Turn the Page (4/?)
Author: 
serafina19
Title: Turn the Page
Rating: R
Summary: Oliver Queen meets Chloe Sullivan right before his life takes a turn for the worse. Together, they work to find peace in their lives and justice for the people they have lost.
Warning: coarse language, adult content, AU
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Chapter 4
He knew that he shouldn’t be here right now. He probably shouldn’t ever be here, but he didn’t care. The burn felt good and he didn’t want to interact with anyone at this moment. Such were the perks of being a public figure, something he didn’t ask for, but couldn’t avoid.
Staring at the amber liquid, Oliver put the glass back down on the counter. He had been nursing this for about ninety minutes, knowing that even if he wanted to, he wouldn’t let himself have more than one drink during work hours.
Because he had to go back, he had to put on a strong face despite the date, despite the various showings of sympathy that he would get during this afternoon’s board meeting. That was another reason he couldn’t get too smashed because he couldn’t afford to let himself get too distracted.
However, it appeared that a different form of distraction was coming regardless of what he did. “I considered not sitting here,” she said, taking the spot next to him, “but considering recent events, I figured it was best to not avoid the coincidence.”
Oliver watched as she ordered her drink, giving the bartender a stern look as she paid up. “Okay,” he said, trying to hold back a chuckle.
Bringing her eyes up to him, Chloe grinned. "I swear I'm not following you, I just needed a drink."
Even though that wasn’t the case this time, if there was any following involved, he was a lot guiltier than she was. But Oliver didn’t have the heart to tell her that. "Can't say I blame you. Ian's good."
He assumed that was why she was here, as she seemed to have a particular taste when it came to who served her drinks. That, and if he remembered right, he was the bartender Oliver had seen her talking to previously.
When he became silent to take a large sip of his drink, Chloe soon realized that he was probably in as good of a mood as she was. “And on second thought, I should -”
She had started to get up, but before her feet could hit the ground, his hand covered hers, hoping she’d stay. Staring at it, Chloe took the hint, her grin returning as she sat back down.
"Today is...was my parent's anniversary," Oliver whispered, waiting for her to look up at him, even though he was looking elsewhere. When he realized that her focus was on their hands, he brought his back, ignoring the chill the movement caused.
"Oh," she said, not entirely sure what else could be said. In her case, it was a day she had stopped noticing for years. It wasn’t like she ever really cared about it after her mom left. All she knew was that apologies could be wasted words, and she had a suspicion that he was here to avoid them.
"So what’s your excuse for wanting scotch on a Tuesday afternoon?" Because he couldn’t have predicted that he'd see her today. This place seemed to be their meeting place of choice, but even he knew it was an unorthodox time to want a drink.
Chloe swallowed hard before answering. “Today… this time last year was the last date I had with my fiancé.”
It was a week before he died. They thought a well-deserved night out would bring back the good things in their relationship. And it did, for a while. But then they got home and all of their problems were back on the surface. “Back then, life felt simpler.”
Back then, her biggest worry was topping her latest headline. That felt like nothing next to the mess her life became. She scoffed as she tipped the glass back and practically slammed it in on the counter. “I came here because I know I can drink in peace.”
And try to remember a happier time in my life, even if wasn’t completely real.
Moving his glass to hers, Oliver chinked it gently. "What a pair we make, huh?"
"Yeah." Chloe shook her head, realizing how much she drank already. It was supposed to be a quiet afternoon with one drink. "I wish I had a better excuse for feeling this miserable. I mean, it's been a year."
It didn’t take long for Oliver to answer. "Acceptance doesn't come easy with guilt attached. Trust me on that one."
She sighed. "That obvious, huh?" Glancing up in his direction, Chloe could see just how much he meant those words. She was tempted to chuckle, maybe even lighten the mood, because she couldn’t help but think that she accidentally poked at another of his wounds.
"That clear based on what I've seen about his death," he countered. Meeting her eyes, he tried to quiet her concern with a smile, but he could tell that she saw through it.
The least she could do was re-focus the conversation on her loss. Sadly, that was an easier burden to bear. "How much research did you put into this?"
"Not much," he lied. "But your face on the photos says it all and honestly, I can’t blame you for being here." At least that was the truth. “Heck, I probably shouldn’t be here, but everyone at the office knows what today is and I don’t know if I can fake it. Not yet anyway.”
“I met your parents once.” Swirling her glass, Chloe brought her eyes down. “I was interning at the Daily Planet, so I had to shadow one of the senior reporters. She was writing an article on your parents’ charity work and I’ll never forget their genuine kindness to everyone.”
“I know,” Oliver replied, letting the smallest of smiles momentarily come to the surface. “Everyone loved them.”
However, his tone told another story, so Chloe sighed. “I never really realized how much the shadow must suck.” She grinned before looking back up at him. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing an admirable job taking over the company.”
Not much time had passed since he officially became CEO, but people were already underestimating Oliver left, right, and centre. The paper reported a few attempted takeovers, but Chloe had insider sources that told her the full extent of what Oliver had to deal with lately. “The way you kyboshed the LuthorCorp takeover was impressive.”
This time, he let her see him smile. “Thanks, but if there’s one thing in this life that I can guarantee, it’s that I’m not letting a Luthor near ownership of my company.”
She laughed before taking a sip of her drink. “Business rivalries, always so much fun.”
For while the Luthors and Queens were once friends, there was a pretty bad falling out years ago. Chloe knew the reason for the elder generation, but there never needed to be a fallout with the most recent generation. Lex and Oliver always seemed to hate each other.
“I’m afraid when it comes to me and Lex, business is only one level of the hatred between us. You of all people would understand that.”
Chloe bit the inside of her lip. “Actually, Lex and I are friends.” She wasn’t embarrassed of that fact, but she knew that wasn’t the easiest thing for Oliver to hear.
“Come again?” he replied, almost spitting his drink out. It shouldn’t have caught him this off-guard, but the more he got to know Chloe, the less he understood how she could be friends with Lex.
“We go way back. I know he’s far from perfect,” she said, remembering some of the darker times of their friendship, his ugly personal history. “But deep down, he does care.”
About you.
It took everything Oliver had to bite back those words, to hold back some of the things that he knew about the man. “Which explains why he fired you?”
She was tempted to ask him how he knew that. It wasn’t like reporter status was reported in the Daily Planet, but Chloe soon realized that it was a logical conclusion. But it was the wrong one. “Only because I asked him.”
“You’re kidding,” Oliver said.
Everything seemed to fit with a regular Luthor move. It wouldn't be the first time Lex, or a Luthor in general, fired a reporter who dug too deep into something they shouldn't have. But one look in her eyes and Oliver knew that she was telling the truth.
“I didn’t… love reporting anymore and I thought it would send the right message to the people I was trying to catch.” The latter didn’t work, far from it, but she didn’t regret anything either. “I couldn’t spend another day in that bullpen.”
“I never would have guessed that.” Because it wasn’t the story he had been told, but it appeared that there was a lot more to Chloe Sullivan than even her friends realized.
“Why would you? It’s not like you knew me.” Her teeth tugged against the inside of her cheek this time, trying to bury the conflicting feelings that were tempting to surface. When they did, she pursed her lips together. “Except now, some of the things I’ve told you… I haven’t even told the people closest to me.”
“Ditto.”
Chloe had a feeling that was the case, which seemed strange for someone she had only seen a handful of times. “Why is that, you think?”
There was a lot he could tell her right now, but this wasn’t the time or place. But there was a reason that everyone wanted him to meet her. “My theory… we have the right things in common, things that other people can’t understand.”
She wouldn’t have seen it, as her eyes were focused straight ahead while her head slowly moved up and down. “Do you mind me asking who it was?” It was personal, probably a little intrusive, but for some reason, she had to know. At least that part of her reporter instinct hadn’t died yet. “The person you carry guilt for. It can’t be your parents.”
“Someone who came to me for help, but I let them down.” It was a long time ago, even longer than Chloe’s fiancé’s death, but he wasn’t going to forget that loss anytime soon. But again, not the time or place, as it was closer to Chloe than she knew. “It’s not much, but -”
Chloe waved her hand to cut him off. “Don’t worry about it, I get that you’re allowed to have some sort of private life.” If anything, she was a little shocked by how much Oliver had told her already. Even if it was mutual, they were always in public and nothing stopped someone from eavesdropping and spilling it to tabloids.
In fact, nothing stopped Chloe from lying to him about her intentions. But something told her that he knew that was never going to happen, as he simply smiled at her and said, “Thanks.”
Chloe did a mock toast towards him, sipping her drink slowly as she felt a phone buzz on the bar. Sure enough, Oliver picked up his phone and sighed. “Business calling you back?”
“Unfortunately,” he replied, putting a few bills on the bar before pushing his stool back. As he stood up, their eyes met again. “Hey, do you still have the card?”
Part of her wanted to say that she threw it out, that it wasn’t being tossed around in her purse, almost intimidating her every time she looked at it. But Chloe knew there was no point in lying now, not with what she already told him. “I do actually.”
He grinned at her response, but it fell as soon as it formed. “Obviously, I’m still getting used to my parents being gone, and you get that better than anyone I know.” He could practically hear Victor’s voice in his head, but Oliver shook it off, as this felt like more than that. “And I’d like to be there for you too.”
Chloe chuckled as she looked back at her drink. “You have been already, trust me.”
“Well, I’d like to plan on seeing you sometime… instead of just running into you by accident.”
Or on purpose.
After a chuckle, Chloe nodded. “I’d like that too.”
“Good. Then, I’ll… see you around.”
“Later Ollie,” Chloe replied, turning back to her drink with a smile that Oliver wouldn’t see. However, someone else would.
“Ollie huh?”
She rolled her eyes. “Shut up Ian.”
“Hey, I’m the least of your worries.” Ian picked up the money from the bar, shoving it in his pocket for the moment while he pulled out his phone. “This popped up a few minutes ago. I had kicked the guy out, but he somehow got in a shot before I saw him.”
Chloe would give the photographers one thing, they were stupidly perseverant. It was like someone was always following them. This one was a lot clearer than the usual ones, but the less crowded daytime atmosphere probably had a lot to do with that.
Smirking as she passed the phone back to Ian, Chloe said, “I knew something like this might happen if I sat down next to him. Don’t worry about it.”
“Why did you?”
It was a valid question, one that would be inevitably asked to her in the coming days. Except when Chloe looked back towards the elevator, she couldn’t help but shake her head. “Ever think that some things happen for a reason? I can’t seem to narrow down why yet, but… I can’t help but think there’s a reason we keep running into each other.”
~0~
Walking into Victor’s office, Oliver was feeling a lot better than before he left Queen Industries for the Ace of Clubs. The day had gained a new meaning, besides his dead parents’ anniversary and he was ready to face what was ahead.
Except for the way that the company's youngest department head was looking at him. “Good,” Victor said as he closed up his laptop and got up from his desk. “You save me the time of tracking you down in your office.”
Oliver sighed as he closed the door behind him. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but it didn’t sound good. “I just had to get out for a bit.”
“I know.” Victor crossed his arms as he leaned against the front of his desk. “Everyone with a google alert on your name knows.” Seeing the confused look on his boss’ face, Victor shook his head as he realized Oliver had no idea what he was talking about. Bringing the photo back up on his phone, he showed it to Oliver. “So this wasn’t planned?”
“No,” Oliver replied, having a feeling that Victor didn’t completely believe him. He couldn’t blame him, because of all the moments that could have been captured, it was during the time their hands were together. “I… we just talked for a few minutes.”
That seemed to happen a lot these days and Victor knew that he couldn’t let this slide any longer. “Look Oliver, I don’t want to go there, but how long are you planning on stringing her along? If you’re not bringing her onto the team, I don’t want Chloe to be in the tabloids like this.”
She had enough sources of stress in her life and this wouldn’t help. If anything, it hampered what she was trying to accomplish.
Oliver got that, so he said, “That’s not what I’m doing.”
Victor sighed. “I want to believe you, but you seem distracted. You even let Evie play you without using her powers.”
It didn’t take Oliver long to figure out what his friend meant. Getting exactly what she wanted with a night off, all while casually dropping where Chloe would be. Of course she planned that. He hadn’t anticipated that, but she was always one for subtlety and Victor was right, Oliver had fallen for it.
That didn’t change the truth. “That’s not what -”
“Then what is your plan exactly?” Victor interjected, crossing his arms. He didn’t like being short with Oliver like this, but almost two months had passed and this situation wouldn’t be ideal for anyone for much longer. “Because Evie’s on her way up, and yes, she’s seen this photo.”
After a single nod, Oliver realized where Victor was coming from. It couldn’t be easy for him or Evie, being on both sides of the situation, but acting like they knew less than they did. He swallowed hard, not fully appreciating what they had sacrificed while he figured things out.
He only hoped that all that time would pan out. “Then you can tell her that it’s time.”
“What?”
Oliver shrugged, as he knew now that he was ready to have Chloe join the team. “Believe it or not, I was also taking your advice while determining if I could trust her.”
Victor raised an eyebrow as he took a step back. “Really?” Of all the things he had anticipated Oliver saying, that wasn’t one of them. Part of him thought that this moment would never happen.
“You had a way to be sure she was trustworthy. I had an unintentional in and I took the opportunity to understand what you guys see in her.” He wouldn’t say that it didn’t start that way, that Oliver always felt like he could talk to her. That the honesty they shared was genuine. The fact that she kept what he told her to herself and the way she handled the paparazzi were just bonuses. “I get it.”
“Oh thank god,” Evie said from the doorway, surprising both men. “It took you long enough.”
Oliver chuckled once, wondering how long she had been standing there with the door closed behind her. Based on Victor's reaction, she hadn't been here the whole time. "Just one condition,” he said, “I'm coordinating the initiation process."
"Yes boss," Evie replied with a salute, not about to argue with the process now that he was finally on-board.
"Don't -" Shaking his head, Oliver laughed again. Nicknames for him appeared to be a family thing. "I guess it's better than green bean."
"Yeah, I love my cousin, but he's not exactly subtle, is he?" Which meant that she had to be careful when telling Bart that Chloe was in. The last thing they needed was her cousin jumping the gun. "Seriously Oliver, I think it's the right call and I'm here if you need support."
"That, I can work with." Because this was likely going to be a lot for Chloe to take. Although this wasn’t her first exposure to a secret like this, having a familiar face around would help. “How does Thursday sound?”
Seeing Evie nod, Victor said, “I’ll cover the comms.”
~0~
“Sorry I’m late,” Chloe said, sitting down at the table. “Trying to duck photographers is a lot harder than I thought.”
“Meanwhile, I’m trying to figure out why you’re in these photos at all.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. She knew to expect this much, but she had hoped for at least a little small talk first. “C’mon Lex, you know better than to read this tabloid trash.”
Lex leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “How else would I find out that you’re Queen’s drinking buddy?” It was the first time in a few weeks he had seen Chloe in person, but it appeared that her face was everywhere when the tabloids found her and Oliver Queen together.
“I’m not,” she countered, not wanting to focus on this, as there were a million other things that they could talk about. “We’re just… I don’t know what we are.”
“You’re not sleeping with him, are you?”
Chloe’s mouth widened as she was tempted to exclaim Are you kidding?, but she barely held it back. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just ask that,” she said, not able to hold back the scoff that followed. “It’s just a matter of right place, right time. I guess in a way, we’re each other’s support system.”
Lex’s expression fell as her words sunk in. He knew that Jimmy’s death was hard on her, but he never considered that it still hurt that much. “Chloe, if you wanted someone to talk to…”
“It’s not like that. You knew Jimmy, he didn’t. Just like I didn’t really know his parents.” Looking him straight in the eye, Chloe added, “Look, I know you two have a problematic past, but please, save your judgements for my sake.”
That was going to be easier said than done, as he was the one person Lex trusted least in this world. “You can’t blame me for being worried.” Mainly because he thought Chloe had a better judgement of character.
“I can’t, but you’re vilified in the papers sometimes too, and I know better.” It wasn’t going to convince Lex to change his mind, but Chloe wasn’t looking for that. “A little trust is all I ask, as I’m going to get a lecture as it is from Clark.”
Lex laughed. “He’s as overprotective as ever, I assume?”
Chloe bit back her laughter, wanting the two men to get over their stupid fallout that happened freshman year. Unfortunately, deep down, Chloe understood why Clark wanted to maintain his distance, especially with Lionel’s obsession with the Traveler and controlling metas.
“He means well, like you,” she finally responded. It was a comparison he didn’t like, but Chloe didn’t care. “And if I didn’t know better, I’d say that this is coming from a personal place based on the fact that Oliver beat you.”
That was a low blow, but one he’d let her take as he leaned back in his chair. “I’ll admit that I underestimated him.” It wasn’t a mistake he’d be making again anytime soon. If Chloe was trusting him, then clearly he had grown up since their prep school days.
“Exactly,” she said softly, wanting to add that she had too, but she grinned at Lex instead.
Seeing her happy was a rarity, and it worried Lex that Oliver contributed to that. Even if he had grown up professionally, Lex had seen what he did to women and Chloe didn’t deserve that. “I just don’t want to say that ‘I told you so.’”
“You won’t. It’s harmless.” Hearing her phone buzz, she took it out the purse. Of course it was him calling, as she had just added his number into her phone before leaving Ace of Clubs. “And I should take this.” She walked across the room, looking over her shoulder before answering the call. “I thought I was supposed to call you.”
Oliver chuckled before responding, “Victor Stone gave me your number. I hope that’s okay.”
“Depends,” she said, pausing in her step. She didn’t realize that Oliver was that close to Victor, but she wasn’t about to argue. It was a much earlier call than she anticipated, but after running from cameras and the pseudo-interrogation from Lex, it was a refreshing break.
“I was hoping we could talk some more, maybe in a more private setting.”
Leaning against a nearby wall, Chloe felt her mouth stretch into a grin. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’ve been told I’m a half-decent cook. What are your dinner plans for Thursday?”
Chloe realized that this could lead to scary ground, away from the description of harmless she had used minutes ago. Yet, her normal nerves didn’t last, as she knew that it wasn’t like that between them. “I’m available.”
Chapter 5
Sera's Scribbles: I was hoping to work on this more, but with my upcoming schedule, it's not going to happen. Hopefully it turned out okay. As I said in the first chapter, updates will come once a month, ideally on or around the 15th. For those who haven't seen my hiatus note from earlier this week, I'm in the midst of finding a new place to live, so this will likely be my last post until the next chapter of this story. That said, after February, I'm looking to pick up and finish "Passion Leaves a Trace" by summer. I know, I've said that before, but considering Chapter 5 is almost done, I may put what time I have into that so I can stop only posting one part a year.
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serafina19
Title: Turn the Page
Rating: R
Summary: Oliver Queen meets Chloe Sullivan right before his life takes a turn for the worse. Together, they work to find peace in their lives and justice for the people they have lost.
Warning: coarse language, adult content, AU
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Chapter 4
He knew that he shouldn’t be here right now. He probably shouldn’t ever be here, but he didn’t care. The burn felt good and he didn’t want to interact with anyone at this moment. Such were the perks of being a public figure, something he didn’t ask for, but couldn’t avoid.
Staring at the amber liquid, Oliver put the glass back down on the counter. He had been nursing this for about ninety minutes, knowing that even if he wanted to, he wouldn’t let himself have more than one drink during work hours.
Because he had to go back, he had to put on a strong face despite the date, despite the various showings of sympathy that he would get during this afternoon’s board meeting. That was another reason he couldn’t get too smashed because he couldn’t afford to let himself get too distracted.
However, it appeared that a different form of distraction was coming regardless of what he did. “I considered not sitting here,” she said, taking the spot next to him, “but considering recent events, I figured it was best to not avoid the coincidence.”
Oliver watched as she ordered her drink, giving the bartender a stern look as she paid up. “Okay,” he said, trying to hold back a chuckle.
Bringing her eyes up to him, Chloe grinned. "I swear I'm not following you, I just needed a drink."
Even though that wasn’t the case this time, if there was any following involved, he was a lot guiltier than she was. But Oliver didn’t have the heart to tell her that. "Can't say I blame you. Ian's good."
He assumed that was why she was here, as she seemed to have a particular taste when it came to who served her drinks. That, and if he remembered right, he was the bartender Oliver had seen her talking to previously.
When he became silent to take a large sip of his drink, Chloe soon realized that he was probably in as good of a mood as she was. “And on second thought, I should -”
She had started to get up, but before her feet could hit the ground, his hand covered hers, hoping she’d stay. Staring at it, Chloe took the hint, her grin returning as she sat back down.
"Today is...was my parent's anniversary," Oliver whispered, waiting for her to look up at him, even though he was looking elsewhere. When he realized that her focus was on their hands, he brought his back, ignoring the chill the movement caused.
"Oh," she said, not entirely sure what else could be said. In her case, it was a day she had stopped noticing for years. It wasn’t like she ever really cared about it after her mom left. All she knew was that apologies could be wasted words, and she had a suspicion that he was here to avoid them.
"So what’s your excuse for wanting scotch on a Tuesday afternoon?" Because he couldn’t have predicted that he'd see her today. This place seemed to be their meeting place of choice, but even he knew it was an unorthodox time to want a drink.
Chloe swallowed hard before answering. “Today… this time last year was the last date I had with my fiancé.”
It was a week before he died. They thought a well-deserved night out would bring back the good things in their relationship. And it did, for a while. But then they got home and all of their problems were back on the surface. “Back then, life felt simpler.”
Back then, her biggest worry was topping her latest headline. That felt like nothing next to the mess her life became. She scoffed as she tipped the glass back and practically slammed it in on the counter. “I came here because I know I can drink in peace.”
And try to remember a happier time in my life, even if wasn’t completely real.
Moving his glass to hers, Oliver chinked it gently. "What a pair we make, huh?"
"Yeah." Chloe shook her head, realizing how much she drank already. It was supposed to be a quiet afternoon with one drink. "I wish I had a better excuse for feeling this miserable. I mean, it's been a year."
It didn’t take long for Oliver to answer. "Acceptance doesn't come easy with guilt attached. Trust me on that one."
She sighed. "That obvious, huh?" Glancing up in his direction, Chloe could see just how much he meant those words. She was tempted to chuckle, maybe even lighten the mood, because she couldn’t help but think that she accidentally poked at another of his wounds.
"That clear based on what I've seen about his death," he countered. Meeting her eyes, he tried to quiet her concern with a smile, but he could tell that she saw through it.
The least she could do was re-focus the conversation on her loss. Sadly, that was an easier burden to bear. "How much research did you put into this?"
"Not much," he lied. "But your face on the photos says it all and honestly, I can’t blame you for being here." At least that was the truth. “Heck, I probably shouldn’t be here, but everyone at the office knows what today is and I don’t know if I can fake it. Not yet anyway.”
“I met your parents once.” Swirling her glass, Chloe brought her eyes down. “I was interning at the Daily Planet, so I had to shadow one of the senior reporters. She was writing an article on your parents’ charity work and I’ll never forget their genuine kindness to everyone.”
“I know,” Oliver replied, letting the smallest of smiles momentarily come to the surface. “Everyone loved them.”
However, his tone told another story, so Chloe sighed. “I never really realized how much the shadow must suck.” She grinned before looking back up at him. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing an admirable job taking over the company.”
Not much time had passed since he officially became CEO, but people were already underestimating Oliver left, right, and centre. The paper reported a few attempted takeovers, but Chloe had insider sources that told her the full extent of what Oliver had to deal with lately. “The way you kyboshed the LuthorCorp takeover was impressive.”
This time, he let her see him smile. “Thanks, but if there’s one thing in this life that I can guarantee, it’s that I’m not letting a Luthor near ownership of my company.”
She laughed before taking a sip of her drink. “Business rivalries, always so much fun.”
For while the Luthors and Queens were once friends, there was a pretty bad falling out years ago. Chloe knew the reason for the elder generation, but there never needed to be a fallout with the most recent generation. Lex and Oliver always seemed to hate each other.
“I’m afraid when it comes to me and Lex, business is only one level of the hatred between us. You of all people would understand that.”
Chloe bit the inside of her lip. “Actually, Lex and I are friends.” She wasn’t embarrassed of that fact, but she knew that wasn’t the easiest thing for Oliver to hear.
“Come again?” he replied, almost spitting his drink out. It shouldn’t have caught him this off-guard, but the more he got to know Chloe, the less he understood how she could be friends with Lex.
“We go way back. I know he’s far from perfect,” she said, remembering some of the darker times of their friendship, his ugly personal history. “But deep down, he does care.”
About you.
It took everything Oliver had to bite back those words, to hold back some of the things that he knew about the man. “Which explains why he fired you?”
She was tempted to ask him how he knew that. It wasn’t like reporter status was reported in the Daily Planet, but Chloe soon realized that it was a logical conclusion. But it was the wrong one. “Only because I asked him.”
“You’re kidding,” Oliver said.
Everything seemed to fit with a regular Luthor move. It wouldn't be the first time Lex, or a Luthor in general, fired a reporter who dug too deep into something they shouldn't have. But one look in her eyes and Oliver knew that she was telling the truth.
“I didn’t… love reporting anymore and I thought it would send the right message to the people I was trying to catch.” The latter didn’t work, far from it, but she didn’t regret anything either. “I couldn’t spend another day in that bullpen.”
“I never would have guessed that.” Because it wasn’t the story he had been told, but it appeared that there was a lot more to Chloe Sullivan than even her friends realized.
“Why would you? It’s not like you knew me.” Her teeth tugged against the inside of her cheek this time, trying to bury the conflicting feelings that were tempting to surface. When they did, she pursed her lips together. “Except now, some of the things I’ve told you… I haven’t even told the people closest to me.”
“Ditto.”
Chloe had a feeling that was the case, which seemed strange for someone she had only seen a handful of times. “Why is that, you think?”
There was a lot he could tell her right now, but this wasn’t the time or place. But there was a reason that everyone wanted him to meet her. “My theory… we have the right things in common, things that other people can’t understand.”
She wouldn’t have seen it, as her eyes were focused straight ahead while her head slowly moved up and down. “Do you mind me asking who it was?” It was personal, probably a little intrusive, but for some reason, she had to know. At least that part of her reporter instinct hadn’t died yet. “The person you carry guilt for. It can’t be your parents.”
“Someone who came to me for help, but I let them down.” It was a long time ago, even longer than Chloe’s fiancé’s death, but he wasn’t going to forget that loss anytime soon. But again, not the time or place, as it was closer to Chloe than she knew. “It’s not much, but -”
Chloe waved her hand to cut him off. “Don’t worry about it, I get that you’re allowed to have some sort of private life.” If anything, she was a little shocked by how much Oliver had told her already. Even if it was mutual, they were always in public and nothing stopped someone from eavesdropping and spilling it to tabloids.
In fact, nothing stopped Chloe from lying to him about her intentions. But something told her that he knew that was never going to happen, as he simply smiled at her and said, “Thanks.”
Chloe did a mock toast towards him, sipping her drink slowly as she felt a phone buzz on the bar. Sure enough, Oliver picked up his phone and sighed. “Business calling you back?”
“Unfortunately,” he replied, putting a few bills on the bar before pushing his stool back. As he stood up, their eyes met again. “Hey, do you still have the card?”
Part of her wanted to say that she threw it out, that it wasn’t being tossed around in her purse, almost intimidating her every time she looked at it. But Chloe knew there was no point in lying now, not with what she already told him. “I do actually.”
He grinned at her response, but it fell as soon as it formed. “Obviously, I’m still getting used to my parents being gone, and you get that better than anyone I know.” He could practically hear Victor’s voice in his head, but Oliver shook it off, as this felt like more than that. “And I’d like to be there for you too.”
Chloe chuckled as she looked back at her drink. “You have been already, trust me.”
“Well, I’d like to plan on seeing you sometime… instead of just running into you by accident.”
Or on purpose.
After a chuckle, Chloe nodded. “I’d like that too.”
“Good. Then, I’ll… see you around.”
“Later Ollie,” Chloe replied, turning back to her drink with a smile that Oliver wouldn’t see. However, someone else would.
“Ollie huh?”
She rolled her eyes. “Shut up Ian.”
“Hey, I’m the least of your worries.” Ian picked up the money from the bar, shoving it in his pocket for the moment while he pulled out his phone. “This popped up a few minutes ago. I had kicked the guy out, but he somehow got in a shot before I saw him.”
Chloe would give the photographers one thing, they were stupidly perseverant. It was like someone was always following them. This one was a lot clearer than the usual ones, but the less crowded daytime atmosphere probably had a lot to do with that.
Smirking as she passed the phone back to Ian, Chloe said, “I knew something like this might happen if I sat down next to him. Don’t worry about it.”
“Why did you?”
It was a valid question, one that would be inevitably asked to her in the coming days. Except when Chloe looked back towards the elevator, she couldn’t help but shake her head. “Ever think that some things happen for a reason? I can’t seem to narrow down why yet, but… I can’t help but think there’s a reason we keep running into each other.”
~0~
Walking into Victor’s office, Oliver was feeling a lot better than before he left Queen Industries for the Ace of Clubs. The day had gained a new meaning, besides his dead parents’ anniversary and he was ready to face what was ahead.
Except for the way that the company's youngest department head was looking at him. “Good,” Victor said as he closed up his laptop and got up from his desk. “You save me the time of tracking you down in your office.”
Oliver sighed as he closed the door behind him. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but it didn’t sound good. “I just had to get out for a bit.”
“I know.” Victor crossed his arms as he leaned against the front of his desk. “Everyone with a google alert on your name knows.” Seeing the confused look on his boss’ face, Victor shook his head as he realized Oliver had no idea what he was talking about. Bringing the photo back up on his phone, he showed it to Oliver. “So this wasn’t planned?”
“No,” Oliver replied, having a feeling that Victor didn’t completely believe him. He couldn’t blame him, because of all the moments that could have been captured, it was during the time their hands were together. “I… we just talked for a few minutes.”
That seemed to happen a lot these days and Victor knew that he couldn’t let this slide any longer. “Look Oliver, I don’t want to go there, but how long are you planning on stringing her along? If you’re not bringing her onto the team, I don’t want Chloe to be in the tabloids like this.”
She had enough sources of stress in her life and this wouldn’t help. If anything, it hampered what she was trying to accomplish.
Oliver got that, so he said, “That’s not what I’m doing.”
Victor sighed. “I want to believe you, but you seem distracted. You even let Evie play you without using her powers.”
It didn’t take Oliver long to figure out what his friend meant. Getting exactly what she wanted with a night off, all while casually dropping where Chloe would be. Of course she planned that. He hadn’t anticipated that, but she was always one for subtlety and Victor was right, Oliver had fallen for it.
That didn’t change the truth. “That’s not what -”
“Then what is your plan exactly?” Victor interjected, crossing his arms. He didn’t like being short with Oliver like this, but almost two months had passed and this situation wouldn’t be ideal for anyone for much longer. “Because Evie’s on her way up, and yes, she’s seen this photo.”
After a single nod, Oliver realized where Victor was coming from. It couldn’t be easy for him or Evie, being on both sides of the situation, but acting like they knew less than they did. He swallowed hard, not fully appreciating what they had sacrificed while he figured things out.
He only hoped that all that time would pan out. “Then you can tell her that it’s time.”
“What?”
Oliver shrugged, as he knew now that he was ready to have Chloe join the team. “Believe it or not, I was also taking your advice while determining if I could trust her.”
Victor raised an eyebrow as he took a step back. “Really?” Of all the things he had anticipated Oliver saying, that wasn’t one of them. Part of him thought that this moment would never happen.
“You had a way to be sure she was trustworthy. I had an unintentional in and I took the opportunity to understand what you guys see in her.” He wouldn’t say that it didn’t start that way, that Oliver always felt like he could talk to her. That the honesty they shared was genuine. The fact that she kept what he told her to herself and the way she handled the paparazzi were just bonuses. “I get it.”
“Oh thank god,” Evie said from the doorway, surprising both men. “It took you long enough.”
Oliver chuckled once, wondering how long she had been standing there with the door closed behind her. Based on Victor's reaction, she hadn't been here the whole time. "Just one condition,” he said, “I'm coordinating the initiation process."
"Yes boss," Evie replied with a salute, not about to argue with the process now that he was finally on-board.
"Don't -" Shaking his head, Oliver laughed again. Nicknames for him appeared to be a family thing. "I guess it's better than green bean."
"Yeah, I love my cousin, but he's not exactly subtle, is he?" Which meant that she had to be careful when telling Bart that Chloe was in. The last thing they needed was her cousin jumping the gun. "Seriously Oliver, I think it's the right call and I'm here if you need support."
"That, I can work with." Because this was likely going to be a lot for Chloe to take. Although this wasn’t her first exposure to a secret like this, having a familiar face around would help. “How does Thursday sound?”
Seeing Evie nod, Victor said, “I’ll cover the comms.”
~0~
“Sorry I’m late,” Chloe said, sitting down at the table. “Trying to duck photographers is a lot harder than I thought.”
“Meanwhile, I’m trying to figure out why you’re in these photos at all.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. She knew to expect this much, but she had hoped for at least a little small talk first. “C’mon Lex, you know better than to read this tabloid trash.”
Lex leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “How else would I find out that you’re Queen’s drinking buddy?” It was the first time in a few weeks he had seen Chloe in person, but it appeared that her face was everywhere when the tabloids found her and Oliver Queen together.
“I’m not,” she countered, not wanting to focus on this, as there were a million other things that they could talk about. “We’re just… I don’t know what we are.”
“You’re not sleeping with him, are you?”
Chloe’s mouth widened as she was tempted to exclaim Are you kidding?, but she barely held it back. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just ask that,” she said, not able to hold back the scoff that followed. “It’s just a matter of right place, right time. I guess in a way, we’re each other’s support system.”
Lex’s expression fell as her words sunk in. He knew that Jimmy’s death was hard on her, but he never considered that it still hurt that much. “Chloe, if you wanted someone to talk to…”
“It’s not like that. You knew Jimmy, he didn’t. Just like I didn’t really know his parents.” Looking him straight in the eye, Chloe added, “Look, I know you two have a problematic past, but please, save your judgements for my sake.”
That was going to be easier said than done, as he was the one person Lex trusted least in this world. “You can’t blame me for being worried.” Mainly because he thought Chloe had a better judgement of character.
“I can’t, but you’re vilified in the papers sometimes too, and I know better.” It wasn’t going to convince Lex to change his mind, but Chloe wasn’t looking for that. “A little trust is all I ask, as I’m going to get a lecture as it is from Clark.”
Lex laughed. “He’s as overprotective as ever, I assume?”
Chloe bit back her laughter, wanting the two men to get over their stupid fallout that happened freshman year. Unfortunately, deep down, Chloe understood why Clark wanted to maintain his distance, especially with Lionel’s obsession with the Traveler and controlling metas.
“He means well, like you,” she finally responded. It was a comparison he didn’t like, but Chloe didn’t care. “And if I didn’t know better, I’d say that this is coming from a personal place based on the fact that Oliver beat you.”
That was a low blow, but one he’d let her take as he leaned back in his chair. “I’ll admit that I underestimated him.” It wasn’t a mistake he’d be making again anytime soon. If Chloe was trusting him, then clearly he had grown up since their prep school days.
“Exactly,” she said softly, wanting to add that she had too, but she grinned at Lex instead.
Seeing her happy was a rarity, and it worried Lex that Oliver contributed to that. Even if he had grown up professionally, Lex had seen what he did to women and Chloe didn’t deserve that. “I just don’t want to say that ‘I told you so.’”
“You won’t. It’s harmless.” Hearing her phone buzz, she took it out the purse. Of course it was him calling, as she had just added his number into her phone before leaving Ace of Clubs. “And I should take this.” She walked across the room, looking over her shoulder before answering the call. “I thought I was supposed to call you.”
Oliver chuckled before responding, “Victor Stone gave me your number. I hope that’s okay.”
“Depends,” she said, pausing in her step. She didn’t realize that Oliver was that close to Victor, but she wasn’t about to argue. It was a much earlier call than she anticipated, but after running from cameras and the pseudo-interrogation from Lex, it was a refreshing break.
“I was hoping we could talk some more, maybe in a more private setting.”
Leaning against a nearby wall, Chloe felt her mouth stretch into a grin. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’ve been told I’m a half-decent cook. What are your dinner plans for Thursday?”
Chloe realized that this could lead to scary ground, away from the description of harmless she had used minutes ago. Yet, her normal nerves didn’t last, as she knew that it wasn’t like that between them. “I’m available.”
Chapter 5
Sera's Scribbles: I was hoping to work on this more, but with my upcoming schedule, it's not going to happen. Hopefully it turned out okay. As I said in the first chapter, updates will come once a month, ideally on or around the 15th. For those who haven't seen my hiatus note from earlier this week, I'm in the midst of finding a new place to live, so this will likely be my last post until the next chapter of this story. That said, after February, I'm looking to pick up and finish "Passion Leaves a Trace" by summer. I know, I've said that before, but considering Chapter 5 is almost done, I may put what time I have into that so I can stop only posting one part a year.
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