Chapter 18
"Why didn't you wait for me?"
He was angry now. She'd almost been waiting for this. If Victor had filled him in, then he knew she was a wanted woman- and by none other than Lex Luthor. He also knew all she'd done... Well, not all. He didn't know those things she'd told no one.... like the night in the solarium. And as angry as she still was at herself for that night, she was angrier with him now. "How exactly was I supposed to wait, Clark? I had a guy kiss me and leave for the longest bagel run in history. Was that supposed to tell me to wait?"
"No. Don't turn this on me." He stood. "I had to go."
She wouldn't let him tower too far over her. She stood, too. "And how was I supposed to know you'd be back?"
"This started before that. The day Lana left, you just left me with no warning. Your cousin wouldn't tell me where you were. And Oliver was just as bad. Nobody would tell me anything and on your orders!"
"I was fed up, Clark. Lana was the weeping damsel and I was the heartless shrew. Again! And you just ran after her!"
"But I didn't stay with her! I wanted you!"
She drew back, her chin trembling. "Well, you just..." She really couldn't think of a thing to say to that. It was so nearly everything she wanted to hear. "I... I had good reason to think you didn't. You defended her over Lex's trial and you..." She looked down. "You still looked at her that way."
"What way?" His voice was softer.
She didn't look up. "Like... It's hard to explain. It was your birthday and you told everyone what you wanted, but you didn't think they'd give it to you, but there it was. Everything you always wanted. That's the way you looked at her." The way I look at you.
"It was true. I always wanted her. Lana was the answer to all of my problems. With her, there was no push or pressure to be more than a regular guy. With her, I knew I could be normal and simple and happy." She felt his hand on her chin. "Chloe, look at me."
She did, but held it together. "So... you gave up your chance at happiness to be a hero?" And, knowing Lana would never be safe with him, he took the second choice. She was always the second choice. "You gave up your happiness for your destiny?"
"Yes," he said softly.
She tore his hand away from her chin. "Oh, my God! This is... I should have known."
"No, wait, you don't..."
"No. I get it. You had to embrace your destiny and give up all chance of that happy life you could have had."
"It's not..."
She laughed bitterly and turned away. "Of course, it would be hard to go through that life alone and there was that back-up girl you kept strung along." She glared hard at him. "She was no Lana, but she'd do. Is that how it is?"
"Chloe," he whispered. He was behind her. "I don't see you as some back-up."
"It sure feels that way."
"That life with Lana. It might have been great... for a while. And then I would have realized what I should have known all along." He came around and she found herself staring at his chest. "That life isn't real happiness. It's not even real life. Lana and a life with her was an idea. A fantasy." He tipped her chin up again. His shaded eyes were on her. "Chloe, you're real. And you always pushed me and pressured me to be this thing that I didn't want to be in ways she never would. With Lana, I'm who I wish I was. With you... I'm who I should be." He smiled. "Lana was an easy option. You... you're hard."
She sniffed. "You know, with all these compliments, it's getting a little hard not to be offended."
His mouth softened and opened just a little. She wanted it to speak more, tell her what he was getting at. Because she was feeling a little too perfect right now. If he wanted to ruin it, she wanted it to be now, not later, not when she was too far gone again. She couldn't take much more heartbreak.
"You always want to help. You always want me to help. It's like every evil in the world is at the doorstep and you just want to let it all in and fix it." His hands were on her shoulders now. She started as they tightened. "And you just put yourself in more and more danger. Writing that Underground paper, threatening Lex, making all of this yours and..."
"Clark, don't start playing he-man on me again," she growled. "You think squeezing me to death is going to make me stop doing what I know is right?" She pulled at his arms and set herself away. "There is always going to be some bastard like Lex who gets away with murder right under everyone's noses. And, regardless of personal danger, I will always need to get in there. What? Do you want me to sit back and watch? Is that the kind of person I should be?"
He clenched his fists. "No. But you should help some other way, from somewhere..."
"Safe," she finished for him, nodding. "Like a computer. Right? Sit in the corner, do your homework, and let the big, strong boys handle things. Is that it?" She threw her hands up. "Just don't bother anymore, Clark. You need to accept who I am or get out of my way."
"Chloe, he's gunning for you. There's danger and..."
"And you can't change that, Clark!" She stood, breathing heavily. She had had just about enough arguing on this. "Tomorrow, we're going up against the biggest thing we ever have with a team of people, including me, who are all dedicated to making this happen. Of course there's danger, but it doesn't negate responsibility." She stopped, her teeth chattering.
His face softened and he stepped forward. "Chloe, you're freezing."
"I don't care."
"We should go in."
"I'm not moving until you say you understand." She stepped forward herself and looked up at him. "Clark, we could all die tomorrow. Even you. You're weakened. We're all taking this chance because it's worth it."
"We could all die," he said slowly.
"Yes!"
She wasn't sure who moved first, but suddenly she was lifted up and he was moving forward. They were actually flying a foot above the ground, their lips fused. Her hands were in his hair and his kneaded her buttocks and soon she was against the door of that very shack she'd been eyeing before they argued.
Arguments stopped mattering. All that mattered was hands and lips and limbs that rubbed against each other. He came up for air and she followed him, licking into his mouth, feeling the rough scrape of tongue and the softness just behind his lips. His hand was fumbling behind them and she heard a snap. She gasped as she nearly fell in, but he saved her, grasping at her waist as he began laying soft kisses on her neck.
She threw her head back, giving him more of her neck. As she did so, she saw the room around them. Shelves with tar-lined buckets and cobwebs and old rollers and trays and just one bare wall. She found their salvation on the floor.
"Clark," she panted.
"Chloe," he groaned, his voice muffled in neck.
She nearly laughed. "No... Clark..."
"Don't say no."
She did laugh, pulling away. "Clark, the drop cloth." She pointed in the corner and he pushed her back, suddenly a blur in the tiny space. Soon, he was laying her on it, unzipping her coat. It smelled like mildew and paint fumes, but she could care less. The shack was old and probably spider-infested, but that didn't matter either. It was like the first time, in an alleyway next to a dumpster, no less. All that mattered was that he was going to be inside her.
She closed her eyes as his head burrowed under her shirt and he kissed his way upwards. This wasn't like the time in the alleyway at all. There was no Kal mocking her as he tore at her clothes. There was only Clark, worshiping her skin and pulling so awkwardly at her jeans. She opened her eyes and smiled, pulling the shirt up to reveal his head. "Clark, you need to unzip them first."
He grinned kind of goofily and kissed her stomach again. "Right. Sorry."
"It's okay." She giggled as he kissed his way down, finally pulling at the zipper before freeing her from the pants. "It's only about our second time."
He came up and kissed her mouth. "Are you kidding?" He kissed again. "It's probably our millionth time."
"Yes, but..." She pushed him gently back and rose up, moving to kneel in front of him as he knelt in front of her. "There's no necklace." She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the side. "No ring." She leaned up and pulled his shirt off, too. "No lies." She smiled and kissed his chin. "Just us."
"Just us," he repeated, bringing his hands to her bare waist.
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