"Blow the Candles Out"
A Smallville story by Xica
Characters: Clark, Chloe, Pete, Lana, Lex, and Mari
Disclaimer: The only character I own is Mari, everything else belongs to some very rich men who don't understand that the Chlark is what makes the Smallville world go round. Enjoy
***** To those who first read this story when it was entitled "Birthday" this is pretty much the same story. There were just some issues with the characters (namely my "Mary Sue" original character) that I felt needed changing. And I'd always intended on changing the title. I haven't changed any plot points and I am feverishly working to finish the fourth chapter. I hope you continue to like the story, and as always please read and review.
"I think I'm ready for a break now Clark" Chloe huffed, wiping a small bead of sweat from her brow.
"Already?" Clark asked.
"Definitely. Unlike you Mr. Kent I am wearing heels and since they aren't my normal footwear of choice I'd like to take a breather before my toes stage a revolt".
"Has anyone ever told you that you use too many words to make a simple statement?"
"Has anyone ever told you that I've got a mean right hook?"
"Ooh feisty. I like it" Clark grinned wickedly as he led Chloe off of the 'dance floor'. "Where to?" he asked.
"I dunno" Chloe replied surveying the increasingly crowded room.
"Why don't we try the kitchen? I'm starving".
"You're always starving" Chloe replied, patting Clark lightly on the stomach.
Clark grinned, trying to ignore the sensation that Chloe's touch was sending to all the right places. He grabbed her hand and pulled her so that she was in front, and guided them both through the crowd.
Chloe pushed open the door and saw that that the room was practically deserted with the exception of a girl on her cell phone convincing her friends that 'everyone' was at this party, and a couple making use of the breakfast nook. Clark immediately grabbed a bowl of tortilla chips and started munching away.
"Hey can I get some of that?" Chloe asked, hopping up on the counter top to have a seat.
"You mean the chips… or something else?" Clark asked, grinning devilishly.
"Chips now" Chloe said, "everything else…later".
Clark grinned and handed Chloe the bowl, which she promptly set in her lap. They sat quietly for a while and Chloe marveled at how comfortable this felt. It was like old times with Clark, but then there was something more. Something unnamed that just made what they were doing exciting.
Chloe reached behind her and found a jar of salsa. Clark couldn't help staring as she dipped brought the chip to her lips and closed her eyes, savoring the favor. He almost lost it when she licked her fingers. Did she know what type of effect she was having on him? He'd always known that Chloe was special, but it had taken him longer to realize that she was very special to him. He supposed that it was a simple case of taking her for granted but he would be forever grateful that he realized how he felt about her before he lost her. He almost felt like apologizing to Chloe for being so stupid about his feelings and putting her through so much.
"A penny for your thoughts" Chloe said quietly, her gaze fixed on him.
" I was just…" Clark started, but he didn't know how to finish.
"You were just what?"
"I was just…" Clark paused, deciding that there was no time like the present, "I was just wondering how it would feel to kiss you".
For a moment Chloe almost laughed, thinking that Clark had to be joking. But one look at the serious expression on Clark's face told her she was dead wrong. Chloe froze. As well as things had been going tonight she hadn't expected this. She knew that she wanted to kiss Clark; she'd be betraying every fantasy she'd had for the past three years if she said anything to the contrary. But she kind of liked where they were at the moment. The not-so-subtle flirting and bubbling sexual tension were starting to grow on her.
Sensing her apprehension Clark stepped back, "I'm, I'm sorry Chloe I didn't mean to –".
"No Clark, its not your fault", she interrupted, seeing the pain in his eyes. Chloe felt like an idiot. She wanted Clark more than anything in this world, why was she denying herself?
"You just kind of caught me off guard", she said, hoping she hadn't completely killed the mood.
"Oh" Clark said quietly, he managed a wan smile but didn't get any closer to her.
"Clark" Chloe said sliding off of the counter and going towards him, "I'm sorry for getting all 'deep thoughts' on you. It's just that the last few years have been so hard and I guess I'm just not used to getting everything I want. Especially not all at once" she said in a rush, her eyes not daring to meet his.
"I suppose I'm to blame for some of that" Clark said sheepishly and Chloe didn't disagree.
"So what do we do now?" Chloe asked after a long silence.
Clark considered it, "Well I'd still like to know" he said finally.
"Like to know what?"
"What it would be like to kiss you".
Chloe smiled, "Well who am I to deny an endeavor with such obvious relevance and importance?"
"Too many words Chloe".
"Just shut up and kiss me".
"Well when you put it like that", Clark mumbled before bringing his lips to Chloe's.
As Clark's lips met her own Chloe mentally took back every bad thing she'd ever said about sappy romance novels for she was indeed feeling all the "fireworks" that they promised. Her heart was racing, her knees felt weak and she felt like spontaneously combusting, but she didn't mind in the least. Clark teased open her lips and gently eased his tongue inside her mouth and Chloe concluded that Clark had the best mouth on planet earth. But all good things come to an end and Chloe found herself needing a pesky thing called air.
Chloe reluctantly pulled away from Clark and couldn't suppress a giggle.
"What are you laughing at", Clark asked pulling her close again.
"You".
"What about me?"
"Well, you're cute when you're all hot and bothered".
"I could say the same about you".
"So was your fact finding mission satisfactory?" Chloe asked.
"Actually it was inconclusive. I think more research is definitely in order".
"Mmm, I definitely see your point there" Chloe was interrupted as a group of girls rushed into the room consoling a girl who was crying uncontrollably, "but maybe we could go somewhere a little less…public".
"Great idea, research this delicate deserves necessitates the utmost discretion".
"Now who's wordy?"
"Nevermind that, where should we go?"
Chloe pondered the thought, deducing that all of the spare bedrooms were most likely occupied by now. She was just about to give up when Clark brightened.
"I've got the perfect place". Clark said, "Back when we were kids Mari started playing the violin. Well she was so bad that her parents made her a sound proof room to practice in".
"Well that'd be super Clark, but that's in Metropolis".
"Chloe, I'm not stupid. But Mari said that she was going to have a part of the basement soundproofed because she likes to hide out down there".
"You think she did it already?"
"There's only one way to find out".
After pouring what was definitely the last drink of the evening Pete wandered around the party. There were more people here than he had ever imagined there would be but for some reason he felt alone. Sure, he knew pretty much everyone here but all of his close friends had gone missing. He'd caught sight of Clark leading Chloe out of the kitchen but there had been too many people in the way for him to see where they went. And he had a feeling that wherever they went, he'd be a little less than welcome to join them. He'd lost track of Lana pretty soon after she got there and he really had no idea where Mari had gone off to. The last disappearance was the one that bothered him the most.
He'd been pretty good friends with Mari ever since she moved to Smallville. Clark's mother had been a friend of Mari's mother, and so it had fallen on Clark to make sure she fit in. At the beginning he hadn't wanted to be bothered. On first glance Mari was demanding, moody, and just your basic spoiled brat. But underneath all that was a girl that Pete had begun to fall for. He'd come this close to making a move tons of times but something (usually meteor related) usually got in the way. And to add insult to injury, she seemed to have some kind of fixation on Lex Luthor. Pete knew that they had met in Metropolis years ago, but he honestly couldn't understand what the deal was with them.
"Pete, are you okay?"
Pete snapped back to attention and found Erica Fox, his date for last years' formal, standing in front of him.
"Yeah I'm cool. I guess I just blanked out for a minute there" Pete recovered, smiling at the pretty brunette.
"Um okay. You wanna dance or something?" she asked casually.
"Um…" Pete hesitated. He really wanted to go look for Mari, but on the other hand Erica was looking mighty fine tonight. "Sure" Pete finally answered. What harm could it do? He'd dance with Erica for a song or two and then go look for Mari. What's the worst that could happen?
Meanwhile in a dimly lit room upstairs…
Mari stared at Lex for what seemed like an eternity trying to remember how to speak English. Luckily Lex broke the silence for her.
"I didn't mean to intrude on your personal space" Lex said casually, "but the party downstairs is a little out of my element".
"No, no problem" Mari stammered out as Lex started to stand. She wanted to tell him not to bother. She'd do anything necessary to keep him on her bed for as long as possible.
"Don't!" Mari practically shouted, the words coming out more forceful than she'd intended. "I mean you don't have to rush away on my account".
"Well good, I wasn't necessarily looking forward to heading back to the mansion anyway", Lex said leaning back against Mari's headboard. "Why are you up here though? You have a house full of people".
"I'm not running away from the party, I just needed a breather".
"You needed somewhere to hide".
"What's the difference?"
"Could be nothing, could be lots of things. Are you going to stand there all night?"
Mari became of the fact that she was still standing by the door, her hand fixed on the knob.
"I promise I don't bite, you don't need to be able to have a quick escape".
Blushing furiously Mari quickly crossed the room and perched herself on the edge of the bed, facing Lex.
"Am I making you nervous?" Lex asked smoothly.
"Well Lex, it's not everyday I come up to my room and find a billionaire lounging on my duvet".
"Point well taken" Lex said.
"But" Mari said, screwing up her courage, "I can't say that it's been an altogether unpleasant experience".
Lex actually had the decency to look surprised. "Why Ms. Wesley, I do believe you are trying to seduce me".
"Me? Seduce you? Who was lounging in whose bed?" Mari scoffed. "You did everything but light candles and put on Barry White".
"Well I'll have to keep your tastes in mind the next time I set the scene", Lex said his eyes locked intently on Mari's.
"You do that " Mari replied her voice practically a whisper. Before she knew what she was doing Mari crawled slowly across her bed. Lex watched, his face betraying no emotion.
Within seconds Mari was kneeling in front of him, unsure of how to proceed.
"Well this is quite the situation we've gotten ourselves into Mari" Lex said.
"Why whatever do you mean Lex?"
"Well if anyone was to walk in right now-"
"What makes you think that anyone would walk in?"
"Well there is a house full of people".
"True, but I think they might be otherwise engaged and besides why would any of them come in here".
"Well I did".
"But that was no accident".
Lex was silent then and Mira was stunned. She had expected him to challenge that statement because she didn't really have anything to back it up.
"Why did you come up here Lex?"
Lex sighed deeply and sat up, scooting towards Mari. "Sometimes" he said his face inches from hers, "we all just need a good place to hide".
Having failed in an attempt to find an empty bedroom Lana settled for a bathroom. She'd taken as seat at the large vanity table and had spent the last half hour silently staring at her reflection in the mirror. It had been a long time since she had really taken the time to evaluate herself. The last couple of years had been difficult to say the least. And as it were things looked to be getting stranger.
Lana sighed as she remembered how Clark and Chloe had looked together. They looked happy and in some ways made for each other. She hated to admit it but she would give anything to be in Chloe Sullivan's place right now. Lana flipped off the light switch and stood, deciding to return to the party, for better or for worse. She blinked rapidly her vision blurred by little round balls of light. Shaking her head she reached for the first door she saw and pulled it open slowly. As her vision slowly cleared Lana couldn't believe what she was seeing. She'd walked in on a few couples feverishly making out tonight but this was without a doubt the strangest pairing she'd viewed all night.
Making sure that she hadn't been seen Lana pushed to door closed and had to work hard to stifle a giggle. Lex Luthor and Mari Wesley making out like rabbits was the most entertaining thing she had seen all night. Composing herself Lana decided that all wasn't lost. If Mari could land Lex Luthor she definitely still had a chance with Clark Kent.