Title: Make This Right

Author: GEFM

Genre: General

Fandom: Smallville

Pairing: Clark/Chloe

Disclaimer: I don't own. All characters are property of the CW network and DC comics.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Clark watched her from the door, not even daring to take a breath as he did so.

She looked angelic, draped in the early morning sunshine that flooded the windows.

If he was keeping her in his "back pocket" he didn't understand why. There were things about Chloe that were unmistakably endearing, qualities that most beautiful women rarely possessed. She was not self-righteous or conceited, nor was she overtly insecure. She spoke her intellectual mind, but was never imposing and always did what she thought was best for others.

Most of all though, she was his best friend.

She knew everything there was to know about him. There wasn't a secret he'd keep, I lie he would tell that could ever stand in the way of that. Funny as it was, he couldn't even find it in himself to actually lie to her. At least, not for long anyway.

He loved her more than words could ever say. She was his other half and without her there was nothing left for him. He could never do those things he was meant to without her by his side, without her unwavering guidance.

After he had proposed to Lana almost a year before, Lana had been sacrificed. Her death had taken such an unparalleled toll on him, knowing that his selfishness had caused her this pain. But more than any other emotion was a resounding sense of guilt. If there had been no remedy from Jor-el all he would have ever felt was the final piece of disappointment.

What would Chloe have said? She would understand, she would cry with him. She would reassure him, tell him there was nothing he could have done. After time had passed he would believe her. There was nothing he could have done. There was no way he could have ever known.

He would soon see that it was the fact that he continually tried to save lives that really mattered. He was superhuman but he was not a deity. Chloe would be able to mend his broken heart. He would be able to get back to himself someday.

When Chloe had died that night he realized that this life was meaningless and had nothing to offer him unless he could share it with her. What was being special if no one believed you were, if no one was there to keep you from insanity? What was fighting back, if he had no one and no reason to fight for?

Chloe was his reason. Last week, today, and tomorrow.

He'd seen that once he held her in his arms again and heard the steady heartbeat in her chest.

"You mean more to me than you know."

She smiled shyly and looked away, no doubt admonishing herself for her immediate elation. They shared their usual tie up convivial moment fireside.

He had also told her he was still in love Lana, which in a few words was true. He did, obviously enough to convince himself to give up his destiny to be with her. Question is would he have done so if Chloe had not been shot? Had it been he and Chloe in that room talking about the surgery would he tell her he was going through with it? Would he tell her that he believed he was insane and that he believed that Lana was his one true path in life? Even if he did, Chloe would have told him otherwise, she would have appealed to him. She would have told him to break free. And he would have believed her.

He wasn't sure yet how that relates to his feelings for Chloe. He certainly felt something these past months but what was hard to say. He knew he wasn't in love with Chloe, though he did love her so deeply. Clark cared too much to let it be just a crush. So, he didn't know what it was.

"Can't say I haven't thought about it."

'Quite an understatement, Kal.' He had a way of sucking emotion from things Clark genuinely felt.

He finally got the courage to take a surreptitious step into the room and found himself knelt beside the bed. Chloe was strewn about in a less than delicate manner. Her face was turned away from him, one arm cross her chest while the other lay behind her head.

Despite the sheer ridiculousness of her sleep habits, Chloe took on a disposition one seldom saw once she was awake. Chloe was boundless energy, sharp intelligence, and poignant strength.

All that escaped her once she fell into rest. She was vulnerable, innocent, and fragile. Her pale shoulders told the story of a worn young woman who carried far more than mere mortals were asked.

Because she harbored secrets, ideas, and passions that most could never fully grasp.

Sometimes it was hard to tell who the Super one in their relationship was for all that she did for him and for the world. Except for moments like these when it seemed all too much for her. She would never admit that with her eyes open, because she never liked acknowledging the weaknesses in herself on purpose, especially not one that would upset Clark.

That's how it had been with Pete too. He had never truly told Clark the distress he felt harboring the secret. To be honest, Clark wasn't very surprised that Chloe had taken it better than anyone else, just as he hadn't been all that shocked when he found out she knew too. He was a little, but that was Chloe. She could accept anything that came across her weirdar. Even knowing that Clark was practically plastered in the whole thing didn't faze her. She just took it in stride. But her ease frightened him. He worried that this would blow up in his face and he would be standing in front of his barn one day watching her drive away too.

Sometimes it was good to see her human side.

Chloe had fallen asleep here last night after they had fought, cried, and reconciled. She'd been more than frustrated with his tone as he accused her of only going out with a bow tie wearing dork just to upset him. Chloe shouted back with equal force and a more severe fight ensued.

He grabbed her as she tried to leave, and kissed her angrily. She slapped him out of instinct and felt the subsequent sting in her hand once she did so. The tears formed in her eyes soon after and she regretfully began to cry into his shirt, a long deserving sob due to the unfairness of life and stupidity that resolved itself in Clark Kent.

As he finally convinced her to go to sleep, she asked whether he would still feel this way if Lana weren't pregnant and about to marry Lex. Clark was understandably shocked by the question at first, but then told her, "I have a future that I can't ignore anymore. I don't see Lana being apart of that in anyway. She could only ever be satisfied in normalcy and God knows I can't give her that." He moved to sit next to her on the bed and put a hand on hers. "I know that sounds like you're the default choice here, like I'm only choosing you because you've been such a good friend but…" He stared off for a moment trying in vain to come up with a way to end his thought.

"When you kissed me…I just couldn't imagine not being able to do it again. I was sure we crossed the line that night and I realized how badly I'd wanted to for so long."

"And then I told you how it meant nothing, and you just watched me go off with Jimmy." Chloe felt a little silly now. Her plan to push her feelings away had backfired so much.

"Yeah. I was expecting to 'hook up'." Chloe laughed as he did the air quotes, "but you brushed it aside so quickly. I didn't know how else to tell you. I'm sorry, Chlo."

She shook her head and extracted her hand, "Clark, I can't even tell you the amount of times I wanted to share my feelings with you. This is like, what, once? No hard feelings." She laughed sadly and turned away into her pillow. Clark stared at her back, hoping she would continue talking to him in spite of it being his idea for her to catch some sleep. When it was obvious she wouldn't he stood to leave but stopped by the door, turning back to her stoic form.

"Not once. Everyday. Every time you called, every time we spoke, every time I thought about you." He confessed without hesitation, "I wanted to because I couldn't believe I was living without you." He disappeared then leaving her alone in the Kent house.