Love by a Different Name (2/14)

[serafina19]

Title: Love by a Different Name
Summary: "It was nothing but a chance encounter, a simple set-up that neither of them wanted to attend.  But they did, and they had found each other." Sequel to “Time Makes it Harder,” takes place in the Mirror-verse.
Rating: NC-17
Warning: adult content, coarse language.

Dedication: To daydreamer22688, I don't know if you remembering asking for this, but ask and you shall receive.
Thanks to: alxnhnt22 for the banner.

Sera's Scribbles: Italics for the most part are flashbacks.

Part 1

Part 2

Oliver knocked on the dorm room door, grateful for the lack of a peephole, because she probably wouldn’t open the door in the first place if she knew it was him on the other side.  After all, he knew the only reason Chloe Sullivan had helped him was because she hated the Luthors more.

But Oliver figured he owed her as much as showing his gratitude in some way.  He wasn’t sure how initially, but she was a college student, so Oliver figured he would help out with Chloe’s tuition.

After a minute of waiting, the door finally opened to reveal the girl Oliver had been waiting for.

“Mr. Queen?” Chloe said through blinking eyes, understandable considering it wasn’t likely she was expecting him.

“The one and only,” Oliver replied with a smile, trying to lighten the mood, but it didn’t work on Chloe.  The woman was tough, he could see it in the way she provided the information and eventually strolled out.  “Can I come in?”

“No disrespect meant, Mr. Queen, but anything you need from me can be handled from here.”

She didn’t trust him; Oliver could understand that too.  Chloe Sullivan’s record with billionaires alone made it clear.  “Fair enough.”  He reached inside his coat pocket to hand her the envelope.  “Thank you... for everything.”

It wasn’t every day that someone offered to save a person’s company, especially for someone like Oliver himself, as his image was less than stellar.  But his company meant everything to him, the last good piece of himself.

“No problem,” Chloe replied, taking the envelope and closing the door in his face.

Oliver stood there, baffled.  It wasn’t the reaction he was looking for, but at least she took the cheque.  Or at least, she took it momentarily.  Within a minute, the envelope slid back under the door, a note reading “I don’t need your charity,” and the cheque, ripped up, still inside the opened envelope.

At this sight, Oliver couldn’t resist a chuckle, but he also wasn’t about to give up on Miss Sullivan just yet.  If nothing else, she intrigued him.

~0~

Getting over his pause, Oliver nodded.  “That would be me.” He held out his hand, figuring sticking to a hand shake would be best.  “Cora, I presume.”

“Yes,” she replied awkwardly, but she did shake his hand as she started to get out of her seat.

“Please, stay seated.” Oliver held a hand up, finding it unnecessary for her to inconvenience herself for his own lateness.  She would sit down again, nodding shakily in the process before burrowing her head back in the menu.  It surprised him.  The way Hal talked about her, shy seemed far from the list of qualities Cora Sutherland possessed.

Smiling, even though he knew she couldn’t see it, Oliver tried to make the most of the situation.  “Nervous?”

~0~

She was now.  This was far from her normal territory, but how was she supposed to remain civilized when all she could think of was how much Roy reminded her of Oliver.  It sucked that the old cliché was true; that she never forgot him.

But she was stronger than this, so she slammed the menu down, watching him jump as the cutlery clanged together as a consequence.  Grinning lightly as she filed the fork back in its place, Chloe found it in herself to admit, “I don’t normally do blind dates.”

“They’re not really that exciting,” Roy replied, probably out of reassurance.  A guy like him probably had more experience in that category than she did.

Chloe smirked as she took a sip of her water.  She could already tell that this was going to be a long night.  “And yet you agreed.”

“I lost a bet.”  It probably wasn’t what he meant to say, as he rolled his eyes following that statement, but oddly, it made Chloe more comfortable.  They could bond over the stupidness of the concept if nothing else.

But that that didn’t stop Chloe from feigning hurt over his reply.  “Ouch.”

Roy flashed a smile, catching her sarcasm, and he seemed ready to cover up his last comment. “But I have to admit... you caught my curiosity.”

“Really?”  Chloe asked with genuine surprise.  She may be a front-page reporter these days, but she usually kept to herself, not really wanting much companionship in her life.  Therefore, aside from her work, she didn’t see herself as being someone overly exciting.  “How so?”

His mouth gaped open once, before he closed it, and then opened again to say, “This is going to sound weird, but have we met before?”

She wanted to say yes, her whole body felt like it was shaking as she watched him across from her, but it was crazy. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“You… remind me of someone I used to know.”

Well, that’s a dangerous thought.

But oddly enough, it wasn’t a comment Chloe was going to let go easily.  “Is that a bad thing?”

“No.  She was…”  After his voice trailed for a minute, Chloe considered telling him that he didn’t have to continue, but she held back when Roy quietly scoffed, likely internally rolling his eyes. “You know what, I promised myself I wouldn’t do this, so how about we move to the menu?”

“Works for me,” she replied, not really wanting to make him uncomfortable.  “What’s good here?”

Chloe narrowed her eyes as she looked at the menu, waiting for him to respond.  “Can’t say... I’ve never been here.”

Feeling confused, she peered up again.  “So...”

“Hal’s choice,” he finished.  “Apparently, this is where one takes a date.”

~0~

That comment got her to laugh before looking back at her menu, which Oliver took as a fortunate sign.  After all, he didn’t know what else to tell her.

They spent a couple minutes pouring over the menu before the waitress came by, getting Oliver’s drink order, their food order, before walking away.

Taking a sip of water, Oliver swallowed it quickly as he stared attentively at his date.  “Remind me again, how do you know Hal?”  He knew the most of the details, but he wanted her side of the story, as Hal had a tendency of fabrication.

Cora leaned against the back of her seat, her gaze wavering for a second before answering.  “I interviewed him for a story about a few years ago, and we’ve kept in touch ever since I told him that he and I were never going to happen.” She chuckled quietly before adding, “I guess I left quite an impression.”

“He was ready to sing your praises,” Oliver replied, agreeing with her point.  It wasn’t every day Hal was pushing a girl in his direction, and usually after a single no, Hal got that it wasn’t going to happen.  Cora Sutherland was his exception, maybe because she was Hal’s exception too.  “It isn’t every girl that convinces him to only be friends.”

She nodded slightly before a sly smile came across her face.  “Actually, he was the one who convinced me that we should be friends.”

Oliver’s eyes widened, not believing what she had just admitted.  “Okay, I have to hear this story.”

Cora was more than willing to oblige, as she began the story when Hal “accidentally” ran into her at a bar, a mere three hours after their interview. She shot him down right away, but then Cora decided to let him try to change her mind.  Within an hour, Hal paused their conversation and admitted, I can’t believe I’m going to say this... but I think we should just be friends.

“I don’t make friends easily,” she concluded, “so I was caught a little off-guard... but it wasn’t every day that someone wanted to be my friend, so I took that as a compliment, took the chance.”  She picked up her wine glass, taking another sip.  “You probably didn’t need to know all that.”

“It’s fine,” Oliver countered.  “I’m learning more about you.”

Cora smiled, leaning forward in her seat as she placed the glass back down.  “Well, it’s your turn, because clearly I’m the one with a disadvantage here.  He told me nothing about you.  So… what’s the story of Roy Connor?”

Oliver had that story down pat by now; two years did that to a person, but he stuck to the basics. His earlier drama didn’t exact file under normal conversation.   “I work in a cubicle, so it’s not nearly as exciting as having a column with the Register.  I admit, I tried looking up your headshot, but to no avail.”

He couldn’t believe that Hal refused to show Oliver a picture before, but according to Hal, it spoiled the whole nature of the ‘blind’ part of the date. 

~0~

Chloe wasn’t exactly sure how the conversation had veered over to her again, but she had to admit that she was flattered that the guy had clearly tried to do his homework on her. 

Roy gave her a quick smirk, adding, “Now, I’m trying to figure out why a beautiful woman like yourself is camera shy.”

God, even the way he teased her was like Oliver.  Knowing her cheeks were heating up, Chloe bowed her head to hide the red hue, replying honestly.  “I like my anonymity, especially considering what I write.”

But it was more than that.  Chloe never fully believed that she was safe anymore, and besides, she had been 'dead' for so long that she didn’t want to risk her two worlds colliding.  Sure, sitting here now kind of contradicted that, but this was different, or at least, that was what Chloe was trying to convince herself.

“I bet you get your fair share of threats, especially since it’s clear that you’re not afraid to go after the big boys in charge.”

Surprised by his answer, she looked up and noticed the serious expression on Roy’s face.  That alone told Chloe that Roy had actually read her work.  Trying to play everything casually, Chloe shrugged a shoulder.  “The way I see it, I’m doing my job if threats come in.”

Roy nodded, narrowing his eyes as he continued to look straight at her.  “You’re not afraid of much, are you?”

Chloe shook her head, almost proud of that fact.  “I came from a broken family, and you already know about my stellar social calendar.  I’ve got nothing to lose”

“So why did you agree to come tonight?”

“Really?  Using my own line on me?”   Chloe stared with furrowed eyebrows, but when Roy’s expression hadn’t changed, she gave in.  “You know how Hal is.  He gets an idea, he sticks with it.  After everything he’s done, I figured… what the hell.”

In her mind it was better than losing a bet, however, neither circumstance really fell under them being there under their own free will.  Roy was quick to point that out.  “Quite a pair we make.”

“Hey, at least we’re honest, right?”   Chloe would much rather have a disastrous first date than risk getting hurt through another pointless ride down relationship road. “Better than making something out of what likely isn’t going anywhere.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I don’t live here,” she replied, figuring that she was stating the obvious.  “You know I write for the Register then you know Star City’s home for me.”   Chloe sighed as she subtly played with the folds of her napkin between her fingers.  “Besides, Hal’s more of a one-and-done kind of guy ever since the Carol debacle.  I kind of assumed that this was more about the aftermath than the actual dinner.”

Roy raised his eyebrows, likely not expecting Chloe’s admission, not that she could blame him.  “Is that what you want it to be?”

“No.  That makes things complicated.  I like sticking to simple conversation, stranger in a bar kind of feel.”   Besides, Chloe knew there was no way she could actually have a relationship with Roy.  Acquaintanceship worked, as he was a part of Hal’s life, but nothing more.  “That way, there’s no expectations, just a simple night out.”

“I can work with that,” Roy replied, much to Chloe’s delight, until he added,  “Except there’s one flaw with that plan.”

“Really?”

He nodded.  “I got transferred to the Star City office.  I start next month.”

Chloe was mentally killing Hal at this point.  It wasn’t his fault, Hal didn’t even know what he did, but he knew what he wanted to do tonight.  This was even a bigger disaster than Chloe thought.   “Is that right?”

Roy’s expression changed, likely seeing the frustration in hers, so Chloe dialled it back to sell that she was okay, for now.  Eventually, he responded, “Yeah, that disproved the one-and-done theory I had.”

Chloe scoffed as she eyed the guy in front of her.  “Because you need real help in the relationship category.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Yeah right," she responded, scoffing again.  "You could probably point at a girl and she’d go out with you.”

“Ditto.”

“Sorry, don’t swing that way,” Chloe quipped before sighing lightly.  “But I get what you mean.  It’s a pointless venture.  Sorry to dash your hopes, but my heart went a long time ago.”

~0~

When Oliver got the restaurant, he was pleasantly surprised to see Chloe Sullivan already at the table.  She was likely regretting her choice, but she was here, and that was enough.  Sitting down at the seat across from her, Oliver said politely, “I’m glad you were able to meet me tonight.”

“Well, it was either that or you constantly banging on my door.  I need to study at some point, and the flowers you sent to my dorm didn’t exactly make that easy either.”  

The sarcasm clearly hadn’t dissipated, Oliver figured.  Good to know. 

Chloe ignored the chuckle she heard from him, instead noticing how he was analyzing what she was wearing.  “If you’re looking for the dress you sent me, I think you’ll find that your assistance has a package on her desk on Monday morning.”

“Yes, it appears I made a mistake on that front,” Oliver said, leaning forward in his seat.  “No need, you look beautiful regardless.”

Not wanting to deal with him being overly close to her in that moment, Chloe leaned back in response, crossing her arms.  “Your flattery will get you nowhere Mr Queen.”   This time, Chloe couldn’t ignore the laugh that escaped.  “What’s so funny?”

To Oliver, that was easy.  He had never put this much effort in not trying to impress a woman, but it still wasn’t enough.  “I’m not allowed to show gratitude without you calling it charity.  I’m not allowed to compliment you without you calling it flattery in a negative tone.  Tell me Miss Sullivan... what am I allowed to do?”

“Be honest?” Chloe suggested, as she leaned forward again to meet his eyes to show him how serious she was.  “I’m not the next notch on your bedpost.”

“And I don’t remember asking you to be that,” Oliver immediately replied, seeing her head pop back slightly.  “I just want to show my appreciation.”

Chloe's posture relaxed as a melancholy expression on her face.  “You already did.”

Oliver had been surprised by the change, so he pressed forward, trying to figure out what he actually did right.  “How?”

It wasn’t a shock that he didn’t know, after all, she was in a sea of nobodys when it came to his world.  It was also why what he did meant so much to her.  “Not many people listen to me, Mr. Queen.”

“Well, they should,” Oliver replied honestly, as he would be in a completely different place if it wasn’t for Chloe Sullivan.  “And please call me Oliver.”

Chloe appreciated the push of support, but she wouldn’t cave that easily.  She gave him a sly smile as she reached forward to drink her water.  “We’ll see.”

That was a more positive reaction than he was expecting, which is why Oliver knew he had to come clean now.  “You’re right in a way... I do want something else from you.”   He expected a negative reaction, provided by the subsequent glare Chloe gave him, but Oliver clarified, “I can’t trust many people in this world, and I was wondering if there was any way you would consider being my... friend.”

It was a stretch at best, but if he offered to be her colleague, or a position in his company, she would likely accuse him of pitying her, so friend was the best name Oliver could think of.  Besides, he liked Chloe’s spunk, her desire for truth and justice, and she was definitely someone Oliver wanted in his corner.

But she just scoffed at him at disbelief.  Chloe couldn’t even believe that he would seriously offer her this.  “Oh come on Mr. Queen, Oliver, you don’t need my friendship.  All you need is to point to any girl, or guy, in this place and they’d be friends with you.”

However, Oliver knew better, knew it wasn’t about quantity anymore when it came to his peers, it was about quality, and along Chloe was a little rough around the edges, she was just that.  “I’m willing to bet only half have your smarts, half of that have your drive, and maybe a quarter of what’s left would have your motives.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow at him, still dissecting the offer, the words he was saying.  “You are aware that the only reason I helped you was because I hate the Luthors, right?”

Oliver just shrugged, flashing a genuine smile, which mattered because Chloe wouldn’t have bought any kind of fake sincerity.  “It’s something we have in common... Chloe.”  

He took a risk calling her just by her first name, but Chloe decided to let it slide.  Hearing him say her name like that didn’t make her skin crawl, which had to mean something good, right?  “Just one question...why?”  Sure, he didn’t have to point at anyone, but he could have anyone to be his friend, and for some inexplicable reason, Oliver wanted to be hers.

Oliver nodded, recognizing the validity of the question.  “You... bring something good out of me.  You make me want to be a better person.”   He sighed lightly, but he reached across the table, risking touching his fingers to hers, trying to convince Chloe that he was indeed serious.  “I know it sounds selfish, but if you let me, I’ll make sure to return the favour without writing a single cheque.”

Her eyes staring down at her hand, Chloe didn’t move it.  She blinked a couple times, admitting softly, “I want to believe you.”

“Chloe,” Oliver said as he removed his hand, “I know your experiences with billionaires are... bad... at best.  I know how clichéd this sounds, but all I’m asking for is a chance.  If I screw up, then I’ll understand.”

This may have been the last thing she wanted to happen when Chloe showed up tonight, but that didn't stop her from considering it.  In fact, Chloe started to remember everything Oliver had done since she had helped him: the perseverance in his efforts to get her here, the sincerity in his voice both then and now, as well as the potential pros and cons of accepting his offer.  “Friends?”

Oliver nodded.  “Friends.”

She took a deep breath before holding her hand out to him.  “You’ve got one chance, Queen.”  Chloe shook her hand, and it didn’t take long for Oliver to get the message.  He shook it out of appreciation, so Chloe made sure to add, “Don’t blow it.”

~0~

Before he could stop himself, Oliver asked, “Who was he?”  Realizing how stupid that question was for a first date, he tried to cover himself.  “Sorry, that’s none of my business.”

“No, this is probably Hal’s idea of us moving on.”   Oliver could tell that Cora was uncomfortable, but she still pressed on.  “He… was…” Her voice trailed again, the past tense probably hurting her to say. “He was the only person who got to me.” 

Oliver could see the smile on her face, as Cora was likely remembering the time they had spent together.  “He used to tell me that we were made for each other because the world would never understand us, but we would have each other, and that was enough.”

“Chloe… I love you.  I don’t need the world to understand me, to understand us.  I just need you.”

Those were the exact words Oliver used seconds before their first time.  Chloe said that they made no sense together, and the press would have a field day.  But Oliver didn’t care, and he fought her excuses tooth-and-nail, eventually coming out on top.

Once he brought himself back to reality, Oliver caught the odd expression on Cora’s face.  “Roy?  You okay?”

Oliver nodded, trying to conceal his reaction for a drink of the wine in front of him.  “That’s... a beautiful thing to say.”

~0~

It was, it was one of the most beautiful things Oliver had ever told her, probably why she gave in that night.  Finding her smile again, Chloe replied, “It’s the way he was... but he’s gone now.”

“When?”

Chloe sighed, as this part was tough to admit.  “Two years, officially.  I had to leave him before that because of... complicated reasons.”

Realizing this was far from what she should be telling him, Chloe shook her head. “Wow... I can’t believe I just said all that.”  Seeing Roy deep in thought, she took this moment to slip out of her chair quietly, laying down enough money to cover her half.  Who was she kidding?  This was clearly a mistake, and if Chloe let herself drudge anymore, it was only going to get worse. 

~0~

For the last couple of minutes, Oliver had been thinking about everything Cora had mentioned to him.  Two years since losing him, but complicated reasons took them apart prior to that, it all had to be a coincidence.  Right? 

He had seen Cora get up, figuring that she had to freshen up, but when Oliver brought his head back up, he noticed the bills on the table.

Great.

This wasn’t the way that Oliver wanted to end the night, so he frantically put down what was probably way too much money on his end, rushing out the doors to catch up with her.  Fortunately, she hadn’t gotten far.  “Cora... wait.”

Refusing to turn around to face him, Cora kept walking away.  Oliver had no idea if she even knew where she was walking, but after about half a block, she finally addressed him.  “Roy, please, I should really go.”

“I was really hoping to talk some more.”

A moment’s pause, Cora finally stopped walking, turning around to ask, “Why?”

“Just one question...why?”

It was the same tone, everything about this woman, lined up to Chloe’s mannerisms.  But like then, she had a questioning look in her eyes, the similarity that Oliver had to shake out before replying,   “Because... I know how you feel, and frankly, I think you’re the only one that I could say this to.”

This was twisted, thinking that talking to a woman who looked like her would make him feel better, but for some reason, Cora had felt comfortable enough to divulge her romantic history with him.  Maybe this really was the way to move on.  But in order for that to happen, Oliver had to take his turn, be honest about everything.  And of course, she had to agree.

He could see her thinking about it, eventually nodding.  “Okay.”

~0~

“Mr. Queen will see you now.”

“Thank you,” Chloe seethed through her teeth as she walked by his receptionist.  Who did he think he was? Did he have to insist on driving her up the wall?

Opening the door, Chloe watched as he tried to get out of his seat, but she stopped him.  "Don't bother, I'll be quick.  I'm only here because you invited me, and I figured it was the only way to get you to stop with the gifts."

Oliver got up anyway, almost wanting to laugh as he leaned against his desk, but thought better of it.  "Okay."

"Okay?" Chloe repeated, trying to understand how it was that easy to convince him to back off.  "That's it?"

Pushing the chair fully back, Oliver walked around to the front of the desk.  He didn't want to appear superior in anyway, and not just because he was grateful to her.  He also greatly respected the small glance he had seen of Chloe Sullivan, and he wanted to make this as casual as possible.  "I just wanted you to accept some form of gratitude for what you did for me."

Chloe shook her head, confused at his words.  "I did."

That comment got Oliver to raise an eyebrow.  “By ripping up a cheque and giving away flowers?”

“I said no problem," Chloe clarified, but it was that moment that  she realized a softer tone would likely serve a better purpose.   "Look, what you're trying to do is nice, but I don’t need you helping me.  I survive just fine on my own.”

Chloe really believed what she was saying, but Oliver could see the loneliness in her eyes, a feeling Oliver knew all too well.  He knew that this was going to be a long-shot, but he didn't want to say goodbye to Chloe Sullivan for good just yet.

“How about dinner then?”   He could see Chloe opening her mouth to protest, but Oliver held up a finger to stop her from interrupting.  “I’m not asking you out, I’m just offering you a free dinner.  Word is that students never say no to free food.”

Chloe sighed as she stared at him, wanting to say no, but willing to at least hear the idea out.  “If I say yes, will you leave me alone afterwards?”

“The chances are significantly higher,” Oliver replied, purposely avoiding a concrete answer to that question.

It wasn't what Chloe wanted to hear, but she knew she wasn't getting anything more from him.  As much as Chloe hated to admit it, she had nothing to lose, and potentially everything to gain.  “Okay. One dinner.”





Part 3

 

 

 

Comments

[daydreamer22688.livejournal.com]

Still loving it!! Keep it up, girl!

[serafina19.livejournal.com]

I'm always glad to hear that, thank you!

[tadashee.livejournal.com]

I can see why oliver may not recognize chloe, and girls can change their appearance more easily, but what is wrong with chloe? I feel like she doesnt want to beleive or even consider the possibility.

[serafina19.livejournal.com]

Time is the answer to that (Chloe's been 'dead' for almost 3 times as long), and the idea of 'too good to be true.' But things start to change in the next part.

Thanks for the comment!

[serafina19.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for all of your lovely comments! It is frustrating, but I'm glad you're enjoying it.

You're right, it is easier to believe it that way. But Chloe and Oliver are smart people, the secrets won't last forever.

[chlollifan84.livejournal.com]

I love the parallel between past and present, between Chloe and Ollie first dinner and Cora and Roy first dinner...
Nice chapter!

[serafina19.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the parallels, I admit, the flashbacks kind of came out of nowhere. But I wanted to give a sense of where they started, so they happened.

Thanks for the comment.