last year, then -”
Her words were cut off by Oliver’s hands gripping her waist, pulling her to him so that he could kiss her, an action she was more than willing to reciprocate. “Chloe...”
“Yes?”
Seeing the way her eyes lit up, just because he said her name, was enough of a birthday present to him. But Oliver wasn't about to ignore the day's other significance. “Happy anniversary.”
“Happy birthday Oliver,” she replied before Oliver kissed her again, glad that he was willing to celebrate after all. Although the more she thought about it, Chloe had a feeling that the cake she had just made wasn’t going to be eaten tonight.
Epilogue
Sera’s Scribbles: Surprise! This chapter turned out to be a lot longer than I thought, so I decided that my final scene worked a lot better as an epilogue. Hopefully you guys don’t mind one more part... :)
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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 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26
Chapter 27
“That concludes this segment of Canary Call. I would like to thank Chloe Sullivan for joining us on the air. Make sure to check out her latest article on the Metropolis mayoral campaign in this morning’s Daily Planet. It's a refreshing change from the usual material.” Dinah smiled at Chloe upon looking up from her microphone. “Chloe, it’s been a pleasure and I hope that it won’t be too long before you come back.”
“I’d love to be back,” Chloe replied, although she was slightly surprised at the shout-out of her article. Lex had considered it an olive branch, possibly a hope that she would come back to the Daily Planet, but even though she accepted the article, Chloe knew that the Daily Planet wasn't her dream anymore. Freelancing had its perks and now that she had established a base to work with, Chloe couldn't wait to see what lay ahead.
Dinah nodded before replying, “Glad to hear it. As for all of you listening, before I pass you onto Cat Grant with the local news, I advise you to use your voice and make it count Metropolis. This is your city... and this is your call.”
With that, Dinah signed off, taking a moment of silence before taking off her headphones. “Not bad at all, Chloe. I can’t believe you’ve never done radio before."
"Well,” Chloe said with a shrug as she followed suit, “it’s true.” The experience had been completely surreal, but Dinah was great at making her feel comfortable. Oddly enough, the whole thing felt like a conversation, so the time completely flew by.
“I’m glad to be your first then. That’ll be an honour to say in five years.”
Chloe blushed as she dipped her head. “You make it sound like I’m a celebrity.”
“You… are going places right now," Dinah replied, as she hadn't anticipated Chloe underestimating her credentials. "You realize that right?”
After a sigh, Chloe nodded, as she understood the other woman’s confusion. "I know what’s coming; it’s just taking time to adjust because I never thought fame suited me."
"You could have fooled me. The whole reason I called you was because of how you handled the last few months." Seeing the other woman’s head jerk back didn’t surprise Dinah, because her boyfriend had mentioned that he had run into Chloe and mentioned his recommendation, which Chloe seemed more than willing to point out.
"I figured..."
"Give me a little bit more credit, Chloe." Dinah pushed back her chair, relaxing in it before adding, "I have a bit more professionalism than that." Dinah had seen enough people who have had fame fall in their lap like Chloe, but it was pretty rare to see someone like her who didn’t change when everyone started looking at them differently. "In your case, fame allows you to inspire others and to make a real difference. It seems scary initially, but holding a quiet amount of fame can be a wonderful thing, because your words can go the extra mile." Pursing her lips before a smile came across her face, Dinah said, "Or at least, I hope so, or else I'm in the wrong profession."
Chloe laughed at that admission, but from where she was sitting, it was easy to tell that Dinah more than held her own in the radio world. "I think you're doing just fine."
"Well, so are you," Dinah replied, grateful for the compliment, but she hoped that Chloe knew just how well she handled the power she had.
After a smile, Chloe stared down at her phone, which displayed various messages from her friends. Lois giving her the standard Go cuz!, Clark being the assuring friend he always was with the reliable Told you that you'd be great. Matt even chimed in, admitting that he was late for a meeting to catch a snippet of the interview. Her smile grew as she remembered the last phone call she had with her friend, as it only lasted two sentences.
Tell me it's true, he said.
It is, was her reply, and after that, he had hung up, likely knowing that there were things that she would prefer doing at the time.
Speaking of Oliver, he hadn't passed the opportunity to be supportive of her either, as she had a few texts from him too. That reminded Chloe of something she hadn't said to Dinah yet. "By the way, I appreciate you cutting out that question about my personal life." Understandably, her producer also wanted to know if the rumours were true, if he had come back for her and if a happy ending was in their future. Luckily for them, Dinah immediately crossed it out.
Dinah grinned, shuffling her papers together as she got up from her chair. "Well, it wasn’t exactly the most professional question, but to be honest, I didn't feel the need to ask it while he was waiting outside." Her head dipped as she remembered her first few months of fame, how she was so convinced she was going to lose AC, but he stuck by her. "I get how it feels to worry about fame changing your life, so I won’t hesitate to have your back. I think you should tell people when you're ready, but that should be sooner than later."
Chloe understood that, but after enough time of confusion, they wanted to keep this as quiet as possible. The odd picture in the tabloids was fine, but they were okay with lying to everyone outside of their family and closest friends for now. "Trust me, we know, We're just hoping for a few weeks of privacy," she said as the door behind her opened, leading to Chloe turning around in time to see Oliver enter the booth.
"Hey, you were great." After a smile to Chloe, Oliver turned his attention to Dinah. "You don't mind that I snuck back here?"
"Why would I?" It wasn’t as if her opinion really mattered to him, because when Oliver Queen wanted to do something, she knew that there was no way she could convince him otherwise. She sighed as she watched them, smiles beaming on their faces and suddenly, Dinah felt like she was interrupting something. "For the record, I'm really happy for you both." They both glanced in her direction, but Dinah knew that it was best to take her leave now. After gathering her things, she grinned up at Oliver. “Try not to screw this relationship up, okay?”
Oliver nodded as she left, but as he turned back to Chloe, he noticed her eyebrows rose before gesturing towards Dinah. Knowing where she was going with that thought, he pulled Chloe close, determined to wipe the curiosity from her face. "We tried dating once a long time ago, but it was a case of wrong place, wrong time. We got out while we still could, which is why we work as friends." He grinned before asking, “Sound familiar?”
After a roll of her eyes, Chloe nodded. "Let’s get out of here.”
~0~
Chloe took a deep breath before getting in the elevator, knowing that tonight was a big night. Oliver had tried to convince her to get ready at her place, but instead, Chloe had dragged Lois and Clark to Star City so that she could take her cousin with her to get herself made over. It had been completely worth it, even though she did take the dress that Oliver gave her, despite Lois' objections, but in the end, her cousin relented before Chloe left the hotel. However, she couldn't resist offering a little bit of advice.
“Now remember cuz, as big of a deal that this is… remember one thing. You’re going to blow Oliver away and then you're going show those photographers who’s boss. It's the Sullivan-Lane way.”
That was something Chloe always loved about Lois, she always knew what to say to pick up her spirits, even when she didn’t want to hear it. But the funny part was that Lois was slowly rubbing off on Clark.
“Lois is right. You may be from a small town, but you deserve this Chloe. So knock them dead and don't look back.”
They were both tempted to come, but they knew that Oliver and Chloe weren’t going to be alone, so they decided to have a low-key evening touring Star City instead of being another thing for Chloe to worry about tonight. She also knew that Hal would be there, which was encouraging, but first, Chloe had to brace herself for meeting someone else. For some reason, Oliver also picked tonight to clear the air about the whole Leah Torren situation. He insisted that they would get along just fine, but Chloe couldn’t help but feel intimidated when the elevator opened.
Considering her achievements, Leah wasn’t just a pretty face on the modeling circuit. Granted, she was a beautiful woman who clearly knew how to dress her body, but Chloe always had a hint of suspicion regarding the other woman, even if Leah’s face completely lit up when she saw Chloe enter.
“Chloe, come on in. Oliver’s just on a call.”
“Miss Torren, it’s -”
“Leah, please. Any friend of Oliver’s is a friend of mine.” Leah immediately accepted Chloe’s hand, giving it a firm shake. “Sorry, I should have checked to see if it was okay for me to call you Chloe first.”
“It’s... fine,” Chloe replied, surprised as to how Leah was treating her. At least it helped quiet the last of the worries in her head. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. In fact, the pleasure is mostly mine.” Leah took a step back, clearly sizing Chloe up. “Not every day a person gets to meet the girl that got Oliver to grow up.” Biting her lip to keep herself from laughing as Chloe’s arms crossed her chest, Leah reached forward and put them back to her side. “Not to mention that he wasn’t exaggerating when he said how gorgeous you are.”
“Lee, please... don’t look too hard.”
This time, Leah couldn’t keep the laugh back. “Ronnie, I think he would kill me.” She had actually checked out Chloe for future business opportunities, but she knew what would put the other woman at ease. “And last I checked, I don’t have to look anymore.”
Chloe’s mouth gaped opened when Leah pulled Ronnie close to kiss her. Oliver had told here that she had no reason to worry, but Chloe wouldn't have imagined that this was among the reasons why. Clearing her throat when they had stopped, she said, “Not her type... that was a lot subtler than I thought.”
“Was that what he said?” Seeing Oliver enter the room, Leah added, “Oliver, you could have been a bit more blunt.”
“What?” He had just hung up on his call, so he hardly knew the conversation subject, but when he turned his head to see Ronnie, he had an idea of what Leah was referring to. “It wasn’t my secret to tell.” With that, he turned to smile at Chloe, but his phone buzzed again, leading to Oliver groaning as he left the room.
Leah rolled her eyes as she picked up her purse. “Best secret keeper in town, that one. I’m almost willing to bet he knew before I did.”
“He did, trust me,” Ronnie said from behind her, smirking as her girlfriend turned her head over her shoulder. Walking over to Chloe, she held her hand out to her. "Veronica Grey."
As Chloe shook her hand, Leah spoke up again. “Well, I’m still bummed that it’s taken this long for us to be introduced.” A day after they had made the deal, Oliver had called her to say he had done his part of their deal, she had heard a single Hello from Chloe over the phone, but after that, nothing. Leah understood, but it was more the principle that Hal had met the woman at least three times and she hadn't been introduced before tonight.
In the end though, Leah knew better than to focus on what couldn’t be changed. After all, she knew full well that Oliver had never been happier and her being selfish helped no one. Or at least, not that way. “Maybe you can make it up to me by wearing a few of my designs?”
Once again, Leah had caught Chloe off-guard. She shouldn’t have, but Chloe didn’t expect her to be so forward with the idea. “I’m... I’m flattered, but I don’t think I could afford them.”
“With the free publicity you’d give me, I think we could arrange a little something.”
“This...” Chloe said, pulling slightly at the navy material that surrounded her figure tonight, “This isn’t your dress is it?”
“No, that is a case of Oliver being a traitor, but I can forgive him because that dress is amazing on you.”
“I thought so,” Oliver announced, crossing the room to finally welcome Chloe. “Hi,” he said before leaning his head down to kiss her.
Chloe gladly kissed him back, but she also noticed him turning off his phone right before he entered the room. While she was glad he was with her now, Chloe didn’t want to keep him away from anything important. “Is your business handled?”
“Think so." If nothing else, Oliver felt like there had been enough calls on the subject for at least the next hour. "I prepared my publicist for tonight and assured her that we had our stories straight.”
“So everyone’s ready?” Leah called as she stood in front of the elevator. She didn’t want to interrupt the moment, as seeing them interact in person was really something special, but Leah knew that the sooner their night started, the sooner the tougher parts would be over. When Oliver nodded, she smiled. “Okay, then let’s go explode the tabloids.”
Chloe narrowed her eyes. “Haven’t we already done that?” After all, there had been a fair amount of press since Oliver’s sudden trip to Metropolis. They had tried to play down the stories, including Oliver coming back to Star City a few times since they got together, but based on the way Leah shook her head, Chloe realized there was more to this than she thought.
“Suspicion’s only half the battle. Admission is another one entirely.”
Seeing Chloe nod slowly, Oliver walked in front of her, assuring that she was okay. “It’s not too late to skip out if you -”
He stopped speaking when he felt Chloe grab his hand, wheels still turning in her head. It took a second to find her words, but eventually, she looked up at him. “Tonight, we do this on our own terms, not theirs. I can handle whatever they throw my way because you know all of my skeletons. And I think I know all of yours.”
“You do.”
Smile widening, Chloe tightened her grip of Oliver’s hand and started walking towards the elevator. “Then let’s go.”
~0~
This whole time, Chloe thought that this was supposed to feel different, but it didn't. When the car pulled up to the event venue, Chloe figured that having a relationship with Oliver would amplify her nerves, but instead, she felt fine. She knew that both Leah and Oliver had their eyes on her and Ronnie, the 'civilians' in this situation. But Ronnie gave Chloe a quick smile, as they both knew what they were getting into. The former had been waiting for a long time for this moment and she wasn't about to miss out on this. Chloe was probably less prepared, but she was still ready, clinched when she met Oliver's eyes. However, deep down, he was probably panicking more than she was.
This was a big deal, going out of this limo with someone that he cared about, someone who he could see himself with in six months, heck, six years. Also, as far as he was concerned, Chloe seemed to have been taking this facet of their relationship almost too well. Sure, there had been rumblings, but it was easy to squash the rumours, no matter how true they were.
However, there was one thing that gave him peace. She wouldn't be here if she wasn't ready and there was nothing they could say that would scare her away. She had heard everything they could throw at her and she shrugged it off, because for some reason, she was one of the few women who looked past his transgressions.
Lifting his hand, Oliver stared at Chloe, smile widening on his face while his fingers played with her hair. "Have I mentioned to you how beautiful you look tonight?"
"Actually… no."
"I have," Leah piped up, grinning as their eyes glanced in her direction. "Not my fault that you're focusing more on business than her."
"That works just fine for me.” In fact, that was probably Chloe's preference, as she understood all of the moving parts in his life. The last thing she wanted to be was a distraction from the things that mattered to Oliver as much as she did. “I knew long before this happened that there are always going to be things going on in his life. I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Huh," Leah said, albeit unintentionally based on the way she bit her lip in response.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Liar." Leah's head whirled around to look at her girlfriend, who merely shrugged. "I know that look and remember what you told me."
Leah sighed. "Okay, I was skeptical when the photos first surfaced, considering your career path et al. It wasn’t personal; I just figured that Oliver would never find a woman that was good enough for him. Now, I'm starting to wonder if he's good enough for you."
"I'm probably not."
Chloe shook her head, having a feeling that Oliver would say something like that. "While I'm incredibly flattered, trust me, if you weren't good enough, Lois would have destroyed you." Glancing up at Oliver, Chloe added, "We're far from being perfect, but we accepted each other's faults a long time ago. I think the reason this works because we're a team."
"You two are way too damn cute," Leah replied, leaning over to open the door, realizing that there was no reason to delay their arrival any longer. "C'mon Ronnie, let's blow some people's minds."
Watching the two women get out of the limo, Chloe felt herself laugh as she witnessed Leah's lack of hesitance of coming out with Ronnie. "She is a lot different than I expected."
"We've been there for each other for a long time, but we couldn't always provide the solution that the other person needed." After her big break, it was hard to keep up with Leah's schedule, but luckily for Oliver, he had introduced her to the woman who would become her agent... and her rock. "Ronnie's been there for her when I couldn't, so it's really rewarding to see them enjoy this moment."
"But I believe that it's our turn now."
"That it is." Getting out of the car, Oliver paused to take her hand, helping her regain her balance when she stumbled upon hearing all of the raised voices.
Only a few questions came out clearly this time, but at least the flashbulbs were less intense. Chloe was able to keep her eyes open as she walked down the carpet, slightly surprised at how much attention they were getting considering who was walking in front of them.
She had just met the two women, but there was this sense of freedom on their faces, the knowledge that they didn’t have to hide anymore, that they could be themselves. That was worth more than any photo taken of them as they walked down the street or made out in a club. They were happy, and they were completely honest with each other, which meant that nothing the tabloids could print would hurt them. That was what mattered, and it was something she hoped her relationship with Oliver would have.
"You okay?" Oliver asked her, as he had been staring at her while she looked ahead at Leah and Ronnie. One thing he could always rely upon was that Chloe was thinking about something, and while he knew it wasn’t the place to ask her what it was, he had hoped that everything was still alright.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Chloe replied, meaning the word for once, instead of using it as a placeholder for another emotion. Chuckling before turning towards him, Chloe stopped their progress down the carpet. "But you'd think they'd get tired of asking the same questions."
He was feeling confused as to why Chloe wanted to stop, but he obliged her. Shrugging before taking a look around, Oliver said, "It’s what they have to do. Until they get confirmation, all they can do is speculate."
"Yeah, I suppose hand holding isn't exactly the PDA they're looking for." Smirking as she released his hand, Chloe said, "So let's give them something else."
Oliver’s head had tilted to the side, and Chloe could practically hear the questioning tone in the words he was about to say, but she stopped him by placing a hand on his chest, hearing the voices behind them already getting louder. "Look, I’m still a little nervous, but when we gave in, it was a lot easier than sneaking around the truth." Leaning forward, she smiled at him. "I'm not embarrassed to be here. Are you?"
“Course not,” he said, not expecting her to be so open about this, but he wasn’t about to argue with her decision, especially considering she was right.
Hearing the confidence in his voice, Chloe shrugged. “Then let’s give them what they want.” Leaning up, Chloe was grateful that her shoes cut down a lot of the height difference, but Oliver had met her halfway, and she could practically feel the smile on his lips when they met hers.
They kept it short and sweet, but it was enough to get a reaction from the crowd around them. Taking a step away, Chloe licked her bottom lip before gesturing her head towards the mob of photographers. "Okay, how about I answer a few personal questions, while you handle the business stuff? Divide and conquer, right?”
Oliver nodded as he watched her walk alone towards the vultures that seemed determined to pick her apart, but she just stood there, like someone who had handled the press for years.
"You are so screwed, Oliver," he heard Leah say from behind him.
"No,” he countered, still looking at Chloe as he addressed his friend’s comment. “I'm the luckiest guy I know."
Leah shook her head as Oliver walked forward, handling his questions like the consummate professional he was. But he couldn’t resist looking over to Chloe, which immediately warmed Leah’s heart. God knows she had tried to find someone to help Oliver realize that he was missing something in his life, but it turned out that he just needed some more time.
Seeing the woman in question finish her end of the bargain, Leah made sure to catch up with Chloe before she got inside. “I knew you were tough Chloe, but wow. You’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
“Thanks Leah.”
With that came another reason why Leah was convinced her and Chloe were going along. Most girls lived for the spotlight, but to Chloe, it was a necessary thing to face, but it didn't define her. It made Leah excited to see what would happen as their relationship progressed. “Before you go…I wanted to know what you were planning for his birthday next week."
Chloe’s eyes immediately widened. “What?”
Catching the surprise in Chloe’s tone, Leah’s head jerked back slightly. “You didn’t know?”
After a shake of the head, Chloe realized the possibility of something before asking, “What day next week?”
“Thursday.” She almost couldn’t believe that Chloe didn’t know, but based on how Chloe was staring at Oliver right now, Leah had this feeling that there was more going on than she could ever understand. But she couldn’t resist asking, “I know you don’t read tabloids, but how is you guys know each other so well, yet birthdays never came up?”
Little did Leah know that there was a really good reason why it never came up. Besides the fact that neither of them were birthday people, Chloe had never realized that day had more than one meaning in her life now.
“He knows how I feel about mine, and probably wanted to save me the trouble of planning,” Chloe deadpanned, her eyes still on Oliver, who had just started to move away from the crowd.
“Sounds like him,” Leah replied, knowing that it was only a cover story, but she understood it was none of her business. With a purse of her lips, she added, “See you in a bit.”
“Hey Leah,” Chloe said, snapping from her trance. “Can you… not tell him that I know? I want to surprise him.”
No, I’m the luckiest guy I know.
One thing was for sure, Oliver was right about that. “Okay.”
“Thanks.”
Chloe watched as Leah caught up with Ronnie, and she couldn't help but smile when she saw their faces lighting up when they next to each other. But when they disappeared from her sight, she turned back to Oliver. Of course that night was his birthday. Thinking back to that day last year, Chloe had focused so long on her mood, but she had forgotten how he had been feeling.
He had sat down next to her, ordered his drink with little hesitance, before asking her the question that changed her life.
Rough night?
It had been for her, which he must have sensed because she had downed a shot right before he sat down. But for him, it should have been different; he should have looked happy… or even faked it. Instead, Oliver had looked like he’d rather sit at the bar the whole night than interact with any of the people in the VIP section.
Maybe that was why Chloe replied the way she did, sensing his melancholy and the fact that he wasn’t using a typical pick-up line. He seemed like a regular person that night, a guy who needed some sort of release. If he wanted, he could have quipped about it being his birthday, but he never did. The charm had been dialed back to a minimum, which was possibly why she even gave him that chance.
Back then, it had panned out, as it felt like one night to remember, but never one that had to be repeated. He never bragged about her, she never talked about it, making it their little secret. Well, that wasn’t completely true, as they always knew that one person in his life knew the truth.
“Chloe!”
Smiling at the sound of that particular voice, Chloe said, “Hal, hey.”
Hal matched her smile once Chloe turned around. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now.”
“Have you had a day off in the last month? I thought for sure you’d be running through the door once Oliver came back to Metropolis.”
“The few I’ve had I needed sleep more than anything. But because of you I have free reign of Oliver’s pad in Star City, so -”
“Remind me to change the lock,” Oliver said, wrapping his arms around Chloe’s waist. The pair could still hear the rumblings of the voices and cameras clicking behind them, but at this point, neither gave a damn. Chloe leaned her head against Oliver’s chest and closed her eyes, grinning when Oliver squeezed her tightly against him, knowing the toughest part was over.
Seeing that they were in their world, Hal quipped, “Spoilsport,” before going back into the event. They would be dealing with enough questions tonight, so he knew that it was best to let them have their moment now.
~0~
Sitting down on the grass, Chloe stared ahead at her parent’s tombstone. “My whole life I’ve hated this day, what it meant to my life, how it ended yours Dad... and changed Mom’s.”
She had left Star City a few days early, as Oliver still had a few business things to attend to, and she had to get back to her stories. However, that wasn’t the full reason.
“That feeling changes this year. Today...I’m happy, and I’m not looking back anymore.” Smiling, Chloe realized that was probably what her parents wanted in the first place. “I have someone in my life that makes this day special for another reason. He doesn’t know that I know that it’s his birthday today, or that he’s coming home tonight, but that’s just another reason why -”
Chloe paused as she realized a word she had just spoken.
Home.
After a light chuckle, Chloe continued, “It’s another reason why I’m excited to celebrate with him. He has done so much to make sure that I’m happy... it’s my turn to return the favour.”
~0~
It was so good to be back home. Oliver wanted nothing more than to head up to his place and relax for the rest of the night, maybe enjoy a drink to celebrate another birthday.
Hal had offered to take him out to some lavish club opening, but Oliver immediately refused. He had purposely booked his flight for tonight in case Chloe needed him for anything. It was the first time Chloe ‘celebrated’ the anniversary of her parent’s accident since her mother died, and Oliver knew that he wanted to provide more than verbal support.
In his mind, that was a lot more important than any other birthday celebration.
When the elevator stopped, Oliver pulled out his phone, tempted to reach out and tell Chloe that he was here for her if she needed him, but he stopped upon smelling something baking. Oliver didn’t know what was going on, so he walked carefully towards the kitchen, but his questions were answered quickly when Chloe turned the corner and saw him.
“Welcome home.”
Oliver’s eyes narrowed as he approached her slowly. She seemed to be in good spirits, which was a good thing, but her current state of dress was another matter. Clad only in her underwear, which was slightly covered by one of his shirts, Oliver was trying to figure out how he was supposed to feel about it. Part of him was understandably turned on, but he knew it wasn’t the time for that.
Standing close to her, he leaned his forehead against hers. “What are you doing here?”
Chloe grinned, pushing herself up to kiss him. “Today’s an important day.” And she had pulled all the stops. After Hal told Oliver about the faux-party, he was able to confirm Oliver’s departure home today, along with his time of arrival. She had also pulled her strings with Sam to let her know when they got to the clocktower, as Oliver’s driver always had a soft spot for her.
What she wasn’t anticipating was the continued confusion on his face, especially considering her lack of clothing, but Chloe supposed that was the way Oliver was. He was supposed to be a man whose libido ran his life, but he was a lot sweeter than most people gave him credit, clinched by his next words.
“I figured you would want space.”
Normally, she would, but Chloe was done letting her past dictate her life. That’s why she tilted her head before bringing herself closer to Oliver. “I wanted space to celebrate our pseudo-anniversary?”
She started undoing his buttons, thinking she had a few minutes to spare, but Oliver wasn’t having any of it, as his hands covered hers.
It took even last inch of his restraint to stop her, as he had missed her like crazy, but he couldn’t figure out why she was like this. “Chloe, you know what-”
“Yes I know. I also know today’s your birthday.” Taking a step backwards, Chloe sighed. “I wanted to celebrate today instead of mourn it. Even if you never told me.”
His eyes widened, wondering how she had found out. Oliver considered the most obvious route of the tabloids, but that didn’t seem to fit. “That didn’t matter,” he said, realizing that his words could also apply to how she knew. The point now was that she did.
“It matters now.” Chloe brought her head back up, about to say more, but the oven began to beep, so she moved quickly into the kitchen. Hearing him follow her, Chloe said as she took out her pan, “So... I made a cake.”
“You baked?”
Finally, Chloe thought as she heard the humour in his voice. “Hey, the place is still standing right?” Sure, it was just a cake mix, but that wasn’t the point. “I was hoping maybe we could spend our birthdays in a happier place this time.”
Oliver felt so stupid. Here she was, trying to convince him that they had suffered on this day for too long, and instead of celebrating with her, he almost pushed her to be alone. At least now Chloe knew that he didn’t really want her to leave.
That's why she continued to work on her cake, as she walked over to the fridge to pull out some store-bought icing before carefully examining when to take the cake out of the pan. It was still too hot, probably why she briefly looked back up at him, hoping that he would be okay with this, and Oliver decided not to disappoint her further.
“I don’t know... I think last year’s present was the best one I ever had.” He didn't fully appreciate it then, as at the time, Chloe was supposed to be one of many. Yet from the moment their lips touched for the first time, deep down, Oliver knew that he was never going to forget her.
“Is that so?” Chloe glanced up, turning her head to face him. “Because I was going to suggest that you could use the leftover icing however you wanted, but if I’m not topping last year, then -”
Her words were cut off by Oliver’s hands gripping her waist, pulling her to him so that he could kiss her, an action she was more than willing to reciprocate. “Chloe...”
“Yes?”
Seeing the way her eyes lit up, just because he said her name, was enough of a birthday present to him. But Oliver wasn't about to ignore the day's other significance. “Happy anniversary.”
“Happy birthday Oliver,” she replied before Oliver kissed her again, glad that he was willing to celebrate after all. Although the more she thought about it, Chloe had a feeling that the cake she had just made wasn’t going to be eaten tonight.
Epilogue
Sera’s Scribbles: Surprise! This chapter turned out to be a lot longer than I thought, so I decided that my final scene worked a lot better as an epilogue. Hopefully you guys don’t mind one more part... :)
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