Title: Just Friends
Author: Dustmite
Pairing: Chlark (Kind of-ish)
Disclaimers: I don't own anything.

Enjoy!

"Clark?" Lana stood at the doorway to the bedroom. "Are you coming to bed?" She asked, tightening the sash of her dressing gown.

"Soon." He replied distractedly rifling through the papers on his desk, brow furrowed in concentration. "I need to get some papers out to Chloe." He didn't look up.

Lana sighed, rubbing her face tiredly and he glanced up at her sharply. "It's the least I can do for her." He tried not to snap. After all Lana was a victim in this too.

"I know, but does it have to be right now?"

"Yes." He replied curtly returning his gaze back to the reams of paper, flicking through them at super speed.

Lana came and perched on the edge of the desk gingerly reaching out to touch his arm. "I know you miss her Clark, I miss her too but you can't keep doing this." She held his gaze, a stubborn set to her jaw. "You're driving yourself crazy flitting between here and Star City."

Clark stilled muscles tense and Lana stepped back slightly, knowing she had lost the argument again. "What would you have me do Lana?" His voice rose. "Do you want me to abandon her?" He lowered his voice when she flinched "She can't come back to Smallville because of me….."

"And you'll do anything to bring down the man that's keeping her away from here. Away from you." Lana interrupted, tears swimming in her wide eyes, trying not to make it sound like an accusation.

Clark exhaled loudly. "Don't make this about something this isn't Lana." He warned. "I'm here with you. She's thousands of miles away." He softened his voice "I love you, she's my best friend."

"Are you sure Clark?" Lana whispered, her voice cracking slightly. "If you had the choice all over again, who would you save? Who?"

Clark dropped the papers he was holding and ran a hand through his hair agitatedly. "You're being ridiculous." He accused.

"Am I?" Her voice trembled. "You make me feel petty and jealous and I hate that."

"You are being petty and jealous." He responded automatically. "I'm with you. Why can't you see that?" He grabbed his jacket, slipping it on and stuffed the papers in to a bag.

Lana breathed in sharply as she noted his actions. "Clark, don't leave now, not when we've just been fighting." She hated the pleading tone in her voice.

"She's expecting me."

Lana shook her head ruefully. "You just can't see past her, can you."

"I'll see you when I get back." Clark kissed her on the forehead, ignoring her jibe "Get some sleep." He ushered her towards the bedroom and was gone with a soft whoosh.

Chloe was sat at her desk, busily typing away and Clark smiled, pausing in the doorway to drink in the familiar sight. He missed this. So much. He needed to get her back home where she belonged. Where he could keep an eye on her. The image of her lying on the cold tarmac, lifeless, in a pool of blood came to him unbidden and he closed his eyes tightly shaking the image away. That was not a sight he ever wanted to see again.

"Clark." Chloe's soft voice broke in to his thoughts and he smiled widely at her.

"Hey!" He walked in pulling up a chair so he was sat facing her, their knees almost touching. "I've got the papers you asked for." He handed her the bag.

"Oh Clark, I didn't mean right away" She thumbed through the papers "I meant whenever you could spare the time"

"I wasn't busy." He shrugged lightly, watching as her face lit up as she scanned through them.

"Are they useful?"

"You have no idea how much. Thank you Clark" She gave him a quick hug and he squeezed her as tightly as her dared. "So" she said, pulling back "How was Lana? "She asked casually "She hasn't been out here in ages."

Clark swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably "Yeah she's fine. She's been busy." He said in a rush.

Chloe's eyebrows lowered and her green eyes narrowed suspiciously "Are you sure?" She asked "You guys haven't been fighting again have you?"

Clark shrugged again silently, thankful that she didn't know what he and Lana argued about. He always left out the details. Chloe didn't need that burden, not when she had spent so long pushing them together.

Chloe rubbed his knee comfortingly when he didn't reply and he covered her hand with his trapping it there, against his leg.

"Clark?" Chloe whispered, confusion coloring her voice.

Clark glanced down at their hands and spoke softly. "I miss you Chloe. I miss you so much." He couldn't quite hide the anguish in his voice.

"I miss you too Clark."

He looked up, searching her face intensely. "Do you?" He murmured, brushing her cheek with his free hand.

"Clark…." Chloe held his hand against her face and turned her face in to his palm, rubbing against it gently.

They stayed like that for a long moment, heads close together, hands entwined before she dropped his hand and pulled away from him going to stand by the window. "I'm slightly tipsy Clark." She stared out at the dark sky. "What's you excuse?"

Clark exhaled loudly. "I don't have one….God I'm sorry Chloe…I…." He trailed off, stumbling over his words "Chloe…. .I…."

"It's O.K Clark." She said soothingly, breaking in to his distressed apology. "It was both of us" She turned back to face him and he relaxed slightly at her words.

"Maybe" Chloe began awkwardly, fiddling with her bracelet, turning it around and around on her arm. "Maybe we shouldn't see……"

"No." Clark interrupted her firmly. "There's no reason to be so melodramatic. Nothing happened. We've both been exhausted." He excused their behavior, pacing the small room, finally coming to stand besides her casually, watching her until she nodded slightly signaling her agreement.

"Now" He asked light-heartedly. "what does a guy have to do to get a drink around here?"

Chloe smiled then and the tension in the room eased and became bearable. "Come on." She linked an arm through his. "I know an all night coffee house around the corner."

Clark wrapped an arm around her, whisking Chloe's jacket of the peg on the way out and draping it over her shoulders, trying to ignore the warm glow that spread through him when she smiled up at him gratefully.

The were friends, he tried to convince himself, just friends.

I'd adore hearing what you think!!