A Year Of Holidays (3/7)

Banner By: Franica

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Chapter 3

Easter Sunday

‘Chocolate Covered Threats’

Oliver let out a small sigh as he stood next to Clark while his wife and Lois walked ahead of them talking animatedly. Earlier that morning Clark and Lois had made their way to Star City and then the four of them spent the morning on his private jet in route to Washington. It was Easter Sunday and apparently General Lane and Gabe Sullivan had somehow managed to talk their daughters into getting them all together for an Easter Day family celebration.

Normally, Oliver wouldn’t mind, then again Chloe’s father wasn’t typically involved in these types of festivities and if he was being honest he wasn’t looking forward to meeting the General either. Clark had definitely not spoken the man’s praises.

Chloe’s laughter pulled him from his thoughts and he watched as she touched Lois’s arm lightly, while speaking. “Oh and remember the time you thought Lucy would look good covered in chocolate?” Lois snorted nodding. “Yeah…that didn’t go over so well with the General…”

Chloe grinned, “Well you did use the batter for dessert…” Oliver smiled slightly at the happiness radiating off of her as they followed the two women up the steps of the modest looking house. He titled his head slightly towards Clark as the girls knocked.

“So, on a scale of 1-10, how bad would you say it is that they practically called out of nowhere to all of a sudden have a family holiday?”

Clark caught Oliver’s gaze and let out a puff of air before pursing his lips, voice low. “For us? I’m gonna say it’s pretty bad. I haven’t seen Mr. Sullivan in years, but he’s always been a pretty good guy…but The General…”

He lowered his voice even more as the front door was pulled open revealing the older man. “He scares the crap out of me.” The words left his mouth quickly before he plastered a smile on his face and moved forward stretching out his hand to Sam Lane.

“It’s good to see you again General.” He gave Clark a cursory gaze before pursing his lips and taking his hand. “Kent…treating your new bride well I hope.” He nodded. “Of course sir…uh, you know Oliver Queen right?” He motioned towards the blonde standing next to him and the General’s eyes squinted.

“Mmm, how could I not. It’s not every day billionaires announce that they spend their free time parading around in leather…” Oliver tensed slightly and seconds later he felt a small palm curl around his arm. He broke his stare with the general glancing sideways at Chloe.

Her eyebrow was arched as she spoke, a warning in her tone, “Uncle Sam…”

He finally looked away from Oliver a bright smile forming on his face as he turned to Chloe, voice gruff as he spoke. “Yes Angel?”

She shook her head while smiling. “I would think you of all people would cut Oliver some slack…”

The older man grunted, pursing his lips as he spoke. “Point taken…Oliver, it’s nice to meet you.” He held out is hand and the blonde immediately took it.

He didn’t wince when the general squeezed his hand tighter than necessary, just smiled pleasantly. “General…it’s nice to meet you too.”

They stood there for several minutes before Lois rolled her eyes, grabbed Clark’s hand and moved forward pushing through the door. “Enough already guys…where’s Uncle Gabe…and is there food? I’m starving.” Clark sighed as he followed his wife inside before Sam finally let go of Oliver’s hand and following behind them

Chloe heard Oliver let out a long breath and she rubbed his arm lightly, concern marring her brow. “What’s wrong?” He lifted a hand and motioned towards the open door.

“He already hates me…imagine what your Father is going to think…this was a bad idea.”

She frowned. “Ollie…give it a chance. You were going to have to meet them eventually…they’re family. It’s not like we could avoid them forever…it’s going to be fine. My Dad is going to love you.”

Oliver snorted slightly, but let her drag him into the house as he spoke tone weary. “Somehow I doubt that…”

______

Twenty minutes later Lois and Chloe were in the backyard laughing, setting the table outside while the General and Clark stood in front of the TV as Sam rambled on about the newest laws going into congress. But not him, no he was sitting across from Chloe’s Father at the kitchen counter, palms sweating, heart beating ridiculously fast, not at all sure what to say to his wife’s Father.

He felt like a teenager. Completely out of his element. It had been years since he’d met someone’s parents…scratch that he didn’t think he’d ever met any parents of the women he dated. It was absolutely nerve wrecking because in this instance he actually cared what the guy thought.

Gabe studied the man in front of him discreetly as he stirred the melting chocolate. He cleared his throat and watched Oliver straighten slightly. “So, Oliver…how long have you and my daughter been together, because the last time I heard your name mentioned you were dating my niece…making your way through the family?”

Gabe held in his smirk when Oliver winced. He didn’t dislike the young man in front of him, but he did have a few issues that he wanted to address with his daughter’s new husband.

Oliver scratched the back of his neck. “Uh, no. I mean yeah I dated Lois…but it wasn’t serious and we both realized it would never work…with Chloe…I just sort of knew she was it.”

Gabe nodded as he motioned for Oliver to hand him the plastic molding tray of egg shapes. He lifted it off the counter and handed it to the older man while speaking. “Chocolate eggs?”

Gabe nodded as he opened the drawer, pulled out a spoon and handed it to Oliver. “Why don’t you help me?”

He swallowed hard and nodded before pushing away from his seat and moving around the counter. Gabe showed him how to scoop out the chocolate and poor it into the molding, grin on his lips. “It’s not too difficult I’m sure you can handle it.”

Oliver chuckled slightly the tension in his shoulders starting to relax as he dug out some chocolate and poured it into the egg shaped molding. So far so good. Gabe watched him for a few minutes before glancing back at the pot as he spoke.

“So you never did answer me…How long have you and my daughter been seeing each other?” Oliver gave him a sideways glance as he filled another egg. “We’ve been together for close to two years…”

Gabe nodded and spoke, tone casual as he shut off the stove. “And the drunken wedding…was that planned or just a side effect of the alcohol?” Oliver coughed lightly, throat suddenly going dry as he dripped some chocolate on the counter.

“Uh…” How exactly does one explain the woes of magic champagne to a Father-in-law? “Well it obviously wasn’t planned sir, but I love your daughter and had it not happened that night, I have no doubt it would have happened in the future…”

Gabe pursed his lips eyeing the young man next to him eyebrows raised. “Is that so?”

Oliver nodded without missing a beat. “Absolutely. I never even considered marriage until I started dating Chloe…there’s no one more important to me.”

He could hear the honesty in the other man’s voice and he let out an internal sigh. He wanted to hate his daughter’s new husband. He wanted to tell her she was being ridiculous and making herself a target for all different kinds of criminals.

Hell he wanted to tell Chloe that Oliver was a horrible guy and she could do better, but as he glanced out the window in the kitchen and watched her in the backyard with Lois, the fact was he’d never seen her happier. Plus he was a crime fighter for god’s sake…it was infuriating.

He reached forward and pulled out another spoonful of chocolate. “Is that so…and what about your city Mr. Green Arrow…does my daughter come before that?” The older man gave Oliver another sideways glance and he saw him swallow hard.

And there is was. He had thought his meeting with Chloe’s Dad had gone a little too well. Oliver put down the spoon and turned so he was leaning against the counter facing Gabe.

“With all due respect sir you’re daughter knew exactly who I was when she married me. She’s known about me being Green Arrow for close to four years now. She’s part of my team…that’s…sort of how we met. If I put her before all the innocent people out there…she’d never forgive me.”

Oliver smirked slightly, eyes lighting up as he spoke. “Chloe is an amazing woman. She’s selfless…brave…heroic and a million and one other adjectives. Even if I wanted to put her before the greater good…she’d never let me.”

Gabe shook his head and groaned.

Oliver frowned, “What?”

Gabe shook his head as he scooped out more chocolate. “I was hoping your answer would be different…or you’d lie…or something.” He turned to Oliver and glared while pointing the spoon at him.

“Is there anything I can hate you for? You and Chloe went out, got drunk and married and I can’t even dislike you for it because you seem like a pretty decent guy…it’s all rather annoying.”

Oliver opened and closed his mouth a few times surprised by Gabe’s outburst, but before he could say anything Clark made his way into the kitchen and spoke while pulling open the fridge.

“Did he tell you when he and Chloe first started, their, uh thing it wasn’t really a relationship?” He pulled out a bottle of water and turned laughing slightly as he continued speaking. “It was more of a friends with--” He shut his mouth when he saw the look on Oliver’s face.

He glanced between the two men in front of him as he held his water battle. “Uh…I think I hear the General calling me…” Before Gabe or Oliver could say another word Clark was already heading towards the living room. Chloe’s father turned around very slowly, eyes turning to slits as he glared at the taller man.

Oliver swallowed hard and took a hesitant step back as Gabe spoke, voice eerily quiet. “I’m sorry…you were what with my daughter?”

Oliver held up a hand and took another step back. “Now Mr. Sullivan…it’s not what you think…”

He arched an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh? So you didn’t have a purely physical relationship with Chloe?” Oliver rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to come up with an answer that didn’t make him sound like an ass.

“Not exactly…I mean okay…you know you’re daughter isn’t exactly the easiest woman to try and have a relationship with…I tried to date her. She wouldn’t let me. She wouldn’t accept my gifts or go out in public with me. It honestly gave me a complex," He told the other man quickly, "I started to doubt my own charm. It was really all a very traumatic experience for me.”

Gabe did his best not to smirk at the billionaire in front of him as he nodded. “Oh I’m sure it was horrible for you…having a woman at you beck and call whenever you wanted without all those pesky little strings that men can’t be bother with.”

Oliver shook his head quickly. “No, that’s not me. I love strings!” He made a point of pointing at his wedding band. “This is a very huge string and I mean really does it matter how we started? Isn’t it how we ended up that matters?”

Gabe didn’t say anything and Oliver pursed his lips silence falling between them. He stood near the stove and glanced to his right trying to figure out exactly how far the patio door was from where he stood and if he could make a run for it. He couldn’t believe that he dealt with criminals on a regular basis and Chloe’s Dad, was scaring him.

That was ridiculous. Then again he could shoot the criminals, he was pretty sure Chloe would get mad at him if he tasered her Dad. Oliver let out a nervous chuckle his eyes finding the older man’s gaze again. “You’re going to kill me aren’t you? You realize you’d be depriving Star City of it’s only vigilante hero? And leaving your only daughter without a husband…”

Gabe stared him down and Oliver sighed as he cursed Clark in his head. The minute he got back to Star City he was going to find a chunk of kryptonite and shove it so far up the alien’s ass, Lois would feel it. His shoulders slumped as he gazed at the angry man in front of him, a hint of hope in his voice as he spoke. “Do I at least get a head start?”

______

Chloe chuckled as she placed the last plate on the table. “You’re horrible Lo’.”

The brunette smirked as she put down another glass. “Oh come on, Smallville’s a big boy…he can handle the general just fine and you left Oliver alone with Uncle Gabe.”

Chloe snorted and gave Lois a look. “My Dad is nowhere near the levels of scary as the General…and you know it.”

Lois shrugged and moved towards the end of the table. “Do you think the lasagna is done?” The blonde rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to respond when a loud crash sounded from inside the house.

Lois and Chloe glanced at each other before running towards the patio door and into the house. Both women froze eyes wide open at the sight in front of them. All four men were covered in chocolate as was the kitchen counter around them.

Oliver stood to the side near the sink, holding Clark in front of him as Gabe held the General back by the arm. Lois’s mouth dropped open as Chloe spoke making four sets of eyes turn in her direction. “What the hell is going on?”

Oliver straightened up immediately, letting go of Clark’s shirt and stepping out from behind him, a wooden spoon covered in chocolate in his hand as he sent her a sheepish smirk. “Hey there Sidekick…”

She motioned towards her Dad and the General. “What did you do?”

He blinked and pointed to himself, confusion on his face. “Me? What did I do? I didn’t do this…” Oliver pointed towards her Father, “He did! He threw a spoonful of chocolate at me because Clark told him that our relationship started off as more of a…physical thing…then the General came in and attacked me with a rolling pin!”

The older man grunted, said rolling pin still clutched in his hand tightly covered in chocolate. Chloe gaped at the General and glared.

Lois shook her head arms folding over her chest as she spoke. “Please tell me you didn’t say that Smallville.”

He had the decency to look embarrassed as he dropped his head slightly and scratched the back of his neck. “I might have…”

Lois let out a small sigh as she glared at her husband and arched an eyebrow in his direction. “You realize you’re sleeping on the couch tonight right?”

His shoulders slumped and Chloe pointed at him anger on her face. “I’ll deal with you later…”

She turned to her Father and motioned around the kitchen. “Dad…really? You attacked my husband with chocolate? Was that really necessary?”

Gabe frowned slightly as he straightened up and let go of Sam before shrugging. “It seemed like a good idea at the time…”

She shook her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You four are supposed to be grown men…not children.”

Lois nodded and shook her head at them before pointing towards the kitchen floor. “Not only did you make a mess, but you wasted all the chocolate, who does that?”

The General cleared his throat as he put the rolling pin on the counter and pursed his lips. “I uh, think there is some pie in the fridge.”

Gabe nodded as he put his spoon on the counter before straightening out his clothes. “Yeah…we picked it up from the store.”

Chloe nodded frown on her face as she moved away from the door and walked over the mess. “Good…I’m going to grab the pie,” she motioned towards the oven, “Lo’ you grab the rest of the food and we’ll bring everything outside.”

Lois nodded before stepping over the mess and going over to the stove. As she grabbed the food Chloe turned around and pointed towards the mess, disappointment covering her face. “You four are going to clean up this mess…together and when you all decide to stop acting like children and get along you can join Lois and me outside.”

They watched her as she turned on her heel and walked outside. Lois grinned as Clark sent her his patent puppy eyes, but she only shook her head and laughed lightly. “Sorry Smallville…this is your fault…my votes with Chloe on this one.”

The brunette passed her Dad and pursed her lips as she followed Chloe out of the door. Oliver sighed, frowning as he wiped some of the chocolate off his arm before turning a glare on Clark. “You had to open your mouth didn’t you? I know you’re married to Lois now, but would it kill you to use a filter? The accidental slipping of information has wrecked bigger things than marriages.”

Clark snorted as he gave Gabe and the General a sideways glance watching them talk in low voices as they picked a few things up. He shifted slightly so he was facing Oliver and spoke in a low voice, humor in his eyes. “Accident? Who said anything about accident? That’s exactly what I needed for them to not hate me anymore…”

Oliver blinked and Clark’s grin widened as he patted the other man on the back. He’d been out witted by Clark freaking Kent…unbelievable…he knew Clark marrying Lois was a bad idea. He watched as his alien friend moved over to the General and Gabe offering to help them with the clean up while Oliver just stood there staring in a state of semi shock. Clark glanced over his shoulder at Oliver, voice amused. “Oh, by the way…welcome to family.”

Chapter Four