Title: Moving Day
Category: Smallville
Rating: T
Genre: Humor/Friendship/Family/Romance
Pairing: Chloe/Oliver
Prompt: #029 - Day
Word Count: 3,564
Summary: It's moving day for a certain couple and Lois isn't happy about it!

Moving Day

As four men rivaling the height and build of Clark Kent moved back and forth from the penthouse high above down to the moving truck below, Lois became and more upset. The more boxes that were loaded, the farther away she could see them going. Arms crossed atop her chest, she glared menacingly at the unsuspecting moving men, who continued to give her a wide berth. She didn't care if they thought she was crazy, she was standing her ground on this being a bad idea.

"I'm going to have to pay them double if you keep looking at them like that," Oliver's voice could be heard chiding from just behind her.

Turning slowly, her eyes chilled further. "This is all your fault."

Holding his hands up innocently, he shook his head. "Should I call my lawyer or just plead guilty?"

Rolling her eyes, she huffed with irritation. "If you had just kept your big fat mouth shut…"

Amused, he cocked a brow. "It was really more of her idea, I only agreed."

"And that was just one of many in the numerous mistakes you've made since you two cooked up this very bad idea."

Mimicking her stance with his arms crossed over his chest and a goofy frown on his face, he shook his head. "No… Despite how many times you say that, it still seems like the right thing to do…" He blinked at her. "Wanna try again?"

Blowing out a sigh of exasperation, she turned away from him. "Explain to me again why you need to move back to Star City?"

"Besides the fact that it's where I actually live?" he teased, smiling lightly.

She glared. "It's not where my little cousin lives."

"From personal experience, I've noticed she doesn't like to me called little." He lifted a shoulder. "Or short… In fact, we should just stay away from the entire height subject entirely… just in case she overhears you."

She wasn't amused… Okay, she was, a little, but she hid it by pursing her lips and thinning her eyes at him. "She's still my baby cousin and I don't want her living anywhere that doesn't involve me catching a cab to her place."

"Technically, you could catch a cab to Star City, it would just eat up both your and Clark's savings…" Funny how he assumed Clark would fork over his savings just because she wanted to take a roadtrip…

"Will you stop?" she sighed. "This isn't funny."

Sobering, Oliver nodded. "All right… What do I have to say to make you see reason?"

Turning to him, hip cocked to one side arrogantly, she tipped her head back and stared at him with a smug grin. "Easy. 'I'm not moving, Lois. In fact, me and Chloe have decided to take up permanent residence here in Metropolis. And when we have millions and millions of cute blonde babies, we expect you to be able to come over anytime you want to see them. Because we'll actually be close enough for you to do that.' There. Now say it." She glared. "And mean it."

Scratching his jaw thoughtfully, Oliver nodded slowly. "Okaaay… I'm not sure I can promise a million-plus babies… Pretty sure it's not even physically possible. And… Yeah, no, I can't really agree to… any of that. But," he said, eyes widening as if he were about to comfort her, "Should we ever have, you know, say any kids… I'll send the jet. Just for you! Fully fueled."

She grimaced, shaking her head. "Yeah, no deal, Queen. Try again."

Sighing, he threw an arm around her shoulder. "Listen Lois, I know you're not exactly thrilled, but please, could you at least try to look happy for us? She's gonna be here any minute and I don't think she needs to see your frowning face given we're leaving in less than an hour."

"Don't remind me," she muttered. "Fine." Fixing a fake smile to her face, she looked up at him with annoyed eyes. "This good enough?"

"Could you get rid of the malice that threatens to kill me in my sleep?" he asked, brow cocked.

"No. 'Fraid not," she said with mock-cheer.

"Good. Great." He looked up then, a genuine grin crossing his face as a bright blue cab pulled up to the curb and the current star of their conversation appeared. Hopping out, she smiled warmly at them and dragged a blue shopping bag out of the seat with her. Paying the cabby, she passed by the moving men with a nod before coming to a stop in front of Lois and Oliver.

Oliver slid an arm around her waist and bent to kiss her temple. "I'm gonna go see how much progress has been made," he murmured before leaving her and Lois alone to talk.

Chloe watched him go and while Lois wasn't exactly ecstatic to admit it, they really were a cute couple. Which she unfortunately noticed several months ago and had been the one to push them together in an effort to end the (so-called) unrequited thing going on between them for waaay too long.

When Chloe returned her attention to her older cousin, Lois really (pathetically) tried to pin a smile on her face.

"Wow… That was… Sad," Chloe told her, eyes widening with emphasis. "You feeling okay?"

Exhaling heavily, Lois' shoulders fell. "Yeah, I'm just buckets of sunshine right now. My best friend and sister is moving far, far away to start her happily ever after… I'm not even going to be able to mock your eye-sex anymore!"

"Yeah, shame, really…" Chloe smiled, reaching out to hook her arm with Lois'. "Hey, it's not that far away. I'm not leaving the country!" She chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Not this week anyway. We weren't planning to head to France until next month…"

"Ha ha, very funny," she bemoaned, rolling her eyes.

Chuckling, Chloe squeezed her arm comfortingly. "Come on, you'll be busy with work and Clark, you'll hardly even notice I'm gone."

Lois' eyes widened. "Oh I'll notice! When Clark does something dumb, like… disappear suddenly and not return for hours or days, who am I going to rant to? Huh?" She shook her head dramatically. "And when some bizarre thing happens here and I've got no clue about what it is, who am I going to call when I need back up or a very good reminder that gunshot wounds hurt, so no, I shouldn't go digging in that very dark, very dangerous alley?" Throwing her hands up, she sighed. "And who's going to eat Chunky Monkey with me when I've given up on men for the umpteenth time and am considering becoming a nun?" She turned, staring at Chloe seriously. "Do you want me to be a nun, Chloe? Really? Because it'll happen!"

Chloe covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing. "Right, well… Those are all very… impossible, but well thought out reasons for me to stay, but…"

Deflating, Lois frowned. "But you're not, are you?"

She looked up at her sadly. "No. I'm sorry. I just… I love Metropolis and I love you, but… It's not my home anymore."

"And Star City is?" she asked skeptically. "Have you even been?"

"Yes," she replied, amused. "Many times. Ollie and I are moving in to his childhood home, which by definition should really be called childhood mansion." Her eyes widened for emphasis, "We're talking butler service here, it's insane."

"Gee, and I thought it wasn't for the money," Lois muttered sarcastically.

Chloe shrugged the barb off completely. "We both know he could be poorer than dirt and I'd still leave here with him."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered unenthusiastically, "you guys are sickeningly in love… Rub it in, why don't you?"

She snorted. "You do remember setting us up, right?"

"If you haven't noticed, it wasn't one of my brighter plans!" she exclaimed, motioning to the moving truck.

"On the contrary," Chloe disagreed. "It was brilliant."

Lois stuck her tongue out childishly before returning to glaring at the moving men.

Chloe waited for the inevitable, and it wasn't long before Lois freely admitted, "I'm really starting to regret giving my go-ahead on you two…"

"Why, because I'm moving? Shouldn't that be a thumbs up on your matchmaking skills?"

"Yes and no… I guess I just thought…" Glumly, she glanced at Chloe uncomfortably. "I dunno, that you guys would get married, have a bunch of kids, name me the cool god-mother and live happily ever after fighting baddies from your penthouse."

"Not to point out the fault in your plan, but… Oliver's penthouse only has one bedroom… and the last place I want our kids is anywhere near a balcony that high up," she said, unconsciously glancing up at the very tall Queen skyscraper she stood before.

"Yeah, keep rubbing it in."

"Look…" Chloe turned, wrapping her hands around Lois' crossed arms. "Metropolis, the paper, all of that… it's your dream now, Lo. It's…" She smiled genuinely. "It's all yours and Clark's now. You get the curiosity that kills and the top-of-the-line spy glasses, mail-in-order not needed, and I completely back you on this. All of it. You deserve this life. And I know, once upon a time, I really wanted it. But, I know where I'm meant to be now, and I know who I'm meant to be with… And none of that is in Metropolis. Because this is your city, not mine. Okay?"

Lois stared at her for a full minute, just taking in the truth of the situation before finally replying, "And what? Leave you to your own devices in Star City? Puh-lease, you'll be calling me for help in less than a week…" Her expression was smug, but behind all of that it was obvious that was what she hoped was the truth of it.

She grinned. "I'm only a phone call away."

Lois pouted. "Yeah, well, you're lucky he's rich otherwise your long distance bill would be ridiculous!"

Chloe laughed. "Comforting."

"If you think I was smothering when you were in Metropolis, wait until you're out of it," she said smartly.

"You weren't smothering," she assured. "You were the best cousin I could've asked for."

"Yeah, yeah, cue the waterworks."

Chloe smiled and though Lois was won't to admit it, her eyes stung a little with unshed tears.

"Hug?"

Sniffing, Lois consideed shrugging it off, but in the end she didn't really get a choice. Taking the lead, Chloe reached up and dragged her purposely stoic cousin down into a tight embrace.

"You'll call if you need me?" Lois asked, leaning her chin on Chloe's shoulder.

"You're number two in my speed dial."

She snorted, rolling her eyes. "Lemme guess, Oliver's number one?"

"Uh, no, he's three…" she admitted, drawing away with a slight shrug.

Lois' brow furrowed. "Clark then?"

"Four."

"Okay, I'm lost. Who's number one?" she asked, shaking her head slowly.

"Bart," she said, lifting a shoulder. "I love you guys, but… he can get me my favorite coffee in three seconds flat and not spill a drop… No matter where I am!" she reminded enthusiastically.

Lois laughed, finally feeling a little relief from the sadness that had been chasing her heels ever since the happy couple had announced they were moving. "Not to mention he can get you out of a cinch quicker than the rest of us," she added.

"Well, yeah," she admitted, smiling sheepishly. "That too."

Sighing, Lois stuffed her hands in her pocket. "So this is really it… You're leaving."

Checking her watch absently, Chloe nodded. "Yeah, if we're going to stay on schedule, we're leaving soon, actually…"

Nodding, Lois turned her face away to stare at the moving truck once more. "You know, long-distance relationships aren't as bad as people think…"

"I hope you're talking about me and you and not me and Oliver."

Grinning, Lois shrugged a shoulder. "I have no preference."

"Liar."

"If I told you he had a really bad habit of clipping his toenails in bed, what would you do?" she wondered, thinning her eyes. Admittedly, he had never done that, but really, she was a little desperate.

Laughing, Chloe shook her head. "Thank you for the warning, but I think we'll survive."

"Okay, I won't say anymore, I'll just leave you with that very disgusting habit to mull around your entire flight… Remember, I have a couch should you ever need it."

"A couch? Really?" Chloe cocked a brow. "You won't even share your bed with me?"

"Well, I tried to warn you before you left," she said with a shrug. "For not listening you get the couch."

"Gee, thanks."

Oliver walked out the open doors of the building and with an all-too-happy grin, rejoined them. Meeting like the lovesick couple they were, their arms enfolded each other into a familiar embrace. While Lois might dislike acknowledging it, sometimes, she couldn't say they were bad for each other. If nothing else, they understood one another in a way nobody else could. Sometimes, she even caught them talking silently, all with their eyes and their body language. It was like full conversations were done with hands and smiles and the complete faith they shared in each other. It was annoying, but… something to be envied, all the same.

Like now, she was looking up at him with that big, warm Sullivan-grin of hers, green eyes caught completely by his, and he was matching her with one of his true-Ollie smiles. Not that fake, charismatic grin that so many other women swooned over. He rubbed her side unconsciously, his thumb tickling her ribs while she leaned against him like a pillar of unbendable support.

"You ready?" he asked her, his voice low, as if they were in a world all their own.

"For the plane or the adventure?" she asked, quirking a brow.

"The adventure's already begun, Sidekick, catch up," he teased, squeezing her hip.

She narrowed her eyes playfully. "With this move, I suggest you become the Sidekick and I become the leader. After all, the guys listen to me better."

"Yeah but I look better in leather."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Don't be so quick to judge, you haven't seen me in leather just yet."

His eyes heated and for a moment there was that silent conversation where Lois almost felt like she'd walked in on them going at it like bunnies. The heat between them was overwhelmingly powerful. Smiles turned from sweet to smoldering and hands that had previously been lightly rubbing were now seductively caressing. Their bodies magnetically turned toward each other until they stood hip to hip, wrapped up in only each other.

"Hey, sex it up on your own time," she exclaimed, garnering their attention. "I want to say my goodbyes without you two slobbering all over each other."

With an amused grin, Oliver turned them back around. "For your benefit only, Lois."

She smirked. "Now… I know I already got my hug, but that was before and I want another." Without waiting, she dragged Chloe out of Oliver's arms and hugged her tight once more. "If he ever breaks your heart, in any way, shape or form, call me… I'll bring the chunky monkey and enough torture devices to make sure he's a falsetto for life."

Stepping back, Chloe nodded slowly. "I can't guarantee I'll ever take you up on that offer… But, it was unusually thoughtful, so thanks."

"And you," Lois stared up at Oliver with a glare before sighing and relenting as she opened her arms and hugged him too. Quietly, so Chloe couldn't hear, she whispered, "Take care of her. Please."

"My number one priority," he promised.

And she knew it was true. While justice came before all else and the end justified the means for the both of them, she knew that he would let it all go in a heartbeat if it meant taking care of Chloe, and she would do the same for him. That was why she hadn't sabotaged the move anymore than glaring and a few hopeful suggestions. Because much as she didn't want her cousin to leave, she had to let her go. Chloe's life was beginning, the one she was meant to have all along, and it wasn't to be in Metropolis. It was wherever Oliver was, wherever their lifestyle took them.

So stepping back, she wiped the tears away before they could fall, gave herself a little shake of reality and then smiled at them. "Okay, so… This is goodbye."

"Only for now," Chloe reminded.

"Yeah, Thanksgiving isn't that far off," Oliver assured with a shrug.

Lois glared. "Yeah, neither is Labor Day," she told him, pursing her lips.

Chloe laughed. "I have a feeling we're not gonna be missing each other long."

Lois grinned smugly. "You got that right."

The alarm beeped on Oliver's watch and he glanced between Chloe and Lois. "It's time."

"Well, wait, what about Clark?" Lois suggested, suddenly feeling like she really didn't want to let them go just yet.

"He's meeting us at the airport," Chloe soothed. "It's okay, Lo. I'll call you when I get in and when things calm down, we'll throw a house-warming party just for an excuse to have you come over."

Nodding, she sighed. "Okay."

As the town car pulled up to the curb, Oliver took Chloe's hand and they said their goodbyes one last time before walking toward their ride. Just as she was about to climb in, Chloe stopped. "Oh! Wait!" Turning, she hurried back over to Lois. "I almost forgot." Lifting the bright blue shopping bag up, she handed it to Lois. "For you." Without another word, she turned back around and returned to the car. Oliver climbed in next to her and rolled down the window, smiling as Chloe leaned across him to blow a kiss and wave at her favorite cousin.

Sadly, Lois watched them leave, waving until the car was out of sight.

With nothing but the moving men finishing up behind her and the bag hanging heavy in her hand, Lois started walking. All around her people continued on with their usual lives while she already missed her cousin. Taking a seat at a familiar coffee shop, she ordered her usual and a cinnamon bun larger than her head to sate her sadness. Pulling the red paper tissue out of the bag, she reached inside to see what Chloe had left her with. Her brow furrowed as she drew out a wide phone the size and width of her hand. The screen was large enough she could watch movies on it and not have to squint. As if it knew she'd touched it, it roared to life and a video started playing.

"Hi Lo!" Chloe's cheerful voice said before her face appeared on the screen. "Talk about top-of-the-line, huh? This baby isn't even available until next year. So, forget about faceless phone calls, on this we can talk face-to-face, for as long as you want. Not as great as side-by-side, but I think we'll survive." She grinned. "I know you're not happy about us moving, but at least this way you'll know no matter how far I go, I'm always with you."

Lois smiled, sniffling at the sweet tenderness that filled her up.

"Oh, and one last thing. I'm number two on your speed dial, any time you need me. Number one is Bart though, because I figured there are just some days you'll need me in the flesh. And as long as you give him a bag of burritos, only ever from Senor Mario's, he'll have you here before you can call him names!" With a laugh, she waved at the screen. "I love you and I'll talk to you seen. Byyyye…"

As the screen went blank, Lois sat back in her chair and sighed. So they were gone and she missed them, but all was not really over. She still had her cousin, even if she only came in screen-form, until she made a trip to Senor Mario's at least. With that thought in mind, she picked up her plate of over-sized cinnamon bun and dropped it on some nameless person's table. "Dig in," she told them absently before leaving the café. Pressing replay on her new phone, she grinned. Life may be changing, but at least for two people it was only getting better. And she could live with that.

But, because she was, well, her, she had to do one last thing. Looking through her short list of contact numbers, she found Clark and dialed. He didn't pick up and she figured he was already saying his goodbye to Chloe and Oliver. So when the answering machine picked up, she sing-sang, "Smallville, guess what parting gift I got from the dynamic-dating-duo? Be envious! If you're lucky, I might let you look at it from afar." Just as she was about to turn the corner, something suspicious caught her eyes. "Hold on, I think I might've just seen our next big story… Put on your big-girl panties, Clark. We've got a live one."

Pushing end, she got back to what she did best, and really, what made her happy. Just as soon as her partner in crime caught up to her, she'd have their next big headline. Lois Lane – Pulitzer Prize winner – she liked the ring of that.