Oh, Clark. Don't you know? I've been in love with you since we were in 8th grade.
Clark's heart started beating wildly at Chloe's words. She was in love with him - had been in love with him.
She had just been as scared as he to admit it. Maybe even more so, since she had put herself out there before and he he had rejected her.
God, he was an idiot. All that time wasted, when he had been too blind to see what was right in front of him.
Well, he wasn't blind now.
"Chloe..." her name tore from his throat in part wonder, part joy, part disbelief...and all gratitude as he bent his head to kiss her in the waters of the pool once again.
Though the brightness of tears made her eyes look like mossy green pools, her face tilted up to meet his as it had before.
Her kiss was sweet and addictive, and he knew that now that he had her, he'd never give this up. Her arms twined around his neck and she crushed her small body to his, causing small waves to lap at their bodies in the water. Their lips slid together, tasting and teasing. Remembering the beauty of her wide grin, Clark nibbled at her lips. Chloe was often accused of having a smart mouth, but now as he teased and tasted it, he could only think of one word to describe it - sweet. Honeyed and full, he could spend all night exploring her lips. He slid his tongue along the seam of her mouth, and he felt her own tongue slide to caress his, and he was lost in the new sensation.
His dreams, his memories of kissing Chloe didn't come close to the real thing.
As if she was on a parallel thought, Chloe broke their connection briefly to ask, "Is this real? Is this really happening?"
Hearing the vulnerability in the question, he grasped her face with both her hands until her hazy eyes opened and settled on his. "Yes, Chloe. Almost too late, yes, but this IS real."
Then he bent his head again and kissed her for all he was worth. He'd made mistakes before, letting chances slip him by, but not anymore. She had said she loved him, and he would make sure she knew he felt the same.
Oh god, oh god, oh god.
Clark was kissing her, and not just kissing her, but kissing her as if he never intended to stop.
She really wanted him to never stop.
The secret pulse seated between her legs, surged at the thought of what that could mean. Could it be true? The way Clark was kissing her, the way his hands were - OH God! His hands! Clark's hands had moved from her face and were grazing over her body, leaving trails of heat in their wake. She had limited experience with such things, but never had a touch set her afire like this. His hands were skimming down her ribcage, but his thumbs were tantalizingly close to the underside of her breasts. Groaning she strained against him, thrusting her aching breasts against the hard planes of Clark's torso. You could do laundry on the washboard strength of his abs. Then she realized, what she felt wasn't just his abs that were rock hard. There was an insistent pressure against her stomach as well.
That more than anything convinced her this was real, because even in her fantasies, she hadn't dreamed it would be quite so...impressive. She shifted her hips to bring her into fuller contact with him, her body liquid and pulsing with excitement.
Then all her building fantasies came crashing down when Clark groaned, "Chloe, stop."
Oh, god, he couldn't take this! Chloe's sweet, soft body pressing into his painfully hardened body with nothing between them but stretchy fabric and warm water was too much.
He really hadn't thought beyond telling Chloe about how he felt. It hadn't really occurred to him that she could want him physically as much as he had wanted her. After all, they touched all the time, friendly-like. Though maybe sometimes it was more than friendly. Or maybe more than sometimes. Like when he crushed her in a hug and enjoyed the feel of her breasts on his chest. Or how he would brush a stray lock of hair from her beautiful face, just to feel the silky texture. Or how he would take her hand, just to feel its smallness in his own. Honestly, he knew it had gotten a bit ridiculous of late, how often he needed "comforting" from her. All just so he could feel her. Last week, he'd considered asking her for a reassuring hug when his favorite red jacket needed to have a button fixed.
Had she been thinking the same things when she would run her hand down his arm? Or when she had responded to his hand on hers by running her thumb over his knuckles?
But for all the touches, he'd never guessed at the heat that would boil up between them. It was unlike anything he'd ever imagined, except maybe for their last kiss here. And even then, he'd almost convinced himself his mind had exaggerated it in the months since.
But no, kissing Chloe and holding her tight like this felt akin to the fire of the boiler he'd been locked in sophomore year.
How would he ever keep her safe from him if it was like this between them? Was it fair to risk her? No, he couldn't do that. He wrenched himself away from the flame of her touch and the fire of her kiss. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done.
His voice came out in a painful groan, "Chloe, stop."
"What?" Chloe asked, dazed and confused as he pulled away from her.
She looked up to see Clark's face through lust-blurred vision. "What's wrong, Clark?"
"We have to stop...I-I can't..."
Stop? She had thought they were just getting started. Then an awful thought struck her, chasing away her lust-haze. Was he was already regretting this...?
Stepping in her usual defense - humor, she forced herself to say, "What are you talking about Clark? Because as far as I can tell, you certainly can." She looked down pointedly at his tenting crotch.
Blushing Clark, replied, "I mean, I can't because I'm afraid I might hurt you."
Relief instantly flooded through Chloe. He wasn't rejecting her! Clark was just being noble and stupid...as usual. She knew her foolish grin must seem at odds with the sharpness of her words. "Clark, that's crazy. You won't hurt me."
He was looking at her with a mixture of confusion and self-sacrificing pain. "Chloe, if I lose control..."
Chloe cut him off with a gesture, "Clark, how many times have you hugged me?"
Obviously confused - and for some reason, blushing - Clark blinked at her. "Uh, what? I don't think-"
"How many times have you hugged me, Clark?"
"Lots, I guess. Pretty much since 8th grade."
"And how many times could you have crushed me?" she asked pointedly.
"What!?" He cried, obviously upset. "Chloe, you aren't making sense!"
Feeling slightly annoyed now, Chloe snapped, "Just answer the question, Clark!"
"At any time, I guess. I've always been strong, even as a kid."
"So in all those years, you could have crushed me, but you never did. Why not?"
"I'd never do that to you, Chloe!"
Chloe smiled radiantly in response. "Exactly."
Clearly confused and frustrated, Clark ran a hand through his hair. "No, Chloe, it's not the same."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm afraid I could lose control while we...you know...and I could hurt you!"
"Clark, I love you, but that is just stupid."
Clark looked at her, feeling hurt. It wasn't like he didn't want to. Why wouldn't she understand?
She stepped forward again, and took his large hand in her much smaller one. Then looking up at him, she said, "Clark, you are letting fear stand in your way. Nothing more. You've had your strength you entire life. Your heat vision for three years. You know how your powers work and when to use them or not." She placed her free hand over his still-pounding heart. "Your powers are part of you, part of what makes you so special. Learn to trust them, trust yourself. Stop holding yourself back from fear of who you are and what you can do, and embrace it instead." The smile she gave him was filled with infinite warmth and belief...in him. "Once you do that, there won't be anything you can't do."
Did she really believe that?
Sensing the shift in his mood, Chloe's hand left his chest and reached up to cup his cheek, gently but firmly drawing his head down to hers so their lips were just breaths apart. Her voice turned soft and raspy, "I trust you, Clark. Including in this..."
Was she right? Was he holding himself back, not from fear of hurting her, but fear of his own powers? Looking down at her in his arms, he remembered fearing Chloe finding out his secret. He'd been afraid to trust her, but she had known for months - even before he knew she did- and during that entire time she had done nothing but support and stand by him. Chloe had even come to his rescue unasked, stopping Lex from following him to The Fortress, without him even knowing of the danger posed by the other man.
He'd been wrong not to trust her before...so maybe it was time to trust her - trust himself - and embrace the freedom she was offering.
Without realizing it, Clark let go of the hard knot of tension that had been sitting in the pit of his stomach as the passion built inside him. It wasn't until it was gone, that he realized it had even been there at all. He had gotten so used to that sinking feeling holding him back, ever since his his powers had returned after he and Lana had...done what they had. But with Lana, he knew he couldn't ever let go. With her, it wasn't just about fear of his own power with her, it was fear of showing her he had powers at all. He wasn't sure why, but he knew he couldn't share his secret with her, no matter how much he might have thought he wanted to.
But with Chloe, it was different. She knew and she accepted - No, not just accepted...Chloe loved him. Alien, powers, and all.
As the tension left him, warmth that replaced the cold knot in his stomach. A warmth he always felt around Chloe. A warmth that was quickly transmuting into fire. That was newer between them, but just as welcome, for it was the heat of desire unshadowed by doubt. Her lips looked red an bee-stung from his kisses, and her skin was flushed a beautiful pink color from his touch. Seeing her that way, Clark embraced the heat, as he embraced Chloe once more.
"Alright," he whispered against her parted lips, dragging her hard against him.