In Love ... All Bets Are Off Chapter 10
See? A shorter wait this time! I appreciate all of you that are sticking with this fic. I hope you enjoy the new update! :)
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 10
They headed back to campus shortly after Clark told him about his decision. There really wasn’t much left to say.
“I guess I’ll see you later,” Clark said.
“Yeah,” Ollie agreed. “Have a good rest of the day, Clark.”
“You too,” Clark responded and walked away.
Oliver didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he stood there, watching Clark walk away. He had never been more conflicted in his life. And hurt. Even though he wouldn’t admit it aloud, what Clark said to him did sting.
“When it comes to this, I don’t trust you.” This being Clark’s feelings, this being Clark’s heart … sure, Clark was confident in his ability to keep a secret but when it was about feelings, Clark refused to take a chance on him.
And can you blame him? The sad thing was that he couldn’t. Ollie knew he had a reputation and up until today, it was one that he was proud of. But that reputation had driven Clark away … and right now, he really wished he hadn’t been so … promiscuous.
Part of him said to just forget Clark and move on. That there were plenty other of fish in the sea. A bigger part of him disagreed with that idea … Clark wasn’t like anybody else he had ever met before and he just didn’t want to find someone else ... especially since he was certain that there was no one else on Earth like Clark.
What could he do? The only thing he could think of … fight. Clark said that he had two personalities. Well, maybe he would just have to prove to Clark that he hadn’t just changed for him, but had changed altogether.
Now he just had to figure out how.
In another part of the school, Clark was reflecting on his actions. Clark was still surprised at Ollie’s reaction to what Clark said. He would’ve thought Oliver would be relieved at Clark not wanting to pursue anything. But then again, he had taken the idea of his abilities so well that maybe Clark was wrong.
It didn’t matter how Ollie felt anyway; it didn’t change the way he felt about moving things forward. It was just safer that he remained only friends with Oliver.
A familiar figure caught his eye and he grinned. “Lex,” he called out.
His friend turned and smiled at him. “Hey, Clark.”
Making his way over to Lex, Clark asked, “How was your day?”
“It was all right,” Lex replied. “And yourself?”
“Not bad,” Clark answered.
“I didn’t see you around today,” Lex said casually.
“Yeah,” Clark said. Looking around to make sure there weren’t any possibility of people hearing in, he continued, “I met up with Ollie for lunch.”
“Aaah, gotcha,” Lex said, a knowing look coming over his face. “And how did that conversation go?”
“As well as could be expected,” Clark told him.
“Judging by your expression, I am guessing you won’t be known as the ‘boyfriend of Oliver Queen’ anytime soon,” Lex remarked.
“Not any time in the near future, no,” Clark admitted. “I told him that we couldn’t take it any further and that I didn’t trust him.”
“Wow,” Lex murmured, looking shocked. “I have to say, Clark, you keep surprising me.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Clark joked.
“It was one,” Lex confirmed. He smirked. “I would have loved to be a fly on that wall.”
“It wasn’t pretty,” Clark said, slightly frowning.
“Do you feel you did the right thing?” Lex asked, his expression shifting to one of concern.
“Yes,” Clark said, sounding more confident than he felt.
“Well, that’s all that matters then,” Lex responded.
Clark wished he could feel as confident as Lex did about the whole thing. One thing was for sure though: he couldn’t be with Ollie so he had to do just without him.
The day passed by quickly and the next day, it was back to classes. He had a few exams coming up the following week and a couple of papers due so he mentally set himself for a lot of studying.
His day was actually pretty normal until lunchtime. He met up with Lex and they were going to head to the cafeteria when they heard his name being called.
To his surprise, it was none other than Oliver, who was approaching them quickly.
“Oliver,” Clark said.
“Hey, Clark,” Oliver said, smiling warmly. Turning to Lex, he gave him a polite nod of acknowledgment and a hesitant smile. “Luthor.”
Lex nodded back, visibly stunned to see Ollie even recognizing his presence in a manner that was anything but hatred.
“What’s up?” Clark asked, before the moment could get even more awkward.
“I was just thinking and I remembered the two of you are probably taking the SATs soon,” Oliver said, reaching into his bag. Pulling out a binder, he handed it to Clark. “I have my notes and some flashcards from when I did and I thought they’d help.”
Taking the binder, Clark beamed. “They really would. Thanks.”
“When are you taking it?” Ollie asked curiously.
“Probably in January,” Clark answered.
To his shock, Ollie turned to Lex. “How about you?”
Lex managed to find his voice. “I already took them in October.”
“Let me guess … you don’t have to take them again,” Ollie remarked.
“No, I was happy with my score,” Lex replied.
Ollie chuckled but it was genuine. “That’s always good. Then you can just focus on the SAT II.” Turning to Clark, he added, “Looks like you already had a good source but hopefully, my info will help a little bit.”
Did Ollie just compliment Lex? It seemed to surprise his friend too and Clark knew that it took a lot to cause Lex Luthor to go speechless.
“I’m sure it will,” Clark promised.
Ollie wasn’t given the chance to respond; his name was being called and the three of them saw his usual group standing a few feet away.
“Ollie, we’re heading out off campus to lunch,” one of them said. “You coming?”
“Maybe another time,” Oliver said, waving his hand. “I’m not done here.”
“Oh come on, Ollie,” another said, “We’re going to try out this new place. Can’t whatever you’re doing be done later?”
Clark watched as Ollie’s eyes narrowed. “No, I’m hanging out with friends right now. It can’t be “handled later” but I definitely see you jokers too much. I’m staying here.”
“Friends?” the second guy repeated.
Friends. Ollie called them friends in front of other people. Clark just didn’t know what to say or think.
“Are you deaf?” Ollie snapped. “That’s what I said.” He glanced at his watch in an exaggerated motion, “I would leave, if I were you. Lunch isn’t that long and parking during this time is a bitch. I’ll catch you later.” His tone left no room for argument and they obviously realized that.
Muttering their goodbyes, the group took off. Clark found he couldn’t breathe. Ollie had ditched his friends … to hang out with them. Made it sound like they were important too. What the hell is going on?
Oblivious to his thoughts, Ollie turned back toward them and his smile was bright once more.
“Anyway,” he went on, as if that scene hadn’t even happened, “I have more books and everything but I just have to dig them out. Haven’t had the chance yet.”
“I don’t want you to go to any trouble,” Clark told him.
“It’s no trouble,” Ollie assured him, with a wave of his hand. “They’re just sitting around gathering dust.”
“Thanks,” Clark replied.
“You’re welcome,” Oliver said. Pausing for a moment, he said, “I should get going. I don’t want to keep you guys from having lunch.”
Taking a risk, Clark offered, “Would you like to join us for lunch?” Did I just say that? Clark hoped for the best.
“I don’t want to intrude,” Oliver said, eyes darting between him and Lex.
“You aren’t,” Lex chipped in, shrugging.
Clark smiled gratefully at Lex and the other man grinned back. Thanks, Lex. It didn’t need to be said, Lex could read it in his expression and already knew. The “you’re welcome” was in his smile. We’ve known each other for such a short time and yet, he gets me. For that, Clark was thankful.
“What do you say?” Clark questioned Oliver, giving the blond his attention once more.
For a second, Ollie seemed conflicted but then gave them a small smile. “I’d like that, thanks.”
“Come on then,” Clark said, “I’m starving!” Ollie and Lex both laughed as they headed toward the cafeteria to get some food.
While Clark had been a bit nervous about how it would go, lunch went smoothly. Ollie engaged both Clark and Lex in conversation. He saw a lot of other people staring at them but Oliver didn’t even react to them.
What’s your game, Ollie? Clark found himself more than once. However, he couldn’t figure out any answers.
They parted ways afterwards. Clark was happy but confused. His thoughts were preoccupied with Ollie for the rest of the day. After school, he caught up with Lex.
“Hey, thanks for being so great about lunch,” was the first thing out of his mouth.
Lex’s lips twisted into a smile. “No need to thank me, Clark. I could see how much you wanted him there.”
“But you don’t like him and you put that aside for me,” Clark pointed out. “I’m really grateful for that.”
“To be honest, I was curious,” Lex confided, “I’m a scientist at heart, Clark. I like to analyze things. Oliver’s sudden 180 was interesting enough to me so I wanted to see what he was going to do at lunch.”
“Come to any conclusions?” Clark joked.
“That you have a bigger impact on him than anyone can ever imagine,” Lex said promptly. The smile dropped from Clark’s face.
“You think?” Clark asked.
“I know,” Lex confirmed.
Swallowing hard, Clark took in Lex’s words. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say so he just let Lex’s words digest.
Seeing the conflict written all over Clark’s face, Lex quickly changed the topic. “So, how’s the history paper going?”
“It’s all right,” Clark said, relieved. “And you?”
With that, they fell into easy conversation about school and their upcoming exams.
The next few days were strange, to say the least. He went to class, worked on the paper … that was all fine. But Ollie was there all the time. Clark couldn’t deny that he liked seeing the blond but it was a bit odd. Nowadays, he was even more open about their friendship. Lex was right … he had done a 180. Even when the other man was with friends, at the very least he’d get a wave. Other times, he’d even call out to Clark. Once or twice, Ollie had left his group to talk to him.
Clark’s brain and feelings were going haywire. What am I supposed to do now?
Little did he know that while Oliver was encompassing his thoughts, he was on the other man’s minds as well.
So far, so good. Ollie was trying hard to make Clark see that he had changed and he believed he was getting there. At the very least, he had stunned the brunet with his recent actions. But he found that he didn’t just want to do it to impress Clark but it felt more natural.
Like when he blew off his friends, he really hadn’t wanted to leave. He had wanted to stay there and normally, he would’ve gone just because it was what he was expected to do. That day, Ollie had been determined to stay so he did.
That lunch had been fun. He observed the friendship between Clark and Lex and found that he wanted something like that. Their friendship was genuine and honest; they were around each other because they liked each other’s presence. It was nice to spend time with people who didn’t care anything about power and money.
He wasn’t sure how to approach Clark about taking their relationship further but he knew that it wasn’t time. First of all, he still had a lot of work to do. A few incidents wouldn’t convince Clark he’s changed.
The crazy thing was that he was actually believing it too. He could feel himself changing; his priorities and thought process were different these days. And all thanks to a farm boy from Smallville.
Who would’ve thought?
How he became certain of the fact that he was different was during an incident over the weekend. A good-looking guy was flirting with him. His name was Charles and he was a senior like himself. Usually he would definitely be interested; this guy was not only hot, standing at around six feet with light brown hair and deep blue eyes, but he was blatantly hitting on him.
Normal Ollie would take him to bed in an instant. It would be an entertaining way to spend the evening. But he found he couldn’t even muster up a bit of interest. In fact, he was getting bored. What was wrong with the picture here?
Feeling a hand on his arm, Ollie was brought back to reality.
“So,” Charles said suggestively. “How about we go somewhere more private?”
Ollie had to refrain from pushing the arm off and rolling his eyes. “Actually, I am busy.”
“Doing what?” Charles questioned, clearly affronted. He obviously wasn’t expecting a rejection.
Anything but you. But he didn’t say that aloud. “I don’t believe that I have to justify my reasons to you,” he remarked instead.
“I never thought I’d see the day that Oliver Queen turns down sex,” Charles noted.
“Well, maybe you can stop pretending that you know a damn thing about me,” Oliver shot back. He was getting more bugged by the second and Ollie decided if Charles didn’t leave soon, he may get decked.
But unfortunately, knowing when to get a clue was not in the other man’s specialties. “This is about that junior kid you keep hanging out with, isn’t it?” Charles demanded. “Ollie has gotten himself a boyfriend. I don’t see what’s so special about him.”
What a pansy. This guy was a serious loser. Ollie felt his blood boiling at the insult to Clark though.
“First of all, don’t call me Ollie,” Oliver said, his voice ice cold. “Only my friends get that right and you’re definitely not on that list. As for that “kid”? He’s a lot more special than you could ever imagine being. No, he’s not my boyfriend but I’m sure if you were more like him, you’d probably stand more chance of getting with me. I suggest you get lost before I make you.”
Fear came over Charles’s expression at seeing the pure rage in Oliver’s eyes.
“Yeah, whatever,” he muttered, trying to save whatever dignity he had left. “This is not worth it.” Then he scampered off.
Ollie had to take a few, calming breaths to make sure he didn’t blow a blood vessel or something. He couldn’t believe how protective he felt about Clark. And how uninterested he was in that guy in the first place!
It had been weeks since he had been laid and this would have been such an easy one. The guy was practically begging for it. He hadn’t cared about who he took to bed before.
You’re not the same person. That and he also knew that now that Clark Kent was on his mind, Charles couldn’t even think to compare. Still, it was scary at the changes he had made in such a short time.
Sighing, he spun on his heel and walked in the opposite direction that Charles had stormed off in, needing some time to gather his thoughts.
What he didn’t know was that there had been a witness to their conversation and it was the same man that he couldn’t stop thinking about.
Clark was a few feet away, when it all occurred. He had just been taking a walk when he saw Ollie with some light haired guy. The guy was all over Ollie and the jealousy that bubbled threatened to take over. What really surprised him was that Ollie looked as if he could care less. The other guy didn’t seem to get a clue though.
Unable to hide his curiosity, he got closer and hid behind a tree and overheard their entire conversation. When Ollie turned the guy down, he was taken aback but it was when he defended Clark that really caught him off guard.
Just the passion in his voice, the sincerity in his eyes … Clark had been blown away. Once both of them were gone, he stepped out and just stood there for a few minutes.
If he had some doubts about Oliver’s behavior, it was because he was afraid Ollie was just acting one way in front of Clark and another way when he was gone. But when he thought nobody was around, he turned down the idea of a one-night stand and even defended Clark’s honor.
All his illusions had been shattered.
“I’m sure if you were more like him, you’d probably stand more chance of getting with me.” Ollie’s words- did that mean that he still had feelings for Clark? Even despite Clark’s rejection? His heart skipped a beat at the thought.
Ollie meant so much to him and those feelings were just intensifying. He hated the idea of the blond with some other man and if that guy hadn’t gotten lost, Clark had been prepared to make sure he left Oliver alone. Nobody hurts my Ollie.
His Ollie? Oh, he was so gone. And he had no idea what to do about it.
Ollie was just as confused. Sitting in his dorm room, he was doing his best to avoid all his friends. He had gotten 5 phone calls and 10 text messages but he hadn’t responded to any of that. This was not him but dealing with other people was not something that appealed to him at that moment.
He remembered Jason’s taunting words, asking if Clark was making his way into Ollie’s heart. Back then he denied it but it seemed that it had finally happened.
Over the 9 years since his parents died, he had never found a person to make him want to be someone. His parents loved each other so much but he figured he wouldn’t find that one. And now he just may have.
Of course it had to be that one person who possibly might never feel the same way.
He felt like a robot in the upcoming days. Between exams and archery practice, he had enough to keep him busy but he felt like he was just going through the motions.
In the middle of the week, he knew that he had to snap out of his self-imposed isolation. Clark seemed to be busy with studying and he didn’t see the brunet out much. So he decided to go find Geoffrey and Alden.
Tracking his friends was easy enough but when he heard a third voice with them, he frowned. And when he identified that voice, his stomach tightened. No. It couldn’t be.
But as he found them, he saw that it was. Geoffrey and Alden were facing off with Lex.
“Did your buddy finally ditch you, Luthor?” Alden was taunting. “Realize he could do so much better?”
To his surprise and delight, Lex was fighting back. “At least I have a friend and I’m not some worthless lacky. By the way, I don’t see Oliver anywhere. I think out of all of those, the only one who didn’t get ditched is me.”
“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” Geoffrey hissed. Alden pushed Lex and looked ready to take a swing. That’s when Ollie interfered.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded, getting all of their attention.
“Ollie!” Alden exclaimed, “You’re just in time.”
“Apparently, I am,” Oliver said, sneering. “And I believe you didn’t answer my question.”
“We’re taunting Luthor, as always,” Geoffrey said, clearly baffled at his anger.
“Well, stop,” Ollie said.
“What?” They were both confused.
“It’s a simple enough order,” Oliver said, scowling. “Or is everyone losing their sense of hearing these days?”
“But, Ollie … this is Luthor, don’t you remember?” Geoffrey protested.
“I know who he is,” Oliver responded, rolling his eyes.
“Then why are you defending him?” Alden wanted to know. “Is this about the Kent kid again?”
“His name is Clark,” Oliver said. “And he has nothing to do with this.” Thinking back to something Clark told him, he added. “We’re graduating in a little over 6 months. Maybe it’s time we all realize that this is a school, not a war zone. We’re all students here.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with you,” Alden noted sadly.
“Nothing,” Oliver said firmly. “I’m better than ever. Now I suggest the two of you leave. I’ll find you later.”
Though they looked doubtful, they never defied him so they took off.
Remembering Lex, he glanced at him. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” Lex replied. “Why did you do that?”
Ollie shrugged. “Maybe it’s time for a change.”
“Is this for Clark?” Lex challenged. “Gonna run to him and tell him how different you are?”
“No,” Oliver said simply. “I don’t plan to tell Clark anything. This isn’t for Clark … sure, he’s made a difference in my life but I didn’t stop them just for him. But you do mean a lot to Clark and Clark means a lot to me. Even if you were a stranger, I meant what I said. I’m student body president. I should be setting a better example. We are all students here.”
“This doesn’t change anything,” Lex warned.
“I don’t expect it to,” Ollie responded. “I know that one save and a lunch doesn’t make up for about 2 ½ years of making your life miserable. This wasn’t about that … this was about finally doing what was right.” Giving him a final nod, he said, “I’ll see you later.”
Then without waiting for a response, Ollie walked away. He knew that there was a chance this may spread and could damage his reputation. For the first time in his life, he found that he didn’t care.
Back at the scene, Lex hadn’t moved, too shocked at Oliver’s words and attitude. He does make an interesting case study. Clark had really gotten to him. He shouldn’t be as surprised … Clark did have a way of getting to people. Something about that innocence … after all, he had gotten to Lex.
He wouldn’t trade his new friend for anything and it seems that Oliver Queen was discovering how much Clark was worth too.
Lex was very interested to see how this would all play out.
The student body at Excelsior was busy for the next few days, all involved in exams. Clark, Lex and Oliver were no exceptions.
Clark was relieved when he handed in his last paper and was really grateful for the weekend. The following week was Thanksgiving and he was very excited because he’d be going home. Just because he was getting settled in nicely didn’t mean that he didn’t miss his mom terribly. It’d be his first Thanksgiving without his dad and he wanted to be with his mom.
As the day ended, Clark was ready to cheer. He found Lex quickly.
“Hey, Lex!” he said happily.
“Hi, Clark,” Lex greeted him, smiling. “I take it you’re done?”
“Yup,” Clark said, nodding enthusiastically. “We’re free till finals!” Finals were after Christmas break, which was kind of a bummer, since he’d have to study over the holidays but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about it for a while.
Feeling a prickling at the back of his neck, he turned and was met with Ollie’s brown eyes. Their gazes stayed locked for a few seconds before Ollie looked away.
“For someone who says that they’re confident about their ‘just friends’ decision, that last look sure said otherwise,” Lex said, smirking.
“Hush,” Clark said, nudging him. “That meant nothing. Can’t I look at people nowadays without you getting suspicious?
“He’s just not just anyone and you weren’t just looking,” Lex shot back. “You looked like you wanted to jump him,” Clark blushed furiously at that.
“I didn’t,” Clark said but it was weak.
“Sure you didn’t,” Lex said, his tone pretty much saying that he didn’t believe his words. “I wouldn’t feel too bad; he’s looking at you as if he wants to jump you too.”
“Lex!” Clark was turning a brighter shade of red, much to his friend’s delight.
Lex paused for a moment and then said, “Clark, I have to tell you something.”
“What’s up?” Clark asked, worried at his friend’s change of attitude.
“A few days ago, Geoffrey and Alden were bothering me,” Lex started.
“They what? Are you okay?” Clark asked immediately.
“I’m fine,” Lex told him, “They didn’t touch me. In fact, it was Oliver who stopped them.”
“Oliver?” Clark repeated.
“Yeah, he stopped them and told them off,” Lex remembered. “Said something about this being a school and not a war zone.”
Oh my God. That was what he had told Oliver! He tried to pay attention to what Lex was saying but his mind was in a frenzy.
“It was definitely odd,” Lex said. “You’ve really made an impact on him, Clark. He said he wasn’t going to tell you and honestly, I don’t know why I did but I figured you needed to know.”
“Thanks, Lex,” Clark said softly. But Lex had just confused him even more.
“You okay?” Lex questioned, upon seeing his lost expression.
“I don’t know,” Clark admitted. “I just … need some time to think.”
“If you need to talk,” Lex offered.
“I know where you to find you,” Clark finished. “Yeah, thanks. I’ll see you later?” Lex nodded and Clark took off.
He couldn’t stay on campus so he took a walk to downtown. For a while, he was just wandering around before stopping at a café to get some coffee. Sitting in a booth, he quickly got lost in his thoughts.
Ollie was making all these changes and he was not just doing it in front of him, but when he was gone. Lex thought it was because of him. The idea that he could have such an affect on Oliver had him feeling a rush of emotions.
Clark still had feelings for him. He wanted to be with Oliver and Ollie obviously really wanted to be with him. At least that’s what he was hoping all of this meant. Go for what you want, Kent. For once in your life, take a chance.
But he was so used to being cautious that he didn’t know how to do that.
“Clark, what a surprise to see you here.” The voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see the hazel eyes of Jason Teague staring back at him.
“Jason.” He hadn’t seen the other man in a few weeks. “Hi.”
“I was just getting some coffee and I noticed you,” Jason said, smiling. “Is this seat taken?”
“No, have a seat,” Clark told him. He remembered Lex’s warning but he didn’t want to be rude. That wasn’t how he had been raised. Besides, Jason hadn’t done anything to him that warranted that type of behavior.
“How are you?” Jason asked politely.
“Pretty good,” Clark replied. “Relieved that exams are done. You?”
“Same,” Jason said.
The conversation they had was pretty superficial. When Clark realized he should go back to campus, Jason offered to drive him. Clark agreed, since Jason assured him it wouldn’t be any trouble.
“Thanks for the ride,” Clark said after they got back.
“It’s no problem, Clark,” Jason replied. Was it his imagination or is Jason getting closer? It wasn’t. Clark was shocked when Jason took his hand and smiled.
“I’d really like to get to know you better,” Jason said smoothly. “I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me sometime.”
“Like … a date?” Clark asked, his stomach tightening.
“Exactly like that,” Jason said, nodding. Clark’s smile faded; he liked Jason enough but he didn’t see him like that. Since he met Ollie, he hadn’t seen anyone like that and going on a date with this guy wasn’t something he wanted. Now he just had to think of a nice way to turn him down.
Clark didn’t know that nearby, Oliver was watching the whole thing, getting angrier by the second. He had been shocked when Jason stepped out of his car with none other than Clark but seeing him holding Clark’s hand and Clark not doing anything about it … Ollie felt sick and very, very jealous.
Were they on a date? How could Clark do that? It hadn’t been that long since he said that their kiss meant something. But seeing him together with Jason like that … there couldn’t be any other explanation, could there? They were standing so close.
Not wanting to see any more, Ollie left the scene, hurt. If he had stayed, he would’ve seen Clark take a step back and remove his hand from Jason’s grip.
“I’m sorry, Jason, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Clark said gently.
“Is there someone else?” Jason asked.
“I think there is,” Clark replied. “Look, it has nothing to do with anyone else. I just don’t see you that way. I should get going.” Giving him a curt nod, he left. Clark had never been good with rejecting people but it had to be done.
Jason asking him out made him even more sure that he only wanted Ollie. He went to his dorm room and smiled. There was no sense in leading Jason around. Now he just had to own up to his feelings and talk to Oliver. I hope he still wants me.
But he wouldn’t worry about that for now. Instead, he made a quick call to his mother and surfed the internet for a while, sending e-mails to both Chloe and Pete.
Hours passed like minutes and he was about to go to dinner when he heard a knock at his door. Who could that be?
Swinging it open, he was shocked to see none other than Oliver at the other side. “Oliver.”
“Hi, Clark,” he said. Clark was concerned; Ollie was off … he was stiff and not like himself.
“Come on in,” Clark said, moving so Ollie could enter. Ollie did just that and Clark closed the door behind him.
“Thanks,” Oliver replied.
“What’s going on?” Clark asked. When he met Ollie’s eyes, he was shocked by what he saw. His expression may have been without emotion but his eyes said it all … anger, betrayal and hurt and it was all aimed at him.
Ollie’s next words had Clark’s nerves on edge.
“We need to talk.”
Chapter 11
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 10
They headed back to campus shortly after Clark told him about his decision. There really wasn’t much left to say.
“I guess I’ll see you later,” Clark said.
“Yeah,” Ollie agreed. “Have a good rest of the day, Clark.”
“You too,” Clark responded and walked away.
Oliver didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he stood there, watching Clark walk away. He had never been more conflicted in his life. And hurt. Even though he wouldn’t admit it aloud, what Clark said to him did sting.
“When it comes to this, I don’t trust you.” This being Clark’s feelings, this being Clark’s heart … sure, Clark was confident in his ability to keep a secret but when it was about feelings, Clark refused to take a chance on him.
And can you blame him? The sad thing was that he couldn’t. Ollie knew he had a reputation and up until today, it was one that he was proud of. But that reputation had driven Clark away … and right now, he really wished he hadn’t been so … promiscuous.
Part of him said to just forget Clark and move on. That there were plenty other of fish in the sea. A bigger part of him disagreed with that idea … Clark wasn’t like anybody else he had ever met before and he just didn’t want to find someone else ... especially since he was certain that there was no one else on Earth like Clark.
What could he do? The only thing he could think of … fight. Clark said that he had two personalities. Well, maybe he would just have to prove to Clark that he hadn’t just changed for him, but had changed altogether.
Now he just had to figure out how.
In another part of the school, Clark was reflecting on his actions. Clark was still surprised at Ollie’s reaction to what Clark said. He would’ve thought Oliver would be relieved at Clark not wanting to pursue anything. But then again, he had taken the idea of his abilities so well that maybe Clark was wrong.
It didn’t matter how Ollie felt anyway; it didn’t change the way he felt about moving things forward. It was just safer that he remained only friends with Oliver.
A familiar figure caught his eye and he grinned. “Lex,” he called out.
His friend turned and smiled at him. “Hey, Clark.”
Making his way over to Lex, Clark asked, “How was your day?”
“It was all right,” Lex replied. “And yourself?”
“Not bad,” Clark answered.
“I didn’t see you around today,” Lex said casually.
“Yeah,” Clark said. Looking around to make sure there weren’t any possibility of people hearing in, he continued, “I met up with Ollie for lunch.”
“Aaah, gotcha,” Lex said, a knowing look coming over his face. “And how did that conversation go?”
“As well as could be expected,” Clark told him.
“Judging by your expression, I am guessing you won’t be known as the ‘boyfriend of Oliver Queen’ anytime soon,” Lex remarked.
“Not any time in the near future, no,” Clark admitted. “I told him that we couldn’t take it any further and that I didn’t trust him.”
“Wow,” Lex murmured, looking shocked. “I have to say, Clark, you keep surprising me.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Clark joked.
“It was one,” Lex confirmed. He smirked. “I would have loved to be a fly on that wall.”
“It wasn’t pretty,” Clark said, slightly frowning.
“Do you feel you did the right thing?” Lex asked, his expression shifting to one of concern.
“Yes,” Clark said, sounding more confident than he felt.
“Well, that’s all that matters then,” Lex responded.
Clark wished he could feel as confident as Lex did about the whole thing. One thing was for sure though: he couldn’t be with Ollie so he had to do just without him.
The day passed by quickly and the next day, it was back to classes. He had a few exams coming up the following week and a couple of papers due so he mentally set himself for a lot of studying.
His day was actually pretty normal until lunchtime. He met up with Lex and they were going to head to the cafeteria when they heard his name being called.
To his surprise, it was none other than Oliver, who was approaching them quickly.
“Oliver,” Clark said.
“Hey, Clark,” Oliver said, smiling warmly. Turning to Lex, he gave him a polite nod of acknowledgment and a hesitant smile. “Luthor.”
Lex nodded back, visibly stunned to see Ollie even recognizing his presence in a manner that was anything but hatred.
“What’s up?” Clark asked, before the moment could get even more awkward.
“I was just thinking and I remembered the two of you are probably taking the SATs soon,” Oliver said, reaching into his bag. Pulling out a binder, he handed it to Clark. “I have my notes and some flashcards from when I did and I thought they’d help.”
Taking the binder, Clark beamed. “They really would. Thanks.”
“When are you taking it?” Ollie asked curiously.
“Probably in January,” Clark answered.
To his shock, Ollie turned to Lex. “How about you?”
Lex managed to find his voice. “I already took them in October.”
“Let me guess … you don’t have to take them again,” Ollie remarked.
“No, I was happy with my score,” Lex replied.
Ollie chuckled but it was genuine. “That’s always good. Then you can just focus on the SAT II.” Turning to Clark, he added, “Looks like you already had a good source but hopefully, my info will help a little bit.”
Did Ollie just compliment Lex? It seemed to surprise his friend too and Clark knew that it took a lot to cause Lex Luthor to go speechless.
“I’m sure it will,” Clark promised.
Ollie wasn’t given the chance to respond; his name was being called and the three of them saw his usual group standing a few feet away.
“Ollie, we’re heading out off campus to lunch,” one of them said. “You coming?”
“Maybe another time,” Oliver said, waving his hand. “I’m not done here.”
“Oh come on, Ollie,” another said, “We’re going to try out this new place. Can’t whatever you’re doing be done later?”
Clark watched as Ollie’s eyes narrowed. “No, I’m hanging out with friends right now. It can’t be “handled later” but I definitely see you jokers too much. I’m staying here.”
“Friends?” the second guy repeated.
Friends. Ollie called them friends in front of other people. Clark just didn’t know what to say or think.
“Are you deaf?” Ollie snapped. “That’s what I said.” He glanced at his watch in an exaggerated motion, “I would leave, if I were you. Lunch isn’t that long and parking during this time is a bitch. I’ll catch you later.” His tone left no room for argument and they obviously realized that.
Muttering their goodbyes, the group took off. Clark found he couldn’t breathe. Ollie had ditched his friends … to hang out with them. Made it sound like they were important too. What the hell is going on?
Oblivious to his thoughts, Ollie turned back toward them and his smile was bright once more.
“Anyway,” he went on, as if that scene hadn’t even happened, “I have more books and everything but I just have to dig them out. Haven’t had the chance yet.”
“I don’t want you to go to any trouble,” Clark told him.
“It’s no trouble,” Ollie assured him, with a wave of his hand. “They’re just sitting around gathering dust.”
“Thanks,” Clark replied.
“You’re welcome,” Oliver said. Pausing for a moment, he said, “I should get going. I don’t want to keep you guys from having lunch.”
Taking a risk, Clark offered, “Would you like to join us for lunch?” Did I just say that? Clark hoped for the best.
“I don’t want to intrude,” Oliver said, eyes darting between him and Lex.
“You aren’t,” Lex chipped in, shrugging.
Clark smiled gratefully at Lex and the other man grinned back. Thanks, Lex. It didn’t need to be said, Lex could read it in his expression and already knew. The “you’re welcome” was in his smile. We’ve known each other for such a short time and yet, he gets me. For that, Clark was thankful.
“What do you say?” Clark questioned Oliver, giving the blond his attention once more.
For a second, Ollie seemed conflicted but then gave them a small smile. “I’d like that, thanks.”
“Come on then,” Clark said, “I’m starving!” Ollie and Lex both laughed as they headed toward the cafeteria to get some food.
While Clark had been a bit nervous about how it would go, lunch went smoothly. Ollie engaged both Clark and Lex in conversation. He saw a lot of other people staring at them but Oliver didn’t even react to them.
What’s your game, Ollie? Clark found himself more than once. However, he couldn’t figure out any answers.
They parted ways afterwards. Clark was happy but confused. His thoughts were preoccupied with Ollie for the rest of the day. After school, he caught up with Lex.
“Hey, thanks for being so great about lunch,” was the first thing out of his mouth.
Lex’s lips twisted into a smile. “No need to thank me, Clark. I could see how much you wanted him there.”
“But you don’t like him and you put that aside for me,” Clark pointed out. “I’m really grateful for that.”
“To be honest, I was curious,” Lex confided, “I’m a scientist at heart, Clark. I like to analyze things. Oliver’s sudden 180 was interesting enough to me so I wanted to see what he was going to do at lunch.”
“Come to any conclusions?” Clark joked.
“That you have a bigger impact on him than anyone can ever imagine,” Lex said promptly. The smile dropped from Clark’s face.
“You think?” Clark asked.
“I know,” Lex confirmed.
Swallowing hard, Clark took in Lex’s words. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say so he just let Lex’s words digest.
Seeing the conflict written all over Clark’s face, Lex quickly changed the topic. “So, how’s the history paper going?”
“It’s all right,” Clark said, relieved. “And you?”
With that, they fell into easy conversation about school and their upcoming exams.
The next few days were strange, to say the least. He went to class, worked on the paper … that was all fine. But Ollie was there all the time. Clark couldn’t deny that he liked seeing the blond but it was a bit odd. Nowadays, he was even more open about their friendship. Lex was right … he had done a 180. Even when the other man was with friends, at the very least he’d get a wave. Other times, he’d even call out to Clark. Once or twice, Ollie had left his group to talk to him.
Clark’s brain and feelings were going haywire. What am I supposed to do now?
Little did he know that while Oliver was encompassing his thoughts, he was on the other man’s minds as well.
So far, so good. Ollie was trying hard to make Clark see that he had changed and he believed he was getting there. At the very least, he had stunned the brunet with his recent actions. But he found that he didn’t just want to do it to impress Clark but it felt more natural.
Like when he blew off his friends, he really hadn’t wanted to leave. He had wanted to stay there and normally, he would’ve gone just because it was what he was expected to do. That day, Ollie had been determined to stay so he did.
That lunch had been fun. He observed the friendship between Clark and Lex and found that he wanted something like that. Their friendship was genuine and honest; they were around each other because they liked each other’s presence. It was nice to spend time with people who didn’t care anything about power and money.
He wasn’t sure how to approach Clark about taking their relationship further but he knew that it wasn’t time. First of all, he still had a lot of work to do. A few incidents wouldn’t convince Clark he’s changed.
The crazy thing was that he was actually believing it too. He could feel himself changing; his priorities and thought process were different these days. And all thanks to a farm boy from Smallville.
Who would’ve thought?
How he became certain of the fact that he was different was during an incident over the weekend. A good-looking guy was flirting with him. His name was Charles and he was a senior like himself. Usually he would definitely be interested; this guy was not only hot, standing at around six feet with light brown hair and deep blue eyes, but he was blatantly hitting on him.
Normal Ollie would take him to bed in an instant. It would be an entertaining way to spend the evening. But he found he couldn’t even muster up a bit of interest. In fact, he was getting bored. What was wrong with the picture here?
Feeling a hand on his arm, Ollie was brought back to reality.
“So,” Charles said suggestively. “How about we go somewhere more private?”
Ollie had to refrain from pushing the arm off and rolling his eyes. “Actually, I am busy.”
“Doing what?” Charles questioned, clearly affronted. He obviously wasn’t expecting a rejection.
Anything but you. But he didn’t say that aloud. “I don’t believe that I have to justify my reasons to you,” he remarked instead.
“I never thought I’d see the day that Oliver Queen turns down sex,” Charles noted.
“Well, maybe you can stop pretending that you know a damn thing about me,” Oliver shot back. He was getting more bugged by the second and Ollie decided if Charles didn’t leave soon, he may get decked.
But unfortunately, knowing when to get a clue was not in the other man’s specialties. “This is about that junior kid you keep hanging out with, isn’t it?” Charles demanded. “Ollie has gotten himself a boyfriend. I don’t see what’s so special about him.”
What a pansy. This guy was a serious loser. Ollie felt his blood boiling at the insult to Clark though.
“First of all, don’t call me Ollie,” Oliver said, his voice ice cold. “Only my friends get that right and you’re definitely not on that list. As for that “kid”? He’s a lot more special than you could ever imagine being. No, he’s not my boyfriend but I’m sure if you were more like him, you’d probably stand more chance of getting with me. I suggest you get lost before I make you.”
Fear came over Charles’s expression at seeing the pure rage in Oliver’s eyes.
“Yeah, whatever,” he muttered, trying to save whatever dignity he had left. “This is not worth it.” Then he scampered off.
Ollie had to take a few, calming breaths to make sure he didn’t blow a blood vessel or something. He couldn’t believe how protective he felt about Clark. And how uninterested he was in that guy in the first place!
It had been weeks since he had been laid and this would have been such an easy one. The guy was practically begging for it. He hadn’t cared about who he took to bed before.
You’re not the same person. That and he also knew that now that Clark Kent was on his mind, Charles couldn’t even think to compare. Still, it was scary at the changes he had made in such a short time.
Sighing, he spun on his heel and walked in the opposite direction that Charles had stormed off in, needing some time to gather his thoughts.
What he didn’t know was that there had been a witness to their conversation and it was the same man that he couldn’t stop thinking about.
Clark was a few feet away, when it all occurred. He had just been taking a walk when he saw Ollie with some light haired guy. The guy was all over Ollie and the jealousy that bubbled threatened to take over. What really surprised him was that Ollie looked as if he could care less. The other guy didn’t seem to get a clue though.
Unable to hide his curiosity, he got closer and hid behind a tree and overheard their entire conversation. When Ollie turned the guy down, he was taken aback but it was when he defended Clark that really caught him off guard.
Just the passion in his voice, the sincerity in his eyes … Clark had been blown away. Once both of them were gone, he stepped out and just stood there for a few minutes.
If he had some doubts about Oliver’s behavior, it was because he was afraid Ollie was just acting one way in front of Clark and another way when he was gone. But when he thought nobody was around, he turned down the idea of a one-night stand and even defended Clark’s honor.
All his illusions had been shattered.
“I’m sure if you were more like him, you’d probably stand more chance of getting with me.” Ollie’s words- did that mean that he still had feelings for Clark? Even despite Clark’s rejection? His heart skipped a beat at the thought.
Ollie meant so much to him and those feelings were just intensifying. He hated the idea of the blond with some other man and if that guy hadn’t gotten lost, Clark had been prepared to make sure he left Oliver alone. Nobody hurts my Ollie.
His Ollie? Oh, he was so gone. And he had no idea what to do about it.
Ollie was just as confused. Sitting in his dorm room, he was doing his best to avoid all his friends. He had gotten 5 phone calls and 10 text messages but he hadn’t responded to any of that. This was not him but dealing with other people was not something that appealed to him at that moment.
He remembered Jason’s taunting words, asking if Clark was making his way into Ollie’s heart. Back then he denied it but it seemed that it had finally happened.
Over the 9 years since his parents died, he had never found a person to make him want to be someone. His parents loved each other so much but he figured he wouldn’t find that one. And now he just may have.
Of course it had to be that one person who possibly might never feel the same way.
He felt like a robot in the upcoming days. Between exams and archery practice, he had enough to keep him busy but he felt like he was just going through the motions.
In the middle of the week, he knew that he had to snap out of his self-imposed isolation. Clark seemed to be busy with studying and he didn’t see the brunet out much. So he decided to go find Geoffrey and Alden.
Tracking his friends was easy enough but when he heard a third voice with them, he frowned. And when he identified that voice, his stomach tightened. No. It couldn’t be.
But as he found them, he saw that it was. Geoffrey and Alden were facing off with Lex.
“Did your buddy finally ditch you, Luthor?” Alden was taunting. “Realize he could do so much better?”
To his surprise and delight, Lex was fighting back. “At least I have a friend and I’m not some worthless lacky. By the way, I don’t see Oliver anywhere. I think out of all of those, the only one who didn’t get ditched is me.”
“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” Geoffrey hissed. Alden pushed Lex and looked ready to take a swing. That’s when Ollie interfered.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded, getting all of their attention.
“Ollie!” Alden exclaimed, “You’re just in time.”
“Apparently, I am,” Oliver said, sneering. “And I believe you didn’t answer my question.”
“We’re taunting Luthor, as always,” Geoffrey said, clearly baffled at his anger.
“Well, stop,” Ollie said.
“What?” They were both confused.
“It’s a simple enough order,” Oliver said, scowling. “Or is everyone losing their sense of hearing these days?”
“But, Ollie … this is Luthor, don’t you remember?” Geoffrey protested.
“I know who he is,” Oliver responded, rolling his eyes.
“Then why are you defending him?” Alden wanted to know. “Is this about the Kent kid again?”
“His name is Clark,” Oliver said. “And he has nothing to do with this.” Thinking back to something Clark told him, he added. “We’re graduating in a little over 6 months. Maybe it’s time we all realize that this is a school, not a war zone. We’re all students here.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with you,” Alden noted sadly.
“Nothing,” Oliver said firmly. “I’m better than ever. Now I suggest the two of you leave. I’ll find you later.”
Though they looked doubtful, they never defied him so they took off.
Remembering Lex, he glanced at him. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” Lex replied. “Why did you do that?”
Ollie shrugged. “Maybe it’s time for a change.”
“Is this for Clark?” Lex challenged. “Gonna run to him and tell him how different you are?”
“No,” Oliver said simply. “I don’t plan to tell Clark anything. This isn’t for Clark … sure, he’s made a difference in my life but I didn’t stop them just for him. But you do mean a lot to Clark and Clark means a lot to me. Even if you were a stranger, I meant what I said. I’m student body president. I should be setting a better example. We are all students here.”
“This doesn’t change anything,” Lex warned.
“I don’t expect it to,” Ollie responded. “I know that one save and a lunch doesn’t make up for about 2 ½ years of making your life miserable. This wasn’t about that … this was about finally doing what was right.” Giving him a final nod, he said, “I’ll see you later.”
Then without waiting for a response, Ollie walked away. He knew that there was a chance this may spread and could damage his reputation. For the first time in his life, he found that he didn’t care.
Back at the scene, Lex hadn’t moved, too shocked at Oliver’s words and attitude. He does make an interesting case study. Clark had really gotten to him. He shouldn’t be as surprised … Clark did have a way of getting to people. Something about that innocence … after all, he had gotten to Lex.
He wouldn’t trade his new friend for anything and it seems that Oliver Queen was discovering how much Clark was worth too.
Lex was very interested to see how this would all play out.
The student body at Excelsior was busy for the next few days, all involved in exams. Clark, Lex and Oliver were no exceptions.
Clark was relieved when he handed in his last paper and was really grateful for the weekend. The following week was Thanksgiving and he was very excited because he’d be going home. Just because he was getting settled in nicely didn’t mean that he didn’t miss his mom terribly. It’d be his first Thanksgiving without his dad and he wanted to be with his mom.
As the day ended, Clark was ready to cheer. He found Lex quickly.
“Hey, Lex!” he said happily.
“Hi, Clark,” Lex greeted him, smiling. “I take it you’re done?”
“Yup,” Clark said, nodding enthusiastically. “We’re free till finals!” Finals were after Christmas break, which was kind of a bummer, since he’d have to study over the holidays but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about it for a while.
Feeling a prickling at the back of his neck, he turned and was met with Ollie’s brown eyes. Their gazes stayed locked for a few seconds before Ollie looked away.
“For someone who says that they’re confident about their ‘just friends’ decision, that last look sure said otherwise,” Lex said, smirking.
“Hush,” Clark said, nudging him. “That meant nothing. Can’t I look at people nowadays without you getting suspicious?
“He’s just not just anyone and you weren’t just looking,” Lex shot back. “You looked like you wanted to jump him,” Clark blushed furiously at that.
“I didn’t,” Clark said but it was weak.
“Sure you didn’t,” Lex said, his tone pretty much saying that he didn’t believe his words. “I wouldn’t feel too bad; he’s looking at you as if he wants to jump you too.”
“Lex!” Clark was turning a brighter shade of red, much to his friend’s delight.
Lex paused for a moment and then said, “Clark, I have to tell you something.”
“What’s up?” Clark asked, worried at his friend’s change of attitude.
“A few days ago, Geoffrey and Alden were bothering me,” Lex started.
“They what? Are you okay?” Clark asked immediately.
“I’m fine,” Lex told him, “They didn’t touch me. In fact, it was Oliver who stopped them.”
“Oliver?” Clark repeated.
“Yeah, he stopped them and told them off,” Lex remembered. “Said something about this being a school and not a war zone.”
Oh my God. That was what he had told Oliver! He tried to pay attention to what Lex was saying but his mind was in a frenzy.
“It was definitely odd,” Lex said. “You’ve really made an impact on him, Clark. He said he wasn’t going to tell you and honestly, I don’t know why I did but I figured you needed to know.”
“Thanks, Lex,” Clark said softly. But Lex had just confused him even more.
“You okay?” Lex questioned, upon seeing his lost expression.
“I don’t know,” Clark admitted. “I just … need some time to think.”
“If you need to talk,” Lex offered.
“I know where you to find you,” Clark finished. “Yeah, thanks. I’ll see you later?” Lex nodded and Clark took off.
He couldn’t stay on campus so he took a walk to downtown. For a while, he was just wandering around before stopping at a café to get some coffee. Sitting in a booth, he quickly got lost in his thoughts.
Ollie was making all these changes and he was not just doing it in front of him, but when he was gone. Lex thought it was because of him. The idea that he could have such an affect on Oliver had him feeling a rush of emotions.
Clark still had feelings for him. He wanted to be with Oliver and Ollie obviously really wanted to be with him. At least that’s what he was hoping all of this meant. Go for what you want, Kent. For once in your life, take a chance.
But he was so used to being cautious that he didn’t know how to do that.
“Clark, what a surprise to see you here.” The voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see the hazel eyes of Jason Teague staring back at him.
“Jason.” He hadn’t seen the other man in a few weeks. “Hi.”
“I was just getting some coffee and I noticed you,” Jason said, smiling. “Is this seat taken?”
“No, have a seat,” Clark told him. He remembered Lex’s warning but he didn’t want to be rude. That wasn’t how he had been raised. Besides, Jason hadn’t done anything to him that warranted that type of behavior.
“How are you?” Jason asked politely.
“Pretty good,” Clark replied. “Relieved that exams are done. You?”
“Same,” Jason said.
The conversation they had was pretty superficial. When Clark realized he should go back to campus, Jason offered to drive him. Clark agreed, since Jason assured him it wouldn’t be any trouble.
“Thanks for the ride,” Clark said after they got back.
“It’s no problem, Clark,” Jason replied. Was it his imagination or is Jason getting closer? It wasn’t. Clark was shocked when Jason took his hand and smiled.
“I’d really like to get to know you better,” Jason said smoothly. “I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me sometime.”
“Like … a date?” Clark asked, his stomach tightening.
“Exactly like that,” Jason said, nodding. Clark’s smile faded; he liked Jason enough but he didn’t see him like that. Since he met Ollie, he hadn’t seen anyone like that and going on a date with this guy wasn’t something he wanted. Now he just had to think of a nice way to turn him down.
Clark didn’t know that nearby, Oliver was watching the whole thing, getting angrier by the second. He had been shocked when Jason stepped out of his car with none other than Clark but seeing him holding Clark’s hand and Clark not doing anything about it … Ollie felt sick and very, very jealous.
Were they on a date? How could Clark do that? It hadn’t been that long since he said that their kiss meant something. But seeing him together with Jason like that … there couldn’t be any other explanation, could there? They were standing so close.
Not wanting to see any more, Ollie left the scene, hurt. If he had stayed, he would’ve seen Clark take a step back and remove his hand from Jason’s grip.
“I’m sorry, Jason, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Clark said gently.
“Is there someone else?” Jason asked.
“I think there is,” Clark replied. “Look, it has nothing to do with anyone else. I just don’t see you that way. I should get going.” Giving him a curt nod, he left. Clark had never been good with rejecting people but it had to be done.
Jason asking him out made him even more sure that he only wanted Ollie. He went to his dorm room and smiled. There was no sense in leading Jason around. Now he just had to own up to his feelings and talk to Oliver. I hope he still wants me.
But he wouldn’t worry about that for now. Instead, he made a quick call to his mother and surfed the internet for a while, sending e-mails to both Chloe and Pete.
Hours passed like minutes and he was about to go to dinner when he heard a knock at his door. Who could that be?
Swinging it open, he was shocked to see none other than Oliver at the other side. “Oliver.”
“Hi, Clark,” he said. Clark was concerned; Ollie was off … he was stiff and not like himself.
“Come on in,” Clark said, moving so Ollie could enter. Ollie did just that and Clark closed the door behind him.
“Thanks,” Oliver replied.
“What’s going on?” Clark asked. When he met Ollie’s eyes, he was shocked by what he saw. His expression may have been without emotion but his eyes said it all … anger, betrayal and hurt and it was all aimed at him.
Ollie’s next words had Clark’s nerves on edge.
“We need to talk.”
Chapter 11