A/N - Yeah... I promised things would be a little riled up in this chapter but it kinda got away from me. I'm sorry!! g Hope you like it anyway, and I endeavour to bring you a little more angst soon... hug
Chapter Six
Clark blearily opened his eyes to the piercing sunlight streaming through the small gap in his curtains. He had forgotten to close them properly in all the excitement of the night before; smiling to himself he looked down at the sleeping body in his arms. Ashley was curled up into the side of his body, she fit there as if she had been missing from him all along; he watched her body rise and fall with every soft, shallow breath. She seemed so small and helpless just lying there and he stroked her hair gently until she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him, smiling broadly. She never thought in a million years that she would ever wake up in Clark Kent's arms; she kissed his shoulder tenderly and yawned. He smiled down at her, not really knowing what to say but knowing that it didn't really matter.
"How am I gonna get out of here without your parents seeing?" asked Ashley, Clark laughed a little and looked at his bedroom door. Nobody had been knocking on it and forcing him out of bed yet so he assumed they still had time; he glanced at the clock on his bedside table. A little after six o'clock; he wondered how much sleep they had actually got last night. "Shall I climb out of the window like in a bad teen movie?"
"No, we've got time but you need to go now," he whispered, she nodded and slipped out of his bed. His eyes were fixed on her naked body; she felt brazen and was shocked at how much she enjoyed that feeling; she smiled to herself as she pulled on her skirt and t-shirt quickly. Clark had quickly pulled on a t-shirt and his boxer shorts and was now checking the hallway for any sign of life. He grabbed her hand and silently, they ran down the staircase together before he quickly kissed her at the front door and she ran across the field. He watched as she disappeared amidst the green and laughed quietly to himself, closing the door behind him as he stepped into the kitchen.
"What were you looking at?" asked Jonathon as he walked down the stairs in his dressing gown. Clark jumped at the intrusion but soon calmed down, hoping his father wouldn't see through his lies immediately.
"I thought I heard something out in the yard," he said as he filled the kettle with water. "There wasn't anything there though," Jonathon nodded and grabbed the coffee from the cupboard, Clark breathed a sigh of relief and the Kents went about their traditional Sunday morning rituals.
Clark didn't say a word throughout his morning chores and he was so pre-occupied that everything was finished by mid-day. He had time for a quick shower before Ashley arrived to join them for Sunday lunch; he smiled at the memory of last night and wondered if he would ever think about it without smiling. As he washed off the dirt and grime of the farm, he hoped his parents liked Ashley and that his mother would finally stop harping on at him about Chloe. Chloe. Thinking of her reminded him of Ashley's powers; he really had to bring himself to talk to her about them at some point. He would have to confront her today, after lunch, maybe she had no idea what she was doing. The weather was directly connected to her emotions and judging from the sunshine of the morning, Ashley was still on a high from the night before. Clark grinned to himself again at the thought of it. They were both on a high from the night before.
He practically jumped down the staircase at the sound of knocking and sure enough, Ashley was stood there looking stunning as ever. He didn't think he would ever be so pleased to see anyone before, he ushered her inside and closed the door behind them, leading her into the kitchen so he could introduce her to his parents. She shook both their hands politely and smiled as Clark introduced her.
"Nice to meet you, Ashley," smiled Martha, wiping her hands down on her apron before accepting Ashley's outstretched hand. "Clark has told us so much about you lately,"
"All good things I hope," she smiled and Martha nodded with a grin before returning to the stove. Jonathon was as cool and casual as Clark had warned her he would be and after the introductions were made, Clark announced they were heading up to the barn until lunch was ready. They ran up to the loft like two teenagers in love and Ashley supposed that was exactly what they were; she felt like she was living in a musical. The sun was shining, she had a boyfriend who she loved more than anything and so long after her nightmares had started, they were now dissipating into the warm afternoon air.
"I wanted to talk to you about something," said Clark, sitting Ashley down on the old red sofa while he sat opposite on the edge of the coffee table. "Have you noticed anything weird around here lately?"
"We live in Smallville, this whole place is weird. What are you talking about?"
"Well, it's just that Chloe and I have noticed the weather acting a little haywire lately and somehow, it seems to be reflecting your moods," babbled Clark, knowing that he sounded like a raving lunatic. "I know it sounds crazy but we think it's something to do with the accident and those glowing rocks you found,"
"So you and Chloe think the weather is connected to me? How did you come to that conclusion?" laughed Ashley. "I think you've finally lost it, Clark," She stopped laughing though when she saw the look on Clark's face, the seriousness etched on his brow.
"Okay, think about yesterday when you were upset about Lana at the Torch; it started raining as soon as you started to cry. It just came out of nowhere and today, you're happy and the sun is shining. The weather forecast has been off for weeks and the meteorologists have no idea why but I think it's you," said Clark, Ashley frowned, her eyes filled with doubt and confusion as she looked out of the open window. "It doesn't mean anything; you've just become one of the Smallville elite,"
"God, Chloe's going to put me on the wall, isn't she?" she sighed; Clark shook his head and smiled, squeezing her knee gently. They sat silently for a while, Clark's comforting hand stroking Ashley's leg continuously. "How does it feel to be dating a freak who controls the weather with her temper?"
"Shut up," said Clark, shoving her gently. "You're not a freak, you're just special," Ashley pulled a face of mock disgust and pretended to throw up, Clark's eyes widened and he slapped her lightly across the thigh. She laughed out loud and pulled him from the table to the sofa; Ashley threw her arms around him and kissed him fully on the mouth. He kissed her back, still a little off-kilter by her reaction to the news, he had somehow pictured a freak hurricane as her emotions spiralled out of control, but he soon forgot about it. He wanted to devour her as memories from the night before flooded his mind, if they hadn't been interrupted, he wasn't sure if he would be able to stop touching her.
"Clark, lunch is ready," called Martha from the open barn door. He sighed heavily and jumped from the sofa, holding out his hand for Ashley to join him and together, they walked across the yard and into the kitchen.
The four of them sat and ate their lunch together, Martha and Ashley making polite conversation about cooking and Ashley's parents while Jonathon and Clark discussed the farm and the work that needed to be done. Every so often, Clark would reach his foot out under the table and touch Ashley's, she would smile and continue talking, not even turning to look at him. Ashley had never felt so comfortable, so accepted. The Kents reminded her of her own parents, kind and generous and unquestioning. They were nearing the end of their meal when Martha finally brought up the subject Clark had hoped she would avoid.
"So, are things getting back to normal for you?" she smiled, pouring coffee out for everyone. "Clark tells me that you've been trying to catch up on all the school you missed while you were in hospital,"
"It's harder than I thought it would be but I'm getting there," said Ashley, smiling across at Clark. "Clark's been helping me out so much too, he'd make a great teacher one day," Clark grinned at her, she looked so beautiful today, almost radiant. He was overwhelmed by just how much he felt for her, it felt too early to be falling for her but there was something about her that screamed out to him. He wondered if it was obvious to his parents, if they approved of her as much as they did of Lana or Chloe. Lana. He hadn't thought of Lana as the great love of his life in a long time but he knew, deep down, he would always love her in some way. She meant so much to him; he couldn't ignore that fact now that he had a girlfriend. He didn't want to ignore that fact, his feelings for Lana were a constant and he relied on them. He needed them. He just had to make sure that if he and Ashley were going to last, that she understood how important Lana was to him.