It's Midnight, Cinderella
by Tracy (lunarknightz )

Rating: PG
Category: Chloe Sullivan/Jason Teague. Is that Chason? ponders

Spoilers: Spirit

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville, but I want to. Would you like to buy it for me?

Author's Note: Filling another request for SV Glee Week.

I really want to see Jason/Chloe (I don't even know if they have a "shippy" name Possible plot: after "Spirit". a pissed-off Jason. a "so-over-Clana" Chloe. - nelliewu

The cold night air felt good on her bare shoulders. The gym had been hot, and utterly small. The air inside was too hot to breathe, but the cold night air was easy to inhale. Chloe breathed deeply, an enormous sigh sounding as she exhaled. A trail of tears followed her sigh.

She had the crown on her head, shouldn't she be the princess?

Chloe hated feeling this way. The bitter mix of anger and jealousy was way too familiar- the same concoction of angst that had hung over all four years of high school. Once again she had been judged against Lana Lang, and had been found wanting.

"Are you okay?" A warm hand touched Chloe's shoulder.

She looked up from the gravel of the Smallville High Parking lot, and found that Jason Teague was standing next to her, his hand on her shoulder, his face full of concern.

Jason was Lana's boyfriend, the latest specimen of the male sex that she'd managed to attract and conquer. Boys were naturally attracted to Lana it seemed- boys who didn't have meteor rocks coursing through their veins (okay, so Clark was an exception to the rule). Chloe didn't know Jason that well, he was more of an acquaintance than an actual friend- he seemed nice enough, but a couple of cups of coffee with him in the company of Lana, Clark, and Lois at the Talon didn't exactly make you BFF.

He was older, too. Not that much older, really, Whitney, had he lived would be even older. The fact that Jason had been on the teaching staff at Smallville High as an assistant football coach made him seem older. Plus, he was a little intimidating- his family had been the crème of Metropolis society practically ever since the city was founded, and hell, she'd grown up in the Teague Tower Apartments. The intimidation she felt around Jason was a little funny, considering that she'd been tangled up in the intrigue of the Luthor family for four years, but time and familiarity had taken the awe and spectacle of having copious amounts of money away from Lionel and Lex.

"I…..I….guess." She said, a small sniffle escaping her lips.

"No offense, Chloe, but acting like that isn't exactly going to win you an Oscar." Jason removed his hand and rummaged through his pocket, taking out a rather rumpled linen handkerchief. With a careful hand, Jason bent over and wiped tears away from her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. "It seems like it's been quite a night for you, huh?"

She giggled and sniffed at the same time. "I'm the Prom Queen. It's my party. Aren't I allowed to cry if I want too?"

"What, the tiara's not just a fashion statement?"

"Actually, in the infinite repository of wisdom that is the student body of Smallville High, I am the Prom Queen. Not that I remember actually being crowned…"

Jason frowned. "Excuse me?"

"You've been in Smallville how long? You know that we're like ground zero for about eleventy billion kinds of wacky." Chloe rolled her eyes. "To give you the Reader's Digest version, one of the other candidates became this meteorite infected ghost who went around playing Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I got the crown, but she got the memory. Which actually, you know plays rather well with the whole theme of my year- how many people do you know who miss their own 18th birthday party because they are possessed by a witch? "

"Hell if I know." He shrugged. "What, do I look like some kind of expert on supernatural things?"

"Live here for a year or more and you will be."

"Thanks for the warning." Jason paused for a second. "So, is the breakdown courtesy of post I missed theparty amnesia regrets, or is there something else to it?"

"Hey." Chloe said, the corners of her mouth beginning to turn upward. "I'm the reporter here. Who said you get to ask all the questions, Teague?"

"Shoot."

"What are you doing out in the parking lot alone on Prom Night?"

"Would you believe I was trying to solve the case of the missing Prom Queen?"

Chloe shook her head. "Fess up."

"Lana. Stupid me, I came to surprise Lana, because Cassie at the Talon said she decided to come after all. And I get here, and lo and behold, she's already found a dance partner."

"Don't remind me."

"Hey, this is my trauma."

"Oh, trust me, you know absolutely nothing of the triangle of lust, bitterness, and woe that surrounds Lana, Clark, and I."

Jason looked down at Chloe, puzzled. After a second of staring, a realization hit him. "You mean you have a thing for Clark?"

"Remember that first crush that you never quite get over? That's what Clark is to me." She huffed. "If there was a twelve step program to getting over Clark Kent, I would try it, because goodness knows, no matter how many times he lets me down or breaks my heart, I can't stop…well…"

"Loving him." Jason finished. "No matter how many times you tell yourself that this would be wrong, that there's no way it can end well, and there's a million and three things that would keep you apart, but you can't let go of the hope…that maybe, things will change and you'll get the happy ending."

"Are you reading my mind?"

"I wish." Jason sighed. "Were they still dancing when you left?"

"Oh yeah. Five songs in a row." Chloe growled. "One song is sweet and all that, but you think that maybe he could tear himself away from Snow White and realize that on the sidelines, there's a very lonely Prom Queen who wants nothing more than a dance with her Prince Charming."

"If you don't mind me saying it, Kent's rather stupid."

Chloe chuckled. "You're right."

"So no one has asked you to dance?"

"Lois did ask me to dance. Out of pity. And it's really bad when your female cousin is the only person who asks you to dance."

"Enough people voted for you for you to be elected as school royalty, but not one guy has asked you to dance?" Jason's voice was tinted with disbelief.

"I'm just that intimidating."

Jason laughed. "Chloe, I know I'm not exactly the Prince Charming You were looking for, but may I have the honor of dancing with the most beautiful prom queen that I've ever seen?"

Chloe was stunned speechless for a second. Jason was asking her to dance? She couldn't. He was Lana's boyfriend….and…

Chloe nodded slightly. "I'd love that."

Jason leaned over and straightened her tiara. "Cinderella, the time has come for your ball."

Chloe beamed and linked her arm through Jason's. Together, they entered the gym, and the crowd seemed to part as they walked by, out to the dance floor. Lois caught Chloe's gaze and shot her a thumbs up, mouthing the words, "You go girl!". Lifehouse played another slow song, and Jason drew her close. His shoulder was close, and Chloe leaned her head against it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Clark and Lana stop dancing; saw them stare in disbelief at the sight of Jason dancing with her. She closed her eyes and embraced the moment.

Let Lana be on the sidelines for once.

Let Clark be jealous.

Tonight was her night. And for the first time that night, safe in Jason's strong and warm arms, Chloe felt like Cinderella.

Her story wouldn't end with the ball.

Chloe's story would begin with it.