Fanfiction for legendarytobes
Title: Disillusioned
Disclaimer from the author: I do not own Smallville.
Summary: Secret Chlark fic for LegendaryTobes. Post-season 6 episode 12: "Labyrinth". After escaping the illusion created by the phantom Clark is feeling a little protective of Chloe.
Disillusioned
He remembers the juddering heaves as she'd taken her last breathes, the desperate gasps for air, the way his name had escaped her lips; Scared. Afraid and proclaiming her sanity until the end, terrified of everything around her.
He never wanted to see that; Never wants to see such fear, such panic, such raw, unadulterated desperation on her face ever again.
"Clark?" She stares up at him, confusion written across her face. "What's wrong?"
He smiles reassuringly, perhaps too quickly as she just seems even more worried. "Nothing." He soothes, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder comfortingly, smile widening as he feels warmth, a solidness that he'd always taken for granted would just be there.
"Clark!" He's startled by the sudden exclamation. His eyes catch his reflection in her own, and he sees his wide-eyed stare, sees the frozen smile and near-panic written across his face.
"Sorry." He's not sure what he's apologizing for, but he watches her relax and thinks it doesn't really matter, in the end.
The fire is lit before them, and the flames brighten her face; They give her an almost ethereal quality, and for a moment he's terrified that she will disappear.
Again.
It's horrifying. He had never even considered that she would be gone. At least he can visit Lana and know she's alright, but death... Death was permanent, something scarier than any amount of distance.
He felt something stirring inside him, whispering dark things at him that he'd never even considered before. Maybe a side effect of the phantom possession? The moment getting to him?
He reluctantly conceded that it wasn't either of the two options he'd prefer, and his mind cast back to the illusion he'd been under.
'"Clark, you don't have your powers right now, you could get hurt just like anyone else."'
"Clark!" She repeats for a third time. He swallows at the worry on her face. She wasn't afraid, not like then, but...
'"I don't know if I'll ever see you again."'
Swooping in, he locked lips with her before she could voice a complaint.
He knew she was with Jimmy, knew that she wouldn't want him anymore, not since...
She responded. Eyes closed, pushing against him, her mouth pressing against his own, lips parting and her tongue-
Chloe's skin had never seemed so sensitive, her hair never so soft, her eyes, opening to stare up at him, never so bright.
He's following her again.
At first he wasn't noticeable; Say what you will about Clark, but he can hide pretty well when he wants to. Now though, he's following her like a lost puppy, becoming more and more blatant in his stalking habit.
He had even ignored Lana in favor of staring after her, and the brunette had obviously noticed that as well going by the strange hurt that had crossed her face.
Chloe found that particularly aggravating: The other girl was dating another man, and yet she still expected Clark to lust after her?
Admittedly, up until a few days ago, he had followed the lithe girl almost religiously, to the point where the blonde wouldn't be surprised if he pulled on a robe and started chanting. Somehow his current behaviour of staring at her through windows was even creepier.
She wasn't sure how their friendship was after the kiss; Emotions had been high and people did things like that, after all, but he was definitely pushing their boundaries right now.
Green eyes casually flickered to the side, catching a glimpse of her stalker through the window.
In the past she had thought that he needed to blink, but judging by the complete stillness he was currently displaying that was just something Kryptonians didn't need to worry about.
"Wanna talk about whatever's bothering you, Clark?" She asked him dryly, masking the movements of her mouth with her mug and knowing that he had heard her loud and clear despite the room separation between them.
She caught his jolt and smirked slightly as he finally blinked, making his way into the room and around the other desks.
The hustle and bustle of the crowded basement covered their conversation better than any distance could; Nonetheless, the blonde decided that if they were going to talk about anything important they would do it out of the public eye.
Grabbing his hand and ignoring the strange look he gave their joined appendages, Chloe dragged him into the copier room, raising an eyebrow at him.
"What?" He genuinely sounded confused that she had called him out.
Staring at him for a moment, Chloe shook her head. "Why are you following me?"
"I'm not." Now he wasn't even trying, and she felt vaguely insulted about that.
Sighing, Chloe glared up at him. "Don't insult my intelligence Clark, I've seen you doing it. One more time: Why are you following me?"
"I'm just worried about you." He relented.
"I can get that." She nodded. "What I can't get is why you've decided to stalk me everywhere. I saw you follow me while I was picking out flowers!"
"You could still get attacked while you're doing that!" Clark defended himself, frowning.
Chloe huffed."If I'm in trouble I'll call for you. Now please, just stop."
"Alright, I'll stop." He smiled reassuringly.
"Seriously!" She glared. "I know when you're lying, Clark. Stop following me." Turning to leave, Chloe had to step back as someone else entered the room.
Clark stared after her as she left, ignoring the person that had entered the room.
"I'm telling you, it's not like that!" She insisted, rolling her eyes.
"He's everywhere!" Jimmy frowned. "I get that you're friends with the guy, but the amount of time you spend hanging around with him..."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Chloe stared at him with a weary gaze. "Are you implying something, Jimmy?"
"No! No, it's just that-" The photographer cut himself off. "I get that you're friends with the guy," He repeated, grimacing. "But can't you just spend a little less time with him?"
"No, I can't 'spend a little less time with him'." She mimicked, stony in the face of his mistrust. "I can't deal with this Jimmy. You're my guy! Why can't you get that?"
In a moment of timing that had to be intentional on his part, Clark stepped into the room. "Hey Chloe! Hi Jimmy."
She blinked at the chilly tone with which he said Jimmy's name. "Hey Clark. What's up?"
"Hey CK." Jimmy smiled stiffly. "We're busy right now. Think you could...?" He trailed off meaningfully.
"What?" Looking so guilelessly innocent that he couldn't possibly not understand Jimmy's request, Clark shrugged. "I just came to tell you about a lead."
Despite herself Chloe felt a vague stirring of interest at the possibility of a potential headline. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. Can we...?" He inclined his head towards the door, and suddenly Jimmy stepped forward.
"Not right now, CK. We're kinda in the middle of something right now." He piped up, pursing his lips.
Clark stared down at the shorter man and for a second Chloe could swear that his eyes briefly flared. "I'm sure it can wait, Jimmy." He said tersely, and Chloe barely caught herself as she started to gawk. Clark didn't do rude. He did violent, or empathetic, or sympathetic or passionate or even, loathe as she was to admit it, self-righteous, but he didn't do rude.
"Clark, can this maybe just wait a little while?" She pleaded. "I just need to finish talking with Jimmy."
"Finish?" Jimmy glared, and she felt her own temper flare at his indignation. "Like I'm just an after-thought or something? Chloe, this is ridiculous!"
The blonde sighed, massaging her temple with her fingers. "Jimmy, you're just making a big deal out of nothing. Please just drop it." She stressed insistently, knowing by the increasing redness of his face even as she spoke that he wouldn't.
Sure enough he didn't. "No! Chloe, you constantly go on about him," Here Clark dropped his innocent expression in favor of wide-eyed curiosity. "And you always hang around with him. I'm sick of feeling like a second fiddle in my own relationship."
"Chloe talks about me?"
"So what are you saying?" She asked sharply, sparing Clark a strange look and then turning her attention back to Jimmy.
"What does she say?"
If anything the casual question voiced by Clark seemed to make the photographer even angrier. "I'm saying," He started, inhaling deeply. "You need to make a choice." He finished grimly, looking her in the eye. "Me, or him." Here he tilted his head towards the other man.
"What?"
"It's your choice. Either you want me in your life... Or you want him."
"Jimmy..."
As far as decisions went most of her time in that argument had been spent trying to make Jimmy change his opinion, but as soon as it became clear that he wouldn't...
"Wow." Clark voiced, eyebrows nearly receding into his hairline. "That was..."
'Quick'. The word went unvoiced between the two of them, but as Chloe guiltily slumped into her chair, it wore on her a dozen times more than keeping Clark's secret ever had.
"So, you talk about me?" He beamed, and something in her eyes must have tipped him off that that was the wrong thing to say. "I mean... I'm here for you?" He offered lamely.
"Thanks, Clark." As much as his recent habits irritated her, she had to admit that it was nice to be the center of his attention for once.
"How long have you two been arguing about this?" He asked, glancing at her in concern.
Chloe sighed, shaking her head with fatigue. "Longer than we should have been. I guess I should have realized that this would happen." She admitted. "I just wanted something of my own. A stable relationship with a normal guy."
"Is that what you want? A normal guy?" His tone was conflicted, and she eyed him with confusion.
"I-" She shrugged halfheartedly. "I don't know. It hasn't been a bad experience, but Jimmy... He was a little too normal. I don't think I could deal with that long term." She confessed.
"But you could deal with not normal long-term?" He persisted, and she raised her head, finally noticing just how close he was and the possessive glimmer in his eyes.
"Maybe." She gulped, pushing back against the chair as he came in closer. "I don't know."
"Oh." He looked almost disappointed by the non-committal answer, and she found herself reluctantly continuing.
"Well, if it were the right guy I could..." She hedged, and she was taken aback as suddenly he was face-to-face with her, an intense stare burrowing into her.
"The right guy?" He pressed, and the blonde couldn't back up any more, forced to sit up straight and meet his gaze.
"Yes," She started, quirking her lips. "If it was the right guy, I could deal with not normal."
"I'm not normal." He pushed, and that intensity was in his eyes once more.
"No, you're definitely not." She agreed hesitantly, weak smile fading as the Kryptonian leaned in so close that their foreheads almost touched, and for a moment she wondered if he was going to kiss her again.
She felt something close to disappointment as he backed away, leaving her perched on the edge of her seat and watching him as he stood up and paced.
"Clark? What's wrong?" She asked hesitantly, his sudden mood shifts startling her.
He shook his head forlornly, stepping towards the door. "I've gotta go."
She blinked and jumped to her feet, brow furrowing as he made to leave. "Wait-" In a blur of colour he was gone, leaving her addressing the room. "-What about the story?" She glared at the empty space and fell back into the chair.
Chloe stared down at her desk, biting her lip and purposefully ignoring the odd looks directed her way.
Roses. Dozens of roses littered her desk, like something out of a crappy novella or one of those 50's romance chick-flicks. Just the fact that it was such a cliché meant that the roses were either from Clark or Jimmy. The fact that there were dozens that had inexplicably appeared overnight told her which of the two it was.
"Why?" She asked the air, knowing that he had to be somewhere around here and that he would hear the exasperated question.
With Valentine's day just a couple of weeks away every person at the Planet seemed hyper-aware of anything even slightly romantic, so the jealous looks being directed her way by some of the women in the bullpen meant that she was probably going to be given the cold shoulder until it came and went. The fact that all of her work was underneath the many flowers and she couldn't just brush them off was an annoyance in itself.
She rolled her eyes, determined not to smile at the sweet gesture even as she gently held one of the roses between her forefinger and thumb, examining the flower with a quirk of her lips.
Outside the building Clark stared through the wall, grinning as he watched the blonde twirl a rose between her fingers.
She'd felt his gaze on her the entire walk back and she had an inkling that it was, at least in small part, due to the singular rose that she'd kept safely stored in her front coat pocket.
Grimacing, Chloe took the rose and gently lowered it into a glass, placing it beside a window. "Don't take that the wrong way. It's just... Pretty." She lamely defended.
"Right." She stiffened slightly as muscular arms encircled her shoulders, feeling his breathe on her ear.
"Clark," She swallowed as she felt him sniff at her hair. "What is this?"
Loosening his hold Clark raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "What do you mean?" He queried.
"The flowers, the hugs, following me, the... The kisses." She breathed. "What's this all about?"
She felt him shrug against her back. "Do I need a reason?"
She blinked incredulously. 'Yes.' "...I guess not." She lied, blushing.
"I guess I'm just realizing that I need to appreciate you more."
"Okay then." She really didn't know what to say to that or his possessive hold, and so she just stood there awkwardly. "...You can let go now." She prodded.
Reluctantly releasing his hold, Clark stepped back, offering up a smile. "I do appreciate everything you do for me, Chloe."
"I got that, Clark." She returned the smile, unable to quite manage a dry tone and blushing under his gaze. "It's just... What happened while you were knocked out in the loft?"
He froze, so still that she could swear he wasn't even breathing. After what seemed like an eternity he slumped, wearily glancing up. "When I was in the phantoms illusion... Chloe, you died."
She stilled, eyes wide at the information. "Oh." She finally spoke, blinking. "That- So you were there when I...?" She trailed off.
"You died in my arms."
Throat dry, Chloe pasted on a grin, pushing away the morbid thoughts that threatened to show. "Well I didn't. That counts for something, right?" She joked.
Clark stepped back even further. "I just... Chloe, I don't know what I'd do without you, you're the only friend that knows my secret. I know it's selfish, but I don't know what I'd do if you ever left."
"That explains the clingy way you've been acting." She nodded. "But it doesn't explain the flowers or any of the other little gifts that you've been sending my way."
"I-" He paused. "I thought about the things we've been through and with Lana's engagement and everyone else going away I realized that, well, things haven't really changed. I mean, Lana's living with Lex now, and he's basically an enemy now, and there's Oliver and the others all coming together, but with you..."
"I get what you're saying, Clark." She sighed. "I'm the one constant, the best friend offering you a burg of normalcy to rest at whenever things get too much."
"No." He shook his head, frowning. "You're more than that. You're the one person I can always count on, and when everything's said and done I can trust you with anything."
She felt a lump form in her throat at his words, but didn't get her hopes up, shrugging abashedly. "I'm your best friend. That's what I'm there for."
Blue eyes staring down at her, Chloe got the feeling that there was something in his gaze that she was missing.
"Chloe, do you have any plans tonight?"
Clark was on red kryptonite.
She knew he was on red kryptonite because he was acting like a horny teenager, sniffing her neck and practically humping her leg. Casually sliding off her jacket and leaving her with wide eyes, Clark licked at the area between her neck and shoulder with a hidden grin.
They had been dating for nearly a month now, and throughout that they hadn't even talked about... It. She knew how anxious he was, how scared that he might hurt her, so she hadn't pushed the issue.
Smiling nervously even as he traced her shirt with a grin, Chloe casually pushed his hand away.
Mrs. Kent hadn't told her just how bad he was on this stuff. Knowing that he lost his inhibitions was a completely different experience to seeing it in person. Particularly in a situation like this.
Ignoring the murmuring around the table wasn't easy, particularly with both his mother and the father of the groom staring at them from across said table. Never mind his Ex and the groom in question also staring at them.
She'd give anything for a meteor induced psycho to break through the stained glass window and try to set everyone on fire right now, but instead reasoned that even if she couldn't stop him, she could at least try.
"Clark," She whispered, face bright red as she held her gaze almost studiously on his face. "How about we go somewhere else?"
The look he gave her was equal parts suspicion and curiosity, and to her shame the thought briefly crossed her mind that even if he decided to make a statement and have her here and now, right in front of all these people, she wouldn't do a damn thing to stop him.
"It's just that," She paused, leaning in even further and somehow her face managed to turn even redder. "I don't want anyone to watch, you know?"
All of a sudden she was being hoisted into his arms, bridal style, and carried almost regally out the door.
It might have been romantic were it not for the fact that his mother and the high society of Metropolis were watching as he carried her out the door, and he was clearly drugged.
Despite that, she had the feeling that after tonight he might not be worried about their sex lives anymore.
Eyes twinkling, Chloe smiled as her boyfriend stepped through the door. "Hey. Finally got away from your mom?" She teased.
"Marry me."
Immediately stopping what she was doing, the blonde stared. "What?"
"You heard me. Marry me."
It wasn't a question or proposal so much as almost a command, and she almost said yes before it finally registered just what he was saying. "So romantic." She rose an eyebrow. "What brought this on?" She queried, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"I've told you before that I love you," 'Three weeks ago, not exactly 'Told you before' material' "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"That might be a lot longer than I last, Clark." She said sadly, facing facts. "I don't think you've thought this through anyway. We've only been together about a month and a half, it's kinda... Sudden."
He flinched at her words, but persevered and met her stare head-on. "Then I don't want to wait any longer. I know we've only been together for a little while, but... I told you that I couldn't take it if anything happened to you, and I meant it. Even if I live to be a thousand, I'll be happy knowing that you were with me. Even if only for a little while. I don't want to wait."
She blinked, swallowing the rising emotion. "Okay." She nodded.
"Okay?" He slowly repeated, pausing.
"Okay." She nodded more firmly this time, and the answering beam was well worth it. "Let's get married."
***
The End
Disclaimer from the author: I do not own Smallville.
Summary: Secret Chlark fic for LegendaryTobes. Post-season 6 episode 12: "Labyrinth". After escaping the illusion created by the phantom Clark is feeling a little protective of Chloe.
Disillusioned
He remembers the juddering heaves as she'd taken her last breathes, the desperate gasps for air, the way his name had escaped her lips; Scared. Afraid and proclaiming her sanity until the end, terrified of everything around her.
He never wanted to see that; Never wants to see such fear, such panic, such raw, unadulterated desperation on her face ever again.
"Clark?" She stares up at him, confusion written across her face. "What's wrong?"
He smiles reassuringly, perhaps too quickly as she just seems even more worried. "Nothing." He soothes, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder comfortingly, smile widening as he feels warmth, a solidness that he'd always taken for granted would just be there.
"Clark!" He's startled by the sudden exclamation. His eyes catch his reflection in her own, and he sees his wide-eyed stare, sees the frozen smile and near-panic written across his face.
"Sorry." He's not sure what he's apologizing for, but he watches her relax and thinks it doesn't really matter, in the end.
The fire is lit before them, and the flames brighten her face; They give her an almost ethereal quality, and for a moment he's terrified that she will disappear.
Again.
It's horrifying. He had never even considered that she would be gone. At least he can visit Lana and know she's alright, but death... Death was permanent, something scarier than any amount of distance.
He felt something stirring inside him, whispering dark things at him that he'd never even considered before. Maybe a side effect of the phantom possession? The moment getting to him?
He reluctantly conceded that it wasn't either of the two options he'd prefer, and his mind cast back to the illusion he'd been under.
'"Clark, you don't have your powers right now, you could get hurt just like anyone else."'
"Clark!" She repeats for a third time. He swallows at the worry on her face. She wasn't afraid, not like then, but...
'"I don't know if I'll ever see you again."'
Swooping in, he locked lips with her before she could voice a complaint.
He knew she was with Jimmy, knew that she wouldn't want him anymore, not since...
She responded. Eyes closed, pushing against him, her mouth pressing against his own, lips parting and her tongue-
Chloe's skin had never seemed so sensitive, her hair never so soft, her eyes, opening to stare up at him, never so bright.
He's following her again.
At first he wasn't noticeable; Say what you will about Clark, but he can hide pretty well when he wants to. Now though, he's following her like a lost puppy, becoming more and more blatant in his stalking habit.
He had even ignored Lana in favor of staring after her, and the brunette had obviously noticed that as well going by the strange hurt that had crossed her face.
Chloe found that particularly aggravating: The other girl was dating another man, and yet she still expected Clark to lust after her?
Admittedly, up until a few days ago, he had followed the lithe girl almost religiously, to the point where the blonde wouldn't be surprised if he pulled on a robe and started chanting. Somehow his current behaviour of staring at her through windows was even creepier.
She wasn't sure how their friendship was after the kiss; Emotions had been high and people did things like that, after all, but he was definitely pushing their boundaries right now.
Green eyes casually flickered to the side, catching a glimpse of her stalker through the window.
In the past she had thought that he needed to blink, but judging by the complete stillness he was currently displaying that was just something Kryptonians didn't need to worry about.
"Wanna talk about whatever's bothering you, Clark?" She asked him dryly, masking the movements of her mouth with her mug and knowing that he had heard her loud and clear despite the room separation between them.
She caught his jolt and smirked slightly as he finally blinked, making his way into the room and around the other desks.
The hustle and bustle of the crowded basement covered their conversation better than any distance could; Nonetheless, the blonde decided that if they were going to talk about anything important they would do it out of the public eye.
Grabbing his hand and ignoring the strange look he gave their joined appendages, Chloe dragged him into the copier room, raising an eyebrow at him.
"What?" He genuinely sounded confused that she had called him out.
Staring at him for a moment, Chloe shook her head. "Why are you following me?"
"I'm not." Now he wasn't even trying, and she felt vaguely insulted about that.
Sighing, Chloe glared up at him. "Don't insult my intelligence Clark, I've seen you doing it. One more time: Why are you following me?"
"I'm just worried about you." He relented.
"I can get that." She nodded. "What I can't get is why you've decided to stalk me everywhere. I saw you follow me while I was picking out flowers!"
"You could still get attacked while you're doing that!" Clark defended himself, frowning.
Chloe huffed."If I'm in trouble I'll call for you. Now please, just stop."
"Alright, I'll stop." He smiled reassuringly.
"Seriously!" She glared. "I know when you're lying, Clark. Stop following me." Turning to leave, Chloe had to step back as someone else entered the room.
Clark stared after her as she left, ignoring the person that had entered the room.
"I'm telling you, it's not like that!" She insisted, rolling her eyes.
"He's everywhere!" Jimmy frowned. "I get that you're friends with the guy, but the amount of time you spend hanging around with him..."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Chloe stared at him with a weary gaze. "Are you implying something, Jimmy?"
"No! No, it's just that-" The photographer cut himself off. "I get that you're friends with the guy," He repeated, grimacing. "But can't you just spend a little less time with him?"
"No, I can't 'spend a little less time with him'." She mimicked, stony in the face of his mistrust. "I can't deal with this Jimmy. You're my guy! Why can't you get that?"
In a moment of timing that had to be intentional on his part, Clark stepped into the room. "Hey Chloe! Hi Jimmy."
She blinked at the chilly tone with which he said Jimmy's name. "Hey Clark. What's up?"
"Hey CK." Jimmy smiled stiffly. "We're busy right now. Think you could...?" He trailed off meaningfully.
"What?" Looking so guilelessly innocent that he couldn't possibly not understand Jimmy's request, Clark shrugged. "I just came to tell you about a lead."
Despite herself Chloe felt a vague stirring of interest at the possibility of a potential headline. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. Can we...?" He inclined his head towards the door, and suddenly Jimmy stepped forward.
"Not right now, CK. We're kinda in the middle of something right now." He piped up, pursing his lips.
Clark stared down at the shorter man and for a second Chloe could swear that his eyes briefly flared. "I'm sure it can wait, Jimmy." He said tersely, and Chloe barely caught herself as she started to gawk. Clark didn't do rude. He did violent, or empathetic, or sympathetic or passionate or even, loathe as she was to admit it, self-righteous, but he didn't do rude.
"Clark, can this maybe just wait a little while?" She pleaded. "I just need to finish talking with Jimmy."
"Finish?" Jimmy glared, and she felt her own temper flare at his indignation. "Like I'm just an after-thought or something? Chloe, this is ridiculous!"
The blonde sighed, massaging her temple with her fingers. "Jimmy, you're just making a big deal out of nothing. Please just drop it." She stressed insistently, knowing by the increasing redness of his face even as she spoke that he wouldn't.
Sure enough he didn't. "No! Chloe, you constantly go on about him," Here Clark dropped his innocent expression in favor of wide-eyed curiosity. "And you always hang around with him. I'm sick of feeling like a second fiddle in my own relationship."
"Chloe talks about me?"
"So what are you saying?" She asked sharply, sparing Clark a strange look and then turning her attention back to Jimmy.
"What does she say?"
If anything the casual question voiced by Clark seemed to make the photographer even angrier. "I'm saying," He started, inhaling deeply. "You need to make a choice." He finished grimly, looking her in the eye. "Me, or him." Here he tilted his head towards the other man.
"What?"
"It's your choice. Either you want me in your life... Or you want him."
"Jimmy..."
As far as decisions went most of her time in that argument had been spent trying to make Jimmy change his opinion, but as soon as it became clear that he wouldn't...
"Wow." Clark voiced, eyebrows nearly receding into his hairline. "That was..."
'Quick'. The word went unvoiced between the two of them, but as Chloe guiltily slumped into her chair, it wore on her a dozen times more than keeping Clark's secret ever had.
"So, you talk about me?" He beamed, and something in her eyes must have tipped him off that that was the wrong thing to say. "I mean... I'm here for you?" He offered lamely.
"Thanks, Clark." As much as his recent habits irritated her, she had to admit that it was nice to be the center of his attention for once.
"How long have you two been arguing about this?" He asked, glancing at her in concern.
Chloe sighed, shaking her head with fatigue. "Longer than we should have been. I guess I should have realized that this would happen." She admitted. "I just wanted something of my own. A stable relationship with a normal guy."
"Is that what you want? A normal guy?" His tone was conflicted, and she eyed him with confusion.
"I-" She shrugged halfheartedly. "I don't know. It hasn't been a bad experience, but Jimmy... He was a little too normal. I don't think I could deal with that long term." She confessed.
"But you could deal with not normal long-term?" He persisted, and she raised her head, finally noticing just how close he was and the possessive glimmer in his eyes.
"Maybe." She gulped, pushing back against the chair as he came in closer. "I don't know."
"Oh." He looked almost disappointed by the non-committal answer, and she found herself reluctantly continuing.
"Well, if it were the right guy I could..." She hedged, and she was taken aback as suddenly he was face-to-face with her, an intense stare burrowing into her.
"The right guy?" He pressed, and the blonde couldn't back up any more, forced to sit up straight and meet his gaze.
"Yes," She started, quirking her lips. "If it was the right guy, I could deal with not normal."
"I'm not normal." He pushed, and that intensity was in his eyes once more.
"No, you're definitely not." She agreed hesitantly, weak smile fading as the Kryptonian leaned in so close that their foreheads almost touched, and for a moment she wondered if he was going to kiss her again.
She felt something close to disappointment as he backed away, leaving her perched on the edge of her seat and watching him as he stood up and paced.
"Clark? What's wrong?" She asked hesitantly, his sudden mood shifts startling her.
He shook his head forlornly, stepping towards the door. "I've gotta go."
She blinked and jumped to her feet, brow furrowing as he made to leave. "Wait-" In a blur of colour he was gone, leaving her addressing the room. "-What about the story?" She glared at the empty space and fell back into the chair.
Chloe stared down at her desk, biting her lip and purposefully ignoring the odd looks directed her way.
Roses. Dozens of roses littered her desk, like something out of a crappy novella or one of those 50's romance chick-flicks. Just the fact that it was such a cliché meant that the roses were either from Clark or Jimmy. The fact that there were dozens that had inexplicably appeared overnight told her which of the two it was.
"Why?" She asked the air, knowing that he had to be somewhere around here and that he would hear the exasperated question.
With Valentine's day just a couple of weeks away every person at the Planet seemed hyper-aware of anything even slightly romantic, so the jealous looks being directed her way by some of the women in the bullpen meant that she was probably going to be given the cold shoulder until it came and went. The fact that all of her work was underneath the many flowers and she couldn't just brush them off was an annoyance in itself.
She rolled her eyes, determined not to smile at the sweet gesture even as she gently held one of the roses between her forefinger and thumb, examining the flower with a quirk of her lips.
Outside the building Clark stared through the wall, grinning as he watched the blonde twirl a rose between her fingers.
She'd felt his gaze on her the entire walk back and she had an inkling that it was, at least in small part, due to the singular rose that she'd kept safely stored in her front coat pocket.
Grimacing, Chloe took the rose and gently lowered it into a glass, placing it beside a window. "Don't take that the wrong way. It's just... Pretty." She lamely defended.
"Right." She stiffened slightly as muscular arms encircled her shoulders, feeling his breathe on her ear.
"Clark," She swallowed as she felt him sniff at her hair. "What is this?"
Loosening his hold Clark raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "What do you mean?" He queried.
"The flowers, the hugs, following me, the... The kisses." She breathed. "What's this all about?"
She felt him shrug against her back. "Do I need a reason?"
She blinked incredulously. 'Yes.' "...I guess not." She lied, blushing.
"I guess I'm just realizing that I need to appreciate you more."
"Okay then." She really didn't know what to say to that or his possessive hold, and so she just stood there awkwardly. "...You can let go now." She prodded.
Reluctantly releasing his hold, Clark stepped back, offering up a smile. "I do appreciate everything you do for me, Chloe."
"I got that, Clark." She returned the smile, unable to quite manage a dry tone and blushing under his gaze. "It's just... What happened while you were knocked out in the loft?"
He froze, so still that she could swear he wasn't even breathing. After what seemed like an eternity he slumped, wearily glancing up. "When I was in the phantoms illusion... Chloe, you died."
She stilled, eyes wide at the information. "Oh." She finally spoke, blinking. "That- So you were there when I...?" She trailed off.
"You died in my arms."
Throat dry, Chloe pasted on a grin, pushing away the morbid thoughts that threatened to show. "Well I didn't. That counts for something, right?" She joked.
Clark stepped back even further. "I just... Chloe, I don't know what I'd do without you, you're the only friend that knows my secret. I know it's selfish, but I don't know what I'd do if you ever left."
"That explains the clingy way you've been acting." She nodded. "But it doesn't explain the flowers or any of the other little gifts that you've been sending my way."
"I-" He paused. "I thought about the things we've been through and with Lana's engagement and everyone else going away I realized that, well, things haven't really changed. I mean, Lana's living with Lex now, and he's basically an enemy now, and there's Oliver and the others all coming together, but with you..."
"I get what you're saying, Clark." She sighed. "I'm the one constant, the best friend offering you a burg of normalcy to rest at whenever things get too much."
"No." He shook his head, frowning. "You're more than that. You're the one person I can always count on, and when everything's said and done I can trust you with anything."
She felt a lump form in her throat at his words, but didn't get her hopes up, shrugging abashedly. "I'm your best friend. That's what I'm there for."
Blue eyes staring down at her, Chloe got the feeling that there was something in his gaze that she was missing.
"Chloe, do you have any plans tonight?"
Clark was on red kryptonite.
She knew he was on red kryptonite because he was acting like a horny teenager, sniffing her neck and practically humping her leg. Casually sliding off her jacket and leaving her with wide eyes, Clark licked at the area between her neck and shoulder with a hidden grin.
They had been dating for nearly a month now, and throughout that they hadn't even talked about... It. She knew how anxious he was, how scared that he might hurt her, so she hadn't pushed the issue.
Smiling nervously even as he traced her shirt with a grin, Chloe casually pushed his hand away.
Mrs. Kent hadn't told her just how bad he was on this stuff. Knowing that he lost his inhibitions was a completely different experience to seeing it in person. Particularly in a situation like this.
Ignoring the murmuring around the table wasn't easy, particularly with both his mother and the father of the groom staring at them from across said table. Never mind his Ex and the groom in question also staring at them.
She'd give anything for a meteor induced psycho to break through the stained glass window and try to set everyone on fire right now, but instead reasoned that even if she couldn't stop him, she could at least try.
"Clark," She whispered, face bright red as she held her gaze almost studiously on his face. "How about we go somewhere else?"
The look he gave her was equal parts suspicion and curiosity, and to her shame the thought briefly crossed her mind that even if he decided to make a statement and have her here and now, right in front of all these people, she wouldn't do a damn thing to stop him.
"It's just that," She paused, leaning in even further and somehow her face managed to turn even redder. "I don't want anyone to watch, you know?"
All of a sudden she was being hoisted into his arms, bridal style, and carried almost regally out the door.
It might have been romantic were it not for the fact that his mother and the high society of Metropolis were watching as he carried her out the door, and he was clearly drugged.
Despite that, she had the feeling that after tonight he might not be worried about their sex lives anymore.
Eyes twinkling, Chloe smiled as her boyfriend stepped through the door. "Hey. Finally got away from your mom?" She teased.
"Marry me."
Immediately stopping what she was doing, the blonde stared. "What?"
"You heard me. Marry me."
It wasn't a question or proposal so much as almost a command, and she almost said yes before it finally registered just what he was saying. "So romantic." She rose an eyebrow. "What brought this on?" She queried, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"I've told you before that I love you," 'Three weeks ago, not exactly 'Told you before' material' "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"That might be a lot longer than I last, Clark." She said sadly, facing facts. "I don't think you've thought this through anyway. We've only been together about a month and a half, it's kinda... Sudden."
He flinched at her words, but persevered and met her stare head-on. "Then I don't want to wait any longer. I know we've only been together for a little while, but... I told you that I couldn't take it if anything happened to you, and I meant it. Even if I live to be a thousand, I'll be happy knowing that you were with me. Even if only for a little while. I don't want to wait."
She blinked, swallowing the rising emotion. "Okay." She nodded.
"Okay?" He slowly repeated, pausing.
"Okay." She nodded more firmly this time, and the answering beam was well worth it. "Let's get married."
***
The End