Title: Soulmate of an Intergalactic Traveler
Category: Smallville
Rating: K+
Genre: Drama/Romance
Pairing: Clark/Chloe
Prompt: Rift by shopgal08
Word Count: 892
Summary: Clark's no longer blind; he finally sees Chloe for what she is.

Soulmate of an Intergalactic Traveler
-Drabble-

"Are you going to ignore me forever? Because I got the scoobying with Lois and I even understood how busy you were searching for the crystal... But I'm getting married in two weeks and the man who's supposed to walk me down the aisle, my best friend, has been avidly ignoring me."

He sighed, turning toward her with a frown. "I'm not ignoring you... Or, I'm not trying to."

She lifted a brow, crossing her arms. "So it just comes naturally?"

He pursed his lips. "What? No. Chloe... I just..." He looked away. "Things are different. I know... I know that when you and Jimmy get married, it's going to be more of you two and less of... of us. But... I guess I just thought..."

Her shoulders loosened and she walked toward him, her hand reaching out to touch his arm reassuringly. "Clark... When Jimmy and I get married, yes, things will change, and yes, it's not always going to be just you and me... We're getting older and our lives are... They're going in different directions..." She stared up at him searchingly.

"Do you like the direction yours is going?" he asked bluntly, swallowing tightly. "When you look at Jimmy and what you guys have, when you think of your future... do you like what you see?"

Her brow furrowed and she took a step back. "What are you asking here, Clark?"

He clenched his jaw for a moment. "I like Jimmy. He's a good man. And I'm sure he loves you and you love him... But it feels like since this engagement, there's been a rift between us and I'm worried that eventually... There isn't going to be a me and you... That I'll just be Clark; your old friend. Because you've moved on and you're married and you don't need me anymore."

"I will always need you, you know that..." She looked up at him with a smile. "And I know we've been distant but that's not for lack of trying to see you on my part..."

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I just... I want you to be happy and sometimes I look at you and Jimmy and I think... you could be happier."

"Where is all this coming from?" she asked, shaking her head.

He turned around, facing the window with a wrinkle at his brow. "I was thinking of Maxima... A soulmate, Chloe. Somebody to love you forever and never worry about losing... But I couldn't go with her..." He turned around. "She made me feel incredible and she was offering me something that I wanted, desperately, but I couldn't go with her, because she didn't know me... She didn't know me like you do." He shook his head. "And I keep asking myself... Does Jimmy know you like I do? Does he make you smile the same or laugh the same or..." He shook his head, turning to face her once more. "Or can he love you like I would?"

"Clark..." she breathed, staring up at him wide, damp eyes. "Please, don't... You have no idea..."

"NoI had no idea... That note, everything you said... I was so blind, Chloe. I had no idea how intense, how deep your feelings were and-"

"And that was a long time ago," she said, getting angry.

"I know... And I know that you said you don't feel the same way but I'm not blind anymore..." He stared at her, reaching out and cupping her face with one large palm. "Those feelings you had... you still have them. And they're not for Jimmy. You still look at me sometimes just like you did when you were fifteen and back then I didn't know what those looks meant... But I get it now." He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "And I know that you're scared, that you don't want to trust loving me again, that you think Jimmy is the safer choice. But I'm really looking now and I know what's going to happen." He frowned. "If you stay with him, this rift will only get bigger and I'm going to lose you." He swallowed tightly. "If he makes you happy, if you really think you could be happier with him, then walk away right now... And I'll stop calling, if you want me to. I'll do my best to pretend like you've gotten so good at... But if you have any doubts, if you're only doing this because you're just as alone as me and you thought I'd never see you for you, then... Then give me this chance, please..."

She stared up at him, her tears falling. "A soulmate," she repeated. "And you think I'm yours?"

He grinned, wide and warm and honest. "I know you're mine."

She glanced down for a long moment. "And the others? Lana, Jimmy..."

He shook his head. "We can either spend our lives with people who will never really understand us or let them go... I loved Lana and I know you love Jimmy, but I'm looking at a lifetime and I can't imagine it without you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. "So I'm the soulmate of an intergalactic traveler... Now that is Wall of Weird material."

Laughing, he hugged her tightly, feeling the rift between them start to mend.