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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.

The One I Really Want
by Empress Vader

She didn't even see me come in, she was too busy working on that computer that she seemed attached to whenever she wasn't in class or out investigating. But I had a feeling, from the tears she seemed to be holding back, that she probably wasn't working on work.

There was a time Chloe actually didn't like me. It wasn't that she hated me, it was just that she and I didn't bond right away. It was like she didn't want me there when she was around Clark. And I didn't that was fair, I'd known Clark long before this metropolis girl showed up thinking she was the center of Clark's world. Her first couple of weeks in town, Lana happen to be away in Metropolis. So Clark and Chloe spent a lot of time together. I just knew she was going to be his first girlfriend, because I kept getting pushed out of the picture. When Lana came back from vacation, the whole dynamic changed. He and Chloe still hung out, but Clark visibly turned to jelly in front of Lana. So instead of me feeling like the third wheel, both of us disappeared together when Lana stepped into a room.

So in one of those moments, where Clark struggled to to go out of his way for a simple hello, I told Chloe some story about Lana. I can't remember what it was. Something about her fifth birthday party and a punch bowl. Lana ended up wet. Details escape me right now, but that was the moment, the moment we became friends. It never escaped me that Chloe was a hottie, but when I made her smile that first time, something happened. I was hers. The "Clark bets" started after that. The innocent hugs, the teasing, it just kept on from there. But when it came to her heart, it belonged to Clark.

So I knew it was hurting her right now to know after all that waiting, she was right back where they started. I didn't know how to handle it, I didn't know exactly what to say. So I the only solution was say the first thing that came to mind and hope it was the right thing.

She finally saw me standing there. I came in and sat in front of her.

"He's a fool you know," I blurted out. Where did that come from?

She smiled. "No, I was the fool. I should have said...I don't know what I should have said, but 'friend' shouldn't have been in it. What was I thinking? I just gave him back to Lana, didn't I?"

Chloe got up, grabbed a file on her desk and walked over to the file cabinet.

"I don't know if he'll go running back to Lana," I said.

Chloe shot me a 'yeah right' look.

"Lana still has a boyfriend you know?"

"Whitney? How long do you think our star crossed lovers will stay apart with the boyfriend away?"

I couldn't think of anything reassuring to say.

"You know Chloe," I said getting up and walking over to her. "I love Clark, I think he's a great guy. But sometimes, he doesn't see what he has, only what he doesn't. There are other guys Chloe, guys that don't come with an obsession attached. Guys that would think the world of you."

"Oh yeah, and where is this fiction Prince charming?"

"Right here," I said. My stomach was in knots as I spoke. "I've always been right here."

I wanted to kiss her, I always wanted to kiss her. But Chloe scared the shit out of me. Most of my girls, they were throw away girls. If things went great, great. If they didn't I moved on. But Chloe...it was different. It meant something with Chloe.

But I beat my fear this time, I kissed her. But it was a cautious kiss, approached slowly with a soft touch of my lips on hers, waiting for rejection. But she didn't reject me, she embraced my kiss. Responding with her own gentle kiss. But the completion of my dream ended quickly. She realized who she was kissing and pushed me away.

"I can't do this Pete."

"I'm not Clark," I said sadly.

"No, that's not it. I mean, Pete, we're all friends. And you and Clark...and me and Clark...and me and you...and I won't even be here over the summer. It's just the wrong time to screw with things. I just can't."

"I understand," I replied. "It's cool."

Damn? Could me timing have been any worse? But is there ever a right time? There never seems to be with us. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her and she let me. This had never been a problem, friendly-brotherly contact.

It sucked. I had next to no problem getting most girls. But the one I really wanted, I couldn't have.