Author's Note: Yeah, okay. No long, boring author's note this time. XOXO Love all my readers and reviewers- enjoy! XD


Saturday June 21, 2008- This Is Still Not a Date (I Think)

"You look beautiful," Clark commented, looking at her out of the corner of his eye once more.

"Thank you," Chloe said politely, working hard to keep friendly air.

If Clark couldn't resist her in the middle of a storm, soaked from the pouring rain, she seriously doubted he would be playing fair tonight in a dress like this.

She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Clark Kent wanted her. It was even more mind-blowing that he was actually trying to win her over. She felt a little guilty, denying him all the time when he was willing to give up every Lana-based thought and feeling just for her.

But that was just it- she didn't want him having to erase a piece of his heart, just so she could have all of it. She wanted to be with him because they belonged together, not because she was the only love he had left now that Lana was out of the picture.

And maybe if it hadn't taken Lana bashing his heart in to finally have him want her, she would've accepted his attempts much, much sooner.

She walked carefully down the stairs to the lobby and ot of the doors, only to have Clark jump in front of her to open up the passenger door of a shiny, black Lexus. Clark noticed the confusion in her expression and explained.

"I rented a car, since I didn't think you'd want to roll up to the Metropolis Plaza in the old truck or a Yariss- no offense."

There was no offense taken- in fact, it was pretty much the complete opposite of that. Her heart melted with compassion and she felt even more guilty for denying someone so caring and quick to make her happy.

Someone who tried so hard...

She smiled and bit her lip as she climbed inside and waited for him to get in the driver's seat.

"You didn't have to do that Clark; I wouldn't have minded. Really."

He just shrugged and started up the engine. "I would've- it would've ruined the affect you're going to have on the entire city."

She blushed and rolled her eyes a little bit. "Well then, thank you."

He just gave her a smile and started down the road. They rode in a comfortable silence as music drifted softly in the car. Maybe it was time for her to give up. Maybe it was time to just crack the shell around her heart and let it go...

Maybe...

"So do I get at least a dance?"

She gave him a half-smile. "You can have as many dances as you want, Clark," she insisted.

He beamed at her through the darkness of the car, and she sighed contentedly.

"Let's just have fun tonight, Clark. Okay?"

He put on a look of fake-shock. "Does this mean I might get an end-of-the night kiss?"

Ok, never mind. There'd be no giving up tonight for her.

She rolled her eyes. "That's what people on dates do Clark, and this is not a date," she reminded him warningly.

He raised his eyebrows up for a split second and smirked. "Well, good luck with explaining that to your co-workers."

Chloe glared at his dim face through the lack of light. "Thanks, but I won't need it. Trust me."

"Wll then let's just have fun tonight, okay?" he teased, mocking her.

"Asshole," she muttered.

"I love you too, Chloe."

They finally reached their destination after a couple more minutes, a grand building, classic and lit up with lots of light. Chloe watched the many people moving in and out of the building, and her stomach squirmed at the thought of Clark, dragging her around table to table testifying the wonderful relatioship they shared and kissing her endlessly as he spun her around on the dance floor.

She took in a deep a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Just...be nice Clark, okay?" she hissed to him through her smiling mouth as they handed over the car to the valet.

"Nothing but," he said through his own smile, which was much more genuine as he guided her through the busy horde of people out front with an arm around her waist.

She sighed and decided not to pull it off- there'd be no way she'd fight him and his advances at an event like this.

After showing some I.D at the door, they went inside to the glorious ballroom where the even was held. With the atmosphere so beautiful, the dance floor so spectacular, and the people so graceful, she couldn't help but squirm as many of her co-workers eyed her appearance and her date, some with awe, but most with distain, jealousy and criticism.

"You'll be fine- you look amazing," he whispered in her ear and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

Jealousy- that was definately the look she was getting from the people surrounding her. For once, she was grateful for his advances; they would come in handy when she came to those who would question if they were going steady of not with an air of snobiness as a wedding or engagement ring glistened on their finger.

She smiled into the kiss with a little bit of guilt- yes, she was using him just so she didn't look as pathetically single as she really was.

Oh well.

"You never told me Smallville was taking you, Chlo," a voice full of cheerful sarcasm called to Chloe from behind her.

They spun around only to face Lois Lane in a nice little cocktail dress with her gloved hands on her hips and a half-smile on her face.

"It's okay Lois, I'll save you a dance, too," Clark, teased, and Lois rolled her eyes.

"I'll pass...you look amazing, Chloe," Lois noted, pulling her into a hug. Chloe returned the hug.

"You're not so bad yourself- did you ever get Oliver to escort you?"

Lois wrinkled her nose and nodded. "Yeah...he's around here somewhere. I guess it's time I find him...I'll see you guys later."

She turned to her left to walk away, but she stopped and looked back at Clark. "You look good, Clark," she told him casually, and walked away.

There was something about Lois that made Chloe want to tighten the arm that was around her waist, to do something that said 'You can't have him,'...It was something that made her compliment seem genuine- was that a glimmer of jealousy in her eyes, too?

"That was weird," Clark said quietly, almost to himself.

Chloe agreed. "Yeah, it was..."

He shrugged the strange mood off and held his hand out, intending for her to take it.

"Would you like to dance?"

"No," she said simply, as if she was stating the weather, and Clark scoweled disappointedly at her.

"We can't just stand here all night, Chloe. I'm sure you want to do something," he pressed.

"Mhmm."

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Do you want a drink?"

"No thank you."

"Are you going to be like this all night?"

Chloe smiled slyly at him. "Maybe."

And in the blink of an eye, Clark whisked her away to the dance floor. He held her closely, careful not to let her get away without her having to fight him off (something that would cause a scene, surely), yet comfortably enough to where she could possibly forgive him and enjoy the moment.

Well, possibly.

"Clark!" she hissed at him through her teeth, low enough to where only he should hear it.

"Yes?"

She growled at him. "What are you doing?"

He smiled softly at her, a way that was no longer amused or teasing, but truly genuine. "I'm enjoying myself."

It all rushed out of her- all the resentment, the embarassment, the shock, the feeling that she should be hiding somewhere behind the giant globe-shaped ice sculpture- and for once in a long time, she felt comfortable and content with letting him hold her.

"Don't get used to this," she teased as she moved closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, her chest softly brushing against his.

He felt his heart begin to beat faster- funny how it always did that when he got around her- as his arms accepted her, pulling tighter around her slender waist, fighting to keep her just like that forever.

He knew there were glitches and errors in his "master plan". It was not an unknown fact that they had about a 60 chance of actually staying together longer than he did with Lana, or anyone else, but determination could raise the statistics, right?

His determination, he decided, would change everything.

"So if I said yes, right here, right now, tonight...what would you do?" she whispered casually in his ear, relishing the way he quivered slightly under the power of seduction she never knew she posessed.

"Depends...are you actually planning on it or are you just wanting to ruin the surprise?"

She pulled away from his shoulder to face him. "Depends...are you expecting me to say yes, Clark? Because if I did, I'd lose our friendship, a friendship I could probably never get back if things didn't go the way we wanted them to. And if I didn't, I'd lose everything."

He gave her a weak smile. "I'd never let that happen," he told her quietly, but she remained serious.

"What if you wanted it to?"

His lovely features clouded over with frustration. "Really, Chloe, do you honestly think you're still the last person I think about at night? That I would want to end everything we have between us?"

She didn't answer.

"Because you're the first I think about. The beginning, the middle, the end, and sometimes I wonder what would happen to me if I didn't win- if I didn't get to keep you forever."

The song came to an unexpected end, and a nameless, important-looking face stepped up to the microphone on the stage. Chloe slipped away from his hold to go join Lois and Oliver, praying that he didn't follow her.

Praying that for once, he would just leave her alone.

She spent all her energy blinking back angry tears, telling herself that she would not cry, that this was all just a dream to where she would wake up next to him in a better life- a better life without all the drama, the flaws, the attempts to win her over.

It wasn't until she heard her name being called that she snapped out of her reverie and back to reality.

Lois pushed on the small of her back. "Chloe, come on! They called us!"

There was a bright spotlight on her and a couple of other people who were called to the stage, and it followed them annoyingly before resting right on their faces, making it hard to see. She tried to remember what the man had said, what they were doing up here...

"I am so happy to announce these wonderful five people who I like to call 'The Mob' for helping put behind bars one of the most dangerous mobsters in Metropolis City. For that, your mayor thanks you, I thank you, and your city thanks you."

There was a burst of applause, and Chloe smiled for the camera, happy to have something good happen to her. The dangerous effort and precious time had paid off for her, along with a broken hand and cuts and bruises, too. She and Lois had just barely escaped with their lives...

Medals were passed to her and her co-workers, along with envelopes with the Daily Planet seal stamped on the corner.

The five of them all shook hands and kissed cheeks with each other before filing off the stage, and Chloe couldn't resist the urge to rake over the crowd with her eyes and find a melancholy-looking Clark, standing against the wall with his arms folded.

Her heart really went out to him- it honestly did. Chloe felt sorry for all she had done, the games she was playing with him, the way she let this continue for so long...and it was now or never. Yet, she wasn't ready for 'now'.

She wasn't ready for 'either', either.

'I can't do this', she thought. 'I don't think I'll ever be able to do this...'

Here was this angel who had fallen into her arms, who had been sent from above to this stubborn, lucky, sarcastic little blonde, and all the blonde could do was laugh and shoo him away. She didn't know what she wanted. She didn't know if she would ever know what she wanted.

And with that on her mind, she stood in an empty corner, slipped off her high heels, and ran out the exit with no intentions of coming back.


A/N: Oh geez...oh geez this is...this is. Wow. This is really old and really bad. I'm sorry I've put this off for so long that you can say it's been a year since I've updated. I'm so sorry. I should probably make it up to you by continuing. I'll try, but no guarantees. Therefore, I can't ask you for any reviews until I know that I'm nice and steady on this. Thanks for reading and remembering this. haha, XOXO douces.