A/N: I love this chapter. I'm not being big-headed, I just loved writing this. It's bloody adorable. -AtrophysFinest.
You're Not The Only One
Chapter Twenty-Six: Cherry Stems and Tree Lights
John Kent was excited. It was soon to be his first Christmas. From what he had been taught by Jor-El from the crystals in his pod, Christmas was a time of year for the Earthlings who celebrated it for goodwill, peace and other things. (Jor-El had made studies of Earth, being a scientist. When Krypton's demise loomed, Jor-El had decided from his studies that Clark and John would be best suited on Earth.).
The decorating of the farmhouse was a disaster. John ended up tangled in the tree lights and made himself dizzy trying to free himself from the electric tendrils. When Martha had managed to free her clearly distraught son, she suggested that he go into town with Chloe to do some shopping.
John had then called Chloe and she'd picked him up, making their way to town. John turned to face Chloe, who was humming along to the song being played through her car's speakers. She also had difficulty trying to fight off a grin.
John looked at Chloe and raised an eyebrow. "What are you grinning about?" Chloe shook her head. "I'm not saying!" John stared at Chloe, trying to make her crack. Chloe had to bite her lip, trying her hardest to ignore her persuasive boyfriend. In the end, Chloe had to pull the car over into a lay-by.
She switched the engine off and turned to face him. The couple stared at each other for a moment before Chloe burst into laughter, unable to calm herself. While he considered his girlfriend's laughter music to his alien ears, he was baffled as to why she was laughing. 'Is it me? Something on my face? She's NEVER laughed like this before! Not at me, anyway!' John sighed at his girlfriend. "What's so funny, Princess?"
After a couple more minutes, Chloe had finally calmed her musical giggling down and reached over to John's hair, plucking something from the jet-black locks. John eyed the object with a frown. "What the Hell...?" Chloe smirked at her boyfriend. "It's a cherry stem, you klutz! How the Hell did you end up with that in your beautiful hair?"
John shrugged and ran his fingers through his locks, breathing a sigh of relief when he found no more intrusive stems. "Hm, I know Dad and Clark don't like cherries, I've not been overly keen, it must have been Mom... She always eats cherries, when she was helping to free me from my electrical prison, a rogue stem must have sought refuge in my hair. Little punk."
Chloe raised an eyebrow. She was clearly worried. "Electrical prison? What happened, Prince!?" John sighed and hung his head. He knew Chloe was going to get a serious kick out of this. "Princess, I... I, um... I got tangled in the tree lights." Chloe remained silent for a moment before turning around in her seat. After another second, she opened her car door and stepped out, closing the door behind her.
John just sat in his seat, certainly not expecting this reaction from his ever-loving! He watched her as she sat on the hood of her car, saying nothing, making no reaction. After a minute of sitting in a silent car, John unfastened his seatbelt and got out, closing the door behind him before he walked to the front of the car and stood in front of Chloe, staring at her.
"Princess? What's wrong?" Chloe started shaking uncontrollably. John grabbed Chloe's arms and pulled her against his chest, trying to calm her down. After a few moments, she burst into laughter again. John released a sigh of relief and smirked when he realised Chloe was alright. She didn't stop laughing. "Come on, Chloe, it's not THAT funny!"
Chloe shook her head as she stopped laughing. "I'm sorry, John. I just couldn't picture YOU tangled in tree lights! Clark, maybe, but not you!" John kissed his girlfriend's crown and sighed. "Why couldn't you picture that happening to me?" Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, you ARE a klutz, and you're MY klutz, but are you THAT much of a klutz?"
John pulled away from Chloe for a moment and reached into his winter coat. (The cold didn't affect him, with his Kryptonian blood, but he wanted to appear more human, so no-one suspected anything.). He pulled a small photograph from his breast pocket and handed it to Chloe.
John sighed. "Clark took this with our instant camera while I was trapped. I've vowed to return the favour whenever I get the chance." Chloe grinned as she eyed the photo and walked back to her car. John mirrored her action and got in, closing the door behind him. The blonde reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet, grumbling for a moment as she studied it. John looked at his girlfriend's expression.
"What's wrong?" Chloe shook her head. "I need a bigger wallet." John plucked the accessory from his girlfriend's fingers. He rotated it in his hands and shrugged, handing it back to her. "What's wrong with it?" Chloe smirked at her boyfriend. "I need space for two photos. The photo of us, and this one!"
John's palm hit his forehead. He cringed. "Chloe, no. Seriously, no." Chloe shook her head and placed the new photo in her bag. "You can't stop me. You know you can't and you know that you won't. Don't you think it's cute?" John tilted his head to one side. "Well, I guess, but..." Chloe stared at her boyfriend, her smirk still on her lips. "But...?" John sighed. "I can't even remember what I was going to say. I think we both need caffeine. You know I love you, right?"
Chloe grinned and nodded. "So what if I do?" John leaned over and kissed his girlfriend. "Nothing. Just..." Chloe returned the kiss. "Yeah?" John blushed. "Thank you for coming into my life. I don't think I've ever been happier." Chloe merely grinned. "Right back at you, Farm Boy."
John smirked. "Coffee, Princess?"
Chloe mirrored the smirk and the pair fastened their seatbelts, the former igniting the engine of her hatchback.
"Coffee, Prince."
End Of Chapter Twenty-Six
