Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville, Chloe, Clark, Pete, Lana, or Whitney.
But you knew that. I only wish every second of every day that I could own
Clark.
A/N: I'm gonna mention this even though nobody's actually read it as far as I know; the original copy of this chapter was written at 5 in the morning when I was suffering from caffeine withdrawal and hadn't slept at all; reading back over it, I determined the end was a bit lacking, if not all of it, so I did some revisions. It should be much better; when I fixed it it was only 4 in the morning without sleep, and I had just chain-drank about 5 cans of Coke; I had to run to the bathroom about half-way through, but...
~Chloe~
"Everything's set, right?" I asked as I climbed the stairs up into Clark's "Fortress Of Solitude".
"Absolutely," he smiled. I prayed he didn't do that so much once Lana and Pete showed up; I found it hard to stand when he smiled like that, let alone try to concentrate on getting the homecoming queen to break up with her long-time boyfriend-again-and move on to one of my best friends who isn't exactly football-star-who-everyone-loves material. I'll have to work with him on that.
I kind of stood there awkwardly for a second, unsure of what to do; I still wasn't completely positive that we were exactly in couple status yet. My uncertainty immediately turned to pure unbridled bliss when he wrapped his strong arms around my waist slowly and rested his head on my shoulder, his face only inches from mine. I settled against him perfectly.
It felt too perfect to be real. I was very much wrapped up in the moment, but it ended too quickly when Clark claimed someone was coming. I didn't hear anything, but either way, I stepped out of the barn and around the corner before Lana walked past and went in, almost seeing me. I instantly felt pangs of jealousy at the thought of this girl whom Clark had supposedly been madly in love with until barely a week ago being up there alone with him while I stood out here freezing my ass off. I shivered, and it must have been noticeable, because Clark's jacket dropped to the ground behind me seconds later. I smiled as I put it over my shoulders; whoever said chivalry was dead must have desperately needed Clark Kent in their life. Looking up, I was puzzled; he couldn't possibly have seen me unless he could see through walls, and that wasn't happening anytime soon.
But I didn't have time to think about it, as Pete passed by and entered the barn just then. I followed and waited a minute as Pete was greeted, then Clark said, "I don't know why Chloe's not here yet," loud enough for me to hear. That was my cue.
As I walked in, I said, "Chloe is here yet," and smiled. Pete and Lana turned towards me. Clark made motions behind their backs hurriedly. I wasn't sure what he meant until I realized I was still wearing his jacket. Oh, shit. Think, Chloe, think.
"You left your jacket at my house yesterday. Thought you might want it," I said quickly, stopping directly in front of him, making a point of ignoring the others.
"You're always thinking of other people," he murmured teasingly just as his lips met mine. I knew right about now, Pete was probably drooling, and Lana was wishing Whitney were here so she could easier pretend seeing Clark with me didn't bother her, just like they were supposed to.
I never knew getting two people together could be so much fun, and I was sorry Pete had had to work on me and Clark without it, though I doubt Pete would find kissing Clark as enjoyable as I did, but you never know, right?
Then Clark pulled me considerably closer to him and I ceased to think, forgetting the mission at hand.
~Lana~
Clark forgets his jacket and Chloe gives him a tongue bath. And I get to sit here and watch. What fun.
Which is why I was thinking I could have kissed Pete when he leaned over and whispered, "I think they'd rather be alone. Want me to walk you home?"
I didn't mean to sound so rude, but it came out with an edge. "I don't care if you walk me or not, I just wanna get out of here."
Not a word was said on the walk across to my house. When we got there, Whitney was sitting on the porch steps waiting.
"Where were you?" he asked bluntly.
I glanced at Pete, who drew back slightly.
"I was at Clark's," I answered, trying to keep my voice even.
"You were at Clark's, of course," he echoed.
"You don't own me, Whitney. I do have friends and a life that doesn't completely revolve around you."
"I understand that, but it seems that lately, it does revolve around Clark," he said.
"Uh, can I say something?" Pete cut in. "For one thing, I'm not sure Clark even knew we were there."
"He was a little tied up," I couldn't help adding.
"Yeah, tongue-tied," Pete grinned. I laughed, and Whitney looked at both of us, obviously confused.
"Think we need to talk," he said.
I quit laughing. "Yeah, we do. Can you wait for me inside? I'll be in in a minute."
He didn't reply, just stood there.
"Please, Whitney," I said. "Wait for me inside."
Without a word, he turned on his heel and stalked inside, the door shutting heavily behind him. I turned to Pete.
"Thanks for walking me home. And for defending me. And for making me laugh," I said. "Was that everything?"
"No," he said. "You forgot lightening the mood in an awkward situation."
"Right," I smiled. "Thank you."
I don't know why, but I hugged him, all the while wishing he knew just how grateful I was.
I know I wasn't expecting what came next. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. Then he walked away quickly, leaving me with the feeling that that was...nice. Not magic, not amazing, not like all those things girls say when they're talking about guys in the bathroom between classes. The only way I could describe it was...nice. And suddenly dealing with Whitney didn't seem so bad.
~Chloe~
I drew back, suddenly remembering Lana and Pete. They were gone. I laughed softly when Clark whispered, "I guess they didn't feel like waiting."
"Would you?" I replied.
"For you? Sure," he smiled.
Sometimes Clark says some of the corniest things, but they're actually really sweet coming from him. Accompanied with that smile, I'm a lost cause.
He dropped down on the floor of the barn, his legs stretched out in front of him, and leaned back on his hands. That's when I noticed the telescope.
"Hey, maybe Pete walked with Lana," I said. "You can see her house from here, right?"
"Yeah," he answered, standing up and moving it a little. "Should be about...there."
I bent and looked through it. The view was centered right on Lana's house. "You guess so accurately," I teased.
"Anything interesting?" he asked.
"Not really," I said.
"Looking for someone?" came the voice from behind us.
We both turned quickly to see Pete.
"I--umm--"
"We were just--"
Pete stepped towards the telescope, and we both reached to move it. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Exactly what did you see?" he asked.
"Exactly what was there to see?" I replied.
"Nothing," he said quickly. "Just that Whitney was there waiting when we showed up and--wait, how did you guys know I walked her?"
"We guessed," Clark and I both said at the same time.
"And why does it matter?" Pete said.
"Honestly, your crush on Lana is fairly obvious," I told him. "Wanted to-uh- return the favor."
"Oh," was all he said; he understood my reluctance to go into detail of exactly what the favor was in front of Clark.
"You said Whitney was there?" I said, changing the subject. "Clark, can you...?"
"Huh? Oh, sure," Clark said, moving the telescope again. I looked through and relayed what I saw.
"Nothing yet. Oh wait, here comes Whitney. Lana's right behind him. Not a happy secne. I know they've fought a lot lately, but this looks like there's possibility of a second break-up here. Now Whitney's leaving to wreck another truck, and Lana's looking really depressed. Hey Pete, you might wanna--" I didn't finish. Pete was already gone when I turned around.
"He's ahead of you for once," Clark said.
Looking up at him, I thought I was beginning to understand why Lana and Whitney never seemed to be able keep their hands off each other.
And why they broke up the first time. Whitney never stood a chance with Clark to compete with.
"Only in one sense," I whispered, stepping closer to him.
I lost myself in the moment. In his eyes, his smile, the feel of his lips brushing against mine, and finally in the sudden realization that I was actually standing here kissing Clark Kent. Again. That didn't happen to me. Having all your dreams come true was saved for...well, people like Lana and Whitney, not for me, the non-conformist/realist/cynic. But here I was with Clark.
I kept thinking there had to be some kind of catch. Like I would be conditioned to only kiss him once a month or something. I couldn't have handled that after getting to kiss him once. Twice? Forget it. And those two times were just today. All the others only lasted maybe 2 seconds, but...
Why was I thinking about this? I wondered what Clark was thinking while I was busily analyzing why I got to be the one to be with him. I pulled away, gently pushing against his chest.
"What are you thinking right now?" I asked breathlessly.
"Right now? I'm wondering why you pulled away just to ask what I'm thinking," he said.
"I'm serious. What are you thinking?"
"You mean you wanna know what I think about when I'm kissing you," he said.
"Yeah, basically," I smiled.
"I was thinking about how fast this all happened. A week ago, I had no clue. And now..." he trailed off.
"And now we're in a barn alternating between kissing and spying on our friends."
"Right," he smiled again. "By the way, I was also wondering if you want your gum back."
"Oh my God. I'm sorry I asked," I said. I could feel myself blushing.
"So am I," he grinned, sitting back down and pulling me down with him.
"And I thought you were different than most guys," I teased.
"Oh, I am different," he replied, then stopped for a second. "In lots of ways. But I am still a boy."
"No, you're not a boy. You're the only available man I know," I said, leaning in closer to him. This was getting interesting.
"Available?" he said. "I knew there had to be a reason I like you so much."
"I meant available to me. Don't get any ideas."
"Oh, really. Who else would I be available to if not you?"
I couldn't help but to test his reaction. "Lana," I said simply. He drew back a little.
"Clark, relax. Why are you so tense all the time? I was just joking."
"I know," he said. "I just wasn't expecting you to say that."
I decided to change the subject. "Speaking of Lana, I wonder how Pete's doing."
We looked at each other, then up at the telescope, then back at each other again.
"I get to look this time," Clark said.
"Don't count on it," I replied, jumping up.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me down, then I managed to land back on him when I fell so he couldn't get up so easily. We both struggled to get up again, ending up lying side by side on the floor. He held me down next to him easily.
"You're not going anywhere," he stated matter-of-factly.
"No argument here," I answered, snuggling in closer next to him. I closed my eyes, having no intention of moving. After lying there another minute, I felt his lips pressed against mine again. I returned the kiss eagerly, wishing it could last forever. Maybe it would have, except Pete chose just then to make a rather loud entrance, followed by a thud and Pete saying, "Lana, are you alright?"
Oh God, not again.
But there was one major important difference this time. Clark wasn't going anywhere. He whispered in my ear, "Pretend you're asleep, see what they'll do."
I obediently lay back down and moved in even closer against him and shut my eyes.
A few seconds later, I felt warm breath on the back of my neck and Pete whispered, "Time to get up now Chloe, you've been caught."
I ignored him and buried my head down into Clark's chest so Pete couldn't see me trying hard not to laugh.
"Chloe, get up now," he repeated. When I still didn't answer, he threw Clark's jacket, which I had dropped soon after I came in, over our heads. I lifted my head, and Clark smiled down at me. I kissed him softly, knowing Pete would pull the jacket off any second. I didn't really care much then.
Then the jacket was gone, Pete was laughing hysterically, Clark was bright red, and Lana looked almost disappointed. God Lana, I know you like him, but what did you expect?
"I'm gonna go," Lana said. I rolled my eyes. Does the girl honestly think she can run from everything?
"I'll walk you," Pete said quickly. Yeah, Pete, walk Lana home and leave us alone again, good idea.
"Leaving so soon? You just got here." I know, that was just a little crude, but I couldn't resist. I guess seeing the guy you like lying on the floor, curled up with another girl, one who in some sense or another is your friend, isn't any easier than watching your best friend whom you're secretly in love with drool over Ms. Perfect. But I won't cease to be repetitious; I couldn't resist.
She stepped towards us. I almost enjoyed the fire in her eyes when she started to reply. "You really--"
Pete cut her off, obviously wanting to avoid confrontation. "Let's just go, Lana."
That sucked. Why did he have to do that? It was just getting good. She had a really good comeback, I know it; I genuinely wanted to hear it.
I was almost shocked at myself, though I was loving it; for some reason, I was suddenly craving a fight desperately.
When Clark asked, "Why exactly did you just try to pick a fight with Lana?", there was really only thing I could say without lying.
"Heat of the moment, I guess."
~Lana~
I wanted to ask him why he did it, but I didn't. I kept hoping he would bring it up, but he didn't. No one was doing anything and the tension kept building. With the extra stress I was feeling from Chloe's comments back in the barn, it was incredibly nerve-wracking. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I just said it.
"Pete, why did you kiss me?"
He froze. "I don't know. I just kinda did it. Heat of the moment type of thing, I guess."
"Really?" I asked. I wasn't so sure.
He looked me straight in the eye. "No, not really. But I know you have enough trouble now trying to patch things up with Whitney and seeing Clark so happy with Chloe. I didn't want to add to it," he said, and walked away.
~~~~
R+R please, and I really need suggestions; I have no idea where I'm gonna go with this now.
A/N: I'm gonna mention this even though nobody's actually read it as far as I know; the original copy of this chapter was written at 5 in the morning when I was suffering from caffeine withdrawal and hadn't slept at all; reading back over it, I determined the end was a bit lacking, if not all of it, so I did some revisions. It should be much better; when I fixed it it was only 4 in the morning without sleep, and I had just chain-drank about 5 cans of Coke; I had to run to the bathroom about half-way through, but...
~Chloe~
"Everything's set, right?" I asked as I climbed the stairs up into Clark's "Fortress Of Solitude".
"Absolutely," he smiled. I prayed he didn't do that so much once Lana and Pete showed up; I found it hard to stand when he smiled like that, let alone try to concentrate on getting the homecoming queen to break up with her long-time boyfriend-again-and move on to one of my best friends who isn't exactly football-star-who-everyone-loves material. I'll have to work with him on that.
I kind of stood there awkwardly for a second, unsure of what to do; I still wasn't completely positive that we were exactly in couple status yet. My uncertainty immediately turned to pure unbridled bliss when he wrapped his strong arms around my waist slowly and rested his head on my shoulder, his face only inches from mine. I settled against him perfectly.
It felt too perfect to be real. I was very much wrapped up in the moment, but it ended too quickly when Clark claimed someone was coming. I didn't hear anything, but either way, I stepped out of the barn and around the corner before Lana walked past and went in, almost seeing me. I instantly felt pangs of jealousy at the thought of this girl whom Clark had supposedly been madly in love with until barely a week ago being up there alone with him while I stood out here freezing my ass off. I shivered, and it must have been noticeable, because Clark's jacket dropped to the ground behind me seconds later. I smiled as I put it over my shoulders; whoever said chivalry was dead must have desperately needed Clark Kent in their life. Looking up, I was puzzled; he couldn't possibly have seen me unless he could see through walls, and that wasn't happening anytime soon.
But I didn't have time to think about it, as Pete passed by and entered the barn just then. I followed and waited a minute as Pete was greeted, then Clark said, "I don't know why Chloe's not here yet," loud enough for me to hear. That was my cue.
As I walked in, I said, "Chloe is here yet," and smiled. Pete and Lana turned towards me. Clark made motions behind their backs hurriedly. I wasn't sure what he meant until I realized I was still wearing his jacket. Oh, shit. Think, Chloe, think.
"You left your jacket at my house yesterday. Thought you might want it," I said quickly, stopping directly in front of him, making a point of ignoring the others.
"You're always thinking of other people," he murmured teasingly just as his lips met mine. I knew right about now, Pete was probably drooling, and Lana was wishing Whitney were here so she could easier pretend seeing Clark with me didn't bother her, just like they were supposed to.
I never knew getting two people together could be so much fun, and I was sorry Pete had had to work on me and Clark without it, though I doubt Pete would find kissing Clark as enjoyable as I did, but you never know, right?
Then Clark pulled me considerably closer to him and I ceased to think, forgetting the mission at hand.
~Lana~
Clark forgets his jacket and Chloe gives him a tongue bath. And I get to sit here and watch. What fun.
Which is why I was thinking I could have kissed Pete when he leaned over and whispered, "I think they'd rather be alone. Want me to walk you home?"
I didn't mean to sound so rude, but it came out with an edge. "I don't care if you walk me or not, I just wanna get out of here."
Not a word was said on the walk across to my house. When we got there, Whitney was sitting on the porch steps waiting.
"Where were you?" he asked bluntly.
I glanced at Pete, who drew back slightly.
"I was at Clark's," I answered, trying to keep my voice even.
"You were at Clark's, of course," he echoed.
"You don't own me, Whitney. I do have friends and a life that doesn't completely revolve around you."
"I understand that, but it seems that lately, it does revolve around Clark," he said.
"Uh, can I say something?" Pete cut in. "For one thing, I'm not sure Clark even knew we were there."
"He was a little tied up," I couldn't help adding.
"Yeah, tongue-tied," Pete grinned. I laughed, and Whitney looked at both of us, obviously confused.
"Think we need to talk," he said.
I quit laughing. "Yeah, we do. Can you wait for me inside? I'll be in in a minute."
He didn't reply, just stood there.
"Please, Whitney," I said. "Wait for me inside."
Without a word, he turned on his heel and stalked inside, the door shutting heavily behind him. I turned to Pete.
"Thanks for walking me home. And for defending me. And for making me laugh," I said. "Was that everything?"
"No," he said. "You forgot lightening the mood in an awkward situation."
"Right," I smiled. "Thank you."
I don't know why, but I hugged him, all the while wishing he knew just how grateful I was.
I know I wasn't expecting what came next. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. Then he walked away quickly, leaving me with the feeling that that was...nice. Not magic, not amazing, not like all those things girls say when they're talking about guys in the bathroom between classes. The only way I could describe it was...nice. And suddenly dealing with Whitney didn't seem so bad.
~Chloe~
I drew back, suddenly remembering Lana and Pete. They were gone. I laughed softly when Clark whispered, "I guess they didn't feel like waiting."
"Would you?" I replied.
"For you? Sure," he smiled.
Sometimes Clark says some of the corniest things, but they're actually really sweet coming from him. Accompanied with that smile, I'm a lost cause.
He dropped down on the floor of the barn, his legs stretched out in front of him, and leaned back on his hands. That's when I noticed the telescope.
"Hey, maybe Pete walked with Lana," I said. "You can see her house from here, right?"
"Yeah," he answered, standing up and moving it a little. "Should be about...there."
I bent and looked through it. The view was centered right on Lana's house. "You guess so accurately," I teased.
"Anything interesting?" he asked.
"Not really," I said.
"Looking for someone?" came the voice from behind us.
We both turned quickly to see Pete.
"I--umm--"
"We were just--"
Pete stepped towards the telescope, and we both reached to move it. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Exactly what did you see?" he asked.
"Exactly what was there to see?" I replied.
"Nothing," he said quickly. "Just that Whitney was there waiting when we showed up and--wait, how did you guys know I walked her?"
"We guessed," Clark and I both said at the same time.
"And why does it matter?" Pete said.
"Honestly, your crush on Lana is fairly obvious," I told him. "Wanted to-uh- return the favor."
"Oh," was all he said; he understood my reluctance to go into detail of exactly what the favor was in front of Clark.
"You said Whitney was there?" I said, changing the subject. "Clark, can you...?"
"Huh? Oh, sure," Clark said, moving the telescope again. I looked through and relayed what I saw.
"Nothing yet. Oh wait, here comes Whitney. Lana's right behind him. Not a happy secne. I know they've fought a lot lately, but this looks like there's possibility of a second break-up here. Now Whitney's leaving to wreck another truck, and Lana's looking really depressed. Hey Pete, you might wanna--" I didn't finish. Pete was already gone when I turned around.
"He's ahead of you for once," Clark said.
Looking up at him, I thought I was beginning to understand why Lana and Whitney never seemed to be able keep their hands off each other.
And why they broke up the first time. Whitney never stood a chance with Clark to compete with.
"Only in one sense," I whispered, stepping closer to him.
I lost myself in the moment. In his eyes, his smile, the feel of his lips brushing against mine, and finally in the sudden realization that I was actually standing here kissing Clark Kent. Again. That didn't happen to me. Having all your dreams come true was saved for...well, people like Lana and Whitney, not for me, the non-conformist/realist/cynic. But here I was with Clark.
I kept thinking there had to be some kind of catch. Like I would be conditioned to only kiss him once a month or something. I couldn't have handled that after getting to kiss him once. Twice? Forget it. And those two times were just today. All the others only lasted maybe 2 seconds, but...
Why was I thinking about this? I wondered what Clark was thinking while I was busily analyzing why I got to be the one to be with him. I pulled away, gently pushing against his chest.
"What are you thinking right now?" I asked breathlessly.
"Right now? I'm wondering why you pulled away just to ask what I'm thinking," he said.
"I'm serious. What are you thinking?"
"You mean you wanna know what I think about when I'm kissing you," he said.
"Yeah, basically," I smiled.
"I was thinking about how fast this all happened. A week ago, I had no clue. And now..." he trailed off.
"And now we're in a barn alternating between kissing and spying on our friends."
"Right," he smiled again. "By the way, I was also wondering if you want your gum back."
"Oh my God. I'm sorry I asked," I said. I could feel myself blushing.
"So am I," he grinned, sitting back down and pulling me down with him.
"And I thought you were different than most guys," I teased.
"Oh, I am different," he replied, then stopped for a second. "In lots of ways. But I am still a boy."
"No, you're not a boy. You're the only available man I know," I said, leaning in closer to him. This was getting interesting.
"Available?" he said. "I knew there had to be a reason I like you so much."
"I meant available to me. Don't get any ideas."
"Oh, really. Who else would I be available to if not you?"
I couldn't help but to test his reaction. "Lana," I said simply. He drew back a little.
"Clark, relax. Why are you so tense all the time? I was just joking."
"I know," he said. "I just wasn't expecting you to say that."
I decided to change the subject. "Speaking of Lana, I wonder how Pete's doing."
We looked at each other, then up at the telescope, then back at each other again.
"I get to look this time," Clark said.
"Don't count on it," I replied, jumping up.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me down, then I managed to land back on him when I fell so he couldn't get up so easily. We both struggled to get up again, ending up lying side by side on the floor. He held me down next to him easily.
"You're not going anywhere," he stated matter-of-factly.
"No argument here," I answered, snuggling in closer next to him. I closed my eyes, having no intention of moving. After lying there another minute, I felt his lips pressed against mine again. I returned the kiss eagerly, wishing it could last forever. Maybe it would have, except Pete chose just then to make a rather loud entrance, followed by a thud and Pete saying, "Lana, are you alright?"
Oh God, not again.
But there was one major important difference this time. Clark wasn't going anywhere. He whispered in my ear, "Pretend you're asleep, see what they'll do."
I obediently lay back down and moved in even closer against him and shut my eyes.
A few seconds later, I felt warm breath on the back of my neck and Pete whispered, "Time to get up now Chloe, you've been caught."
I ignored him and buried my head down into Clark's chest so Pete couldn't see me trying hard not to laugh.
"Chloe, get up now," he repeated. When I still didn't answer, he threw Clark's jacket, which I had dropped soon after I came in, over our heads. I lifted my head, and Clark smiled down at me. I kissed him softly, knowing Pete would pull the jacket off any second. I didn't really care much then.
Then the jacket was gone, Pete was laughing hysterically, Clark was bright red, and Lana looked almost disappointed. God Lana, I know you like him, but what did you expect?
"I'm gonna go," Lana said. I rolled my eyes. Does the girl honestly think she can run from everything?
"I'll walk you," Pete said quickly. Yeah, Pete, walk Lana home and leave us alone again, good idea.
"Leaving so soon? You just got here." I know, that was just a little crude, but I couldn't resist. I guess seeing the guy you like lying on the floor, curled up with another girl, one who in some sense or another is your friend, isn't any easier than watching your best friend whom you're secretly in love with drool over Ms. Perfect. But I won't cease to be repetitious; I couldn't resist.
She stepped towards us. I almost enjoyed the fire in her eyes when she started to reply. "You really--"
Pete cut her off, obviously wanting to avoid confrontation. "Let's just go, Lana."
That sucked. Why did he have to do that? It was just getting good. She had a really good comeback, I know it; I genuinely wanted to hear it.
I was almost shocked at myself, though I was loving it; for some reason, I was suddenly craving a fight desperately.
When Clark asked, "Why exactly did you just try to pick a fight with Lana?", there was really only thing I could say without lying.
"Heat of the moment, I guess."
~Lana~
I wanted to ask him why he did it, but I didn't. I kept hoping he would bring it up, but he didn't. No one was doing anything and the tension kept building. With the extra stress I was feeling from Chloe's comments back in the barn, it was incredibly nerve-wracking. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I just said it.
"Pete, why did you kiss me?"
He froze. "I don't know. I just kinda did it. Heat of the moment type of thing, I guess."
"Really?" I asked. I wasn't so sure.
He looked me straight in the eye. "No, not really. But I know you have enough trouble now trying to patch things up with Whitney and seeing Clark so happy with Chloe. I didn't want to add to it," he said, and walked away.
~~~~
R+R please, and I really need suggestions; I have no idea where I'm gonna go with this now.
