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Disclaimer: Smallville and all related elements, characters and indicia © Tollin-Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television, 2002. All Rights Reserved. All characters and situations—save those created by the authors for use solely on this website—are copyright Tollin-Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television. Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster.

Author's Note: This story was started a ridiculously long time ago and would probably still be unfinished were it not for two things. Teri Leigh's "An Arrangement Between Friends" which put me in the mood to think about Clark and Chloe again... instead of Clark and Lex which had taken over my brain for most of the season and Evelyn, who is always there for me with ideas, encouragement, beta skills, a sharp sense of humor, and a remarkable amount of patience.

It's Now Or Never
by Debi

"I've got to find a way to tell him!"

Chloe Sullivan paced angrily across the bedroom carpet once again. She had been pacing since she got back from the farmer's market nearly 20 minutes ago. Today, she had left early. She just couldn't handle watching Lana bat her eyelashes at Clark, and Clark fawn all over Lana in return. So she made up an excuse and fled to the safety of her room. But even miles away from Clark and Lana, she couldn't get rid of the mental image of them together and it was driving her insane. Pete had been telling her for months now that she should tell Clark how she really felt, but she hadn't been ready. She also thought she had all the time in the world, but now she wasn't so sure.

Chloe stopped in front of her dresser and warned the girl in the mirror. "Lana lets him in a little more every day. She's still with Whitney, but Clark is definitely gaining ground and Whitney will graduate in a few months. Lana will be here all by herself and she's not the type that does 'alone' very well. It's just a matter of time before she decides she wants Clark and then your chance will be gone forever."

"Like I even really have a chance with Clark," Mirror Chloe scoffed back.

"This is so pathetic!" She yelled before resuming her angry pacing. "I'm even talking to myself now!"

Falling backwards onto her bed, she sighed miserably. She grabbed her pillow and hugged it for comfort as she stared at the ceiling. She knew how she felt. She knew it was time to tell Clark. She knew it was now or never. What she didn't know was how to actually say the words to him... or what he was going to do when he heard them.

The very thought of herself speechless made her laugh. She had never been at a loss for words in her life. Never. No, this sudden affliction was all Clark Kent's fault. She was crazy in love with him and hadn't a single clue how to tell him. The irony was unbelievable. For years Clark had been too afraid to talk to Lana, he would turn into a total freak show whenever he got within five feet of her. Now, it seemed the tables had turned. Since school started he had slowly come out of it and now Lana and Clark together was a very real possibility and Chloe was the one turning into a tongue-tied freak when it came to her feelings for Clark.

"Clark," she sighed as she unconsciously hugged the pillow more tightly. Images of him came easily. The first was always his smile. Clark Kent had the most beautiful, infectious smile ever created. His adorable dimples alone were enough to do her in, but add in the way his whole face seemed to light up when he smiled and she was a goner. There was just no resisting the warm, tingly feeling that spread throughout her whenever he turned on that smile. It was simply impossible to be unhappy when Clark's smile was beaming down at you.

His eyes were always next. Clark was the ultimate "aw shucks" farm boy—until you looked deep into his eyes. Sure, they were beautiful on the surface. Somehow managing to be green, blue and brown all at the same time and they were surrounded by the longest, sexiest eyelashes she had ever seen, but the real attraction was looking beyond the surface. There was something deep and mysterious, old and anything-but-innocent in those eyes. Something that blew the aw-shucks innocence all to hell. The mystery in those eyes was as captivating and addicting as any drug or drink.

And then there was the obvious—that boy had a body that wouldn't stop! Long and lean, with fluid muscles forming curves and planes that could only be described as tantalizing. Years of hard work on the farm had sculpted Clark Kent into the finest physical specimen in all of Smallville. Hell, in the entire state of Kansas as far as she was concerned.

The best part about Clark though, was that he was... Clark. And that meant that he was oblivious to it all. He had no idea he was gorgeous and never put any real thought or effort into looking the way he did. The jocks would spend hours in the gym working this muscle or that muscle—not Clark. The popular kids spent hours in the bathroom primping and insisted on wearing the latest fashions—not Clark. No, Clark worked hard, took a shower and got dressed. He was quite simply a natural beauty. There was nothing artificial or phony about him. Add the fact that his inner beauty surpassed his physical beauty and Chloe was compelled to scream into her pillow in frustration. He was perfect in every way and she wanted him.... badly!

It was now or never.

With a sudden burst of determination, she got up and headed for the bathroom.

An hour later, she brushed the last strand of hair into place and studied her reflection carefully. The last sixty minutes had seen her shower using all the special, scented soaps and shampoos she bought on her last trip to the city, empty the contents of her closet onto the bed searching for just the right outfit, meticulously apply makeup, and style her hair carefully placing every last strand. She had just paid more attention to her appearance in one hour than she did all of last week getting ready for school.

"It doesn't get any better than this," she sighed at the mirror as she dabbed her favorite perfume on her neck and wrists.

"Not without raven hair and emerald eyes anyway," Mirror Chloe taunted.

She checked her watch. Clark should just be finishing putting everything away from the farmer's market. With any luck, she would catch him in the barn loft before Jonathan Kent had the chance to put him to work for the afternoon.

A deep breath and renewed determination propelled her out of the room and on her way to the Kent farm. This was it, now or never.

Clark groaned as Lana wrapped her arms around Whitney's neck and kissed him before he even finished coming up the porch steps. What the hell was it about Whitney Fordman anyway?

He mumbled something unintelligible, but obviously irritated as he sank back against the desk and away from the annoying images in the telescope.

"I just don't get it!" His palm smacked the well-worn desk top in frustration.

"Whitney over at Lana's again?"

Chloe's voice launched him off the desk, almost knocking over the telescope as he whirled around to face her.

"Damn, Chloe! Don't you ever knock?"

Chloe chuckled. "It's still a barn, Clark. Where would you have me knock?" She swept her arms wide indicating the vast amounts of open space. "If I knocked on the door," she pointed across the building, "you probably wouldn't hear it anyway."

"Are you here for a reason or did you just want to bust my chops some more about Lana?" He turned to hide his embarrassment and aimlessly began arranging the books on his desk.

Chloe felt her heart start to race. This was it—time to tell him why she just spent an hour getting ready to go to her best friend's house. Something she had done hundreds of times before without so much as a second glance in the mirror.

"Ummm...." She paused, not sure how to begin. "Actually... " She paused again, searching for the right words.

Clark stopped fiddling with the books and turned back to Chloe. Something was up—Chloe was always quick with words. His gaze sharpened when he noticed her fingers nervously toying with the hem of her sweater. Nervous? Chloe? What was Chloe nervous about?

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Clark could swear he heard a touch of fear in her voice. Concerned, he moved closer to her.

"What's wrong, Chloe?"

As she struggled for words, he searched her face hoping to find some kind of answer. This was not like Chloe and he was starting to get worried.

He moved closer still and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, noticing for the first time the light scent of her perfume.

"Come on, Chloe. Tell me what's wrong," he coaxed softly.

Finding the words was proving to be harder than she had imagined and Clark's hand on her shoulder wasn't making it any easier. If anything, the heat his touch was creating made it harder to think.

"Clark... " She looked up at him. Big mistake—those eyes! Rational thought slipped farther away.

"Clark, honey! Are you and Chloe up there?" Martha's voice rang out, startling them both.

"Yeah, Mom." Clark called back while Chloe turned away, grateful for the interruption and the chance to compose herself.

Clark went to the top of the stairs as Martha Kent emerged with two large mugs.

"I saw Chloe pull in," she said by way of an explanation. "I tried a new recipe that came with the latte machine and thought you two might like some."

"Thanks, Mom," Clark said, taking the mugs from her.

"Yeah, thanks Mrs. Kent," Chloe added, having regained a bit of her composure.

"Enjoy! Oh and Clark... your Dad and I are going to head into town for a while. I've got some shopping to do and he wants to pick up parts for the tractor. We'll be back in a couple of hours." Martha said with one last look at each of them before heading back down the stairs.

Silence reigned for a moment as Clark stood there with a coffee mug in each hand watching Chloe study her feet. Bending slightly, Clark tried to catch her eyes.

"Chloe?" he said gently.

"Yeah," she whispered slowly, looking up and meeting his eyes.

Her breath caught at the genuine concern she saw in them.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Deep breath. "Nothing is wrong Clark—at least not yet, anyway. I just have something I need to talk to you about and I'm not sure how."

"Chloe Sullivan at a loss for words? Stop the presses and alert the media!" Clark laughed. "I never thought I'd see the day." He teased. "You at a loss for words!" Chloe cheeks flushed red and she playfully punched him in the arm...

Sending hot mocha latte splashing across his chest.

"Oh my God!" Chloe gasped as Clark jumped from the surprise of the hot liquid seeping through his shirt. "Clark, I am so sorry!" She exclaimed as she spun around frantically looking for something to soak up the latte.

Clark set the mugs on the floor and tried to hold the wet fabric away from his skin, but seeing Chloe so uncharacteristically flustered brought on a fit of laughter. Laughter that made Chloe stop and take a good look at him.

He was bent over, partly from laughing and partly from the wet shirt, and quite a sight. Chloe's senses returned as she realized how silly she was being and how uncomfortable Clark must be wearing a shirt soaked with hot liquid. Walking over to him, she reached for the hem of his shirt.

"Come on, Clark, we have to get that shirt off of you." Her normal authoritative tone was back and he straightened up. He was still laughing, but he allowed her to begin lifting the wet garment.

For Chloe the sudden closeness and beautifully tanned, toned skin she was exposing was making her head swim. She paused at his shoulders and Clark took over, pulling the shirt over his head. Chloe stood frozen in place, staring at his chest. He was more stunning than she had imagined... and she had imagined a LOT.

Clark tossed the shirt aside and looked back at Chloe. The expression on her face brought an abrupt end to his laughter. Chloe Sullivan had a hungry look on her face that he had never seen before. He could swear it was lust.

As if possessed, she pressed her hands flat against his solid chest.

His breath caught.

Slowly, she followed the exquisite contours of his chest; amazed that something that solid could also feel that smooth.

Suddenly unable to move, he watched as her hands continued to roam across his chest. His heart started to pound. Her hands were creating a blazing trail of heat across his chest. What was happening here?

"Chloe?" he questioned softly.

"Clark, " was all she said before grabbing his face and pulling his lips to hers.

For a second he was stunned. Unable to process what exactly was happening, but then the blazing trail of heat moved from his chest to his lips and they parted under hers of their own volition.

For Chloe, it was a dream come true and she wanted no part of going back to reality. She pressed against him and lightly caressed his lips with her tongue. He gave himself up to the kiss and his hands settled on her waist. Confident now that he wasn't going anywhere, she threaded her fingers through his hair and marveled at the feel. It was like thick strands of silk.

Desperate to be even closer, she pressed further against him. There wasn't room for air between them, but it wasn't close enough. She wanted more and judging by the low moan in his throat, he wasn't going to argue. She allowed her fingertips to caress their way down his neck and dance across his back. She felt his grip tighten around her waist as the kiss continued. If this was heaven, she was ready to die.

Clark felt like he was going to burst into flames. Chloe had taken him by surprise when she kissed him, but the bigger surprise was how much he was enjoying it. Everywhere her hands touched him felt like it was on fire and the flames were shooting straight into his groin.

A brief moment of clarity and he realized that Chloe was standing on her tiptoes to help accommodate their vast difference in height. Without breaking away from the kiss, he backed up to the couch. The strong hands wrapped around her waist guided her as he sat down and eased her into his lap.

Settling sideways across his legs, Chloe wrapped one arm around the small of his back and let her fingers aimlessly wander along the waistband of his jeans, allowing her other hand to continue it's play across his chest. Feelings and desires that had been carefully hidden away for years were finally being allowed to see the light of day. If she couldn't tell Clark how she felt about him, she could certainly show him.

And showing him was feeling every bit as good as she dreamed it would and more. While her hands continued to caress every inch of his exposed skin, his hands settled around her waist again, gently slipping under the edge of her sweater to rest on her bare skin. She sighed against his lips at the warm contact, before eagerly seeking out his tongue again.

Clark was on sensory overload. His mind and body were positively reeling from this turn of events. This was CHLOE! He was kissing CHLOE! And with a passion he'd never known before with anyone, least of all Chloe. Why? Where had this come from and God, why did it feel so good? She was his best friend, shouldn't this feel wrong? His ever-growing arousal argued that nothing about the current situation felt wrong. His jeans were getting uncomfortably tight and he shifted his hips restlessly in an attempt to ease the pressure.

Since Clark had sat down, Chloe had been leaning in to kiss him, but the restless shifting had brought her close against him again and she could feel the hardness hiding behind his button-fly jeans. The realization that she had aroused him like that sent a thrill racing through her body. It was a rush like no other to know she could do that to him. Not Lana, her. Clark was hard and it was because of her. Aching for still closer contact, she captured his lower lip between hers and gently sucked at it while carefully backing off his lap. She settled back into his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. Every nerve immediately registered the more intimate contact of this new position. Clark sucked in a harsh breath as every cell in his body noted it, as well. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take and prayed that he wasn't going to embarrass himself.

Chloe gently rocked her hips forward and Clark was helpless to choke back the primal moan that followed. Her hands were still roaming freely about his upper body and his own hands were getting restless. Cautiously at first, he slid them up her back. Noting along the way, how soft and warm her skin was. Through their hungry kiss, a tiny moan of approval escaped her lips and the caress grew more steady and certain. Shivers of delight shot up and down her spine as his hands roamed. Then it was his turn to shiver when he felt her fingers linger over his nipple. She noted his reaction and continued to play with the sensitive skin. His hands grew bolder and slid around to the smooth plane of her stomach. His fingers moved upward with a delicious slowness until they were running along the bottom edge of her bra. The sound she made could only be described as a purr and before he even realized what he was doing, he was cupping her breast through the silky material.

The realization that 'Chloe's bra felt silky' triggered a flash of rational thought in Clark's mind. Needing oxygen as much as an explanation for why he was shirtless in the barn feeling up his best friend, he broke away from their kiss. Eyes closed, breathing hard, he rested his forehead against hers and waited for his racing heart to slow down. Terrified he was going to tell her this was a mistake, Chloe went to recapture his lips, but he backed away and tried to get her to look at him.

"Chloe," he whispered.

She buried her face against his neck and didn't answer, afraid that he wanted stop, but she was not willing to give up the moment, yet.

"Chloe... come on, Chloe," he coaxed, trying to get her to look at him. "Not that I'm not enjoying this, but what are we doing?"

Freeing his hands from her shirt, he gently held her face. Still, she refused to meet his eyes.

"Come on, Chlo. I'm serious. What's going on?"

"Kissing?" she offered weakly, eyes still down though he was holding her chin level.

He chuckled softly. "Yeah, I got that part, but why are we kissing?"

Still trying to avoid rejection, she forced a laugh. "Because we are hormonally overloaded teenagers?"

Clark gave her a look that was both stern and teasing at the same time. Chloe sighed. Time to tell him the truth, now or never.

"Because I'm in love with you and got tired of waiting for you to notice." The words came out as barely a whisper as she finally dared to meet his eyes. Very stunned eyes. Was he really that oblivious? She was suddenly terrified of what he might say next.

A long silence followed as Clark just stared at her, not even blinking. His mind was reeling, trying to process everything that had just happened. Chloe had just kissed him like he had never been kissed before and told him that she loved him. She said she had been waiting for him to notice. How long had he missed this? And why wasn't he more upset? Obviously, kissing was much more pleasant when your partner wasn't trying to kill you, but before this moment, Clark would have sworn that kissing Chloe would have felt weird, like kissing your sister. And so far, that was so not the case. He had the erection to prove that, in fact, it felt pretty awesome.

For Chloe, Clark's silence had allowed panic to set in and she was just about worked into a full-fledged frenzy. Convinced she had made a terrible mistake and ruined everything, she wanted to run. She wanted to run. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to be far away, like right now!

She tried to climb out of his lap before the tears fell, but his arms tightened around her. She struggled to get out of them. Crying in front of Clark was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Crawl into a hole and die was the first thing.

The arms tightened again and she realized that Clark was still holding her. If he didn't want her in his lap, he would have let her go already. Right? Maybe there was hope after all?

She dared to meet his eyes and when she did, he leaned forward and kissed her again. It was a soft, gentle press of his lips against hers. Tentative, almost unsure, as if waiting for some sign that this was still a welcomed thing to do.

For one surprised moment, she wasn't sure what to do. She had managed to convince herself that he was going to reject her and declare his love for Lana. But so far, that was not what was happening. She had told him that she loved him and he was still there. And they were still kissing.

Or would be as soon as she returned the kiss.

"Clark, are you sure?" she was almost afraid to ask, but now that her feelings were out there, she needed to hear how he felt.

"I think so. I'm still kinda shocked here, but yeah." He smiled one of those patented, Clark Kent iceberg-melting, mega-watt smiles. "How long, Chloe?" he added softly.

She could feel the blush creep into her cheeks. Sitting on his lap making out hadn't made her blush, but admitting to how long she had felt this way had the blood rushing to her cheeks. Life was not fair. "Um... eighth grade?"

"But that's when we met." He looked mildly confused.

"Ever hear of 'love at first sight,' Clark?" She was blushing harder now.

"So it was you that was thinking about it all day and not me!" he teased, remembering their first kiss.

Clark's jaw dropped with the realization of all that happened between them since that day. "You've had feelings for me since the day we met and you never thought to mention it before now?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, you were a little busy falling at Lana's feet. I didn't think I could compete with a raven haired, head cheerleader."

Now it was Clark's turn to be embarrassed as he recalled exactly how many times since eighth grade he had openly discussed his feelings for Lana with Chloe. Never realizing that she had the same feelings for him and was hurting her in the process. Suddenly, her recent impatience with him made a lot more sense.

"Oh my god, Chlo... " He dropped his head on her shoulder, not sure what exactly to say or do anymore. He knew exactly how it felt to care about someone who only had feelings for someone else. It hurt. And yet, Chloe had never once told him to shut up and was always there for him.

And she was. Chloe was always there for him. He could always talk to her, about anything except The Big Thing that he didn't talk to anyone but his parents about, they had fun together and she could always make him laugh. Chloe was a much bigger part of his life than Lana and trying to imagine the last few years without her was a decidedly unpleasant thought.

"It's okay, Clark." He looked up. She was trying to reassure him even now. Even when she was so nervous, she was biting her lower lip.

It hit him that he wanted to be the one biting that lip.

"Does that mean I can kiss you?" He was pretty sure the answer would be yes and was having a hard time trying to contain his smile.

But for all the wattage a Clark Kent smile had, the one that appeared on Chloe's face when he said that was about ten times brighter.

"What are you waiting for, Farmboy?" She teased before attacking his lips again. Her happiness was infectious and he could actually feel the warm glow that settled around them. He pulled her as close as possible and devoured her mouth.

Certain that she had died and gone to heaven; Chloe meant to make the most of this moment. One arm wrapped around Clark's neck while her other hand returned to his chest. She had liked the response she got from playing with his nipples and wanted to hear more of those wonderful moans coming from Clark. Clark felt the fire building in his veins again as Chloe's fingers found their target.

His big, strong hands slipped under the hem of her sweater again, encircling her waist. His thumbs made gentle sweeps back and forth across the smooth skin. It made her feel small and feminine and she shivered with delight. If his hands felt that good around her waist imagine how good they were going to feel elsewhere? The very thought made her shiver again and she rocked her hips against him. Clark groaned, but got the hint. His hands swept up and she arched into his touch.

Clark's fingers continued to dance against the small of her back sending more delightful shivers along the length of her spine. Feeling her smile against his lips he allowed his hand to playfully shuffle along the side of her ribs and across the flatness of her stomach. He paused briefly to watch her eyes. Seeing no red lights he allowed his hand to creep further up under her sweater resting against the now familiar silkiness of her bra.

As his hand caressed the soft material, he pulled her closer to him with the hand still on her back. His lips left hers only briefly and he was relived to breathe in the cool air of the barn. He rubbed his cheek against hers and relished in the scent of her freshly washed hair, now mixed slightly with the scent of her own excitement. He ran his tongue around the lobe of her ear and down further still along her neck. He felt her shudder against him, heightening his senses. Clark gently nipped at her neck as Chloe's head gracefully fell backward both exposing and inviting him to her neck. He could hear the smallest of sounds emanating from the back of her throat.

As Clark worked his way down her neck he was met with the fuzzy threads of her sweater. One hand positioned on her back, holding her close to him and the other was poised on her satin covered breast. He was unwilling to give up either sensation to aid him in his search for more skin. He moved his head in awkward circles while clenching the neckline to her sweater between his teeth. Two more attempts before he gave up trying to move the sweater and looked up at her.

"We seem to have a clothing inequity issue here." He sent a pointed glare to her sweater and then his bare chest. As if she were the one with super speed, she pulled off the offending garment and tossed it behind her.

"Much better." Clark smiled at her taking his time to meet her eyes before lowering them to focus on the material he had felt but not yet seen.

He nuzzled back into the crook of her neck and continued to kiss her, this time with out the threat of fuzzy barriers. He continued past her throat and followed the path offered by her collarbone. Feeling more than aroused, and a lot like a kid let loose in a candy store, he playfully caught her bra strap between his teeth and pulled up slightly. Chloe made no move to stop him. He let it go, allowing it to quietly snap back into place. Her breath hitched and encouraged him to explore further. Again he caught the smooth strap in his teeth. This time, he gently guided it down over her right shoulder. He planted long, wet kisses over her shoulder as he worked his way back up, allowing his tongue to make gentle circles on her skin.

Clark was elated. He had to concentrate on slowing his breathing, fearful that he could hyperventilate and pass out or come in his pants and put an early end to the fun. Putting both arms around her, he pulled her toward him once again, embracing her tightly. His warm breathed tickled her ear and he felt her stir on top of him. Arousal followed by elation lead to new confidence. Clark opened his hands against her back and methodically slid them upward toward the clasp of her bra. He tugged gently. Puckering the fabric to give himself slack, he tugged again. He brushed his cheek against hers and playfully nipped at her neck all the while straining to get a look over her shoulder at the device that was holding her breasts at bay.

"Clark... " she sighed. The sound of her voice almost pleading, served to frustrate him further. He knew he possessed the power to just tear the garment off, but this was not the time for the whole "Chloe, I'm an alien" thing, so he used what self control he still had and continued to struggle with the clasp of her bra. For a second, he considered the necessity of his actions. After all, he did have x-ray vision... but he wanted to see them... normally.

Finally, Chloe sat back. She shot him a seductive look as her hips tilted against him, sending another pulse of electricity directly to his groin. Clark smiled and rested back. Fully prepared to enjoy the show. She reached around with both hands and skillfully unhooked the bra. It fell off her shoulders and into her lap. The exposure made her unexpectedly nervous and she felt her previous confidence and aggressiveness begin to wane. It felt as though he could see right through her and she crossed her arms in front of her to shield herself from his stare.

Now Clark had seen breasts before. He was, after all, a typical, teenage male. He had seen the magazines that some of the guys housed in their lockers after football practice. He had grunted and drooled with the best of them over the scantily clad women spread out on glossy pages. The guys used words like hooters, jugs and tits, but he was sure his mother would kill him for even thinking of referring to a woman's body that way, so he considered them to be "show breasts". Very nice, if somewhat artificial, and definitely for show purposes; to see and be seen.

Jonathan Kent didn't allow the perversities of cable TV to litter his farm and Martha Kent was addicted to the "educational" channels. So Clark had been exposed to the Discovery Channel, the Learning Channel and National Geographic on a regular basis. He'd seen mothers nursing babies in the cotton fields, those new baby reality shows, and the like. Those, he thought, were "working breasts".

But these... these were Chloe's breasts and they were in a category all their own.

Chloe could feel his stare and see the look of utter amazement on his face. Suddenly, she felt naked. Chloe looked down, unable to meet his eyes. She tightened her grip on her elbows accidentally increasing her ample cleavage. Clark sensed her nervousness and reached up to caress her shoulders, slowly feeling his way down the length of her arms. He paused. His hands pushed gently against her elbows before leaning in to lightly brush his lips against hers.

"You... are... so... beautiful," he whispered.

Chloe felt her face flush. Clark moved his hands across her forearms and settled each of his hands over one of hers. He hesitated. They had come so much further than he would have ever believed. And, he wanted to continue. He rubbed her hands until she laced her fingers with his. He brought his forehead to hers and gently nudged her face up.

"Chloe?" He said. Her eyes opened into his gaze.

"We can stop... if you want to," he said. And she believed him. Clark Kent was nothing if not a gentleman. She knew if she said she wanted to stop, they would stop right here and now. The corners of her mouth turned upward just a bit... and then a little more. He smiled at her. She kissed him running her tongue over his lips. His smile widened.

Gently, increasing the pressure on her hands, he felt Chloe's vice like grip diminish and her arms parted. Fingers still entwined, he pushed her arms behind her as he enveloped them into his embrace. He delighted in the feel of her soft flesh against his chest. He devoured her mouth as if it were nourishment. He needed to kiss her. All over. Licking down the soft curves of her neck he proceeded down. Down until his tongue was resting in the hollow between her breasts. Clark took in a breath and slowly let it out, remembering once again how much he didn't want to faint right now. Releasing her hands he brought his right hand around and gently cupped her breast. He squeezed gently and heard Chloe sigh. He squeezed again and let his fingers surround the soft, but firm flesh. He ran his thumb across her nipple, accidentally at first, but when he saw the reaction it produced, he continued as if it had been his plan all along.

Chloe threaded her fingers through Clark's hair and gently stroked the strands. With each movement of his hand on her breast her fingers tightened. This was a good indicator, he thought, enjoying her reaction. She surprised him again though, when the fingers in his hair began guiding his mouth directly to her breast.

"Oh my God!" the voice inside Clark's head screamed. "Oh my God!"

He had no prior experience with beautiful girls sticking their breasts in his mouth and Clark silently thanked God for instinct. He sucked, lightly at first, and slowly ran his tongue around her nipple. She shuddered and moaned with pleasure.

"Wow... " he thought to himself. With each delightful circle of his tongue Chloe arched her back more and wriggled against him a little harder. Clark felt himself straining in his jeans. The bulge in his groin was growing painful against the tightening denim and he could feel the wet spot in his boxers getting bigger by the second.

"Chloe...?" he said starting to panic just a little.

"Clark..." she panted and inadvertently rocked harder against his pelvis.

"No. Chloe... wait..." Clark tried to shift his weight to ease the mounting pressure.

"Chloe..." he repeated, holding his breath, believing that would help, but she cut him off with a kiss. Clark felt himself building faster. Fainting now seemed like a better choice, certainly less embarrassing than what he knew was about to happen

"Chloe... wait." He held her hips firmly to keep her still. "You have to stop doing that or I'm going to lose it."

"But I want you to lose it. I want to make you lose it. I want see you lose it," she said in a low and sexy voice. A voice that Clark was completely unfamiliar with and sent more flames to his groin.

"Oh! Wow." He blinked rapidly as her words registered in his brain. "Yeah, but I don't want to lose it in my jeans and I don't think... "

"Clark," she put her fingers under his chin and stared into his eyes, "don't think."

"What?" His big beautiful eyes went wide with surprise.

"Don't think. I don't want you to think right now." Her fingertips trailed back to his chest.

"OK. So if I can't think right now, what should I be doing?" He was desperately fighting for control now.

"Feeling," she cooed as she began to suck on his neck.

"Feeling?" He was barely able to choke out the word. Chloe was now sucking on his neck and playing with his nipples. Control was quickly becoming a foreign concept.

"Yes, don't think. Just feel." She started to grind her hips against him again while still paying attention to his neck and chest to drive home the point. "Does that feel good?"

"God, yes!" he ground out through gritted teeth.

"Then go with it."

"Chloe, that sounds wonderful, but I don't want to push you. This is new to both of us..."

"Clark," she cut him off. "This is new to you. I've spent ages dreaming about this moment. I've waited forever to be able to touch you and kiss you. I don't want to stop."

"You dreamed about me?" Surprise warred with arousal in those gorgeous hazel eyes.

"Oh, yes." The words rolled off her tongue with a moan as she recalled some of the more vivid dreams she'd had about Clark Kent.

"Really?" The idea that she had dreamt about him was obviously beginning to excite him even more. "What did you dream?"

"You really want to know?" She looked up and gave him a positively wicked grin. She was still grinding against him, but now he was matching her rhythm.

"Yeah... " he breathed out on a whisper as she arched her back and brought her chest closer to his face. Control? What control? He took her up on the silent invitation and finally brought those luscious lips to her breast. She moaned her approval.

"I dreamt about what it would be like to kiss you, to touch you, to explore every inch of your amazing body," she said as he paid wonderful attention to her left breast.

"I am not amazing, Chloe." He argued while switching his attention to her right breast.

"Yes, you are. Look at you. I dreamt about what you would look like naked. Naked in my bed or naked in the shower, all wet and soapy."

"Christ, Chloe!" His head shot up and she could see the muscles in his neck pulled tight from tension.

"I dreamt about your hands and how they would feel all over me. How much I wanted them all over me."

"Chloe!" Clark almost screamed her name. His eyes squeezed shut and his whole body jerked before going very still. Then his cheeks turned flame red.

"Clark?"

"Oh, god." He sounded like he was in pain.

"Clark."

"I'm sorry." He still hadn't opened his eyes.

"Clark."

"This is so embarrassing. I... "

"Clark!" The sharp tone in her voice finally got him to open his eyes and look at her. She was smiling.

"Yeah?"

"That was so cool." And it was, it really was. The rush of excitement and power was incredible. It made her feel sexy, feminine, wanted, desirable... every thing she didn't feel like every day at school. She had wanted Clark to notice her 'that way' for so long, having him not only notice, but to get off from it? That was a fantasy come true.

"Cool?" If he blushed any harder it was going to be a fire hazard.

"Yes, cool. How did it feel?"

Clark's jaw dropped again. "God, do you really have to ask? It was incredible!"

"No, but I like hearing it." She gave him another wicked grin, before going after his mouth.

Clark wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lips again. In one graceful movement he rocked her sideways and she fell smoothly out of his lap and onto the couch. Clark repositioned himself on his side to share the too small space and cuddled her in beside him. Their eyes met again this time seeing things within the other they had never looked for before. Clark smoothed her blond hair away from her face and kissed her cheek.

"Chloe, you know I've never done any of this before. You have to tell me how to make you feel good."

She smiled. It was just the kind of thing she'd expect Clark to say. Showing him instead of telling him had worked well once today. Why argue with success? She thought as she kissed him again and moved his hand toward the zipper of her jeans.

The little voice inside Clark's head screamed, "Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God."

Once again, he was grateful for primal instincts. With one hand he unbuttoned her jeans and brought the zipper down in a slow descent, relieved that jeans didn't have stubborn little hooks. His hand came to rest flat across her belly and he looked at her wondering how he should proceed. Chloe rested her head in the crook of his arm and sighed. She closed her eyes and nudged his hand toward the open jeans. He caressed the silky material of her panties until she arched up and into his touch. Taking the hint, he slipped his hand under the waistband of her panties, stopping once again to make sure she was okay with what they were doing.

For Chloe, this was more than okay. This was several fantasies coming true all at once. But for as much as Clark seemed to want this, he was holding back. She wasn't sure why he was holding back, but it was the last thing she wanted him to do right now. She nudged his hand again, moving it further down and began rolling her hips up. Setting a rhythm he quickly matched with his strokes. Each movement getting a little more bold and moving a little further down. The first touch that met wet heat caused them both to moan loudly. Very loudly.

Chloe thrust against his hand, hoping to draw him in. All pretense of teasing was gone, need had taken over. She wanted him inside of her, connected to her in a way neither of them had ever been connected to another.

Clark was on sensory overload. There were so many new sensations and feelings to process. He couldn't begin to sort them all out now and when his fingertips sent the message back to his brain that the wetness he felt was her arousal, whatever lingering doubts he may have had were blasted into oblivion. There was no way that this glorious sensation meant anything other than she wanted him, wanted this. He circled her opening, teasing gently, watching her face carefully for a reaction. She thrust hard against his hand and he got the hint, quickly sliding his finger in. A sharp hiss of pleasure escaped her lips before she thrust against him again. Again he got the hint and began moving in and out, slowly, but steadily, still watching her face for signs of pleasure or pain.

As her thrusts became more urgent, she fumbled between them to get at the buttons on his jeans. Popping them open one by one, she could hear his relief as his erection was freed from its denim confines. His boxers were damp from his earlier orgasm, so she stroked the length of him through the blue plaid material. His eyes rolled back in his head at her touch and he made the most wonderfully needy noises in the back of his throat.

She didn't want to stop this for anything, but Clark was perched precariously on the edge of the couch and they were going to have to stop at least long enough to take off their jeans, so why not move this to someplace roomier?

"Clark?" She sucked on his neck and could feel his pulse racing.

"Yeah?" His mouth was closing over a nipple again, making it hard for her to concentrate on what she wanted to say.

"Umm... we should... oh yeah... we should take this... yes... somewhere roomier." The idea suddenly seemed like a bad one, as his hands left her body and he sat up. The loss of contact was almost painful.

When he stood up, he paused for a moment and looked down at her. Naked from the waist up, jeans open, face flushed, lips swollen from their kisses, eyes dark with desire. It was easily the most incredible sight he had ever laid eyes on.

He grabbed their discarded clothing quickly and handed it to her before scooping her into his arms. As much as using his super speed to get them into his bedroom sounded like a good idea, it would only raise questions. He forced himself to walk into the house and up to his room at anormal pace. He gently laid her on his bed before turning to lock the door. When he turned back, he was again struck by how beautiful and sexy she looked on his bed in only her jeans. He felt himself twitch, anxious to get back to her.

As he approached the bed, she sat up and stopped him. Grabbing the waistband of his jeans, she unfastened the buttons again and slid them past his hips. He kicked them off the rest of the way, along with shoes and socks, as she licked her lips in anticipation. It was all the invitation he needed to lean down and devour her mouth. She responded with equal fervor and pulled him down onto the bed. His hands went back to her chest immediately, but she grabbed one of his wrists and gave it a downward tug instead. He slipped his hand down the front of her jeans and she bucked up against him. When she made this wonderful noise that he was sure he'd never heard her make before, he began exploring in earnest. Getting her to make those desperate little whimpers was fast becoming Clark's favorite thing.

Wanting more again, she tried to angle her thrusts against his hand, but her jeans were preventing them from getting it just right. She lifted her hips and pushed them down as far as she could without sitting up. Clark stopped and pulled the jeans the rest of the way off, taking a long moment to just look at her.

"God, Chloe." His eyes were dark with lust and wide with wonder. "You look so amazing."

She blushed deeply and bit her bottom lip as she gave him her own approving stare. "You're pretty incredible yourself, Farmboy," she teased before getting serious again. She trailed a finger along the waistband of his boxers. "You should take these off. I want to see you. All of you."

He blushed furiously, but stood up and peeled them off. Still standing at the end of the bed, he put one knee on the bed and leaned down to trail wet, open-mouthed kisses up and down Chloe's legs. His fingers crept up to her panties, softly tugging on the silky material.

"Can I?" he asked quietly in between kisses.

In place of an answer, she lifted her hips. He pulled them down and off her legs, stopping again to admire her naked body. Chloe was naked in his bed. He was naked. He was naked with Chloe. They were naked together... in his bed. For a brief moment he stood there wondering how they got to this point. That is, until she sat up, wrapped her hands around his waist and pulled him down on top of her.

Any semblance of control he had left at that point just shattered.

He settled between her legs, content for the moment to just feel her whole body against his. Skin to skin, nothing between them at all.

They touched and moved, slid and thrust. Each movement, each new sensation, more glorious than the last. It was new, exciting and instantly addictive.

He was soon pressed at her opening. She rocked against him, encouraging him in, but was shocked when he broke their momentum and pulled away from her.

"Wait Chloe. I need something."

He leaned over her and opened the nightstand drawer. She put a hand on his shoulder to stop him and he looked back at her.

"It's okay, Clark. I'm on the Pill."

"Oh, really?" Over his shoulder, he crooked an eyebrow at her.

"It's not like that! It's medical." She swatted him on the shoulder. "Neither one of us has done this before anyway, so it's okay."

Clark wasn't exactly sure how he was going to talk his way out of this one. There was no way he wanted to take any chances here. He had no way of knowing what would happen if he didn't wear a condom and he wasn't about to use Chloe as an unwitting lab rat. With his luck, his sperm was just as "super" as the rest of him and a few months from now, he'd been staring down the barrel of a shotgun while trying to explain to Mr. Sullivan how Chloe ended up pregnant with an alien baby.

"Chloe, please don't take this the wrong way, but I want to. I've heard too many horror stories and I don't want to take any chances at all. If you're on the Pill, then we can just be twice as safe. Okay?"

"Okay," she said, quietly amazed at how responsible he could be at times. Jonathan Kent had certainly drilled responsibility into his son's head. Most guys would be thrilled to ditch the latex in favor of the pill.

He grabbed a box from the back of the drawer. Inside that box was another box from which he pulled out a foil packet. Leaving the wrapper on the nightstand, he slid it on and settled back between her legs. She shifted to bring him closer to where he needed to be.

"Are you sure you still want to do this?"

She pushed against him. "There is no one else I'd rather do this with than you, Clark," she said and pushed a little further.

He gasped at the sensation and fought for control.

"Tell me if I'm hurting you," he whispered and pressed in about halfway.

"I will." She smiled to reassure him and realized he was more nervous than she was.

He slid in farther. Watching her face carefully for signs of discomfort, and desperately trying to hold back the tidal wave of new sensations he was experiencing.

When he was a far as he thought he could go, he stopped. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes," she purred and wriggled against him, adjusting to the feeling of having him inside of her. It was as much a mental turn on as a physical one and she wanted him to start moving... now!

"Isn't this supposed to hurt though?" He was breathing hard, trying to push back the urge to thrust hard and fast.

"I guess, but remember that time we were riding bikes over by Crater Lake?" He nodded, remembering that Chloe had been trying out Pete's new bike when the front tire hit a hole in the ground and sent her slamming down hard against the bike's crossbar.

"Remember how I was hurt, but wouldn't let either you or Pete near me?" He remembered. He had run all the way back to her house to get her Dad.

"The doctor said my first time wouldn't be nearly as painful as that bike accident."

Realization kicked in and Clark blushed furiously, causing Chloe to giggle. Clark felt that giggle through every part of their bodies and hissed sharply.

"God, Chloe!"

"Enough talking, Clark." She pulled his mouth to hers. As she licked and sucked her way around his mouth, she slowly rolled her hips, inviting him to move with her.

He groaned and slowly slid out. Watching her face as he slid in again, he saw nothing but pleasure and finally felt confident enough to start stroking in a steady rhythm.

Clark wasn't sure whether he was going to die or explode. Either way, he was fairly certain he was not going to live through this experience. However, he would die the happiest man on Earth... and whatever planet he was really from.

He was having sex.

With Chloe.

And it was the single most unbelievable experience of his existence. Her warm, small body was beneath his, moving up to meet him as he thrust in and out of her. The feeling of her tight and hot and wet around him was so good he was sure it was killing off brain cells by the second and she was making the most wonderfully needy, happy sounds.

Desperate to have him even closer, Chloe hooked one leg around his waist and shifted her hips to draw him in deeper. The change in position unleashed a wave of new and even better sensations for both of them. This was what she wanted.

"Oh, god. Yes. Clark."

And that was all it took to send Clark shuddering into orgasm, practically shouting her name.

For several long moments, they just laid there, breathing hard, hearts pounding, Clark still bracing himself with one arm to keep from crushing her under his weight. Chloe recovered first. Cupping his face, she kissed him. Slow and tender, savoring the feel of being connected in more than one way.

"Wow." He smiled against her lips.

"Yeah." She giggled at the dazed, happy look on his face.

"Just a sec." He pulled away and reached for the tissues. A moment later, he was on his back and she was snuggled against his side looking up at him.

"I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked softly as one hand caressed her cheek.

"Absolutely not." She reassured him.

A small part of her wondered why he was so worried about hurting her. It was one thing to be careful and considerate, but this seemed like something more. Another part of her was just happy that he was so concerned about how she felt. A third part told her to quit wondering and enjoy being naked with Clark.

Chloe watched as the blush returned to his face and she could practically hear the next question before he said it.

"So it was okay?" The shy smile he gave her to cover his embarrassment was beyond adorable.

"Better than okay, Clark." She beamed back at him.

"Yeah, it was pretty awesome, but did you... " he trailed off, not sure how to ask without sounding even more naïve than he felt. He let his gaze drift down her body, hoping it would convey his meaning.

"Clark, this felt amazing, but no." As gently as she tried to put it, he still looked crestfallen.

"I wanted you to enjoy it as much as I did."

"Oh believe me, I enjoyed this very much!" She pressed herself against him for emphasis.

"Yeah, but you didn't... "

"Clark, it's pretty rare for a girl on her first time."

He was quiet for a moment and she could tell he was thinking about something. However, she didn't expect the question that broke the silence.

"Have you ever?" he asked and now it was her turn to blush furiously. She debated about whether to answer that or not, but the longer she was quiet, the more curious he got.

"Yes." She finally decided on telling him the truth.

He was so surprised by her answer he abruptly turned on his side so they were face to face. "Really? When? Who? How?" His expression was so eager and interested she had to laugh.

"Oh no, I've created a monster!" She teased in mock horror. "Boys aren't the only ones who can take care of themselves," she answered slowly and carefully watched his face. She could tell the exact second he got her meaning. And so could her thigh, since about a second after he got it, there was something hard pressing against her again. She raised her eyebrows at him, silently questioning his apparent stamina.

"Sorry," he mumbled sheepishly, "but that is just such a huge turn on. I can't help it."

His mind supplied images of Chloe touching herself as he remembered what she said in the barn about dreaming about him.

"Were you thinking about me?" The words flew out of his mouth before he had a chance think about them.

She was surprised by the bold question, but answered it honestly. "Yes, sometimes."

"So thinking about me was enough to get you off, but actually doing it didn't?"

"What?"

"So, I did do something wrong."

"What? No! Clark, that wasn't what I meant... " Her mind was racing trying to figure out how this conversation got so far off track. "I told you, most girls don't their first time and some..."

He cut her off with a quick kiss and a sly grin as he shifted on top of her again. His voice was low and sexy as his lips moved from hers, along her jawline and over to tease the sensitive spot behind her ear with his tongue.

"Yeah, but your first time is over now, so show me what to do. I want to make you feel as good as you made me feel."

She shivered from the thrill his words gave her and he rocked against her creating an intoxicating friction between their bodies. She was really going to like this side of Clark Kent.

"Come on, Chloe. Tell me." He purred in her ear, fanning the fire already racing through her veins.

Well, telling him hadn't worked for her yet today, but showing him certainly had! She pushed his hand down. He caressed the insides of her thighs and explored the sensitive skin between them before slipping his finger back in. She arched slightly to meet him and hummed her appreciation of his actions.

He was nipping and sucking his way across her collarbone. "What else, Chlo?"

"Like before, only here, too," she said, guiding him so the heel of his palm was pressing against just the right spot, unable to control the loud hiss of pleasure that escaped her lips when he found it. "Oh yeah... "

Clark watched as her eyes fluttered closed and her body relaxed into his. He suddenly understood why people were obsessed with sex and wanted to be inside of her again... very badly. A few careful, but awkward movements allowed him to reach the still open box on his nightstand with his other hand. He wouldn't have stopped the other one if his life depended on it. He grabbed another packet from the nightstand as she opened her eyes. She took the packet from him and tore it open. She managed to reach between them and get the condom on him with another fleeting thought about his stamina.

It was her last rational thought, though. The hand between her legs was still stroking and pressing, but he added another finger at the same moment his mouth found her breast. Her breath caught in her throat as she threw her head back in ecstasy.

"Oh, Clark!"

"Tell me, Chloe," he coached while circling her nipple with his tongue.

"Just. Don't. Stop," was all she could manage for an answer.

He continued lavishing attention on all the strategic parts of her body until she couldn't take it anymore. She knew she was close and wanted him inside of her when she came.

"Clark, now!" She grabbed his hips and pulled him in place.

"God, yes!" He was thrusting in an instant, but kept his hand between them. Fingertips seeking out the spot that had caused her so much pleasure a moment ago. He found it, rubbing and circling, the look on her face telling him everything he needed to know.

"More, Clark."

More? He could feel her muscles clenching around him and her leg moved back up around his waist. More? He wasn't going to last long if she kept this up. He thrust a little harder and faster and she bit down on her bottom lip. No, no this was not going to last much longer.

"Chloe... "

"Oh yeah. Don't stop. Don't change a thing," she cried as her nails dug into his forearms.

The tight, hot muscles around him got tighter and hotter and he felt the insides of her thighs spasm. He couldn't hold back another second. Two more hard thrusts and he was over the edge. Still stroking through his orgasm and praying he had lasted long enough for hers.

He collapsed on top of her and she held him tightly. They kept each other close, not wanting to break the contact, hands idly caressing any available skin.

"Chloe?" His voice was small, as if he was afraid to ask.

"Yes. Clark, yes." Her voice was breathy and low, and sounded incredibly happy.

"Wow."

"I was still searching for a euphemism, but 'wow' works for me." She grinned.

"Wow," Clark repeated, still dazed and enjoying the afterglow.

"Wow," he said once again, making her giggle.

"You seem to be stuck on that word today, Mr. Kent."

He broke out in an ear-to-ear grin. "Well, it's been a 'wow' kind of day for me."

"Yeah, me too," she said and matched his grin.

"Chloe... " he started, but paused, obviously unsure about how to say what he wanted to say. Chloe tensed and took this to mean that the regrets were kicking in and the dream was over. She cut off whatever it was he was trying to say.

"Clark, I need you to be honest with me. Regardless of how you think I'm going to feel about the your answer, I need you to tell me the truth. Why did you do this? And I can handle it if it was just teenage hormones and the offer of sex, I won't like it, but I can handle it. I just need to know why."

"The truth?" Clark shifted them so he could look her in the eye before continuing. "I realized after you kissed me that I couldn't imagine my life without you. You're always there for me, Chloe. I've always thought you were special and loved you in my own way, but when you said you loved me, I thought about what it would be like if you suddenly weren't a part of my life. And I couldn't even imagine, and didn't want to imagine what it would be like. If Lana or Lex suddenly left, sure I would miss them, but I'd get used to it. With you it's different and it's always been different. I just didn't realize how different until today. I must be a special brand of stupid to have missed this for so long." He chuckled. "I mean, God, talk about dense!" He used his free hand to gesture at their still naked bodies twined together. "How did I miss this?"

Chloe couldn't help but laugh and snuggled in even closer to his body. "It is pretty sad that I had to throw myself at you to get you to notice."

"I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm really sorry... "

"Stop, Clark. It's okay. Really. I was pretty sure you were going to laugh in my face and declare your undying love for Lana again. This," she mimicked his gesture, "was unexpected to say the least, but it's like a dream come true and I really just want to focus on that right now."

"I can live with that." He smiled before planting tiny kisses all over her face.

"Yeah, me too." She sighed happily and closed her eyes. When he stopped, she looked up to find him staring at her.

"So, what do we do now? I mean, we sorta skipped a few of the smaller mating rituals and jumped right into the big one. Where do we go from here?"

Chloe tensed again, not sure what he meant. "What do you want to do?"

"Well, I don't want to hide this," he said and she relaxed instantly, "but we're going to get hit with a lot of questions Monday at school if we show up holding hands and kissing."

He took her hand in his and kissed it softly, making her giggle again.

"You'd be willing to be seen at school kissing me?"

"Well, I'm not up for getting a PDA detention, but yes, I'd want to hold your hand and kiss you at school." He laughed. He could just imagine the trouble he'd be in at home if he got detention for making out in the hallway at school. His father would kill him! And that was only if there was anything left of him after his mother was done.

"And honestly, Chloe, my feelings for Lana started to change months ago. You and Pete were just to busy teasing me to notice. I started to see her as more of a friend and as a real person, instead of the image that I had created before I got to know her. Whatever chance we might have had passed and it was a lot easier to accept that than I thought it would be."

"Wow." It came out as a whisper as Chloe tried to process his words and picture walking down the hall holding Clark's hand. She had thought about it so many times before, but now that it was a real possibility, it seemed somewhat surreal. Not so much that he wanted to hold her hand, that was wonderful enough, but the real joy was that he would publicly acknowledge their relationship and show Lana that they were together.

"As much as I hate to say this," his voice broke her reverie, "we should get dressed."

"Aw, come on, Clark!" She pressed her whole body against his, making him shiver with delight. "You mean you don't want to lay around naked with me all day? What kind of teenager are you anyway?" She pouted playfully.

"That's exactly the problem. I would love to lay around naked with you all day. I'm just not interested in getting caught laying around naked with you by my parents. That would bring an abrupt halt to something I really want to do a lot more of in the near future."

He kissed her on the nose before getting out of bed. He shrugged into a clean pair of boxers and disappeared into the hall. When he came back, he handed her a folded towel and washcloth.

"In case you want to wash up."

She took the offered linens and headed for the bathroom, smiling the whole way at his thoughtfulness.

Alone in his room, he sat on the edge of his bed in stunned silence. So much had happened today and he was still trying to wrap his brain around it all. There were a million little things he wanted to remember forever.

"What a truly amazing day," he said to the empty room and chuckled as he realized it was going to be very hard to think about anything other than sex for days. A tiny part of him was relieved, too. Having spent years learning to control his gifts and his strengths, he had been fairly sure he could handle sex without hurting his partner when the time came, but he was never certain. Experimenting on yourself and actually doing it with a girl were two very different things. More than once a wet dream had turned into a nightmare when he dreamed that he had lost control and disintegrated his partner.

He was still sitting on the bed when she came back in to get dressed.

"You look like the Cheshire Cat," she teased. The look on his face was priceless. Happy like she had never seen before and the ever-present seriousness in his eyes had taken a vacation for once. Clark seemed relaxed and happy and that made her giddy.

"I know. I can't help it." He beamed a smile at her that was even brighter than usual. "I guess a part of me is still a little stunned."

"Yeah. Me, too." She giggled. She really hadn't expected to have sex with him when she left the house today.

"You've really thought about this for a long time, haven't you?"

"An embarrassingly long time!" She laughed as he stood up to hug her and held her against his still bare chest. It was like the world's best blanket to be wrapped inside Clark's arms. They snuggled together in comfortable silence until he noticed the clock.

"I should really get cleaned up and dressed."

"Do you have to? You look so much better undressed." She pouted before sucking on the closest nipple.

"Unless you want my parents to find us this way, yes."

"Why Mr. Kent, are you ashamed of me already?" She teased even as she was handing him his discarded jeans.

"No. I'm just afraid they are gonna take one look at us and know exactly what went on here and I'll be grounded until I'm 30."

She laughed. "I can't argue with you on that. You get dressed and I'll go wait in the kitchen." She kissed him once more before heading downstairs.

When he came down, Chloe was struck anew by how insanely beautiful he was. He was wearing a plain white T-shirt that clung tightly to his well-developed biceps and jeans that emphasized his slender waist and impossibly long legs. His hair, still wet from the shower, was a riot of ebony curls and his tanned skin was practically glowing.

"Ms. Sullivan," he gave her a slight bow as he took her arm, "shall we?"

"I'd go anywhere with you, Mr. Kent, but where exactly are we headed?"

"I'm taking you home," he answered as the left the house and headed for her car.

"That's very sweet of you, but I drove here. How are you going to get home?"

"I'll walk back," he answered simply and opened the car door for her.

"That's a long walk, Clark. You don't have to do that."

"I want to and I think I'm gonna need the time to work on my game face."

"Game face?" she questioned as she got in the car.

"For when Mom and Dad get home. I don't want to spend the rest of the night getting a lecture about sex from my father." They both laughed, each perfectly able to picture Jonathan Kent standing in the kitchen delivering a platitude-laden sermon about sex and responsibility and how it's better to wait.

On the ride home they talked about how and when to tell Pete and even made a few bets about what he was going to say. It wasn't long before they pulled in behind Gabe Sullivan's Volvo.

"I guess your Dad is home," Clark sighed, opening his door. He had been hoping Mr. Sullivan was at the plant and they could spend a little more time alone.

"Yeah. I should go in, too. We haven't seen much of each other lately. He's been at the plant a lot since the Earl Jenkins thing."

"Okay." He walked around to open her door and planted a kiss on her forehead as she got out.

"I could really get used to this," she said as he took her hand and walked her to the door.

They shared a long tender kiss before saying goodbye.

Clark stopped at the bottom of the porch. There was one more thing he wanted to do.

"Hey, Chloe?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you go out with me?"

"I'd love to, Clark."