I'd Come For You 4/24
banner by: alxnhnt22
Title: I'd Come For You
Chapter: 4/24
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Chloe Sullivan and Oliver Queen
Rating: PG-13 (for now, subject to change)
Word Count: 4,846
Prompt: This fic is dedicated to the amazing slytherinpunk who wanted to see a fic where Chloe met Oliver and Green Arrow before Lois and Clark did. Happy Birthday, Dawn! ♥
Previous Chapters: One Two Three
The sound of her cell phone ringing nearly brought tears to Chloe’s eyes. It was just after seven o’clock on a Friday night and she’d been trying to leave the Planet for the past two hours. The copy desk had somehow managed to delete her article from the server and she’d had to rewrite the entire 2,000 word story from her notes on deadline. That had just been the start of her bad luck.
After that, a source for a different story had called and was having second thoughts about some of the quotes he had given her about his company. Chloe had done her best to reassure him that he wasn’t going to lose his job for telling the truth, but he still seemed apprehensive. She knew she was going to have to find a second source in case he decided to back out again and that meant she would have to ask her editor for an extension. She hated doing that.
Chloe reached for the phone and frowned when she didn’t recognize the number on the caller ID. She briefly considered hitting the ignore button and dealing with whatever the problem was in the morning, but she knew she’d just cave in and end up listening to the voicemail and be stuck at work even longer. It was best just to answer and get it over with.
“This is Chloe Sullivan,” she said, her tone clipped and professional. Chloe grabbed a pen and waited impatiently for a response.
“Rough day?”
She breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar deep voice and leaned back in her chair. “Am I that obvious? I was going for a friendly greeting.”
Oliver laughed. “I think you missed the mark on that one, Chloe,” he teased. “Or maybe it’s just because I know you and can hear the stress in your voice. I take it you’re still at work,” he guessed.
“Points to you, Mr. Queen,” Chloe replied. She smiled and twirled her pen through her fingers as some of the tension eased from her body. “Are you at the office too? I didn’t recognize the number or you might have gotten a nicer greeting,” she teased.
“Well, I would hope so.” He chuckled softly in her ear and Chloe decided she was going to ignore the shiver the sound sent down her spine. “Yeah, I’m just finishing up here and I was hoping I could interest you in pizza and a movie,” Oliver said.
Chloe raised her eyebrows. “Pizza and a movie seem like an awfully ordinary way for a billionaire to spend his Friday night. There has to be a charity ball or a club opening somewhere that would be more fitting for your celebrity status,” she joked.
“Well the pizza would be topped with lobster, of course,” Oliver replied without missing a beat. “And when I said movie, I meant movie premiere. The jet is fueled and ready and I’m sure you have a red carpet dress available.”
“I’m wearing it now,” Chloe said. She bit the inside of her cheek to hold in her laughter and tried to keep her tone serious. “You should see the jealous looks my co-workers are giving me over my pearls.”
“Wait until they see the diamonds I get you for your birthday,” Oliver replied smoothly.
Chloe laughed as she tried to imagine herself walking into the Planet sporting diamond jewelry. She definitely didn’t see that happening in the near future. Or ever. “Maybe we should stick to more practical gifts or better yet, no gifts at all,” she said.
Oliver sighed dramatically. “Now that you’ve ruined all my fun, how about an answer to my original proposal?” he asked. “Are you free tonight?”
It had been a long week and she had planned on doing laundry and going to bed early, but Chloe decided not to tell Oliver that. Pizza and a movie actually sounded like fun and she was already looking forward to spending time with him. She decided not to mention that either since the last thing the man needed was an ego boost.
“I suppose I could work you into my busy schedule,” she teased.
“Great. Your place or mine?” Oliver asked.
“Yours,” Chloe replied. “I’m not sure if Lois is going to be around tonight, but she has this habit of talking through the entire movie.”
She didn’t add that she wasn’t in any particular hurry to introduce her cousin to Oliver. She loved Lois like a sister, but she knew she would do nothing but bombard Oliver with questions about everything and anything under the sun and Chloe really didn’t want to subject him to that when they both obviously needed a relaxing evening.
“All right, give me about thirty minutes to finish up a few things here and I’ll swing by the Planet and pick you up,” Oliver offered.
“Oliver, that’s not necessary,” Chloe said. “Your apartment is a block away from your office.” She appreciated his chivalrous side, but there was no reason for him to go out of his way when she could easily walk there herself.
He shifted in his chair to look out his office window. It was still light outside and the weather was nice so there were probably a lot of people around. “Okay, you win. Why don’t you meet me there at 7:45?” he suggested.
“Great, can I pick the movie?” Chloe asked. “I’m thinking something romantic and old fashioned. Maybe a period piece with subtitles,” she said gleefully.
Oliver laughed. “If you can find something like that in my DVD collection, you’re on.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I keep a stack of those movies in my purse next to my pearls,” Chloe teased. “I’ll see you soon, Ollie.”
“Bye, Chloe.” Oliver set his office phone back on the receiver and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He scrolled through his contacts and pressed the button to dial AC’s number. The phone rang three times before he heard his friend’s cheerful voice. “Is everything set for tonight?” he asked.
“Everything is a go,” AC confirmed. “Cyborg has been monitoring the warehouse all day and Impulse and I are on standby waiting for the signal. It’s a smaller facility, so there are only a handful of guards plus the doctors conducting the experiments inside. We shouldn’t have any problems.”
“Good,” Oliver said. He caught his bottom lip between his teeth and tried to think if there was anything else the guys needed to know. This was the first time they would be going into one of Lex’s 33.1 labs without him, but he couldn’t leave Metropolis and he didn’t want to put off the mission any longer.
“Ollie, we’ve got this,” AC said, as if reading his mind. “How are things on your end?” he asked.
“So far so good,” Oliver replied with a sigh. He didn’t like being left out of the action, but he knew the team could handle it. “I’m going to be with Chloe tonight, but don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”
“We won’t,” AC insisted. “Cyborg will send you the report when we’re through. How’s Chloe doing? Has she remembered anything else?” he asked.
“Not as far as I know, but I doubt she’d tell me even if she had,” Oliver said. He’d been spending a lot of time with Chloe over the past few days and even though they had fallen into a comfortable rhythm with one another, it wasn’t like he could come right out and ask her about what happened in Star City without giving away his identity.
“Okay, man, I’ve got some stuff to take care of before the mission. You enjoy your night with the pretty blonde girl while the rest of us are risking our asses,” AC joked.
Oliver laughed. “Will do,” he replied.
***
Three hours later, Chloe sat on Oliver’s couch watching his face eagerly as the credits rolled. His expression had remained fairly neutral throughout the movie and she couldn’t tell if he had enjoyed it or if he had hated every minute of it. The man had a really good poker face.
“Well?” Chloe asked when she couldn’t take the suspense anymore. “What did you think?”
Oliver casually leaned over to grab another slice of pizza from the coffee table. “It wasn’t bad,” he said.
Chloe’s eyes widened. “It wasn’t bad?” she repeated. She moved closer to him on the couch and tugged the plate from his hand before he could take a bite. “We just watched one of the most kickass movies ever and all you have to say is ‘it wasn’t bad?’ What is the matter with you?”
He looked from her face to the plate in her hands and back again. “What’s the matter with me is that you stole my pizza and I’m still hungry,” Oliver pouted. He held out his hand expectantly.
Chloe shook her head. “Absolutely not,” she said firmly. She stretched her arm to set the plate down on the end table beside the couch and started to turn back to Oliver. “I can’t believe…” Before she could get the words out, Oliver moved toward her, easily pinning both of her hands in one of his and shifted around her to grab the plate.
Oliver smirked down at her. “You were saying?” he asked.
Chloe glared at him. “Cheater,” she grumbled as she struggled against his grip.
He laughed, releasing her hands and moving back to his side of the couch. “The movie was great,” he said. “One of the best action movies ever and I can’t believe I’ve never seen it before. Happy?” he asked.
“Very,” Chloe replied. “This friendship would be over if you told me you didn’t like Independence Day.” She settled back against the cushion and smiled at him. “What’s not to like about a group of people rising up to save the world?”
“Not a thing,” Oliver replied. He took a bite of his pizza to hide the grin that was threatening. He swallowed his food and reached for the bottle of water on the table. “What movie do you want to watch next?” he asked.
Chloe glanced at the time on her phone and chewed on her bottom lip. She hadn’t been expecting him to suggest a second movie and now she realized she really wanted to stay. But it would be late by the time they finished another movie and even though her apartment was only a few blocks away, she still wasn’t that comfortable walking by herself at night. She silently cursed Lex Luthor and his minions.
“I’ll drive you home after the next movie,” Oliver said before she could protest. “Or you’re free to crash in the guest room.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Chloe said quickly. She didn’t understand how he seemed to always know what she was thinking. They hadn’t known each other that long, but Oliver seemed to get her in a way that very few people did. It was slightly unnerving how comfortable she felt with him after such a short amount of time.
“Chloe, whether you leave now or you leave three hours from now, I’m driving you home,” Oliver said firmly. His eyes locked with hers. “You can call me a caveman or a chauvinist or whatever you want, but these streets aren’t safe and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
She swallowed hard at the conviction in his voice, unable to look away from his intense brown eyes. Chloe knew there was no point in arguing with him and she didn’t really want to. As much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, the fact that Oliver wanted to protect her made her want to throw herself into his arms and not let go.
Uncomfortable with her thoughts, Chloe offered him a smile and tried to lighten the mood. “How do you know I don’t have a hot date waiting for me at home?” she asked. “I wouldn’t want him to get jealous if he saw you dropping me off.”
Oliver raised an eyebrow. “Oh, he’d be jealous all right, as he should be,” he added with a smirk.
Chloe rolled her eyes at his arrogance. “I already told you that your charm doesn’t work on me, Ollie.”
He surprised her by reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. “My charm works on everyone, Chloe. I’ll wear you down sooner or later.” He winked at her and stood up. “I’m going to pick the next movie.”
Chloe was too busy trying to remember how to breathe to respond.
***
“Chloe, are you awake? Chloe, can you hear me? Chloe, if you’re just pretending to be asleep so I’ll go away, it’s not going to work.”
The woman in question let out a loud groan and attempted to bury her face deeper in the pillow as the bed bounced lightly with the added weight as Lois plopped down beside her. Chloe had no idea what time it was or why her cousin felt the need to wake her up by shouting directly in her ear, but she did know it was Saturday and there was no logical reason for her to be awake.
“I’m serious, Chlo,” Lois said. She pulled the blanket back and dodged her cousin’s hands as she tried to hold onto it. “We need to talk. Now,” she added.
Chloe barely resisted the urge to scream as she rolled over onto her back and glared up at her cousin. Lois was still in her pajamas and her hair was in her pre-shower ponytail so Chloe figured it was even earlier than her tired body imagined. Since Lois didn’t seem sad or upset, Chloe assumed that no one they knew was hurt or injured.
“What do you want?” she demanded.
Lois frowned at her. “Don’t you dare give me that look like you’re the injured party,” she scolded. “If anyone has a right to be upset, it’s me. How could you not tell me?”
Confused, Chloe pulled herself into a sitting position and leaned back against the headboard as she tried to figure out what her cousin could possibly be talking about. She hadn’t seen her much over the past few days. They’d both been busy with work and it seemed like they were never at the apartment at the same time. Lois had already been in bed when Oliver dropped her off just after one so she hadn’t talked to Lois at all the previous day. But Chloe was fairly certain she wasn’t keeping anything from her.
“Lois, it’s early and I haven’t had coffee yet, so it would be best if you could be a little more specific,” she said.
Lois narrowed her eyes. “Is this really how you want to play it, Chloe? Fine,” she said.
The hurt was evident in her voice and Chloe was more confused than ever. Before she could ask for clarification, Lois reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a newspaper. She tossed it unceremoniously on Chloe’s lap.
“I’m your best friend - not to mention family - and I had to find out about this from the newspaper where I work. It was bad enough that you didn’t tell me, but to let me get scooped by that twit Carlson? How could you, Chloe?” she asked.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Chloe cried. She picked up the Inquisitor and found herself staring at a picture of her and Oliver. It had been taken two days earlier outside the coffee shop where they had met for breakfast. The headline read “Is the Billionaire Bachelor Off the Market?” She rolled her eyes and without bothering to read the article, flipped it open to the middle section where it promised more pictures.
Her mouth dropped open when she saw there were several pictures from the first night they had gone to dinner, including one where his hands were on her shoulders and they were smiling at each other. There were shots from earlier in the week when he’d taken her to lunch and the last picture was of the two of them walking into his apartment building last night.
“Wow,” Chloe muttered. It was seriously unnerving to realize that someone had been photographing them all those times and she hadn’t even noticed. She prided herself on being observant and clearly she had failed. “I don’t know how Ollie doesn’t go crazy knowing someone is always taking pictures of him.” She handed Lois the paper back. “Your photographers should be ashamed.”
Lois gaped at her like she had grown a second head. “Our photographers,” she repeated. She rubbed her hands over her face and fought the urge to smother her cousin with a pillow. “You’ve been secretly dating a billionaire and you’re complaining about our photographers?” She took the newspaper in her hand and whacked Chloe on the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Lois!” Chloe grabbed the paper back and tossed it on the floor. “I think you’ve been working at the Inquisitor too long if you’re going to start believing everything you read. Ollie and I are friends,” she insisted.
“Friends?” Lois repeated the word like it was a foreign concept.
Chloe rolled her eyes and reached over to grab the newspaper from the floor. “Look at these pictures again,” she said. “We’re having coffee, going to lunch and walking into his place to watch a movie. If you had seen pictures of me and Clark doing these things would you have thought twice about it?” she asked.
“No,” Lois muttered and Chloe could practically see her bubble bursting. Lois sighed loudly and glanced at the pictures again. “Even though I was mad that you kept it from me, I was really looking forward to all the juicy stories,” she admitted. She offered Chloe a sheepish smile. “Are you sure you don’t have some for me?”
Chloe laughed at the hopeful look on her face. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t. Ollie is in Metropolis for business and he doesn’t really know anyone here so we started hanging out. He knows I’m immune to his charm,” she added.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Lois asked. She shifted her body until she was sitting cross legged on the bed and looked at Chloe carefully. “Are you sure you’re not interested?” she asked.
Her mind flashed back to Oliver kissing her hand and the intensity of his brown eyes. She swallowed hard to moisten her suddenly dry throat. “I’m sure,” Chloe assured her. She hugged her knees to her chest and smiled at Lois. “I like Ollie. He’s nothing like you’d expect him to be and we have fun together. But there’s nothing romantic about it,” she insisted.
“Well, that’s disappointing,” Lois said. “Not the part about him being a great guy,” she clarified quickly. “I’m glad you found a new friend and all, but it would have been better if Mr. Tall, Gorgeous and Rich was rocking your world.” She patted Chloe’s leg and stood up. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Not so fast, Lo,” Chloe said. She glared at her cousin. “You woke me up early on a Saturday. You owe me coffee.”
Lois nodded. “Sorry about that,” she said. “I’ll go make some before I shower.” She hurried off to the kitchen.
Chloe reached for the newspaper again. She hadn’t realized how much time she’d actually been spending with Ollie until it was spread out in front of her. She’d seen him nearly every day since they’d gone to dinner and they were constantly texting and emailing each other. She supposed she could understand why someone on the outside might get the wrong idea.
She started to toss the newspaper in the garbage beside her bed, but something stopped her. Chloe tucked it into the top drawer of her nightstand instead and made her way to the bathroom to take a shower.
***
Oliver’s jaw clenched as he sat behind the desk in his penthouse listening to his publicist making excuses. “Sam, stop,” he ordered before the man had a chance to finish his latest one. “I don’t care why you let it happen. All I care about is that you make sure it doesn’t happen in the future. Neither one of us wants me to have to call you again,” he warned.
The threat hung in the air for nearly a full minute before Sam coughed nervously on the other end of the phone. “I’m sorry, Mr. Queen,” he said. “I’ll handle the matter personally,” he promised.
“See to it that you do,” Oliver replied. He hung up the phone before the man could respond and glanced down at the pictures of him and Chloe. As far as tabloid press went, the article was fairly tame and there was nothing suggestive in any of the pictures. But he doubted Chloe was going to appreciate being tabloid fodder and the last thing Oliver wanted was for her to pull away from him.
Chloe was different than anyone else he’d ever met in his life. Oliver had realized that the day he met her and he really liked spending time with her. She was smart and funny and she had an uncanny ability to read him. He was more than tempted to try and change her mind about moving past the friendship box she wanted to keep them in, but Oliver knew now wasn’t the right time to push. He had to keep her safe from Lex and he couldn’t do that if she was running away from him.
Oliver had been in Metropolis for almost two weeks and he wasn’t any closer to finding out what Lex was up to or what he wanted from Chloe. The two men had yet to cross paths and Oliver wanted to keep it that way as long as possible. He had a habit of losing his temper around Lex and the last thing he wanted to do was let the other man know he was onto him. Oliver was keeping track of Lex’s movements, but so far he hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary.
The computer beside him beeped, indicating there was someone in the elevator waiting to be granted access. Oliver flipped on the monitor and was surprised to see Clark Kent on the screen. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt under a red jacket and the expression on his face gave nothing away. Oliver briefly wondered if he was using his x-ray vision to look back at him and quickly pressed the button to open the doors before he allowed himself too much time to think about how weird his life was.
Clark stepped out of the elevator and frowned when he saw Oliver sitting behind his desk clad only in a pair of dark green sweatpants. He hadn’t been sure what to expect from the billionaire his mother had been raving about, but his extremely casual appearance caught him off guard.
“Uh…sorry to drop by unannounced,” he started. “I’m Clark Kent. My mom asked me to deliver this.” He held up the manila folder he was carrying. “It’s more information on the campaign proposals she discussed with you.”
Oliver nodded politely as he stood up to greet the man he already knew so much about. After his initial conversation with Victor, he had talked to Bart and AC to get their take on Clark. They both agreed with Victor’s assessment that he was not likely to be a team player, but he was a loyal friend and he would do anything to protect Chloe. Oliver wanted to get to know the guy and see for himself before he divulged any of his secret plans.
He took the folder from Clark and held out his other hand. “Oliver Queen,” he offered. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Clark replied. He shook his hand and offered a polite smile. “I appreciate everything you’re doing to help my mother with her campaign.
“Senator Kent has a lot of interesting ideas,” Oliver commented. He dropped the folder on his desk and gestured toward the couch. “Can I offer you something to drink?”
Clark shook his head. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time. My mom wanted you to know you can call her if you have any questions,” he said.
“Stay,” Oliver insisted. He could tell Clark was uncomfortable and decided he had to play his other card. “I feel like we should get to know each other better since we have a mutual friend in common.”
Clark’s brow furrowed in surprise. “We do?” he asked.
Several actually, Oliver thought. But he wasn’t about to mention those particular friends. The last thing he wanted was for Clark to be suspicious of him before he got a chance to feel the guy out. The fact that he’d been friends with Lex Luthor once upon a time still didn’t sit well with Oliver.
“Chloe Sullivan,” Oliver supplied. He sat down in the armchair and gestured to the couch again. “She mentioned you a few times and said how close you two were.” Chloe had told him all about Lois and Clark and the tight friendships she had with both of them. Of course she had left out the part about him being an alien, but Oliver understood why she might not be comfortable sharing something like that with him at this point.
Clark sat down on the couch and eyed Oliver warily. “I didn’t realize you’d been in touch with Chloe since you came to town,” he commented. He knew all about Oliver’s reputation and the last thing he wanted was for his best friend to end up getting hurt.
Oliver recognized the disapproving look and chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from getting defensive. He figured Clark didn’t know anything about him except what he’d read in the papers and the truth was he didn’t really care what the other man thought about him.
“I actually ran into Chloe at your farm and we’ve been hanging out since then,” he explained. “I don’t really know many people in Metropolis.”
Clark nodded, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. “How long are you planning on staying in town?” he asked.
“Indefinitely,” Oliver replied. “I’m here on business and there’s no telling how long it will take to sort things out. Do you work full time at the farm?” he asked.
“Mostly,” Clark replied. “My father died a few years ago and I’ve been trying to keep things running so my mom doesn’t have to worry about it, especially now that she’s running for Congress,” he added.
Oliver nodded absently, the familiar ache in his chest popping up as he thought of his own parents. “That seems like a lot of work for one person,” he commented. He watched Clark’s face closely for his reaction.
“That’s why it’s pretty much a full-time job,” Clark replied stiffly. He stood up. “I should be going. I’m supposed to meet my girlfriend for brunch,” he said.
“Lois,” Oliver said and Clark’s eyes narrowed. Oliver could tell that Clark was less than thrilled with the direction of the conversation and figured he’d better rein it in. “Chloe’s told me a lot of stories about her cousin. They’re obviously very close,” he commented.
“They are,” Clark agreed. “We all are,” he added.
Oliver barely refrained from rolling his eyes at the less than subtle implication that he wasn’t welcome in their little circle. He was clearly getting off on the wrong foot with Clark and that might not bode well for the future. He swallowed the retort on the tip of his tongue and plastered a smile on his face.
“That’s great, man. Good friends are important.” Oliver stood up as well and walked Clark to the elevator. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around sometime.” He held out his hand.
Clark hesitated for a brief second and then shook it. “Enjoy your day,” he said before disappearing into the elevator.
“You too,” Oliver said. The smile dropped from his face the second the doors closed. “Jackass,” he muttered.
He crossed the room and sat back in his desk chair to assess the situation. Clark obviously wasn’t big on strangers and it seemed like he’d already made up his mind that Oliver was not worthy of him or his friends. On some level, Oliver understood. His reputation wasn’t exactly something to be proud of, but Clark wasn’t giving him a chance to show him the kind of guy he really was.
Oliver decided it didn’t matter. It would be good to have Clark on his side when it came to taking down Lex, but it wasn’t the end of the world if he had to do it without him. All that mattered was keeping Chloe safe and Oliver was willing to do that singlehandedly if he had to.
Five.