In Love ... All Bets Are Off Chapter 9
I know, this story is still alive! It's been forever since I updated and I really do apologize for that. Not sure if you remember it but I hope you do! Enjoy the new chapter! :D
Story: In Love … All Bets Are Off
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Oliver, Clark/Lex friendship, slight Chloe/Lex
Rating: R
Disclaimer: don’t own anything
Warning: slash, mentions of m/m sex, jerk!Jason (sorry, I do like him but I needed a villain and he fit)
Spoilers: AU but slight season 1-early season 3 mentions
Summary: Clark’s dad dies when he’s in high school. Martha and Clark sell the farm and leave to live with Clark’s grandfather in Metropolis, Clark transferring to Excelsior. Excelsior … where Oliver Queen rules the school. Oliver takes a bet that he can get the new guy in his bed … but what happens when he ends up falling in love instead?
Previous Chapters: Here
Chapter 9
What the hell just happened here? It seemed that Clark Kent running away from him had become a pattern in their relationship.
This time it was different though because tonight, Clark had saved his life. He always knew the brunet was special but apparently he was even more incredible than he previously thought. Not only could he deflect bullets but could run really fast. Within minutes, he had brought him back from downtown Metropolis back to Excelsior.
That was just amazing. And Ollie still hadn’t figured out how Clark realized he was in danger in the first place!
There were so many questions that he had and it was a bit frustrating to not have any answers. Slowly, he made his way back to his room, wanting to be alone.
Once he got there, he tried to focus but it was difficult. He wondered what Clark was thinking at the moment. Was he nervous? Scared? Seeing his reactions to Ollie’s reactions, he figured that he had not meant to reveal what he could do.
Ollie silently vowed that the next time he saw Clark, he would assure the brunet that he would never tell his secret to anyone.
If you see him again, that is. Oliver scowled. Of course he would see Clark again … whether or not the other man would talk to him … now that was the question. He wasn’t going down without a fight though.
Now he just had to find out what to say to Clark when he finally saw him again.
While Oliver was trying to figure out the right questions, Clark was desperately preparing answers.
How could he even begin to explain this? The last time he had had to tell someone, it was Pete and that was because his friend had found his spaceship. He was threatening to turn it over and Clark had to tell him that it was his.
Pete had freaked out but had grown to accept it with time. To his surprise, Chloe had been the one to take it really well. When he was under the influence of red kryptonite, he had spilled it and she had been really excited.
However, Chloe had been taken control of by some parasite and so she didn’t remember a thing. It was probably better that way anyway. She was, after all, a reporter by heart and it was good that she didn’t know.
But how would Ollie react?
There was no need to tell him everything … there was no way he was going to tell him everything anyway.
What would Ollie thinking about what he had seen already though? Did he think Clark was a freak? Clark’s heart clenched at the idea of Ollie being disgusted with him.
Either way, he knew whatever chance he had with the blond was gone. If Oliver didn’t want anything after the kiss before, he definitely wouldn’t want to do anything now.
Why would anyone want to be with someone like him? Especially when they were Oliver Queen and could have someone normal. Clark sighed sadly at the thought. He should be lucky if they could somehow be friends at the end of this mess. Anything more was just not in the cards.
Besides, even if the whole revelation of his abilities hadn’t come about, Clark wasn’t sure if he wanted to move their relationship forward either. Lex said that Oliver acted differently around him but in public, he had his doubts.
Ollie ignored everyone in favor for him at the party but Clark could tell that keeping up his reputation was important to him. He couldn’t risk opening himself up and getting hurt. It was worse now that Ollie knew what he could do … he was even more potentially vulnerable.
The blond may have power over the entire school but he would not have power over Clark. If he revealed his feelings, he would and that was unacceptable.
Making the decision by himself was hard, but he didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t talk to Lex about this so he had to do it on his own. It built character anyway … he couldn’t keep running to other people to make decisions on his life.
If it was a mistake, so be it, but it was his mistake to make.
He went to bed early that night, tired from the long day. Sleep didn’t come easily and he spent most of the night tossing and turning.
Never before had he been more relieved that it was Friday.
Friday … one week since the party had happened … one week since that fateful kiss that sent him running out. He had only seen Ollie once and they didn’t even talk then.
Clark would talk to him but it would be on his terms, not Oliver’s. After a lot of thinking, he knew what he was going to say. However, it was not possible for him to talk to the blond that day, even if he wanted to.
Between classes and a journalism meeting, he was quite busy. He had some free time but used it to hang out with Lex instead. The confrontation, he figured, could wait until the weekend.
On Saturday, he slept in a little bit and woke up refreshed and with a new determination. After getting dressed and a quick breakfast, he went on a search for Oliver.
Finally, he spotted the blond, standing with a few friends at the other end up of the hall. He was going to move toward him but an all too familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.
“You know, I thought they made you wear uniforms at this joint … I’m a little bit disappointed, Kent.”
Spinning around, eyes wide, Clark could only stare as he came face to face with none other than Pete Ross.
“Pete?” he said, unable to believe his best friend was actually there.
“Well, I’m certainly not the Easter bunny,” Pete quipped. “And you’re clearly as eloquent as always.”
“Oh my god!” Clark exclaimed and pulled his friend into a hug. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here too,” a second voice and he looked to Pete’s left to see Chloe beaming at him.
“Chloe,” he said, smiling warmly at the petite blonde. She practically jumped into his arms and he hugged her tightly. He may have settled into Excelsior but he missed both Chloe and Pete on more than one occasion.
Pulling away, she grinned, “We decided to come surprise you for the weekend.”
“This is awesome,” Clark replied.
“I really wanted to see you in the uniform though, Kent,” Chloe interrupted.
“You should’ve come during the week then,” he teased, “It’s the weekend, Chlo … we don’t have to wear our uniforms 24/7 … thank god.”
He paused for a second. “Where are you guys staying?”
“My cousin, Lois, goes to Metropolis University,” Chloe answered, “We’re crashing with her. She has a car so she dropped us here and will pick us up later.”
Clark nodded, taking it in. “How long are you guys staying?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow,” Chloe told him and he grinned.
“Hey Clark?” Chloe’s voice dropped to practically a whisper. “There is this guy standing a few feet away … does he know you?”
Trying to be subtle and ignoring his nervousness at the possibility of Ollie approaching him now, he shifted slightly so he could look out of the corner of his eye. Much to his relief, it wasn’t Ollie … it was Lex, who was standing by his lockers, looking unsure of whether to approach but obviously trying not to stare.
“Oh,” he said, relief evident in his tone, “That’s just Lex.”
“As in Luthor?” Pete interjected, looking disgusted. “How do you know that guy?”
“Lex is my friend,” Clark said sternly, clearly leaving no room for arguments, “And he’s not his father. He was my first friend in this school. I’m going to call him over and introduce you guys and you are going to be nice.”
Both of them nodded, seeing he wasn’t messing around.
Turning, he waved and called out, “Hey Lex! You going to stand over there all day?”
Lex smirked and walked over to them. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“You’re not,” Clark assured him. “Guys, this is Lex. Lex, this is Chloe and Pete, my two best friends from Smallville.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Pete managed and Clark was pleased with his friend. Chloe, on the other hand, beamed.
“Thanks for making sure Clark’s not a loner!” Chloe said, a twinkle in her eyes.
“Chloe!” Clark protested.
Lex just laughed. “Well, I think he saved me from being a loner too so it works both ways.” He glanced at Pete and back at Chloe. “I’ve heard a lot about you two.”
“All good, I hope,” Chloe responded.
“Of course,” Lex said politely. He smiled. “In fact, according to Clark, I’m a lot like you.”
Chloe seemed pleased at that. “Well, then, you definitely can’t be bad.” She made his way to his side and to everyone’s surprise, hooked arms with him. “Come on, Lex, you can show me around.”
She began to drag him off and Lex glanced over his shoulder, meeting Clark’s eyes. He gave him a nod of reassurance and seeing that, Lex allowed himself to be dragged away.
Turning back to Pete, he grinned. “She’s one of a kind, isn’t she?”
“That’s one way to put it,” Pete agreed. “I think Lex is going to have his hands full with her. Think we should’ve warned him?”
“Nah,” Clark said, “I’m sure he can handle it.” They both laughed at that.
Suddenly, Pete’s expression changed and Clark tilted his head curiously. “What’s up?”
“Kent, you seem to be popular in this school,” Pete remarked. “There’s some other guy staring at you now.”
Oh no. This time, as he turned his head, he knew exactly what to expect. And he wasn’t wrong. He immediately met solid brown eyes, watching him carefully. Breaking the gaze, he turned back to Pete.
“Come on,” he said, “Let me show you around.” Then he purposely led him in the opposite direction.
“Clark?” Pete said, “I take it that guy’s not a friend of yours.”
How to answer that? “It’s complicated,” Clark said finally.
“Who is that anyway?” Pete wanted to know.
“Oliver Queen,” Clark said absentmindedly.
“Oliver Queen?” Pete repeated. He shook his head. “You do make a lot of interesting acquaintances.”
“I guess you can say that,” Clark chuckled.
“And you seem to always clash with the blond, jock type,” Pete commented, nudging him playfully. Clark couldn’t help but laugh at that.
“I guess so.” There was an awkward silence, where neither one knew quite what to say.
“So,” Pete said, realizing that a change of topic was needed, “Show me around this place!”
Grateful, Clark smiled and began to explain what was what. Pete gave him the update on what was going in Smallville and for the next few hours, they laughed and talked. After the campus tour, they took a walk to downtown Metropolis to grab a bite to eat. They had long lost sight of Chloe and Lex but Clark knew they’d be fine with each other.
Once back on school grounds, Pete asked to see his dorm room, so that’s where Clark led him. Pete was impressed with what he saw.
“This is nice,” he said, taking a seat on the bed.
“Yeah, I thought so too,” Clark replied.
“Clark, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Pete said suddenly.
“What’s up?” Clark questioned.
“Oliver Queen,” he said simply.
Clark forced himself not to react. “What about him?”
“I’ve been wondering about him all afternoon,” Pete admitted, “I wanted to know why he gets such a reaction fro you … I mean, he was staring at you and you pretty much ran the other way.”
“I didn’t run!” Clark protested. Pete raised an eyebrow.
“Clark, you practically dragged me of in another direction,” Pete pointed out. “I just … want to make sure that you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” Clark assured him.
“Are you sure?” Pete asked, worry evident in his expression. “That guy isn’t causing you too much trouble, is he?”
“No, Pete, he’s not,” Clark replied. Pursing his lips for a moment, he decided to tell him the truth. “Actually, the thing is …a few days ago … I saved his life. He’s seen me use my abilities.”
There was a silence and then Pete cursed. “That really sucks, Clark,” he said finally. “What are you going to do about it?”
“ I don’t know,” Clark responded. “I was going to confront him this morning but that’s when you and Chloe showed up. I guess I’m going to have to talk to him later on. I’m hoping he won’t blab … I don’t plan to tell him my secret or anything, of course.” He sighed, “I just don’t want to burden anyone else with the knowledge of my powers.”
Another pause and then he was surprised when Pete said, “You were never a burden to me.”
Meeting his gaze, Clark tilted his head in confusion. “What?”
“I said,” Pete repeated, in a louder, firmer tone, “You were never a burden to me. I know I reacted badly when I found out … the truth and you’ll never know how sorry I am for that. But I’m honored to be in your trusted circle and know your secret. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
“Thanks, Pete,” Clark said gratefully, smiling at his childhood friend.
Pete smiled back. Then he cleared his throat. “Anyway, enough of the girly moments.”
Clark couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Good point. Let’s go find Lex and Chloe, shall we?”
“That’s a good idea,” Pete agreed. “Who knows how much trouble they’re getting into?”
“With Chloe around?” Clark said, “You really have to watch out.” Exchanging grins, they headed out, and after calling Lex’s cell phone, they tracked them down.
They hung out for a bit and then Lois showed up so Chloe and Pete left, promising they’d be back the next day.
Watching Chloe exchange a shy goodbye with Lex, Clark couldn’t help but smile.
He was still smiling when they were gone and Lex looked at him.
“What?” his friend asked.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Clark replied with an innocent smile.
“Uh, huh,” Lex said doubtfully.
“So you and Chloe, huh?” he couldn’t help but say.
“I knew it,” Lex said, rolling his eyes.
“Oh come on, Lex,” Clark replied, nudging him lightly. “You guys spend the day together, exchange those looks … can you blame a guy for being curious?”
“Well, it’s not like we knew where to find you,” Lex countered.
“And you didn’t think of using a cell phone to try?” Clark shot back. He made a big show of taking out his phone. “Or maybe I missed the call … hmm … let’s see here …”
“All right, all right,” Lex interrupted before he could say anything else. “I like her, okay? We had a lot of fun today.”
“I knew that,” Clark said gleefully. He had to refrain from bouncing around. “I think she likes you too, you know.”
He was surprised to see a faint blush on Lex’s cheeks. “You think?”
“I know,” Clark confirmed. “Come on,” he added, “Let’s go get dinner. We can talk all about it then.”
Lex chuckled but didn’t say anything. Instead, they both headed back toward the school to grab a bite to eat.
The next day, Chloe and Pete showed up in the morning, just like they said. This time, all of them spent time together, instead of in pairs. But neither Pete nor Clark didn’t miss the way that Chloe and Lex looked at each other.
Finally, Chloe and Pete had to leave but they all promised to keep in touch.
Afterwards, Lex admitted that he and Chloe had exchanged e-mail addresses and Clark had been happy for both his friends.
However, no matter how much fun he was having, he couldn’t get a certain person out of his mind. Whenever he had a free second, Oliver found his way into Clark’s thoughts and it was frustrating. He couldn’t keep putting off talking to him.
So that night, he picked up the phone and dialed his number.
Ollie answered on the third ring. “Queen.”
“Ollie, it’s Clark,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Clark,” Oliver sounded surprised to hear from him. “Hi. What’s up?”
“Look,” he said hurriedly, “I think that we need to talk.”
“I think you’re right,” Oliver said. “Name the time and place and I’ll be there.”
“I was thinking on Tuesday,” Clark suggested. “It’s Veteran’s Day so we don’t have class … maybe we can meet up sometime in the afternoon.”
“That sounds good,” Oliver replied. “Maybe we can just have lunch and talk then?”
“Okay,” Clark said. “That’s fine with me.”
“How about I pick you up at noon?” Ollie asked.
“Yeah, that’s fine with me,” Clark told him.
“Great,” Oliver responded. “I’ll see you then.”
Saying their goodbyes, Clark hung up, feeling a bit more relieved. That was the first step … now he just had to deal with the actual conversation.
His nerves were on the edge all of Monday. Pushing Ollie out of his mind, he forced himself to think about other things but it was hard. Somehow he made it through the day but to say that sleep didn’t come easy that night was an understatement.
When Tuesday finally arrived, Clark was nervous yet excited. He found that he genuinely missed seeing Oliver but at the same time, he was a little bit unsure of the conversation they were going to have. Mostly because he didn’t know what Ollie was thinking.
He grabbed a light breakfast with Lex and then headed back to his room to get ready. But when noon struck, Ollie was nowhere to be seen.
At ten minutes past the hour and still no sign, Clark was starting to get worried and a bit disappointed that the blond may not be showing up after all. But then, there was a knock at the door.
Opening it, Clark found a breathless Oliver on the other side. He had clearly run to get there.
“Hey,” he greeted him.
“Hi,” Oliver said, “I’m sorry I’m late. You ready to go?” Clark nodded and followed him out.
“You look a bit out of breath,” Clark observed.
“Yeah,” Oliver replied. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Clark said, as they made their way away from the dorms.
“I was thinking that we could go off campus to talk,” Oliver said, with a smile. “I’m figuring we could with a bit of privacy.”
“Yeah,” Clark replied. “I’m good with that.” They stopped in front of an emerald green Porsche Boxster.
“Nice car,” Clark commented.
“This is actually why I was late,” Ollie admitted. When Clark looked confused, he explained, “I usually only have a motorcycle on school grounds and I realized that it may not be too comfortable for the two of us. Unfortunately, I realized this at 11:30 so I had to go get my car.”
Clark couldn’t help but smile at that. Getting into the car, there was silence and they took off.
“So where are we going?” Clark asked, breaking it.
“I wasn’t sure that you would be comfortable talking in a restaurant,” Oliver said, eyes on the road. “I have a place in Metropolis … well, my parents did. So I figured we pick up some food and then go over there to eat and talk.”
Clark nodded at his plans. He had been worried about what someone may overhear if they went to downtown but it seemed that Ollie had it all taken care of. They picked up sandwiches at a place Ollie claimed was really good and then headed toward Ollie’s place.
They finally arrived at a huge white building with a large clock on the top. Ollie parked and after he entered a few security codes, they stepped into the elevator.
Neither of them spoke until the elevator stopped. The doors opened and they walked into a living room setting. Clark could tell it was maintained but it didn’t look very lived in. Obviously Oliver didn’t spend a lot of time there.
“Come on,” Oliver said, breaking the silence, “We’ll go to the dining room and eat. Then we can talk.”
“Works for me,” Clark agreed. Once they got there, they ate in silence and moved back to the living room to talk.
Clark took a seat on the couch and Ollie sat across from him.
“So,” he said, not really sure of how to begin.
But apparently, Oliver had his own ideas. “First, I want to thank you for saving my life,” he said, “Because I didn’t get a chance to that night. I don’t know how you did it but I’m really grateful. Thanks.”
“It was no problem,” Clark said, shrugging. “I was just … glad I could be there. Oliver, about what happened …”
“It doesn’t matter,” Oliver interrupted. “Not to me. You don’t have to explain anything … not to me.”
“Really?” Clark was stunned at the reaction he was getting.
“Yeah,” Oliver said firmly. “I can’t say that I’m not curious … but they’re your secrets. And you have my word that I won’t tell anyone about what I saw.”
“I appreciate that,” Clark said sincerely. And he did. He never expected the conversation would be this easy.
Even Ollie was smiling. “I guess we’re good on that then?”
“We are,” Clark confirmed. He hesitated. “There is one more thing we need to talk about though.”
“The kiss,” Ollie said softly. “We kissed at the party … and you ran away.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Clark said immediately. “I mean … I know I shouldn’t have but I freaked. It was my first kiss with another guy and I just didn’t know how to react.”
“Understandable,” Oliver replied. “I was surprised you ran but I was never upset, Clark. I could understand that you were a little shaken.” Meeting his eyes, Clark could tell he meant every word.
“I’ve thought about the kiss a lot,” Clark said carefully.
“And?” Was there a hint of anxiety in Ollie’s eyes? He couldn’t be too sure; Oliver was an expert at hiding his emotions.
“This isn’t easy for me to say, Ollie,” Clark told him. “I just … I think it’d be best if we forgot that it happened and just remained friends.”
“You do.” The reply was flat and not at all like Oliver.
“I just …,” Clark trailed off when he noticed the flash of disappointment on Ollie’s face. It was gone as quickly as it came.
Ollie’s expression shifted and he moved to sit next to Clark. “Just tell me one thing,” he said, “Did you like the kiss? I mean, did it mean anything to you?”
“Oliver,” Clark began but he couldn’t get anything else out before he was cut off.
“Yes or no, Clark,” Oliver insisted.
“Yes,” Clark said. He couldn’t lie. “I did.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Oliver wondered aloud. “I mean, I know that this is all new to you but I am willing to take it slow …”
“It’s not that it’s new to me,” Clark interrupted.
“Then what is it?” Oliver questioned.
“It’s … well, it’s you,” Clark said, deciding be direct.
“Me?” Oliver repeated.
“Yeah, I mean, Ollie … I don’t … I’m sorry but when it comes to this, I don’t trust you,” he said bluntly.
“I don’t understand,” Oliver said, puzzled.
“Ollie, you’re the one who’s all about reputation,” Clark pointed out. “What can really come out from this kiss? Let’s be honest … the idea of a relationship between us just won’t work out. You’re different with me … but I don’t know if I can handle both sides of your personality. One of us is just going to end up hurt and it’ll probably be me. That’s a risk I can’t … a risk I won’t take.”
He watched as Ollie swallowed hard. “I see.”
Standing up, he said, “I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” Oliver said, and Clark could’ve sworn he heard a tinge of sadness in his voice. “But it’s your call, Clark. We’ll … just be friends then.”
Clark nodded. You did the right thing. Then why did it hurt so much?
Little did he know that Ollie had no plans to let him go or give up.
Chapter 10
Story: In Love … All Bets Are Off
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Oliver, Clark/Lex friendship, slight Chloe/Lex
Rating: R
Disclaimer: don’t own anything
Warning: slash, mentions of m/m sex, jerk!Jason (sorry, I do like him but I needed a villain and he fit)
Spoilers: AU but slight season 1-early season 3 mentions
Summary: Clark’s dad dies when he’s in high school. Martha and Clark sell the farm and leave to live with Clark’s grandfather in Metropolis, Clark transferring to Excelsior. Excelsior … where Oliver Queen rules the school. Oliver takes a bet that he can get the new guy in his bed … but what happens when he ends up falling in love instead?
Previous Chapters: Here
Chapter 9
What the hell just happened here? It seemed that Clark Kent running away from him had become a pattern in their relationship.
This time it was different though because tonight, Clark had saved his life. He always knew the brunet was special but apparently he was even more incredible than he previously thought. Not only could he deflect bullets but could run really fast. Within minutes, he had brought him back from downtown Metropolis back to Excelsior.
That was just amazing. And Ollie still hadn’t figured out how Clark realized he was in danger in the first place!
There were so many questions that he had and it was a bit frustrating to not have any answers. Slowly, he made his way back to his room, wanting to be alone.
Once he got there, he tried to focus but it was difficult. He wondered what Clark was thinking at the moment. Was he nervous? Scared? Seeing his reactions to Ollie’s reactions, he figured that he had not meant to reveal what he could do.
Ollie silently vowed that the next time he saw Clark, he would assure the brunet that he would never tell his secret to anyone.
If you see him again, that is. Oliver scowled. Of course he would see Clark again … whether or not the other man would talk to him … now that was the question. He wasn’t going down without a fight though.
Now he just had to find out what to say to Clark when he finally saw him again.
While Oliver was trying to figure out the right questions, Clark was desperately preparing answers.
How could he even begin to explain this? The last time he had had to tell someone, it was Pete and that was because his friend had found his spaceship. He was threatening to turn it over and Clark had to tell him that it was his.
Pete had freaked out but had grown to accept it with time. To his surprise, Chloe had been the one to take it really well. When he was under the influence of red kryptonite, he had spilled it and she had been really excited.
However, Chloe had been taken control of by some parasite and so she didn’t remember a thing. It was probably better that way anyway. She was, after all, a reporter by heart and it was good that she didn’t know.
But how would Ollie react?
There was no need to tell him everything … there was no way he was going to tell him everything anyway.
What would Ollie thinking about what he had seen already though? Did he think Clark was a freak? Clark’s heart clenched at the idea of Ollie being disgusted with him.
Either way, he knew whatever chance he had with the blond was gone. If Oliver didn’t want anything after the kiss before, he definitely wouldn’t want to do anything now.
Why would anyone want to be with someone like him? Especially when they were Oliver Queen and could have someone normal. Clark sighed sadly at the thought. He should be lucky if they could somehow be friends at the end of this mess. Anything more was just not in the cards.
Besides, even if the whole revelation of his abilities hadn’t come about, Clark wasn’t sure if he wanted to move their relationship forward either. Lex said that Oliver acted differently around him but in public, he had his doubts.
Ollie ignored everyone in favor for him at the party but Clark could tell that keeping up his reputation was important to him. He couldn’t risk opening himself up and getting hurt. It was worse now that Ollie knew what he could do … he was even more potentially vulnerable.
The blond may have power over the entire school but he would not have power over Clark. If he revealed his feelings, he would and that was unacceptable.
Making the decision by himself was hard, but he didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t talk to Lex about this so he had to do it on his own. It built character anyway … he couldn’t keep running to other people to make decisions on his life.
If it was a mistake, so be it, but it was his mistake to make.
He went to bed early that night, tired from the long day. Sleep didn’t come easily and he spent most of the night tossing and turning.
Never before had he been more relieved that it was Friday.
Friday … one week since the party had happened … one week since that fateful kiss that sent him running out. He had only seen Ollie once and they didn’t even talk then.
Clark would talk to him but it would be on his terms, not Oliver’s. After a lot of thinking, he knew what he was going to say. However, it was not possible for him to talk to the blond that day, even if he wanted to.
Between classes and a journalism meeting, he was quite busy. He had some free time but used it to hang out with Lex instead. The confrontation, he figured, could wait until the weekend.
On Saturday, he slept in a little bit and woke up refreshed and with a new determination. After getting dressed and a quick breakfast, he went on a search for Oliver.
Finally, he spotted the blond, standing with a few friends at the other end up of the hall. He was going to move toward him but an all too familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.
“You know, I thought they made you wear uniforms at this joint … I’m a little bit disappointed, Kent.”
Spinning around, eyes wide, Clark could only stare as he came face to face with none other than Pete Ross.
“Pete?” he said, unable to believe his best friend was actually there.
“Well, I’m certainly not the Easter bunny,” Pete quipped. “And you’re clearly as eloquent as always.”
“Oh my god!” Clark exclaimed and pulled his friend into a hug. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here too,” a second voice and he looked to Pete’s left to see Chloe beaming at him.
“Chloe,” he said, smiling warmly at the petite blonde. She practically jumped into his arms and he hugged her tightly. He may have settled into Excelsior but he missed both Chloe and Pete on more than one occasion.
Pulling away, she grinned, “We decided to come surprise you for the weekend.”
“This is awesome,” Clark replied.
“I really wanted to see you in the uniform though, Kent,” Chloe interrupted.
“You should’ve come during the week then,” he teased, “It’s the weekend, Chlo … we don’t have to wear our uniforms 24/7 … thank god.”
He paused for a second. “Where are you guys staying?”
“My cousin, Lois, goes to Metropolis University,” Chloe answered, “We’re crashing with her. She has a car so she dropped us here and will pick us up later.”
Clark nodded, taking it in. “How long are you guys staying?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow,” Chloe told him and he grinned.
“Hey Clark?” Chloe’s voice dropped to practically a whisper. “There is this guy standing a few feet away … does he know you?”
Trying to be subtle and ignoring his nervousness at the possibility of Ollie approaching him now, he shifted slightly so he could look out of the corner of his eye. Much to his relief, it wasn’t Ollie … it was Lex, who was standing by his lockers, looking unsure of whether to approach but obviously trying not to stare.
“Oh,” he said, relief evident in his tone, “That’s just Lex.”
“As in Luthor?” Pete interjected, looking disgusted. “How do you know that guy?”
“Lex is my friend,” Clark said sternly, clearly leaving no room for arguments, “And he’s not his father. He was my first friend in this school. I’m going to call him over and introduce you guys and you are going to be nice.”
Both of them nodded, seeing he wasn’t messing around.
Turning, he waved and called out, “Hey Lex! You going to stand over there all day?”
Lex smirked and walked over to them. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“You’re not,” Clark assured him. “Guys, this is Lex. Lex, this is Chloe and Pete, my two best friends from Smallville.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Pete managed and Clark was pleased with his friend. Chloe, on the other hand, beamed.
“Thanks for making sure Clark’s not a loner!” Chloe said, a twinkle in her eyes.
“Chloe!” Clark protested.
Lex just laughed. “Well, I think he saved me from being a loner too so it works both ways.” He glanced at Pete and back at Chloe. “I’ve heard a lot about you two.”
“All good, I hope,” Chloe responded.
“Of course,” Lex said politely. He smiled. “In fact, according to Clark, I’m a lot like you.”
Chloe seemed pleased at that. “Well, then, you definitely can’t be bad.” She made his way to his side and to everyone’s surprise, hooked arms with him. “Come on, Lex, you can show me around.”
She began to drag him off and Lex glanced over his shoulder, meeting Clark’s eyes. He gave him a nod of reassurance and seeing that, Lex allowed himself to be dragged away.
Turning back to Pete, he grinned. “She’s one of a kind, isn’t she?”
“That’s one way to put it,” Pete agreed. “I think Lex is going to have his hands full with her. Think we should’ve warned him?”
“Nah,” Clark said, “I’m sure he can handle it.” They both laughed at that.
Suddenly, Pete’s expression changed and Clark tilted his head curiously. “What’s up?”
“Kent, you seem to be popular in this school,” Pete remarked. “There’s some other guy staring at you now.”
Oh no. This time, as he turned his head, he knew exactly what to expect. And he wasn’t wrong. He immediately met solid brown eyes, watching him carefully. Breaking the gaze, he turned back to Pete.
“Come on,” he said, “Let me show you around.” Then he purposely led him in the opposite direction.
“Clark?” Pete said, “I take it that guy’s not a friend of yours.”
How to answer that? “It’s complicated,” Clark said finally.
“Who is that anyway?” Pete wanted to know.
“Oliver Queen,” Clark said absentmindedly.
“Oliver Queen?” Pete repeated. He shook his head. “You do make a lot of interesting acquaintances.”
“I guess you can say that,” Clark chuckled.
“And you seem to always clash with the blond, jock type,” Pete commented, nudging him playfully. Clark couldn’t help but laugh at that.
“I guess so.” There was an awkward silence, where neither one knew quite what to say.
“So,” Pete said, realizing that a change of topic was needed, “Show me around this place!”
Grateful, Clark smiled and began to explain what was what. Pete gave him the update on what was going in Smallville and for the next few hours, they laughed and talked. After the campus tour, they took a walk to downtown Metropolis to grab a bite to eat. They had long lost sight of Chloe and Lex but Clark knew they’d be fine with each other.
Once back on school grounds, Pete asked to see his dorm room, so that’s where Clark led him. Pete was impressed with what he saw.
“This is nice,” he said, taking a seat on the bed.
“Yeah, I thought so too,” Clark replied.
“Clark, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Pete said suddenly.
“What’s up?” Clark questioned.
“Oliver Queen,” he said simply.
Clark forced himself not to react. “What about him?”
“I’ve been wondering about him all afternoon,” Pete admitted, “I wanted to know why he gets such a reaction fro you … I mean, he was staring at you and you pretty much ran the other way.”
“I didn’t run!” Clark protested. Pete raised an eyebrow.
“Clark, you practically dragged me of in another direction,” Pete pointed out. “I just … want to make sure that you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” Clark assured him.
“Are you sure?” Pete asked, worry evident in his expression. “That guy isn’t causing you too much trouble, is he?”
“No, Pete, he’s not,” Clark replied. Pursing his lips for a moment, he decided to tell him the truth. “Actually, the thing is …a few days ago … I saved his life. He’s seen me use my abilities.”
There was a silence and then Pete cursed. “That really sucks, Clark,” he said finally. “What are you going to do about it?”
“ I don’t know,” Clark responded. “I was going to confront him this morning but that’s when you and Chloe showed up. I guess I’m going to have to talk to him later on. I’m hoping he won’t blab … I don’t plan to tell him my secret or anything, of course.” He sighed, “I just don’t want to burden anyone else with the knowledge of my powers.”
Another pause and then he was surprised when Pete said, “You were never a burden to me.”
Meeting his gaze, Clark tilted his head in confusion. “What?”
“I said,” Pete repeated, in a louder, firmer tone, “You were never a burden to me. I know I reacted badly when I found out … the truth and you’ll never know how sorry I am for that. But I’m honored to be in your trusted circle and know your secret. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
“Thanks, Pete,” Clark said gratefully, smiling at his childhood friend.
Pete smiled back. Then he cleared his throat. “Anyway, enough of the girly moments.”
Clark couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Good point. Let’s go find Lex and Chloe, shall we?”
“That’s a good idea,” Pete agreed. “Who knows how much trouble they’re getting into?”
“With Chloe around?” Clark said, “You really have to watch out.” Exchanging grins, they headed out, and after calling Lex’s cell phone, they tracked them down.
They hung out for a bit and then Lois showed up so Chloe and Pete left, promising they’d be back the next day.
Watching Chloe exchange a shy goodbye with Lex, Clark couldn’t help but smile.
He was still smiling when they were gone and Lex looked at him.
“What?” his friend asked.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Clark replied with an innocent smile.
“Uh, huh,” Lex said doubtfully.
“So you and Chloe, huh?” he couldn’t help but say.
“I knew it,” Lex said, rolling his eyes.
“Oh come on, Lex,” Clark replied, nudging him lightly. “You guys spend the day together, exchange those looks … can you blame a guy for being curious?”
“Well, it’s not like we knew where to find you,” Lex countered.
“And you didn’t think of using a cell phone to try?” Clark shot back. He made a big show of taking out his phone. “Or maybe I missed the call … hmm … let’s see here …”
“All right, all right,” Lex interrupted before he could say anything else. “I like her, okay? We had a lot of fun today.”
“I knew that,” Clark said gleefully. He had to refrain from bouncing around. “I think she likes you too, you know.”
He was surprised to see a faint blush on Lex’s cheeks. “You think?”
“I know,” Clark confirmed. “Come on,” he added, “Let’s go get dinner. We can talk all about it then.”
Lex chuckled but didn’t say anything. Instead, they both headed back toward the school to grab a bite to eat.
The next day, Chloe and Pete showed up in the morning, just like they said. This time, all of them spent time together, instead of in pairs. But neither Pete nor Clark didn’t miss the way that Chloe and Lex looked at each other.
Finally, Chloe and Pete had to leave but they all promised to keep in touch.
Afterwards, Lex admitted that he and Chloe had exchanged e-mail addresses and Clark had been happy for both his friends.
However, no matter how much fun he was having, he couldn’t get a certain person out of his mind. Whenever he had a free second, Oliver found his way into Clark’s thoughts and it was frustrating. He couldn’t keep putting off talking to him.
So that night, he picked up the phone and dialed his number.
Ollie answered on the third ring. “Queen.”
“Ollie, it’s Clark,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Clark,” Oliver sounded surprised to hear from him. “Hi. What’s up?”
“Look,” he said hurriedly, “I think that we need to talk.”
“I think you’re right,” Oliver said. “Name the time and place and I’ll be there.”
“I was thinking on Tuesday,” Clark suggested. “It’s Veteran’s Day so we don’t have class … maybe we can meet up sometime in the afternoon.”
“That sounds good,” Oliver replied. “Maybe we can just have lunch and talk then?”
“Okay,” Clark said. “That’s fine with me.”
“How about I pick you up at noon?” Ollie asked.
“Yeah, that’s fine with me,” Clark told him.
“Great,” Oliver responded. “I’ll see you then.”
Saying their goodbyes, Clark hung up, feeling a bit more relieved. That was the first step … now he just had to deal with the actual conversation.
His nerves were on the edge all of Monday. Pushing Ollie out of his mind, he forced himself to think about other things but it was hard. Somehow he made it through the day but to say that sleep didn’t come easy that night was an understatement.
When Tuesday finally arrived, Clark was nervous yet excited. He found that he genuinely missed seeing Oliver but at the same time, he was a little bit unsure of the conversation they were going to have. Mostly because he didn’t know what Ollie was thinking.
He grabbed a light breakfast with Lex and then headed back to his room to get ready. But when noon struck, Ollie was nowhere to be seen.
At ten minutes past the hour and still no sign, Clark was starting to get worried and a bit disappointed that the blond may not be showing up after all. But then, there was a knock at the door.
Opening it, Clark found a breathless Oliver on the other side. He had clearly run to get there.
“Hey,” he greeted him.
“Hi,” Oliver said, “I’m sorry I’m late. You ready to go?” Clark nodded and followed him out.
“You look a bit out of breath,” Clark observed.
“Yeah,” Oliver replied. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Clark said, as they made their way away from the dorms.
“I was thinking that we could go off campus to talk,” Oliver said, with a smile. “I’m figuring we could with a bit of privacy.”
“Yeah,” Clark replied. “I’m good with that.” They stopped in front of an emerald green Porsche Boxster.
“Nice car,” Clark commented.
“This is actually why I was late,” Ollie admitted. When Clark looked confused, he explained, “I usually only have a motorcycle on school grounds and I realized that it may not be too comfortable for the two of us. Unfortunately, I realized this at 11:30 so I had to go get my car.”
Clark couldn’t help but smile at that. Getting into the car, there was silence and they took off.
“So where are we going?” Clark asked, breaking it.
“I wasn’t sure that you would be comfortable talking in a restaurant,” Oliver said, eyes on the road. “I have a place in Metropolis … well, my parents did. So I figured we pick up some food and then go over there to eat and talk.”
Clark nodded at his plans. He had been worried about what someone may overhear if they went to downtown but it seemed that Ollie had it all taken care of. They picked up sandwiches at a place Ollie claimed was really good and then headed toward Ollie’s place.
They finally arrived at a huge white building with a large clock on the top. Ollie parked and after he entered a few security codes, they stepped into the elevator.
Neither of them spoke until the elevator stopped. The doors opened and they walked into a living room setting. Clark could tell it was maintained but it didn’t look very lived in. Obviously Oliver didn’t spend a lot of time there.
“Come on,” Oliver said, breaking the silence, “We’ll go to the dining room and eat. Then we can talk.”
“Works for me,” Clark agreed. Once they got there, they ate in silence and moved back to the living room to talk.
Clark took a seat on the couch and Ollie sat across from him.
“So,” he said, not really sure of how to begin.
But apparently, Oliver had his own ideas. “First, I want to thank you for saving my life,” he said, “Because I didn’t get a chance to that night. I don’t know how you did it but I’m really grateful. Thanks.”
“It was no problem,” Clark said, shrugging. “I was just … glad I could be there. Oliver, about what happened …”
“It doesn’t matter,” Oliver interrupted. “Not to me. You don’t have to explain anything … not to me.”
“Really?” Clark was stunned at the reaction he was getting.
“Yeah,” Oliver said firmly. “I can’t say that I’m not curious … but they’re your secrets. And you have my word that I won’t tell anyone about what I saw.”
“I appreciate that,” Clark said sincerely. And he did. He never expected the conversation would be this easy.
Even Ollie was smiling. “I guess we’re good on that then?”
“We are,” Clark confirmed. He hesitated. “There is one more thing we need to talk about though.”
“The kiss,” Ollie said softly. “We kissed at the party … and you ran away.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Clark said immediately. “I mean … I know I shouldn’t have but I freaked. It was my first kiss with another guy and I just didn’t know how to react.”
“Understandable,” Oliver replied. “I was surprised you ran but I was never upset, Clark. I could understand that you were a little shaken.” Meeting his eyes, Clark could tell he meant every word.
“I’ve thought about the kiss a lot,” Clark said carefully.
“And?” Was there a hint of anxiety in Ollie’s eyes? He couldn’t be too sure; Oliver was an expert at hiding his emotions.
“This isn’t easy for me to say, Ollie,” Clark told him. “I just … I think it’d be best if we forgot that it happened and just remained friends.”
“You do.” The reply was flat and not at all like Oliver.
“I just …,” Clark trailed off when he noticed the flash of disappointment on Ollie’s face. It was gone as quickly as it came.
Ollie’s expression shifted and he moved to sit next to Clark. “Just tell me one thing,” he said, “Did you like the kiss? I mean, did it mean anything to you?”
“Oliver,” Clark began but he couldn’t get anything else out before he was cut off.
“Yes or no, Clark,” Oliver insisted.
“Yes,” Clark said. He couldn’t lie. “I did.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Oliver wondered aloud. “I mean, I know that this is all new to you but I am willing to take it slow …”
“It’s not that it’s new to me,” Clark interrupted.
“Then what is it?” Oliver questioned.
“It’s … well, it’s you,” Clark said, deciding be direct.
“Me?” Oliver repeated.
“Yeah, I mean, Ollie … I don’t … I’m sorry but when it comes to this, I don’t trust you,” he said bluntly.
“I don’t understand,” Oliver said, puzzled.
“Ollie, you’re the one who’s all about reputation,” Clark pointed out. “What can really come out from this kiss? Let’s be honest … the idea of a relationship between us just won’t work out. You’re different with me … but I don’t know if I can handle both sides of your personality. One of us is just going to end up hurt and it’ll probably be me. That’s a risk I can’t … a risk I won’t take.”
He watched as Ollie swallowed hard. “I see.”
Standing up, he said, “I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” Oliver said, and Clark could’ve sworn he heard a tinge of sadness in his voice. “But it’s your call, Clark. We’ll … just be friends then.”
Clark nodded. You did the right thing. Then why did it hurt so much?
Little did he know that Ollie had no plans to let him go or give up.
Chapter 10