Chlark Fanfic: Right in Front of You, Ch 3
Rating: PG (but not for long!)
Timescale: Sometime after Fierce
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC Comics
Thanks for all the love, peeps - keep it comin'! :-)
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 3
Superspeeding with Clark was an unbelievable experience. Sort of like being on a roller-coaster, only a hundred times faster. Everything around you was reduced to streaks of light and colour, and the wind rushed past you with such speed that it seemed to whirr with a life of its own. Chloe snuggled closer to Clark as the wind whipped her hair and closed her eyes so she wouldn’t get dizzy from the world whizzing past. Instead she focused all her attention on the heartbeat of the man who carried her in his arms.
What was it about Clark that intrigued her so greatly? She wondered. Even when she’d only thought him to be a Kansas farm boy, she’d been fascinated by him. She’d met him on her first day of school at Smallville High in their freshman year, and she’d taken one look into those sea-green eyes and known he was special. Hell, she knew she’d bend over backwards to make him happy.
Finding out he was a super-powered alien from another planet hadn’t changed her perspective of him in any way. If anything, she felt a deeper respect and affection for this remarkable young man who daily put himself in harm’s way to save others for no reward. He risked discovery with every life he’d saved, and discovery could mean he’d wind up in a lab being studied for the rest of his life. For while Clark was strong and could do remarkable things, he wasn’t completely invulnerable, and his one weakness - kryptonite, radioactive pieces of his home planet - could cripple and even kill him. Chloe knew she’d do anything and everything in her power to prevent him from meeting such a fate, because as much as she tried not to admit it, she loved him. And even though her feelings weren’t returned, she was just happy to be a part of his weird and wonderful life.
Chloe had no idea how long they’d been speeding along, when suddenly there was a whoosh of air and all movement stopped.
“Okay, you can open your eyes now,” she heard Clark say.
She opened one eye tentatively, then the other, and as she looked around her they both widened in stupendous wonder. They were standing on the edge of what was clearly a sprawling vineyard, surrounded by rows and rows of grapes, the vines and their leaves and fruit all tinted orange by the setting sun.
The setting sun. But the sun had gone down hours ago…
“Oh, my…” she breathed. “Where are we?”
He grinned at her confusion, still looking straight at her since she was still in his arms and therefore at his eye level. He loved the look on Chloe’s face when she was amazed so greatly she was practically rendered speechless. She looked like a toddler, experiencing everything anew in wide-eyed innocence.
She unwound her arms from around his neck, and he gently placed her on the ground with a twinge of reluctance. He’d enjoyed holding her close, he realised with a start, and even though she was just inches away he wanted to pull her back into his embrace. He let go of one hand but left his fingers trailing in the other, unwilling to break even the tiniest connection between them.
She stood beside him and took in the glorious view, unable to do anything but gape in awe and confusion.
Finally she found her tongue again. “How did you…Clark, what did you do? Turn back time, or go forward in it?”
He smiled at her. “A little of the former, though not physically. We’re in the Napa Valley.”
She blinked at him. “California?”
He nodded.
“You ran through two time zones in sixty seconds?” she gawped.
He feigned an expression of mock horror. “You timed me??!”
She gave him a playful whack on the shoulder. “You know what I mean! It felt like sixty seconds, maybe even less, but…wow!” She stared around her again, drinking in the simple beauty of nature. “Clark, this is so beautiful.”
So are you, he thought. Out loud he said, “Glad you think so. Especially as the evening is just getting started.”
She whipped her head round and stared at him. “There’s more?”
He grinned and raised his eyebrows in agreement. “Much more. You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be!”
“Good!” Clark held her hand more firmly and led her through the vineyard. “Let’s go meet Julio.”
***
Julio turned out to be the portly, very hands-on Spanish manager of the vineyard. Chloe stood back and watched as the two men exchanged pleasantries and shared a few laughs. At some point, Julio glanced at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and said something to Clark, to which Clark turned and looked at her with a smile and said something back to him. He gave a hearty laugh, and clapped Clark on the back, all the while exclaiming “Ah, si, si!!!” and seemingly congratulating him in Spanish. Julio looked at Chloe again, big grin on his chubby face, and she gave a smile and a nervous wave in his direction. He blew a kiss back to her, much to her amazement.
She wondered what Clark said to him. What I wouldn’t give to have super-hearing right now, she thought with a sigh. At least it appeared to be a positive comment, which was a comforting thought.
Julio disappeared into the adjoining house, and Clark came back to stand next to Chloe. “He’ll just be a moment, Chloe. He insisted on entertaining us, but I said we had plans for the evening so he said he’d like to make a small contribution towards it.”
“Okay.” She walked carefully among the vines, looking at the heavy, perfect fruit hanging from them. “So when did you meet Julio, anyway?”
“Oh, on one of my many runs,” he answered easily. “I told him I was a farmer from the Mid-west, and that I pop into California from time to time. I also bring him some organic produce from the farm on my travels, which makes his wife Maria very happy.”
Chloe smiled. That was just like Clark. “He seems like a nice man.”
“He is. I’m just happy he hasn’t asked to see my truck.”
Chloe chuckled. “So what did you say to him about me just now?” she challenged, her eyes dancing with humour.
“Now Chloe, you know a gentleman never tells…!” he began in a mock conspiratorial tone, backing away from her jokingly.
She shrieked and advanced on him. “Clark! You didn’t!”
“Of course I didn’t!” he laughed. “But you’re so easy to wind up, I just couldn’t help myself.”
“Oooh!” She grabbed his jacket and gave him as fierce a shake as she could muster, given that he outsized her by a good twelve inches in height and at least a hundred pounds. “I’ll get you for that!”
“Okay, okay, I give up!” he said happily, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
“Well?” She stood facing him, hands on hips, trying to look as stern as she could.
Clark opened his mouth as if to say something, but then changed his mind. “Uh…can I tell you later?” he asked, his green eyes sincere.
Just as Chloe was considering his request, the door to the house creaked and Julio stepped out, a picnic basket and blanket in his hands. A small woman also emerged and came down the porch steps with her husband and they advanced toward Clark and Chloe with his precious packages. She exclaimed excitedly in Spanish as she approached Clark, and flung her arms around him as he enveloped the smaller woman in a huge hug. Like her husband, she cast curiously interested glances at Chloe, and her husband seemingly filled her in. With an understanding “Ah!” she extended her arms to Chloe and gathered her to her bosom in a hug. Chloe hugged her back, quite puzzled at all the attention she was receiving but quietly pleased all the same. Clark must have described her as a goddess in dazzling detail; either that or they didn’t get out much and any random visitor stumbling into the vineyard got the same stellar welcome.
Pretty soon after that, they said their goodbyes and Clark and Chloe headed back towards the edge of the vineyard. As soon as they were out of sight of the farmhouse, Clark turned to Chloe and smiled.
“Ready for the next leg of the adventure?” he challenged.
Chloe grinned back, cocking her head to the side and raising an eyebrow sceptically at him. “You’ve outdone yourself already Clark. How could it possibly get any better than this?”
“Trust me, Chloe,” he said sweeping her into his arms and balancing the basket in her lap, “the best is yet to come.”
And with that, he sped off again, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.
***
Read Chapter 4 here...
Timescale: Sometime after Fierce
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC Comics
Thanks for all the love, peeps - keep it comin'! :-)
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 3
Superspeeding with Clark was an unbelievable experience. Sort of like being on a roller-coaster, only a hundred times faster. Everything around you was reduced to streaks of light and colour, and the wind rushed past you with such speed that it seemed to whirr with a life of its own. Chloe snuggled closer to Clark as the wind whipped her hair and closed her eyes so she wouldn’t get dizzy from the world whizzing past. Instead she focused all her attention on the heartbeat of the man who carried her in his arms.
What was it about Clark that intrigued her so greatly? She wondered. Even when she’d only thought him to be a Kansas farm boy, she’d been fascinated by him. She’d met him on her first day of school at Smallville High in their freshman year, and she’d taken one look into those sea-green eyes and known he was special. Hell, she knew she’d bend over backwards to make him happy.
Finding out he was a super-powered alien from another planet hadn’t changed her perspective of him in any way. If anything, she felt a deeper respect and affection for this remarkable young man who daily put himself in harm’s way to save others for no reward. He risked discovery with every life he’d saved, and discovery could mean he’d wind up in a lab being studied for the rest of his life. For while Clark was strong and could do remarkable things, he wasn’t completely invulnerable, and his one weakness - kryptonite, radioactive pieces of his home planet - could cripple and even kill him. Chloe knew she’d do anything and everything in her power to prevent him from meeting such a fate, because as much as she tried not to admit it, she loved him. And even though her feelings weren’t returned, she was just happy to be a part of his weird and wonderful life.
Chloe had no idea how long they’d been speeding along, when suddenly there was a whoosh of air and all movement stopped.
“Okay, you can open your eyes now,” she heard Clark say.
She opened one eye tentatively, then the other, and as she looked around her they both widened in stupendous wonder. They were standing on the edge of what was clearly a sprawling vineyard, surrounded by rows and rows of grapes, the vines and their leaves and fruit all tinted orange by the setting sun.
The setting sun. But the sun had gone down hours ago…
“Oh, my…” she breathed. “Where are we?”
He grinned at her confusion, still looking straight at her since she was still in his arms and therefore at his eye level. He loved the look on Chloe’s face when she was amazed so greatly she was practically rendered speechless. She looked like a toddler, experiencing everything anew in wide-eyed innocence.
She unwound her arms from around his neck, and he gently placed her on the ground with a twinge of reluctance. He’d enjoyed holding her close, he realised with a start, and even though she was just inches away he wanted to pull her back into his embrace. He let go of one hand but left his fingers trailing in the other, unwilling to break even the tiniest connection between them.
She stood beside him and took in the glorious view, unable to do anything but gape in awe and confusion.
Finally she found her tongue again. “How did you…Clark, what did you do? Turn back time, or go forward in it?”
He smiled at her. “A little of the former, though not physically. We’re in the Napa Valley.”
She blinked at him. “California?”
He nodded.
“You ran through two time zones in sixty seconds?” she gawped.
He feigned an expression of mock horror. “You timed me??!”
She gave him a playful whack on the shoulder. “You know what I mean! It felt like sixty seconds, maybe even less, but…wow!” She stared around her again, drinking in the simple beauty of nature. “Clark, this is so beautiful.”
So are you, he thought. Out loud he said, “Glad you think so. Especially as the evening is just getting started.”
She whipped her head round and stared at him. “There’s more?”
He grinned and raised his eyebrows in agreement. “Much more. You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be!”
“Good!” Clark held her hand more firmly and led her through the vineyard. “Let’s go meet Julio.”
***
Julio turned out to be the portly, very hands-on Spanish manager of the vineyard. Chloe stood back and watched as the two men exchanged pleasantries and shared a few laughs. At some point, Julio glanced at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and said something to Clark, to which Clark turned and looked at her with a smile and said something back to him. He gave a hearty laugh, and clapped Clark on the back, all the while exclaiming “Ah, si, si!!!” and seemingly congratulating him in Spanish. Julio looked at Chloe again, big grin on his chubby face, and she gave a smile and a nervous wave in his direction. He blew a kiss back to her, much to her amazement.
She wondered what Clark said to him. What I wouldn’t give to have super-hearing right now, she thought with a sigh. At least it appeared to be a positive comment, which was a comforting thought.
Julio disappeared into the adjoining house, and Clark came back to stand next to Chloe. “He’ll just be a moment, Chloe. He insisted on entertaining us, but I said we had plans for the evening so he said he’d like to make a small contribution towards it.”
“Okay.” She walked carefully among the vines, looking at the heavy, perfect fruit hanging from them. “So when did you meet Julio, anyway?”
“Oh, on one of my many runs,” he answered easily. “I told him I was a farmer from the Mid-west, and that I pop into California from time to time. I also bring him some organic produce from the farm on my travels, which makes his wife Maria very happy.”
Chloe smiled. That was just like Clark. “He seems like a nice man.”
“He is. I’m just happy he hasn’t asked to see my truck.”
Chloe chuckled. “So what did you say to him about me just now?” she challenged, her eyes dancing with humour.
“Now Chloe, you know a gentleman never tells…!” he began in a mock conspiratorial tone, backing away from her jokingly.
She shrieked and advanced on him. “Clark! You didn’t!”
“Of course I didn’t!” he laughed. “But you’re so easy to wind up, I just couldn’t help myself.”
“Oooh!” She grabbed his jacket and gave him as fierce a shake as she could muster, given that he outsized her by a good twelve inches in height and at least a hundred pounds. “I’ll get you for that!”
“Okay, okay, I give up!” he said happily, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
“Well?” She stood facing him, hands on hips, trying to look as stern as she could.
Clark opened his mouth as if to say something, but then changed his mind. “Uh…can I tell you later?” he asked, his green eyes sincere.
Just as Chloe was considering his request, the door to the house creaked and Julio stepped out, a picnic basket and blanket in his hands. A small woman also emerged and came down the porch steps with her husband and they advanced toward Clark and Chloe with his precious packages. She exclaimed excitedly in Spanish as she approached Clark, and flung her arms around him as he enveloped the smaller woman in a huge hug. Like her husband, she cast curiously interested glances at Chloe, and her husband seemingly filled her in. With an understanding “Ah!” she extended her arms to Chloe and gathered her to her bosom in a hug. Chloe hugged her back, quite puzzled at all the attention she was receiving but quietly pleased all the same. Clark must have described her as a goddess in dazzling detail; either that or they didn’t get out much and any random visitor stumbling into the vineyard got the same stellar welcome.
Pretty soon after that, they said their goodbyes and Clark and Chloe headed back towards the edge of the vineyard. As soon as they were out of sight of the farmhouse, Clark turned to Chloe and smiled.
“Ready for the next leg of the adventure?” he challenged.
Chloe grinned back, cocking her head to the side and raising an eyebrow sceptically at him. “You’ve outdone yourself already Clark. How could it possibly get any better than this?”
“Trust me, Chloe,” he said sweeping her into his arms and balancing the basket in her lap, “the best is yet to come.”
And with that, he sped off again, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.
***
Read Chapter 4 here...