Look After You

Author's Note: My first Chloe/Alek story, ever. Wasn't expecting it to become so lengthy, but I kinda just went with it. Loosely based on the song 'Look After You' by The Fray (hence the title and the summary). Please enjoy!

Teal. Fuchsia. Citrine. Turquoise. Crimson. Chartreuse.

Splashes of colors filled Chloe's bedroom floor, along with a vast array of pearls and faux diamonds. After rummaging through her closet for the umpteenth time, she finally found the perfect pair of shoes that would go along with the deep sapphire dress she was wearing. This better be it, she thought to herself. Trying on different shoes was becoming much too painful.

"Chloe! Paul and Amy are here!" Meredith shouted from the ground floor.

Tonight wasn't a night like any other. No, tonight was the night of all nights. The night that all high school students eagerly wait for other than graduation: the junior and senior prom. Ever since Chloe had been a freshman, this was all her and Amy talked about, wished about, and dreamt about. And now that it was here, for Chloe, it was nothing more than a night that she probably wouldn't want to remember.

"Evenin' Mrs. King," Paul greeted, dressed in a suit with a golden tie. Naturally, it matched with his girlfriend's long cocktail dress, Amy, radiating like a thousand stars.

"Hi Paul," she flashed a smile his way. "Chloe!"

"In a minute, mom!" she shouted back, taking one last look at herself in the mirror. The reflection that stared back at her looked unhappy and slightly miserable. If anything, she shouldn't be feeling this way. It was prom! The most magnificent, exquisite, magical night everyone is making it out to be. However, for Chloe, it was the complete opposite. She didn't know why, but ever since Alek told her that he was leaving three months ago, a genuine smile has barely touched her face since.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes. For a little bit."

"Where are you going?"

"I think it's better if you don't know."

"Is this really necessary? I mean, who's going to protect me from all harm?" she asked jokingly, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Chloe, we can't keep being like this. I need to get away for a while; to not see you. I need to get used to the idea that we will never be anything more than this. Me going away is probably for the better."

Her eyes studied the concrete pavement for a split second. She felt tears about to flow out of her eyes, but blinked a couple of times to prevent them from falling.

"It's okay. I understand. I'm really sor—"

"Don't be. There's no reason for you to apologize," he replied sternly, looking the other way.

She tried to meet his eyes for the last time but he refused. Though she knew that he was hurting on the inside, his outward appearance expressed nothing of the sort. Instead, he pulled his hood up and turned away from her.

"Goodbye, Chloe." They were the last words she ever heard him speak.

"There you are!"

Walking down the steps, Chloe surprised both Meredith and her two best friends with her strapless ensemble. She looked like a porcelain doll with her pale skin and her piercing green eyes, ready to take on the night. On her arm was a black coat, to combat against the chilly San Francisco wind.

"Chloe…" Amy hugged her best friend tightly.

"You. Look. Gorgeous." She replied, taking a step back to see Amy's complete outfit. She never saw her best friend look as happy as she did at that moment.

"You look gorgeous too," she said, examining the dramatic layers on Chloe's dress.

"Okay, everybody gather up, I'm taking a picture!" Meredith pulled out her camera to collect memories.

"Where's Jasmine?" Chloe asked Amy, looking around the living room.

"Oh, she's in the limo with her date. She was supposed to come down but what's—"

With a soft creak on the front door, Amy was interrupted as Jasmine and her date slipped inside the King residence.

"There you two are! I was starting to think you wouldn't come down the limo!"

"I'm sorry," Jasmine said. Her eyes shifted towards Chloe, giving her a slight nod, hoping she got the message. Going to the prom meant that she was still on duty.

Ever since Alek left town, Jasmine has been taking on his responsibility as the Uniter's protector. She was the one who watched Chloe at all times, making sure that she was away from harm. Though Chloe appreciated Jasmine's efforts, she couldn't help but wish that it was Alek instead. Things weren't the same with him gone. And it's all because of me, she thought, feeling guilty. I pushed him away.

She gathered next to Amy and Jasmine as her mother took a picture of them as a group. As she looked around, it was then that she realized how lonely she truly was. Paul looked happy with Amy, and even Jasmine looked satisfied with her date. And lucky for her, she was with her invisible date, and the night was just getting started.

"Please promise me you'll have fun tonight."

Chloe clutched her purse as she got out of the limousine. They finally arrived at their destination, The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. How the school managed to afford to have the prom there was beyond Chloe's imagination. She was just glad that they were having it at all.

Paul helped his girlfriend out of the vehicle as she quickly rushed to Chloe's side. "You have to promise me, Chloe."

"I will, Amy. I promise. Now will you please stop worrying about me?"

The concerned look on Amy's face transformed into a smile. She then joined Paul as they all entered through the glass doors of the luxury hotel.

On the dance floor, under the bright spotlights, Chloe was dancing with her best friends. A couple of feet away was Jasmine, who appeared to be having fun with her date. It seemed that everything was going well, but as Chloe glanced at the clock, she realized that there were only fifteen minutes to go and the magical night would then be over.

As soon as the fast-paced, heavy set of pop and rock songs were over, a slow melody started to play in the background. Amy exchanged looks with Paul as Chloe excused herself out of the picture. The couple moved closer together, sharing an intimate moment that they hope they'll remember even when the music stops.

"Alright, everyone. Now we know the party must come to an end, but let's end this night the way it should be ended. Grab that special someone in your life and let's take things a little slow…" the DJ's voice faded into the background.

Going to the prom dateless, Chloe moved to the back of the room and helped herself with a glass of apple cider. She looked out towards the sea of people, slowly gliding and swaying with the music. As much as she didn't want to break her promise to Amy, she couldn't help but feel sorry for herself. She felt isolated, odd, and most of all, lonely. This was not how she'd imagined her prom night to go.

"May I have this dance?"

Stunned. Confused. Dazed. A shot of emotions came swarming over her. She knew that voice. She knew who it belonged to. No, she can't be dreaming. She knew that voice too well to not recognize it. It couldn't be anyone else's but…

Alek.

Slowly, she turned around, yearning to see the face of a man she longed to see again. There he was, dressed in an all-black attire, with his shoes extra polished. Her heart started beating faster and faster, missing some beats even, if such a thing was possible.

"Alek, you're…"

"I'm here."

And just like that, he led Chloe out in the middle of the dance floor and swayed her to the sound of the music. The melody became painfully sweet.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck, while Alek's hands were positioned on her hips. The whole time, his eyes were steady on her, studying, trying to understand her expression. In her eyes he could see the longing; he'd left her for too long. He couldn't bear to forgive himself for being so selfish and leaving her all alone wrapped up in her silent misery.

"Something wrong?" He noticed her eyes getting slightly wet.

"Nothing. It's just… I really missed you, Alek." She was surprised in how much truth there was to that statement.

He spun her around as he quickly pulled her in. "Of course you did. I can't imagine how you wouldn't."

The corner of her lips curved as she realized that he was still the same old Alek. The same old Alek that she met. The same old Alek that she came to know. The same old Alek that she learned to…

He spun her around once more, and this time, intertwined his hands with hers. He scanned her face once again, taking a mental picture of it to keep in his memory.

While reuniting with Alek on prom night was something out of the blue, a million questions raced Chloe's thoughts. She wanted answers from him. She wanted to know where he went, why he came back, and the most important: had his feelings for her changed. She wanted answers from him, and she knew that though the time wasn't right, she just had to know.

"So, how are you? How was your little trip? Where did you go? Did you get what you wanted out of it?"

"Chloe."

"What?"

"Can we leave the interrogations for later, just to have this?"

Without a word, she simply nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. Prom night was magical, she was sure of it, especially now that everything in her world was complete.

After a long night of endless dancing and partying, students who spent their prom at the Fairmont Hotel quickly filled their limousines and party buses for the next round of after parties. Apparently, the four-hour festivity still wasn't enough.

Walking out into the parking garage, Chloe walked side-by-side with Alek.

"Do you want to join us at our limousine and—"

"Actually I was thinking of taking you home. By myself." He gave her a knowing look, demanding some alone time.

"Um, yeah. Of course. Let me just tell Paul and the rest of gang about our plan."

Soon as he let Chloe out of his sight, he veered straight towards Jasmine's direction.

"I didn't think you'd make it," she began sarcastically.

"I'm here, aren't I?" he retaliated.

"So does this mean you're back to your position as protector or am I still—"

"I'm back in business now. Thanks for the help though," he said, patting her on the shoulder.

After the hugs and goodbyes were over, Chloe watched Paul, Amy, Jasmine, and her date ride back inside the limousine. She then reunited with Alek who was standing under a soft light post.

"You do realize you just turned down a limousine ride, right? I hope you have something better up your sleeve." Truth of the matter, she didn't care. She was just glad Alek was back and that he was there, accompanying her in what could easily be the highlight of her high school career.

"Don't worry, I got you covered." He led her farther down the parking lot until they reached a complete stop.

Baffled, Chloe looked around the parking lot and found no vehicle sitting on the premises. There were no limousines, no cars, and no trucks, even. Instead, her eyes focused on what looked like a dark blue motorcycle. This couldn't possibly be his ride.

She watched in amazement as Alek saddled up on the motorcycle. He took off his leather jacket as his eyes now diverted towards her.

"Well, are you just going to stand there the whole night?" he asked, looking a little impatient.

"This is what you're planning to take me home with?" She still couldn't believe the dark motorcycle was his. Since when did he buy a motorcycle? Does Jasmine know he even has one?

"I don't see what the problem is," he shrugged.

She couldn't bring herself to admit to Alek that she'd never ridden a motorcycle before. She was afraid, but she hoped that her body language didn't give it away.

"I don't know.."

He got off the vehicle as he wrapped his leather jacket around her. After she'd put it on, he handed her a helmet and secured it on her head.

"Don't worry, Chloe. I won't let anything happen to you. Just make sure you hold on tight."

She wrapped her arms around Alek's waist as the motorcycle roared to life. Feeling her tight grasp around his body, he couldn't help but let out a sly grin. He'd missed her more than he ever admitted to himself.

"Ugh, I'm so full!"

After their short adventurous ride on Alek's new ride, he took her out for dinner in one of the finest dining places in San Francisco: Chinatown. Walking around the area, they finally decided to eat at a small Hong Kong restaurant, as they both filled up their appetite with a plateful of chow mein, the restaurant's specialty.

"Xie xie." Alek said to the waiter as he signed the bill. He then brought the glass of water to his lips, finishing it.

"You speak Chinese?" she asked, surprised. Another new quality she learned about Alek. What else could she possibly not know about him?

"It's Mandarin, actually. And yes. Just a little."

The waiter came back with the receipt as well as two individual packages of fortune cookies. Chloe helped herself with one, as she gave the other to Alek.

"Open it," she commanded him.

"You actually believe in these things?"

"You never know. Sometimes they can be true, and—"

"Most of the time, they aren't," he finished.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Just open it."

He cracked the cookie open and pulled out the tiny piece of paper.

"'Your everlasting patience will be rewarded sooner or later.' Whatever that means." He ate the cookie and gestured at hers. "What's yours?"

She opened crescent-shaped treat and opened the note.

"'Love is for the lucky and the brave.'" Immediately, she looked up and met Alek's eyes. She was taken back with the meaning of the words, rendering her speechless.

"Oh, come on. Sounds rather pathetic, actually. Let's get out of here." He stood up and headed for the door.

At that moment, it almost felt as if she just got hit by a bus. Everything came rushing to her. Everything seemed right. Everything seemed perfectly clear. What if it's not, Alek? she thought.

Since Meredith was a light sleeper, Alek parked his motorcycle three houses down from the King residence.

As they were walking towards the house, Chloe couldn't help but wonder why Alek has been trying to avoid her questions all night. She had asked him about it not once, but twice, and still, he gave the same excuse over and over.

"Are you ever going to tell me where'd you go for your three-month trip? Paris, London, Australia…?"

"You know, Jasmine and I went to this Hong Kong restaurant before. Let's go there instead."

"Alek," she paused, "seriously?"

Frustrated, he stopped walking and faced her. "Are we really doing this right now? We have plenty of time to talk later. I'm starving."

Perhaps third time's the charm.

The walk to Chloe's house was eerily silent, neither of them saying a word out loud. Chloe thought and thought about Alek's solo adventure, while Alek looked indifferent, just studying the flat concrete that they were walking on. Who knew what kind of thoughts ran in his mind.

"Here we are," she said, finally breaking the silence.

He said nothing but gave her a slight raise of the eyebrow.

"Well, I had a lot of fun tonight. Thank you for coming to prom; you being there was definitely…unexpected."

"It wouldn't have been a real prom if I didn't crash it," he said sarcastically. However, something about his posture seemed to show that he didn't like where their conversation was heading. After all, the last time they were in front of the same driveway, Alek broke to her the news of him going away for some time.

"Alek, I—"

"I think you should go inside now. Goodnight, Chloe."

Much like before, Alek was looking the other way, refusing to meet Chloe eye-to-eye. She didn't understand why he was acting this way; what happened to him when he went away? Has he really, dare she say it, moved on?

"No," she began, refusing to give up, "I am not leaving here until you tell me everything. I need answers, Alek."

"Answers about what?"

She took a sharp sigh and continued. "Look, I don't care where you went for the past three months. I just want to know—"

"I thought I made myself clear. I said I needed some time away from you," he interrupted.

"Then what took you so long to come back?" her voice was now breaking, "Everyday, I waited, and waited, and waited. You left me here!" She quickly rummaged through her purse for her house keys as she made her way to the front porch. Halfway to her destination, he finally confessed.

"It's you. It's always been you…" his voice was fading.

Turning around, confusion masked her entire face. "What?"

Knowing Alek, Chloe knew that he was never the one to talk seriously. He avoided talking about serious matters, let alone pouring his heart out for the world to hear. No, he was strong, confident, mysterious, a little arrogant, and sometimes, downright selfish. At that moment, everything that came out of his mouth seemed so foreign, but deep down, she knew that they were all true.

"I never left, Chloe. I was here…the entire time, watching you from the sidelines, making sure that you were safe. I couldn't bear the thought of you here, all alone, vulnerable to everything I'm trying to protect you from."

"You were here the whole…time?" She was mad at herself for not finding him sooner.

"I wanted to go away. I tried, but, the only thing I got out of it was realizing how much I couldn't be without you."

Her silent heart swelled with every word that escaped his lips.

"But I get it. You've pretty much made it known how you truly feel, so don't worry about me. I can take—"

"Alek."

Dropping both her house keys and purse on the ground, Chloe veered straight to Alek's arms. She pressed her lips against his, letting him know how much she needed him, how much she cared for him. It took her a while to realize, but all along, she knew deep down that she felt the same way about him. Alek wasn't just her protector. He was her partner, her confidante, her best friend. He knew her more than she knew herself. And nothing felt more right in the world.

Pulling him away as she broke off the kiss, Chloe met his eyes, an expression of puzzlement written all over them.

"You were right. We do belong together."

Yearning to taste the sweetness of his lips once again, Chloe leaned forward and closed her eyes. On the other hand, Alek tilted his head down as his lips descended to meet hers. Slowly, they finally met. His lips brushed against hers, kissing her passionately, while his hands made their way down her back. He pulled her closer, leaving no space between the two of them, their bodies molding as one. They stayed that way for what felt like forever, happy in each other's company, sharing an intimate moment under the bed of a million stars.