(Untitled)

[downsidedarling]

Humming idly (Ensorra, Bright on Fire), Anna enters her apartment and flops down on the couch. It was a good day at work - she never has bad ones, really. Now it's time for some good old-fashioned alone time with Larry Niven. The Ringworld Throne may suffer from mild sequelitis, but it's still a good read.

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[hero_farmboy]

Sometime later, there is a knock at the door.

[downsidedarling]

Distracted by turning the page, Anna makes a welcoming sort of 'mph' noise.

It's bound to be either Clark or Vivien, and they both know she keeps the door unlocked.

[hero_farmboy]

There's a pause and then the door opens just a crack.

"Um, hello? Anna? God, I better have the right apartment."

[downsidedarling]

"Shit!"

Anna snaps her book shut - page 103 - and hurries to the door, opening it the rest of the way with a sheepish smile.

"Was expecting somebody else. Sorry, Chloe. What's up?"

[hero_farmboy]

"Oh, hey," Chloe replies brightly. "I was right. Go me." She holds out a small bag and a coffee cup. "I brought goodies."

[downsidedarling]

"I like goodies!"

She grins and accepts the unknown offering. (In Metropolis, coffee from a stranger is always an unknown offering. They tend to succumb to this strange desire to put stuff in it other than, well, coffee.)

"Go you, indeed."

[hero_farmboy]

This is Chloe. She would never presume to doctor someone else's coffee without knowing it was precisely what they wanted. So Anna will find milk, sugar and a stir stick in the bag, should she want it. As well as cookies.

"I hope you don't mind me just dropping by like this, but I sort of forgot to ask Clark for your number at lunch. Mostly because I didn't want him to know I was wanting to stop by." She grins. "He tends to ask questions about things like that."

[downsidedarling]

Giggling, Anna holds up the coffee demonstratively.

"Okay, and presuming this isn't drugged and you're not planning on kidnapping me, why are you stopping by? Not that I'm complaining-- free coffee is awesome. Ooh, cookies!"

This last is because she opened the bag. Cue beaming.

[hero_farmboy]

"Trust me, I barely have time to fit school and work in the same day. Kidnapping is way down on my list of things to do," she sets her jacket over the arm of a chair and then sighs quietly, looking somewhat pensive.

"I thought maybe I should talk to you about the whole birthday thing coming up. I know this is sort of in advance, but I figured it's better to do it early, than too late, you know?"

[downsidedarling]

"Birthday?"

Anna raises her eyebrows.

"Quel birthday?"

[hero_farmboy]

Cue confusion. "Clark's birthday. It's in a few weeks."

Beat.

"...you knew that, right?"

[downsidedarling]

There is mild facepalm.

"No. No, he never mentioned it."

[hero_farmboy]

"No, he wouldn't, but I figured it had to have come up in conversation by now," Chloe sighs.

"Then maybe we can just forget this ever happened?" She sounds awfully hopeful.

[downsidedarling]

"No, okay, now you've got me curious. Clark mentioned he's not the birthday type, but I didn't think the... yeah... I'm confused."

[hero_farmboy]

"He's really not. His last few have, well, sucked in a sort of spectacular fashion." Chloe purses her lips and ponders what, if anything to say about that.

"Look, all I was going to say was if you were thinking of planning anything, just... don't. But you weren't, so that's not really a problem."

[downsidedarling]

"Yeah, no. I'm traditionally not a birthday person myself. So no worries."

A festive celebrator of thousands, yes, but Clark's not having one of those anytime soon.