I'd Come For You 5/24
banner by: alxnhnt22
Title: I'd Come For You
Chapter: 5/24
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Chloe Sullivan and Oliver Queen
Rating: PG-13 (for now, subject to change)
Word Count: 5,235
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 Four
“Ollie?” Chloe called as she walked out of the elevator into his penthouse several hours after her unpleasant wakeup call. Her eyes widened in surprise when she was greeted by the sight of Oliver balanced on his hands, his long body perfectly still. Her eyes moved appreciatively over the sculpted muscles of his back and she decided it wasn’t right that anyone’s ass could look that good in a pair of sweatpants.
He flipped himself upright and turned to face her with a smile on his face. Chloe’s breath caught in her throat when she saw his naked chest and stomach. Suddenly the “wow” that had gone through her head the first time she met him seemed much too tame. The man brought drop-dead gorgeous to a whole new level.
“Hey,” he said brightly as he reached for the towel he’d draped over the chair. “What’s going on?”
Chloe tried - and failed miserably - not to stare as he wiped the towel over his glistening body. She knew she should answer his question, but her mind was otherwise occupied. She swallowed hard and forced herself to stop focusing on all his tan, hard muscle and meet his eyes. When she did, she saw the amusement there and felt her cheeks turn red.
“I didn’t realize you were serious about yoga,” she commented, hoping he would be a gentleman and not point out the obvious fact that she was practically drooling over him.
Oliver nodded and grabbed his bottle of water from the desk. “I told you it’s a great workout for the mind and the body. You should join me sometime,” he suggested.
Her mind’s eye conjured up an image of the two of them, but they weren’t doing yoga. They weren’t wearing clothes either and Chloe’s blush deepened. She should not be thinking of Oliver like that. She was the one who decided their relationship couldn’t go past the friendship level and now she was standing in his living room having dirty thoughts about him. It wasn’t right.
“I think I’ll pass. I’m not really flexible,” Chloe muttered.
Oliver raised an eyebrow. “I could teach you to be,” he said.
Her first thought was that he could probably teach her all sorts of things and she very much wanted him to. Chloe swallowed hard again and was tempted to take the water out of his hand and drink the entire bottle to cool her insides down. She ordered herself to get a grip and stop thinking about Oliver and sex. That was never going to happen.
“That’s not necessary,” Chloe said. She noticed a copy of the Inquisitor on his desk and grabbed it like it was a life preserver. “I was going to ask you if you saw this.”
Oliver grimaced and set the water down. He’d hoped she wouldn’t see the pictures before he had a chance to tell her about them. “Yeah, my assistant always sends me this stuff. Chloe, I’m sorry. I’ve got my publicist working to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
“It’s not your fault,” Chloe replied sincerely. She could see that he felt guilty and she didn’t want him to think she was the slightest bit upset by the pictures. She tossed the paper back on the desk and walked to the couch, glancing back at him over her shoulder.
“Although, I did have an obnoxious wakeup call this morning,” she said. “My cousin barged into my room at an ungodly hour demanding to know why I didn’t tell her that I was dating you,” she explained. Chloe sat down on the couch and playfully glared at him. “You’ll need to find a way to make that up to me.”
Oliver inwardly sighed with relief. Chloe was handling it a lot better than he’d expected she would and it didn’t seem like she was going to run away from him. He flashed his trademark grin. “Did you set her straight and tell her that my charm does nothing for you?” he teased as he moved to join her on the couch.
“I did,” Chloe said. She couldn’t help thinking she might be more convincing if she wasn’t currently forcing herself to keep her eyes on his face and not his chest. Chloe really wished he would put a shirt on. “I think she was disappointed that I didn’t have a good scoop for her.”
“Well if you want, you can tell her that next time I do something embarrassing, she’ll be the first person I call,” Oliver offered.
Chloe laughed. “That’s generous, Ollie, but Lois would hold you to that and start following you around just waiting for that moment and none of us would be able to get anything done.”
“Speaking of Lois, your friend Clark stopped by this morning,” Oliver said. “He was dropping off some stuff Senator Kent wanted me to look at. I got the feeling he didn’t like me very much.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. After all these years, Clark still hadn’t mastered basic social interaction. He always had a hard time warming up to new people because he was worried about keeping his secret safe. “Don’t take it personally,” she said. “Clark takes awhile to come out of his shell around people he doesn’t know very well.”
“I don’t think he liked the fact that I was spending time with you,” Oliver commented. He was doing his best not to sound like he was whining, but he wanted to gage Chloe’s reaction. He needed to know how much Clark’s disapproval mattered. If it was going to be an issue, he would make sure to do everything he could to win the guy over even if he had to bring in the team for backup.
“Clark takes his protective role a little too seriously, but he means well,” Chloe said. She was going to have to have a word with him and remind him that she was allowed to make her own decisions and there was no need to protect her from Oliver.
He nodded, relieved that she didn’t seem too upset. “Do you have plans tonight? Maybe we could catch a movie and check out that new Thai food place,” he suggested.
“I have no plans,” Chloe said with a frown. She’d swung by the Daily Planet before she’d come to the clock tower and found out her original plan for the evening was a bust and she was still angry about it. She forced herself to smile at Oliver. “That sounds like fun.” Maybe he would be able to take her mind off things.
Oliver raised an eyebrow at the tension in her voice and the obvious phony smile she was giving him. Maybe he’d misread things and she was more upset than she was letting on. “You said fun like I suggested a trip to the dentist. Chloe, if you have something else to do, I won’t be offended. I’m a big boy,” he assured her.
“It’s not that,” Chloe said quickly. She could see that she’d upset him and felt guilty. Maybe Clark wasn’t the only one who needed a refresher course on social skills.
“Lex Luthor is hosting a party at the mansion tonight,” she explained. “I know he’s got a list of VIPs coming into town and I was planning on covering it for the Planet. But when I talked to my editor this morning, he told me that all press has been banned from the event.” Chloe made a face. “Supposedly it’s just a private party to show off for his girlfriend, but something tells me it’s more than that or Lex would let the press in.”
“That does sound suspicious,” Oliver agreed. Lex loved to cater to the media when he was hosting charity benefits or launching a new venture with Luthor Corp. He rarely banned press from his events, even if it was just a few reporters who he kept in his pocket. He liked the attention far too much.
“Yeah, but there’s no way to find out,” Chloe said. She shrugged and tried to let her animosity go. She wasn’t going to let Lex ruin her evening. She would find out what he was up to sooner or later. “It doesn’t matter. What movie did you want to see?” she asked.
Oliver smirked. He knew Chloe might pretend to let it go, but she would be thinking about the party all night and wondering what she was missing. Luckily, he had the perfect solution. “I wouldn’t say there’s no way to find out,” he told her.
“Well, I suppose I could try to get someone who’s on the guest list to talk to me, but I doubt anybody Lex considers worthy of his private party is going to be forthcoming with me,” Chloe said. She’d already considered that option.
“Chloe, you’re forgetting something very important,” Oliver pointed out.
She scrunched her nose in confusion as he continued to smirk at her. He obviously knew something she didn’t. “What?” she asked.
“I’m Oliver Queen,” he reminded her. Oliver walked to his desk and sorted through a pile of mail his assistant had left for him. He found the invitation to Lex’s party and held it up for her to see.
Chloe’s jaw dropped. It never crossed her mind to ask him if he’d been invited to the event. “Lex invited you to his party? I thought you two didn’t get along,” she said.
“We don’t, but he has to send a courtesy invitation because we run in the same circles socially and professionally. I’m sure he doesn’t expect me to come and to be honest, I had no intention of going,” Oliver said. He walked back to the couch and handed the invitation to Chloe.
“But now I’m looking forward to the look on Lex’s face when I show up with my favorite reporter on my arm,” he added smugly.
Chloe’s eyes widened as she looked from the invitation in her hand to the man standing beside her. “Ollie, I know you hate Lex. I’m not going to ask you to give up your Saturday night for this.”
“You didn’t ask, I offered,” Oliver corrected her. He sat down again and reached for her hand. “I can see this is important to you, Chloe so let me help you. Pissing off Lex will be an added bonus.”
She laughed at the smirk on his face. “All right, if you’re sure,” she added.
“I’m sure,” Oliver said. He squeezed her hand. “Do you need me to have a dress sent over for you? I can have my assistant make some calls.”
“Absolutely not,” Chloe replied firmly. “You’re doing one favor for me. I don’t need you to buy me a dress.” She let go of his hand and stood up. “I do have some things to take care of before tonight though so I should go.” Finding her cousin to go dress shopping with her was first on the list, but she wasn’t going to tell Oliver that.
Oliver stood as well and walked with her to the elevator. “I’ll pick you up at seven. Call me if you need anything else,” he said.
Chloe smiled. “Thanks, Ollie.”
He waited until he heard the elevator descending before he walked back to the couch and picked up the invitation she’d left there. Seeing the Luthors this soon wasn’t part of his plan, but Oliver had always been adaptable. Maybe walking into enemy territory with Chloe would give him some insight into what Lex wanted from her.
***
Chloe absently played with the fabric of her silver dress as she watched Oliver out of the corner of her eye. His eyes were focused solely on the dark road ahead of them and his hands were gripping the wheel tight enough to make his knuckles turn white. She could see the tension he was carrying in his jaw and she was starting to worry that this whole idea was a mistake.
Oliver had been his usual charming self when he’d picked her up at her apartment nearly two hours earlier. Her heart had done back flips when she’d opened the door and saw him standing there in his tuxedo. The man really did look good in everything. His eyes had roamed appreciatively over the silver dress she had spent way too much money on and that warm feeling she was starting to associate exclusively with Oliver had taken over again when his brown eyes had locked with hers and he told her how beautiful she looked.
He’d offered her his arm and led her outside to his silver sports car. The first hour of the drive had been perfectly normal. They’d talked about how they’d spent their afternoons and the conversation had shifted to random topics. But Oliver had started to get quiet the closer they got to Smallville and after awhile, Chloe had taken the hint and fallen silent as well.
She could see the Luthor mansion up ahead and reached out to place her hand on his arm. “You know, it’s not too late for Thai food and that movie you suggested. I mean, we might be a little overdressed for the theater, but it will give people something to talk about,” Chloe teased. She tried to keep her voice light to see if she could coax a smile out of him.
He glanced at her briefly before he brought the car to a stop across the street from the drive that led to the mansion. Oliver could see the worry in her eyes and felt guilty. He knew he’d been brooding for the last hour, but it was hard to get past the hatred he felt for the entire Luthor family.
“I’m sorry,” Oliver said quietly. He shifted as best he could in his seat so he was facing her. “I haven’t seen Lionel or Lex for a few years and I can’t say that I’m looking forward to the reunion.” He offered her a half-smile. “But I promise I got it out of my system. Are you ready to go in?” he asked.
Chloe shook her head. “Not so fast, Mr. Queen.” She shifted in her seat as well and met his gaze. “Do you remember when I asked you if it was hard being two people?”
Oliver nodded. He still wasn’t sure how she’d managed to see through him so fast.
“I don’t want you to ever feel like you have to be two people with me,” Chloe said. She reached out and took his hand. “Ollie, if you don’t want to go in there, we don’t have to. But don’t pretend you’re okay if you’re not.”
“I’m sorry,” Oliver said again. He rubbed his thumb lightly over hers. He was used to keeping his issues to himself. The team knew he hated Lex because of all the evil things he did, but no one really knew the details or how deep that hatred really went. He could tell that Chloe wanted the whole story and for some reason he found himself wanting to open up to her in a way that he never did with anyone else.
Chloe could practically see the internal battle he was waging with himself. She brought her free hand to his cheek and she saw the surprise flash in his eyes even as he leaned into her touch. “You can trust me,” she told him.
“I know that,” Oliver replied. He did trust her and that was part of the problem because he knew he wasn’t being fair to her. His chest tightened with guilt as he thought about all of the things he was keeping from her. He knew he could justify it all he wanted, but the fact of the matter was he wasn’t being honest with her and it was going to cost him sooner or later.
“You told me before that you and Lex went to school together,” Chloe prompted gently. “Is that when your problems began?”
“Pretty much,” Oliver said. He figured he might as well be honest about this part of his life. “I wasn’t the nicest kid after my parents died and my friends and I used to pick on Lex since he was smaller than the rest of us and a bit strange. Not my proudest moment,” he admitted.
“We’ve all done things we’re not proud of,” Chloe said. “But the difference is you grew up to be a good man and Lex has chosen to be an evil one.” She bit her tongue to stop herself from bringing up his labs. She didn’t want to burden Oliver with her own problems with Lex.
Oliver knew what she was thinking about and fought the urge to reassure her that Lex was going to have to kill him if he wanted to get near her again. “Thanks for saying that,” he said. “What do you say we head inside before all the good appetizers are gone?”
Chloe laughed. She could see that he was starting to relax, but she still wasn’t sure going inside was the best option. “Are you sure?” she asked.
“I’m sure,” Oliver said. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles softly. “Thank you for worrying about me. I’m not really used to having anyone in my life that does that.”
“You’re welcome,” Chloe replied. She couldn’t ignore the shiver that went all the way to her toes when his lips touched her. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to lean forward and press her mouth to his. Suddenly her reasons for wanting to be just friends all seemed rather silly.
Oliver swallowed hard and struggled with the desire to kiss her. When this was over and she was safe from Lex, he was going to do everything in his power to change her mind about them being more than just friends.
Assuming she still wanted anything to do with him, he thought.
He linked his arm through hers and they made their way up the drive to the house. The party had started an hour ago, but Oliver had no interest in being one of the first people to arrive. He knew Chloe wanted to scope out the scene and he figured it would be easier for them to blend into the background for awhile if they arrived late.
Oliver handed his invitation to the guard at the door and nodded politely at the greeter as he guided Chloe down the long hallway that led to the ballroom. It had been years since he’d been in the mansion, but he could see that it was as cold and dark as ever. He’d heard that Lionel had moved out Lex was living there was his fiancée. Clearly redecorating was not on their list of things to do before the wedding.
Chloe had been to the mansion before with Clark and she always thought it seemed more like a mausoleum than a home. She could hear music coming from the ballroom and she was surprised to see the large room packed with guests. She had assumed the party would be a more intimate affair since Lex had banned the press, but she was fairly certain all these people were not his nearest and dearest. Then again, she doubted he actually had any real friends.
“What do you think?” Oliver asked. He grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and handed her one. “Is this what you expected?”
“Not exactly,” Chloe admitted. She took a sip of the champagne and glanced around the crowded room for a sign of their host. “I guess I thought there would be less people but maybe I should have taken into account the fact that you were invited.”
Oliver nodded. “Don’t let your guard down,” he said quietly. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him as they walked further into the room. “Parties like this are deceptive. There are a lot of people around so it’s easy to lose track of who is talking to whom.” He led her to a spot on the wall near one of the large windows.
“Sneaky,” Chloe teased. She could see the entire room from this vantage point, including all the exits. “You might have missed your calling as an investigative reporter,” she said.
“Oliver, what an unexpected surprise.”
Oliver’s shoulders stiffened and the easy smile he had for Chloe suddenly became forced as he watched Lionel Luthor making his way toward them. He had no doubt that the friendly smile Lionel gave him was every bit as phony as his own and he made a conscious effort not to squeeze the champagne glass in his hand.
“Lionel, it’s good to see you after all this time,” he said, nearly choking on the false sentiment. Oliver reluctantly let go of Chloe and offered his hand to Lionel.
“I heard you were in Metropolis and I was hoping we’d have a chance to see each other,” Lionel said. He shook Oliver’s hand and turned his smile on Chloe. “Miss Sullivan, how nice to see you again,” he said.
“Mr. Luthor,” Chloe replied politely. She slipped her arm through Oliver’s in an effort to ease some of his tension.
Lionel turned his attention back to Oliver. “How are things in Star City, Oliver? Business is good, I presume,” he said.
“Business is excellent,” Oliver replied with a smirk. He had no doubt Lionel knew exactly how well Queen Industries was doing and the fact that they consistently beat Luthor Corp. in the market had to irk him to no end.
“I’m sure Robert and Laura would be proud,” Lionel commented. He smiled when Oliver’s eyes darkened. “Enjoy the party, Oliver. Miss Sullivan,” he added before he walked away.
Oliver took a long swig of his champagne as the tension rolled through his body in waves. “It’s possible I hate that man more than Lex,” he muttered darkly.
Chloe’s eyes widened and she moved to stand in front of him. She could see how angry he was and she wanted to strangle Lionel herself for having the nerve to bring up his parents. “Don’t let him get to you,” she said quietly. She rubbed her hand over his forearm soothingly. “He wants to get a rise out of you.”
“I know,” Oliver muttered. He took her hand in his and willed himself to calm down. There was just something about Lionel that got under his skin. “He acts like he’s a good guy, but he would stab you in the back before you saw the knife.” He watched Lionel making the rounds and laughing with the mayor over some shared joke.
Chloe didn’t have to look over her shoulder to see where his gaze had fallen. She set her champagne glass down on the window ledge and cupped Oliver’s face in her hands. “Ollie, look at me. We don’t have to stay,” she told him. No story she could get was worth seeing him this upset.
Oliver sighed. The night was not going the way he’d expected it to. He prided himself on being in control and he wasn’t about to let the Luthors undermine him. He had come to Metropolis to keep Chloe safe and he couldn’t do that if he let his own issues cloud his judgment.
“I’m sorry,” he said. He smiled sheepishly. “It seems like I’ve been saying that a lot tonight.”
“Ollie,” Chloe started.
He shook his head and reached for her discarded champagne glass. “Here, props are important.” Oliver put his hand on her waist and turned her around to face the crowd again. “I appreciate the concern, Chloe, but I’m going to be fine. Let’s find you a story,” he said.
Chloe wanted to protest, but something told her it wouldn’t do her any good. She could see that Oliver had slipped his easygoing playboy mask back on and she doubted there was anything she could say to change his mind. She knew he was doing this for her and the least she could do was go along with what he wanted.
“I saw the mayor and the district attorney,” she said as her green eyes scanned the crowd for familiar faces. “I think I recognized a few of the city councilmen too and I’m pretty sure that’s the chief of police flirting with a woman young enough to be his daughter.” Chloe wrinkled her nose in disgust.
Oliver laughed and leaned into her so his mouth was a breath away from her ear. “The guy with the bad toupee at two o’clock?” he said. “That’s one of the superior court judges that the Luthors keep in their back pocket. David Vincent,” he whispered.
“Really?” His close proximity had Chloe’s heart suddenly beating much too fast and it was taking a lot of effort for her to actually concentrate on what Oliver was saying.
“Yeah, Luthor Corp. donates the maximum amount to his campaign fund every year, but that’s nothing compared to what they’re giving him on the side,” Oliver said. He hoped Chloe wouldn’t ask how he’d gotten his information because he couldn’t exactly tell her about the trace Victor had set up on Lionel and Lex’s personal funds.
“I suppose it doesn’t hurt to have a judge in your pocket when you’re in the business of being corrupt,” Chloe commented snidely.
“Speak of the devil,” Oliver whispered. He straightened to his full height and wrapped his arm protectively around Chloe’s waist as he watched Lex Luthor and his fiancée making their way toward them. “Lex, it’s been far too long,” he drawled.
“Or not long enough,” Lex replied coolly. “I must admit I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” His eyes briefly passed over Chloe before returning to Oliver. “Interesting company you keep,” he said.
“I like to think so,” Oliver replied. He set his champagne glass down and turned his billion dollar smile on the woman standing beside Lex. “It’s too bad your fiancée has no manners. I’m Oliver Queen and this is Chloe Sullivan.”
“Lana Lang,” she said without returning his smile. “Chloe and I went to high school together. How are you, Chloe?”
“Excellent,” Chloe replied, knowing perfectly well the woman couldn’t care less how she was doing. Taking a cue from Oliver, Chloe smiled at Lana like she didn’t have a care in the world. “The party is lovely,” she said politely.
“Thank you,” Lex replied. “But I must say the only thing more surprising than Oliver being here is you being here with him. It seems like an odd match considering the models and debutantes he’s usually photographed with,” he added snidely.
Lana snickered into her champagne glass and Chloe struggled with the urge to punch the woman in the face. She had never liked her, but she’d felt sorry for her once she’d heard that Lana was dating Lex. Chloe assumed she had no idea what kind of man he really was, but maybe she did know and just didn’t care. She opened her mouth to let both of them know where they could stick it, but Oliver’s fingers tightened around her hip and she stopped herself.
“Lex, you of all people should know better than to believe everything you read in the papers,” Oliver said. His carefree smile was still in place, but his eyes were lethal when they met Lex’s. “I prefer a woman who is beautiful and smart and who does more than just stand beside me and laugh at my jokes while she’s counting my money. Ms. Lang,” he added before he led Chloe away.
Chloe bit her lip to keep from laughing as Lex glared at them. “Nice touch,” she said quietly.
Oliver grinned. “I try.” He plucked the champagne glass from her hand and dropped it on an empty table before he pulled her onto the dance floor. Surprised, Chloe followed his lead, slipping her hand in his and wrapping her other arm around his neck while his hand moved to her lower back.
Even with her heels, she had to tilt her head back to see his face. “Thank you for that,” Chloe said earnestly. Aside from Lois and Clark, she wasn’t really used to having people rush to her defense.
“No need to thank me,” Oliver replied. He squeezed her hand. “I meant every word,” he said.
The way he was looking at her had her heart doing somersaults. She could feel the warmth of his hand on her lower back through the silky material of her dress and Chloe didn’t resist when he gently tugged her body closer to his. She smiled softly and rested her head against his strong chest as they swayed together to the music.
***
It was almost one by the time Oliver brought Chloe back to her apartment. Ever the gentleman, he insisted on walking her inside to her door. Chloe felt like her whole body was still buzzing from the dances they had shared, and she didn’t protest when he took her hand as they walked up the stairs to her third floor apartment.
“This is me,” she said, nodding toward the door, but she made no move to get her keys out of her purse. Chloe wasn’t ready to say good night to him just yet.
Oliver wasn’t in any hurry to leave either. He leaned against the wall and smiled down at her. “Did you find what you were looking for?” he asked.
Chloe was drawn into his brown eyes and she found herself wondering if there was a hidden meaning in his question. She bit the corner of her lip as she considered it. “I don’t know,” she replied honestly. “I might have to do more research.”
“You’ll have to let me know what you find,” Oliver said, his eyes never leaving hers.
She swallowed hard to moisten her dry throat and her eyes fell to his lips. She wondered if they would feel as soft as they looked. “I will,” she said quietly. Chloe’s eyes met his again. “Thanks for everything, Ollie. I appreciate you being my date tonight.” As soon as the word was out of her mouth, Chloe felt her cheeks redden. She quickly dug out her keys and unlocked the door.
Oliver put his hand on her shoulder and turned her back around to face him, his dark eyes boring into hers. “You’re welcome, Chloe,” he said, his voice low. “Of course, if this were an actual date, this would be the part where I kiss you good-night.”
Her heart was pounding so hard, Chloe was convinced it was going to jump right out of her chest. She tried to find her voice, but all she could do was stare into his eyes and wait to see what he was going to do.
Oliver leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. His lips were dangerously close to the corner of her mouth and Chloe knew all she had to do was turn her head a fraction of an inch and his mouth would be on hers.
He straightened to his full height and flashed his charming smile, effectively rendering what was left of her brain useless.”Good-night, Chloe,” Oliver said. He turned and walked back toward the stairs before Chloe remembered she was supposed to be breathing.
Six.