After the rescue from Atlantis, A.C and Chloe grew closer. They even ended up moving in together. They found a mid town metropolis condo 15 minutes from ISIS, the Planet, and even the water. They were truly in love, as with any relationship though, they hit some troubled waters. It was a big blow up that sent A.C to Miami and left Chloe alone at home to clean her anger away.
A.C and his dad walked along the beach, the silence spoke volumes of the topic of conversation. A.C has vented his frustrations, and then brought up the other topic plaguing his thoughts.
"I just don't know dad? I mean I love her. I really do. It's just man oh man this is big. What's the risk to her if I do this? My cousin already freaked out about her in my life? I couldn't stand it if anything happened to her. Moving in together was one thing…"
"I think you just answered your own question son." his dad laughed. "Do you think I wasn't nervous before I proposed to your mother?" he smiled looking over at his son who had a look of absolute fear on his face. "I was terrified. Here was this beautiful mystery at my door step, with an infant son….I was what? Just Coast Guard, nothing special at all."
"Dad!" A.C protested, angered by the down play of his dad's life.
"But she made it all seem more. She looked at me like I was something incredible. She made me feel like I could,"
"Do anything and everything?"
"Yeah."
A.C sighed deeply and heavily. "What about the fights?"
"Oh yeah we fought. It was very difficult at first, we were both stubborn and single minded on a lot of things; but the fighting was actually very healthy. She challenged to me to see things from a different view. Plus with fighting comes making up."
"DAD!" A.C winced.
"You asked."
A.C thought back to the fight, it was mission related and she checked him hard on a point. It wasn't so much the check, but how she did it and he still didn't think he deserved it "She's just so infuriating sometimes." He growled.
"And the rest of the time?"
A.C stopped and looked at his dad who was smiling. "You should know, didn't she persuade you into becoming our new hand to hand combat trainer for the probies?"
His dad blushed. "That she did and that's my entire point." He smiled. "Come on kiddo, let me buy you a beer. Give her time to cool off, besides I need to go get…well you know…" he laughed at his boy who turned red then he punched him on the arm. They continued down the beach to their favorite hole in the wall pub.
"Ohhhh!!!!!" Chloe fumed as she scrubbed her bathroom. It was a full on war between her and the grime.
"What did that tile ever really do to you?" Lois asked from the doorway. Chloe jumped and then turned with a scowl that said it all. "Ahh, lovers spat? Where is Flounder any way?"
Chloe stood to yell and rant, then her shoulders slumped and she sighed, "He stormed out of here about 2 hours ago, hasn't called, hasn't texted."
"Clark told me what happened." Lois spoke leading her cousin out of the bathroom. She sat her on the couch and watched as her eyes filled with tears.
"Ah so you know about?"
"Chloe you know he's careful, he doesn't take any excessive risks. You filleted him in front of the entire League."
"But?"
"I didn't say you weren't justified, you just bruised his ego. How else was he supposed to react?"
"Yeah well he gave it as good as I did, 'controlling self righteous tyrant who only has tunnel vision, a single minded focus'…."
"He's not wrong either."
"Thanks Lois." Chloe spoke bitterly.
"The point is…you fought, that's good."
"What?"
"It's healthy in a relationship to fight. I mean Clark and I fight all the time. He's so heavy handed sometimes about everything. Man of steel this, Man of steel that. But in all honesty he's still very much that awkward farm boy who doesn't think he fits in. so when we make up, we really make up." she smiled.
"What if he doesn't come back?"
"Chloe, he'll come back. That boy is so over the moon for you." Lois smiled. They sat and talked some more until Lois got a call from Clark and she left. Chloe finished her cleaning of the bathroom, grabbed a glass of wine and sat on their couch thinking about the evening. She heard the key in the door and she froze unsure of what kind mood he was in.
A.C entered slowly not sure how he was going to find her. He wasn't expecting her to be sitting on the couch with a glass of wine. The room was illuminated by lamp light casting shadows on her that didn't help him try to read what kind of mood she was in.
"Hey." he spoke setting his keys on the stand by the door.
"Hi." she spoke. He took a deep breath and went to the couch and sat down. He reached for and took the glass of wine from her hand and set it on the coffee table. He scooted closer, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her.
She pulled back and held him, resting her head on his shoulder, the tears sliding down her cheeks. "Shhhhh baby…shhhh." He kissed the side of her head.
"Didn't think you'd be back?" She whispered afraid to look at him.
"I was angry yeah," he spoke moving to look her in the face. "But it's gonna take more than that to get rid of me."
"But?"
"Chloe, we aren't always going to agree and there are gonna be times when you just flat out piss me off." Chloe harrumphed and scowled at him, he just chuckled. "Hey, I never said I was a saint. There are definitely gonna be times when I do the same. The fact is I love you, and that's not gonna change."
"I was so scared; you've been gone for hours?"
"I went to see my dad."
"Oh." she sniffed, not knowing why she felt hurt by his admission, but she did.
He pulled her into his lap and held her. "I needed to talk to him."
"Lois was here." She blurted.
"I see." He spoke waiting for her to continue.
"I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to demean you in any way. I just…it's…"
"Look, I get it, I do. I shouldn't have come down on you so hard for it. You obviously saw something I didn't. The thing is I need you to know I'm not gonna do anything reckless or stupid. You and I have been through way to much for me to risk more than I need to."
"I….I know." She sighed and snuggled into his arms. "Sometimes I just get a little terrified that I'm so close to having everything I want..."
"Me too." He smiled and kissed her again, the kiss starting gently gradually got way more heated. "So, um" he spoke a little breathless. "Do you think we just made up?"
"After having our first major fight?" she kissed him again. Yeah" she smiled. He smiled back.
"Well then," he spoke standing and tossing her over his shoulder. She was laughing in outrage. "We need to celebrate." he spoke carrying her into the bed room.
--
The next morning he was up and in the kitchen cooking her breakfast. It was Friday and she had to get up and go to work. He did to; he had recently got a part time job as a swim teacher at the rec. center. Today it was begin swim for special needs kids. Chloe came out of their bedroom dressed and ready for coffee.
"Mornin' gorgeous." he spoke handing her a large steaming cup of coffee and he kissed her on the cheek.
"Howdy." she took her first sip and sighed in contentment. "So you off to the pool this morning?"
"Yeah, I have to be there in about 25 minutes. Then after lunch I have to go and do a thing."
"A thing?" she spoke curious as she took the plate he had prepared for her and went and sat down.
"Yeah a thing." He winked at her.
"Fine." she smiled at him. "What about this weekend?"
"Moving my dad in." he spoke.
"Right." she spoke with just a hint of disappointment.
"You didn't ask about tonight?" he spoke winking at her. He finished his breakfast and took his plate into the kitchen.
"What about tonight?" she asked.
"I have a hot date with a really cute blonde" he teased.
"Really? Anyone I know?" she played back.
"Nah," he spoke, "But damn is she hot, I mentioned that right?" he asked.
"Yeah you did." She smiled.
He dropped to his knee beside her and began to nuzzle her neck. "So tonight, you and me, dinner, walk on the beach, a bottle of wine?"
"Hmmmm." she purred closing her eyes as his lips nipped behind her ear. "Sounds good." she turned and kissed him.
"Ok gorgeous, I gotta go work." He stood. He was already in shorts, he pulled on his University of Miami t- shirt and went and grabbed his keys and left. Chloe felt like a puddle of goo, damn could he kiss.