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Oliver Queen had only been back from the dead for a few weeks when he’d gotten the invitation to the Christmas party hosted by LuthorCorp. It was, of course, taking place at the Luthor mansion in Smallville, Kansas, where he’d never been before, and he wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. He was, however, hoping to begin making amends with some of the less pleasant aspects of his past, and that included settling things with the younger Luthor.
He knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and he knew he was to blame for that, but Lex wasn’t exactly blameless, either. So he had decided to go. But now that he was there, he wished he wasn’t. The place was packed, and he had serious doubts that he was going to be able to have any real conversation with Lex here.
He supposed, though, that putting in an appearance was somewhat akin to making an effort. After all, the old saying was that actions spoke louder than words.
“Oliver Queen,” Lex spoke from a couple of feet behind him. “I didn’t expect you to actually show up.”
He turned around to face Lex, offering the other man a small, faint smile. “Lex.”
“The rumors were that you weren’t leaving Star City anytime soon,” he said, watching him.
Oliver nodded a little. “Yeah, I heard that same rumor. Always good to hear from other people what you’re going to be doing or not doing.”
“Just the way things go for people like us.” He paused and smiled when Lana walked up to him, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Lana, this is Oliver Queen.” He looked at Oliver. “Lana Lang.”
He cocked his head to the side. The name sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn’t place it, and the woman didn’t look familiar to him. He held his hand out to the woman. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Lang.”
“Mr. Queen,” she said, taking his hand and smiling at him.
“Oliver and I went to school together,” Lex told Lana even as he kept his eyes on Oliver.
“Yes, we did,” he agreed, nodding. “Seems like an eternity to go.” His voice was quiet, but he held the other man’s gaze.
“I’m sure they were interesting times,” Lana said with a smile.
“You could say that,” Lex told her, holding Oliver’s gaze.
He drew in a breath and held it for a moment. “Yes, but I’m sure we’ve both grown a lot since those days.”
“I’m sure we have.” Lex smiled. “Although some things never change, do they?”
“I’d like to think that anything’s possible, Lex,” he said honestly, not looking away.
Lana looked between them for a moment then almost sighed in relief. “There are Clark and Chloe, I should go say hello,” she told Lex, then turned to Oliver. “It was nice meeting you.”
“Likewise,” Oliver said sincerely, offering her a small smile and then glancing at Lex once more. “I was surprised to get the invite.”
“I thought it was time you and I talked business,” Lex told him. “You will be taking over Queen Industries, won’t you?”
“Yes,” he confirmed, arching his eyebrows.
“And considering how things seem to be going for your company right now, you might need some help getting it back on it’s feet,” he said, smiling.
“Well, I haven’t had much chance to check into things at QI yet, but I’ll keep that offer in mind,” Oliver said, studying him.
“Good,” Lex said pleasantly. “If you’re in Kansas for a few days, we should meet.”
He nodded slightly. “I'm planning to stay in Metropolis for a few days, so let’s plan on it.” He held his hand out to Lex.
“Give me a call on Monday,” Lex told him, then shook his hand. “Enjoy the party,” He said before walking away.
“Will do,” Oliver said, watching him head away and disappear into the crowd.
Maybe this whole redemption thing wasn’t going to be as much of a struggle as he’d thought it would be.
* * *
Chloe was trying her best to stop her eyes from rolling. She had agreed to come to Lex’s Christmas party with Clark because she figured that maybe if he saw Lana with Lex, he might actually start attempting to move on. But when Lana came over to talk to them and Clark got the same stupid doe-eyed look on his face, she knew it was a mistake to have agreed to this at all. Now Clark would be extremely mopey the entire night and she would have to play best friend and try to make him feel better.
She eyed a passing tray with alcohol and wondered how easily she could get Clark drunk, or how easily she would get drunk at least. That should help. When there was a pause in the conversation and she noticed both Clark and Lana staring at her, she smiled a little at them. “The decorations look great.”
“Yes, Lex’s staff did a great job,” Lana agreed, smiling as she looked around.
“You didn’t help? I know you like that kind of stuff,” she said, smiling at the other girl.
Lana shrugged. “I was busy getting ready myself,” she admitted, looking down at her dress.
“You look beautiful, Lana,” Clark told her in an almost wistful tone.
Chloe had to stop herself from stepping on his foot to pull him out of whatever spell he was under. “It’s a nice dress,” she said and forced herself to smile.
“Thank you, Clark. Chloe.” She smiled brightly at both of them.
“We should let you mingle with your other guests, right, Clark?” Chloe said, linking her arm with his and tugging on it a little.
“And I should get back to Lex. Hopefully he’s done talking to Oliver. Things seemed tense between them.”
Chloe paused at that and stared at Lana for a second. “Oliver?” She asked, holding her breath.
Lana glanced at Chloe once more. “Yes, Oliver Queen?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Oh.” Chloe nodded a little, color draining from her face as she looked around the crowd. “I will see if I can find something to drink,” she told the two of them, pulling her arm from Clark’s.
Lana blinked as Chloe headed away. “What’s going on with Chloe?” she asked, puzzled.
“I don’t know,” Clark said, watching her go with a frown before turning back at Lana. “I... can get you something to drink while you find Lex?” He suggested, offering his arm.
“I’d like that,” she agreed, taking his arm.
* * *
Oliver made his way over toward the table of champagne, picking up one of the flutes and taking a sip. It had been a long time since he’d had good champagne--or any champagne at all, for that matter. He turned to head away when a woman caught his attention. She was wearing a knee-length green desk, that was just tight enough to show off her curves, but not so tight that it was too much. His gaze trailed up her legs to the dress’s low cut neckline--enough to show some cleavage, but again, not enough to look anything but classy and intriguing. Her hair was blonde, and short and curly, and he willed her to turn around so he could see her face.
Chloe took a long sip of the champagne and then a deep breath. She looked around the room, her back to the table as she scanned the crowd on that side of the room before turning to look at the other side. Just as she did, though, she stilled completely and her eyes widened as they fell right on the man she’d been both looking for and trying to hide from.
Oliver’s eyes widened slightly when their eyes met, and he froze, staring at her, something akin to disbelief on his face. “Chloe?” he whispered.
He remembered her, that was a good sign. Not that she didn’t think he would but, she had thought he had been dead for so long, she didn’t know if maybe he had forgotten or... if maybe his memory just wasn’t the same. In some ways, seeing him again was like seeing a ghost. “Hi,” she whispered back, unable to say anything else mostly because of the shock.
“Hi,” he whispered, taking a step toward her, eyes still wide.
She opened her mouth then closed it again as she stared at him, trying to think of something, anything to say. But she hadn’t seen him in... probably seven years. She didn’t know what to say.
He drew in a breath, his gaze raking over her once more. “You...look amazing,” he said quietly, moving closer to her.
Chloe swallowed hard at that, ignoring the butterflies that suddenly appeared in her stomach. “So do you, for a dead man,” she said quietly, her voice wavering a little.
Oliver winced at that, nodding. “Heard about that, huh?”
“Hard not to,” she said quietly, glancing down and taking a deep breath before looking at him again.
“I’ve had more pleasant vacations,” he admitted, gazing at her intently, still stunned that she was there. He hadn’t seen her in years. Since she was fourteen and he was fifteen.
“I’m sure,” she told him, searching his eyes for a moment then shaking her head. “What are you doing here?”
“Lex is...” He paused, trying to figure out how exactly to describe his relationship with Lex. “We went to Excelsior together. He invited me tonight.”
“Right.” She nodded a little, glancing over where Lex was, talking to people she didn’t recognize. “Right, I think I knew that.”
“How do you know him...?” he asked, curious. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her.
“I’m friends with his friends, and hm, I’ve hung out with him a few times?” It was the best way she could explain her relationship with Lex. They weren’t friends, pretty far from it, but they had worked together against his dad before and they knew each other well enough.
“Right,” he murmured, nodding a little.
“I live here, well, lived in Smallville. I live in Metropolis now. Again,” she told him, not entirely sure what she was saying.
“I’m going to be staying in Metropolis for a few days, at least,” he said, holding his breath.
The butterflies multiplied all of the sudden and she nodded a little. “For business?”
“That was the plan.” But now that he’d seen her, he wasn’t quite as eager to get to work at QI. “But I can’t work around the clock.”
She blinked a few times at that then nodded a little as she held her breath. “I guess you can’t.”
“Do you think that we could get together? I mean, will you be free at some point in the next couple weeks?” Oliver asked hopefully.
“Yeah,” she whispered, her mouth suddenly dry as she nodded. “I’ll have time.”
“I have a cell phone,” he said, then shook his head like that would be surprising to her. “Let’s exchange numbers?”
Chloe couldn’t help but smile a little at the way he worded it. Nodding, she reached for her phone inside the small purse she had over her shoulder. “That would make it easier.”
He pulled his cell phone out, as well. Then he held it out to her, smiling faintly.
She reached for his as she held her own out to him, her heart skipping a beat as their fingers touched. She hated feeling fourteen again, but he apparently still had the same effect on her.
Oliver held his breath as they exchanged phones, fingers brushing over one another. He programed all of his various cell numbers into her phone before handing it back to her. “It’s really good to see you,” he whispered.
Chloe slid her phone back into her purse and nodded a little as she found herself searching his eyes again. “It’s really good to see you too,” she told him quietly.
“Do you...would you want to dance with me?” he asked.
She held her breath for a moment then nodded a little, smiling at him. What she really wanted to do was hug him, tell him how incredibly relieved she had been when she heard the news about him being alive, but after so long and considering they were just kids when they knew each other, she supposed a dance would have to do.
He smiled, too, moving closer to her and holding his hand out silently.
Chloe took his hand and looked up at him, smiling a little more as she wrapped her fingers around his hand and let him lead her toward the dance floor portion of the Luthor Mansion’s ballroom.
His smile brightened, too, and he held her gaze as they began to sway to the orchestra music that was being played. “You know, I didn’t think it was possible, but you really have gotten more beautiful since the last time I saw you.”
Chloe grinned softly at that and lifted her hand to his shoulder, stepping closer to him. “Apparently spending time on a deserted island not only made you look better, but it also made you a bigger flirt.”
He rested a hand at her waist, eyes full of amusement. “Well, it’s not everyday that a guy runs into the only woman he’s ever loved, you know.”
Chloe’s heart skipped a beat again but she grinned, shaking her head and looking down then back at him. “A much bigger flirt.”
“Hey, I’m just stating facts,” he informed her, arching his eyebrows.
“Uh huh,” she said, smirking at him. “I guess you haven’t changed that much after all.”
He grinned at that. “You might just be surprised.”
“I guess I will find out when we meet up later this week,” she told him, unconsciously letting go of his hand and placing both hands over his shoulders. “You definitely got taller, but you have always been much taller than me.”
“And your green eyes are just as breathtaking as I remember,” he murmured, searching her eyes as he shifted closer to her, their bodies much closer together.
She smiled and cocked her head a little. “I’m pretty sure you used that on me when I was twelve.”
He couldn’t help but smile at that. “Still holds true. You know that’s why green is my favorite color, right?”
“I do remember that, yes.” She paused and looked down at her dress then shrugged a little. “I guess it’s fitting I should be wearing it the time I see you again.”
“Yes, I guess it is,” he whispered.
Chloe cocked her head a little and watched him closely for a moment. “Have you been okay? Since you got back...”
Oliver pursed his lips, considering that for a moment. “For the most part, yeah. Just...adjusting to being back on dry land and not having to hunt for my own food.”
She shifted a little closer at that and held her hands together behind the back of his neck, her eyes a little more glassy than before. “I was glad to hear you were okay.”
He held his breath at the expression on her face, his own features softening. He hesitated a second, then wound his arms around her in a hug, shutting his eyes. “I didn’t know how to get in touch with you once we lost contact,” he admitted quietly.
Chloe dropped her arms from around his neck and wrapped them around his back, hugging him back and nodding a little. “I didn’t either, I was thinking of trying to find a number for you, after I saw you were back but...” she trailed off, not sure how to tell him she wasn’t sure if he would want to talk to her.
He rested his head against hers, letting out a slow breath. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “Obviously we were destined to be in contact again or we wouldn’t be here, right?”
“Yeah,” she whispered, nodding a little but not pulling away, just closing her eyes. “I almost didn’t come, but I’m really glad I did.”
“I’m really glad you did, too,” he whispered back.
She relaxed and moved slowly with him for a moment before pulling back just enough to look at him. Ever since she saw the news about him being alive, she wondered what it would be like, seeing him again. She never expected it to feel like this, like no time had passed at all since they last saw each other.
He smiled softly as their eyes met. “You know what this reminds me of, right?”
Chloe couldn’t help but smile back at him as she nodded a little. “Of course, how could I forget?”
Oliver stood in the corner of the room, talking to a couple of his friends when he spotted Chloe stepping inside the decorated gymnasium. He barely heard what his friend Rodney was saying as he made his way over toward her, grinning. “Hi.”
Chloe stilled when he approached her, she had just gotten to the dance and she was looking for her own friends and while that included him, she had been hoping for a little more time before seeing him because he usually made her nervous. “Hi,” she said anyway, arching her eyebrows.
“You look great,” he said, not sensing her nervousness.
She rolled her eyes at him but smiled. “It’s just a dress,” she told him, then glanced around before focusing on him again. “Where is everyone?”
He shrugged a little, glancing around, too. “Maybe they’re not here yet,” he suggested, ignoring the fact that his own friends were there, already pretending to be too cool for a junior high dance.
She took a deep breath and shrugged, holding her hands together. “So, what is there to do at this thing, anyway?”
“Well, there are cookies and punch. And dancing, I guess.” He arched his eyebrows. “Do you...wanna dance?”
Chloe paused at that and grinned as she looked at him. “Can you dance?” She asked, almost a dare mostly because she was so nervous. Thanks to Lois.
He blinked at the challenge in her tone and held his hand out to her, smirking. “I’ll show you.”
She grinned and shook her head, following him to the center of the gymnasium. “You have one chance, if you step on my foot, you lose.”
A short chuckle escaped him and he shook his head at her, resting one hand at her waist. “We’ll see,” he teased.
She grinned and nodded. Lois kept telling her that she liked Oliver because she always talked about him and she had told her she should kiss him but it was much easier to hang out with him when she wasn’t thinking about everything her cousin told her.
“So what are you guys going to do over Christmas break?” he asked curiously. It had been a couple of years since he’d really done anything for the holidays. Since his parents had died. Sure, he could hang out with the staff, but that wasn’t very interesting. It wasn’t the same--they weren’t family. Not that he was going to hone in on Chloe and her dad’s plans.
Her face fell a little and she shrugged. “We usually go to Metropolis, but Dad said we can’t go this year. I guess we’re just going to eat something and do gifts and stuff.”
When her face fell, he looked down, feeling guilty about asking. “Sorry,” he said quietly.
“It’s not your fault,” she said with a shrug then frowned a little as she looked up at him. “What about you?”
He shrugged, too. “Don’t know yet. I’ll probably go have dinner at Rodney’s house or something,” he lied.
“Oh.” She nodded a little and looked away. She wondered how it was to have Christmas without having either parent around, but at least he had something to do.
The tempo of the music changed to something a little more upbeat and he twirled her around without warning, grinning.
Her eyes widened and she gasped as she turned to face him again. “What are you doing?” She accused but she was smiling.
“Proving I can dance.” He smirked.
“Well, you proved you can make me dizzy,” she teased, smirking back at him.
Oliver laughed. “You liked it.”
Chloe grinned a little and shook her head then watched him for a moment in silence before arching an eyebrow. “What else can you do?”
“That’s a loaded question,” he teased, pulling her closer to him. He’d managed to guide them over toward the door while they danced and he smiled at her.
“How is it loaded?” She asked, arching her eyebrows. “You’re the one showing off.”
He shrugged, grinning at her as he maneuvered them directly under the mistletoe. “Just remember, you asked.” Without warning, he dipped his head and kissed her, right on the mouth, gently.
Chloe stilled completely, her eyes widening for a moment and then she remembered Lois telling her to close her eyes, so she did. And she pressed her lips back against his, her heart beating fast against her chest, she had expected it to be wetter, somehow. She pulled away a moment later and stared at him, her face flushed. “What was that?”
“Well, we’re under mistletoe,” he explained, looking up and holding his breath. He hoped she wasn’t going to get mad at him.
She blinked and looked at him then up over their heads and nodded a little. “Oh.”
“Was that okay?” he asked, hopeful.
Chloe chewed on the inside of her mouth then nodded a little, a smirk appearing on her lips. “I guess so.”
He cocked his head to the side. “You guess so?”
“Yeah, I guess,” she told him, glancing up at the mistletoe for a moment before looking at him and kissing him again.
He was about to protest her choice of words when she kissed him, and immediately he forgot about being momentarily annoyed. He kissed her back, lifting a hand to cup her cheek.
She grinned a little against his lips when he kissed her back then pulled away and shrugged. “You were standing under it now.”
He couldn’t help but grin back at her, nodding slightly and kissing her once more. “Now we’re both standing under it.”
Chloe grinned a little more and looked down then back at him. “I thought you asked me to dance.”
“We were dancing. Then we were kissing.”
She blushed a little at that and nodded. “Now what?”
He couldn’t help but smile at her blushing. “Now, we dance some more?”
Chloe chewed on her bottom lip for a moment then nodded a little. “Okay.” Kissing was more interesting, but she supposed they should do something else too.
He leaned in closer to her. “And more kissing later,” he whispered.
She grinned at that, blushing once more and glanced at him. “We’ll see about that.”
He grinned, too. “I look forward to it.”
Chloe looked at him for a moment then reached for his hand and tugged him back toward the dance floor. She did too, but he didn’t need to know that. All in all, it wasn’t too bad for a first, second and third kiss.
“As first dances go, I think it was pretty memorable,” Oliver told her, soft smile on his face.
“As first kisses go, it wasn’t bad either,” she told him, smiling softly.
He grinned at that, nodding in agreement. “No, it certainly wasn’t.”
“How are things in Star City?” she asked quietly. Even though she had only lived there for about four and half years, she had some great memories of the city. Most of which involved Oliver.
His expression grew serious at the mention of the city. “Crime’s kind of exploded lately,” he told her just as quietly. “Apparently it’s become a bit of a dangerous city to live in. Not as dangerous as Gotham, but...” His chest was tight.
“That I’ve read,” she said quietly, nodding a little as she slid her hands back to his shoulders. “Are you taking over your parents’ company now that you’re back?” She knew that had been the plan when he was younger, but she didn’t know if it was still what he was going to do. He had never really wanted it.
Oliver pursed his lips, nodding slightly. “Yeah, that’s the plan,” he said softly. Truthfully he wasn’t sure he was ready for that, but he wasn’t going to let someone else take over his parents’ legacy, either. He gazed at her for a moment. “How’ve you been?”
“I think you’ll be great,” she told him sincerely with a smile. “I’ve been good, I’m working for the Planet.”
He smiled at that. “Your dream job come true.”
“Yeah.” Chloe grinned softly and nodded. “What about your dreams?”
“Well, I’m off the island,” he told her lightly. “So that’s a big step in the right direction.”
“Good point,” she said, watching him closely. “I guess you need some time before you take any other big steps.”
“Yeah. Still getting my ‘land legs’ back.”
“Okay, Ariel, maybe I can help you some while you’re in town,” she teased.
“I’d like that very much, Prince Eric,” he teased back.
Chloe grinned brightly at that and arched her eyebrows. “I’m glad you still remember something I taught you.”
He met her eyes, smirking faintly. “I remember a lot of things you taught me, Ms. Sullivan,” he murmured.
“Yeah?” She cocked her head, watching him closely. “Like what, Mr. Queen?”
He held her gaze. “Determination, perseverance, and never giving up on what you want.”
Chloe smiled softly at that, searching his eyes and nodding a little. “I’ve learned a lot from you too, you know?”
“Have you?” He studied her, unsure of what it was he could have taught her when he always felt like he was the one learning.
“Yeah, you taught me there was a lot more to people than meets the eye, to be confident and you did teach me how to kiss.” And more, she added silently, with a grin.
He grinned at that. “You were a fast learner,” he told her, unaware of the man approaching from behind him.
“Thanks,” she said brightly, pausing when she saw Clark stopping right behind Oliver and staring at her.
He realized her attention had been deflected and he glanced over his shoulder, eyeing the dark-haired man. He felt his chest tighten slightly, realizing this man could very well be involved with Chloe. “I think someone’s wanting to cut in.” He tried to keep his voice light.
Chloe’s chest tightened a little and she wanted nothing more than to tell Clark to go away, but considering the kicked puppy look on his face, she knew she couldn’t. She looked up at Oliver. “You’re not going anywhere, are you?”
He searched her eyes, then shook his head. “I can wait.”
She smiled at that and nodded a little. “I’ll come find you.”
“I look forward to it.” He smiled back at her.
* * *
As it turned out, Clark hadn’t really been wanting to dance with her as much as he wanted to ask her if they could leave. It took a long conversation to convince him to go without her especially considering he had a thousand questions to ask her about Oliver. But once Clark finally agreed to leave the party on his own, she went looking for Oliver again. She was surprised to find him by himself, outside on the balcony, but not entirely. He had always been a much bigger loner than he let on.
“For a second there, I thought you had changed your mind on waiting,” she told him as she stepped outside. It was chilly out, but there was enough heat coming from inside, along with heat lamps in the balcony itself that made it bearable even without a jacket.
He turned toward her, smiling softly at the sound of her voice. “No such luck,” he teased.
“Never considered myself a lucky person anyway,” she said with a smirk as she stepped closer to him.
“I’d say I wasn’t, either, but I don’t think I can truthfully say that.” He smirked back at her.
“Coming back to life sounds pretty lucky to me,” she agreed, leaning sideways against the balcony and watching him closely.
“Exactly.” He gazed at her, eyes filled with warmth. “So...” He glanced toward the ballroom, arching his eyebrows. He wanted to ask about the dark-haired man, but he didn’t want to sound like he was a jealous ex-boyfriend, even if it was exactly what he was.
“So,” she echoed, arching her eyebrows and glancing inside the ballroom then back at him. “That was Clark.”
“So he has a name.” He smirked faintly, glancing out over the country landscape.
“Most people do,” she said even as she smirked back at him, keeping her eyes on his face.
“Point.” He glanced at her once more. “So then, when I call and ask if you’ll meet me for dinner one night next week, should I be expecting dinner for three?”
Chloe couldn’t help but grin a little at his way of asking if she and Clark were together. She was also happy to hear it mattered to him. “Well, if you’re that interested in him, I can see if he’s available?”
He was barely able to suppress a smile. “I think I’ll pass.”
“Just two, then,” she said knowingly.
“Oh, good. I’ve never been that great when it comes to sharing.” His eyes twinkled with amusement.
“Oh, I remember.” She grinned, arching her eyebrows at him.
He grinned back at her, comfortable silence falling between them as they gazed at each other. “I admit, I almost didn’t come here tonight, but...I’m very glad I did.”
“So am I,” she told him quietly. “Do you think you will still be in Metropolis for Christmas?”
“I definitely will be,” he assured her.
“I’m sure Dad would love to see you, if you don’t have plans.” Inviting him for Christmas definitely felt like a deja vu as much as dancing with him earlier had.
“I don’t,” Oliver admitted softly. “Are you sure I wouldn’t be imposing?”
“Really? Didn’t we have this conversation every year you spent Christmas with us when we were kids? You’re still welcome, Ollie,” she told him sincerely, her chest tightening a little.
He smiled. “I guess a lot of things never change. Thank you.”
“And sometimes, that’s a good thing,” she said quietly, relaxing a little when he accepted. “It will be good to have you there, and you will probably finally get to meet Lois.”
“Very much look forward to it. Maybe I’ll even bring a dish.” He winked at her.
“Oh, you better, you remember what the Sullivan cooking tastes like, right? We will probably order a turkey to avoid an accident.” She grinned.
Oliver chuckled at that. “In that case, maybe I’ll bring a couple of dishes,” he teased.
“We can always get the ingredients and you can cook at dad’s, if you want?” She suggested, arching her eyebrows.
He cocked his head. “Yeah, that’d be fine, too.”
“Good.” She grinned. “We can even help out by chatting and drinking while we watch you cook.”
He smirked, nodding. “Just like old times.” He paused, glancing up above them. “And speaking of which...”
“Yeah?” She paused, arching her eyebrows and looking up too, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the mistletoe right above their heads. “I guess we shouldn’t break tradition,” she said quietly as she looked back at him, suddenly nervous like her twelve year old self had been at her first dance.
“It would be wrong,” he agreed, stepping closer to her, and lifting a hand to her cheek, stroking it with his thumb gently.
Chloe held his gaze and stepped forward too, leaning into his touch as she lifted a hand to the back of his neck. “Extremely wrong,” she whispered as she tiptoed and pressed her lips lightly against his.
Oliver kissed her back softly, his eyes drifting shut as his heart beat quickly in his chest. When she broke the kiss a moment later, he brushed his nose over hers. “But now you’re standing under the mistletoe,” he murmured, kissing her once more.
She smiled against his lips and kissed him back, lifting her other hand to his arm to keep her balance even as they broke their second kiss. “Three’s a charm,” she murmured, grinning softly and kissing him one last time.
After the third kiss, he rested his forehead against hers, smiling, too. “So, what now?”
“I guess now we dance,” she smiled, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. “And maybe there will be more kissing later.”
“Sounds promising.” He grinned, resting his hands at her waist.
“Just like last time.” She grinned back at him, holding his gaze as she brushed her nose gently against his.
“A delayed instant replay,” he joked, pulling her closer.
Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded a little, her chest tight. “Hopefully with a different outcome.”
“Well, we do have a little more control over our own lives now that we’re adults,” he pointed out quietly. He kissed the corner of her mouth.
She nodded slightly, closing her eyes and turning her head to press her lips against his once more. They still lived in different states, but if even after seven years of not seeing each other it was still so easy to pick up where they left off, maybe they could figure things out this time.