Say the word and I might have to stay (1/1)
Author: serafina19
Title: Say the word and I might have to stay
Summary: Chloe wants to stay, but old habits cause her to doubt her future in Metropolis.
Timeline: Fortune
Rating: G
Say the word and I might have to stay
No matter what happened, tonight was going to be hard. As Chloe stared at her phone, she tried to hold onto the bit of rational thought she had left. While it was true that she had run away from her life before, this was different. Last time she disappeared, it was because she was willing to risk everything for Oliver, so no one had known until it was too late to stop her. This time, she got to say goodbye, but that wasn't necessarily easier. However, she had to because it was only a matter of time before Oliver realized that she was leaving again.
She had given his name as a reference, after all. It wasn’t like she could undo that decision. He was the best reference that she had to start over and one of the only reasons she was still hanging around Metropolis. That also meant she had to explain to him why she was leaving and why she didn't expect him to come with her.
Chloe shook her head, wondering when she became this woman, the person foolish enough to fall for her boss. Except, deep down, she knew that Oliver was a key part of finding herself after the Doomsday debacle. It helped that he was the one who saw her at her worst, at her darkest and most desperate moments. He had seen her inches away from giving up on having a life of her own, but he pulled her from the brink. He had found something to love about her, he had admitted his alter ego for the chance to see her again.
In their own strange way, this relationship had grown much deeper than she could have expected. However, the unorthodox nature of their relationship did worry Chloe, as the hectic nature of their lives, the stupid rules of their initial relationship and her reluctance to have a relationship had led her to wonder if her and Oliver would be the same if things went back to even a semblance of normal.
It didn't help that absence had already done a number on her heart. In fact, being away from Oliver before was the hardest part of faking her death, of erasing her existence. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take for everything to fall apart.
I mean, I married Clark, of all things.
As much as she had grown, she thought that much had changed about her personality, but apparently the naïve schoolgirl was still present. The annulment would be efficient, if anything they did last night was even official, and no one outside of Clark and her would know the truth unless the video showed otherwise.
Honestly, part of her wished that they wouldn’t find it. Or that it wouldn’t work. The results were disappointing enough to convince her to push up her plan to leave Metropolis, because, if nothing else, Oliver deserved better, even if he loved her with everything he had.
He’d give the reference regardless of what happened between them. He was professional, that wasn’t going to change. Neither were her feelings for him, but everything in her life felt a bit more uncertain lately. Sure, the "marriage" could be a sham, but she still woke up next to Clark this morning, with all signs pointing to them getting married. That terrified Chloe, because she thought that she was over him, although a few hours ago, she realized the reason was something deeper than that.
After all, this wouldn't be the first time that she had something good in her life and she found a way to ruin it. She didn’t need a video from last night to tell her that. It hurt more this time, considering what she would have to give up. Because it was real, wasn’t it? Calling herself his girlfriend not long ago. The look he gave her when he told her that he trusted her, even if she understood if he hadn’t.
She rushed to her phone when it rang, wanting to hear Oliver’s voice, but instead, Clark’s face lit up her screen. Not wanting to raise suspicion, she took the call. Regardless of her decision, she still had a job to start in another city. Probably.
If nothing else, it was better to start with the easier goodbyes.
~0~
The video started to fill in some blanks, but it wasn’t enough. As she stood next to Oliver, she watched him smile at her, which was enough for her stomach to fall because she still didn’t know how to tell him the truth. One thing was for sure though. She had to get out of here.
However, when the elevator arrived at the ground level, Chloe felt herself freeze, disappointed that her entire dilemma could be summed up in the worst cliché of all time. He wasn't the problem, but last night had proved she was still lost and she couldn't expect him to wait for her to figure it out.
As she approached the main doors, she tapped her finger against her phone, tempted to leave him a message, to apologize. Because no matter how worried she was, she also knew that the unfounded fears that she had lived by for years, the ones that were pushing her now, were the same ones that brought this relationship into her life. But old habits die hard, and Chloe also knew that the words weren’t any simpler over the phone. Plus, he probably saw her leave, so there was no way it was going to voicemail. So she left, hoping the fresh air will clear her mind.
It didn’t, as the wind clouded her mind instead. The footsteps got harder as she continued, maybe that was why his voice was so clear when Oliver called out to her.
In the end, she knew that no reason could be good enough to explain why she was leaving. Because he already knew the truth. She had to get out of Watchtower and he was more than supportive of that. That was expected, so by the time he pulled out a piece of paper, she figured that he was doing the work for her and letting her go. Instead, the ripped paper ended up being the very thing that changed everything.
She pulled out her half of the marriage certificate and grinned as it matched up perfectly. Chloe then bit her lip, trying to keep herself from tearing up in relief as she realized that she wasn’t as lost as she thought. She also didn’t sabotage her relationship and when her inhibitions were down, she chose him.
Then he called himself her husband and it was honestly the most beautiful sound Chloe had heard in a long time. It was then she finally realized that, although they clearly had to talk about this and there would be some hurdles in front of them, he was willing to face everything together. And so was Chloe, even if she couldn't believe that, for once, this was the part of her life that she could feel certain about.
So she walked back to the clocktower with Oliver, letting herself believe that, whether it was in Metropolis or in his hometown, this relationship, this marriage, was something worth holding onto.
~End~
Sera’s Scribbles: Not my best, but again, trying to finish off what I can. In fact, if you’re still in the mood for a “Fortune” one-shot, of my efforts, “ Weightless” is much better.
.
Title: Say the word and I might have to stay
Summary: Chloe wants to stay, but old habits cause her to doubt her future in Metropolis.
Timeline: Fortune
Rating: G
Say the word and I might have to stay
No matter what happened, tonight was going to be hard. As Chloe stared at her phone, she tried to hold onto the bit of rational thought she had left. While it was true that she had run away from her life before, this was different. Last time she disappeared, it was because she was willing to risk everything for Oliver, so no one had known until it was too late to stop her. This time, she got to say goodbye, but that wasn't necessarily easier. However, she had to because it was only a matter of time before Oliver realized that she was leaving again.
She had given his name as a reference, after all. It wasn’t like she could undo that decision. He was the best reference that she had to start over and one of the only reasons she was still hanging around Metropolis. That also meant she had to explain to him why she was leaving and why she didn't expect him to come with her.
Chloe shook her head, wondering when she became this woman, the person foolish enough to fall for her boss. Except, deep down, she knew that Oliver was a key part of finding herself after the Doomsday debacle. It helped that he was the one who saw her at her worst, at her darkest and most desperate moments. He had seen her inches away from giving up on having a life of her own, but he pulled her from the brink. He had found something to love about her, he had admitted his alter ego for the chance to see her again.
In their own strange way, this relationship had grown much deeper than she could have expected. However, the unorthodox nature of their relationship did worry Chloe, as the hectic nature of their lives, the stupid rules of their initial relationship and her reluctance to have a relationship had led her to wonder if her and Oliver would be the same if things went back to even a semblance of normal.
It didn't help that absence had already done a number on her heart. In fact, being away from Oliver before was the hardest part of faking her death, of erasing her existence. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take for everything to fall apart.
I mean, I married Clark, of all things.
As much as she had grown, she thought that much had changed about her personality, but apparently the naïve schoolgirl was still present. The annulment would be efficient, if anything they did last night was even official, and no one outside of Clark and her would know the truth unless the video showed otherwise.
Honestly, part of her wished that they wouldn’t find it. Or that it wouldn’t work. The results were disappointing enough to convince her to push up her plan to leave Metropolis, because, if nothing else, Oliver deserved better, even if he loved her with everything he had.
He’d give the reference regardless of what happened between them. He was professional, that wasn’t going to change. Neither were her feelings for him, but everything in her life felt a bit more uncertain lately. Sure, the "marriage" could be a sham, but she still woke up next to Clark this morning, with all signs pointing to them getting married. That terrified Chloe, because she thought that she was over him, although a few hours ago, she realized the reason was something deeper than that.
After all, this wouldn't be the first time that she had something good in her life and she found a way to ruin it. She didn’t need a video from last night to tell her that. It hurt more this time, considering what she would have to give up. Because it was real, wasn’t it? Calling herself his girlfriend not long ago. The look he gave her when he told her that he trusted her, even if she understood if he hadn’t.
She rushed to her phone when it rang, wanting to hear Oliver’s voice, but instead, Clark’s face lit up her screen. Not wanting to raise suspicion, she took the call. Regardless of her decision, she still had a job to start in another city. Probably.
If nothing else, it was better to start with the easier goodbyes.
~0~
The video started to fill in some blanks, but it wasn’t enough. As she stood next to Oliver, she watched him smile at her, which was enough for her stomach to fall because she still didn’t know how to tell him the truth. One thing was for sure though. She had to get out of here.
However, when the elevator arrived at the ground level, Chloe felt herself freeze, disappointed that her entire dilemma could be summed up in the worst cliché of all time. He wasn't the problem, but last night had proved she was still lost and she couldn't expect him to wait for her to figure it out.
As she approached the main doors, she tapped her finger against her phone, tempted to leave him a message, to apologize. Because no matter how worried she was, she also knew that the unfounded fears that she had lived by for years, the ones that were pushing her now, were the same ones that brought this relationship into her life. But old habits die hard, and Chloe also knew that the words weren’t any simpler over the phone. Plus, he probably saw her leave, so there was no way it was going to voicemail. So she left, hoping the fresh air will clear her mind.
It didn’t, as the wind clouded her mind instead. The footsteps got harder as she continued, maybe that was why his voice was so clear when Oliver called out to her.
In the end, she knew that no reason could be good enough to explain why she was leaving. Because he already knew the truth. She had to get out of Watchtower and he was more than supportive of that. That was expected, so by the time he pulled out a piece of paper, she figured that he was doing the work for her and letting her go. Instead, the ripped paper ended up being the very thing that changed everything.
She pulled out her half of the marriage certificate and grinned as it matched up perfectly. Chloe then bit her lip, trying to keep herself from tearing up in relief as she realized that she wasn’t as lost as she thought. She also didn’t sabotage her relationship and when her inhibitions were down, she chose him.
Then he called himself her husband and it was honestly the most beautiful sound Chloe had heard in a long time. It was then she finally realized that, although they clearly had to talk about this and there would be some hurdles in front of them, he was willing to face everything together. And so was Chloe, even if she couldn't believe that, for once, this was the part of her life that she could feel certain about.
So she walked back to the clocktower with Oliver, letting herself believe that, whether it was in Metropolis or in his hometown, this relationship, this marriage, was something worth holding onto.
~End~
Sera’s Scribbles: Not my best, but again, trying to finish off what I can. In fact, if you’re still in the mood for a “Fortune” one-shot, of my efforts, “ Weightless” is much better.
.