Diuturnity
By HuffyTheCampfireSlayer
Story summary: A 'filler scene'. A minty kiss. Clark's point of view. Spoilers for 'Hug'.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Smallville characters, the WB and DC comics do. *sigh*
Diuturnity, definition:
\Di`u*tur"ni*ty\, n. [L. diuturnitas.] Long duration; lastingness. [R.] --Sir T. Browne.
All the day long, all the year round; the livelong day, as the day is long, morning noon and night; hour after hour, day after day; for good; permanently.
We join the a scene in hug where Chloe Sullivan and Clark Kent are visiting Kyle Tippet in the woods. Chloe has just accepted Kyle's handshake as he demonstrates his powers of persuasion on her. She is now under his influence...
'You have feelings for Clark, don't you Chloe?'
I looked at Kyle, firstly with disbelief, and then secondly with amusement. Yeah right, sure she does! I glanced at the blank, vacant look on Chloe's normally expressive face. Now that was just eerie.
'...you see him and you want him...'
This was so ridiculous! Nothing was going to happen. All the same I didn't want to look. I looked away even more amused. I grinned in amazement. I shook my head in disbelief for a moment. I almost had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing out loud. I let out a silent chuckle. Ok, so I'm bad at suppressing laughter.
'...All this time you've been hiding them. Now you can show them.'
'Yeah!' I replied silently. It was then that curiosity got the better of me. I looked back at Kyle. Yeah whatever you say Kyle. Whatever little fantasy you *think* you can get her to act out.
I watched as he let go of Chloe's hand. She turned and faced me. Determination and purpose written all over her face.
I could only stand and stare as she started to lean towards me. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think. What was happening here? As she leant closer I started to regain my senses and they told me to get the hell out of there! But I remained rooted to the spot. Determined to prove Kyle wrong. Chloe *so* doesn't have feelings for me.
I realised I was still holding my breath, I released it sharply as I noticed that she had now stopped abruptly a few centimeters in front of me. That was it? This was Chloe expressing her *feelings* for me. Oh, she was just going to give me a hug or something.
Chloe smiled mischievously at me for a moment, before she placed her hands on my chest. Goosepimples rose all over my body. My blood run cold, my skin tingled and a shiver ran down my spine, as she ran them up my body. I started to pull away. What was she doing!? She was my best friend.
But it was too late! She grabbed my by the collar of my shirt and kissed me. Not a peck on the cheeks. Not a kiss on the lips, well a kiss on the lips but... she was KISSING ME! My eyes widened. Words couldn't describe it. Well, more to the point, *I* couldn't describe it! My brain failed me. I could not comprehend it. It was Earth shattering. Confused! Confused! Confused!
Chloe was kissing me! And boy was she was enjoying it! I could tell because of the noises she was making! Mmm's and ahh's of contentment. I think.
I glanced at Kyle, who was looking impatient and bored. He tapped his foot impatiently. Then I turned my attention to more pressing matters. Like, er, the fact I had Chloe attached to my lips.
Ok, ok, ok! I admit it! I was enjoying it too! In a strange way. It was amazing, electrifying and did I say amazing? And I found myself kissing back for a moment, through my confusion and partial resistance. I was getting it on with my best friend!
Finally my brain kicked into gear and I managed to pull myself out of our lip-tussle and clear of Chloe's lips. I stepped back open mouthed. I was dazed and confounded. Wha? How? Why?
I just stared at her for a moment. That was all I could do. Trying to process what had just happened. Chloe. Kissed. Me. Chloe. Kissed. Me. I could still feel her lips on mine. The wind tussled my hair and teased the wetness of my lips. Chloe's wetness. Did that just happen?
Chloe turned back to Kyle. She blinked before the determined expression on her face returned to a passive, peaceful look.
'Ok, come on. I'm ready!' She said staring at Kyle.
He looked back at her and then glanced over at me. We made eye contact as he raised his eyebrows. 'Are you going to tell her or should I?' he seemed to be asking. I also detected a slight smile. Well, who wouldn't find it amusing. That was a funny joke to play on two unsuspecting teenagers like us. Messing with our emotions. It must have been child's play.
'What do we tell her happened?' I tried to ask him in return with my dumbstruck face. She really doesn't remember!
Then I returned to gaping at Chloe in shock. I still couldn't get it through my thick skull. Chloe. Kissed. Me. We. Kissed. And I liked it! Where did that thought come from!? I distinctly remember rule one in: "So your best friend is a girl." 'DON'T KISS HER. DON'T KISS HER. DON'T KISS HER!'
She stared back at my shocked face, and then back, with an expectant look on her face, to Kyle's half-amused one. She was as perplexed as I felt inside.
'What? Why are you looking at me like that?' She demanded, establishing eye contact with me.
I finally closed my open mouth as I felt her anxious eyes burning holes in me.
What do I tell her? I couldn't look at her anymore. This was embarrassing, not to mention uncomfortable. I examined the ground behind her instead.
She looked back at Kyle, then took to gazing at the ground herself as she appeared to realise something.
'And why it my mouth minty?' She asked, hesitantly. Baffled by this.
I taste MINTY?!!!
She had made me baffled too. But still, I couldn't help myself from looking amused for a fraction of a second.
'Let's just say he's proved his point.' I mumbled quickly.
She looked at me. Another cringy moment of teenage embarrassment. I had to check my breath! And at the same time I tried to wipe the evidence of the *kiss* off of my wet supposedly minty lips. I caught the smell of Chloe's peach lip balm, as I did so. It brought the memory flooding back and apparently it lifted the veil of ignorance over Chloe's eyes.
The realisation of her actions dawned on her. She twigged that we had kissed.
She checked with Kyle to see if what she suspected was true. Then turned back to me panic-stricken and alarmed.
'Oh God! Did I...' She began.
I tried to shrug as if it was no big deal. I shuffled, a little uneasily. I had to try and assure her.
'Er...Don't worry. It was...'
She was back looking at Kyle, then the grounds turn, as she touched her head, blinking rapidly. Trying to comprehend it. I shifted my weight from foot to foot as I tried to think of the best word. I skewed my head to the left a little as I tried to think. What word could I use?
'...fine.' *And then some!* I wanted to add. But I didn't.
I said *fine* to try and comfort her, but she just looked more alarmed...if that was possible.
Kyle glanced at me. It was a goodbye glance. He was expecting me to sort out this mess? He caused it!
I couldn't believe it. He was going to pick up his bags and leave.
'Well, now the party trick's over, I've gotta hit the road.'
I allowed myself the briefest of glances at Chloe before I looked away.
The warmth of her lips on mine... Still fresh in my mind.
But I knew my duty.
In a split second all thoughts of the kiss were dropped.
I had to go after Kyle.
I called after him.
'Wait. You have these gifts but you hide in the woods...'
Then I ran to catch up.
With regret, leaving the kiss behind me, but I would remember it for diuturnity.
