Chapter Six

Things never got awkward. He followed her up the stairs and to her bedroom. Her eyes were shy but her hands were not. He helped her undress and was surprised at how attracted he was to her body. He could have sworn after falling for Lex he would stop being interested in women, but that just wasn't how things went.

They had passionate sex as quietly as they could. Lana was surprised to find this was his first and he was surprised to find that it was not hers. Whitney and her had been closer than he thought.

He and Lana lay in bed through the early hours of the morning talking. Some about his revelations but also a lot about Lana's life, which didn't surprise him. She always had been a talker and it was another good deterance. Anything to not know what Lex was doing right this moment. Anything to not think about Lex tuning out for hot sex with the Hardwick Whore.

It was all nice until the moment the bedroom door opened and Gabe came in. Lana shrieked and Gabe shrieked and Clark tried to bury himself under the sheets. Gabe made a very polite and apologetic exit, closing the door and walking down the hall.

"Does he always just come in," whispered Clark, suddenly blushing in places he didn't know could turn that color.

"He wakes me up in the mornings that I have to get to the Talon early."

Clark heard speaking in the hall.

"Oh, my God, what do-"

He clapped his hand over Lana's mouth and listened hard.

"-was nothing, Chloe. Don't worry about it."

"Shit," muttered Clark. "Chloe."

Lana's eyes widened but she stayed quiet.

"Well, then why was everyone screaming."

"I walked in on her changing."

Clark shut his eyes and uttered a silent 'thank you' to Gabe. He knew Chloe would be crushed if... if...

Clark took his hand off of Lana's mouth, suddenly feeling a little guilty. Chloe was such a great person. "I'm gonna get home."

"You're parents-"

"Yeah, I know. They're gonna want to know where the hell I was. Listen is there anyway you can go distract Chloe?"

Lana nodded. "Sure." She jumped out of bed and threw on her underwear and a bra. Clark watched as she grabbed a jean skirt and shimmied it up her slender hips then she was out the door leaving him to get dressed and get out. He hurried listening to their conversation.

"Can I borrow a shirt?"

"You just cleaned all of yours!"

"I know, but I'm bored with them. I want something different."

"You bought like seven knew ones from The Pearl."

He grabbed his shoes and slipped them over his bare feet.

"I know, but I want something different." A pause. "And you have such a different style."

There was Chloe's soft spot. If anyone wanted anything from her all they had to do was mention her sense of style. She prided herself on that as much as being a Grade A objective journalist.

"Here, lemme find something."

Clark opened the door slowly and wanted so badly to just speed out. Gabe knew he was here, though. He peeked in Chloe's to see both girls were focused on something in the closet so he passed as quickly as possible.

Gabe was waiting for him by the back door.

Clark took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Mr. Sullivan."

"You know my stance on post-marital sex. I could care less. If my baby wanted to have sex, I understand. You are all 18 and if it had to happen I suppose I would rather her have sex here than anywhere else. That way I could know she was safe and if anything ever went wrong, Lord forbid, I would be close. I'm sure it would be different with a boy, a son, but Chloe's my little girl."

Clark took another breath, waiting.

"Lana, however, is a guest here and, as much as I see her as a close family friend, she doesn't take precidence over, Chloe."

Clark nodded. "No one does." His voice was soft but full of conviction. His parents were the same. No one came before him.

"Damn right, son. Now what you did I can understand, especially for however long you've had your heart set on that girl. Hell, I'd probably congratulate the two of you if it wasn't for the fact that you put my Chloe in danger."

Clark nodded.

"You know how my girl feels about you."

Clark looked at his feet, feeling more like shit then he ever had. The weight of just where he had done what he had done came crashing in on his shoulders. "I am so sorry, Mr Sullivan. I... I should have never came over. I didn't come here with that intention."

"That doesn't matter to me. You know I look at you like a son, but I don't appreciate you putting me in such a predicament. I don't like having to lie to my own daughter."

"I understand, sir."

"Now, please, go home before she sees you here."

Clark nodded and headed out the door. Leaving the house he paid particular attention to the soft mush of the weathered welcome mat, the groan of old but sturdy wood shifting underneath his feet, the crunch of the railroad gravel in the Sullivan's drive way. The way the sun peering up at a new day felt warm and rejuvinating, like vitamins for his soul. The way he could still smell the night jasmine in Gabe's mini-garden.

Anything but how Chloe would have felt had she walked in on them.

Lana came out the front door wearing one of Chloe's off the shoulder Bangal's tops and he realized that Chloe stopped wearing that 80's style in 7th grade. "Were you just going to walk?"

He guestured with his hand and she nodded, understanding he was going to speed when he got the chance.

"Lemme give you a ride."

"No, thanks." He paused, a little afraid. "Where is-"

"Shower."

"Last night was nice. I mean, I wish we hadn't done it here-"

Lana shoved her hands in her pockets. "I know."

"It can never happen again."

Lana nodded. "Yeah. Kind of a shame." She blushed and looked at him underneath her lashes. "You were really good."

It was his turn to blush. "Thanks. You too. Very... active."

She laughed. "Gee, thanks. Don't turn the charm up all the way there, Kent, I might melt."

"I'm not very good at-"

"I know. That's part of the reason I'm friends with you. Be careful on your way home. I'm gonna go in and get a speech."

"It's not that bad."

Lana waved and ran back into the house.

There was quiet and he headed down the road. There was a cornfield not more than a mile from here. Until then all he had to do was not think about what he was going to say next time he saw Chloe. Or his parents. Or Lex.

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