Crush (3/?)
Crush (Part Three)
Chloe managed to end this kiss faster than the first because she wasn’t caught off guard as much as she’d been the first time around. Now she had his game plan…or at least the part that involved saying all the right things and kissing her. She quickly pushed herself away from him, backing away to a safer distance and trying to ignore the physical loss she felt. “I don’t even have the words to tell you how not funny this is, Kent,” she said angrily.
“I wasn’t trying to be funny,” he said with a shrug.
She glared at him, the look that normally made him at least appear chastised. But he simply smirked, gazing right back at her without a single hint of remorse. “No? Then what’s all this crap about you being some guy named Kal-El?” She couldn’t bring herself to mention the rest--that he was pretending he was interested in her and not the pretty pink princess from Smallville with double-L initials.
“It’s my real name,” Clark told her honestly. “The one my biological parents named me.”
Chloe gaped at him. “But…how…Clark, you found your biological parents?” She shook her head, stunned.
“More like…my biological father found me.” Smirking, he headed toward the kitchen again. He grabbed a bottle of water for himself and a bottled ice cappuccino for Chloe, tossing it to her.
She caught it easily, looking at him in surprise.
His eyes twinkling, he smiled at her. “Thought you might find me so I bought some just for you.”
Had it not been for the fact that she was starting to suspect someone had killed the real Clark Kent and taken over his body, she would’ve been touched. “Is that why you left Smallville? Is your real father here?”
He laughed. “Oh, no. My real father’s not anywhere near Metropolis. In fact…he’s not anywhere near this planet.”
Chloe stared at him, holding onto the unopened bottle of caffeine.
Seeing the look on her face, he smiled, leaning back against the wall. “That’s right. I’m not from around here either.”
“So. Your real name is Kal-El and you’re from another planet,” she said slowly.
“Got it in one.” He winked at her and took a drink from his water bottle.
“Yeah. Well. That makes perfect sense…if you’re a lunatic,” she said sarcastically.
Clark chuckled. “I’m not crazy, Chloe. But I’m not human either.”
“Right. Okay.” She glanced behind her toward the door. She wasn’t afraid of him, but she was starting to think she should go call his parents. Or possibly some attendants from Belle Reeve.
“Come on, it’s so obvious. I can’t believe you haven’t connected the pieces.” He shook his head, setting the water bottle down on the counter.
She eyed him silently.
“My uncanny ability to show up at exactly the right place just in the knick of time…the amazing feats you’ve suspected me of doing for the past three years…how secretive I always am.” His cheek dimpled.
Chloe’s heart skipped a beat and she held still, trying to swallow what he was telling her. “So why are you spilling the beans now, Clark?”
He flashed the silver and red ring he was wearing in front of her eyes. “This is from my planet. Let’s just say…it lowers my inhibitions.”
“The meteor rocks,” she murmured, something clicking in her brain.
“Are from Krypton.”
“Which is the name of your home planet.”
He grinned. “Now you’re catching on.”
“Why are you telling me this, Clark?” She shook her head, still not fully buying the story.
He met her gaze, held it. “Because you’re the only one I trust.”
She was silent for a moment. “Clark, I really think you should come back to Smallville with me.”
He sighed. “You still think I’m crazy.”
It wasn’t like she could believably deny that accusation so she didn’t respond.
“You know, there was a time, brief as it was, that you knew I was telling the truth.” He searched her eyes, seeing she truly didn‘t remember. “I’ll prove it to you.”
Chloe arched an eyebrow. “How?”
“Let’s go outside.” He rested a hand on her back and ushered her out onto the fire escape. “Climb onto the rail.”
“What?”
“Just do it.” He smiled, his cheek dimpling again in that adorable way that made her heart ache.
Not really sure why she was listening to him, she climbed onto the rail, then glanced at him over her shoulder. “How’s this prove anything?”
“Let yourself fall.”
Chloe snorted. “Yeah right.”
He tilted his head a bit, gazing at her. “You trusted me enough to do it once before.”
She stared at him, searching his eyes this time. Some tiny part of her knew he wasn’t lying. But that part was clouded by fear.
“Let go, Chloe,” he urged her quietly.
“Clark, we’re three stories up.”
“I’ll catch you,” he told her, not breaking their gaze. “Do you trust me?”
Swallowing hard, the breeze rustling her short blonde hair, she stood completely still for a long moment. Did she trust him?
Chloe closed her eyes, ignoring the sick fear in the pit of her stomach and her brain’s screaming that she was just as crazy as he was. And because her heart trusted him, she leaned backwards, and let herself fall.