Winter Wonderland
Title: Winter Wonderland
Author: jlvsclrk
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Chloe
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: all characters belong to CW/DC Comics
Word Count: 1700
Spoilers/Warnings: none
Summary: Chloe and Clark enjoy a special vacation
Notes: For the smallearth advent calendar. Set post Pariah. Clark didn't immediately forget about Alicia the way Reunion would have us believe, and things are still tense at the Kent farm.
Thanks to babydee1 for her help.
Winter Wonderland
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
Chloe’s voice mingled awe and dread as she stared around her. She felt almost blinded at the brilliant sunshine reflecting off the snow-laden peak of Whistler Mountain. Behind her, another group exited the ski lift and peeled off towards the expert slopes with shrieks of glee. The clouds that had dumped almost a foot of snow overnight were fast retreating to the west, leaving an extreme skiers’ paradise in their wake. But Chloe was just barely past her snowplowing phase and felt more than a hint of trepidation.
At her side, Clark seemed to sense her nerves and gave her a small smile of reassurance. “You’ll be fine, Chloe. We’ll take it slow and stick to the beginner trail my teacher told me about. I’ve been wanting to check it out with you for days now.” Clark’s voice was confident, if still tinged with a remnant of the sadness that had lingered since Alicia’s death last month.
“Yeah, I hated the way we got split up. I would have enjoyed falling every five minutes that first day so much more if you’d been there to pick me up.” They’d started out together in the ‘learn-to-ski’ program but Clark had demonstrated an immediate knack and had been quickly moved into the novice then intermediate level. Chloe’s progress had been slower and hard-earned. But she’d persisted through her lessons and was now finally ready to tackle the high alpine slopes - at least the easiest ones.
Clark’s smile had vanished at the mention of her earlier struggles and he gave her gear a thorough check. Chloe felt almost smothered by the layers and layers of clothing, but at least she was warm - it was a lot colder here at the peak than in the valley. Clark seemed oblivious, and Chloe wondered if that was part of his package of special abilities. If so, he should be more careful to hide his differences - she pulled up the zipper of his jacket and took his gloves out of his pockets. He put them on with a somewhat rueful grin, then pushed off to the beginner slope. Chloe took a deep breath and followed.
For some reason, it was called the Burnt Stew Trail, and started just a few hundred feet shy of Whistler Peak. It was an old logging road that wound its way between and through several advanced slopes with names like Harmony and Rhapsody. On these, she watched the expert skiers powering their way through foot deep powder, snaking their way downhill with a rhythmic grace. Her own turns were a good deal choppier, but the trail she was on was well groomed and considerably less steep. She felt herself relaxing and smiled when Clark turned back to check up on her. He smiled in return and stopped as they reached a spot with a particularly good view. He reached into his pockets and pulled out her digital camera, then snapped a series of pictures.
“It’s like something out of a fairy tale. I can’t believe we’re here.” Clark gave her a shy look before continuing, “Thanks for asking me, Chloe.”
“Thank The General you mean. And the U.S. government for asking him to do a security assessment for the Olympic Games. And Lois for asking me…”
“And my parents for letting me come…”
“After Lois said her dad owed you all for putting up with her over the last few months…”
“And the way you arranged for us to get special credit for writing a report on the trip for the Torch…”
Chloe smiled at him, proud of that particular touch which had indeed been a key element in getting permission for the trip. She’d been worried about Clark and the Kents - they’d always been her vision of an ideal family but lately things had been tense between them. She knew that the Kents had disapproved of Alicia and had been furious over Clark’s impromptu marriage. They’d tried to be supportive after her death, but Clark had withdrawn from them nonetheless. When the chance to visit Whistler had come up, she’d hoped that getting Clark away from them would relieve some of the pressure. So far it seemed to be working - Clark had sounded almost normal when talking to his mother last night.
Of course, her other reason for inviting Clark wasn’t quite as noble. Clark was looking particularly good today, basking in the sunshine, hair gleaming, cheeks and lips glowing from the cold and exercise. And his eyes… Chloe restrained the old urge to touch him, to see if he was really real or just a figment of an overwrought imagination. Now that she knew about his abilities, he seemed even more amazing to her than ever. But he wasn’t hers and never would be. She smothered a sigh and asked him if he was ready to move on.
Clark flashed her a grin and told her to ski ahead while he took some pictures of her in action. She felt a little self-conscious as she pushed off, but gradually settled into a slow but steady rhythm. But then they reached a flat patch and she had to use her poles to make any progress. She looked behind at Clark, who was moving easily by using his skis like skates. She tried that a few times but couldn’t maintain her balance, so went back to her method. It was hard work and she stopped to loosen her scarf and muffler.
“Do you want me to pull you along?”
Chloe shot Clark an offended look. “Not likely! I just need to catch my breath and cool down a bit.”
“Yeah, you’re looking hot. Here, let me help you that.” He leaned in close to undo the side zippers of her jacket.
“Why thank you, Clark. You’re looking pretty hot yourself.” She reached up to return the favour.
Clark flushed and tried to step backwards, but lost his balance when his ski caught in the snow. He collapsed in a drift at the side of the trail and looked up at her in bewilderment. Chloe looked back in stunned silence until a smile twitched at the side of his mouth. They both started to laugh, softly at first, then harder and harder, until Chloe collapsed at Clark’s side from the strain to her ribs.
“God, Chloe. I don’t know what I’d do without you sometimes.”
She beamed at him. “Back at you, Clark. But we’d better get going again before I cool off. It’s a nuisance having to keep doing and undoing all these layers.”
Clark tried to stand up but started moving forward before he got to his feet. He flailed a bit and fell back, then looked at her for help.
Chloe struggled against the laughter that threatened to well up again. “That’s what you get for skipping the ‘falling down’ phase of your lessons - you don’t know the ‘getting back up’ trick. Watch how I do it.” She suited actions to words and Clark copied her movements. He gave her a grateful smile then waved her ahead with a flourish.
They gradually made their way across the flat section and Chloe settled once more into the rhythm of skiing. They were now below the tree line and the trail narrowed, forcing her to take shorter and shorter turns. She could see another flat patch in the distance, so decided to just let her skis run. Faster and faster she moved. It was exhilarating and Chloe crouched forward to reduce the wind resistance. It was so effortless, it almost felt like flying!
Chloe could never quite figure out what happened next. She had just passed a spot where their trail intersected with another - a double diamond run down a very steep glade. She heard some snowboarders coming up fast behind her and heard Clark angrily shouting at them to slow down - she had the right of way. One of the boarders passed her on the left, followed by another on the right. The last one curved a hard turn in front of her, sending up a thick ridge of snow. Her right ski caught in the rut while the left one continued to move downhill. She was nearly spread eagled when the right ski came off. She pitched forward and felt the left ski come off as well. She closed her eyes in dread: this was not going to be a pleasant fall.
But she never hit the ground. Instead, she found herself in Clark’s arms, safe with scarcely a hair out of place. She looked around in confusion. Fifty feet back up the trail, she saw one ski standing almost vertical in the snow, with the other about ten feet behind that. Meanwhile, the snowboarders were already out of sight, never even realising the trouble they’d caused.
“How… I mean what… I mean how…” Chloe felt Clark tense at her side and paused to gather her thoughts. She suppressed all the questions she yearned to ask him and instead demanded, “How can people be so darned thoughtless? They could have killed me if you hadn’t been so close behind.” He hadn’t been, that much she knew, but it seemed like a plausible excuse for him to use.
Clark relaxed at her side and hugged her tightly. “I couldn’t let something happen to you. Have I told you lately that I couldn’t make it without you?”
“As a matter of fact you have. But it wouldn’t hurt to keep saying it - a girl doesn’t like to be taken for granted you know.”
Clark gave her another squeeze then started back uphill to collect her skis. She watched him, her knight in red and blue, and made a vow under her breath.
“Someday, Clark. Someday, you’ll notice who I really am. And I promise to wait.”
Did she imagine it, or did Clark stumble and smile back at her in response?
Author: jlvsclrk
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Chloe
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: all characters belong to CW/DC Comics
Word Count: 1700
Spoilers/Warnings: none
Summary: Chloe and Clark enjoy a special vacation
Notes: For the smallearth advent calendar. Set post Pariah. Clark didn't immediately forget about Alicia the way Reunion would have us believe, and things are still tense at the Kent farm.
Thanks to babydee1 for her help.
Winter Wonderland
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
Chloe’s voice mingled awe and dread as she stared around her. She felt almost blinded at the brilliant sunshine reflecting off the snow-laden peak of Whistler Mountain. Behind her, another group exited the ski lift and peeled off towards the expert slopes with shrieks of glee. The clouds that had dumped almost a foot of snow overnight were fast retreating to the west, leaving an extreme skiers’ paradise in their wake. But Chloe was just barely past her snowplowing phase and felt more than a hint of trepidation.
At her side, Clark seemed to sense her nerves and gave her a small smile of reassurance. “You’ll be fine, Chloe. We’ll take it slow and stick to the beginner trail my teacher told me about. I’ve been wanting to check it out with you for days now.” Clark’s voice was confident, if still tinged with a remnant of the sadness that had lingered since Alicia’s death last month.
“Yeah, I hated the way we got split up. I would have enjoyed falling every five minutes that first day so much more if you’d been there to pick me up.” They’d started out together in the ‘learn-to-ski’ program but Clark had demonstrated an immediate knack and had been quickly moved into the novice then intermediate level. Chloe’s progress had been slower and hard-earned. But she’d persisted through her lessons and was now finally ready to tackle the high alpine slopes - at least the easiest ones.
Clark’s smile had vanished at the mention of her earlier struggles and he gave her gear a thorough check. Chloe felt almost smothered by the layers and layers of clothing, but at least she was warm - it was a lot colder here at the peak than in the valley. Clark seemed oblivious, and Chloe wondered if that was part of his package of special abilities. If so, he should be more careful to hide his differences - she pulled up the zipper of his jacket and took his gloves out of his pockets. He put them on with a somewhat rueful grin, then pushed off to the beginner slope. Chloe took a deep breath and followed.
For some reason, it was called the Burnt Stew Trail, and started just a few hundred feet shy of Whistler Peak. It was an old logging road that wound its way between and through several advanced slopes with names like Harmony and Rhapsody. On these, she watched the expert skiers powering their way through foot deep powder, snaking their way downhill with a rhythmic grace. Her own turns were a good deal choppier, but the trail she was on was well groomed and considerably less steep. She felt herself relaxing and smiled when Clark turned back to check up on her. He smiled in return and stopped as they reached a spot with a particularly good view. He reached into his pockets and pulled out her digital camera, then snapped a series of pictures.
“It’s like something out of a fairy tale. I can’t believe we’re here.” Clark gave her a shy look before continuing, “Thanks for asking me, Chloe.”
“Thank The General you mean. And the U.S. government for asking him to do a security assessment for the Olympic Games. And Lois for asking me…”
“And my parents for letting me come…”
“After Lois said her dad owed you all for putting up with her over the last few months…”
“And the way you arranged for us to get special credit for writing a report on the trip for the Torch…”
Chloe smiled at him, proud of that particular touch which had indeed been a key element in getting permission for the trip. She’d been worried about Clark and the Kents - they’d always been her vision of an ideal family but lately things had been tense between them. She knew that the Kents had disapproved of Alicia and had been furious over Clark’s impromptu marriage. They’d tried to be supportive after her death, but Clark had withdrawn from them nonetheless. When the chance to visit Whistler had come up, she’d hoped that getting Clark away from them would relieve some of the pressure. So far it seemed to be working - Clark had sounded almost normal when talking to his mother last night.
Of course, her other reason for inviting Clark wasn’t quite as noble. Clark was looking particularly good today, basking in the sunshine, hair gleaming, cheeks and lips glowing from the cold and exercise. And his eyes… Chloe restrained the old urge to touch him, to see if he was really real or just a figment of an overwrought imagination. Now that she knew about his abilities, he seemed even more amazing to her than ever. But he wasn’t hers and never would be. She smothered a sigh and asked him if he was ready to move on.
Clark flashed her a grin and told her to ski ahead while he took some pictures of her in action. She felt a little self-conscious as she pushed off, but gradually settled into a slow but steady rhythm. But then they reached a flat patch and she had to use her poles to make any progress. She looked behind at Clark, who was moving easily by using his skis like skates. She tried that a few times but couldn’t maintain her balance, so went back to her method. It was hard work and she stopped to loosen her scarf and muffler.
“Do you want me to pull you along?”
Chloe shot Clark an offended look. “Not likely! I just need to catch my breath and cool down a bit.”
“Yeah, you’re looking hot. Here, let me help you that.” He leaned in close to undo the side zippers of her jacket.
“Why thank you, Clark. You’re looking pretty hot yourself.” She reached up to return the favour.
Clark flushed and tried to step backwards, but lost his balance when his ski caught in the snow. He collapsed in a drift at the side of the trail and looked up at her in bewilderment. Chloe looked back in stunned silence until a smile twitched at the side of his mouth. They both started to laugh, softly at first, then harder and harder, until Chloe collapsed at Clark’s side from the strain to her ribs.
“God, Chloe. I don’t know what I’d do without you sometimes.”
She beamed at him. “Back at you, Clark. But we’d better get going again before I cool off. It’s a nuisance having to keep doing and undoing all these layers.”
Clark tried to stand up but started moving forward before he got to his feet. He flailed a bit and fell back, then looked at her for help.
Chloe struggled against the laughter that threatened to well up again. “That’s what you get for skipping the ‘falling down’ phase of your lessons - you don’t know the ‘getting back up’ trick. Watch how I do it.” She suited actions to words and Clark copied her movements. He gave her a grateful smile then waved her ahead with a flourish.
They gradually made their way across the flat section and Chloe settled once more into the rhythm of skiing. They were now below the tree line and the trail narrowed, forcing her to take shorter and shorter turns. She could see another flat patch in the distance, so decided to just let her skis run. Faster and faster she moved. It was exhilarating and Chloe crouched forward to reduce the wind resistance. It was so effortless, it almost felt like flying!
Chloe could never quite figure out what happened next. She had just passed a spot where their trail intersected with another - a double diamond run down a very steep glade. She heard some snowboarders coming up fast behind her and heard Clark angrily shouting at them to slow down - she had the right of way. One of the boarders passed her on the left, followed by another on the right. The last one curved a hard turn in front of her, sending up a thick ridge of snow. Her right ski caught in the rut while the left one continued to move downhill. She was nearly spread eagled when the right ski came off. She pitched forward and felt the left ski come off as well. She closed her eyes in dread: this was not going to be a pleasant fall.
But she never hit the ground. Instead, she found herself in Clark’s arms, safe with scarcely a hair out of place. She looked around in confusion. Fifty feet back up the trail, she saw one ski standing almost vertical in the snow, with the other about ten feet behind that. Meanwhile, the snowboarders were already out of sight, never even realising the trouble they’d caused.
“How… I mean what… I mean how…” Chloe felt Clark tense at her side and paused to gather her thoughts. She suppressed all the questions she yearned to ask him and instead demanded, “How can people be so darned thoughtless? They could have killed me if you hadn’t been so close behind.” He hadn’t been, that much she knew, but it seemed like a plausible excuse for him to use.
Clark relaxed at her side and hugged her tightly. “I couldn’t let something happen to you. Have I told you lately that I couldn’t make it without you?”
“As a matter of fact you have. But it wouldn’t hurt to keep saying it - a girl doesn’t like to be taken for granted you know.”
Clark gave her another squeeze then started back uphill to collect her skis. She watched him, her knight in red and blue, and made a vow under her breath.
“Someday, Clark. Someday, you’ll notice who I really am. And I promise to wait.”
Did she imagine it, or did Clark stumble and smile back at her in response?