Those Three Words (Ten/?)

[xtremeroswellia]

Title: Those Three Words
Authors: xtremeroswellia and clarksmuse
Rating: R to NC-17 for language and sexual scenes
Pairing: Chlean (Chloe/Dean) :D
Characters: multi-fandom -- Smallville, Supernatural, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Disclaimer: Neither of us own these characters. We're just borrowing them, so please don't sue!!

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen A | Sixteen B | Seventeen | Eighteen | Cocnlusion



Chloe gingerly pushed open the door to her apartment, not thrilled to be walking inside considering the three of them were covered and dripping with goo. "I hate slime demons," she grumbled, flipping on the light. "I'm hittin' the shower." She cast Dean a sideways glance before heading down the hall toward the bathroom.

Dean, catching the look on Chloe's face, wanted nothing more than to jump in the shower with her. Literally, especially since he was still digging the slime out of his ears from that thing exploding all over him. "Yeah, a shower sounds good," he said, following her.

Sam, who had grabbed a kitchen towel and was wiping the smile off his face, paused at Dean's words. "Hang on," he said. "There's only one shower --"

"Didn't I tell you?" Dean returned, looking back as his brother as he headed down the hall. "The guest room's yours now." He didn't catch the shocked yet amused look on Sam's face as he opened the bathroom door Chloe had just closed. "Need help with that?" he suggested, leaning against the doorjamb.

She shot him a wicked grin. "I think I'm capable of undressing myself... but you're pretty good at it, too."

Walking in and shutting the door, he walked to her and put his hands on the hem of her shirt. "Damn straight I am," he replied, pulling it off her and kissing her, despite the demon goo.

"Another shirt bites the dust," she commented. "At this rate I'm gonna be out of clothes by the end of the week." She pulled his shirt over his head. "And so are you."

Kicking his shoes off, he yanked off his jeans and watched Chloe turn on the shower. "Me? Never," he replied with a silly grin on his face. "I'll just take Sam's if I'm really desperate." He stopped to admire her shapely backside as she checked to make sure the water was warm.

"Or you could just go naked," she said with a smirk as she climbed into the shower.

"What, so you can ogle me 24/7?" he retorted with a lazy smile as he climbed in after her.

"Oh, like you'd mind," she teased, turning to face him.

"Hell, no," he said, pulling her to him so they could share the warm spray, "though you should be naked with me. That'd be... perfect."

Chloe grinned and closed her eyes as the hot water rinsed their bodies of the demon goo. She kissed him lightly, then reached for a bar of soap, opening her eyes to look at him as she began to run her soapy hands over his chest and arms.

Dean closed his eyes and leaned his head back, letting her wash his tired and sore body, which felt less sore and more aroused at this point. She was taking her time too, dammit, he thought as she slid the soap and her hands all over him. The second he sensed she was finished, he opened his eyes and grabbed the bar of soap from her. "My turn," he whispered huskily.

She watched him as he shifted closer to her, sliding his hands down her body. She closed her eyes, letting him wash her with gentle but teasing touches. "Hey Dean?" she murmured.

Momentarily distracted by how soft her skin was, Dean didn't hear her. But when he looked at her and saw the questioning look in her eyes, he stilled. "Yeah, babe?" he asked.

"You think I'd look better with dark hair?"

Running his hands through her wet hair, he smirked and shook his head. "No way," he replied seriously. "I have this thing for blondes."

"Are you sure you're not just hoping to get lucky?" she asked, only half-kidding.

"Oh, I know I'm gonna get lucky," he replied confidently, grabbing her flowery smelling shampoo and lathering her hair. "I like your hair. Why change it?"

"No reason," she answered, leaning against him as he washed her hair. "Just curious."

"You're such a liar," Dean replied, massaging her scalp lightly with his fingertips as he washed and rinsed her hair. Her soft moan in response compelled him to kiss her lightly. "Really, why dye your hair?"

"Well most guys seem to prefer raven-haired beauties."

He thought that a strange comment, especially since the only thing he could think about was watching the water-drenched body under the shower head. "I'm not most guys, you know," he whispered.

His soft tone made her lift her eyes to gaze at him. "I'm gettin' that," she whispered back.

"Good." He pulled her to him while reaching behind her to turn off the water. "So I want to know... why do you want to know if I'd change anything about you when I clearly do not?"

"Old habits die hard, I guess." She rested her head against his collarbone.

Sighing, he picked Chloe up and carried her out of the tub, putting her down and grabbing a towel to dry her off. She'd been hurt, he realized, drying off her tight luscious body while kissing her neck at the same time. "Rejection," he whispered against her skin. "It hurts."

She closed her eyes as his lips trailed lightly over her neck. "Yes," she admitted in a whisper.

Pulling back to look into her eyes, he traced her lips with his finger. "Does this feel like rejection to you?" he asked gently.

"Not at the moment," she said honestly.

"Good," he whispered, kissing her gently again. He reluctantly let her go and dried his hair vigorously. "So, who's rejected you in your past that's making you doubt me?"

She took the robe off the back of the door and slid it on, tying the sash around her waist painstakingly slow. "ClarkKent," she whispered.

Damn, I knew it was a guy, he thought sadly, wrapping the towel around his waist and taking her back into his arms. "Interesting name," he said out loud. "Who is he?"

"A friend... someone I always... wanted more with," she admitted quietly. "We were sorta back and forth for awhile. But his heart was with someone else."

His grip on her tightened, hating this guy for being the blind fool he obviously was. "What a fuckin' jerk," he grumbled, kissing the top of her head. "... though definitely good for me."

"Can't make someone love you... no matter how hard you try," she said softly, slowly sliding her arms around him.

"Just like you can't control... who you fall in love with," Dean murmured against her hair, brushing his lips on her head gently. And the thought that maybe he felt that way about her already rocked him to his core, making him feel the need to think this through. This thing... whatever they shared... he was suddenly unsure of himself.

"You okay?" she asked, sensing his change in demeanor as she looked up at him with curious eyes.

"Who me?" he asked, pulling away and trying to shrug it off, though he couldn't completely hold her gaze. "I'm good. It's just that, uh... Chloe --"

Just then an angry knock interrupted them. "Dammit, you too, would you just get a room already? I'm tired of smelling like slime!"

Rolling his eyes, Dean whispered, "Nice timing, Dorkface, as usual."

Chloe smiled guiltily as she opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the hall. "Sorry, Sam. We were talking."

"That what they're calling it these days?" Sam replied, holding up a hand as Chloe tried to give him an answer. "Never tell me. No really... NEVER TELL ME."

Dean followed Chloe as she headed down the hall. "We left ya plenty of hot water," he smirked, still grabbing onto the towel around his waist.

Sam shook his head, a little grossed out. "Please tell me they didn't... in the shower." He shut the bathroom door to take his own shower, hoping he'd come out clean when he was finished.

"Either your brother has a dirty mind or he knows you really well," she said with a short chuckle as she headed for her dresser to find a pair of pajamas.

"Dirty mind. It's from all the erotica he watches." Dean shut the bedroom door and watched her undress. "Sure you'll need those pajamas?" he asked suggestively, moving towards her.

She smirked and looked at him. "Get out. Sam watches porn?"

Laughing, he grabbed a pair of boxers from his bag and, taking off the towel, proceeded to put them on. "Considering he always turns off the TV whenever I walk into the room," he replied casually. "Well, you do the math." He sat on her bed and watched her gracefully move around the room, putting on her nightclothes and tossing her demon-gut soaked ones in the hamper.

Yawning, she sat down on the edge of the bed and glanced at him sideways. She raked a hand through her still damp hair and smiled lazily as she lay down.

"Aw, you look like you could go another round of two of pounding into slimy demon flesh," Dean remarked, moving under the covers with her and turning onto his side to look at her. "You're beautiful," he whispered, serious as stone.

Another smile tugged at her lips and she turned over to face him, as well. "Thank you," she whispered back, reaching out and touching his cheek.

Bringing her closer to him, he gently kissed her forehead, then looked mischievously into her eyes. "Can't talk you out of those PJ's huh?" he teased, seeing her tired eyes wander down to his naked torso.

"Maybe for awhile. Definitely not for the entire night," she said with a smirk.

Grinning, he kissed her lightly and pulled her into him, warming her with his body. "No, you fought hard tonight. Least thing I can do is leave you be to get some shuteye." Though he didn't know how much he'd get, he thought with a soft smile. Chloe had given him way too much to think about.

"Well I was thinking more along the lines of in case I had to do any post-dawn slayage." She pressed a light kiss to his chest, smiling a little as she felt him shudder against her.

"God, do that again," he whispered urgently in response to her feather kisses on his body. When she did that again, he groaned. "Yeah, I get what you're saying," he muttered as she continued to rain light kisses on his chest, "but I can't guarantee you'll stay dressed if you keep doing that."

Chloe chuckled. "Is that a threat or a promise?" She slid her hands around to his back.

"Both, depending on how much you want it," Dean replied, putting her underneath him with one swift move and feeling her gasp in response.

She shifted underneath him, gazing at him intently. "I think you know the answer to that."

Smiling in the dark, Dean leaned down and kissed Chloe hungrily, wanting to finish what they had started in the shower. He felt her body move beneath him, making his body tingle with electricity. He moved his hands under her pajama top, stroking her belly and moving up to cup her breasts.

She slid her hands over his chest, her heart already quickening as he began to touch her with expert hands. She closed her eyes, sitting up just enough so she could kiss his neck, nibbling lightly on his skin.

"Chloe," he muttered against her, pulling up her shirt so their bare bodies could touch, his body stiffening in need against her gentle caresses. He lightly ground his hips into her, letting her feel his hardness and how much power she held over him. He moved down her body, kissing and nipping her everywhere, enjoying the sounds she made in response.

She groaned softly when she felt his tongue swirl around her belly button and she felt her temperature beginning to rise in response to his body against hers. No one had ever touched her like this before. "Dean," she whispered.

"Yes?" he whispered raggedly against her, slipping his hand beneath her bottoms and stroking a finger around her wet core.

"Please." She squirmed a little, digging her fingers into the bedding.

She was wet and ready, Dean thought, his body screaming for release. But he continued stroking her entrance with his fingers, rubbing her clit gently and slowly, but keeping his fingers from entering her. "Please... what?" he asked, watching the pleasure cross her face and smiling wickedly.

"You realize I could totally kick your ass," she groaned.

Rubbing her again in response, he laughed a little. "If that's what it takes to answer my question," he replied, continuing his caresses though his manhood throbbed. He could see her eyes roll back into her head from sheer pleasure and knew he was probably going to get smacked.

Her breathing was heavy. "Please finish undressing me for starters," she managed to say, biting her lower lip.

Chuckling, he grunted, "I knew I'd get you out of your clothes." He wasted no time in pulling her top off over her head and pushing her pajama bottoms down, making her completely naked beneath him. Getting off the bed, he stripped off his boxers and reached for the condom he'd left on her nightstand.

"That's one way to get me to do what you want," she snarked, reaching for him as he crawled back under the covers.

"So you're saying there are more ways?" Dean growled, letting her pull him on top of her as he spread her legs wide and positioning his thickness at her wet center. Kissing her hard, he entered her at the same time, feeling her body shudder with pleasure as he filled her with a single stroke.

"Maybe if you stick around long enough you'll find out more about those other ways," she said, gasping as he slid deeply into her. She slid her legs around his waist, pulling him even deeper inside, her nails digging lightly into his shoulders.

Dean felt her urgency that matched his and wasted no time slamming into her, her hips matching his fast rhythmic pumping. "I... intend to, dammit," he ground out, his breath catching as she dug her nails into him harder, making him pump her faster and more frantically. He felt her inner muscles stroking him and knew his release was close.

Lifting her hips to meet his again, she lifted her head up enough to kiss his neck, fully intending to leave a mark and wondering fleetingly why she suddenly felt so possessive of this man. The thought fled as rapidly as it appeared as he thrust into her harder, making her cry out his name.

"Come for me, Chloe," he whispered, their breaths quickening and mingling as he pounded into her and hearing unintelligible babbling issue from her mouth. The pressure building, Dean buried his face into her neck, biting his lip to keep from yelling out her name at the top of his lungs as with one last thrust, he released himself into the condom that kept him wrapped in protection. He vaguely heard her cries as her own climax hit her, making her suck hard on his neck.

Still holding onto him tightly, she moaned, her head collapsing against the pillows beneath her neck. "God," she whispered, breathing heavily.

Disposing of the used condom quickly, Dean slipped back into bed and held onto Chloe, holding her close. Putting her head against his chest, he chuckled. "Well, I've never been called that before, but... yes?" He laughed harder as she pulled back to swat him.

"It's a good thing I like you," she told him playfully.

"I know, because who'd put up with me otherwise?" he chuckled, bringing her back to him, stroking her arm with his hand. "I... like you more, you know," he said, seriously and honestly. He didn't know how to convey his feelings, because to tell the truth, he didn't know how deeply they went.

"More than I like you or more than you like Spike?" she joked.

"Which do you think?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Well if you don't like me more than you like Spike, obviously we have a problem," Chloe said with a short chuckle.

"It's you, Chloe," he whispered softly in her ear. "Definitely more than you." He kissed the skin just under her earlobe and wondered how long he and Sam could stay here. So he could be with her, to talk to her, joke with her... make love to her.

"How do you know you like me more than I like you?" she whispered back, resting one hand lightly over his heart.

Dean leaned into the pillow, not sure how to answer her. He just suddenly was hit with a thought: that it was possible he loved her. And how that happened, he had no idea. "I... just know it," he replied, a little lamely, not ready to confess what he just understood to be true. Trying to lighten the mood, he continued, "Besides, I get way more pleasure out of taking your clothes off."

She smiled a little at his remark. "So I noticed," she teased lightly, kissing him.

"So, you think you can sleep in the buff with this hot guy next to you, without the post-dawn slayage?" he asked teasingly, yawing a little.

"I think I'm definitely gonna try." She shifted closer to him, sliding one leg between his and curling herself around him.

Dean watched Chloe as she drifted off to sleep, her warm body pressed close to his, her breathing evening out. But it was awhile before he closed his eyes to sleep. Thoughts of her consumed him, of the feelings she'd created in him, of the sudden realization that this love he felt for her made him want to protect her for as long as he could. He finally drifted off to sleep, dreaming of how he would tell Chloe everything she wanted to know, and wondering if she'd accept him as he is.

&&&

Morning came way too early, Dean thought to himself as he looked at Chloe sleeping beside him, her arms still curled around him. He lightly kissed her on the forehead, whispering, "Good morning, beautiful," before gently getting out of bed, letting her sleep for awhile. He put on his boxers and a t-shirt and, gently closing the door behind him, shuffled into the kitchen, where he found Sam already awake.

There was a smirk on his face and he took a sip of coffee. "Good morning. Nice hickey."

Dean smacked his hand to his neck, glaring at Sam. "Screw you, Sammy," he grumbled, searching for a coffee mug.

A short chuckle escaped him. "No offense, but I think you're getting enough of that elsewhere, Dean." Moving out of his brother's reach, he smirked when Dean glared at him.

"Yeah, yuck it up, dumbass," he retorted softly, putting a finger over his lips. "Not so loud dude, Chloe's still sleeping." Grabbing the coffee pot, he poured himself a cup and sat down. "So how's the guest room now that you've moved up in the world?" He tried to make light of the situation, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes as he stared into his mug.

"It's nice to sleep in an actual bed again." Seeing the look on his brother's face, Sam's smile slipped a little. "What is it?"

"Nothing," he grumbled, taking another sip, lost in thought. He didn't really pay attention to Sam, who sat down across from him at the table.

"Right," Sam said wryly.

Dean looked up at his brother, blinking in surprise. "What?" he asked. "It's just... you know...." He shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to tell his brother.

Sam was silent for a moment. "Awkward morning after feelings?"

Looking into his mug, Dean thought about last night. And Chloe. "You have no idea, Sammy," he replied honestly, though softly. "I... There... I think...." He tried to say the words but couldn't. He didn't know what to say, aside from the fact that he wanted to stay with Chloe. Forever, if possible.

"Look, Dean." His voice was quiet, but slightly harder than he was used to hearing from his little brother. "Don't lead her on and break her heart. Not her."

"Dude, I'm not going to, dammit," he replied harshly. "Not when my..." He sighed in frustration, raking a hand through his hair. "I think I might love her, okay? Is that what you need to hear?"

Surprise registered on Sam's face. "Dude. Are you serious?" He leaned across the table, staring at his brother.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Dean responded, leaning towards Sam with a menacing look, trying to hide the confusion and love he felt for the woman sleeping just a few feet from them.

"Wow." Sam sat back in his chair, still looking stunned.

Dean stared at Sam, who said nothing more. The fact that Sam couldn't believe what he just confessed made him more uncomfortable. He stood, downing the rest of his coffee and reached for the coffee pot again, pouring another one. "It's going to be a long day," he mumbled, sitting down again and hoping Sam had wiped the shocked look off his face.

Slowly recovering from his brother's announcement, Sam finished off his own coffee. "Well, I think it's great."

Halfway through taking a sip, Dean paused and looked at Sam dubiously. "It is? Care to explain that?"

Sam rolled his eyes, thinking his brother was every bit as thick as their father in some ways. "Well, for one...you being with her doesn't put her in anymore danger than being away from her," he pointed out. "She can take care of herself. Knows about as much about demons and things that go bump in the night as we do, if not more..." He paused. "And I have a feeling she feels the same."

Dean nodded, still miserable and a little embarrassed that he was sharing a chick moment with his brother. No matter how much it was needed. Then Sam's last comment registered with him, nearly making him spit out his coffee. "What?" he demanded a little more loudly than he'd intended.

He smirked. "Napkin?" He shoved his arm across the table.

Grabbing the proffered napkin, Dean cleaned up the mess and glowered at Sam. "What... did you say?" he asked, daring his little brother to make another non-reply.

"I said...I think she feels the same. Or if she doesn't yet...she will soon."

"What... what makes you say that?" he asked carefully, not understanding why Chloe could possibly feel what she felt for him. "Too soon for that," he grumbled under his breath.

"The way she looks at you when you're not watching."

Dean smiled secretly, knowing he snuck looks at her as much as possible. "She does, huh?" he whispered. "I knew she had good taste in men." The smile on his face died, however, as he looked up at Dean. "But Sam, how can she leave with us to hunt the Demon when... she's needed her more?" The thought that he would have to leave her hurt him much more than he cared to admit. He looked down and stared into his coffee mug once again.

"Don't you think that should be her choice?"

"When did you get so damn insightful?" Dean said, smiling wryly. "Cause that's just scary."

Sam grinned. "I didn't go to college for nothin'."

Dean snorted. "Yeah, you're a real smartass." Standing again, he walked over to the kitchen and put his mug in the sink. "Sam?"

"Yeah?" He glanced at him as he rose from the table.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but..." Dean looked up and grimaced, hating himself for his doubts. "How quickly should we leave town if Chloe doesn't feel the same about me?"

"Dean?" He shook his head slightly. "I honestly don't think you need to worry about that."

"Heh, because it's too funny to see your older brother doubting his ability to make a woman fall in love with him," Dean grunted, hearing Chloe's door open. Whipping around to face Sam, he threatened softly, "Say a word and you're dead, dude."

Sam rolled his eyes and headed for Chloe's computer. "I'm gonna get a jump on the research."

Chloe padded down the hallway in bare feet, wearing a pair of flannel pajamas and her robe. She headed straight for the coffee pot, pouring herself a large, hot cup and pouring sugar into it without hesitation. "Morning," she said very softly.

"Morning, gorgeous," Dean whispered in her ear, wanting to plant a kiss on her but too conscious of Sam's presence to do so. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good... you?" She wrapped her hands around the mug, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Better than I have in a long time," he replied, backing away from her, confused by her distance. Clearing his throat, he said flatly, "So Sammy's hitting the research early, and I thought I'd go grab some breakfast."

Chloe managed a faint smile. "Okay. There's that IHOP on Garfield, and there's a Denny's on Grand."

"Thanks," he replied shortly, moving away from her quickly, needing to leave the apartment as quickly as possible. "Sammy? IHOP or Denny's, dude?"

"Huh?" Sam asked, pretending not to notice the change in the air between Dean and Chloe. "Oh, uh... I don't care which," he finally muttered after Dean shot him a look.

"Good, Denny's it is, then," he replied and walked down the hall, shutting the door behind him a little too loudly to dress.

Chloe flinched involuntarily at the noise, her heart sinking heavily in her chest. She slowly finished her cup of coffee, then washed the glass in silence, heading back to her bedroom. Clearly he had regretted spending the night with her. She moved to her closet, trying not to think about it as she got dressed.

Dean felt her enter her room and coldly go to her closet, not even acknowledging his presence... which only hurt him more. Sitting on the bed and yanking on his shoes, he grumbled, "I'll be back in a little while." He got up and started the leave the room.

"Try not to sound so happy about it," she said bitterly, not looking at him.

Pausing at the door, he battled with the anger within and growled, "How can I be if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"Yeah, well at least I was still in the bed," she said shortly.

Dean flinched. Damn, so that's what this was about, he thought, ashamed that he should have known better. Knocking his head against the door, he said, "I got up early and didn't want to wake you," he confessed quietly.

Swallowing hard, she looked up at him uncertainly. "Really? That's it?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"No," he replied, serious and honesty resonating in his voice, "but don't think this has anything to do with last night." He turned to look at her, staring at her.

She fell silent, a wave of dread washing over her. "Is this the part where you say it's not me it's you?" she tried to joke, turning away.

"Chloe." He wanted nothing more than to turn her around and crush her into his arms to comfort her, but he merely took a step towards her and said, "No, this is the past where I say that it's more about us than anything, and I... I don't know what that means." He shook his head, wondering why the hell he couldn't just come out and say it.

"I see," she whispered. "You know, I'm sure Sam's getting hungry. You should probably..." She gestured toward the door.

Without another word, Dean grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, crushing his lips onto hers. He didn't know what else to say, but he refused to let her doubt herself.

Chloe's eyes drifted shut instantly as he yanked her against him, kissing her deeply. Her fingers threaded through his hair.

Her instant response drove him wild as he pulled her flush against his body, wanting to make love to her again. But he pulled back from her after a moment, whispering, "Don't you get how I feel about you?"

Tears sparkled in her eyes as she remained silent.

Dean held her against him, leaning his forehead against hers and closing his eyes. He wished he could formulate the words and take the tears from her eyes.

She let out a breath and closed her eyes, as well, resting her hands lightly against his shoulders.

"Dammit, Chloe," he whispered, kissing her again lightly and rubbing her back gently. "You've branded me... in more ways than one." He pulled back and showed her the hickey she had given him the night before and smiled softly.

A faint smile tugged at her lips. "Sorry 'bout that," she said softly.

"Don't be," he whispered, squeezing her arms gently. "And don't regret what happened last night. Especially since I'd like to do that again soon." He flashed a wicked smile in her direction.

She chuckled softly. "Good to know."

Rubbing her arms lightly and kissing her again, he pulled away from her and walked to the door. "So I'm really going to be food now. We can talk more... later?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah." She watched him head for the door. "I'll be here."

Smiling at her lazily, he replied, "I love you," and walked out the door, down the hall, and out of the apartment. It wasn't until he'd gotten into the car that he realized what he'd revealed to her. Shocked at himself, he chuckled as he started the engine.

Chloe stood in the middle of her room, a stunned expression on her face. Had Dean just told her he loved her?