Talking in Your Sleep-2/21

[bluesuedeshoes]

Author:  BlueSuede
Title:  Talking in Your Sleep
Rating: NC17
Genre: Friendship/Romance
Pairings:  Chloe/Oliver, Chloe/Green Arrow, Lois/Bruce, Lois/Clark
Summary:  Intrepid reporter for the Daily Planet, Chloe Sullivan, has her heart stolen by the masked hero, Green Arrow, but can she be satisfied with not knowing his real identity?
Warnings: There will probably be some minor spoilers, particularly for Season 6.  There will also be a ridiculously unnecessary amount of smut.  You've been warned.



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Previous (Chapter 1)
Next (Chapter 3)


Just remember this, my girl, when you look up in the sky,
You can see the stars and still not see the light.

Already Gone
The Eagles

--2--

"I can't believe I didn't go with you," Lois moaned for the umpteenth time, successfully bringing any productivity on her part to a halt as she brought her forehead down on her keyboard.

Chloe just smiled wanly, swiveling her chair slightly from side to side and basking in the glory. "Nice one, Sullivan," Tom from the copy room mentioned as he passed her by, bumping her shoulder gently. She knew she had to enjoy it while she could. Perry had practically kissed her he was so pleased, but he'd immediately followed up by asking her for a follow up.

"I want to know everything about him. Where'd he come from? What's he doing here? He played the good guy this time, but is that what he's really about? I want to know everything there is to know about this guy, from his political views to his preferred brand of toothpaste," he'd said.

Put simply, Chloe had her work cut out for her. Not to mention Perry wanted a photo, and considering he'd sent Jimmy on assignment in Michigan, she didn't know how she was going to get one. Jimmy had always been her and Lois's go-to photographer.

"I think we should go out tonight and celebrate," Lois drew her attention back to the here-and-now. "Forget movie night. We should go out."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, "I was actually just about to beg off, Lo. I know I promised, but I've got so much on my plate, and I'm completely exhausted."

"Chloe! Come on, no way. You owe me for last night."

"I know; I know. But listen, I promise you won't even miss me tonight. You have plans."

Lois looked confused. "I do?"

Chloe nodded, smirking.

Lois sat up straight. "You know something I don't. How do you do that? What's going on?"

Chloe just spun her pencil in her fingers, continuing to rock her chair gently from left to right and back again. "What time is it?"

Lois glanced at her computer, bringing the screen saver off to check. "It's almost 1:00. Now tell me what you know, you devious little minx."

"Remember Bruce Wayne?" Chloe asked, as if it were remotely possible that Lois had forgotten the tall, dark, handsome billionaire who had swept her off her feet his last visit to Metropolis.

Lois's eyes widened. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"He's here."

"What?" her voice cracked, and at that particular moment, the man himself made his way into the bullpen, spotting Chloe and Lois and walking over to them, a confident grin on his face.

"Ladies," he greeted, his eyes on Lois.

"Hi, Bruce," Chloe said mildly, eyes also on Lois, whose entire face was turning red as she stammered something resembling a greeting.

"Hey, guys, have either of you seen - oh. Hi, Bruce," Clark greeted, less-than-thrilled to see the other man blocking his chair when he looked up from the files he was sorting through. He pushed his glasses up his nose.

Bruce straightened up. "Clark," he said, amusement in his tone as he offered his hand and Clark shook it grudgingly. "Good to see you. How's life treating you?"

"Fine," he said, his tone dry as he looked at the other man with something distinctly less than affection. "What are you doing here?"

"Business. Various things. Nothing for you to worry about," he added in a meaningful tone. "And I'm taking Miss Lane out for lunch," he added, grin returning.

Lois, who had recovered her wits, piped up at that. "Oh, are you?" she challenged.

"Well, that was the general idea. Chloe promised me that you were free," he added, sending an appreciative glance to Chloe, who just smiled angelically.

"You what?" Clark deadpanned as Lois simultaneously asked the same question.

Chloe's grin, if possible, broadened, still rocking her chair from side to side as she enjoyed herself immensely. "Bruce called me this morning to check if you were...free," Chloe said simply, her tone implying the double meaning in the statement.

Lois and Clark's mouths both fell open. Lois's face was turning hopelessly red.

When she didn't move at all, Chloe prompted her along, "She's just about ready to get going, Bruce. Why don't you let her grab her jacket and throw her purse together?"

Bruce grinned as well as Lois sprang into action. "Right. I'll just...get my things together. But just so you know, Wayne, this doesn't mean anything. You didn't call. I could've just as easily had plans."

Bruce just shoved his hands in his pockets easily, nothing daunted. "But that would've taken the fun out of the surprise."

"And just so you know, I've been dating other men since you left," Lois said as she slung her purse over her shoulder and brushed past him for the door. "Lots of them."

"Mmhmm," Bruce said, amused, following after her. "Bye, Chloe. Clark," he added genially over his shoulder.

When they disappeared through the glass doors, Clark slumped defeatedly into his seat. "What's he got that I don't?"

Chloe cocked a brow at him. "You really want me to answer that?"

"Yes," he said grumpily.

"Gadgets," she said simply, stifling a smile and knowing he didn't really want to know.

Clark sighed heavily, and Chloe felt a little more pity for him.

"Aw, cheer up, Clark," Chloe reached over and patted his hand sympathetically. "Lois will see the light eventually."

He glowered. "With no help from you, I see. Traitor," he accused jokingly.

Chloe just shrugged. "Hey, he called and asked if she was seeing anyone and I said no. Then he asked if she was free for lunch and again I said no. What did you want me to do, lie?" she teased. "I'm shocked, Mr. Truth, Justice, and the American Way."

Clark sighed. "You're mean."

She tilted her head from side to side as if mulling it over. "Mm...well...yeah, pretty much."

Clark snorted before shifting forward and pulling the stack of files he'd brought over in front of him. "Some best friend," he remarked half-seriously.

"Well, Clark, you know I'm rooting for you. I think you and Lois would make a great team, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you're destined for each other or something. Even if you are, it doesn't mean she can't date a few of the wrong guys in the meantime. She'll just appreciate Mr. Right all that much more when she finds him. If you're lucky, maybe you'll be him."

Clark rolled his eyes, but she could see the small smile playing on his mouth, betraying his mollification. Then he straightened up suddenly, his head turning as something caught his attention.

Chloe sighed affectionately. "Remember to button your shirt up all the way when you get back this time," she reminded him as he started heading for the door.

It was at 3:00 in the afternoon when Chloe got her big tip. The mail guy came in and there was a blank letter with nothing but her name on it. Inside were several photos of shippers down by the riverfront moving things in the middle of the night. Chloe didn't know too much about shipping, but she knew that the dock workers mostly did their jobs in broad daylight, and it didn't usually require black ski masks for the uniform.

Thank goodness Bruce is keeping Lois busy. She'd have my neck for canceling movie night on her, she thought gratefully as she flipped through the photos. They were all time stamped for Saturdays, which meant that her Saturday night just got a lot more interesting. There goes the good night's sleep I was planning, she added to herself a little wistfully. Ah well, news never sleeps.

Buzzed on espresso and carrying a small digital camera in the inside pocket of her trench coat, Chloe made her way down to the docks at a quarter to midnight. She never carried her camera in her purse, in case someone stole it or searched it to take any evidence she had. It had been a rookie mistake once upon a time, but one she only made once. The camera, more specifically the memory card, stayed out of sight.

She planted herself safely within the shadows of a narrow alley and waited. For a while she thought the only thing she was going to have when she got home that night was the rank smell of fish on her clothes, but ten minutes past midnight her patience was rewarded when three trucks pulled in, about ten men bailing out, all wearing black ski masks.

They boarded one of the ships and spent an hour loading crates from the trucks onto it. Chloe did her best to make out what was on the side of the crates, but the light was too dim to see anything, and she was afraid to move from her spot for fear of giving herself away.

She took out her camera and made sure all the sounds were off before zooming it in as best she could on one of the larger crates that four men were moving onto the boat. They were far away and in the dim lighting the camera couldn't seem to focus on them but she snapped a couple of shots anyway, blurry as they were. She studied the shots carefully from her crevice in the wall, and her heart thudded as she realized the blob on the photo bore a striking resemblance to the LuthorCorp insignia. She glanced up again, eyes wide as they continued their process.

She had to find out what was in those crates.

She waited, knowing she couldn't risk anything until the perfect moment. She had a sneaking suspicion in the pit of her stomach that these men would not take kindly to her "observing" them.

Finally, her moment came, but it was a little less opportune than she would have liked. About six of the men left in the truck, all the parcels having been unloaded, and four of the men boarded the boat, apparently getting it ready to make way.

Summoning up whatever gumption she had, Chloe stole across the dock and onto the boat, nearly getting caught sneaking into the hold, but just nipping inside in time. She whipped around the corner of the doorway, pressing herself flat against the wall and holding her breath, afraid that the goon might have seen her. As she heard the creaking of the boards fade slightly, she breathed silent sigh of relief.

Quickly she made her way into the holds, between rows and rows of such boxes as she had seen them loading for the past hour. It was difficult to see much of anything in the room, with only one dim lamp for light, and she could feel the hairs prickling on the back of her neck, cold sweat beading on her skin, unable to shake the feeling that there was someone else watching her. Her heart pounded in her chest as she found one of the crates with a clearly in-tact LuthorCorp insignia on it. Hands shaking she pulled out her camera and quickly turned the flash on so she could get a photo of it, praying that no one would notice the light it emitted. She was just trying to force her way into one of the crates to see what was inside it, when she heard the door creak open, and her blood ran cold, as she remained totally frozen, caught for certain.

All of a sudden she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, and a gloved hand covering her mouth to muffle the scream she nearly let loose in surprise, dread filling her body as the man wrenched her aside, dragging her into a narrow space between two rows of crates, as close to the wall as they could get.

Eyes wide in panic, entire body trembling, she heard the first man enter the room, followed by a second. A voice in her ear, deep and metallic, warned her, "Don't move." Shivers tingled down her spine as she nodded her understanding and his grip loosened ever so slightly on her hip, her body still crushed against his, with barely any breathing space in the narrow crevice. He let his other hand fall from her mouth, resting it unconsciously at the base of her throat. She swallowed tightly, registering that whoever was behind her was distinctly larger and stronger than her, but she didn't have much time to worry about that as the two men muttered something about it all being in place, briefly walking past them down the center aisle before pausing for an unbearably long time, each of Chloe's heartbeats like bass drums in her ears. They seemed satisfied that everything was accounted for after a point, before they headed back above, and slammed the door the room now pitch black save for that one lamp on the far wall.

Chloe's body slumped as temporary relief swept over her, and the man's hands released her, shoving her back into the open space.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" he demanded, and Chloe realized that he was wearing some sort of voice distorter. She looked up at him, still trying to get her heartbeat under control. She couldn't make out much of him in the dark, but his silhouette implied he was wearing a hood, and she was certain he'd been wearing leather. She'd been able to smell it as he held her against him.

She glared. "Yes. Haven't you?" she snapped sarcastically. "I strongly recommend it. Does wonders for the stress."

She couldn't see anything of his face, but she had a feeling his expression was unamused. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she challenged the stranger before turning away from him and getting back to work.

"What are you doing?" he asked, following her.

She ignored him, focusing her attention on getting one of the crates open, though it seemed to be a futile effort until he wrapped two hands around her biceps and none-too-gently moved her aside. She was about to protest when he shoved a lever in the lid of the crate and pried it open. Then he stood back so she could see the contents.

Chloe's eyes widened dramatically as she saw what they contained. She pulled out her camera and started snapping photographs.

"Weapons developed by LuthorCorp," his voice supplied behind her. She whipped around facing him, waiting for more, carefully pulling the memory card out of her camera and slipping it into the pocket of her coat. But the boat lurched, throwing her off balance and successfully ending their conversation. His hand shot out and caught her, tension rolling off of him. "We need to get off this boat."

"We need to stop this boat!" she corrected, indignant.

"Not with you here," he said irritably, dragging her towards the door. He pulled it open partway and peered cautiously out to see if the coast was clear. "On my count, we're running out there," he commanded, leaving no room for argument.

Not that that stopped Chloe. "Just one minute. I'm not going anywhere until - "

"Listen," he growled fiercely, turning to face her. "I don't know what you think you're doing playing Sherlock Holmes out here, but this ship is headed for the Gulf of Mexico, so unless you'd like a taco for your last meal, you're going to do as I say, got it?"

She swallowed her shock, nodding.

He relaxed slightly. "Good. Don't let go of me." With that, he threw the door open, and, hand grasped tightly around hers, he raced her toward the edge of the boat.

"Hey! Where the hell'd they come from?" a shocked voice shouted from the upper decks.

"Damn it! Don't let them get off the boat!" another called out, but Chloe didn't have time to register their words as she raced to the edge of the boat, panic filling her as she realized the boat was a good ten yards from shore. He was rushing them right for the edge and there wasn't much left to do but swim for it. Or so she thought.

Just as she was bracing herself to plunge into the filthy current, his arm wrapped around her, grasping her to his side as he raised a crossbow and fired a line toward shore, shots firing in the background as he propelled them towards the dock, Chloe clutching him for dear life.

Tucking her into his body, he rolled them out of the landing, not giving her a moment's breath before dragging her to her feet and running them out of firing range and around a corner to safety at last.

Slumping against a wall, Chloe tried to catch her breath, clutching her pounding heart in her chest. "What - " she breathed, "is going - " another pant " - on?" Gasp. Gaining control of herself slightly, she looked up and realized that standing in front of her, clad in green leather, was the very man she had written her article on the night before.

"What's your interest in that boat?" he asked instead of answering her.

"I'm a journalist," she said defiantly, straightening up slightly, then checking her pocket suddenly. As if by divine providence, the memory card was still there, although she seemed to have dropped her camera at some point, probably in the river when they'd crossed. She cursed internally. There went a good hundred bucks into the river. Literally.

The man she'd dubbed the Green Arrow only the day before seemed to be sizing her up. "The weapons were headed for the Gulf - "

"Yes you mentioned that," she said sourly, crossing her arms, noticing in spite of herself just how very muscular he was, her mind flashing back to the feeling of being pressed against him in the hull. Definitely muscular.

He smirked, apparently at ease now that they were both safe. "Yes, patience, if you don't mind. It was headed to the Gulf where it will join several other shipments that have been heading out for the last month. From there it will head for the Middle East."

Chloe's mouth fell open. She blinked in disbelief. "Luthor is dealing weapons under the table?" she asked in disgust.

He nodded. "I've been doing my best to stop their shipments, and I've managed to do it a couple of times, but you've got the big picture here," he said seriously. "You can put a stop to this." He stepped forward and Chloe caught her breath suddenly, but he moved past her into another alley to her right. She turned to see what he was doing and realized he had parked a motorcycle in the shadows. "Where to?" he asked, grabbing his helmet. He felt a momentary stab to his sense of chivalry as he put it on, but he couldn't risk the wind knocking back his hood.

Swallowing, she held her head a little higher as she answered. "The Daily Planet."

He nodded, swinging his leg over the bike and bringing it to life, the engine's low rumble filling the night air. "Well?" he called to her and she started, realizing she'd just been staring at him. She joined him, swinging her leg over as well and placing her hands tentatively on his shoulders.

He smirked, though she couldn't see it as he revved the engine slightly. "You're going to want to hold on a little tighter than that," he warned in amusement before taking off quite suddenly.

Surprised and nearly falling off the back, Chloe wrapped her arms around his stomach tightly enough to suffocate him, clamping her thighs to his on instinct.

His smirk grew more pronounced as he felt her thighs grip to him, her hands clutching him. After the initial stress of having to rescue her from herself, he'd had more than ample time to notice how attractive she was. There were few perks to what he did, but coming to the aid of the occasional damsel in distress was definitely one of them, and it certainly didn't hurt when it was a tiny, sexy, spitfire of a blonde.

He screeched to a halt in front of the Daily Planet, purposefully not slowing down until the very last second, allowing them to skid a little. Showing off? Maybe. But he couldn't help it if he was amused when she gripped him that much more tightly, gasping in his ear before hiding her face in his neck. She sighed audibly when he righted them and put the engine in neutral.

Shakily, she climbed off the bike, something in her body vaguely protesting the loss of contact with him. She shoved back the feeling derisively. And she had the suspicious feeling that if he hadn't been wearing that helmet, she might have tried to kiss him in thanks.

She backed up a step, not trusting herself. "Thanks," she said lamely, but then collected herself and repeated the sentiment more seriously. "Really. Thank you." He had more or less saved her life, after all.

He nodded, lifting the helmet momentarily to speak to her. "Don't make a habit of it," he warned. "Now get to work," he added with a smirk. "You have a story to write, I think."

She grinned, nodding. "I do," she agreed, backing up a few steps before turning and heading into the building, noticing briefly that she didn't hear the sound of his bike tearing away until after she'd passed through the doors.


Previous (Chapter 1)
Next (Chapter 3)

Comments

[vicks-svq.livejournal.com]

I'm liking it so much...
i love geeky Clarck and I can't wait for another Chlollie conforontation whether in his Green Arrow Glory or his charming self...

[greenteam4ever.livejournal.com]

I'm oficially in love with your story!
I've always been a fan of stories where Chloe admires his Green Arrow persona while being..let's say 'irritated' by Oliver Queen himself.
"Shakily, she climbed off the bike, something in her body vaguely protesting the loss of contact with him." - I love such reaction from Chloe soo much!
Great job!Hope you'll update soon, coz I'm dying to know what happens in this story :)

[kaylaclaus.livejournal.com]

Love it! Love the whole set up! Intrepid reporter Chloe meeting up with Green Arrow, both trying to save the world... And love how you've built at establishing the characters (great writing!) already, I love where this is going! Can't wait for more.

[mystic-ri96.livejournal.com]

ok i love ur story(: plz update soon

[saurina.livejournal.com]

Yay they have finally meet. It was very intense and I felt like I was part of the whole investigation at the docks, excellent writing, Can't wait for more..:)))

[mizaki7.livejournal.com]

This is soooo goood, need chapter 3 now! Hehe ;)

[prophet64.livejournal.com]

This was a great chapter.
I loved the banter between Chloe and Clark. The line...

"What did you want me to do, lie?" she teased. "I'm shocked, Mr. Truth, Justice, and the American Way."

Had me in stitches. Great job, I'm looking forward to read more :)

[c-youth.livejournal.com]

LUCK GIRL, LUCK GIRL, LUCK GIRL!!!!!!!!

OMG! I loved this chapter I really loved...It's so different than I'm used to read in fics Chlollie, but is amazing, wonderful! The fact that Chloe does not know Oliver Queen ... that she will feel attracted by the Green Arrow, is exciting!

And that first meeting? Tão perigoso, sexy...and the Archer was so amazing! I need the chapter 3 now! XD lol!

And abaout Clois? Cuuuuuuuuuuute! I'm team Clark! XD He is a fucking cute in the fic =)

[abarbiestory.livejournal.com]

loving it!

[iluvaqt.livejournal.com]

:D Another story and a save. I can tell why she's taken with him already. ;) He know the way to the girl's heart.

//With no help from you, I see. Traitor// Clark jealous of Bruce. LMAO.

Love it.

[maka2000.livejournal.com]

Yay, I'm glad they met! And already there's a sizzle between them. Nice. I'm looking forward to the next chapter already.

[phoenix-173.livejournal.com]

Yay! I love updates! And this one is so wonderful. I can't wait to find out what happens next. :D

G

[nelstar7.livejournal.com]

When they disappeared through the glass doors, Clark slumped defeatedly into his seat. "What's he got that I don't?"

Chloe cocked a brow at him. "You really want me to answer that?"

"Yes," he said grumpily.

"Gadgets," she said simply, stifling a smile and knowing he didn't really want to know.

Clark sighed heavily, and Chloe felt a little more pity for him.

"Aw, cheer up, Clark," Chloe reached over and patted his hand sympathetically. "Lois will see the light eventually."

He glowered. "With no help from you, I see. Traitor," he accused jokingly.

Chloe just shrugged. "Hey, he called and asked if she was seeing anyone and I said no. Then he asked if she was free for lunch and again I said no. What did you want me to do, lie?" she teased. "I'm shocked, Mr. Truth, Justice, and the American Way."

Clark sighed. "You're mean."

She tilted her head from side to side as if mulling it over. "Mm...well...yeah, pretty much."

Clark snorted before shifting forward and pulling the stack of files he'd brought over in front of him. "Some best friend," he remarked half-seriously.

"Well, Clark, you know I'm rooting for you. I think you and Lois would make a great team, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you're destined for each other or something. Even if you are, it doesn't mean she can't date a few of the wrong guys in the meantime. She'll just appreciate Mr. Right all that much more when she finds him. If you're lucky, maybe you'll be him."

Clark rolled his eyes, but she could see the small smile playing on his mouth, betraying his mollification.

I LOVED this scene! It reminds me of the good old Clark and Chloe scooby days! Petulant child Clark is hilarious! Great fic Elvis, can't wait to read more!

[poetgirl925.livejournal.com]

I love this story - I love Chloe as the busy reporter/sidekick and throwing Bruce Wayne into the mix is just a bonus. I always love Chlollie fics that include him. As for Oliver, I guess his interest is totally engaged now huh? He was already interested after seeing her at the club, and now that he's pulled her out of danger he's probably that much more curious about her. Can't wait to see where it goes from here!

[ryann-blackwood.livejournal.com]

I love your writing style. This is such a great set-up. I can't wait for more. I also love the way you wrote Lois and Clark. I can practically see your Clark, he's so good. :)

[novadelphine.livejournal.com]

Two chapters in and so far, so very good. Loving this.

In particular, I'm crazy envious of your ability to write action. The entire stakeout at the docks, sneaking onto the ship, getting the hell off the ship, and bike ride to the Planet, was clear and well-paced. Great writing.

Very intrigued by your use of Bruce Wayne for Lois' love interest (with, of course, a nice nod to Clark's feelings). Wondering how big of a role Bruce is going to take in this story.

Looking forward to more!

[lali-lewicki.livejournal.com]

Being the Green Arrow's go to girl in the DP doesn't seem conducive with healthy sleeping habits! I'm glad you're writing a new Chlollie story, I've been missing those from you and I'm also sorry that you have writer's block with Harleen. I've just saw Shutter Island with Leonardo DiCaprio and the beginning of that movie reminded me a lot of Harleen. I miss it, but I'll survive until you're ready to write it again.

In the meantime, I'm more than happy to keep tabs on this one!

[purple-moon123.livejournal.com]

Love the Chloe/Lois/Bruce/Clark interaction. Freaking hilarious!!!

heeee Chloe meets GA!!! That was hot!!
And I think that Perry is going to be happy with Chloe's follow up piece.

[sjww.livejournal.com]

yep Im officially loving this story...and I see I have another couple of chapters posted after this ! Yay! *clapping*

Loved that Bruce was in this chapter and will give Lois a run for her money Im hoping in this story they end up together....loved the clark and chloe interaction very much reminded me of them in the early days...

and the banter with Ollie & Chloe is spot on mmc that he is already trying to impress her I did wonder if he had put two and two together and realised she was the blonde from the club?

all in all just perfect :) off to read next chapter...thanks for posting its good to have you back writing and posting your fics :-)

[ramadiii.livejournal.com]

GAHHH!!!! The moment on the ship was just mouthwatering! Not too much but enough for images to form in one's head =D

I also like how Arrow seems to enjoy getting (physically) closer to Chloe <3
Thanks for another fabulous chapter! See ya at the next one!