Chapter Text
Title: Five Times Oliver Needed a Sidekick and One Time Chloe Needed a Hero.
Authors: 
chloeas and 
dl_greenarrow
Rated: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not ours. Don't sue. Thanks. :D
Note: This is a sequel to Five Times Chloe Met Oliver and One Time She Met Green Arrow and Five Times Chloe and Oliver Surprised Each Other..
Oliver smiled faintly as he picked up a picture frame from Chloe's bedside table in her dorm room. It was a picture of her with her father, when she was younger. If he'd had to guess, he'd say she was maybe six in the photo. He set it back down, listening to the sound of the running water from the bathroom where she was showering. He sat down on the edge of her bed, looking around at the variety of books and CD's that were scattered around. He picked up the book nearest him and read the cover: Mysteries of the Strange and Unexplained. A grin tugged at his lips a little and he set it back down before glancing at the basket of clean laundry she'd left sitting on her bed. Without really thinking about it, he dumped the clothes onto her bedspread and began to fold them neatly, putting them in piles. He didn't even hear the door open.
"Chloe, I need-" Clark stilled, his eyes wide when he saw, not Chloe, not the empty dorm room, but a guy standing there, and was he folding her clothes? Frowning, he crossed his arms over his chest, "who are you?"
He turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and found himself looking at a guy who was about his height, but looked a little younger than him. Dark hair and narrowed eyes, the guy didn't look very happy. It took him about three seconds flat to figure out who he was. "I'm Oliver. You must be Clark." He held his hand out toward him, offering him a smile.
Because he was raised to be polite, Clark took Oliver's hand and shook it but kept frowning suspiciously at the other man who looked way too comfortable in his best friend's room, especially for someone Clark didn't know who he was, "where is Chloe?"
"Oh, she's in the shower." He motioned toward the closed bathroom door. "I'm sure she'll be out soon. You want something to drink?" he asked, glancing toward the mini-fridge. "There's water, soda and coffee, of course."
That only caused Clark to frown even more, if he knew who he was, he should know better than to be so at home in his best friend's place. He should be the one offering the other man things to drink. And why was he there when Chloe was in the shower? And folding her laundry for her.
"Why are you here?" He asked bluntly.
Oliver arched an eyebrow at the tone of Clark's voice. "Well, Chloe invited me to come over to hang out and since I said yes, I came over." He couldn't help but smirk.
Clark considered Oliver for a moment then moved over to Chloe's bed and sat down, "I need to talk to her." And he didn't really believe what the other man was telling him.
He shrugged a little, and went back to folding clothes, eyeing him. He could tell Clark already didn't like him, which was fine. He was used to that reaction from people. "You go to Met U, too?" he asked, willing himself to make at least a little effort to be polite.
"University of Central Kansas," he said, watching Oliver out of the corner of his eyes, "you don't go to college, do you?" This guy looked way older than him, older than Chloe should be dating.
The way he asked it was so judgemental, it took every effort on Oliver's part to smile and shake his head. "No, I don't," he said.
"Where did you meet Chloe?" Clark asked, this time turning to face the other man.
"Which time?" he responded, for once not being a smart ass.
"The first?" Clark said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Because what kind of other answer would you usually have for that kind of question.
"Well, the first time we met was at Queen Industries here in Metropolis," he responded with a slight shrug. He glanced at Clark sideways. "I was eleven."
That made him pause and he just stared at him, "if she's known you that long, how come she never mentioned you before?"
Oliver paused, as well. "Well, we didn't exactly stay in touch. We've just run into each other periodically over the years."
Clark nodded and shrugged a little, he was about to say something else when he heard the door to the bathroom open and turned to look in that direction. Finally.
As she came out, Chloe was drying her hair on a towel, "so where do you think we should go for dinner? I mean, we have lots of options around campus but--" She paused when her eyes fell on Clark and she glanced over at Oliver, "Clark, everything okay?" It wasn't unusual that he would stop by without calling, but it was unusual that he would stay when she obviously had company and on top of that, he looked highly uncomfortable.
"Yeah, your friend was just telling me how you met." Clark met her eyes, giving her a look.
"Which time?" She asked, turning back to look at Oliver and smiling at him.
"The first," he told her, smiling back at her.
Clark looked between them, then frowned a little. "I guess I should go. I just came by to see if you could help me on some...homework." He gazed at Chloe.
Oliver glanced at Clark, then at Chloe, hesitating a moment. "Why don't I go grab some takeout for dinner? That way you can help Clark."
Clark's words made her worry a little and she nodded, meeting Oliver's gaze, "that would be awesome, if you don't mind."
"Sure thing," he said easily. "Chinese? Deli? Pizza?"
"Whatever you're in the mood for, I'm just starting to get hungry so I have no preferences." She told him, smiling softly.
Oliver met her eyes for a moment, a soft smile touching his lips as well. "All right. Be back soon." He headed out of the room, leaving Clark and Chloe alone.
With a deep breath, Chloe walked over to the bed and sat down next to Clark, looking at him, "okay, what's going on?"
"That's a good question." He frowned and looked back at her uncertainly.
"Clark," she gave him a look, rolling her eyes, "you cannot tell me this is about Ollie."
"Ollie?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah? Ollie? Oliver? The guy you were just talking to?" Chloe raised her eyebrows and gave him a look.
"You've given him a nickname already? How long have you known this guy, Chloe? He doesn't even go to school here." He frowned, worry clear in his eyes. "I mean, I came in here and he was folding your clothes. And he offered me something to drink."
"You're kidding me, right? Ollie is the nickname to Oliver, just like you call me Chlo, Clark. What are you freaking out about?" She paused and looked behind her, over at the bed and smirked a little, shaking her head, "He was folding my clothes?" Blinking, she shook her head, "and he was being polite, there is nothing wrong with that."
"It's just all a little sudden, Chloe." He studied her intently.
"What is all of the sudden, exactly, Clark?"
His eyebrows furrowed. "Are you guys seeing each other?"
That made her pause and she cocked her head to look at him, technically, yes, they were seeing each other, even if they hadn't really talked about it and they hadn't slept together yet, they had been going on dates since he had kissed her last week, but it was less than a week and it wasn't official or anything, "kinda. Maybe? I don't know yet."
Clark looked down at the floor. "Oh."
"What, Clark?"
"Nothing, I just..." He shook his head a little. "Nothing." He glanced up at her. "What's your impression of this Green Arrow guy?"
Chloe narrowed her eyes, studying him for a moment but then, when she processed his question, she shrugged, "you read the article, I think he's a decent guy, why?"
"Just wondered." He studied her in return. "I'm just not sure he's all he claims to be."
"What makes you say that?" She said, squinting slightly, she was sure whatever it was that Clark thought he saw wasn't really what he saw, but she couldn't have Clark going after Oliver, or Green Arrow for that matter.
"Well for one, Chloe, he shoots people with arrows." He frowned.
"He shoots bad guys, Clark, but he shoots to stop them, not to kill them, would you rather they got away with mugging and hurting civilians?"
"Of course not," he said without hesitation, his frown deepening. "I just think maybe there are better ways." He looked at her. "And I want you to be careful, Chloe."
"Not everyone has the abilities you do," she told him, watching him and trying to calm herself, he wouldn't listen to her if she wasn't calm and he might start suspecting her, "I'm pretty sure this guy is human, Clark, and he's doing a lot for Metropolis, what could possibly be wrong?"
The worry on his face didn't go away. "I'm just concerned, Chloe, that's all. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"I'm okay," she placed a hand on his arm and squeezed it softly, "I promise, Clark. Besides, I only ran into the Green Arrow twice, he hasn't showed up since the interview."
He relaxed a little. "All right."
Chloe nodded a little, technically, it was true, she hadn't seen Oliver in his uniform since that night, "is that the only thing that is bothering you?"
Clark was silent for a moment. "I just haven't seen you much lately," he admitted with a slight shrug.
"I know," her face fell a little and she watched him carefully, "I'm sorry, we'll change that, I promise."
He smiled a little, nodding. "Okay. I should probably get going before your...friend...gets back."
Pursing her lips together, she nodded a little, "he's a nice guy too, Clark."
He simply nodded again, though he wasn't quite sure of that himself yet. Time would tell. It always did. "All right, well, if you need anything, call me."
"I will, you too okay?" She told him, holding his gaze, she didn't want Clark to feel like he was losing the space he had in her life because of Oliver, the two of them had a lot in common and she really hoped they could become friends eventually.
"I will." He smiled at her, then headed out the door.
Chloe smiled back and watched as he left the dorm, sighing deeply as silently as possible after he did, she got up and picked up the laundry that was all over her bed, pushed it back into the laundry basket then sat back down, turning the TV on and waiting for Oliver to get back.
He returned a half-hour later, hesitantly knocking on the door and trying to ignore the stares from a couple of her dorm-mates as they passed by.
"C'mon in," she called, sitting up and looking at the door.
Oliver stepped inside, glancing around and relaxing when he realized it was just her. He closed the door quietly and held up the rather large bag of food. "I didn't really know what kind of Chinese foods you liked, so I got a little of everything."
With wide eyes, Chloe stood up, "that's enough food to feed ten people, Oliver," she told him, walking over to her small desk and closing her laptop before putting it away along with her papers and making room for the food.
"Well, I figured whatever we don't eat, I'll take to the shelter down the street," he said with a slight shrug.
That made her smile and she nodded, "okay, as long as it's for a good cause," she took the bag and placed it over the desk then start to pull take out boxes out of it, "Clark didn't threaten to kill you or anything, right?"
He glanced up at her, uncertainty in his eyes. "No, but he definitely didn't like me."
Frowning a little, she shook her head, "he's just overprotective..."
He fell silent, nodding a little as he picked up a box of chicken fried rice and sat down on the edge of her bed.
"What?" She asked him, turning to face him as he walked away.
Oliver blinked and looked up at her. "What...what?"
"You went all quiet on me."
"Oh." He was quiet for a moment as he stirred the rice in the box with his plastic fork. "He didn't have any idea who I was." His voice was hesitant.
Frowning, she shook her head, not understanding what he meant, "did you tell him you were Oliver Queen?"
Oliver raised his eyebrows. "No."
"How would he know who you are, then?"
"I meant...to you." He took a bite of his food.
"Oh," she paused then walked over to the bed, "well, I didn't want to tell anyone anything until I knew for sure who you are--" she paused again, "to me."
He swallowed and gazed up at her. "I think you're the only one who knows for sure," he said softly.
Shaking her head, she sat down next to him, "that's not what I mean," she told him, "I just don't know exactly where we are and... I didn't want to label us anything that you're not comfortable with."
Oliver relaxed at her words. Truthfully she was the only woman who'd ever taken into account what he might be comfortable with in terms of a relationship. "Likewise, but...on my part, it all comes with a lot more baggage," he told her, holding her gaze.
"Mine comes with Clark and Lois, I think we're even," she told him, smiling slightly.
"Yeah, but mine comes with the media making assumptions, and digging up your past as well as mine," he said quietly, looking down for a moment. "That's why I've kind of steered us toward more low-key places when we go out," he admitted.
"I have dealt with things that are much scarier than the press, Oliver," she told him seriously, thinking more of the Luthors than the aliens and meteor mutants, "look, we don't have to label anything if you don't want to, I'm fine with how we are now."
He met her eyes, holding her gaze for a long moment, then leaning in and kissing her softly.
Raising her eyebrows slightly, she kissed him back after a moment, closing her eyes and shifting closer to him.
He smiled faintly as he set his food down on the stand by her bed and slid his arms around her, tugging her closer. He slid one hand into her hair, resting his forehead against hers.
Chloe opened her eyes and looked at him, still confused if his actions meant he didn't want to label anything or if it meant something else and she was completely missing it since she had never been very good as deciphering what guys meant in these kind of situations, but she felt like it wasn't the right time to ask so she lifted a hand to his arm and smiled softly.
Oliver drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I don't really know what to call it," he said softly. "I just know how I feel."
"I don't know what to call it either," she admitted, "maybe it's too early to call it anything."
"It might be. And I really don't want to jinx it," he told her quietly. Cause God knew he didn't have the best of luck when it came to relationships. Granted, that was usually his own fault.
"Me neither," she agreed, squeezing his arm gently, "and considering I don't have the best luck when it comes to this kind of thing, I think we should wait."
Oliver nodded slightly, kissing her once more, then offering her a soft smile. "All right. Then we wait."
Chloe smiled at him and nodded, leaning in and kissing him again, as long as she could keep kissing him and move into other things, she would be okay with whatever label he chose, "and while we wait, should we eat?"
"Probably should. I have it on good authority that Chinese food isn't nearly as good when it's cold." He smiled.
With a nod, she got up and picked one of the take out boxes before walking around the bed and sitting next to him again, "and for the record, chicken lo mein is my favorite."
He grinned. "I'll remember that," he promised.
"I'm surprised you didn't find anyone to ask this time," she teased.
"Maybe I should start carrying around a picture of you so when I go to food places around here I can just ask to get your usual," he teased back.
Laughing, she shook her head and raised her eyebrows at him, "or you can give me a call and ask me in case I'm not there with you?"
"Or that. I tend to do things the hard way, apparently." He grinned.
"I'll give you that much," she raised her eyebrows and paused, "speaking of doing things the hard way..."
He arched an eyebrow and waited for her to finish her thought.
"Apparently Clark is worried that I'm in danger because he doesn't know if he trusts the Green Arrow or not and wants me to be careful."
Oliver sighed softly. "So he doesn't like me or my alter ego."
"He doesn't know either one of you, not really," she reminded him, holding his gaze, "I just thought I'd let you know, in case he tries to find Green Arrow to tell him to stay away from me."
At that, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, that would be an interesting encounter. Not very likely to happen, but it would be interesting."
Smiling softly, she shrugged a shoulder, "I did my best to cover for you, you know, as your unofficial sidekick, so you should be okay."
Oliver smiled and kissed her forehead. "Well, I appreciate it." Maybe having sidekick wasn't so bad after all.