Part II – The Date

Chloe sipped coffee from a venti sized cup and sighed. One of the downfalls of being an intern at a paper like the Daily Planet was that a story could pop up at any time. Nothing short of her own death would be reason enough to blow it off. Clark had been disappointed, but Chloe knew he understood. Which made one of them, she laughed, sorting through her quickly jotted notes on the arrest of a local celebrity. Nothing says Saturday night in Metropolis like watching Wild Dan Clark of the Wild Dan radio show be dragged into night court, drunker than drunk, Chloe snarked to herself. Still wearing the outfit she'd chosen for their date, Chloe began to put together her story, trying to forget the sad note in Clark's voice when she'd said goodnight. Figures. Nice work, Sullivan, Chloe shook her head. Just when it seemed like Clark and I were going to be on the same page, too. There was a breeze, and suddenly Chloe's stomach began to rumble, the scent of chicken and snow peas taunting her. She looked up, ready to whine to whomever ordered the Chinese without asking her, and into Clark's grinning face.

"A reporter has to eat." Clark said holding the white plastic bag out to her, and Chloe grinned up at him. "Besides, I figured out how to save our date from the story that ate your evening."

"If such a thing is possible, then you really are my hero." Chloe grinned wider, quickly clearing her desk so they could eat. "Although you are definitely bordering on hero status right now. I'm so hungry I could eat my desk."

"Well, don't do that. Let me help, and we'll get it done that much faster." Clark said, setting out the food containers. Chloe loved the way he looked usually, but tonight was really a high point on the Clark attractiveness scale. Simply dressed as usual, Clark had forgone the awful red jacket and instead wore a red henley with his ubiquitous jeans. He'd already hung his denim jacket on the back of a chair and he looked up at her questioningly. "So, so far so good?"

"The article? Yeah, it's almost done. I can't believe it's so late." Chloe snatched the paper container she knew held her chicken and snow peas. "So, how are you going to save our date?"

Clark sat down at the computer, stretched his hands dramatically and set his fingertips lightly on the keys. "Dictate your story."

"Are you serious?" Chloe smiled. "It's in my head, Clark….."

"So?" Clark grinned, once again stretching his fingers comically. "Ready? Go…"

Chloe laughed and rattled off her story, Clark's fingers moving on the keyboard ridiculously fast until the article was done. Smiling smugly, Clark snatched his own dinner, beef and broccoli and began to eat as Chloe proofread.

"I gotta hand it to you, Kent, that's a pretty neat trick." Chloe looked down at her perfectly typed article and made notes on where she wanted to add things here and there. "Just think of what you could do with your own articles."

"Those would be slower going. I'm not much of a writer. Clark grinned, stabbing a large piece of beef with his plastic fork. "Make your changes and eat. There's still plenty of evening left."

"Clark, it's after eleven. The planetarium doesn't have a midnight show tonight…"

"Who is saving this date? Me or you?

"You."

"Right, and I do have a plan. I see chicken not getting eaten. I may have to help you with that…." Clark reached for her food, and Chloe laughed and slapped Clark's hand playfully. They grinned at each other, and Chloe felt the world around her spin. She rolled her chair closer to him and leaned across Clark to add her changes and then saved the article. Clark's nearness did nothing to help Chloe's world stop spinning, his smell, of clean laundry, hay and apples was one that Chloe loved so much that she'd often just hugged Clark to be enveloped by that blend of comforting scents. Now though, he was warm, the Daily Planet's newly refinished basement was chilly, and she could still feel his kiss from last night on her lips. So Chloe turned, and Clark was watching her, a smile curving the outside of his mouth just slightly. He was planning something, and Chloe poked him playfully.

"What are you plotting? I can see the wheels turning…."

"Article done?" Clark asked neutrally as he stood to clean up their dinner mess and then pocketed the fortune cookies. "Anything else you want to add to it or anything?"

"Nope." Chloe stood, and shouldered her purse. "I'm ready for the next part of our date."

Clark grinned. "Good. Come on." He grabbed his jacket and then her hand. "We don't have to go that far."

"Clark, there's nothing around here that's even remotely date like…" Chloe protested, and Clark turned. She smiled at his expression and then shrugged. "I'm yours. Take me where ever you want."

"Good. Close your eyes, then." Clark said, and Chloe frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Close my eyes, Clark?"

"I have a plan….Chloe, honest. Just have a little faith." Clark laughed, leading her outside the Daily Planet building. "Okay, don't close your eyes. We're going across the street."

"The Metropolis Tower? Why?"

"It's the tallest building in Metropolis, that's why." Clark replied. "Questions, questions…"

"I am a reporter…who, what, where, why, and when…" Chloe laughed. Clark grinned and scooped her up, and then leapt into the air as easily as someone else might have jumped across a puddle. "WHOA!" The breeze pushed her hair back, and while they weren't strictly flying, Chloe tightened her grip around Clark's neck and pressed her cheek against his.

In absolutely a split second, they landed on the observation deck of the Metropolis Tower. Chloe looked around as Clark set her down, absolutely swept away by the view. Metropolis at night was stunning, and standing here with Clark – it was as if they were floating in the stars. There was no one else there, and Chloe spotted a huge bunch of daisies lying on the ground next to one of the standing binoculars that lined the walls of the observation deck. She moved toward them while Clark busied himself pulling things out of his backpack. Feeling sorry for the girl who had left them behind, Chloe picked up the white flowers and gently touched the petals. How many daisies had she pulled apart playing "Loves me, Loves me not" over Clark? Chloe smiled thinking about it and then turned around as music began to play. Clark had arranged a blanket, binoculars and his old portable cd player. He was watching her and she smiled.

"Like the daisies?" Clark asked, walking over to her. "Lois sort of reminded me that they were your favorite after I had ordered the roses…"

"These are mine?" Chloe asked, dropping her face into the bouquet, to hide her blushing cheeks. "Clark, I can't believe all this…"

"It's not what I originally planned, or even planned after that, but…"Clark held out the fortune cookies. "Pick one."

Chloe reached out and took a cookie. Clark broke into his and crunched away the cookie, ignoring the fortune. "Wait a minute…you have to tell me what it says."

"Yours first." Clark grinned, and Chloe cracked hers open and read the tiny slip of paper. "Love is the adventure of a lifetime." She felt her eyes sting, and she held the paper out to him. "Did you do this?"

Clark shook his head. "I admit to peeking at the fortunes before time, but that actually is the real thing."

"Oh yeah? What does yours say?" Chloe asked, wiping away the rainbow tears with a smile. Clark smiled shyly and pulled the fortune out his pocket. He held it out to her, and Chloe took it, the words on it almost too much for her to read. She closed her eyes, and then opened them.

"Stop searching forever. Happiness is just next to you"

Clark took it back and smiled. "I guess a kick in the pants from the cosmos isn't such a bad thing." He moved closer and looked down into her face. "I already sort of knew that anyway." Clark's eyes seemed to glow in the starlight and he tipped Chloe's chin up with a gentle hand. He bent closed and kissed her softly and then more intensely, wrapping his arms around Chloe. She eagerly returned the kiss, her arms moving over his shoulders, her hands pulling him closer. They were at the top of the world, it seemed, the early fall breeze tossing their hair and causing faint sounds of the city to mingle with the soft music that was playing nearby. It all just added to the magic of the moment, triggering each sense so that neither Clark or Chloe would ever be able to forget this moment. The kiss broke, and they just stared at each other, almost as if they were truly seeing each other for the first time.

"So," Clark asked, his voice full and rich in the soft autumn night. "Am I a hero now?"

"You were always my hero." Chloe smiled, trying to keep her tone light as she craned her neck to look up at him. "I just wanted to you to sweat a little."

Clark grinned his signature Kent grin, kissing her again. "Good, I was worried for a minute." The world wasn't coming to an end this time. In fact, Chloe's last thought danced through her mind like a blast of bright light, everything was suddenly brand new. Clark pulled away slightly and Chloe gasped. Both of them smiled and Chloe felt Clark pull her close, her head just over his heart. Nothing could have been more perfect, or made this night any more special, Chloe thought. She sighed, and closed her eyes, listening to Clark's heartbeat. Never let this night end, Chloe thought, and she smiled as Clark brushed her ear with his lips. Never let this night end.