Chlark Fanfic: White Rose, Part III
Hi, All!
As promised, here’s the final chapter of my Chlarky oneshot. Hope you all liked my alternative ending to Homecoming. :-)
Amazing banner by grlmonday. This is a stunning work of art, and I can't thank you enough, girl. *huggles* :-D
Title: White Rose
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlark
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: A re-write of Episode 10.04 - Homecoming
Timeline: Season 10 (my version); sequel to The Perfect Gift and sixth installment of the Sacred Series
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Clark and Chloe attend their high school reunion, which happens to fall on Chloe’s birthday.
Feedback: Yes, please. :-)
Read Part I here
Read Part II here
Read entire series from the beginning here.
Part III
“I had to pull a lot of strings to get the DJ to play this song,” Clark said to Chloe as they swayed to the strains of Remy Zero's Perfect Memory.
“Yeah, but it’s a good song. And I appreciate it,” she replied warmly. “I just hope we get to finish it this time.”
“Oh, we will; trust me,” he said. “I’ve got Oliver and the team on standby in the event of any emergencies or natural disasters.”
“Aw, bless you for trying,” she said with a smile. “But you know I’ll understand if you have to suddenly dash off.” She glanced across the room, and her smile widened. “Those two, on the other hand, might not be so subtle.”
Clark followed her gaze in the direction of Zoe and Clayton, who were slow-dancing contentedly in each other’s arms.
He grimaced. “True. They’re already spot on about The Blur’s history; they’re bound to put two and two together if I run off and leave you on the dance floor.”
Clayton eased Zoe closer to him, close enough for Clark to narrow his eyes at them. “Think we should enforce the ten centimetre rule?” he asked Chloe.
She shook her head. “Nah, they’re good kids. Let’s not be party-poopers unless we absolutely have to be.”
He nodded in agreement. “Wise words.”
They continued to watch the young couple, intrigued by the obvious intimacy between them. Zoe rested her head on Clayton’s shoulder and her eyelids drifted shut. She looked so happy, so relaxed, so…content. Much like how Chloe had felt in his arms when they’d danced on the same spot a decade ago.
“God, they are so like us at that age,” Chloe whispered, mirroring his thoughts. “I remember leaning on you like that as we danced, and feeling so happy and safe.”
He nodded, remembering the warmth of her bare back against his palm. “Your hair was all sparkly, and smelled of fresh violets and vanilla.”
She stared up at him, wide-eyed. “You remember that?”
“I remember everything about that day, Chloe,” he said quietly. “…especially how wonderful you looked. You were exquisite.”
She blushed. “Why, thank you. And you looked ten times as handsome as usual, and when you smiled at me, I just…wow,” she breathed nostalgically. “It was like all my Christmases had been rolled into one, fastened with a big red bow, and delivered straight to my door.”
“I felt the same way,” he admitted. “You were so beautiful that night; you still are.”
Her thumb brushed his cheek, and he tilted his head to kiss her palm. Across the room, they saw Clayton lift Zoe’s chin with his forefinger, and she looked up at him expectantly. Clayton smiled and, very slowly, lowered his head and kissed her.
“Aww, he’s got pretty impressive skills for a nerd,” Chloe said, her eyes sparkling in delight as Zoe tightened her arms around his neck and kissed him back. “Way to go, Clayton!”
“I should have kissed you,” Clark said suddenly. Chloe’s gaze swung away from the young pair and she stared up at him. “Sorry?”
“On the dancefloor that night; I should have kissed you,” he explained. “I wanted to; heck, I was going to. But then that damned tornado warning-”
“You had to save a life,” she reminded him, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. “Clark, I understand. It’s okay; we’re together now.”
“If I’d kissed you before I left, we’d have been together then,” he insisted, his voice thick with emotion. “We’ve wasted so much time, and that’s my fault.”
“Not all of it,” she pointed out. “You did try; you asked me out when you got back, remember? I very stupidly turned you down.”
He sighed, remembering how he’d smiled through his disappointment when she’d suggested they remain really good friends.
“I guess we’ve both made mistakes. But we made it eventually,” he said, tapping her nose with a smile.
“And here we are,” she replied. “It’s all good now.”
The song played on, and he held her closer and lowered his head to her hair. The pleasing vanilla scent of her hair was the same as it had been a decade ago, and he inhaled deeply and smiled.
“I remember when you pinned that white rose on me,” he whispered. “We were in the front yard of the farm, looking into each other’s eyes. It was all so beautiful and perfect, and I thought: ‘I’m going to remember this moment forever.’ And then all hell broke loose, and I suddenly found myself swirling in a tornado, getting struck by flying debris.”
He looked down at her. “After I dropped Lana off at the hospital, I glanced down and saw the rose; a little worse for wear, but still safely nestled against my heart. Against all odds, it had survived the storm.” Just like them, he realised. He and Chloe had had their ups and downs over the years, but no matter how many times they’d been driven apart, they always came back together, their bond stronger than ever.
“At the end of the night, I took the rose off and kept it in our Best Friends page in the yearbook,” he said softly. “I know it would be safe there. From time to time, I’d take it out and look at it, and wonder what could have been.”
He lifted her hand and kissed it, then held it to his heart.
“I know now that I loved you,” he said thickly. “All this time, I’ve been in love with you, and that’s why no-one else could ever come close to having what I have with you.”
Her eyes glistened, and a tear rolled down one cheek. “I love you, too, Clark,” she whispered tremulously. “I always have, right from that first kiss.”
He smiled. “I know. With a love that’s patient, enduring, and strong enough to weather any storm. Like our rose.”
She nodded. “Like our rose.”
He stopped swaying and stepped back, keeping hold of her hands. Chloe frowned and gave him a questioning look. His heart hammered urgently in his chest, and his throat felt dry as he tried to form the next words. But he was confident; he knew what he had to do.
“I know this is way overdue, but it’s never too late to say what’s in your heart,” he said shakily. “So, I-I have a question for you, Chloe…and I’d really like to get your answer.”
He took a deep breath, and descended onto one knee.
***
Chloe gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. A reverent hush descended over the room, and the centre of the dance floor cleared as people stepped back and watched the proceedings with curious eyes.
Clark reached into his pocket with shaky fingers and pulled out a small velvet box.
“This is the other present I mentioned earlier,” he said quietly. “I hope you like it.”
He opened the box and soft gasps could be heard throughout the room as pulled out a white gold ring set with a solitaire diamond, and held it out to her.
“Chloe Anne Sullivan: will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?” he asked.
Dozens of expectant eyes turned in her direction - along with the spotlight - and waited for her answer. Clark held his breath, and seconds seemed to tick by endlessly.
Finally she lowered her hands from her mouth, and her face broke into a huge smile.
“Yes.”
***
The room erupted into loud whoops and jubilant cheers.
Clark was on his feet in an instant. He swept Chloe into his arms and swung her around several times before planting a deep kiss on her lips, eliciting louder cheers and thunderous applause from former classmates and current school kids alike.
“I always knew those two would get together,” Clark heard one person say. “Thick as thieves they’ve been, right from day one.”
“I agree,” another added. “Way to go, Kent! It’s about time.”
Clark finally lifted his head and gazed at his fiancée. “So you’ll marry me?” he asked again - just to be sure.
She grinned up at him. “Oh, Clark. Have I ever been able to say no to you?”
He paused and thought hard. “Actually, there was that one time when you shimmied up a flagpole, and despite several impassioned pleas for you to come back down, you defied me,” he smirked.
“Hey, there were extenuating circumstances!” she cried. “Aqua-based Kryptonite, remember?”
He chuckled. “I know. And to be doubly sure you don’t end up half-naked and hyperactive from the effects of another gemstone, I went all the way to Paris for this.”
He slid the ring onto the third finger of her left hand, then lifted it up to the light. “It’s perfect,” he smiled, and bent his head to kiss her.
Chloe rested her palms on either side of his face and lifted herself up onto her tiptoes to meet his kiss. His arms went around her waist, and he gathered her flush against him as their lips met. Years of easy companionship, shared secrets, trials, troubles and joys had all culminated in this moment, in this one kiss.
Clark could feel his soul finally soaring as he cemented his future with the woman he loved by his side. She had always been by his side, he realised; strengthening him, encouraging him, accepting him for exactly who he was and helping him to fulfil a destiny that had loomed large and often threatened to overwhelm him. She’d taken his hand and weathered the storm with him, and helped him become a force for good that would change the world.
Finally he lifted his head. “I love you, Chloe,” he whispered.
“I love you, Clark,” she replied reverently.
The finale notes of their specially requested song faded away, and Chloe heaved a sigh of relief.
“We finally finished our dance,” she said happily.
He rested his forehead on hers, and grinned. “Actually, my love, the dance is just beginning.”
***
The End.
End banner by JamesScott23
***
As promised, here’s the final chapter of my Chlarky oneshot. Hope you all liked my alternative ending to Homecoming. :-)
Amazing banner by grlmonday. This is a stunning work of art, and I can't thank you enough, girl. *huggles* :-D
Title: White Rose
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlark
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: A re-write of Episode 10.04 - Homecoming
Timeline: Season 10 (my version); sequel to The Perfect Gift and sixth installment of the Sacred Series
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Clark and Chloe attend their high school reunion, which happens to fall on Chloe’s birthday.
Feedback: Yes, please. :-)
Read Part I here
Read Part II here
Read entire series from the beginning here.
Part III
“I had to pull a lot of strings to get the DJ to play this song,” Clark said to Chloe as they swayed to the strains of Remy Zero's Perfect Memory.
“Yeah, but it’s a good song. And I appreciate it,” she replied warmly. “I just hope we get to finish it this time.”
“Oh, we will; trust me,” he said. “I’ve got Oliver and the team on standby in the event of any emergencies or natural disasters.”
“Aw, bless you for trying,” she said with a smile. “But you know I’ll understand if you have to suddenly dash off.” She glanced across the room, and her smile widened. “Those two, on the other hand, might not be so subtle.”
Clark followed her gaze in the direction of Zoe and Clayton, who were slow-dancing contentedly in each other’s arms.
He grimaced. “True. They’re already spot on about The Blur’s history; they’re bound to put two and two together if I run off and leave you on the dance floor.”
Clayton eased Zoe closer to him, close enough for Clark to narrow his eyes at them. “Think we should enforce the ten centimetre rule?” he asked Chloe.
She shook her head. “Nah, they’re good kids. Let’s not be party-poopers unless we absolutely have to be.”
He nodded in agreement. “Wise words.”
They continued to watch the young couple, intrigued by the obvious intimacy between them. Zoe rested her head on Clayton’s shoulder and her eyelids drifted shut. She looked so happy, so relaxed, so…content. Much like how Chloe had felt in his arms when they’d danced on the same spot a decade ago.
“God, they are so like us at that age,” Chloe whispered, mirroring his thoughts. “I remember leaning on you like that as we danced, and feeling so happy and safe.”
He nodded, remembering the warmth of her bare back against his palm. “Your hair was all sparkly, and smelled of fresh violets and vanilla.”
She stared up at him, wide-eyed. “You remember that?”
“I remember everything about that day, Chloe,” he said quietly. “…especially how wonderful you looked. You were exquisite.”
She blushed. “Why, thank you. And you looked ten times as handsome as usual, and when you smiled at me, I just…wow,” she breathed nostalgically. “It was like all my Christmases had been rolled into one, fastened with a big red bow, and delivered straight to my door.”
“I felt the same way,” he admitted. “You were so beautiful that night; you still are.”
Her thumb brushed his cheek, and he tilted his head to kiss her palm. Across the room, they saw Clayton lift Zoe’s chin with his forefinger, and she looked up at him expectantly. Clayton smiled and, very slowly, lowered his head and kissed her.
“Aww, he’s got pretty impressive skills for a nerd,” Chloe said, her eyes sparkling in delight as Zoe tightened her arms around his neck and kissed him back. “Way to go, Clayton!”
“I should have kissed you,” Clark said suddenly. Chloe’s gaze swung away from the young pair and she stared up at him. “Sorry?”
“On the dancefloor that night; I should have kissed you,” he explained. “I wanted to; heck, I was going to. But then that damned tornado warning-”
“You had to save a life,” she reminded him, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. “Clark, I understand. It’s okay; we’re together now.”
“If I’d kissed you before I left, we’d have been together then,” he insisted, his voice thick with emotion. “We’ve wasted so much time, and that’s my fault.”
“Not all of it,” she pointed out. “You did try; you asked me out when you got back, remember? I very stupidly turned you down.”
He sighed, remembering how he’d smiled through his disappointment when she’d suggested they remain really good friends.
“I guess we’ve both made mistakes. But we made it eventually,” he said, tapping her nose with a smile.
“And here we are,” she replied. “It’s all good now.”
The song played on, and he held her closer and lowered his head to her hair. The pleasing vanilla scent of her hair was the same as it had been a decade ago, and he inhaled deeply and smiled.
“I remember when you pinned that white rose on me,” he whispered. “We were in the front yard of the farm, looking into each other’s eyes. It was all so beautiful and perfect, and I thought: ‘I’m going to remember this moment forever.’ And then all hell broke loose, and I suddenly found myself swirling in a tornado, getting struck by flying debris.”
He looked down at her. “After I dropped Lana off at the hospital, I glanced down and saw the rose; a little worse for wear, but still safely nestled against my heart. Against all odds, it had survived the storm.” Just like them, he realised. He and Chloe had had their ups and downs over the years, but no matter how many times they’d been driven apart, they always came back together, their bond stronger than ever.
“At the end of the night, I took the rose off and kept it in our Best Friends page in the yearbook,” he said softly. “I know it would be safe there. From time to time, I’d take it out and look at it, and wonder what could have been.”
He lifted her hand and kissed it, then held it to his heart.
“I know now that I loved you,” he said thickly. “All this time, I’ve been in love with you, and that’s why no-one else could ever come close to having what I have with you.”
Her eyes glistened, and a tear rolled down one cheek. “I love you, too, Clark,” she whispered tremulously. “I always have, right from that first kiss.”
He smiled. “I know. With a love that’s patient, enduring, and strong enough to weather any storm. Like our rose.”
She nodded. “Like our rose.”
He stopped swaying and stepped back, keeping hold of her hands. Chloe frowned and gave him a questioning look. His heart hammered urgently in his chest, and his throat felt dry as he tried to form the next words. But he was confident; he knew what he had to do.
“I know this is way overdue, but it’s never too late to say what’s in your heart,” he said shakily. “So, I-I have a question for you, Chloe…and I’d really like to get your answer.”
He took a deep breath, and descended onto one knee.
***
Chloe gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. A reverent hush descended over the room, and the centre of the dance floor cleared as people stepped back and watched the proceedings with curious eyes.
Clark reached into his pocket with shaky fingers and pulled out a small velvet box.
“This is the other present I mentioned earlier,” he said quietly. “I hope you like it.”
He opened the box and soft gasps could be heard throughout the room as pulled out a white gold ring set with a solitaire diamond, and held it out to her.
“Chloe Anne Sullivan: will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?” he asked.
Dozens of expectant eyes turned in her direction - along with the spotlight - and waited for her answer. Clark held his breath, and seconds seemed to tick by endlessly.
Finally she lowered her hands from her mouth, and her face broke into a huge smile.
“Yes.”
***
The room erupted into loud whoops and jubilant cheers.
Clark was on his feet in an instant. He swept Chloe into his arms and swung her around several times before planting a deep kiss on her lips, eliciting louder cheers and thunderous applause from former classmates and current school kids alike.
“I always knew those two would get together,” Clark heard one person say. “Thick as thieves they’ve been, right from day one.”
“I agree,” another added. “Way to go, Kent! It’s about time.”
Clark finally lifted his head and gazed at his fiancée. “So you’ll marry me?” he asked again - just to be sure.
She grinned up at him. “Oh, Clark. Have I ever been able to say no to you?”
He paused and thought hard. “Actually, there was that one time when you shimmied up a flagpole, and despite several impassioned pleas for you to come back down, you defied me,” he smirked.
“Hey, there were extenuating circumstances!” she cried. “Aqua-based Kryptonite, remember?”
He chuckled. “I know. And to be doubly sure you don’t end up half-naked and hyperactive from the effects of another gemstone, I went all the way to Paris for this.”
He slid the ring onto the third finger of her left hand, then lifted it up to the light. “It’s perfect,” he smiled, and bent his head to kiss her.
Chloe rested her palms on either side of his face and lifted herself up onto her tiptoes to meet his kiss. His arms went around her waist, and he gathered her flush against him as their lips met. Years of easy companionship, shared secrets, trials, troubles and joys had all culminated in this moment, in this one kiss.
Clark could feel his soul finally soaring as he cemented his future with the woman he loved by his side. She had always been by his side, he realised; strengthening him, encouraging him, accepting him for exactly who he was and helping him to fulfil a destiny that had loomed large and often threatened to overwhelm him. She’d taken his hand and weathered the storm with him, and helped him become a force for good that would change the world.
Finally he lifted his head. “I love you, Chloe,” he whispered.
“I love you, Clark,” she replied reverently.
The finale notes of their specially requested song faded away, and Chloe heaved a sigh of relief.
“We finally finished our dance,” she said happily.
He rested his forehead on hers, and grinned. “Actually, my love, the dance is just beginning.”
***
The End.
End banner by JamesScott23
***