Book or Cover (1/?)
Author: serafina19
Title: Book or Cover
Summary: Oliver stays at the Talon after dropping Chloe off after her birthday party. When the morning comes, they work together to fix the wish that Chloe didn’t anticipate coming true.
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: Hex AU
Warnings: Coarse language
Thanks to: aradira for the banner. Also to pompeypearly for the unintended inspiration, as you and your cupcake inspired this.
Book or Cover
It was amazing to see how much their lives had changed, and yet, the Talon was the exact same. Lois' clothes scattered on the floor, probably from before her call to head to Mexico, cold coffee in their machine with a few scattered grounds on the counter. Same furniture, paint colour and layout, yet comparatively, its inhabitants had changed plenty in the last few months.
Looking down at the woman in his arms, Oliver remembered the way Chloe told him that she had a tendency to get reflective on her birthday, along with the fact that he didn't have the heart to tell her that wasn't the healthiest idea. He was tempted to bring it up when he got back to the party, but considering she had fallen asleep while he carried her to his car outside of the Ace of Clubs, Oliver figured that this was a tolerable consolation prize. She was safe, she had a chance to make things better in the future. That was better than taking advice from a hypocrite.
That was why he drove her all the way to Smallville, as for once he was sober enough after leaving a party to handle the couple hours' drive. If nothing else, he wanted to give her one night's sleep outside of Isis, give her a taste of a simpler facet of her life, because her life wasn't supposed to feel like this anymore. Their problems were supposed to go away, and if anyone was supposed to feel guilt anymore... it was him, not her.
Davis had been sent to the Phantom Zone, as Clark had actually followed through for once, preventing Oliver from resorting to extreme measures. Unfortunately, that positive development didn't stop Jimmy from leaving Chloe and skipping town the moment the ink was dry on their divorce papers. Happy birthday indeed.
After that, it wasn't a secret that Chloe felt a little lost, as it took every inch of Lois and Oliver pushing her to even agree to having a party, a party that now felt like it was for nothing. He should have known better, for despite his best intentions, Oliver knew that it shouldn't be him trying to pick up her spirits, not when his were just slightly better than hers, and especially because she knew what he had done.
In fact, Chloe was one of the few, maybe the only one who knew what Oliver had done to Lex. She judged him for his actions initially, but eventually, she stopped mentioning it. He knew her enough to know it wasn't a matter of forgiving and forgetting, but he was grateful for every time she could actually find it within herself to smile at him again.
It wasn't like it happened often anymore, no matter how hard the guys tried. They had seen her isolate herself lately, but her operetta moment tonight was the first time she had told Oliver that she missed her old life. He had tried not to tease her then, because he knew that things could really be worse, but he couldn't help but wonder... was that what Chloe really wanted?
If it was, then he knew that he'd give it to her without hesitation, but a familiar pang in his chest reminded him that it wasn't what he wanted. As that feeling became stronger, Oliver began to back away from the bed, knowing it was time to take his leave, as no good would come from this train of thought. He began walking towards the door, making a mental note to talk with Chloe about this sooner than later.
Standing at the door, his hand taking the doorknob, Oliver took one last look towards where he had left Chloe. He tried to focus, but his eyes kept closing on him. Initially, Oliver thought he could shake it off, as it had been a long night, but he had been through worse. However, no matter how hard he tried to keep them open, nothing worked. A few minutes passed and Oliver knew there was no way he was driving back to Metropolis right now. So he walked over to the couch, figuring that he'd leave in the morning. After all, Chloe would never forgive him if he hurt himself trying to help her.
~0~
The first thing Chloe thought as she woke up was that things felt different. They didn't feel better or worse necessarily, just different. Chloe couldn't piece together why, but as she stared down at herself, seeing that she was still wearing her dress, she rolled her eyes. The more she thought about it, she wasn't sure how she got home, but maybe she was lucky and Clark or Bart took a minute to see her on her birthday after all.
If that was the case, then it was disappointing that she couldn't remember seeing them last night, as she remembered everyone else leaving, so it would have been nice to see someone walk through the door to enter the party for once.
"Chloe? Chloe are you --"
Chloe's head bolted up, as the voice in her head almost felt real. Closing her eyes, she stood up from the bed as Oliver's voice came to her again.
"Let's get you out of here, okay?"
Of course, out of everyone, it was him that had come back for her. The person with the craziest schedule, the guy who had been helping her maintain what little sanity she had left. Taking another second, Chloe had hoped more would come to her, but when it didn't, she felt herself shrug, as she figured she could piece together the rest. He probably called her a cab, likely leading to her stumbling towards her bed upon arrival. Maybe not the best ending to a disappointing night, but it was significantly better than other possible scenarios.
However, her epiphany didn't stop the stinging sensation in her head, so instead of changing, she began to walk over to the kitchen, desperate for a cup of coffee.
"Morning Lois," a familiar but unexpected voice called out, causing Chloe to jump before she reached the machine. She was about to berate Oliver for scaring her, but he spoke up first. "Aren't you supposed to be in Mexico?"
That was when his first words finally registered. "Lois?" Chloe's eyes widened as she finally realized the dark brown hair resting on her shoulders, clearly much longer than her own and eerily similar to her cousin's. Rushing back to her mirror, it didn't take long for Chloe to fully wake up when she saw her reflection. "I'm going to kill that magician."
Oliver got up from the couch, walking slowly towards where she was. When he first saw her, he thought it was weird that Lois was wearing Chloe's dress, but one look at her bed and Oliver could see that Chloe wasn't there. Taking the woman's words into consideration, there seemed to be only one explanation, one he had to tread carefully with if he was wrong. "Chloe?"
She hadn't heard him, but she answered the question anyway. "Just when I thought this birthday couldn't get any worse." Knowing her luck, she had probably completed the trifecta of spells, possessions and near-death experiences on her birthday. That fact oddly helped to comfort Chloe a little, but it quickly subsided when she glanced at the other face in the mirror. "Wait, what are you doing here?"
"I, uh, wanted to make sure you were okay, and I couldn't safely drive back, so I slept on your couch."
An understandable reason, but that didn't explain why he didn't drop her off at Isis. However, she wasn't about to be ungrateful for the lift, especially considering the whole night was a blur after he left and she blew out that damn candle. "Just promise me next year... no party."
Oliver nodded, as everyone was supposed to be there, but one cancellation after the other meant that there wasn't much point in the party anymore. But that didn't stop him from grinning as he continued to stare at her. "So to be clear, you wished to be Lois."
Chloe sighed as she walked around him to put fresh coffee in her coffee machine. She desperately wanted to change, but even if there was a door between them, there was something about having Oliver here that made her a little self-conscious. Although the dress wasn't exactly a great option, it would do until he left.
After turning the machine on, Chloe leaned against the counter, waiting for it to brew. "Wanting to walk a mile in someone's shoes shouldn't be taken literally."
"I don't think magic has that much leeway," Oliver said with a smirk, noticing the way Chloe-as-Lois was looking at him. Even in a different form, he knew that look.
Must be a family thing.
"Can you stop staring at me like that?" Chloe was tempted to turn around, but she knew that would be giving Oliver what he wanted. Besides, he'd probably just make a quip about her ass. "This is not funny."
"Well, technically I'm not staring at you."
"Funny guy," Chloe replied, scoffing as that fact was all too obvious. She knew that he was taking the opportunity to stare at her because of what happened between him and her cousin. She always thought that Oliver never really got over their break-up, and seeing the way Clark and Lois' relationship grew likely didn't help.
This whole thing was truly a sick joke, as instead of seeing a vision of her old life, she was the object of two men's affection that she would never have in her regular body. As if her own romantic life wasn't complicated or stupid enough.
When Chloe turned slightly to fill up her coffee cup, Oliver's grin maintained. "I do my best."
Trying to focus on the soothing sound of the coffee filling up her mug, Chloe asked, "How about you do your best to be helpful?"
"Lois booked the magician. I only booked the venue." When Chloe gave him a skeptical eyebrow, Oliver shrugged innocently. "Do you really think I'd book a magician with what we do?"
She shook her head as she finished swallowing, quick to point her finger in his direction. "You were the one who insisted I needed magic last night."
"Sue me, I was desperate." He barely held back his sigh, instead letting his head shake as he hoped she would understand that this... this wasn't the birthday gift he had in mind when he brought the magician over to her. Sure, Oliver believed that Chloe did deserve some sort of magic in her life, or maybe just a bit of good luck, but even on her birthday, the world was intent on playing tricks on her.
Chloe chuckled, as when he looked at her like that, it was like she was about to say no to a puppy. But that didn't stop her from quipping, "I just might, Mr. Queen."
It was strange to see her dip her head like that, focusing on the cup of coffee. He had likely seen Chloe do this hundreds of times, but for some reason, it seemed different, and it wasn't just because she looked like Lois.
Not able to hold back the sigh this time, he looked over to the main area, where a picture of the cousins was in plain view. "Look, it can't be that hard, maybe Clark knows something." Walking over to the frame, he picked it up, not knowing that Chloe had brought her head up to look at him. "I mean, if you wanted to know what it was like to be Lois, the Daily Planet has to be part of that, right?"
Her mouth gaped open after taking a final sip of coffee, the liquid not nearly as satisfying as it was a few minutes ago. "Oliver..."
"It's okay, really. I can't blame you for wanting another life, not when there were a lot of times that I wanted the same thing." Still looking at the photo, Oliver tried to figure out when it was taken, whether life was easier for Chloe then. "I've had a lot more time to digest that this life was the life I really wanted."
"Anything had to beat the island," Chloe joked, wanting to lighten the mood as she realized that things could really be worse. Besides, the last thing she wanted from this wish was for Oliver to get the wrong idea.
"Still," he said, looking over his shoulder as he recognized her words getting louder, "it's an acquired taste."
Now standing next to him, Chloe shrugged. "I suppose that's true." It wasn't like she had been a full-time member of Oliver's team for long enough to truly appreciate the sacrifices they made. It wasn't as simple as solving crimes from behind a computer screen. “But I’m still sorry Ollie. Life’s just been… interesting lately.”
Interesting felt like an understatement, but Oliver knew better than to dwell in the past. Taking his hand in hers, he gave her a quick grin. “Then we’ll figure this out together. Whatever you want, but this… isn’t going to work forever.”
Chloe scoffed. “Tell me about it,” she said, trying not to focus on the soothing way that Oliver’s thumb was skimming her hand. Feeling a shiver come, Chloe took a step back, recollecting herself as she walked over to where she left her purse. “Not to mention the awkwardness of the next phone call I have to make.”
"As Lois?”
Opening her phone, Chloe smirked as she began to dial the number. "To Lois."
Oliver’s eyes widened as he watched Chloe bring the phone to her ear. After a quiet chuckle, he leaned against the couch. "This will be fun."
"Well,” Chloe said, biting the inside of her lip as the dial tone started, “considering I kind of want to leave the Talon, I want to make sure that my cousin is indeed in Mexico before stepping outside."
“Fair point.” He was tempted to say more, but he figured it was best to stay quiet in case Lois picked up. The situation was complicated enough without Lois’ radar picking up that he was here at an early hour.
But to his surprise, Chloe addressed him once more. “Wait a sec. Did you say that we would figure this out?”
He looked back towards her, recognizing the way her eyes had narrowed while her hand was hovering over the bottom part of her phone. Oliver hadn't anticipated her surprise, but he ensured his answer was quick, honest. “I did… and I meant it.”
“Thank you,” she said, a smile starting to form, but it was soon interrupted by what he assumed was Lois answering the call.
So he remained where he was, tempted to laugh as Chloe began talking to the woman she looked like. He wasn’t sure what he found more fascinating, the fact that it was so easy to spot Chloe’s mannerisms in Lois’ body or the fact that the woman he had come to know over the past few years looked a lot less guarded when her features weren’t her own.
Chapter 2
Sera's Scribbles: The plan for this is about 3-4 chapters, but you guys know how well I stick to plans. I haven't had much chance to write this in awhile, but as usual, the banner sprung me into action. Here's hoping it turns out.
.
Title: Book or Cover
Summary: Oliver stays at the Talon after dropping Chloe off after her birthday party. When the morning comes, they work together to fix the wish that Chloe didn’t anticipate coming true.
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: Hex AU
Warnings: Coarse language
Thanks to: aradira for the banner. Also to pompeypearly for the unintended inspiration, as you and your cupcake inspired this.
Book or Cover
It was amazing to see how much their lives had changed, and yet, the Talon was the exact same. Lois' clothes scattered on the floor, probably from before her call to head to Mexico, cold coffee in their machine with a few scattered grounds on the counter. Same furniture, paint colour and layout, yet comparatively, its inhabitants had changed plenty in the last few months.
Looking down at the woman in his arms, Oliver remembered the way Chloe told him that she had a tendency to get reflective on her birthday, along with the fact that he didn't have the heart to tell her that wasn't the healthiest idea. He was tempted to bring it up when he got back to the party, but considering she had fallen asleep while he carried her to his car outside of the Ace of Clubs, Oliver figured that this was a tolerable consolation prize. She was safe, she had a chance to make things better in the future. That was better than taking advice from a hypocrite.
That was why he drove her all the way to Smallville, as for once he was sober enough after leaving a party to handle the couple hours' drive. If nothing else, he wanted to give her one night's sleep outside of Isis, give her a taste of a simpler facet of her life, because her life wasn't supposed to feel like this anymore. Their problems were supposed to go away, and if anyone was supposed to feel guilt anymore... it was him, not her.
Davis had been sent to the Phantom Zone, as Clark had actually followed through for once, preventing Oliver from resorting to extreme measures. Unfortunately, that positive development didn't stop Jimmy from leaving Chloe and skipping town the moment the ink was dry on their divorce papers. Happy birthday indeed.
After that, it wasn't a secret that Chloe felt a little lost, as it took every inch of Lois and Oliver pushing her to even agree to having a party, a party that now felt like it was for nothing. He should have known better, for despite his best intentions, Oliver knew that it shouldn't be him trying to pick up her spirits, not when his were just slightly better than hers, and especially because she knew what he had done.
In fact, Chloe was one of the few, maybe the only one who knew what Oliver had done to Lex. She judged him for his actions initially, but eventually, she stopped mentioning it. He knew her enough to know it wasn't a matter of forgiving and forgetting, but he was grateful for every time she could actually find it within herself to smile at him again.
It wasn't like it happened often anymore, no matter how hard the guys tried. They had seen her isolate herself lately, but her operetta moment tonight was the first time she had told Oliver that she missed her old life. He had tried not to tease her then, because he knew that things could really be worse, but he couldn't help but wonder... was that what Chloe really wanted?
If it was, then he knew that he'd give it to her without hesitation, but a familiar pang in his chest reminded him that it wasn't what he wanted. As that feeling became stronger, Oliver began to back away from the bed, knowing it was time to take his leave, as no good would come from this train of thought. He began walking towards the door, making a mental note to talk with Chloe about this sooner than later.
Standing at the door, his hand taking the doorknob, Oliver took one last look towards where he had left Chloe. He tried to focus, but his eyes kept closing on him. Initially, Oliver thought he could shake it off, as it had been a long night, but he had been through worse. However, no matter how hard he tried to keep them open, nothing worked. A few minutes passed and Oliver knew there was no way he was driving back to Metropolis right now. So he walked over to the couch, figuring that he'd leave in the morning. After all, Chloe would never forgive him if he hurt himself trying to help her.
~0~
The first thing Chloe thought as she woke up was that things felt different. They didn't feel better or worse necessarily, just different. Chloe couldn't piece together why, but as she stared down at herself, seeing that she was still wearing her dress, she rolled her eyes. The more she thought about it, she wasn't sure how she got home, but maybe she was lucky and Clark or Bart took a minute to see her on her birthday after all.
If that was the case, then it was disappointing that she couldn't remember seeing them last night, as she remembered everyone else leaving, so it would have been nice to see someone walk through the door to enter the party for once.
"Chloe? Chloe are you --"
Chloe's head bolted up, as the voice in her head almost felt real. Closing her eyes, she stood up from the bed as Oliver's voice came to her again.
"Let's get you out of here, okay?"
Of course, out of everyone, it was him that had come back for her. The person with the craziest schedule, the guy who had been helping her maintain what little sanity she had left. Taking another second, Chloe had hoped more would come to her, but when it didn't, she felt herself shrug, as she figured she could piece together the rest. He probably called her a cab, likely leading to her stumbling towards her bed upon arrival. Maybe not the best ending to a disappointing night, but it was significantly better than other possible scenarios.
However, her epiphany didn't stop the stinging sensation in her head, so instead of changing, she began to walk over to the kitchen, desperate for a cup of coffee.
"Morning Lois," a familiar but unexpected voice called out, causing Chloe to jump before she reached the machine. She was about to berate Oliver for scaring her, but he spoke up first. "Aren't you supposed to be in Mexico?"
That was when his first words finally registered. "Lois?" Chloe's eyes widened as she finally realized the dark brown hair resting on her shoulders, clearly much longer than her own and eerily similar to her cousin's. Rushing back to her mirror, it didn't take long for Chloe to fully wake up when she saw her reflection. "I'm going to kill that magician."
Oliver got up from the couch, walking slowly towards where she was. When he first saw her, he thought it was weird that Lois was wearing Chloe's dress, but one look at her bed and Oliver could see that Chloe wasn't there. Taking the woman's words into consideration, there seemed to be only one explanation, one he had to tread carefully with if he was wrong. "Chloe?"
She hadn't heard him, but she answered the question anyway. "Just when I thought this birthday couldn't get any worse." Knowing her luck, she had probably completed the trifecta of spells, possessions and near-death experiences on her birthday. That fact oddly helped to comfort Chloe a little, but it quickly subsided when she glanced at the other face in the mirror. "Wait, what are you doing here?"
"I, uh, wanted to make sure you were okay, and I couldn't safely drive back, so I slept on your couch."
An understandable reason, but that didn't explain why he didn't drop her off at Isis. However, she wasn't about to be ungrateful for the lift, especially considering the whole night was a blur after he left and she blew out that damn candle. "Just promise me next year... no party."
Oliver nodded, as everyone was supposed to be there, but one cancellation after the other meant that there wasn't much point in the party anymore. But that didn't stop him from grinning as he continued to stare at her. "So to be clear, you wished to be Lois."
Chloe sighed as she walked around him to put fresh coffee in her coffee machine. She desperately wanted to change, but even if there was a door between them, there was something about having Oliver here that made her a little self-conscious. Although the dress wasn't exactly a great option, it would do until he left.
After turning the machine on, Chloe leaned against the counter, waiting for it to brew. "Wanting to walk a mile in someone's shoes shouldn't be taken literally."
"I don't think magic has that much leeway," Oliver said with a smirk, noticing the way Chloe-as-Lois was looking at him. Even in a different form, he knew that look.
Must be a family thing.
"Can you stop staring at me like that?" Chloe was tempted to turn around, but she knew that would be giving Oliver what he wanted. Besides, he'd probably just make a quip about her ass. "This is not funny."
"Well, technically I'm not staring at you."
"Funny guy," Chloe replied, scoffing as that fact was all too obvious. She knew that he was taking the opportunity to stare at her because of what happened between him and her cousin. She always thought that Oliver never really got over their break-up, and seeing the way Clark and Lois' relationship grew likely didn't help.
This whole thing was truly a sick joke, as instead of seeing a vision of her old life, she was the object of two men's affection that she would never have in her regular body. As if her own romantic life wasn't complicated or stupid enough.
When Chloe turned slightly to fill up her coffee cup, Oliver's grin maintained. "I do my best."
Trying to focus on the soothing sound of the coffee filling up her mug, Chloe asked, "How about you do your best to be helpful?"
"Lois booked the magician. I only booked the venue." When Chloe gave him a skeptical eyebrow, Oliver shrugged innocently. "Do you really think I'd book a magician with what we do?"
She shook her head as she finished swallowing, quick to point her finger in his direction. "You were the one who insisted I needed magic last night."
"Sue me, I was desperate." He barely held back his sigh, instead letting his head shake as he hoped she would understand that this... this wasn't the birthday gift he had in mind when he brought the magician over to her. Sure, Oliver believed that Chloe did deserve some sort of magic in her life, or maybe just a bit of good luck, but even on her birthday, the world was intent on playing tricks on her.
Chloe chuckled, as when he looked at her like that, it was like she was about to say no to a puppy. But that didn't stop her from quipping, "I just might, Mr. Queen."
It was strange to see her dip her head like that, focusing on the cup of coffee. He had likely seen Chloe do this hundreds of times, but for some reason, it seemed different, and it wasn't just because she looked like Lois.
Not able to hold back the sigh this time, he looked over to the main area, where a picture of the cousins was in plain view. "Look, it can't be that hard, maybe Clark knows something." Walking over to the frame, he picked it up, not knowing that Chloe had brought her head up to look at him. "I mean, if you wanted to know what it was like to be Lois, the Daily Planet has to be part of that, right?"
Her mouth gaped open after taking a final sip of coffee, the liquid not nearly as satisfying as it was a few minutes ago. "Oliver..."
"It's okay, really. I can't blame you for wanting another life, not when there were a lot of times that I wanted the same thing." Still looking at the photo, Oliver tried to figure out when it was taken, whether life was easier for Chloe then. "I've had a lot more time to digest that this life was the life I really wanted."
"Anything had to beat the island," Chloe joked, wanting to lighten the mood as she realized that things could really be worse. Besides, the last thing she wanted from this wish was for Oliver to get the wrong idea.
"Still," he said, looking over his shoulder as he recognized her words getting louder, "it's an acquired taste."
Now standing next to him, Chloe shrugged. "I suppose that's true." It wasn't like she had been a full-time member of Oliver's team for long enough to truly appreciate the sacrifices they made. It wasn't as simple as solving crimes from behind a computer screen. “But I’m still sorry Ollie. Life’s just been… interesting lately.”
Interesting felt like an understatement, but Oliver knew better than to dwell in the past. Taking his hand in hers, he gave her a quick grin. “Then we’ll figure this out together. Whatever you want, but this… isn’t going to work forever.”
Chloe scoffed. “Tell me about it,” she said, trying not to focus on the soothing way that Oliver’s thumb was skimming her hand. Feeling a shiver come, Chloe took a step back, recollecting herself as she walked over to where she left her purse. “Not to mention the awkwardness of the next phone call I have to make.”
"As Lois?”
Opening her phone, Chloe smirked as she began to dial the number. "To Lois."
Oliver’s eyes widened as he watched Chloe bring the phone to her ear. After a quiet chuckle, he leaned against the couch. "This will be fun."
"Well,” Chloe said, biting the inside of her lip as the dial tone started, “considering I kind of want to leave the Talon, I want to make sure that my cousin is indeed in Mexico before stepping outside."
“Fair point.” He was tempted to say more, but he figured it was best to stay quiet in case Lois picked up. The situation was complicated enough without Lois’ radar picking up that he was here at an early hour.
But to his surprise, Chloe addressed him once more. “Wait a sec. Did you say that we would figure this out?”
He looked back towards her, recognizing the way her eyes had narrowed while her hand was hovering over the bottom part of her phone. Oliver hadn't anticipated her surprise, but he ensured his answer was quick, honest. “I did… and I meant it.”
“Thank you,” she said, a smile starting to form, but it was soon interrupted by what he assumed was Lois answering the call.
So he remained where he was, tempted to laugh as Chloe began talking to the woman she looked like. He wasn’t sure what he found more fascinating, the fact that it was so easy to spot Chloe’s mannerisms in Lois’ body or the fact that the woman he had come to know over the past few years looked a lot less guarded when her features weren’t her own.
Chapter 2
Sera's Scribbles: The plan for this is about 3-4 chapters, but you guys know how well I stick to plans. I haven't had much chance to write this in awhile, but as usual, the banner sprung me into action. Here's hoping it turns out.
.