Everything blended together in a giant blur as Clark Kent ran faster then he ever had in his entire life. When he finally reached the airport he had to force himself to stop for a moment to let fresh air into his lungs. He frantically searched for the face of his beautiful best friend among the sea of people. As soon as he spotted her a wave of pure relief crashed over him. He ran to her as fast as he could, not willing to expose his powers to all of the strangers around him. Chloe handed her ticket to the stewardess and picked up her bag ready to board the plane.
"Chloe!" A familiar voice yelled out.
She turned around stunned to see Clark Kent standing a few feet away from her looking tired and out of breath. After all he was the man of steel. Clark closed the distance between himself and Chloe in one large step and once he was face to face with her he froze. All he could do was stand there and drink in her beauty.
"Clark what are you doing here?" Chloe asked snapping Clark out of his trance.
It took a minute for Clark to find his voice but when he did he answered, "Chloe you can't leave."
"Why not Clark?" She asked with a hint of sadness and anger in her voice.
"Because I love you." He replied softly.
Chloe's eyes welled up with tears but she refused to let them fall. She placed her small hand on Clark's cheek and softly kissed him.
"I love you too Clark. I always have but I am not going to be your second choice."
Her hand gracefully fell from his face and she turned her back to him and walked down the narrow corridor towards the plane never looking back. For Clark time had stopped. He stood frozen in his place not able to think, move, or breathe. The only thing he could feel was his heart being ripped in two and shattering into a million pieces.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The obnoxious chirping of Clark's alarm clock dragged him out of the horrible recurring dream (more like memory) that he had been having on and off for the past seven years. He wiped the cold sweat off of his forehead, pulled the covers off of his well-sculpted body and made his way to the bathroom. Clark splashed a handful of icy water across his face trying to wash away any memories of Chloe Sullivan but like always it was no use. He walked back into his bedroom, slipped on a shirt and looked out of the three huge glass windows at the city of Metropolis that was just beginning to stir. It was only 6:00 am so he didn't have to be at the Daily Planet for another few hours but he got dressed and decided to leave early so he could keep his mind busy. He hadn't dreamt or thought about the time Chloe Sullivan had left him for good in over a month so he figured that he was finally over her but deep down he knew that it would be impossible to forget about a girl like her. For the past seven years Clark had never stopped beating himself up for what he had done to Chloe. He had openly pined away for Lana Lang hurting Chloe in the process. When he finally came down from dreamland back to reality and realized he was in love with the amazing girl that was his best friend it was to late. She was leaving for Chicago and getting ready to start a new life that didn't involve Clark Kent. She was sick of waiting for him to realize her and she was sick of constantly being hurt. That day at the airport when Clark had told her that he loved her was the moment she had waited so patiently for but by the time it came it was to late for the both of them. Chloe told Clark that she loved him too but she was leaving not matter what and she didn't want to be with him knowing that she was his second choice after the raven-haired beauty Lana Lang. Chloe wasn't his second choice but he didn't know of a way he could prove that to her. Clark had to watch the woman he truly loved, the only other person besides Pete who knew his secret, walk out of his life forever.
Clark gulped down the last of the bland tasting coffee that he had grown so used to, in his personalized mug. He peered around the empty office appreciating the silence because in less then an hour his co-workers would be arriving. Clark fidgeted with his mug for a moment before deciding to go to the break room to refill on the flavorless caffeine that got him through the day. The past couple of weeks had been slow for Clark. The city had been quite which prompted Clark to wonder if he had taken down every bad guy out there. He poured the coffee into his mug adding cream and a few packets of sugar. He grabbed a random magazine off the counter and left the break room. Clark slowly walked down the hallway taking sips of his coffee and reading over the glossy cover of the magazine. SLAM! Hot coffee flew everywhere, the now soaked magazine fell to the floor, and the personalized mug broke into four jagged pieces on the squeaky-clean tile floor. Clark dropped to his knees and began collecting the pieces of the mug. He didn't even look up when the person who slammed into him bent down and collected the last two pieces of the mug and the damp magazine.
"I'm so sorry, here." Said a female voice as she handed the broken pieces of mug to Clark.
Clark looked at the small out stretched hand and paused for a moment while his brain processed that it had seen that hand somewhere before. Clark's eyes inched their way up the woman's arm and he nearly went into cardiac arrest when he saw whom the hand had belonged to. He shook his head in disbelief as he stared into the beautiful green eyes of Chloe Sullivan.
"Chloe." He said out loud to himself trying to grasp the fact that she was actually kneeling down in front of him.
They both slowly rose and Clark reached out his hand and gently brushed it across Chloe's cheek to make sure that she was really there and this wasn't just another dream he was having. When he discovered that she was really there his breath caught in his throat and he had lost his voice. She was exactly how he remembered her except that she was slightly thinner and he hair was a little longer. Chloe stood there looking at the chiseled face of Clark Kent/Superman, the person who had caused her so much pain in the past. He was still the handsome farm boy that she had fallen in love with many years ago but he looked more mature and wiser and he was now wearing a pair of silver rimmed glasses.
"Long time no see huh Clark?" She said letting a breathy laugh escape from her throat. She was trying her hardest to fight back the rush of mixed emotions she was feeling at that moment.
Clark didn't respond with words instead he reached out for Chloe and pulled her into a warm embrace. Chloe was stunned for a moment at feeling his strong arms wrap around her but she quickly shook the feeling off and rested her head on his chest. Clark gratefully breathed in her sweet smelling scent of apples and cinnamon. After a long moment Chloe finally pushed away from Clark but mentally noted the fact that he didn't take his hands off of her waist.
"Chloe what are you doing here?" He asked still buzzing from the feeling of holding her close to him.
"I just…" She began but was interrupted by Clark's short, balding, stumpy boss approaching them.
"Miss. Sullivan there you are." Mr. Wells said stepping right in between Chloe and Clark. "I see you've met Mr. Clark Kent here. He's one of the hardest working employees here. He always gets those great storied on Superman no matter what."
At hearing that statement a smirk spread across Clark and Chloe's faces and they exchanged quick knowing glances.
Well Mr. Kent if you will excuse us I need to show Miss. Sullivan around and help her get settled into her office." Mr. Wells said placing his hand on Chloe's back and leading her down the hallway.
Clark's face lit up like a little kid on Christmas morning at hearing that Chloe was going to be working at the Daily Planet. He quickly rushed to the break room and rested the pieces of his mug and the magazine on the counter. Then he rushed to catch up to Chloe and Mr. Wells.
"Excuse me Mr. Wells you're a really busy man and I just finished that story on the mayor so how about I show Miss. Sullivan around."
"That's Clark here always thinking of others." Mr. Wells snorted out proudly as he handed Clark a crumpled piece of paper. "This here is Miss. Sullivan's office number. Why don't you get her settled in and teach her some of the ropes around here."
"Will do Mr. Wells." Clark said stepping aside to let Mr. Wells stomp down the hallway.
"So Mr. Kent would you care to show me where my office is?" Chloe asked in a teasing tone.
"Sure." Clark said as he and Chloe made there way to her office.
Once they were there Chloe walked over to the windows and looked out at the incredible view of the city. Clark stood in front of her desk and silently watched her.
"This is a nice office." Clark bumbled out.
Chloe sat down in her chair and Clark took a seat in one of the two chairs that sat in front of the desk.
"Yeah it is."
"I still can't believe you're here." Clark said. "I thought that you were working for that paper in Chicago."
"Well I was but I got offered a job as assistant editor from the Daily Planet and I couldn't just pass up an offer like that."
"Wait a minute you're assistant editor." Clark asked surprised.
"Yes I am so I guess that means I'm your new boss Mr. Kent." Chloe said slyly.
"I guess it does."
There was a moment of awkward silence and Clark took that time just to stare at Chloe.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing I just still can't believe your actually here. I mean I haven't seen you since…" Clark stopped himself when he saw a look of sadness and pain cross Chloe's face. "It's just been a really long time. You look incredible by the way."
"You're not looking to bad either Kent."
"Hey Clark we need you out here." A tall thin young man shouted from the bullpen.
"I'll be right there." Clark yelled back. "Listen I'm probably not going to get a chance to see you a lot today and I really want to catch up so how about we do something tonight?"
"What did you have in mind?" Chloe asked quirking an eyebrow.
"How about you come over to my place at around eight. I'll make the dinner and you bring the wine."
"Sounds great."
"Great." Clark scribbled down his address on a post it and flashed Chloe a Kent Charm grin before he left her office.
She leaned back in her chair and sighed. She couldn't believe that she was talking to the one and only Clark Kent after all these years. She thought back to the day that he told her he loved her. She knew that he truly meant it but she had already made up her mind. She wasn't going to be second to Lana Lang and she needed to move on with her life. Now she was face to face with her past and the man she had always been in love with. Maybe this was fate that they were meeting again after all these years. She quickly brushed away that thought and convinced herself that they were now both mature adults that could become great friends again and tonight was only about catching up and having a few laughs.
The rest of the day had gone by in a complete blur. Everyone in Metropolis went about his or her daily business and before Clark or Chloe knew it, it was already 8:00. Clark rushed around his apartment cleaning a few things up and checking the boiling pasta on the stove. Clark was so nervous and excited to see her again. When they were in her office he wanted nothing more then to run up to her and passionately kiss her like they did in the movies but he knew he shouldn't. He didn't want to screw up a friendship that needed to be party rebuilt. At 8:15 he heard a buzz and he smiled to himself because it was always like Chloe to show up fashionably late. Clark slid open the large door and greeted Chloe with a huge grin. He took a moment to notice how beautiful she looked and she handed him two bottles of wine.
"I figured we could get smashed and reminisce about the good times." She said with a cute little smile.
"Sounds like fun." He laughed.
Chloe stepped into the apartment and looked around.
"Wow great place you've got here."
"Thanks." He said popping one of the wine bottles open and pouring it into two glasses.
He handed one to Chloe and the clinked glasses and both took a sip. Clark placed his glass on the counter and turned his attention back to the pasta that he was cooking. Chloe sat down on a small stool and watched him intently for a few moments.
"So Clark Kent the man of steel has become a journalist." She teased.
Clark turned around and smiled at her.
"Yeah I know it's a little strange but you got me interested in it."
"Le me get this straight, you have a full time job at the Daily Planet and you still have time to save the day every once and a while?"
"Yup." Clark answered nonchalantly.
"You truly are Superman Clark Kent but I have one more question, what's with the glasses?"
"I don't know I just kind of like them." He said straightening them out a bit. "Don't you?"
"They kind of make you look like Woody Allen." Chloe teased.
Clark laughed at her little joke and placed a plate of pasta in front of her and fixed a plate for himself. The next 20 minutes went by of them joking and laughing and remembering all of the good times. A bottle and a half of the wine had been consumed and once the dishes were cleared Chloe collapsed onto the sleek leather couch and Clark joined her. She took another sip of wine and then placed her glass on the coffee table. There were a few minutes of comfortable silence and Clark looked into Chloe's eyes and suddenly felt the urge to kiss her. He fought it off and sat straight up trying to get his mind to think of something else that they could talk about. This wasn't an easy task when Chloe sat up next to him and gently placed her hand on his knee. Suddenly Clark felt like he needed to take a cold shower.
"Clark?" Chloe said in a soft child like voice.
"Yeah?" He asked turning his head to stare into her eyes.
"I really had a great time tonight."
"Me too. It's so great to see you again after all these years.
"Clark there is something I need to ask you." She said seriously.
"What is it?"
"That day at the airport," Clark started to get very uncomfortable at hearing those words but part of him knew they wouldn't get through the evening without addressing that, "why did you decide then to tell me that you loved me?"
Clark let out a big sigh and took Chloe's hand in his. "Chloe I was an idiot. All that time I thought that I was in Love with Lana but I wasn't. I was just kidding myself. By the time I realized that it was you I loved it was to late. You were leaving for Chicago and getting on with your life but I knew that I couldn't leave without letting you know that. It felt like someone ripped my heart out of my chest when I watched you get onto that plane. If you loved me why didn't you stay?"
"I needed to move on with my life Clark. I figured if I stayed I would just get my heart broken again and I didn't want to risk that. Then there's the fact that I didn't want to always feel like I was your second choice after Lana."
Clark cupped Chloe's face in his strong hands and looked her straight in the eye. "Chloe you were never second to me. I didn't just decide I loved you because I couldn't be with Lana. I told you that I loved you because I realized that all that time I had. You were the only one for me Chloe. After you left and I moved to Metropolis I tried so hard to get over you but I never could. I love you Chloe. I always have and I always will."
A single tear slid down Chloe's cheek and Clark wiped it away with his thumb.
"I love you too Clark." She whispered.
Clark gently captured her lips in his and Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck. They had both waited seven years for this moment, for fate to bring them together again. Chloe fell asleep wrapped in Clark's arms that night. Chloe had never been Clark's second choice and he would never stop loving her.
THE END (Maybe ;)