Metroville (7/12)

[serafina19]

Author: serafina19
Title: Metroville
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Pleasantville-meets-Chlollie, only instead of an old television repairman... it's Zatanna who gives Chloe and Oliver the two-toned treatment in order for them to realize their budding feelings for each other.  Based on a Chlollieween prompt by yhrcmg.
Timeline: Season 8 AU starting after Hex, samples events from Odyssey.
Thanks to: alxnhnt22 for the banner.

Part 1    Part 2   Part 3    Part 4   Part 5 Part 6

 

Part 7

Heading back to her bedroom, Chloe plopped on her bed and closed her eyes, just wanting a little peace for tonight.  It was almost hard to believe they had been here for two weeks, but then again, Chloe never really got a night off between school functions, double dates, and other events.  But tonight her parents were out, so she had the house to herself and Chloe had every intention of enjoying it.

That was until she heard her window vibrating in odd intervals.  Opening her eyes, Chloe looked and noticed how the wind wasn’t blowing, but for a second, Chloe saw something hitting the window.

So she got off the bed and approached the window, raising her eyebrows as she caught Oliver in the midst of performing a throwing motion in her front yard.  He had caught her eye just in time, so he brought his arm down.  Narrowing her eyes, Chloe opened up her window.  “How old-school movie clichéd of you.”

Oliver shrugged a shoulder, a sly grin coming across his lips.  “To be honest, I always wanted to try it.”  Of course, that wasn’t the complete reason.  Peering towards the front door, Oliver laughed as he spent a couple minutes standing there knocking.  Knowing that she was home, Oliver backed up and tried a different technique.

Chloe gave a quick chuckle before taking in his appearance.  “What’s with the suit?”  In Metropolis, Oliver almost always wore a suit, but here... here he hadn’t yet.

He blinked at her a couple times, not believing that she was serious.  “Fall formal... I’m kind of your date, remember?”

She did remember that he was her date, but she had forgotten that it was tonight.  Besides, it wasn’t like Chloe was looking forward to it.  “You can’t be serious.”

“Come on... it could be fun.” Oliver said genuinely as he tossed the stone up into the air, catching it again with ease.  “Besides, I don’t think filtering through empty pages is going to bring us back to Metropolis.” 

A fair point, Chloe thought.  No matter how hard Chloe wanted the books to fill in, they never would.  The only thing that made sense now was that empirical experience was the key to getting back to their world.  Which unfortunately meant this dance could be helpful.  “Fine, give me five."

Chloe closed the window and looked at the mirror.  Her hair didn’t look awful, so she figured that she’d give it a brush through, and it would have to do.  Heading to her closet next, Chloe pulled out the hanger of the dress from her shopping with Lois.  It was a beautiful dress, and it looked great on her, but Chloe was convinced that she would never wear it herself.  It wasn’t exactly the normal little black dress.

The cleavage was a little low for the times, but when it came to clothes, Zatanna didn’t seem to care about appropriateness. The jewelled accents that lined underneath her bust and her straps were likely something cheap, but it still worked.  Slipping it over her head, Chloe watched as the material fell to her feet, suddenly feeling butterflies in her stomach.

This wasn’t like before, like any of the double dates, or even Crater Lake.  This time, Chloe was legitimately going on a date with Oliver Queen.  Sure, there were extenuating circumstances, but that didn’t change what was about to happen.

Touching up her mascara, Chloe figured that her five minutes were just about done, so she slipped on her shoes, fortunately a manageable size heel and began to descend the stairs.  Standing in front of the front door, Chloe took a deep breath before reaching for the doorknob, turning it.

Opening the door slowly, she averted eye contact as she stepped out, closing the door before she looked up, finally seeing Oliver’s flabbergasted expression.  “What?”  He didn’t do anything; he just stood there with his mouth open as he looked at her.  Staring at her feet, Chloe said softly, “I look terrible, don’t I?”

“Quite the opposite actually,” Oliver countered as he took a couple steps towards her.  “Lois said she found a great dress for you, she wasn’t kidding.”  Taking her hand, he slipped on the corsage he bought, and without thinking, kissed it softly, before bringing his head up to meet her eyes.  “You clean up nice Sullivan.”

He watched as the familiar blush came across her cheeks, but he ignored it as he helped her down the steps.  “But it’s not green,” she said, almost in a whisper.

Oliver chuckled at her little quip, still holding her hand as they walked down the street.  It was a nice night, and for some reason, Oliver didn’t want to take the car.  “Contrary to popular belief, I do like other colours.”  He turned to see Chloe’s expression, raised eyebrow and skeptic eyes, so, playing along, Oliver added.  “And for all we know... it could be green.”

~0~

Staring at his cup, Oliver couldn’t help but wonder if he was really caught drinking the metaphorical kool-aid.  He knew this wasn’t Zatanna’s intention, but there was something about this place that calmed him, and Chloe too.  Oliver couldn’t remember the last time she seemed so... happy.  Normally a smile was also laced with a hint of bittersweet or stress, but now, her walls seemed to be slowly coming down, so much that she even relaxed tonight.

Even dancing with Clark right now, she wasn’t nervous, she was just... Chloe.  For some reason, Oliver couldn’t take his eyes off her, the light that she brought to the room, the simplicity of the way that her smile brought something out of him.

“It’s like falling in love with her all over again, isn’t it?”

Oliver blinked a couple times, turning to face Lois.  “What is?”

Lois rolled her eyes, not wanting to play into what seemed to be a sudden case of obliviousness on Oliver’s part in her opinion.  “I love my cousin, but she doesn’t let her hair down much.  That’s why I love you in her life.”   She took a step back, leaning against the punch table as she stared ahead at her boyfriend and cousin dancing.  “I know that Clark said that she’d be a waste of your time, but I’m glad you went for it.”

Oliver nodded, not entirely sure what Lois was trying to accomplish, so he only told her what he could.  “She never does make things easy.”

Letting someone in, it was one of the last things Chloe would do.  In a way, it was almost a miracle that she let Oliver in at all, but Lois addressed that with her next comment.

“No, but you were too persistent for her.”  Lois truly believed that Oliver was Chloe’s match when it came to these things.    “We all know that when she gave up on everything, it was you that got through to her.”

Lois stared down at her hands, reminiscing over who her cousin had been when she came to town.  Quiet, reserved, content in the shadows, yet somehow, she had always caught Oliver’s eye.  Maybe that was what made them a great couple.  “We all try our best, but, you two... you’re really something special.”

All Oliver could do was stare back, but there plenty of thoughts going through Oliver’s head as he was listening to Lois.  While this wasn’t the perfect re-creation of the world both he and Chloe knew, it had some things in common.  Was this really the way Lois would think of him in Chloe’s life?  Was this the message Zatanna was trying to send?

~0~

Chloe wasn’t sure what to make of this moment, dancing with Clark.  So far so good, as there was no necessary rush to saving a damsel from a tornado.  But oddly, Chloe was appreciative for this, a chance to relive a defining moment in her life that didn’t exactly end well.  It gave Chloe the opportunity to have closure when it came to her feelings for Clark.  They had been dwindling for a long time, but this really helped Chloe feel that door closing for good.

Which is why Clark caught her off-guard when he did eventually speak.  “Have I ever told you that I told Oliver not to bother pursuing you?”

No would be the obvious answer, but considering Clark’s personality, the concept didn’t surprise Chloe.  “You do have a tendency of being overprotective.”

He had this annoying habit of making Chloe feel invisible until someone else noticed her.  Well, at least it felt that way.  But at the end of the day, the guy was still her best friend, and he at least meant well.

Clark nodded, knowing the validity in what Chloe was saying, but he defended his stance on the relationship.  “You were new in town, and he had just broken up with Tess.”   Clark remembered Oliver’s initial reaction to Chloe, the progression of the relationship, and how to him, the feelings felt a little one-sided initially.  “You didn’t give him the time of day, so I figured that he could do better.”

Wait... he had a problem with her?

Not really thinking, Chloe blurted, “He probably can.”

“No, I was wrong.”

Chloe blinked as she looked up at the man she regarded as her best friend back in Metropolis. “Really?” Clark admitting he was wrong happened, but it didn’t happen often.  It didn’t help that Chloe was still trying to understand that he wasn’t trying to protect her.

“You guys... fit better than I thought.” Clark gave a quick peek up to see Lois talking to Oliver across the room.  “Don’t get me wrong, Oliver’s my friend, but he had a tendency of having short-term relationships.”  Looking back at Chloe, Clark wanted her to understand he thought that, “You're different though.  I think you’re probably the best decision he’s ever made.”

Taking a breath, Clark twirled her on the dance floor before adding, “These last couple of weeks, I can tell that your feelings for him have grown, that the love and respect between you two is stronger than ever.”

And with that, half-way through the twirl, Chloe released Clark’s hand and bolted towards the gymnasium doors.

She heard Oliver call her name, but she just kept walking, not sure if she could look him in the eye anymore.  Everything was so clear now, and Chloe couldn’t help but feel stupid.  It wasn’t a what that they were here for... it was a who.

Oliver and her being together in this place, it was no accident.  The subtle pushes, the people who know them giving them full support, it was all there, but it wasn’t until Clark threw up the white flag that it clicked for Chloe.

But that didn’t make things any better.  Oliver and her were friends, co-workers.  Them, a couple, it only made sense in a place like this, where a guy like Oliver had little to no options in the dating category.  The real world was huge, and within it, hundreds or thousands of women fit Oliver’s type better than she did.  And besides, Oliver was her boss, they shared a proper camaraderie, so she didn’t see him that way.

Did she?

Sure, he was an attractive man, but that wasn’t why Oliver and her were friends in the first place.  He led a company by day, and by night, led a group of underestimated and underappreciated heroes.  Oliver Queen played the world for suckers, so no one really saw how intelligent he truly was.  Except for the people who knew him best.

Like her.

“Chloe, hold up.”  Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, obliging Oliver because she knew she couldn’t outrun him, or even out-walk him.    When he caught up to her, he asked, “What was that?”

Oliver had seen the entire thing pan out, and while he wanted to ask Lois further about what she thought about him and Chloe, he held back as Chloe fled the scene.  He approached Clark, demanding he tell Oliver what he said, but Clark insisted that the last thing he had told Chloe was a compliment.  Oliver wanted to know more, but he didn’t have time, so he ran out of the school, wondering what could have caused Chloe’s reaction.

“Bad memories from my actual high school dances,” Chloe lied, hoping he would believe it, “I had to get out.” 

Oliver watched Chloe as she looked back at the school.  It was almost as if a switch went off in her mind, as she looked like she was going to be sick.  He reached his hand towards her, but before he could touch her, Chloe peered over her shoulder and recoiled away from him.

“Sorry, I thought you were getting used to that.” 

The sad thing was that he was right.  Chloe was getting used to his little touches, their little moments when their situation just floated away, and it was just them.  But now, she knew that she couldn’t risk getting used to it.

“What’s the point Oliver?” she whispered, but loud enough that he could hear it.  “Nothing is real here.  It’s just a big fantasy to get these ideas in our heads, but none of it translates to... to the real world.”  Chloe wasn't stupid, she knew that she was trying to convince herself as much as Oliver, because the truth was that Oliver had gotten to her, which was the last thing she wanted, because in her mind, there was no way it was mutual. 

But by looking down, Chloe couldn’t see the hurt look in Oliver’s eyes.  “Is that what you think?”

“How can’t I?”  she replied immediately.  “Everything that’s here, it can’t happen in Metropolis.  Your parents are dead, my parents are more or less gone, and all this is, is a masking of the things we can’t have.”

Chloe paused as she remembered that wasn’t quite true.  “I mean, sure, Clark and Lois, a slight possibility in all this, but otherwise I think Zatanna’s been watching too much television.”

“Maybe,” Oliver said, trying to appease her, but also trying to maintain an open mind to the whole situation.  Reaching his arm out to wrap around her shoulders, he felt her shake a little, but she stayed there, so Oliver breathed a sigh of relief, hoping everything had blown over.  “Even you have to admit, this situation, it could be a heck of a lot worse.”  She had admitted as much before, so this shouldn’t have changed.

But it had, so Chloe shrugged off Oliver’s attempt to make her feel better, throwing his arm off her.  She really couldn’t handle his touch in this moment.  “I really don’t see how.”   Continuing to walk forward, Chloe eventually didn’t hear his footsteps pursuing her.  “Oliver?”

She turned around, and saw Oliver walking away from her, his head dipped down.  Chloe considered calling out to him, but she stopped realizing how he must have taken what she had said.  That hadn't been her intention, because the only reason Chloe hadn’t lost her mind before was because of Oliver.   But she couldn’t tell him the reason they were here; there was no way Oliver saw her that way.  Then again, Chloe was pretty much convinced that it may take a miracle for Oliver to look her at all.  Her stupid emotions had caused Chloe to accidentally turn away the one person she could rely on in this place.




Part 8

 

Comments

[daydreamer22688.livejournal.com]

I watched Pleasantville because of this fic last weekend! I love it.

[serafina19.livejournal.com]

Hehe... I find that awesome. I admit, I had to re-watch it for, you know, 'research.' Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback!

[kachica.livejournal.com]

nice update! Curious about the next one!

[serafina19.livejournal.com]

Thank you Keiko! Always glad to hear that I've got you curious. I'll try to update soon.

[greenteam4ever.livejournal.com]

Wow, I haven't expected this. Everything started so light, I thought Chloe would actually have some fun at the prom. But it's good she realised the reason they are here,it's about time. But it's so sad that she and Ollie didn't talk about it properly..She hurt him with those words, and she was obviously hurt herself. She started to feel more for Oliver than just for a friend, I guess. And of course being Chloe she thought it's not possible for him to return her feelings. Hope they'll be okay.
Thanks for the chapter, I love it and it's very important as a part of the whole plot.
Can't wait for more, I need them to be okay :) Maybe Oliver will understand teh true meaning of her words..
P.S. I think the dress was definitely green ;)

[serafina19.livejournal.com]

Things will get better in the next part, and no worries, Chloe will explain herself to Oliver... to an extent anyway.

[greenteam4ever.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear! Looking forward to it :)

[chlollifan84.livejournal.com]

Oh god, it's so sad!
They have finally understood why they're there but now, Chloe is afraid and as always, she thinks she's not good enough for him. And she hurt Ollie because of all of that.
I hope they're going to talk properly.
They were so sweet at the beginning and I was so happy when Lois told Ollie she tought they were a cute couple...
Can't wait to read next chapter!!!

[serafina19.livejournal.com]

I'll do my best to update soon because things definitely take a turn for the better in part 8, but this is a necessary road block.

Thanks for the feedback though! I always appreciate hearing your thoughts.