Chapter 6

"Well, Chloe…umm…well, you see, we were playing strip poker in the Talon…uh, well…as far as my involvement in it…well, that's a little hard to explain. There's this red rock…that well…" Clark had been looking anywhere but at Chloe as he tried to make a coherent sentence. He continued to fidget with his hands when he suddenly realized that Chloe hadn't said a word, so he stopped his tirade and looked at her sheepishly. His palms were sweating and his heart racing, his breath hitched in his throat when he saw the expression on her face. Her mouth gaped open; her beautiful blue eyes were wide with shock. Oh great, here it comes. "Chloe, are you okay?" He smiled at her tentatively.

Chloe couldn't believe what she had just heard. They were playing strip poker in the Talon! Oh my god! How far had it gone before someone stopped them? Did anyone stop them? What the hell had been wrong with Clark? Strip poker! Her breathing increased along with her anger.

Chloe nostrils flared as she pressed her lips together. Her eyes were flashing fire. Okay, this wasn't good. Not good at all. Clark swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn't know what to do to calm her down. He knew this wasn't a good idea to tell her what had happened. Why hadn't he just gone on instinct and not told her a thing? He could have made something up less embarrassing…no, no, that wasn't the kind of relationship that he wanted to have with Chloe.

"Strip poker, huh?" Chloe's fury was barely contained. Clark winced at the tone of her voice. "And you were participating in this game at the Talon with me?" Clark had to be lying. There was no way in the world that would have actually happened, except maybe in her dreams and the strip poker wouldn't have happened in a public place, but a very private one! How could Clark tease her like this?

"Chloe, please, let me explain. You don't know the whole story yet! Please, let me finish before you say anything else." Clark pleaded. He reached over and stroked Chloe's cheek.

Chloe searched Clark's face for amusement, but found none. She only saw his loving gaze as he pleaded with her to calm down. "You are going to tell me the truth, right? All of it?" Chloe wasn't ready to let Clark off of the hook just yet.

Clark swallowed hard. "Yes, Chloe, I will tell you the whole story starting from wherever you want me to." Clark took his chances and leaned over to plant a soft kiss on her lips. Chloe's hands came up to embrace his face as she held him to deepen the kiss. Clark obliged, relieved that Chloe wasn't mad at him any longer. Hooking an arm around her waist, Clark pulled her in closer, his free hand going to the back of her head. He opened his mouth over hers, capturing her top lip between his, to gently suck it into his mouth. Chloe sighed and shifted closer.

Oh…my…god! Clark was an amazing kisser. Where the hell did he learn to kiss like that? Chloe felt herself melt into a puddle. Now, what had they been doing before Clark started kissing her…oh yeah…he was supposed to be telling her what happened at the Talon! Good stall, Kent…Chloe pulled reluctantly away from his amazing lips and opened her eyes. "Nice try, Clark, but you aren't stalling any longer. Tell me what happened." Chloe reached up and stroke Clark's cheek to soften her tone of voice. "It's okay, just tell me." She took a deep breath and made a conscience effort to stay calm.

"Do you remember when you found out that the Class rings that we bought our sophomore year were a rip off?" Chloe nodded waiting for Clark to continue. Clark swallowed hard. He was going to have to tell her everything about what red Kryptonite does to him to make her understand what happened. "Well, the rings were made out of red Kryptonite. It works like a drug on me when it gets near me. I lose all inhibitions and do whatever I want without any thought to the consequences. It feels good at the time, but later I have to deal with the consequences." Clark paused and looked at Chloe. He could tell that her mind was working ninety to nothing as this new piece of information started to shed light on some of his past behavior,

Chloe remembered the day that they had gotten those fake class rings. She also remembered Clark acting really strange even for him. He had suddenly wanted to go to bars. Then, his hitting on Jessie and Lana was majorly out of Clark character. That explained a lot. "So, you were under the influence when you were being all 'leather jacket and motorcycle gang member'?

Clark nodded. Maybe this wasn't going to be so hard after all. Chloe was easy to talk to. He hadn't been able to share so many things with anyone, but now he had Chloe. Clark leaned over to kiss her again before he continued, just for his own reassurance that she wasn't angry with him. "Well, Pete knows my secret and he knew about the red Kryptonite and slipped a rock in the pocket of my shirt so that I would do what he wanted. I told you my secret with Pete's help and then we left the barn to go joy riding. You and I started making out in the back seat of Pete's car and then you wanted to go to the Talon to finish what we started." Clark was on a roll now and was just trying to get this said and done so that he could get Chloe's attention on other matters, like kissing for instance. He was becoming quite addicted to the taste of her lips. "Then you suggested Strip Poker and I played along with imaginary cards…then you won the hand and took off my shirt…then the rock fell out of the pocket and was out of range and I came to my senses." There it was all said and done. He peeked at Chloe to see what her reaction was.

"So, you were drugged when we were making out?" Chloe felt a little disconcerted at the fact that Clark had to be drugged in order to make out with her then. She looked up at Clark with hurt in her eyes.

"Chloe, look…it was and wasn't like that. Yes, the red Kryptonite drugs me, but it releases feelings and desires from deep inside me and I act on them without worrying about the consequences." Clark reached over and smoothed Chloe's hair back from her face, capturing her eyes with his. He smiled at her. "Apparently, making out with you was a hidden desire, even at that time." Clark raised her chin and moved in to kiss her.

Chloe resisted. She wasn't ready to give into Clark just yet. "And you have kept this from me all this time because…" Chloe paused waiting for Clark's answer holding her hands out palm up, shaking her head slightly.

Clark dropped his head and released Chloe's chin. Sitting back he drew a deep sigh. "Chloe, think about it. I couldn't tell you. How would I have explained my behavior then? Lana already thought I was displaying split personality tendencies. I didn't want to embarrass you either." Clark got up and walked across the loft to the window and gazed out sightlessly. "I shouldn't have told you." He shoved his hands in his pockets, hunching his shoulders in defeat. She would probably not want to have anything else to do with him now. He could never guarantee that something like that wouldn't happen again, and no telling what he would end up doing that would hurt her and their relationship irreparably.

Chloe's mind was working in overdrive. She thought of the time that Clark had run away to Metropolis and how he had treated her there. He had been on that stuff for at least three months. Looks like Clark was like the rest of the human persuasion. He must have really been hurting then to voluntarily use that stuff knowing what it did to him. Chloe was just glad that they had the real Clark back. He could have physically hurt her while he was under the influence, but that said a lot about who Clark really was when he didn't. He had innate goodness even when he was bad. Taking a deep breath she rose from the couch and walked over to Clark. He looked so depressed. "Hey, Clark." Chloe whispered softly as she placed her small hand on his forearm.

Clark turned his head to look at her, sadness and resignation evident in his gaze. "It's okay, Chloe. I understand." He swallowed hard and looked back out the window. "I don't expect you to continue in a relationship with me when there are so many things that can go wrong and I could hurt you." Pushing his hand through his hair, he turned from the window and walked over to his desk, his back to Chloe. "Honestly, I have gotten so used to hiding who I am and lying about anything to do with my secret, that I am not even sure that I really know how to have a relationship, how to communicate." Picking up a paperweight from off the desk, he tossed it in the air and caught it. "A relationship with me would be too difficult. You would always have to hide my secret, not to mention the danger that you would be in constantly. If someone found out that you knew…" Placing the paperweight back on the desk, Clark turned around, tears gathered in the back of his eyes as he fought to get control of his emotions. His throat tightened up as he tried to speak. He swallowed hard, folding his arms across his chest. His voice came out raspy and low. "I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you because of me. I think that maybe we should just go back to being friends." Clark felt his heart begin to tear in two as what he was saying permeated his mind. Part of him hoped that she wouldn't listen to what he was asking, but the part of him that was scared for her wanted to protect her. Clark was giving up what he wanted to keep her safe.

Chloe walked over to Clark shaking her head. "I'm not letting you out of this relationship that easy." Listening to what Clark was really saying was such a relief to Chloe. He was trying to protect her. He was willing to give up what he wanted for her sake. They could get through this together. Her big, strong superhero was scared spit-less that he wouldn't be able to make her happy. "Clark, no relationship is easy. Even between two humans." Chloe was standing close to Clark and rested her hand on the top of his folded arms. He was shutting her out. She could feel it, but she wasn't going to let him. Licking her lips, she looked up at him. "Listen, I know that you are afraid that we won't be able to make this work, but I am willing to take the chance. You will get used to being able to talk to me about yourself. I think that right now, you are just not used to doing anything but lying to the people that you care about. Trust me, that will pass. And as far as hurting me, Clark, you could have done that when I visited you in Metropolis when you were hyped up on that red Kryptonite. As I remember it, you were so angry at me, but the only thing that you hurt was my feeling." She pulled on the hand that she was holding to get Clark to open his arms.

Clark blinked back his tears and gave Chloe a small smile. Opening up his arms to her, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his shoulder. Clark wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, resting his cheek on top of her head. "What did I ever do to deserve someone like you, Chloe?" Clark whispered.

Chloe smiled against his chest. "I was just thinking the same thing." She tilted back her head to look into his face, her smile radiant and tears glistening in her eyes. "Kiss me, Clark Kent." Chloe demanded. Clark leaned down and softly kissed her.

"Clark, Chloe…dinners ready!" Martha yelled out the kitchen door. Hopefully, they would hear her.

"Coming, Mom!" Clark yelled back, giving Chloe another squeeze. "Let's go eat."