Chloe shut her locker with a bang, trying to vent her emotions away from
Lex and his offer, which was now seeming all the more sensible and
tempting.
What did she need school for?
She was a clever girl, and it wasn't as though she couldn't get a job later in life, especially with Lex's help. Plus, she loved Lex, and he loved her. It made sense to make it easier for them to spend more time together.
But her friends---
Her eyes were blurry from conflicting emotional desires, and she choked back a sob as she pushed her way through the students milling about between classes.
The last thing she wanted was the concerned, caring looks from her friends, pity obvious in everything they did. She needed a coffee to calm herself, was all.
She pushed harder, hoping to get to the cafeteria before a total breakdown overtook her.
A brick wall of flesh and flannel loomed in front of her, but in her state it took her a moment to realise she wasn't moving.
Without looking up, she mumbled a shaky "Sorry," and moved to hurry along.
"Chloe?"
It was Clark's gentle voice, soaked with genuine concern. Tears brimmed, again.
Damn him, the one she'd have done basically anything for to get some attention. Of course, that was before Lex.
Even now, however, his inability to hide his simple emotions really got to her, and she couldn't bring herself to shake off the carefully judged, gentle yet firm grip he had on her shoulders.
"Don't, Clark."
She mouthed the words, but her voice missed the cue.
Her determination crumbled, seemingly never to be found again, and she let herself go.
It was almost as though she watched from outside as her body slumped into Clark's never-wavering, strong arms.
"Chloe?" he despaired, gently tapping her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered, but she simply had no oomph anymore. The Chloe spark was drifting, it was obvious.
With minimal effort, he gathered her up into his arms, making sure none of her belongings dropped.
An unnatural grace and speed for while carrying a dead weight preceded him, and they were in the cafeteria before it seemed any time had passed.
"I know what you need, Chloe" Clark said, gently placing her in a supported position on a corner bench. "I'll be back before you know it, okay?" he assured her. "Just try and stay with us.please."
Her heart flipped at the simple and outright love in his voice, but she remained watching from without.
As he'd promised, Clark was back barely before she'd noticed his absence.
A pot of magical brew was in his hand, and a styrofoam cup in the other. The cup he supported against the table and from the pot, he poured. Steam billowed up, and Chloe found herself wishing she could smell its deliciousness.
With measured delicacy, Clark propped her jaw open, and poured the caffeinated wonder in. A/N: I would really like to say right now, that Clark would be failing miserably in basic first aid training right now, as Chloe is unconscious, and he hasn't even bothered to see if she's breathing or has a pulse. Plus, he's left her alone, something you should never do. Even with super-speed, what if she'd fallen, cracked her skull, shifted in position so if she had been breathing she would've stopped, or woken up and was disturbed by her change in position? Secondly (or whatever point this is up to), he's pouring possibly piping-hot coffee down her throat. That's HOT coffee with a big 'h'. Check the temperature, Clarky. Sure, it's going to all end out okay here, coz it's a story, but (if she had been breathing) there goes her airway. She would choke, and most likely suffocate, unless Clark gave her EAR which he would probably shit up, being the incompetent little farmboy that he is. No offence. Okay, well that does my little rant. I know, it's stupid, especially criticising a character's actions that I've just written, but basically what I want to get across is: Superman isn't perfect, and don't try this at home, no matter how much of a coffee addict the unconscious person may or may not be. Thankyou. Now I can't get sued. Chloe spluttered, coming back to life, and spraying half the coffee everywhere.
(A/N: see? I told you she'd choke. Now, if this were real life.shutting up)
"Clark?" she managed weakly.
"Don't worry Chlo," he reassured, refilling the cup, and offering it to her. He watched her drink gratefully. "I'm here for you."
The pathetic little cup being totally worthless for providing any kind of realistic caffeine hit, Chloe tossed it over her shoulder, hitting an innocent passer-by student smack in the head. He looked around in confusion, then continued on his way.
Chloe reached for the pot with both hands, bringing it to her mouth and taking long, desperate pulls at the coffee.
Clark grinned. "Take it easy," he admonished jokingly, glad to see her back to normal.
(A/N: yes, that was an ironic reference to the word 'normal' there)
With only his super-patience pulling him through, he watched her empty the pot and inspect it to ensure no dregs had gone unnoticed.
Finally, she was done, and staring balefully at the counter, hoping that the cafeteria ladies had suddenly developed generosity and a perception to telepathy overnight.
"Chloe," Clark prodded her out of her trance.
Chloe sighed inwardly. No such luck with the cafeteria ladies.
Now came the hard stuff, the questions, and the pity bound to follow her honest answers.
Honest? But of course. How could anyone possibly think Chloe could bullshit her way when those eyes were boring some kind of supervision through her? I mean, sometimes she just felt he could see right through her.
(A/N: Heheheh, seeing right through her, geddit? X-ray vision, geddit? Heheheh.)
It was those blue eyes. He had such beautiful blue eyes. She was a sucker for them. Lex had beautiful blue eyes, too.
"Can you tell me what upset you so much? Please, Chloe. You know I can't stand anything to hurt you, and this may just be me, but a near-on complete emotional collapse says you've been really hurt to me."
Chloe shook her head. She didn't want the pity, while her heart ripped at her chest for her to tell him.
Somebody had to know.
Clark tried a different tack. With a cheeky grin, he began again. "Chloe, tell me, so I can kill whoever it was."
Chloe couldn't help but giggle at that one. The picture of Clark suddenly turning against one of his few and closest friends filled her head.
"There we go." Clark softened at her smile, and adjusted her hair out of her eyes, a smile more of relief now on his face.
Chloe sniffed a little and composed herself. This was going to be hard.
"Clark, it's like this."
"I'm all ears, Chlo," he said, turning on the bench to close her in and face her as best he could, folding his long body.interestingly. beneath the table to achieve this.
"Well, you know how I've spent so much time with Lex, er, helping him with - business,"
Clark nodded. He, along with her other friends, suspected a little more was going on in these frequent appointments, but now was not at all the time to pursue that.
"He made a.He wanted me to.He asked me if I."
"He asked you to do something you weren't comfortable with?" Clark supplied the words she, for once, had trouble forming.
'That sums it up nicely,' Chloe thought.
"Yes. That's it." She laughed at herself. "Stupid, isn't it?"
She looked up into Clark's eyes, a wry smile on her face. Clark's eyes were dead serious.
"It's not at all stupid," he said slowly, shaking his head, and in earnest. He took her hand and held it, keeping full eye contact as he spoke. "Chloe.What did L - He - ask you to do?"
She made no move to respond, thinking to herself, 'Ohmigod, he thinks Lex has done something worse!! Far worse!!'
Clark continued. "If not me, maybe Lana, or.I don't know, someone you feel comfortable with. And then, if you don't feel up to it, they can report him for you. Chloe, you can maintain full anonymity if you want. Keep yourself safe, all the meanwhile suing the pants off him."
Chloe's mind envisioned that last scenario ruefully. Clark obviously hadn't grasped the full irony in what he'd said. And where did all these big words and law comprehension come from?
What did she need school for?
She was a clever girl, and it wasn't as though she couldn't get a job later in life, especially with Lex's help. Plus, she loved Lex, and he loved her. It made sense to make it easier for them to spend more time together.
But her friends---
Her eyes were blurry from conflicting emotional desires, and she choked back a sob as she pushed her way through the students milling about between classes.
The last thing she wanted was the concerned, caring looks from her friends, pity obvious in everything they did. She needed a coffee to calm herself, was all.
She pushed harder, hoping to get to the cafeteria before a total breakdown overtook her.
A brick wall of flesh and flannel loomed in front of her, but in her state it took her a moment to realise she wasn't moving.
Without looking up, she mumbled a shaky "Sorry," and moved to hurry along.
"Chloe?"
It was Clark's gentle voice, soaked with genuine concern. Tears brimmed, again.
Damn him, the one she'd have done basically anything for to get some attention. Of course, that was before Lex.
Even now, however, his inability to hide his simple emotions really got to her, and she couldn't bring herself to shake off the carefully judged, gentle yet firm grip he had on her shoulders.
"Don't, Clark."
She mouthed the words, but her voice missed the cue.
Her determination crumbled, seemingly never to be found again, and she let herself go.
It was almost as though she watched from outside as her body slumped into Clark's never-wavering, strong arms.
"Chloe?" he despaired, gently tapping her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered, but she simply had no oomph anymore. The Chloe spark was drifting, it was obvious.
With minimal effort, he gathered her up into his arms, making sure none of her belongings dropped.
An unnatural grace and speed for while carrying a dead weight preceded him, and they were in the cafeteria before it seemed any time had passed.
"I know what you need, Chloe" Clark said, gently placing her in a supported position on a corner bench. "I'll be back before you know it, okay?" he assured her. "Just try and stay with us.please."
Her heart flipped at the simple and outright love in his voice, but she remained watching from without.
As he'd promised, Clark was back barely before she'd noticed his absence.
A pot of magical brew was in his hand, and a styrofoam cup in the other. The cup he supported against the table and from the pot, he poured. Steam billowed up, and Chloe found herself wishing she could smell its deliciousness.
With measured delicacy, Clark propped her jaw open, and poured the caffeinated wonder in. A/N: I would really like to say right now, that Clark would be failing miserably in basic first aid training right now, as Chloe is unconscious, and he hasn't even bothered to see if she's breathing or has a pulse. Plus, he's left her alone, something you should never do. Even with super-speed, what if she'd fallen, cracked her skull, shifted in position so if she had been breathing she would've stopped, or woken up and was disturbed by her change in position? Secondly (or whatever point this is up to), he's pouring possibly piping-hot coffee down her throat. That's HOT coffee with a big 'h'. Check the temperature, Clarky. Sure, it's going to all end out okay here, coz it's a story, but (if she had been breathing) there goes her airway. She would choke, and most likely suffocate, unless Clark gave her EAR which he would probably shit up, being the incompetent little farmboy that he is. No offence. Okay, well that does my little rant. I know, it's stupid, especially criticising a character's actions that I've just written, but basically what I want to get across is: Superman isn't perfect, and don't try this at home, no matter how much of a coffee addict the unconscious person may or may not be. Thankyou. Now I can't get sued. Chloe spluttered, coming back to life, and spraying half the coffee everywhere.
(A/N: see? I told you she'd choke. Now, if this were real life.shutting up)
"Clark?" she managed weakly.
"Don't worry Chlo," he reassured, refilling the cup, and offering it to her. He watched her drink gratefully. "I'm here for you."
The pathetic little cup being totally worthless for providing any kind of realistic caffeine hit, Chloe tossed it over her shoulder, hitting an innocent passer-by student smack in the head. He looked around in confusion, then continued on his way.
Chloe reached for the pot with both hands, bringing it to her mouth and taking long, desperate pulls at the coffee.
Clark grinned. "Take it easy," he admonished jokingly, glad to see her back to normal.
(A/N: yes, that was an ironic reference to the word 'normal' there)
With only his super-patience pulling him through, he watched her empty the pot and inspect it to ensure no dregs had gone unnoticed.
Finally, she was done, and staring balefully at the counter, hoping that the cafeteria ladies had suddenly developed generosity and a perception to telepathy overnight.
"Chloe," Clark prodded her out of her trance.
Chloe sighed inwardly. No such luck with the cafeteria ladies.
Now came the hard stuff, the questions, and the pity bound to follow her honest answers.
Honest? But of course. How could anyone possibly think Chloe could bullshit her way when those eyes were boring some kind of supervision through her? I mean, sometimes she just felt he could see right through her.
(A/N: Heheheh, seeing right through her, geddit? X-ray vision, geddit? Heheheh.)
It was those blue eyes. He had such beautiful blue eyes. She was a sucker for them. Lex had beautiful blue eyes, too.
"Can you tell me what upset you so much? Please, Chloe. You know I can't stand anything to hurt you, and this may just be me, but a near-on complete emotional collapse says you've been really hurt to me."
Chloe shook her head. She didn't want the pity, while her heart ripped at her chest for her to tell him.
Somebody had to know.
Clark tried a different tack. With a cheeky grin, he began again. "Chloe, tell me, so I can kill whoever it was."
Chloe couldn't help but giggle at that one. The picture of Clark suddenly turning against one of his few and closest friends filled her head.
"There we go." Clark softened at her smile, and adjusted her hair out of her eyes, a smile more of relief now on his face.
Chloe sniffed a little and composed herself. This was going to be hard.
"Clark, it's like this."
"I'm all ears, Chlo," he said, turning on the bench to close her in and face her as best he could, folding his long body.interestingly. beneath the table to achieve this.
"Well, you know how I've spent so much time with Lex, er, helping him with - business,"
Clark nodded. He, along with her other friends, suspected a little more was going on in these frequent appointments, but now was not at all the time to pursue that.
"He made a.He wanted me to.He asked me if I."
"He asked you to do something you weren't comfortable with?" Clark supplied the words she, for once, had trouble forming.
'That sums it up nicely,' Chloe thought.
"Yes. That's it." She laughed at herself. "Stupid, isn't it?"
She looked up into Clark's eyes, a wry smile on her face. Clark's eyes were dead serious.
"It's not at all stupid," he said slowly, shaking his head, and in earnest. He took her hand and held it, keeping full eye contact as he spoke. "Chloe.What did L - He - ask you to do?"
She made no move to respond, thinking to herself, 'Ohmigod, he thinks Lex has done something worse!! Far worse!!'
Clark continued. "If not me, maybe Lana, or.I don't know, someone you feel comfortable with. And then, if you don't feel up to it, they can report him for you. Chloe, you can maintain full anonymity if you want. Keep yourself safe, all the meanwhile suing the pants off him."
Chloe's mind envisioned that last scenario ruefully. Clark obviously hadn't grasped the full irony in what he'd said. And where did all these big words and law comprehension come from?