The Bottom of the Glass--9/13

[bluesuedeshoes]

Author:  BlueSuede
Title:  The Bottom of the Glass
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst/Romance/Drama
Pairings:  Chloe/Oliver
Summary: Chloe's meteor powers return with reinforcements. Instead of talking to anyone about it, even Oliver, she finds a different refuge.
Warnings: mild OOC on Chloe's part


Chapter 1

Previous (Chapter 8)
Next (Chapter 10)

-9-

Chloe sat at the club's bar and stared into her glass, wishing it would magically cure her problems, knowing that it would only enhance them. Closing her eyes she pressed it to her lips and threw her head back.

She was far more surprised than she should have been when he appeared next to her several minutes later.

It had taken Oliver a good ten minutes to decide what he was going to do before he gave into the impulse to go after her, realizing that this was one of the few times in life when going with his impulse was the best thing to do. At first he assumed that Chloe would go to the same bar he had found her at before, but just to be sure, he resorted for the second time in a week to checking the tracking device in her phone. He was surprised when he realized she was heading for the Ace of Clubs instead. He got there and spotted her instantly at the bar.

Full of purpose he strode up to the bar, and, without looking at her, he ordered a double shot.

"What are you doing?" she asked after he downed it.

"Catching up. Every drink you have, I take a shot," he said, daring her.

She glared. "Oliver-"

"So what, it's all right for you to drink but not for anyone else? It's like you said: you're a grown woman. I figured what the hell? I'm a grown man."

Just to spite him, Chloe ordered another drink. Oliver followed suit.

Chloe knew she was playing a game she wouldn't win. Oliver had a much higher tolerance than her. And what was the point? She couldn't help but wonder what she was doing. Why didn't she just let him talk her out of it? Why couldn't she just trust him enough to take her home and take care of her?

The expression on Oliver's face was stony by the time he reached his fifth shot including the double. "Are we going to keep this up all night?" he asked heatedly.

"We're going to keep this up until you leave me alone," she told him, though she knew she couldn't back it up. She was already feeling more than a little tipsy.

"So, basically forever then?" he challenged, letting her know that it wasn't going to be that simple. He wasn't just going to walk out and leave her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why can't you just accept that I'm an ice cold bitch and I don't let people in anymore?"

Oliver hid his surprise at hearing her describe herself that way. He grabbed her arm and pulled her from the bar onto the dance floor and, more importantly, away from her drink. "Because you're not, Chloe," he said, taking her in his arms and dancing with her. Chloe had to lean heavily on him, unable to keep her balance enough to dance without his help. "We both know you're not. Sadly, that's what you want to be, but the truth is by nature you want people in your life. Deep down you don't really want to be alone, you just wish you did. You wish it were that easy."

Chloe refused to respond.

"Chloe, why even keep me around then, huh? If you're so dead set on keeping everyone away, then why bother with any kind of relationship? That's what this is, Chloe," he added, anticipating her next argument. "It's a relationship and it was from the first second. You can pretend there are no strings attached all you want, but there are. As a matter of fact, I let you believe there weren't up until now because I thought that was for the best. I was trying not to rush you, but obviously that was a mistake. The last thing you needed was someone willing to contribute to your madness. Consider this your official intervention."

"I'm just trying to protect myself!" Chloe bit back, aware somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind that if she were sober she wouldn't be admitting to this. "I'm fed up with being abandoned and taken for granted and turned on and hurt in every other way possible. I refuse to let that happen one more time!"

"I repeat: why keep me around then, Chloe?"

After several false starts, Chloe stopped herself from speaking at all, knowing she didn't have a real response for that.

Always knowing when he had the upper hand, Oliver pressed on, hoping to get a rise out of her. "So what are we doing, then? Scratching an itch? Funny, I never took you for the type of girl who would let anyone in bed with her to get her fix. So if it hadn't been me, who would it have been, I wonder? Someone else on the team, maybe? I bet-"

"Shut up!" Chloe tried to pull away from him but he held her fast.

"What? Is that not what's going on? Because I can't imagine why it would offend you otherwise."

"Stop it. Please, just-" she struggled against him futilely. He was stronger even when she wasn't tipsy. She was starting to feel like crying.

"Just what? Just let you go? I've got news for you. I'm not leaving here without you, so you can ignore me and argue with me and try to get away from me all you want. I'm still going home with you."

"Leave me alone, Ollie," she pleaded with him. All she wanted was to go bury her head in the sand. She didn't want to face up to the fact that something was going on with her and Oliver beyond casual fun. She should have known that 'casual' anything would only lead to casualties.

"No," he responded simply.

"I'm not going to change."

"Yes, you are. Even if I have to make you."

"Why go to the trou-" Chloe swallowed her words at the expression on his face, daring her to finish the sentence. Then she summoned up her nerve. "Why go to the trouble?" she demanded.

In response, Oliver's lips crashed down on hers. Their bodies stilled and Chloe's nearly collapsed under his intensity. She thought her knees would give way as his tongue forced past her lips and, and then, suddenly, she realized that they had given way, and his arms around her were all that was holding her up. She could taste the alcohol on his breath, yet she knew he was completely in control, though she wasn't sure she could say the same for herself on any count. Finally, with deliberate slowness, Oliver broke the contact, still keeping his face a fraction away from hers. "That's why."

Chloe couldn't say anything. She was focusing everything in her on breathing steadily, and she wasn't necessarily succeeding, either.

"Come on, Chloe. You know. I'd say 'deep down,' but the truth is it isn't even subconscious knowledge. You know how I feel. You've been choosing to ignore it. More importantly, you know how you feel; you're just in denial."

When she still didn't respond he left her to pay their tabs. He returned and told her shortly, "We're leaving. You should get some sleep before we see Emil tomorrow." He took her hand and led her out the door where he hailed a taxi.

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Next (Chapter 10)