Chapter 5

Clark's eyes closed as he kissed Chloe back. The kiss was soft and sweet, a gentle meeting of the lips. Chloe pulled back and grinned from ear to ear. Clark slowly opened his eyes to be blinded by her smile. He grinned back at her. Clark leaned toward Chloe to continue what she started, but she put a staying hand against his chest. "Clark, I don't want to be caught again by your parents." Clark nodded understanding. He certainly didn't want to have another 'talk' with them. The first one had been embarrassing enough.

"So, what do you want to do?" Clark sat back on the couch, still facing her. He reached over taking one of her hands in his. He began to stroke and play with her fingers.

"How about talk?" Chloe still had so many questions that she wanted to ask him. So many things that were just beginning to make sense since his secret had been fully revealed to her.

Clark pressed his lips together and shifted his gaze to her lips. Although she knew his secret, he was a little wary of what she wanted to talk about. He hoped that it wasn't anything embarrassing. Many things had happened in the years they had known each other. He certainly hoped that this wasn't about Lana. He didn't want to see the look in her eyes when Lana's name came up. Clark was just beginning to realize just how much Chloe had been hurt by his past obsession with Lana. He wanted to put that far behind him. He wanted to concentrate on getting to know his best friend in a different way, a more romantic way. However, he also understood the way that Chloe's mind worked. It was important to her to talk things out and understand things. She lived by words and not implied actions. She never took anything for granted. She always had to have it spoken before she would assume that all was well with the world. Just like her suspicions about his alien status had to be confirmed by him before she would firmly believe it. Before that, she considered them just assumptions.

Chloe had been thinking a lot about the time that she had that gross parasite in her body from the cave. She had always wondered what she had done during that time, but Clark nor Lana would tell her anything. Clark would always just say that she didn't do anything wrong any time she mentioned it. Lana on the other hand would get very quiet, her eyes would tear up and she would just say that she really didn't think it was a good idea to rehash the past. Needless to say, Chloe was never able to find out what really happened. Even Pete couldn't help her, as they were both in the same boat, not remembering what happened during that time. Maybe Clark would open up this time and tell her what really did happen.

Clark looked at Chloe warily. He was reluctant to start this question and answer game that Chloe was so intent on playing. Too much of it was better left in the past, but Clark knew that Chloe wasn't going to let things go so easily. Sighing heavily, Clark dropped his head and looked at her hands resting in his. "What do you want to know, Chloe?"

Chloe licked her lips. Well here goes! "Clark, about the time that I was infected with that parasite from the cave, what really happened?" Chloe reached out and took Clark's chin in her hand to bring his face back to hers. She searched his eyes for confirmation that something did indeed happen. The confirmation was there, so was the uneasiness. She knew it! She had done something and they had protected her from embarrassment all this time.

"Chloe, you know, some things are better left alone. Maybe you should just accept that you were not yourself at the time and let it go." Clark shifted uncomfortably in his seat. How was he going to tell her that they were playing strip poker in the Talon? How was he going to explain his own behavior? Though Chloe had no memory of what happened, Clark on the other hand remembered everything that happened. He remembered the passion that he felt that day as he had made out with Chloe on the Talon couch. He sometimes regretted not having been able to finish what they started, but he had always put that down to residual effects from the red Kyptonite. She had been his best friend, for God's sake! He wasn't supposed to be having the hots for her. One thing that he had discovered about red Kryptonite since then was that whatever he did do was a desire buried somewhere deep inside him. He realized now that he had had feelings for Chloe even then. The red Kryptonite just brought that desire out.

Chloe narrowed her eyes at Clark. "Something big really did happen, didn't it." Chloe's heart began to beat faster in anticipation at what he was about to tell her. She had always suspected that the girl Lana had said she had caught Clark making out with was herself, but then it all didn't add up. It's not as if she could have forced Clark to make out with her. Looking at Clark as she waited for Clark to spill the story, she saw a blush creep over his face and he wouldn't quite meet her eyes. Wow, this must have been a doozy! If she was the reason Clark and Lana didn't get to go on their date that night two years ago, he would have a lot of explaining to do as to how this all happened. They had been just friends at the time although Chloe had wanted more. None of it made any sense.

Clark watched the confusion sweep over Chloe's face. Her brain was putting all of the pieces together and she was going to come to her own conclusions. He knew she was going to figure out some of it. He was reluctant to tell her about the red Kryptonite. It wasn't that he didn't trust Chloe, but it was more about embarrassment on his part. He knew that Chloe would put it all together and realize he had been using the red rock like a drug when he had run away to Metropolis. He also didn't want her to think that she was only desirable to him when he was drugged. So Clark just waited to see what conclusions she would come up with, then he would fill in the blanks with whatever was necessary to tell her. Clark waited anxiously for her to speak.

Chloe's eyes met Clark's. She knew that he was waiting for her to say something. She might as well lay out there her conclusions thus far. "Was I the girl that you were making out with that Lana saw?" Chloe watched Clark's face carefully. His cheeks turned a fire engine red. Just as she suspected.

Clark closed his eyes briefly before he answered. "Yes." He barely got the word past his throat. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Yes, you and I were the ones that Lana saw, but it wasn't what she thought." Clark closed his eyes. How lame was that! Of course, it had been what she saw. He had been totally dedicated to the moment and he really had enjoyed himself. The red Kryptonite had stopped working too soon! Now where had that thought come from? Clark, get a grip! This is serious!

"You better tell me what happened and don't leave anything out."

Chloe was looking at Clark sternly. She definitely meant business and Clark knew he was going to have to come clean and tell her the whole story. "Chloe, before I tell you what happened, promise me that you won't take any of this the wrong way."

Puzzled, Chloe looked directly into Clark's eyes. "What wrong way can I take it?"

"Just remember what we are to each other right now and that this happened two years ago. Okay?" Clark was very concerned about telling her anything that happened. He honestly didn't know how to delicately put it into words. It would be a new revelation to her and her embarrassment would be monumental…well, here goes! Clark took a deep breath to begin to tell her what happened.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Clark had to ask her one more time. Chloe nodded and raised her eyebrows at him waiting for him to continue. Clark cleared his throat. "Well, you and I were kind of close…uh, well…I don't know Chloe, are you really sure you want to know?" Clark looked at her pleadingly, hoping that she would change her mind and just let the past remain the past. His hand went up to rub the tension from his neck as he avoided looking directly at her.

Clark was very nervous about telling her what happened. Now that was interesting. Feeling a little sorry for him, she decided to tell him what she thought happened and let him fill in the blanks. "Well, do you want me to tell you what I think happened and you can tell me if I am right or wrong?"

Clark heaved a huge sigh of relief and nodded at Chloe. Hopefully, that would make this a little easier. The corner of his mouth slid up in a half grin.

"Well, when Lana came to see me at the hospital after that…that…horrible…thing was removed from me, she said something about your date being a bust and that she caught you making out with another girl. At the time she told me that she didn't recognize the girl, but I really felt strongly at the time that I should be apologizing to her." Chloe had been looking down while she recalled the incident waving her hands as she remembered what happened two years ago. She looked up and right into Clark's eyes. Clark's face was a vivid shade of red. "You've already confirmed that it was you and I that Lana saw making out, but what I don't get Clark is that you had a date with Lana and your making out with me? Call me stupid, but that just doesn't sound like something you would do…please tell me what happened."

Clark decided he had better tell it all to her.