All I Want for Christmas or Chloe Wants a Christmas Bonus 1/1
Title: All I Want for Christmas or Chloe Wants a Christmas Bonus 1/1
Summary:“If I didn’t know any better Mr. Queen, I would think you were flirting with me.” He paused for a beat then grinned slowly, and Chloe had the common since to be wary. “You could be right.”
Rating: R
Notes: This is in response the the Christmas challenge on chlollie.
“I didn’t get a gift.”
At the familiar voice Oliver looked up from the glass case with a smirk. “So the thousands of dollars that I sunk into providing you with the most up to date technology doesn’t count as a gift?”
“Absolutely not. That is all for the greater good.”
He turned then to the petite blonde behind him, hand on her hip and eyebrow cocked in amusement. “I find it hard to believe you find no pleasure in them in the least.”
“Regardless, every employee likes to feel appreciated.” He laughed rather loudly in response and turned back to the glass case. “That wasn’t a joke.”
“I like how you call yourself the employee.” She came to his side and leaned against the glass case to see what he was peering into.
“Well you pay the bills,” Chloe argued as she tried to discern what it was in the case of watches he was looking at.
“That may be so, but you’re the one that bosses me around. Where’s my gift?”
“You didn’t give me a bonus, no money to buy a gift.”
“Right.” Oliver pursed his lips together and tapped on the glass thoughtfully. The elderly gentleman that had attended to him earlier stepped back into his line of visions.
“Have you made a decision Mr. Queen?”
“Yeah. That one.” He pointed to the one of the watches. “I’ll take it.”
“Excellent choice.”
Chloe watched the exchange with interest. “A gift?”
“Kind of.” Oliver turned to face her and leaned against the glass case. “What are you doing in here?”
“I saw you when I was passing by out front. Trust me, I couldn’t afford to shop in here. I was on my way to buy Lois a gift.”
Oliver pulled his wallet from his back pocket and slid out a credit card, laying it onto the glass. “Isn’t she out of town?”
“Yeah, her and Clark are doing the first Christmas, visit the parents thing. Seeing his mom on Christmas eve and her dad on Christmas day.” Chloe shrugged and watched the man behind the case release the clasp of the watch and slide it off of its sleeve. She couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows as she glanced at the piece of jewelry. She didn’t know much about watches, let alone jewelry, but considering what store he was in she had no doubt it was expensive.
“So why are you buying it now?” He nodded at the man and turned back to Chloe expectantly. She shrugged.
“Nothing else to do.” She cringed inwardly as he raised his eyebrows in question. “Well all you’re doing is shopping,” she countered, a little more harshly than she intended.
Before he had time to respond he turned back to the man. “I’ll take it now.”
Chloe watched Oliver push up the sleeve of his jackets and unclasp the watch on his wrist and then drop it into his pocket. He took the new watch and slid it over his hand, clasping it easily, and holding it out.
“Perfect.” Oliver nodded to the gentleman and took the box.
“I thought it was a gift?” Chloe questioned with amusement.
“It is,” he grinned. “For myself.” She didn’t respond, but he could tell she was fighting against laughing at him. “Who else is going to buy me expensive jewelry?”
“I could.” Chloe shrugged. “I know all your credit card and bank account numbers.”
“Of course.” He said and met her smile with his own.
She felt her insides clench at the sight of the charming grin she had become so used to. It had always been so prominent on his face when they first met. But time had worn it down, until there was nothing left but an empty smile and a man on the brink of death. With his return though, it had slowly reappeared. She waited in silence as he signed the receipt and handed it back.
“Find your gift for Lois?” She held up a small shopping bag in response. “And now what?”
“Going home.”
Oliver pushed the door open for her and stepped out after her. He pulled his coat tighter around his body, wincing as the cold wind bit at his face and hands. “That’s it? It’s Christmas Eve.”
Chloe shrugged. “That’s it. Might actually be nice for a change, for that to be it.” She took her gloves out of her coat pockets and began yanking them on. “I mean with no one trying to play super hero for the next couple of days it’s like a vacation.” She pulled her knit cap out and pulled it on over her head, covering her ears. “Have fun with your watch Oliver. I hope the two of you have a Merry Christmas. Maybe you should buy yourself some gloves.”
She grinned cheekily at him and dug her hands into her coat pockets before turning around and walking away. He frowned at her retreating figure, not sure what to make of the thought of her going home on her own. It bothered him though, that much was sure, even if he didn’t know why. “Chloe!” She stopped in the crowd of people walking down the side of the street and turned around. Closing the distance between them he stopped in front of her. “Did you eat?”
___________
“I didn’t dress for dinner.” Chloe lifted her hands at the waiter lay the napkin on her lap. “Especially not for here.”
His eyes flickered to the green fitted sweater she wore and brown pants. “You look fine.” She smiled gratefully at him.
“So is this my Christmas present?” She asked teasingly and picked up her glass of water.
“Oh no, you’re paying for yourself.” He responded matter of factly, but she only smirked in return.
She was stopped from responding when the waiter walked up to take their drink orders. Oliver ordered a bottle of wine, then turned his attention back to her.
“So why didn’t you go with Lois and Clark. I mean you’re Lois’ family and you're practically Clark’s.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s their first Christmas together, and Lois offered, but I really didn’t want to have to sit through all their mushy stuff and have to gag at dinner.”
“And your dad?”
She raised her eyebrows in response, because they never really brought up family. They both knew the nitty gritty details of each other’s lives, but that didn’t mean they brought them up. They were friends, who didn’t really act like friends. They knew more information about each other then most married couples knew, and that she could attest to. “New girlfriend.” He waited for a moment. “She’s got two kids, under the age of ten.”
“Oh.” Oliver leaned back as the waiter stepped up to the table holding out a bottle of wine for him to inspect. He nodded quickly and turned his attention back to Chloe. “So no to the kids.”
Chloe shrugged. “I’ll go visit with him after Christmas.” They sat in silence as the waiter opened the bottle and poured a small amount into Oliver’s glass. He took a small sip of it and nodded in approval before the waiter filled his glass and hers. Chloe nodded her thanks and turned back to Oliver. “And I’m assuming you had nothing better to do since you were out buying yourself an expensive watch and eating dinner with me?”
“You're right.” Oliver took a generous sip of his wine and settled it back on the table. “I have some extended family that I usually visit with on Christmas day. But at this point that’s up in the air.”
She felt a moment of pity for him, because he really didn’t have anyone. She at least had some options for her Christmas holiday, but Oliver, with all the money, and the people he knew, he really didn’t have anyone he could spend it with. “So instead you had to settle for me.”
There was nothing serious in her words, and she smiled as she said it. “Trust me Chloe, having dinner with you is far from settling.”
She fought against the grin that threatened her lips, and prayed that a blush didn’t cover her cheeks in response to his flirtatious smile. Perhaps he was not intentionally flirting with her. After all, Oliver usually seemed to ooze with charm, but that didn’t mean she still hadn’t been flattered.
_________________
“Will you put that thing away?” Oliver reprimanded her for the third time that night. She up at him apologetically and slipped her phone back in her purse.
“Sorry. Everything is synced to my phone, I-.” He raised an eyebrow as he sipped his wine. “Never mind.” Settling back in her chair she grabbed her own glass. “It isn’t like you don’t have like three phones.”
“I do, but I only have one on me and the ringer is off.” She frowned in response. “Cheer up, you just got free dinner.”
“I thought I was paying my own way.” She said with a teasing smile and took a generous sip. The wine a flowed a little more freely then she would have like. They were already on their second bottle and halfway through that. On the bright side, dinner was already cleared so there would be no future bottles of wine in her future.
“Don’t insult me.” Oliver leaned forward for the bottle and topped both of their glasses off, emptying the entire bottle in the process.
“I wouldn’t dare.” She meant to smile at him, but to observers it was more flirtatious than anything. The waiter stepped to the table again, drawing her attention away from the teasing smile on Oliver’s face.
“Will there be any dessert Mr. Queen?”
“I wish, but no.” Chloe said. Dinner was more then enough and she ate much more than she should have.
“Oh come on.” Oliver took the dessert menu from the waiter and held it out to her. She shook her head and waved it away. “Get it to go. Come on Chloe, you know you want to.”
“I’m not getting it to go.”
“Yes, you are. Pick something or I am.”
She groaned and snatched the menu from you. “You are so childish.”
“So, I’ve been told.” He watched her scan her eyes over the menu, then open them wide.
“Oh. I want the Espresso Chocolate Truffle Cake.” She handed the menu back to the waiter with a smile.
“To go,” Oliver added.
“Are you trying to fatten me up?”
“You’re too thin anyway. I like my women with a little meat on their bones.” She opened her mouth slightly in shock. “Oh don’t look so affronted, I’m sure you’ve heard worse.”
“I’m not sure if I should be offended or not.” He leaned forward, propping his arms on the table, and looked her straight in the eyes. She felt her breath catch for a moment at the intensity of his gaze.
“Trust me Chloe,” he said softly. “You have nothing to be offended about.”
It took her just a second to regain her composure before she smirked in response. “If I didn’t know any better Mr. Queen, I would think you were flirting with me.” He paused for a beat then grinned slowly, and Chloe had the common since to be wary.
“You could be right.”
Sober Chloe would have backed off, deciding enough damage had been done for the night. They needed to stop while they were ahead before they woke in the morning wondering what the hell they were thinking. The problem was she wasn’t sober. By the time she finished the glass of wine in front of her she probably will have succeeded in drinking a whole bottle on her own. Normally she didn’t drink so much, in fact she never had the opportunity. But she’d enjoyed herself, it would have been hard for anyone not to. Oliver had faults by the handful, but she tended to forget he was still a man, a rather attractive and charming one at that. And that man was sitting across from her buying her an expensive dinner and flirting with her mercilessly. She found it hard not to enjoy herself and drink a bit, which was exactly why she didn’t hold her tongue. “Really? That could be hazardous to our working relationship don’t you think?”
There was a mischievous glint in her eye that made it impossible for him not to respond. “I like to think it makes it more exciting.”
“Exciting?” Chloe cocked an eyebrow and took a sip of her wine, determined to finish it before they left. She had a feeling she was going to need it. “I would think saving the world was exciting enough for you.”
“Not at all. It isn’t exciting if you leave out all the pining and angst.” She laughed softly at him and rested her chin in her hand, smiling at him warmly.
“Pining and angst Oliver? Sounds like a smutty romance novel.”
“Well I’m sure the smutty part is fun too.” She opened her mouth in shock, but the waiter walked back just then, handing him a box and the check.
He met her eyes as he opened his wallet and winked. She rolled her eyes at him and sat back. He pulled out a few hundreds and handed them to the waiter, indicating he didn’t need any change. For a moment she felt guilty, because the restaurant he had chosen she knew was expensive, and she could only imagine what the price of the bottles were he had purchased. She was quite sure the bill was probably over a couple of hundred.
“Ready?” She nodded, grabbing her purse and standing up. He followed her to the exit where they collected their coats. After suiting up for the cold he held open the door for her and she braced herself for the chill.
“I guess we better catch a cab,” he said reluctantly. Although he would rather drive his car, he was pretty sure it probably wasn’t a good idea.
“How are we going to do that?” Chloe asked. “It’s Christmas Eve, we’re not going to be able to get one”
“Sure we will. Look at me.” She rolled her eyes in response, but walked with him when he pressed his hand into her lower back.
Unfortunately, he had been right. Oliver had managed to hail them a cab in only minutes. They slid into the cab and when she huddled next to him he didn’t complain.
Oliver glanced over at her rubbing her hands together. “Where are your gloves?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking.” He shook his head then took her hands in his larger ones. She didn’t say anything, just stared at their hands as he rubbed hers gently, warming them.
When he finally felt warmth radiating form her skin he glanced over at her and paused. She wasn’t looking at him, but instead seemed to be focusing on their joined hands. “Better?”
At the sound of his voice she turned to face him, peering up into his brown eyes. They were silent for a moment, neither one turning away. All the earlier mirth was gone from his face and instead replaced by something more intense. No matter how she tried she couldn’t tell what it was about the look on his face that made her heart thump harder and her chest seem heavy with some invisible weight. “Yeah, thanks.”
She smiled softly up at him, warming him more then he thought was possible. He moved to release her hand, then found instead of pulling them both away he let one remain, lacing his fingers through her own. It shouldn’t have made him his stomach turn with nervousness. He wasn’t fifteen after all. He was holding the hand of a girl that he’d known for a very long time. It should have felt like he was crossing some invisible line that wasn’t meant to even be touched, but it didn’t feel wrong. In fact it felt good. And when she settled against him, resting her head against his shoulder, he found he didn’t even care.
Chloe sighed softly and closed her eyes. His body was warm and firm against her, and even they they were both covered in clothing from head to toe, she had to admit the feeling of his hand pressed against hers felt wonderful. “So would this be considered the pining, angsty, or smutty part?”
“Well I think we both know this is a far cry from smutty.” He smiled to himself. He felt her chuckle against him and couldn’t help but look down into her face. Her eyes were closed, blonde lashes brushing against her pale cheeks, and the corner of her lips turned up in a soft smile. His body tensed somewhat with the realization that he wanted to lower his head and kiss those lips. “Probably the pining part.”
His voice was low as he spoke and she could tell without even seeing his face that he wasn’t joking. She kept her eyes closed, too scared to look into his face. Instead she settled for squeezing his hand gently.
They pulled up to her building not much later and he released her hand reluctantly. Oliver knew what would happen. He’d see her in a few days after they’d had time to convince themselves that it had been nothing, that they were better off, and it would be forgotten.
Chloe smiled as she took her box from him. “Thanks for dinner.”
“Well there was no point in both of us sitting home alone.” She nodded in agreement, and he almost believed that her smiled seemed to fall just a little.
An idea occurred to her and she bit her lip hesitantly before plunging in. “Do you want to come up?” She held up the box and smiled. “I have cake.”
“You're going to share your cake?”
Chloe opened the door and slid out. “Depends on how convincing you can be.”
“Oh, I can be convincing.”
She couldn’t help but smile like a foolish schoolgirl at his suggestive tone. He tossed the cabby a few bills and then slid out after her.
Summary:“If I didn’t know any better Mr. Queen, I would think you were flirting with me.” He paused for a beat then grinned slowly, and Chloe had the common since to be wary. “You could be right.”
Rating: R
Notes: This is in response the the Christmas challenge on chlollie.
“I didn’t get a gift.”
At the familiar voice Oliver looked up from the glass case with a smirk. “So the thousands of dollars that I sunk into providing you with the most up to date technology doesn’t count as a gift?”
“Absolutely not. That is all for the greater good.”
He turned then to the petite blonde behind him, hand on her hip and eyebrow cocked in amusement. “I find it hard to believe you find no pleasure in them in the least.”
“Regardless, every employee likes to feel appreciated.” He laughed rather loudly in response and turned back to the glass case. “That wasn’t a joke.”
“I like how you call yourself the employee.” She came to his side and leaned against the glass case to see what he was peering into.
“Well you pay the bills,” Chloe argued as she tried to discern what it was in the case of watches he was looking at.
“That may be so, but you’re the one that bosses me around. Where’s my gift?”
“You didn’t give me a bonus, no money to buy a gift.”
“Right.” Oliver pursed his lips together and tapped on the glass thoughtfully. The elderly gentleman that had attended to him earlier stepped back into his line of visions.
“Have you made a decision Mr. Queen?”
“Yeah. That one.” He pointed to the one of the watches. “I’ll take it.”
“Excellent choice.”
Chloe watched the exchange with interest. “A gift?”
“Kind of.” Oliver turned to face her and leaned against the glass case. “What are you doing in here?”
“I saw you when I was passing by out front. Trust me, I couldn’t afford to shop in here. I was on my way to buy Lois a gift.”
Oliver pulled his wallet from his back pocket and slid out a credit card, laying it onto the glass. “Isn’t she out of town?”
“Yeah, her and Clark are doing the first Christmas, visit the parents thing. Seeing his mom on Christmas eve and her dad on Christmas day.” Chloe shrugged and watched the man behind the case release the clasp of the watch and slide it off of its sleeve. She couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows as she glanced at the piece of jewelry. She didn’t know much about watches, let alone jewelry, but considering what store he was in she had no doubt it was expensive.
“So why are you buying it now?” He nodded at the man and turned back to Chloe expectantly. She shrugged.
“Nothing else to do.” She cringed inwardly as he raised his eyebrows in question. “Well all you’re doing is shopping,” she countered, a little more harshly than she intended.
Before he had time to respond he turned back to the man. “I’ll take it now.”
Chloe watched Oliver push up the sleeve of his jackets and unclasp the watch on his wrist and then drop it into his pocket. He took the new watch and slid it over his hand, clasping it easily, and holding it out.
“Perfect.” Oliver nodded to the gentleman and took the box.
“I thought it was a gift?” Chloe questioned with amusement.
“It is,” he grinned. “For myself.” She didn’t respond, but he could tell she was fighting against laughing at him. “Who else is going to buy me expensive jewelry?”
“I could.” Chloe shrugged. “I know all your credit card and bank account numbers.”
“Of course.” He said and met her smile with his own.
She felt her insides clench at the sight of the charming grin she had become so used to. It had always been so prominent on his face when they first met. But time had worn it down, until there was nothing left but an empty smile and a man on the brink of death. With his return though, it had slowly reappeared. She waited in silence as he signed the receipt and handed it back.
“Find your gift for Lois?” She held up a small shopping bag in response. “And now what?”
“Going home.”
Oliver pushed the door open for her and stepped out after her. He pulled his coat tighter around his body, wincing as the cold wind bit at his face and hands. “That’s it? It’s Christmas Eve.”
Chloe shrugged. “That’s it. Might actually be nice for a change, for that to be it.” She took her gloves out of her coat pockets and began yanking them on. “I mean with no one trying to play super hero for the next couple of days it’s like a vacation.” She pulled her knit cap out and pulled it on over her head, covering her ears. “Have fun with your watch Oliver. I hope the two of you have a Merry Christmas. Maybe you should buy yourself some gloves.”
She grinned cheekily at him and dug her hands into her coat pockets before turning around and walking away. He frowned at her retreating figure, not sure what to make of the thought of her going home on her own. It bothered him though, that much was sure, even if he didn’t know why. “Chloe!” She stopped in the crowd of people walking down the side of the street and turned around. Closing the distance between them he stopped in front of her. “Did you eat?”
___________
“I didn’t dress for dinner.” Chloe lifted her hands at the waiter lay the napkin on her lap. “Especially not for here.”
His eyes flickered to the green fitted sweater she wore and brown pants. “You look fine.” She smiled gratefully at him.
“So is this my Christmas present?” She asked teasingly and picked up her glass of water.
“Oh no, you’re paying for yourself.” He responded matter of factly, but she only smirked in return.
She was stopped from responding when the waiter walked up to take their drink orders. Oliver ordered a bottle of wine, then turned his attention back to her.
“So why didn’t you go with Lois and Clark. I mean you’re Lois’ family and you're practically Clark’s.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s their first Christmas together, and Lois offered, but I really didn’t want to have to sit through all their mushy stuff and have to gag at dinner.”
“And your dad?”
She raised her eyebrows in response, because they never really brought up family. They both knew the nitty gritty details of each other’s lives, but that didn’t mean they brought them up. They were friends, who didn’t really act like friends. They knew more information about each other then most married couples knew, and that she could attest to. “New girlfriend.” He waited for a moment. “She’s got two kids, under the age of ten.”
“Oh.” Oliver leaned back as the waiter stepped up to the table holding out a bottle of wine for him to inspect. He nodded quickly and turned his attention back to Chloe. “So no to the kids.”
Chloe shrugged. “I’ll go visit with him after Christmas.” They sat in silence as the waiter opened the bottle and poured a small amount into Oliver’s glass. He took a small sip of it and nodded in approval before the waiter filled his glass and hers. Chloe nodded her thanks and turned back to Oliver. “And I’m assuming you had nothing better to do since you were out buying yourself an expensive watch and eating dinner with me?”
“You're right.” Oliver took a generous sip of his wine and settled it back on the table. “I have some extended family that I usually visit with on Christmas day. But at this point that’s up in the air.”
She felt a moment of pity for him, because he really didn’t have anyone. She at least had some options for her Christmas holiday, but Oliver, with all the money, and the people he knew, he really didn’t have anyone he could spend it with. “So instead you had to settle for me.”
There was nothing serious in her words, and she smiled as she said it. “Trust me Chloe, having dinner with you is far from settling.”
She fought against the grin that threatened her lips, and prayed that a blush didn’t cover her cheeks in response to his flirtatious smile. Perhaps he was not intentionally flirting with her. After all, Oliver usually seemed to ooze with charm, but that didn’t mean she still hadn’t been flattered.
_________________
“Will you put that thing away?” Oliver reprimanded her for the third time that night. She up at him apologetically and slipped her phone back in her purse.
“Sorry. Everything is synced to my phone, I-.” He raised an eyebrow as he sipped his wine. “Never mind.” Settling back in her chair she grabbed her own glass. “It isn’t like you don’t have like three phones.”
“I do, but I only have one on me and the ringer is off.” She frowned in response. “Cheer up, you just got free dinner.”
“I thought I was paying my own way.” She said with a teasing smile and took a generous sip. The wine a flowed a little more freely then she would have like. They were already on their second bottle and halfway through that. On the bright side, dinner was already cleared so there would be no future bottles of wine in her future.
“Don’t insult me.” Oliver leaned forward for the bottle and topped both of their glasses off, emptying the entire bottle in the process.
“I wouldn’t dare.” She meant to smile at him, but to observers it was more flirtatious than anything. The waiter stepped to the table again, drawing her attention away from the teasing smile on Oliver’s face.
“Will there be any dessert Mr. Queen?”
“I wish, but no.” Chloe said. Dinner was more then enough and she ate much more than she should have.
“Oh come on.” Oliver took the dessert menu from the waiter and held it out to her. She shook her head and waved it away. “Get it to go. Come on Chloe, you know you want to.”
“I’m not getting it to go.”
“Yes, you are. Pick something or I am.”
She groaned and snatched the menu from you. “You are so childish.”
“So, I’ve been told.” He watched her scan her eyes over the menu, then open them wide.
“Oh. I want the Espresso Chocolate Truffle Cake.” She handed the menu back to the waiter with a smile.
“To go,” Oliver added.
“Are you trying to fatten me up?”
“You’re too thin anyway. I like my women with a little meat on their bones.” She opened her mouth slightly in shock. “Oh don’t look so affronted, I’m sure you’ve heard worse.”
“I’m not sure if I should be offended or not.” He leaned forward, propping his arms on the table, and looked her straight in the eyes. She felt her breath catch for a moment at the intensity of his gaze.
“Trust me Chloe,” he said softly. “You have nothing to be offended about.”
It took her just a second to regain her composure before she smirked in response. “If I didn’t know any better Mr. Queen, I would think you were flirting with me.” He paused for a beat then grinned slowly, and Chloe had the common since to be wary.
“You could be right.”
Sober Chloe would have backed off, deciding enough damage had been done for the night. They needed to stop while they were ahead before they woke in the morning wondering what the hell they were thinking. The problem was she wasn’t sober. By the time she finished the glass of wine in front of her she probably will have succeeded in drinking a whole bottle on her own. Normally she didn’t drink so much, in fact she never had the opportunity. But she’d enjoyed herself, it would have been hard for anyone not to. Oliver had faults by the handful, but she tended to forget he was still a man, a rather attractive and charming one at that. And that man was sitting across from her buying her an expensive dinner and flirting with her mercilessly. She found it hard not to enjoy herself and drink a bit, which was exactly why she didn’t hold her tongue. “Really? That could be hazardous to our working relationship don’t you think?”
There was a mischievous glint in her eye that made it impossible for him not to respond. “I like to think it makes it more exciting.”
“Exciting?” Chloe cocked an eyebrow and took a sip of her wine, determined to finish it before they left. She had a feeling she was going to need it. “I would think saving the world was exciting enough for you.”
“Not at all. It isn’t exciting if you leave out all the pining and angst.” She laughed softly at him and rested her chin in her hand, smiling at him warmly.
“Pining and angst Oliver? Sounds like a smutty romance novel.”
“Well I’m sure the smutty part is fun too.” She opened her mouth in shock, but the waiter walked back just then, handing him a box and the check.
He met her eyes as he opened his wallet and winked. She rolled her eyes at him and sat back. He pulled out a few hundreds and handed them to the waiter, indicating he didn’t need any change. For a moment she felt guilty, because the restaurant he had chosen she knew was expensive, and she could only imagine what the price of the bottles were he had purchased. She was quite sure the bill was probably over a couple of hundred.
“Ready?” She nodded, grabbing her purse and standing up. He followed her to the exit where they collected their coats. After suiting up for the cold he held open the door for her and she braced herself for the chill.
“I guess we better catch a cab,” he said reluctantly. Although he would rather drive his car, he was pretty sure it probably wasn’t a good idea.
“How are we going to do that?” Chloe asked. “It’s Christmas Eve, we’re not going to be able to get one”
“Sure we will. Look at me.” She rolled her eyes in response, but walked with him when he pressed his hand into her lower back.
Unfortunately, he had been right. Oliver had managed to hail them a cab in only minutes. They slid into the cab and when she huddled next to him he didn’t complain.
Oliver glanced over at her rubbing her hands together. “Where are your gloves?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking.” He shook his head then took her hands in his larger ones. She didn’t say anything, just stared at their hands as he rubbed hers gently, warming them.
When he finally felt warmth radiating form her skin he glanced over at her and paused. She wasn’t looking at him, but instead seemed to be focusing on their joined hands. “Better?”
At the sound of his voice she turned to face him, peering up into his brown eyes. They were silent for a moment, neither one turning away. All the earlier mirth was gone from his face and instead replaced by something more intense. No matter how she tried she couldn’t tell what it was about the look on his face that made her heart thump harder and her chest seem heavy with some invisible weight. “Yeah, thanks.”
She smiled softly up at him, warming him more then he thought was possible. He moved to release her hand, then found instead of pulling them both away he let one remain, lacing his fingers through her own. It shouldn’t have made him his stomach turn with nervousness. He wasn’t fifteen after all. He was holding the hand of a girl that he’d known for a very long time. It should have felt like he was crossing some invisible line that wasn’t meant to even be touched, but it didn’t feel wrong. In fact it felt good. And when she settled against him, resting her head against his shoulder, he found he didn’t even care.
Chloe sighed softly and closed her eyes. His body was warm and firm against her, and even they they were both covered in clothing from head to toe, she had to admit the feeling of his hand pressed against hers felt wonderful. “So would this be considered the pining, angsty, or smutty part?”
“Well I think we both know this is a far cry from smutty.” He smiled to himself. He felt her chuckle against him and couldn’t help but look down into her face. Her eyes were closed, blonde lashes brushing against her pale cheeks, and the corner of her lips turned up in a soft smile. His body tensed somewhat with the realization that he wanted to lower his head and kiss those lips. “Probably the pining part.”
His voice was low as he spoke and she could tell without even seeing his face that he wasn’t joking. She kept her eyes closed, too scared to look into his face. Instead she settled for squeezing his hand gently.
They pulled up to her building not much later and he released her hand reluctantly. Oliver knew what would happen. He’d see her in a few days after they’d had time to convince themselves that it had been nothing, that they were better off, and it would be forgotten.
Chloe smiled as she took her box from him. “Thanks for dinner.”
“Well there was no point in both of us sitting home alone.” She nodded in agreement, and he almost believed that her smiled seemed to fall just a little.
An idea occurred to her and she bit her lip hesitantly before plunging in. “Do you want to come up?” She held up the box and smiled. “I have cake.”
“You're going to share your cake?”
Chloe opened the door and slid out. “Depends on how convincing you can be.”
“Oh, I can be convincing.”
She couldn’t help but smile like a foolish schoolgirl at his suggestive tone. He tossed the cabby a few bills and then slid out after her.