An Origin Story: 10/23

[bluesuedeshoes]

Author:  BlueSuede
Title:  An Origin Story
Rating: R/M
Genre: Friendship/Romance
Pairings:  Chloe/Oliver
Summary:  AU in which Oliver's parents never died
Warnings: minor spoilers for most early seasons



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Prologue

Previous (Chapter 9)
Next (Chapter 11)

 

Chapter 10:

Far Away Kingdoms Part IV: Prince John and the 'Honorable' Sheriff

"Oliver," Lex smirked in greeting. "Chloe." Oliver automatically shifted his stance protectively, moving ever so slightly in front of Chloe and closer to Lex. He didn't like the way Lex was looking at Chloe. His eyes began surreptitiously scanning the room. If Lex was here, there was a good chance Lionel was as well. He needed to find out what Lionel and Oliver's father had been fighting about.

"How are you, Lex?" Oliver asked absently.

"Oh I've been fine. I saw you were here with Miss Sullivan," he said her name with utmost disdain, implying that he couldn't imagine why Oliver was giving her the time of day, "and I thought I'd ask how she's been doing since the last time I saw her."

"She's working for the Gazette now," Oliver responded, noticing with concern that Chloe wasn't speaking. It didn't appear to be a problem of having lost her tongue, however. By the look in her eyes, he suspected that Chloe was trying to find a way to fit all the insults she possibly could into one sentence, but hadn't settled on anything good enough just yet.

Lex's brow lifted in surprise. "Is she? Oh, that's right. I think I read that article of yours on terrorists. Seemed awfully sentimental to me."

Chloe immediately stiffened, knowing which one he was referring to. "It was hardly about terrorism, Lex. But then, you've never had much of a head for journalism, have you? I understand the sales of the Daily Planet have seriously decreased since you took over. I believe people have been complaining about reliability?"

Oliver's eyebrow rose as well now, not daring to wonder how Chloe knew that. Then again, he supposed it wasn't shocking that she was keeping tabs on the Daily Planet.

Lex's eyes narrowed. "You seem to have been misinformed."

"How's your father, Lex? I assume he's here tonight?" Oliver asked, steering the conversation out of dangerous waters.

"He's talking to the governor," Lex answered boredly.

"Is he?" Oliver asked, scanning the room again before finally resting his eyes on Luthor Sr.

"Yes, about the upcoming election, I believe, or something of that nature. I hardly keep track of the man."

Oliver resisted the urge to argue. He happened to know that Lionel and Lex had been engaged in a war of secrets and spying for several years now. "You know, I've been meaning to speak to him about something for a while now. I'd hate to miss the opportunity," he said, indicating their brief conversation was over and quickly guiding Chloe away. She still had her eyes pinned on Lex with more malice than he would ever have believed her capable of. It didn't suit her, the total loathing in her eyes. "You all right?" he asked.

"I hate him," was all she said.

Oliver tried to hide his surprise. "All this because he fired you?"

Chloe looked startled for a moment, but quickly regained composure, the anger draining from her expression. "No. There have been...other things," she explained ambiguously. "He's not a good person. He makes my skin crawl."

Oliver wondered what she knew about Lex that inspired such passionate venom, but he didn't have time to pry it out of her. "Chloe, I'm sorry to do this to you, but would you mind horribly if I did slip off and talk to Lionel for a moment? I'm sure Bruce would be happy to look after you for a little while," he added.

Chloe wasn't sure what surprised her more, that Oliver had actually suggested she spend time with Bruce, or that he actually had a reason to want to talk to Lex's father. "What do you want with Lionel?" she asked.

"It's...business related. Don't worry. I'll be right back," he said, turning from her in his apparent hurry.

Chloe grabbed his lapel and turned him to face her. "Lionel's as much of a snake as his son. Whatever you've got to do with him probably isn't a good idea."

She released him and walked away to find a drink.

Oliver watched her go warily, wishing he could explain himself. He shook the idea from his head. Chloe wasn't going to hold one conversation against him.

Within minutes he had successfully maneuvered Lionel Luthor out of the ballroom and into a hallway for a more private chat.

---

Chloe watched them go over the rim of her glass. Once they were out of sight she ditched the drink and followed after them. If Oliver thought she was going to let this go, he didn't know her as well as he thought he did.

Glancing around her to make sure no one was looking at her, she slipped into the hallway after them. She could hear the low murmur of voices around a corner, and she carefully crept along the wall, wishing her dress weren't rustling quite so much.

Silk from here on out, she thought humorously as she approached the corner and their voices became more distinct.

"I don't see what this has to do with you, young man. If your father hasn't told you what our meeting was about all those months ago, then it doesn't concern you."

"Don't give me that," came Oliver's voice, and Chloe stifled a small gasp of surprise at the harshness there. She'd never heard Oliver sound like that. "Queen Industries doesn't do business with Luthorcorp. Not if we can help it. My dad claims it was a personal visit, and we both know that's a downright lie."

"What makes you say that?" came Lionel's patronizing tone. "Really, Oliver, if your parents don't trust you enough t-"

There was a loud thud, and Chloe realized with shock that Oliver must have pinned Lionel to the wall.

"You tried to kill them, Lionel. You tried to kill my parents all those years ago, and right now it's only their total distrust and disdain for you that's kept them alive."

"I don't know what you're talking about. If you mean the incident at the airstrip, that certainly was regrettable, and thank goodness Robert and Laura evaded that tragedy, but if you're trying to insinuate that I had anything to do with it, well," Lionel chuckled that patronizing laugh Chloe had heard so many times, "you'll be disappointed to hear I had nothing to do with it."

Oliver practically growled in response. "Don't insult my intelligence. We both know it was you. Now I want to know what had my father breaking almost two decades of silence between you and coming all the way to Metropolis to talk to you."

Chloe's mind reeled. It was a good question. What had Robert Queen wanted to speak to Lionel about that was so urgent?

"Why don't you try asking your father, Oliver?" Lionel responded coolly, indicating that Oliver wasn't going to get anywhere this way. "If you'll excuse me, I think I should return before I'm missed."

Chloe's heart stopped as she realized they were walking her way. She didn't have time to get back to the ballroom without being caught. Looking around wildly, she chose a door and threw herself inside, not daring to close the door all the way for fear of the click of the lock exposing her.

She watched through the crack as Lionel Luthor haughtily returned to the throng, clearly annoyed at Oliver's thuggish attempt to get information out of him. She had to admit, it was amateurish to think that Lionel Luthor would respond to that crude approach. She shook her head at Oliver's naivete. What had made him think he would get anywhere that way?

Then it occurred to her that it had been about half a year since the incident had occurred. She had probably witnessed Oliver's final-not first-attempt to find something out. He was at the end of his rope.

She held her breath as Oliver rounded the corner and her eyes widened slightly at the look on his face.

Something was distinctly different from what she was used to seeing. The Oliver Queen she had become such good friends with was arrogant and suave and calm at all times. He never showed signs of obsession and very little invoked his passion. Now, however, there was a gleam of something in his eyes, a thirst for righteousness and a hunger for justice.

She closed her eyes, not liking it. She had seen it too many times in too many other men's eyes. She didn't want that to be a part of who Oliver was, too. She wasn't ready to accept that.

When she was certain he was gone, Chloe slipped out of the room she'd been in and walked back down the hall to join the party. When she found Oliver, he appeared back to normal, but she noticed that the grip he had on his drink had his knuckles turning rather white.

---

"Hey, Lo?" Chloe asked into her cell phone.

"Hey, cuz. How was the thing?"

"Great, but, um, listen. Oliver's a little..." she glanced at her companion with an amused smile. "tipsy. I'm taking him up to his suite to make sure he's all right, and then I'll take a cab to your place, all right."

"You got him drunk and now you're going to his place for hot sex?" Lois reeled off. "Got it."

Chloe's lips parted to defend herself, but they closed again, realizing it was futile.

"Is that Lois? Hi, Lois," Oliver said, moving his face next to Chloe's so Lois could hear him.

"Hi, Oliver," came Lois's entertained voice.

"Bye, Lois," Chloe ended, turning her phone off. "Come on, Oliver, let's get you to bed," Chloe said sweetly, and Oliver slung his arm over her shoulder, nose pressing against hers.

"Have I told you how pretty you are?" he asked, probably thinking he sounded more serious than he actually did.

"Only three times in the elevator outside," she grinned, pressing the tip of her finger to his nose to push him away. Oliver really wasn't completely drunk, he'd had just enough by the time the night was over to have him acting a bit...'silly' seemed to be the appropriate word. "Come on, big boy. To the bed," she said, directing him to his bedroom.

"That," he said slowly, "Is what they all say."

Chloe rolled her eyes, smirking. He sat down on his bed and attempted to get his shoes off, but appeared to be having some trouble. So, even in her evening gown, Chloe sat down on the floor and untied the laces for him so he could pull them off. Rising to her knees she removed his bow tie and then helped him out of his suit jacket. She carried the things over to lay on a chair, and turned to find Oliver stripping himself of his shirt. Chloe raised an eyebrow. She had seen Oliver shirtless several times, but the sight never failed to impress. Oliver was good looking, and she would be an idiot to think she could deny it.

She walked over to take those things from him as well, but he just flopped backward on the bed and pulled her down with him. Chloe laughed from on top of him and was about to push herself up when he threw an arm around her waist to stop her. He looked her square in the eyes. "You're not going to marry Bruce, are you?" he asked.

Chloe laughed. "I'm not planning on it."

"Good," he said, sounding relieved. "Cuz he'd drive you bats." Suddenly he laughed at his inadvertent, seemingly inside joke. Chloe chuckled.

"What's wrong with him?" she couldn't help but ask.

"He's depressing."

The description surprised Chloe. Bruce put up a pretty convincing facade of being just another playboy. She realized he and Oliver must be much better friends than she'd thought. Oliver had probably seen a more real side of Bruce than she'd been privy to.

"Well, don't worry," Chloe said, pressing her nose to his in similar fashion to what he had done upon entering the hotel suite. "I'll be sure to run any future husbands by you for inspection first," she teased.

"You should," he agreed.

"Would you mind telling me why you felt the need to have that last martini?" she asked, looking down at him and seeing that he'd relaxed more.

He shrugged. "Luthors bug me."

Chloe smirked. "I guess I can relate to that."

His expression changed. "You hate them. Really hate them."

Chloe didn't respond, not liking the sudden turn in conversation. He suddenly seemed much more sober to her.

"Why?"

"They're not good people."

"But you never hate anyone. You trust everybody."

"Until they prove themselves unworthy of that trust," Chloe finished, moving to push herself off of him at last. As she pulled away, however, Oliver sat up again and pulled her forward to straddle his lap, her skirt hiking up.

"We should do stuff like this more often," he told her.

"Like what?" she asked absently, thinking the position was a bit too friendly even for them.

"Travel together. This has been the most not boring business trip ever."

Chloe grinned. "Thanks."

Oliver's forehead rested against hers. "My mother thinks I'm dating you."

"We've told her a million times that we're just friends," Chloe reminded him, amused.

"I know. She doesn't...believe us." Oliver seemed to have become rather distracted by her mouth.

"Lois doesn't believe us either," Chloe said, her voice a whisper for some reason, perhaps because he was so close. It occurred to her that all she had to do was tilt her head to the side, that all he had to do was close a very small space and they would be-

"I need to get going," Chloe said loudly, rising abruptly from his lap. Oliver tumbled forward. "I'll see you in the morning, Ollie," she said. Seconds later Oliver heard the door of the hotel room shut.

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