1. Chapter 6
"Hey, Clark," Chloe said walking up beside him on her way home from school.
"Hey, Chlo," Clark replied throwing his arm around her shoulders. "I was hoping I'd see you."
"You were?" Chloe asked flashing her trademark smile. "Whatever for?"
Clark laughed and tightened his arm on her shoulders. "To see if you would come home with me and have dinner and maybe watch a movie."
"Mmm. Mrs. Kent's cooking. Wouldn't miss it for the world," Chloe said wrapping her arm around Clark's waist. "Oh, and it won't be so bad to be with you, either."
Clark pretended to be hurt and used his free hand to tickle Chloe's ribs. The walk home was over for too quickly to please either Chloe or Clark. They were greeted by the smell of fresh-baked cookies and Mrs. Kent's warm smile.
"Chloe, what a nice surprise. You don't come over often enough anymore," Martha said eyeing Clark.
Chloe had to stop herself from laughing. "We'll just have to fix that, won't we Clark?" Chloe teased elbowing him in the ribs.
"You two go up to Clark's room and I'll call you down for a snack in a minute," Martha said shooing them up the stairs.
"Thanks, mom," Clark replied kissing her on the cheek before leading Chloe up the stairs.
When they had gotten into Clark's room Chloe turned to him. "Do you mind if I use your telescope?" Chloe asked, her eyes twinkling.
"No, why?" Clark asked.
"I want to see if Lana's home," she answered laughing at her own joke.
"I'll give you something to laugh about," Clark said picking her up, throwing her on the bed, and tickling her until she cried.
"I give up, I give up," Chloe said trying to catch her breath.
"Me too," said Clark laying back on the bed.
Chloe laid back and put her head on his shoulder. I love him so much! she thought as he brushed his fingers through her hair.
"Clark?"
"Hmm?"
"What are you thinking about?" Chloe asked.
Clark laughed. "How soft your hair is."
"Don't laugh," Chloe said turning onto her stomach and propping herself up on her elbows so she could see Clark's face. "I'm serious."
"Well, it is soft," Clark said toying with her hair again. "But I was also thinking about how happy I am right now.
Chloe smiled.
"Clark! Chloe!" Martha yelled from the kitchen.
"Cookies await," Chloe said winking at Clark.
"You two sounded like you were having a lot of fun up there," Martha said as the teenagers entered her kitchen.
"Clark was attacking me," Chloe said with a laugh.
"Well, there is milk and cookies on the table. I am fixing a pot roast for dinner and you are more than welcome to stay, Chloe."
"That sounds great, Mrs. Kent. I just need to call my dad so he won't worry," Chloe said grabbing the phone and leaving the room.
When Martha thought Chloe was a safe distance away she turned to Clark. "Why doesn't Chloe come over anymore?"
"I guess I've just been too preoccupied with Lana lately," Clark replied.
"Maybe you should change that Clark," Martha said pushing a lock of his hair behind his ear.
"What do you mean, Mom?" Clark asked.
"My dad said to tell you hi and thank you for letting me stay," Chloe relayed walking back into the kitchen.
"Anytime, sweetie," Martha said sincerely, "Now eat those cookies before they get cold."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Chloe said grinning.
Chloe found herself staring at Clark more than once while they were eating. What surprised her was that he was also staring at her. When they had finished he took her hand and led her to the barn.
"Close your eyes, I have a surprise," Clark told Chloe.
He made sure her eyes were closed, and then picked her up in his muscular arms. She squealed.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I don't trust you to walk up the stairs with your eyes closed," he answered with a laugh.
He carried her up the stairs and into his loft. He set her down and she frowned, not yet ready to let go of him. Chloe opened her eyes to find hundreds of glowing stars covering the walls and ceiling of Clark's 'fortress of solitude.'
"It's beautiful," she whispered in awe.
"I thought you'd like it."
"How long did it take you?"
Her question caused him to wince. To answer required a lie. He couldn't tell her it took all of two minutes! He hated having secrets from Chloe, but maybe that would change soon.
"That doesn't matter," Clark answered, "All that matters is that you like it."
"Does Lana like it?" she asked slowly, a look of pain in her eyes.
That question caused Clark to wince again. He walked over to Chloe and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "I don't know. She wasn't invited to look," Clark answered coaxing a small smile from Chloe.
"Good," was all Chloe said as she reciprocated the hug.
54. * * * * * * * * * * * * *
55. Lex found himself thinking about Lana frequently. He wondered what would happen next. He hated not being in control, but there was nothing he could do about it. Lex didn't like trusting people. Trust always ended in pain. But, there was just something about Lana. She cared so much about everything and everyone. It was refreshing. He couldn't remember his affection switching from the blond to the brunette, but at this point he didn't really care.
"Hey, Clark," Chloe said walking up beside him on her way home from school.
"Hey, Chlo," Clark replied throwing his arm around her shoulders. "I was hoping I'd see you."
"You were?" Chloe asked flashing her trademark smile. "Whatever for?"
Clark laughed and tightened his arm on her shoulders. "To see if you would come home with me and have dinner and maybe watch a movie."
"Mmm. Mrs. Kent's cooking. Wouldn't miss it for the world," Chloe said wrapping her arm around Clark's waist. "Oh, and it won't be so bad to be with you, either."
Clark pretended to be hurt and used his free hand to tickle Chloe's ribs. The walk home was over for too quickly to please either Chloe or Clark. They were greeted by the smell of fresh-baked cookies and Mrs. Kent's warm smile.
"Chloe, what a nice surprise. You don't come over often enough anymore," Martha said eyeing Clark.
Chloe had to stop herself from laughing. "We'll just have to fix that, won't we Clark?" Chloe teased elbowing him in the ribs.
"You two go up to Clark's room and I'll call you down for a snack in a minute," Martha said shooing them up the stairs.
"Thanks, mom," Clark replied kissing her on the cheek before leading Chloe up the stairs.
When they had gotten into Clark's room Chloe turned to him. "Do you mind if I use your telescope?" Chloe asked, her eyes twinkling.
"No, why?" Clark asked.
"I want to see if Lana's home," she answered laughing at her own joke.
"I'll give you something to laugh about," Clark said picking her up, throwing her on the bed, and tickling her until she cried.
"I give up, I give up," Chloe said trying to catch her breath.
"Me too," said Clark laying back on the bed.
Chloe laid back and put her head on his shoulder. I love him so much! she thought as he brushed his fingers through her hair.
"Clark?"
"Hmm?"
"What are you thinking about?" Chloe asked.
Clark laughed. "How soft your hair is."
"Don't laugh," Chloe said turning onto her stomach and propping herself up on her elbows so she could see Clark's face. "I'm serious."
"Well, it is soft," Clark said toying with her hair again. "But I was also thinking about how happy I am right now.
Chloe smiled.
"Clark! Chloe!" Martha yelled from the kitchen.
"Cookies await," Chloe said winking at Clark.
"You two sounded like you were having a lot of fun up there," Martha said as the teenagers entered her kitchen.
"Clark was attacking me," Chloe said with a laugh.
"Well, there is milk and cookies on the table. I am fixing a pot roast for dinner and you are more than welcome to stay, Chloe."
"That sounds great, Mrs. Kent. I just need to call my dad so he won't worry," Chloe said grabbing the phone and leaving the room.
When Martha thought Chloe was a safe distance away she turned to Clark. "Why doesn't Chloe come over anymore?"
"I guess I've just been too preoccupied with Lana lately," Clark replied.
"Maybe you should change that Clark," Martha said pushing a lock of his hair behind his ear.
"What do you mean, Mom?" Clark asked.
"My dad said to tell you hi and thank you for letting me stay," Chloe relayed walking back into the kitchen.
"Anytime, sweetie," Martha said sincerely, "Now eat those cookies before they get cold."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Chloe said grinning.
Chloe found herself staring at Clark more than once while they were eating. What surprised her was that he was also staring at her. When they had finished he took her hand and led her to the barn.
"Close your eyes, I have a surprise," Clark told Chloe.
He made sure her eyes were closed, and then picked her up in his muscular arms. She squealed.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I don't trust you to walk up the stairs with your eyes closed," he answered with a laugh.
He carried her up the stairs and into his loft. He set her down and she frowned, not yet ready to let go of him. Chloe opened her eyes to find hundreds of glowing stars covering the walls and ceiling of Clark's 'fortress of solitude.'
"It's beautiful," she whispered in awe.
"I thought you'd like it."
"How long did it take you?"
Her question caused him to wince. To answer required a lie. He couldn't tell her it took all of two minutes! He hated having secrets from Chloe, but maybe that would change soon.
"That doesn't matter," Clark answered, "All that matters is that you like it."
"Does Lana like it?" she asked slowly, a look of pain in her eyes.
That question caused Clark to wince again. He walked over to Chloe and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "I don't know. She wasn't invited to look," Clark answered coaxing a small smile from Chloe.
"Good," was all Chloe said as she reciprocated the hug.
54. * * * * * * * * * * * * *
55. Lex found himself thinking about Lana frequently. He wondered what would happen next. He hated not being in control, but there was nothing he could do about it. Lex didn't like trusting people. Trust always ended in pain. But, there was just something about Lana. She cared so much about everything and everyone. It was refreshing. He couldn't remember his affection switching from the blond to the brunette, but at this point he didn't really care.