Exposure

by Alexa Jones

Sequel to "Relief." Clark helps Chloe deal with the knowledge of her mother-- in more ways than one.

Disclaimer: Didn't think up these characters, don't own 'em.

Summary: Sequel to "Relief." Clark helps Chloe deal with the knowledge of her mother-- in more ways than one.

Chloe stared at the computer screen. Her finger twitched on the mouse button, cursor hovering over an underlined link. Only one click and she'd have the answers she'd been seeking for months.

When she had been little, and her father had had to admit that her mother had left them, he'd said that she had moved to Arizona. Chloe, always the reporter, had checked up on that, and he'd been right. She never attempted to make contact, but her need to know that she could if she wanted kept her checking on her mom periodically.

Then, a year ago, her mom hadn't been in Arizona. Chloe couldn't locate her at all. It was as if her mom had left no trail that any of her contacts could follow. Her mom had moved often, but Chloe had always been able to track her. She had wondered if it was time that she just let it go, but her mom had never seemed to need to hide herself or cover her tracks before. Curiosity peaked, Chloe had started the hunt, trying to find new sources of help.

A few months ago, she'd learned where her mom was. She'd learned that she was in a mental institution, supposedly being treated for schizophrenia.

On one hand, Chloe had wanted to believe that was true. Maybe it gave a reason for her mother leaving. Maybe it wasn't her fault her mom had left, or even her mom's fault. She had been ill, and she hadn't known what she was really doing.

On the other hand, Chloe's research had revealed that schizophrenia was genetic. Chloe didn't know why, but there'd always been something in the back of her mind, nagging her that she would end up just like her mom.

Chloe had let the fear of that weigh her down these past few months. Telling Clark last week had been a huge relief, yet, she couldn't give up completely. Always looking for conspiracy, Chloe had started poking around to see if it was possible her mom was being set up. After all, she wouldn't put it past Lionel Luthor to use it as a last ditch form of revenge. It fit his MO perfectly.

And now, all of her efforts were about to be rewarded. She'd find out if she was right-- if her mother had been rightfully institutionalized.

Chloe pressed the mouse button and released it, shutting her eyes. She couldn't even bear to watch the results page load. Eventually exhaling a shaky breath, Chloe tentatively cracked open an eye. A blur of blue plaid caught her attention.

"Hey, Chloe."

"Clark!" She jumped back in her chair, startled. "I didn't see you there."

Clark shifted his books to his other arm. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. What are you looking at?"

Chloe tapped her fingers nervously against the desk. "I... it's information on my mom."

Clark walked around behind her and leaned over her shoulder, his hand reaching up and gripping the back of her chair. His breath moved a strand of her hair as he asked, "What information?"

She shivered slightly as the memories of last Friday came rushing back. Clark didn't usually get that much in her space, making her wonder if he hadn't changed his mind like she'd expected he would.

Shaking her head slightly, she forced herself to forget Clark's proximity. "I couldn't find any evidence of previous mental illness in my family. Plus, it didn't make sense that I'd be able to track my mom's movements for years and then all of a sudden, she'd start covering her tracks."

"Your mom moved a lot?"

Chloe nodded. "She was a wanderer, I guess." She gave a wistful smile. "Maybe that's why she couldn't stay in Kansas... couldn't stay in one place for long." 'Not even for us,' she thought silently.

Clark's hand moved from the chair to her shoulder, his hand squeezing her gently. He didn't say anything, and Chloe was glad. Nothing anybody said could ever reassure her.

"So, after I... found where she was... I wanted to see if she really deserved it. Or if it's yet another revenge scheme Lionel orchestrated before he was imprisoned."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Clark concurred. "Does this prove that?"

Chloe shrugged. "I haven't looked yet." She tapped the scroll wheel with the tip of her nail. "All I have to do is scroll down. And then we'll know."

Clark said nothing. She knew he was waiting, but she didn't know if she was really ready to find out.

"What if this shows that my mom really is ill? It's almost easier to believe that Lionel set us up, as sad as that is."

"Then we could help free your mom, especially since Lionel is in jail now."

Chloe nodded. "But if she's not... then I can't help her." Chloe leaned her head against her hand. "I can't do anything."

She had to know, though. She could hesitate for a few minutes, days even, but she knew that if her hunch was correct, it was her fault her mother was institutionalized. Her fault that she'd introduced her family to Lionel's deception. It was her responsibility to make it right.

"There must be something you can do, either way," Clark offered.

"Maybe," she admitted. Chloe took a deep breath, and scrolled before she could lose her nerve. Her eyes scanned the text quickly, working to make some sense out of the statistics and snapshots of medical charts. She shook her head, unable to think clearly enough to draw any conclusions on her own on first glance. Then, at the bottom, her source had left a small summary paragraph.

Clark must have already read it and said, "Your source does think it looks suspicious!"

Chloe glanced over her shoulder at him and nodded. "She was admitted involuntarily with special orders, and unusual medication has been prescribed to her. Additionally, her bills are being paid by a health insurance company that has no other dealings with the institution," she read aloud. A few minutes ago, she'd thought it would have been better that Lionel was the cause of her mother's disappearance. Except, now a cloud of guilt hovered over her, and she doubted it would go away unless she could get her mom out. Chloe wondered if there was anything she could do. She had no clue how far Lionel's influence still stretched.

"We should check on that insurance company. It could be a cover... maybe Lionel is privately funding her bills under the guise of an insurance company?" Clark suggested.

Chloe smiled at him. "Lionel's created fake companies before!"

Clark grinned, clearly pleased with himself.

She quickly typed the company name into Google, which returned no results.

"Looks like I'm going to have to wait and see if one of my contacts can find out any info for me," Chloe said disappointedly.

Clark abandoned his post behind her chair and walked around to lean back against the desk. "Why don't you take a break? We can get some coffee."

Caffeine sounded great, especially laced with too much sugar. Chloe wanted to go, but she didn't know if she could handle being out with Clark and dealing with the news about her mom at the same time. "I still have to type up the lunch menu for the Torch this week," she said, which was true.

Clark suddenly started digging around in his backpack. Chloe lifted an eyebrow curiously.

"Here!" Clark produced a floppy disk with a flourish. "I already did the lunch menu."

Chloe's eyebrows raised even further. "Really? I thought you would have forgotten."

"I know... but... well, I thought you'd have a lot on your mind. Could use the help?"

Chloe chuckled. "That's usually the case, but never convinced you to do it before," she reminded him, trying to keep her tone light even though his flakiness always bothered her.

Clark at least looked remorseful this time. "Well, in all honesty... I needed something to keep my mind off things this weekend. I'd already checked all the fences twice and done some chores days ahead when my dad told me to quit and find something else to do."

Chloe wasn't quite sure she was ready to head into this territory yet, but posed the question anyway. "Thinking about your dream?"

"Not exactly." Clark gave a slight smile.

Chloe sighed. She had a pretty good idea what had been on his mind. She glanced up at him, found him looking back at her. Clark Kent always said more with his eyes than anything else, and he was looking at her in a way he never had before. His eyes scanned hers until she dropped her gaze to her lap.

"Chloe, I don't really know what you're thinking right now..." Clark began, "about me... or... whatever. But you said to let you know Monday and I... I haven't changed my mind."

She didn't know what to say back. She didn't know what she was thinking right now either. Friday night had been like a dream to her. She still had trouble believing it had happened, even though Clark was making reference to it right now. Having Clark Kent tell her she was beautiful and beg her to stay and kiss him had been one of her secret fantasies for years now. It couldn't be becoming a reality.

Clark must have taken her silence as rejection instead of uncertainty. "It's okay. Just let me know if... anything changes."

He stood and slung his backpack over his shoulder. Chloe watched him leave, then called out to him before he made it through the doorway. "Clark!"

He paused and turned to face her, expectancy etched on his expression.

"I'm really glad you shared with me. I just... with everything going on... I just need to process one thing at a time you know?"

Clark frowned, perhaps because he thought she was weirded out by the alien thing, so Chloe rushed to correct herself. "And it's not... your differences. Just any sort of change in the status of us, you know?"

Clark did look a bit relieved at that, but still disappointed. "Yeah."

Chloe's eyes remained on the doorway even after he'd left. "I hope I'm not making the same mistake again," she whispered to herself.

Chloe managed to avoid Clark for much of the next day. Clark seemed to sense she was keeping her distance on purpose, and, to his credit, respected her space.

Then after school, she received an email updating the insurance company status. Indeed, it had been formed not long before her mother had been institutionalized, and had only a few other policy holders. Definitely suspicious.

Chloe couldn't keep the news to herself, so she decided to visit Clark. Predictably, she found him in the barn loft.

He greeted her with a grin, and she grabbed the railing to steady herself, wishing his smiles didn't have such an effect on her.

"Hey, Chloe."

She smiled back and plopped on the couch next to him.

"Any news?" he asked.

Chloe nodded, but found herself unable to tell him. It hadn't really sunk in until now-- that the evidence that Lionel was still messing with her family was really adding up. It hadn't been just all in her head.

She saw Clark's hand twitch, as if he wanted to touch her, but was restraining himself. Maybe he still was afraid that she was frightened by 'the real him.'

Chloe scooted closer and leaned her head against his shoulder. Clark seemed to relax and moved to rest his arm over her shoulder.

"Bad news?"

"Not really. Just more confirmation that Lionel set her up."

"The insurance company is a cover, right?"

"Looks that way."

Several minutes passed before either said anything more. Clark's hand didn't move from her shoulder, and Chloe didn't know if he was only waiting for her to make the next move. Chloe did know that she liked the weight of his hand. The barn loft was slightly chilly in the winter evening but it was warm next to Clark.

Maybe she was being foolish thinking that she couldn't handle being with Clark and dealing with her mom at the same time. Maybe that was what she needed-- someone to lean on. She knew Clark would help her investigate or whatever she needed. He usually came through in big situations. Maybe if they were together, it would give her something happy to think about, instead of thinking about her mother.

At the same time, if Clark hurt her again, Chloe wasn't sure she could take all the resulting drama. Of course, she had never gotten anywhere without taking a risk.

Chloe shifted in her seat, turning to look at him. Clark gazed back at her, eyes searching hers, and she knew that they both knew what was about to happen.

She leaned forward, bracing herself with a hand on his knee and on the back of the couch. Clark, too, leaned down until their lips met. His hand moved from her shoulder to her hair, fingers twining in it.

Clark was smiling when they pulled back from the kiss. "Changed your mind?"

"Something like that," she answered, returning his smile.

Clark's smiled turn into a grin. He reached out and cupped her face in his hands. She scooted as close as she could, wrapping her arms around his neck while he turned to face her fully.

Chloe knew that, despite Clark Kent's dorkiness and lack of finely-tuned social skills, he'd kissed a decent number of girls. Chloe couldn't honestly say that she liked that fact, but she was benefiting from it now. Clark's lips looked like they were always begging to be kissed, and they felt just as nice as they looked.

She got so lost in kissing him, she didn't even notice when Clark slid down the couch and she was halfway on top of him.

For the first time that night, Chloe realized that Clark really was hers. She smiled against his mouth, momentarily breaking the kiss, as she felt a surge of possession as she slipped an appreciative hand over his muscled chest. He was hers, and for the first time, she was free to touch him as more than a friend.

Clark's response to her touch was to reclaim her lips, move his hands down from her shoulders, and caress her sides. Not willing to be outdone, Chloe grasped his t-shirt, tugging it loose from his jeans, and slid her hand beneath his shirt, playing her fingers over his stomach. Muscles there, too, just like she remembered seeing, muscles that twitched at her touch.

Chloe liked that response. She nibbled on Clark's lower lip briefly, and finding no objection to the use of her teeth, kissed her way down until she could gently bite between his neck and shoulder. Chloe was pretty sure she detected a slight shiver. Deciding to test her luck, Chloe bit harder-- after all, Clark had said that no one could hurt him without the green meteor rocks around.

Clark inhaled sharply, and Chloe wondered if she'd hurt him. A quick look revealed no teeth marks whatsoever. Chloe fingered the spot in amazement. "You were really serious, weren't you?"

His eyes darkened with a hint of unease. "I told you," he said defensively.

Chloe dropped a kiss on the spot. "I believed you."

Clark's expression softened. "I know. It can take awhile to sink in, huh?"

"What can? My teeth on your invulnerable skin?" Chloe answered teasingly.

Clark grinned at her. "No," he replied simply.

The joke lightening the mood, Clark kissed her again and Chloe banned herself from thinking and forgot everything as they kissed. Kissing Clark made her problems seem to disappear and everything felt fine. Perfect, in fact, so maybe hooking up with Clark was the best thing for her right now. 'Perhaps for both of us,' Chloe reasoned, not wanting her own problems to be the only reason for their relationship.

After all, maybe Clark only felt close to her because he told her his secret. Was there anything wrong with that? Was there anything wrong with Clark feeling connections with someone just because of something he shared? Perhaps it sounded bad superficially, but perhaps it really wasn't unhealthy at all.

Chloe wiggled so that she was more fully on top of Clark. He gave a slight moan as her thigh slid across the bulge in his jeans, which she was pleased to feel. The knowledge that she was turning him on empowered her further, and she boldly rubbed her thigh against it again.

Clark broke their kiss to take a quick breath, and Chloe took the opportunity to fasten her lips on his throat. Clark's hands gripped her hips even more tightly, and his hips gradually started moving to rub back against her.

Feeling a bit reckless with her acceptance of their relationship, Chloe was willing to see just how far Clark would let things go. She gripped his t-shirt in her fists, and pushed it further up his chest.

It must have been the breaking point, because Clark suddenly squeezed her hips and froze, lifting her clean off his body. "Chloe, I...."

Chloe blinked at their abrupt change in position and the ease at which Clark was holding her above him-- his arms weren't even trembling.

"Clark?"

Clark set her back down gently, but off to the side of him again. "I... well, I didn't really want to, umm, have to do laundry tonight."

Chloe chuckled at the admission. "I wouldn't have cared." They both knew she wasn't referring to laundry.

He gazed at her for a few seconds before smiling. "Really."

She nodded and gave him her best smirk.

"Hmm," was Clark's only reply to that, and Chloe wondered exactly what that meant, but decided to drop the subject for now. She dropped a kiss on his on his collarbone and settled her head into the crook of his shoulder. He draped an arm over her, and they lay silently together until Martha called them both to dinner.

Chloe hummed as she got ready for school that morning. Later, she didn't even find her calculus class as long and boring as usual-- maybe because she spent most of the time daydreaming and not taking notes.

Yet, after school let out, her euphoria dimmed as she headed into the Torch. Although she'd been able to go most of the day without thinking of her mother, she was abruptly reminded as soon as she entered the office.

Surprisingly enough, Clark was already there.

"Hey," he greeted her, bending down to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Hi," she said, smiling at the warm greeting. She dropped her backpack next to the desk and sat down, switching on the computer to check her email.

An email from one of her sources gave Chloe answers to something she'd been wondering-- exactly how she might be able to sneak into the institution that was holding her mom.

"Clark..." she said slowly and thoughtfully, "do you feel up for a little adventure?"

Clark looked damn good in black jeans and a black sweater. Given the subtle, yet obviously appreciative glance-over Clark had given her, she was pretty sure he thought the same of her. She'd also dressed in a tight, black sweater, with black pants and boots.

"Chloe, we're going to look pretty conspicuous if we try and go in like this," Clark told her doubtfully.

Chloe grinned. "Oh, I know."

Clark gave her a confused frown.

"That's why we're going to change into some volunteer scrubs before we go in," Chloe elaborated, gesturing to her backpack.

"So why did you tell me to wear all black?"

Chloe laughed. "I just thought it'd add to the atmosphere of adventure as we start out!" And she'd been eager to see Clark in something besides flannel.

Clark stared at her for a moment before he, too, broke into a grin. "So, off to Metropolis?"

"Yep," Chloe answered. "I just need to get my keys."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"I think I know a faster way."

Chloe raised an eyebrow.

"You don't get motion sick, do you?"

"Uhh, no...."

"Good."

"Clark, what are you planning?" she asked suspiciously.

"Well," he began hesitantly. "I... I can run really fast."

"Run really fast? Like, just how fast?"

"We can get to Metropolis in a few minutes."

"What?" Chloe shrieked, forgetting herself.

Clark glanced around nervously, even though they knew no one else was in the house. "Yeah."

"How will we... is that... safe?" she finished nervously.

He gave her a lazy smile. "Pretty sure."

At her doubtful look, Clark added, "And that would give us time to get some dinner before we do our subterfuge?"

Chloe laughed. "Okay, you convinced me." The reward seemed to be well worth the risk. She'd been relieved and grateful to have Clark agree to go along with her, but to get to have a date outside of Smallville seemed too good to be true.

Clark reached down and grabbed her backpack, hoisting it over his shoulder, then stepped toward her. "Ready?"

Before she could even reply, he'd swung her up in his arms, scenery became a blur, and just as quickly as they'd started, they were stopped. She clung to Clark, hands gripping his shoulder tightly as her body struggled to get used to standing still again.

"Oh my God," Chloe said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Are you okay?" he asked in reply, sounding worried.

Chloe nodded and glanced around, noticing that Clark had brought them to a park, likely smart thinking on his part where it wouldn't look as unusual for a guy to be carrying his girlfriend as it would if they had appeared in the middle of the city sidewalk. They attracted a few glances, but nothing more and people went on their way.

Chloe could do nothing more than stare at him in stunned silence. Clark set her down carefully, helping steady her when her legs wobbled at first. Clark flashed a sheepish smile. "So... is Italian good?"

Chloe twirled some fettuccine around her fork. Clark sat across from her, digging into some meatballs and looking as if he was greatly enjoying them.

"So, you really think that your friend got you valid security passes?" Clark asked after he finished chewing a generous bite.

"They're supposed to be the security level that all volunteers have. We won't have access to really confidential areas, but we should be able to find and see my mom."

Clark nodded and speared a meatball with his fork. He looked as if he was about to stuff the whole thing in his mouth, but a guilty expression flashed across his face, and he set it back on his plate and sliced it in half before eating it.

Chloe sifted her fork through her pasta. The food was delicious, but she wasn't particularly hungry. She set her fork down against her dish.

"Nervous?"

The corner of Chloe's mouth lifted in a slight smile. "A little. I mean, I haven't seen my mom in forever. And... I'm not really sure what to expect either. I don't think I'll like what I'll see."

"Are you sure you want to do this? We can go back home."

Clark shook her head. Delaying this wouldn't help any, in fact, it might even make things worse. "Who knows what would happen to my mom, the longer she's there? The longer she's under Lionel's control?"

Clark smiled at her, reached across the table, and grabbed her hand. "Just remember that you're not in this alone."

Clark looked good even in the hospital-type scrubs that volunteers wore. Even the loose pants and shirt seemed to compliment his physique. Chloe didn't think the pants made her ass look anywhere near as flattering as Clark's was-- she could only hope that he remembered how she looked in the black pants.

A swipe of their cards opened the door, and they walked in with hardly a glance their way. Even so, they kept their heads down and busied themselves getting some books and art supplies, hoping that no one would notice to the new faces and start asking questions.

"Do you think you'll recognize her when you see her?" Clark whispered as they both peered through the glass windows in the doors.

"I hope so," she replied, standing on her tip-toes to check another room while Clark glanced around for anyone who might see them.

And then, the next room. A woman curled up on the bed, blonde locks limp, but Chloe knew that was her mom.

"Clark," she muttered, getting his attention, "here she is."

After another quick check to make sure no one was watching, Chloe opened the door and they both ducked into the room, remembering to pull in the cart of books along with them.

The figure on the bed looked up at them expectantly. Chloe stared at her for a moment, and the woman stared back. Maybe Chloe had been expecting a moment of instant recognition, where her mother's eyes would light up and she'd whisper, 'Chloe, is that you?'

But that didn't happen, and Chloe realized there'd be no easy to way to tell her who she was. "Umm, would you like a book to read?"

Her mother tilted her head. "No," she eventually answered.

Chloe nodded, biting her lip as tears threatened to fall. She couldn't cry, and she had no clue what to do now. She'd had vague fantasies of breaking her mom out, but her mom didn't even know who she was. And they had little idea what was being done and what would happen if they took her away.

Clark touched her shoulder lightly. "We'll be back some other night," he said, as much a double-message to her as it was to her mother.

Chloe turned away quickly, probably too quickly. She nearly burst out of the room, but Clark's steady touch on her arm quickly evened out her pace so that no one would get suspicious if they saw her walking down the hallway.

Leaving the book cart where they'd found it, they left the institution and hurried to the park across the street. Chloe immediately found a bench, sitting with her elbows propped on her knees and face buried in her hands.

Clark began to slowly stroke her back. "I have an idea."

Chloe turned her head slightly to listen.

"I think... I think that Lionel changed in prison. And I wonder if... if maybe I could just ask him. That if he put her in there, maybe he'd realize he can turn the situation around."

"Clark, are you sure?" Chloe lifted her head doubtfully. "I mean, after everything he's done to me and my family, I refuse to believe that he would help me now!"

"It's worth a try, isn't it?"

"I don't know... right now he doesn't even know that we know."

Clark pondered that silently, then gave her a squeeze. "C'mon, let's go."

Clark sped them home, each still dressed in the volunteer scrubs. With Clark's... alternative method of travel, they arrived home much sooner than she'd expected. Her father's newest job was crap; he had to work nightshifts just to make ends meet. Although she hated coming home to an empty house, especially after the news of her mother, she had to admit that it had a distinct advantage this moment-- she and Clark were alone in the house. Chloe liked the barn loft, but it was drafty and lacked any secure privacy.

"You can change in the house, if you want, so your parents don't see you in these," she suggested, gesturing to their current attire. A subtle invitation, perhaps too much so for a simple male mind to realize. Guys always took statements at face value.

Indeed, Clark just nodded and started in the direction of the bathroom. Chloe shook her head. "Clark?"

He turned, his gaze questioning.

"It's still early... and my father won't be home for another hour or two," she hinted.

She saw the look of comprehension, the carefully controlled appetence behind his eyes. Chloe liked seeing that, knowing that he now looked forward to spending time alone with her as much as she always had him.

Clark dropped the backpack and headed back toward the living room where she was still standing. Except, she had other ideas.

Pushing aside any lingering thoughts that Clark was only eager for a warm body, Chloe said, "As much as I love your couch, what do you say about being able to stretch out on a bed?"

Clark's eyebrows shot up and she thought she detected a faint flicker of panic. Yet, he seemed to steel himself and grin. "Okay."

She led the way up the stairs to her room, but with each climbing step, an unsettling feeling grew. As much as the timing was perfect, by the time Chloe had stretched out on her bed, the day's emotional exhaustion (and physical, if you counted her equilibrium being thrown off from Clark's running) caught up with her. When Clark stood awkwardly at the foot of her bed, apparently waiting for an explicit invitation, she knew she didn't have the energy to initiate everything tonight. Clark's hesitant consideration was one of the things that appealed to her about him, but it could be equally frustrating at times.

She sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing the back of her hand across her forehead. Luckily, Clark didn't need to be asked to comfort, and she felt the bed dip down as he spooned her into a hug.

Chloe smiled slightly, the warmth of his body making her feel better instantaneously. His thumb gently pressed the tight muscles in the back of her neck, while his other hand soothingly stroked her arm. Maybe Clark wasn't the most relationship apt boy in Smallville, but he did have an uncanny perception in knowing when people were in need of help.

"I wish I wasn't so tired." She twisted in his arms until she could look at him. "I wanted to take advantage of being alone."

"We could..." he answered slowly, "or we could just stay like this."

Of course, his understanding just made her want him all the more, and any doubts that he might just be using her as a sexual outlet vanished. 'Even though,' she argued with herself, 'you might just be using him for the same.'

But she had loved him all this time and stuck by him. No other girl in Smallville could say the same. If it took extreme circumstances to bring her and Clark together, then so be it. Chloe stretched up and kissed him, rolling over completely so that her arm wrapped over him and her hand fisted locks of his hair. Both allowed themselves to sink deeper into the mattress, as she hooked her leg over his and pulled herself closer to him.

Clark made a tiny groan at that, and it wasn't long at all before she could feel him growing against her stomach. Chloe felt her reckless streak coming back as their kisses became more urgent and passionate.

Eventually, her curiosity won out, and she slid a hand down his stomach and cupped him through his pants, unable to resist giving him two slow strokes with the flat of her palm. Clark gasped and froze.

Chloe's determination faltered, his reaction hitting home to her the step they'd be taking.

"Chloe... don't...." he murmured.

Instantly feeling guilt, knowing she probably should have asked, Chloe began formulating a quick apology until Clark spoke again.

"... Don't stop."

Chloe grinned in relief, then felt especially devious when Clark's eyes shut tight as she squeezed him through the cloth. But that wouldn't be that much better than what they'd done last time, so she slipped her fingers under the waistband of both his pants and boxers at the same time before taking him in hand again. Another groan escaped him, and he made no move to stop her. For all the time Chloe had thought about this, the moment itself passed quickly-- it only took a minute of stroking him before he was making a choked noise and spilling over her hand.

Clark's head fell back against her pillow with a light thump as she removed her hand from his clothing, wiping her hand along the way since she knew they'd have to be washed anyway.

His lethargic expression soon disappeared when he frowned, pulling her towards him. He kissed her, hand trailing over to the waist of her pants, then paused as he confessed, "I... I don't really know... how... what...."

Chloe sat back in momentary shock. "You've never...?"

Clark shook his head.

"But... I mean, that one summer in Metropolis? You were clubbing and looking like...." she trailed off, seeing Clark wince at the reminder. "Oh, Clark... it's okay, though. I just thought for sure that you had done... something."

"Oh." He titled his head then, studying her. "Have you?"

"Umm." Now seemed like the worst possible time to be having this conversation, but she supposed that they should have talked about it before. Except, she'd been so sure and she hadn't even wanted to ask about all the women she'd thought he'd been with that summer. Plus, Pete hadn't been able to stop pestering Clark about his midnight romp with Alicia. "Remember Justin?"

Clark narrowed his eyes, but nodded.

"We just fooled around a little... like this. Nothing more," she assured him, knowing that he'd feel even more insecure if he thought she was more experienced than she was and he'd have a lot to live up to.

"That's all?"

"Well, and someone from the Daily Planet last summer, but... it was nothing."

His mouth quirked upward. "I thought you seemed kinda... skilled," he said, face reddening.

Chloe chuckled softly. "Not that you have a basis of comparison."

"Well...." Clark held up a hand.

Chloe couldn't help but laugh at that and he grinned sheepishly. Luckily, the joke had lightened the mood, but Clark's nervousness seemed to taken over.

"I still have no idea...."

Chloe cut him off with a kiss, acting quickly to prevent Clark from losing his nerve. She fell onto her back, took his hand, and placed it against her stomach. "I'll show you," she whispered into his ear, as seductively as she could.

Clark's response was to kiss her back and smooth his fingers across her belly. He hesitated for a second, then slid his hand under her panties, fingers brushing along her curls. Chloe closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hand hot against her skin. Chloe loved his hands-- huge and strong, yet always gentle. His hand covered almost the whole width of her belly. It was nice, but Chloe wanted more. If it had been another lover, she would have assumed he was just teasing her, but she knew that Clark probably needed some guidance.

Her hand joined his. She rubbed his hand briefly, hoping to reassure him or calm him down, since his breathing had increased almost to the point of when she'd been touching him before. Then, after some brief fumbling, trying to get him to position his hand how she liked, she got his thumb against her clit.

The first touch, even as light as it was, sent a shiver through her spine. And then, Clark shifted his thumb, pressing harder, tracing around, perhaps trying to get a lay of the land.

Any touch was such relief, and it'd been so long since anyone else had done this for her. Chloe let out an appreciative moan, purposely a little louder than normal, just to let him know that she liked it and he was on the right track.

Clark, apparently knowing little about where to find her pleasure point, seemed, at least, to have a general idea of how to proceed from there. His thumb soon settled into a rubbing rhythm, and Chloe found herself thinking less and less about his lack of expertise and more on how damn good it felt to have Clark touching her at last.

Indeed, Clark seemed to be a quick learner-- his other fingers had taken up exploring, and one was cautiously brushing over her entrance. Figuring it was his silent way of asking her, she pushed up against him. "Please," she urged softly, then moaned when Clark complied.

She was even more surprised and delighted when Clark took the initiative to slide his hand beneath her shirt and cup her breast through her bra. His fingers quickly found and began teasing a nipple, and Chloe wondered if he had done that, at least, before. "Oh, Clark," she whimpered, really enjoying the extra stimulation. She couldn't help but arch into his touch. His fingers were far from deft, but the knowledge that it was Clark's hands more than made up for whatever frustration resulted from his ignorance of exactly where and how to touch her yet.

Chloe glanced up at him-- a sudden desire to know what he was thinking, what he thought of her right now. He appeared to be studying her reactions, but she couldn't read his face. She didn't have time to study him back; he bent down and kissed her, then trailed his lips along her cheek and down her neck, sucking on her skin ever so gently.

That was nice, too, and she found herself moving up against his hand, feeling herself starting to really get there, that his touches were beyond arousing now, that he really was going to make her come.

"More," she breathed, the pleasure mounting, just needing....

"More?" Clark's confusion could plainly be heard. And maybe, yeah, that wasn't really that clear, 'more' could be anything to him.

"Yes, just...." she moaned. "Little... faster... firmer," she managed.

And Clark did, well enough, making her gather her comforter in her, fists, and finally, finally after all these years, she cried out as Clark made her come. She'd always been vocal. Maybe it went along with talking too much, maybe it was just because that, despite Clark's inexperience, she'd never wanted anyone this much before, and it had never felt this good before.

"Oh, God," she said, body slumping into the mattress and her grip on the bedspread loosening. A smile formed on her lips as she turned her head toward Clark, noticing a shudder pass over his body.

She let out a quiet laugh. "Did you just... again?" she asked, vaguely remembering feeling him hard against her hip, though she hadn't had much concern about it at the time.

Clark lifted one of his shoulders in a casual shrug, but his nonchalance wasn't convincing after a blush spread across his cheeks. "You looked so... you were... I mean...."

Chloe blushed then, too, not even knowing what she must have looked like, but liking that it had had that effect on him. She let out a long, contented sigh, stretching and enjoying the languid afterglow. Yes, that had been exactly what she'd needed to relax and get her mind off things.

It wasn't long, however, before Clark squirmed uncomfortably. Chloe glanced over to see him grimacing and tugging his pants away from his skin.

"Good thing you didn't change before, huh?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I need to--"

She grinned and gave him a light push before he could even finish his sentence. "Go."

Chloe frowned, though, as Clark headed into the bathroom to change. She'd just had him coming in her hand but he had still left instead of feeling comfortable enough to change in front of her. Then again, it wasn't like she'd made much move to undress him either, and she wondered if she'd have done the same if their situations were reversed. She didn't necessarily have to change right now; she didn't have to walk back home.

She held out her hand when he walked back in. "I'll wash them before our next venture."

"Thanks," he said, handing her the tightly balled bunch of clothes.

Chloe scooted off the bed and tossed them in her hamper, reminding herself to do the laundry tomorrow, just in case her dad decided to wash some of her clothes with his the next time. Which reminded her....

"My dad should be home soon."

Clark nodded in understanding. "My parents will be wondering where I am soon, too."

There was a brief, awkward silence. It gave Chloe a sinking feeling, and she hoped desperately that Clark wouldn't regret this later. When she'd brought him up to her room, she'd had no idea that it would be the first time for him. Maybe she wouldn't have been as forward, but, then again, maybe all Clark needed was a little pushing. What guy regretted getting some, anyway?

She walked him to the door.

"Thanks for coming with me tonight."

Clark only had to raise an eyebrow, and Chloe laughed. "I didn't mean it like that!"

Clark grinned. She had a hard time believing Clark would have even thought of a double entendre. "Not entirely like that," she added on second thought.

Clark leaned down and kissed her, slowly and sweetly, making any hint of awkwardness that had been disappear.

"Seriously, I really appreciate it," Chloe said once they broke apart.

"I will talk to Lionel," he said, smoothing a hand over her hair and pushing a stray strand behind her ear. "We'll get her out."

Chloe gave him a hopeful smile. Sometimes Clark could be a little flakey. But when it came to things like this, she knew Clark would pull through. She just prayed asking Lionel was the right choice.

THE END.

The next part will be posted only on my website and Livejournal, as it will be NC-17. Just a heads up.