The Fall 12/?
Title: The Fall 12/?
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: NC17
Summary: Sometimes even a hero needs to be saved.
Notes: Sorry this chapter took so long. I think I needed a bit of a break after writing so much. Everyone should enjoy this. It's all Chlollie. Come the next chapter it will be time to get back to business.
“So are you going to tell me what happened?” Chloe stabbed a piece of her scrambled egg and shoved in her mouth. “To your face. Bart mentioned something about Tess.”
“Yea, well…” Oliver buttered her toast and passed it over the counter. “Tess didn’t like me threatening her life. Especially when she realized I was serious.” He noticed the way Chloe raised her eyebrows. “And don’t look at me like that. She found me.”
“Didn’t you used to like her?” Chloe took a bite of her toast and stopped with the bread in her mouth when he glared. “Sorry.” He sighed, grabbed the plate he had made for himself, and walked around the bar to take a seat next to her. She didn’t know the extent of Oliver and Tess’ relationship, but from what Lois and Clark told her she knew enough.
“Chloe…” He started, still not sure how to broach the subject of them together. “I don’t know what her deal is right now. I don’t know if she knows about Lex or if she just doesn’t want us in her business. But she tried to hurt you once. And if she finds out about…this,” Oliver waved a hand between the two of them, “I don’t think it would be good. I think you should lay off of her for right now.”
“Oliver.” Chloe put her fork down and looked at him evenly. “She almost put you in the hospital. And on top of it there is a pretty good chance Lex is out there and trying to kill you. Information she has might help us get to him. We can’t just lay off.”
“Chloe, are you listening to me. She will kill you.” She turned from him, facing the counter. “No, look at me.” Grabbing her arm he spun her on the stool. “Look at me. When she tells me she’ll kill you I take it pretty seriously. And everything I told you last week, that was the truth. I’m not going to let you get yourself killed.”
There was no way around any of it. Everywhere they turned someone was looking to kill them and even being with one another made it even more dangerous. “So what? We do nothing. Just keep living like this?”
“No. I’m just saying lighten up on her. We’ll do it some other way.” She frowned, obviously displeased. “Chloe, last time I checked you’ve been kidnapped, strangled, and shot at in less than a month. Would you just listen to me?”
“Well you were kidnapped and got the crap kicked out of you.” She said petulantly and stabbed a piece of egg. She heard him sigh and she couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. A week ago he would have lost his temper with her, now he seemed to be on his best behavior, letting her take her own aggravation out on him. When she finally turned to him again he wasn’t angry, if anything he looked a little lost. “Okay, I’ll figure something else out. She isn’t our only resource anyway. There are other things to look into”
“Thank you.” She smiled brightly at him and he almost breathed a sigh of relief when he realized she’d given in and they’d avoided an argument. She was hard headed and so was he, it was hard not to argue with her, but for the life of him he really wanted to try.
They ate in silence for a few moments before Chloe turned to him. “I should really get going. I’m in my pajamas still and its ten thirty and I’m sure you’re ready to get rid of me.” The thing was she didn’t want to leave.
“Why?”
Chloe looked at him in confusion. “Why what?”
“Why do you need to leave?” She still looked confused and he wasn’t quite sure if it was because of his question or because she didn’t know.
“I don’t know. It’s just getting later and I figured you would-.” He cocked an eyebrow and almost seemed to be amused. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Do you want to leave?” She seemed slightly taken aback at first, opening her mouth and closing it in confusion.
Chloe watched him stand and step in front of her. “No, I just, I don’t know, I just figured…” He stepped closer, nudging her legs apart. “I thought that…” His palm rested against her cheek and slid to the back of her head. She could feel the roots of her hair pull gently, making her gasp.
“You thought what?” Oliver whispered huskily, lowering his mouth until it was only a breath away.
“Nothing.” He covered her lips with his, kissing her almost as hard as he had that night in her apartment. As his hands slid under her thighs guiding them around his hips she wrapped her arms around his neck just in time as he lifted her off the chair. Chloe tightened her legs around his waist and when he started moving them back to the bedroom she pulled away breathlessly. “I didn’t finish my breakfast.”
“It’s almost lunch time anyway.” Oliver pushed the bedroom door open and deposited her gently on the bed, covering her body with his own as her back touched the bed. “You wouldn’t want to ruin your lunch would you?”
Chloe slid her arms over his shoulders and down his chest, taking some selfish pleasure in the fact that she could do so. No one could deny that Oliver looked perfect, toned and muscled everywhere. She could have spent all day running her hands over his body. “No, but they do say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” She said with a teasing grin, trying to ignore the hand that slid under her shirt and was wrapped around her ribs, perilously close to her breasts.
“And whoever they are didn’t have you in their bed.” Oliver kissed her again, this time sliding his hand higher, cupping her breast and brushing his thumb over its peak. She reacted just as he hoped he would, inhaling sharply and grabbing his neck to pull his face down to hers. This time as he settled between her legs she didn’t stop him, arching up to meet him and whimpering into his mouth. All he wanted was to sink into her, feel real pleasure for the first time in a long while. It was possible. Oliver knew before she realized what was going on he could have her undressed and she’d be begging him for it. But it was Chloe, the same girl he’d fought for over a month to ignore because it wasn’t right. And it still wasn’t necessarily right. They both had too much shit going on in their lives, but he needed her desperately. She gave him some kind of balance, and he wouldn’t dare ruin that on just his physical need. So when her hands slid lower, sliding over his stomach, and passed the elastic of his pajama pants he grabbed her hand. “Women everywhere are laughing at me right now, but we can’t.” Raised eyebrows met his cryptic statement. “I just need you to wait.”
“You need me to wait?” She fought against the urge to raise her hips against him. “You mean you need?”
No, he didn’t need to wait. Oliver was more than confident in his feelings; it was in hers that he wasn’t. “I need to make sure you’re ready.”
“Oliver, I’m not a teenager. I think I know when I’m ready.”
“Who have you been with since Jimmy?” He asked without thinking about it. He could see her slowly deflating and he cursed himself for suddenly becoming honorable for the first time in the past year. “You know what I mean.”
“Yea.” Chloe looked passed him at the ceiling, willing his body off of hers. To her relief he rolled off and landed next to her with a sigh. Again she felt guilty; because it was obvious he was trying. “Then try to explain to me again what it is you want.”
The problem was he wasn’t ready for that conversation. He wanted her, he knew that. How he was going to tell her that he wasn’t quite sure. Oliver rolled onto his side, propping his head up with his arm, and looked down at her. “I want you to stay in with me.” He slid a hand over her stomach and gripped her waist. “But I don’t want that to be it. Chloe, I…” She couldn’t understand how difficult it was for him, telling her how he felt. It hadn’t always been so difficult for him, but he couldn’t ever remember fighting feelings for someone so hard in his entire life. Oliver still felt like it was wrong.
“What?” She could see the worry on his face, and the way his eyes seemed to be searching her own. She wasn’t sure what he was looking for.
“Lex is after me.” She nodded. “Tess seems to have it out for me and you now.” She waited in silence for him continue. “If they knew…” He shook his head. “You know your life would be in danger, more so then it is now.” He dropped his eyes from her, almost worried about her response. Common sense would have told her to get out while she could, common sense would have told him to make her leave.
His thumb caressed the bare skin exposed by her shirt, reminding her that just moments before his hands had been in other places. His words said one thing, but the way he touched her, that said something else. “Then what do you want to do?”
“I don’t want anyone to know.” He looked back up at her again, hoping for some kind of reaction. He didn’t want to have to hide her away. Sure they had a confusing past together. He’d been in love with her cousin and Clark would no doubt have a fit. But it wasn’t that he was worried about, it was putting her life in danger that bothered him. His life was to public and it would be much too easy for Tess and Lex to find out about any relationship he was in.
“Know what Oliver?” Chloe rolled onto her side and propped her head up on her hand so that she was at his eye level. “I still don’t know what you want.”
His hand now rested on the dip of her waist. Absent mindedly he stroked the skin that was exposed by her shirt. “I want to be with you without having to worry about you getting hurt.”
Chloe laughed. “Is that possible?” He frowned at her joke. “I mean us not getting hurt. I mean last time I checked the odds weren’t usually in our favor.”
“How many times have you almost died this month?” The grin left her face.
“Well it’s been a busy month.” Chloe sighed. “I get it. The whole Lex and Tess thing. So let’s find Lex.”
She made it sound too easy. “If it was that easy we would have found him already.”
“So you’re saying we can’t?” She rested her hand on his forearm and slowly slid her hand up his arm, over his shoulder, and cupped the back of his neck. “I didn’t know there was anything that Oliver Queen or even the Green Arrow couldn’t do.”
“You know I’m not the Green Arrow anymore.”
“You can be.” Chloe said softly.
He could see the hopefulness in her eyes, the silent pleading. “Chloe…” He didn’t want to see it. Releasing her he rolled onto his back. He couldn’t stand the look on her face knowing he was only going to disappoint her.
“Oliver you aren’t happy like this.” His jaw was firm in resolution. Even if he wanted to be the Green Arrow again she had a feeling he would do everything in his ability not to. With a determined frown she threw a leg over his hips so that she was straddling him. “Why not?”
He couldn’t ignore her, not with her sitting on top of him. “You know why.” What he should have been doing was telling her to drop it, that his decision was made. But if he did then she’d get up and he wouldn’t be able to slide his hands up her thighs like he was doing.
“I know that it was hard for everyone and I know you doubted yourself. We both had our own ideas on how to handle the situation and wouldn’t see eye to eye.” His eyes followed his hands up her thighs and she found herself running her own over his chest. “But even though we still don’t agree half the time that doesn’t mean I don’t think you shouldn’t be out there. How many other people could do what you do?”
“Last time I checked I was pretty unremarkable. I’m not an alien and I don’t have any powers. I’m as mortal and normal as they come.” Her hands stopped their decent over his stomach and he looked up to meet her eyes. She was angry. “What? It’s the truth.”
“It isn’t. You know it was a long while before my meteor abilities came to the surface and even when they did go away I still didn’t stop. But I couldn’t do what you do Oliver. And you may be mortal but you’re hardly normal. Don’t give me excuses.”
“Is this what you’re going to do all day?” He snapped a little harsher then he had intended. She started to drag her leg across him and lift herself off his body. Without thinking he grabbed her wrists in his hands and held her hands against his chest. “I’m sorry.” She stilled, but her wrists still strained in his hands. She eyed him almost hesitantly. “I’ll beg.” She sighed and relaxed.
“I guess I shouldn’t have pushed.” His hands slid around her and she allowed him to pull her down. With a content sigh she rested her cheek on his bare chest. “But I’m not giving up on you yet.”
Chloe stretched and moaned as she began to wake. A hand slid under her shirt, trailing over her spine and over the clasp off her bra. “Don’t you ever sleep?”
“Sometimes.” Falling asleep with her had been easy, but once he’d woken and his brain started working again sleep had been impossible. “I’ve been thinking. About Tess.
Chloe rolled onto her side, noting how his hand slid over her as she did so and came to rest on her hip “I don’t know if I should be offended.”
He could see the humor on her face, but he couldn’t return it. “I don’t think she knows anything about Lex.” When Chloe raised her eyebrows he continued. “He used her. I don’t think she’d let him do that to her again.”
“So what are you thinking?” His hands slid up her side and his thumbs brushed over her ribs, just under the wire of her bra.
“I’m thinking that maybe it’s best to keep your enemies closer.”
“I’m not following.”
“Tess doesn’t have anything to gain from Lex’s return. She may not even know that he may be alive. All she knows is we’ve been watching her. If I can convince her that it would be in her benefit to work with us-.”
Now he had her full attention. Chloe pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked down at him. “You can’t be serious. This is the same woman that tried to have me killed. Don’t you remember having your ass kicked last night?”
“I know that.” He snapped and immediately regretted it as soon as he saw her tense. It was way too early in the game to already be arguing with her. “I know.” This time more gently. “Don’t you think I would be the first one to go after her if I thought she was responsible for something happening to you?” She sighed and turned away from him, still obviously angry. Oliver pushed himself up and looked down at her. “Look at me.” When she didn’t he fought down the anger and tilted his head to the side. “Look at me.” He said softly. Slowly she turned to face him again, this time the anger from earlier replaced by something else. “What?”
“Even if what you’re saying is true, and she does agree to help, you don’t know she won’t wind up stabbing you in the back when it’s all over and done with.”
“I don’t trust her. That isn’t the point. We don’t have anything on Lex right now and I don’t want to wait for him to make a move.” Because by that point it could be too late for himself or anyone that got in Lex’s way. Chloe was forefront in his mind.
“I don’t like.” But he was right. Tess would be a good resource to them. If she had it out for Lex she might be just what they needed to find him before Oliver got hurt. “It’s like making a deal with the devil.”
“It is.” He could see she was still troubled and without even thinking he reached out to touch his hand to her cheek. “But I’ve been known to make bad decisions before.”
“Oliver…”
“Later.” He slid his hand into her blond strands and pulled her head forward. The sun was starting to go down and her leaving was inevitable. The last thing he wanted to do was talk. She came willingly, opening her mouth to him and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck so that her body was flush against his own.
Chloe followed him as he lay back, sliding a leg over his body so that she was straddling his hips. The entire time his hand stayed firm against the back of her head, never leaving her room to break their kiss. “I’m going to have to go.” Chloe whispered against his lips, but found herself running her hands over his bare chest despite her statement.
“In a minute.” Oliver claimed her lips again, this time wrapping an arm securely around her waist. She didn’t fight him, instead settling her entire weight atop him. When she left everything would come back to him, reminding him how impossible his life really was. He’d do everything he could just to hold onto her for just a few more minutes.