Part 10
"Chloe, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you like that. Dad always taught me growing up that guys aren't supposed to cry; besides you'd think someone with all my abilities would be stronger than that right. I'm so embarrassed, forgive me?"
Clark quickly wiped away the tears from his face as he slowly pulled himself out of Chloe's embrace, only to be struck down by the sight of tears running down Chloe's face.
"Oh God, I really did it this time!! I mean, I knew you were taken by surprise, but I didn't mean to make you cry!! God, Chloe, I am so sorry!! I've gone over this so many times, I thought I had it worked out to where it would go smoothly, instead it seems all I've done is make a mess of things."
Clark reached out and tenderly wiped the tears from Chloe's face as he continued.
"I'm being selfish again; I've dumped all of this on you, and asked you for a response just like that. What about this idea Chloe, don't say anything now - just think about what I've said. Then whenever you're ready, we can sit down and discuss whatever your decision is. Does that sound like an amicable concession to our current predicament?"
Clark's face changed quickly from a look of questioning confirmation to confusion. Because instead of seeing Chloe having that pondering look he knew so well when she was figuring out something that had her stumped, she had that knowing smile on her face.
"Clark, you are really something else sometimes, you know that?" Chloe said in a tender, light-hearted tone as she reached out and caressed Clark's face.
"Look, you have nothing to apologize for!! I understand the whole macho it's not right for men to cry mentality, but Clark, realize you just let out what had – up to now – been a rehearsed soliloquy of Titanic emotional proportions. And for your information, I personally saw your Dad get tears in his eyes on several occasions – when he got you back home safely from your 'Red-K stupor to Metropolis', when you led the football team to the state championship our senior year (even though he insisted that he disapproved of you playing football), and I can even remember seeing tears in his eyes when you had me over here for all of us to watch 'Seabiscuit' on movie night. So, hey don't beat yourself up for having a rational response to an emotional situation okay."
Clark laughed quietly to himself at Chloe's recanting of events regarding his Dad, and a thoughtful smile spread across his face as he recalled each one she mentioned.
"Secondly, you're not being selfish!! I kind of picked up on you feeling different about me since you first showed up at the Daily Planet from the run in with Zod. It's just, well, every time we've gotten near the point of taking our relationship past the friendship zone, there was always a raven-haired young lady that I felt like I was being compared to. I understand now that you never wanted to go beyond our friendship because of how you felt about Lana, and if anything I was the selfish one for it. However, you thought more about my feelings, and did not want to hurt me by entering into something only to break my heart. I understand things are different now, Lana's with Lex now – and I was there to witness the meltdown between you two. I even thought about approaching you then with my feelings, but I was afraid of being the rebound girl. Still, that has been sometime ago, so I want – I need – for you to understand that I know that's not where I would be here."
Chloe could see from the uncertain look on Clark's face that he wasn't sure where she was going with this; she knew she needed to cut to the chase.
"Sorry Clark, I tend to fallback into 'reporter' mode and go into long winded expositions, rather than keeping an internal monologue than would produce 'just the facts' for auditory responses."
Clark chuckled aloud at Chloe's remark, much to her relief as she continued.
"Anyhow, what I'm trying to say is that I've had an abundant amount of time to think about what you've told me. Honestly, I've dreamed about you saying what you did, well okay – maybe not exactly because I never knew what the circumstances would be – but you get the picture."
Chloe couldn't help blushing at her honest confession, to which Clark gave her a tender smile as he reached out and caressed her shoulder.
"Clark, it's been no secret that I've been in love with you for a long time. You're right, a lot has happened throughout the years that we've known each other, and there's a lot of water under the bridge. Even still, we've seen each other at our highest highs and our lowest lows, and my love for you has remained steadfast. When I finally learned your secret something happened that I didn't think was possible. I started loving you more. The need to be there for you, to protect you, and to help you as much as I could grew as well. Then when you finally learned that I knew your secret, and I saw the strength you drew in being able to confide in me about everything you faced with your abilities – I knew my love for you would never go away."
"Clark, I am thrilled beyond what any cleverly contrived dissertation could convey by your words. They're words that I have waited to hear longer than you know. So I am not going to run away this time, I am not going to hide behind any snarky or off-the-cuff quips, I'm going to put into words at least, as best I can,, what's in my heart. And I can tell you, from my heart and soul, that I love you too, more now than you know."
It was Clark's turn to be lost for words. Chloe could always touch him with her words, she had helped him so many times with her words, and now she had touched his soul. In Clark's mind she was every bit the hero that she made him out to be, for he could not count how many times she had saved him.
Tentatively, Clark reached over and pulled Chloe onto his lap. He gently caressed her face as he moved his closer to her. Their eyes slowly closed as their lips met in a slow soft kiss, Clark wrapped his other arm around Chloe as they continued the kiss. Both of them could feel the electricity sparking, and running through their spines. Then a feeling of warmth, of being comfortable with each other seemed to take hold as Chloe wrapped both arms around Clark.
She moved gently into Clark, nudging him to deepen the kiss, to which Clark promptly responded. The memory of their kiss in the Daily Planet flooded both their minds as this kiss played out, although this kiss put the former to shame. Chloe now let out a soft moan as Clark slowly moved his hands to softly rub her back. Now having a little freedom to move with him rubbing her back, Chloe moved her hands back to softly rub his shoulders. This time, it was Clark that released a moan of pleasure at Chloe's tender touch.
Finally, needing to get some air, Chloe pulled away from the intense kiss. However, she continued rubbing Clark's shoulders and he continued the soft undulations to Chloe's back.
"WOW!! I thought you took my breath away at the Planet before you left, Clark that was amazing!!" Chloe said in a breathless malaise.
"Chloe, you are amazing!! By the way, don't stop the shoulder massage that feels wonderful."
Eyeing him with a sly look Chloe replied, "Whatever you say Clark." Then she leaned in for another kiss, and as their lips brushed against each other, she pulled back.
"What's wrong?" Clark asked in a worried tone.
"Clark, when I was trying to wake you up back in my apartment, you mumbled out a loud 'Mmm…Chloe that feels good, don't stop but could you get that spot lower on my back?' Now, just what were we doing??"
"Uh, well, Chloe, you know it was just a dream. Besides, I've been awake for a while now, and you know it gets harder to recollect the details of a dream the longer one is awake."
"Uh-huh, sure Clark!" Chloe was feeling a little more confident now, after that kiss with Clark and decided to have a little fun. So, she halted the shoulder massage and reached one hand around to massage his lower back, while she used the other to lightly tickle his side. "How about now, anything coming back to you Clark?"
Clark let out half a moan and laughed at Chloe's actions. Finally he said, "Okay, I give, I give, I remember now, just stop with the tickling!!"
Chloe halted the barrage of tickling and moved her other hand around to massage his back. All the while she held Clark's eyes in a sly gaze as she waited for the details.
"Look Chloe, it's not like we were engaged in anything dirty or anything like that. All that happened in the dream was I had stopped by your apartment to meet you for coffee one evening. I brought dinner over and we had just finished eating, and were talking about how our respective day had gone. I had been in a fight with a meteor-infected escapee from Belle Reeve, and during the fight I slammed into a field that had been impacted with meteor fragments."
He shrugged.
"Although I managed to win the fight, return the escapee to Belle Reeve, and with my Mom's help – remove the meteor fragments from my back; I was still a little sore. Well, in my dream you had gone around me and started massaging my shoulders. Then as you were waking me up, I was asking if you could get my lower back too."
"Okay."
"Okay, you mean that's it, you're not going to give me a hard time about the dream?"
"No Clark, haven't I ever told you that bossing you around is the highlight of my day?"
"Actually no, you've never mentioned that to me before."
"Well, that's good, because I have a new highlight of my day now!!
"Oh, and what might that be?" This time it was Clark's turn to give Chloe a sly knowing grin.
"Mmm...why don't I just show you?"
Chloe then closed the distance between them, delving into another deep kiss with Clark. Clark eagerly returned the kiss and relished the sweet taste of her lips. Then Clark pulled away from the kiss, much to Chloe's chagrin.
"What's wrong?" Chloe asked in worried angst.
"Nothing, I just wanted to tell you, again, that I love you."
Chloe couldn't help but smile at his words; she could not get over hearing him say that. "You know, I could definitely get used to hearing that."
"That's good, because I plan on telling you everyday Chloe. You and I together – it's stronger than any of my abilities alone." Clark smiled and started back in to kiss Chloe when she stopped him.
"What?" he asked quizzically.
"Nothing, I just wanted tell you that I love you too." Chloe said, with her eyes beaming brightly. She had no doubts left; Clark was really in love with her!!
"I know." Clark said with a smile that reflected the adoration, affection, and respect he felt for her. Then he leaned in, this time without any interruption, to give her another kiss.
As soon as his lips brushed against hers, Chloe pulled him right up against her, moaning lightly as she immediately deepened the kiss.
Yup, she thought to herself, this was indeed, a VERY good day.