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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: The songs ‘Perfect Memory' by RemyZero and ‘Sparks' by Coldplay are property of the bands and their record labels, respectively. Ppecial thanks to Allison for beta-reading this for me so quickly. You're a sweetie.

Raindrops
by Gemma

Clark stood on the platform of Smallville station, looking anxiously at his watch. What was keeping the train? It had been delayed for ten minutes now. He looked at the ticket office on the other platform, contemplating asking there to see what was keeping the train. He was dying to see his best friend again. He hadn't seen her for a month, and had missed her fun-loving personality and adventure-seeking nature. Smallville had been all the more duller, than it's usual shades of black and white with those in distinguishable shades of grey in between, well for Clark, anyway. Without her by his side.

‘We're sorry to announce that the nine-forty-five train from Metropolis is running... 15 minutes late...' droned the announcer.

Clark sighed. He sat down on the bench on the deserted platform. The summer sunshine beat down through the glass, on to him. He smiled. Figuring he might as well enjoy it while it lasted. He knew a thunderstorm would be here within a few days. He could feel it in the calm, windless air. Try as he might Clark Kent had never had a tan in his life. For a long time he hadn't been able to figure out why, but after this crazy year he had he'd put it down to his skins invulnerability, after all, a tan was just damaging your skin with the ultra-violet rays of light given off from the sun.

Clark checked his watch again, a minute had passed.

He sprawled out lazily on the bench as he watched a candy wrapper dance along the track, caught in a light gust of wind. It was a Skittles packet. The rainbow on the packet reminded him of Chloe... her clothes... her personality... the way she brought a bit of colour into his life... But then again, everything had been reminding him of Chloe lately. The other day, he'd stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes had caught a glimpse of pink heather the exact shade of the dress she wore to the formal in his Mom's flower garden. He was glad she was finally coming home for a weekend.

‘I guess you don't realise what you've got until it's gone.' He thought.

Chloe had kept him updated about her life through email, but she'd seemed distant and a little cold. Not that he could blame her after he'd broken his word to her at the formal. But he'd planned to make it up to her.

‘If she'll let you.' Whispered a little voice of doubt in his head.

Her emails lacked her usual wit and dazzle of excitement that she brought into every aspect of life. They weren't as cold as to make them seem unfriendly, but he could feel her anger at him glimmering beneath the surface. Forgiveness was a difficult thing to receive from Chloe. He knew he'd have to work hard to earn it. But he had a few gift ideas that he hoped would help him along the way.

Clark was rudely pulled out of his thoughts about his best friend, by a train pulling in at the opposite platform. The only person he saw getting off of the train was Mrs Rivers, a neighbour of his, with some heavy looking shopping bags. He frowned as he saw her struggling with them after the train had pulled away. She shouldn't be trying to carry them on her own.

There were still a few minutes left until Chloe's train would arrive. He ran up the stairs and over the bridge to the other platform.

"Mrs Rivers." He called. "Would you like me to help you those bags?"

She smiled wearily at him.

"Thank you Clark, that would be wonderful." She said.

He picked up her bags with ease, and loaded them into the trunk of her car. She thanked him and then drove off, accidentally covering Clark from head to foot in dust.

‘This is the nine-forty-five train from Metropolis, calling at Smallville, Brunswick, Gainesville, Bludhaven, and all stops to Edge City.' Boomed the announcer.

"Oh no!" said Clark, as the train pulled up to the platform. He glanced around at the deserted street before zooming over the bridge and slowing down as he reached the stairs. He jogged down from the top of the stairs, as the train pulled away. He looked around for Chloe. Where was she? She couldn't have missed the train. Could she?

"Clark Kent. Late as usual." snarked a familiar voice.

Clark spun round to see Chloe standing directly behind him, her hands placed defiantly on her hips.

"Chloe!" he called, embracing her in a tight hug. "You don't know how much I've missed you."

"Thanks. I missed you too." She brushed the dust Clark seemed to have shared with her, off of her clothes. "Clark, you're such a typical farmboy." She tutted, flicking the dust off of his red t-shirt. "Covered in dirt."

He wiped a hand across his face, sending a black smudge cascading across his left cheek.

"Don't pretend you'd have it any other way Chloe." He grinned, punching her lightly on the arm.

She looked at his earnest, dirt-smudged face, the only mark of imperfection on that perfectly angelic face, and couldn't resist giggling at him.

"You're right," she agreed, linking arms with him. "I wouldn't change you one little bit."

Clark picked up her bag and they walked up to a brand new red pick-up truck, parked in the car park, without a speck of dirt on it.

"Oh, I see the insurance money came through for the old one." Chloe noted outloud. Clark lifted Chloe's bag carefully into the back of the pick-up, and got out the keys. He pressed the remote sensor, the doors smoothly unlocked with a click. Clark nodded at her in reply. "Central locking. Very...upmarket, compared to the last truck." She stood back and admired it.

"Yeah, dad wouldn't let anyone near it for two weeks. I swear he thinks it's another child. I practically had to beg him to let me borrow it this weekend." He walked around to the passenger side of the car, and opened the door for Chloe.

"What's all this male chivalry in aid of?" she asked cynically, yet still accepting his help to get into the truck.

"Do I need a reason?" Clark asked as Chloe took his hand and he helped her climb into the passenger seat.

Despite herself, Chloe blushed. "Thank you Clark."

Clark got in the truck at the drivers' side and buckled his seatbelt.

"There's a circus in town at the moment. I thought we could tonight. You know. Together, like a date?" he inquired hesitantly.

Chloe suppressed a beaming smile. "As long as you promise not to go running off into any tornadoes." She said, coolly.

Clark took his eyes off of the road for a moment and made eye contact with her. He held up one of his hand. "I promise you I won't run off." He assured her solemnly.

Chloe let herself smile. "Good." She said simply. "Clark? This is the way toyour house, not mine." She frowned, puzzled by this action on Clark's behalf.

"I know." Said Clark mysteriously. "I've got a surprise for you."

"Ok..." she replied.

Clark smirked as he glanced sideways at Chloe's serious face, he could tell she was trying to figure out what he was planning.

Chloe and Clark lapsed into a comfortable silence, but Chloe's mind was busy playing out possible scenarios in her mind. It was her turn to take a sideways glance at Clark. She bit her tongue. She knew he was waiting for her to ask him what the surprise was, but being as stubborn as she was, was trying not to.

Clark chuckled to himself as he saw Chloe glancing his way and then quickly focusing fixedly at the road ahead. She sat as stolidly as she could, determined not to let Clark to win this battle of wills.

Finally, they pulled outside Clark's house. Chloe immediately opened the door of the truck and jumped down onto the gravel driveway. Clark took his time, getting out of the truck casually while Chloe ran round to the drivers' side.

"C'mon, youknow I'm dying to find out what you've got planned." She said, almost stamping her foot on the ground as she had often done when she was a child.

Clark took Chloe by the hand and led her over to the barn. When they reached the bottom of the stairs to the loft he turned to her.

"Wait here a sec." He said, getting a cassette out of his pocket and climbing the stairs two at a time. He put the cassette into the old transistor cassette/radio player. Pressed play. And Chloe heard music float softly down the stairs, before the soothing lead singer's voice sang the lyrics to her favourite song. Chloe closed her eyes and let the song flow over her.

‘Remember how they always seemed to know,
We had the forest in our eyes,
But the earth was in our clothes.
And they thought we'd fall.
Not at all...

‘So look back on your treasured days.
We young in a world that was so tired.
Though it was not what you wanted before,
Even the saints have crawled from the floor.

‘The summers when the money was gone you'd sing,
All your little songs,
That meant it everything to me...

She heard the Clark's heavy footfall on the wooden steps and she opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"Are you going to join me?" he asked, extending his hand to her. Chloe took his hand and ran up the stairs with him. He'd opened the door to the hayloft and moved to telescope from its usual central position and was stacked in the corner, instead of pointing directly at the porch of a certain raven-haired beauty.

The sunlight streamed in as the song continued on the cassette player on the old sideboard.

‘...And I'll remember you,
And the things that we used to do,
And the things that we used to say,
I'll remember you,
That way...

Clark gave Chloe a nervous smile. "I thought it might be nice if we finished our dance. This time I won't go anywhere." He said, with a slight tremble in his voice. He didn't know why he was so nervous all of a sudden. He could walk through fire, knives shattered on contact with his skin and he could withstand the force of bullets. But he was almost shaking at the thought of his best friend with corn-coloured hair.

"I'd love to." She replied.

Clark wrapped his hands around her waist and Chloe put his arms around his neck. She rested her head on his chest, not worrying in the least about the dust she'd complained so strongly about at the train station. The sun shone down on them, basking them in gold.

‘...Remember how they tried to hold you down,
And we climbed those towers
And we looked down upon our town.
And everything you hoped would last,
Just always becomes the past (it hurts)...

Chloe listened to the rapid beating of Clark's heart as they danced, a few months ago she'd thought she would be the last person to set Clark Kent's heart-a-flutter. But yet here she was. Dancing with Clark in his loft. Listening to Clark's heartbeat getting faster. It was almost as if it were a dream. Perhaps it was.

She lifted her head and saw Clark smiling with all his boyish charm at her.

"Do you forgive me?" he asked.

"Clark! I forgave you the second I knew you were safe." Chloe told him. "I was upset because when I turned around and you were gone I thought I might never see you again..." She sighed. "That, and I was jealous."

Clark looked confused, and a sudden realisation descended on Chloe.

"Oh don't give me that Clark! You went off to save Lana and left me standing in the gym without so much as an explanation." Snapped Chloe. "I'm not going to be the silver. With you longing for the gold."

"You're not..." he started to protest. Chloe rested a finger on his lips. She smiled at him as an odd, but reassuring feeling of calm washed over her.

"I am Clark. I know I am. I always have been, and I always will be." She took her finger off of his lips. "I'm not going to let you hurt me by pretending this is true anymore. It was nice to live my dream. Even if it was only for a moment. But that's all we'll ever have. Moments, Clark... I can't live like that. It needs to be permanent."

The sun sparkled back at him in the tears in Chloe's eyes and one trickled down her face, before reaching its final resting-place on the floor of the loft.

Clark stared at her in horror. This had all changed so fast. Everything he'd thought would be resolved had come back and hit him in the face. He felt ill. Not because there were meteor rocks around, but because this wasn't supposed to happen. They were supposed to resolve things. He couldn't lose Chloe. Not now he'd realised how he felt about her.

Chloe gulped, fighting back the rest of her tears before she turned and started to run out of the barn.

‘...The summers when the money was gone you'd sing,
All your little songs that meant everything,
To me.

‘And I'll remember you,
And the that things we used to do,
And the that things we used to say,
I'll remember you, that way...

She listened to the song carry on, and start to fade, as she pulled open the door. Thunder started to rumble overhead.

"Goodbye Clark," she whispered.

***

Rain started to fall as Chloe ran past the Kent's new red truck. Lightning lit up the sky, as she glanced back at the loft. It outlined a tall, lonely figure watching her from above. The rain stung her arms as it beat down, trying to find it's sweet relief from gravity on the ground. She was right. She was second best. Clark wasn't even going to follow her. Their ‘moments' were over. The rain intertwined with the tears that she'd been unable to hold back any longer. What was the point of holding it all back?

She wanted to run to the ends of the earth, but the rain had soaked her through and between her sobs and chattering teeth she just ran out of energy. She faced the barn again and squinted against the rain to take one last glance at Clark before she closed a chapter in her teenage life. But she couldn't see his outline anymore.

There was a deafening clap of thunder, which coincided, with a flash of lightning. A sense of sadness filled her as she felt the epilogue of the chapter of her first love come to end. As she shivered in the rain she wiped her face and prepared herself for the long walk home with just herself for company.

***

Chloe turned and walked away from Clark, who stood rooted to the spot. He'd just realised his biggest fear. It was commitment. Lana was gorgeous, mysterious, sexy and safe. Chloe was beautiful, dangerous, feisty, and real. His love for Lana wasn't going to lead anywhere. He could chase forever and ever, only to get a few steps closer. His love for Chloe was different. It was realistic, genuine. He'd been chasing Lana because he knew that as close as he might get, he was never going to have to commit. How could he be committed to someone when he didn't know who or what he was himself? Chloe didn't deserve someone who wasn't as real as she was. He could never be his true self. So he couldn't commit. The words of a friend echoed in his ears.

‘Some people were meant to be alone Clark.'

Was he one of those people? What if he was? Being alone was another of his self-confessed fears. He walked over to the open window of the loft, and watched the delicate rain soaked frame of Chloe come to a halt. Thunder growled from the heavens at the same time as lightning illuminated the sky and the inside of the loft. Even though he squinted, and with his excellent eyesight, he still couldn't make out Chloe though it.

He couldn't sit there and let his best friend walk out if his life. Not like that. Yes, Chloe would still talk to him, and they'd still hang out. But it wouldn't be the same as it was before. How could it? The question he really had to ask himself was, was he really prepared to let another pivotal moment of his life slip away? No. He decided. He wasn't going to let that happen.

He ran out of the barn, and stopped just behind Chloe, who was staring up at the loft where he'd been standing moment's before. Had she seen him? As the raindrops ran down into his eyes, and she started to turn away from the loft, he found himself barely able to care if she had.

"Clark!" she gasped, from the cold and the shock of his sudden appearance. Before she yelled. "Leave me alone!"

"Chloe, this is crazy! You'll catch a cold!" Clark yelled back at her, over the rain and the booms of thunder. Clark didn't know if it was the rain affecting his brain or whether the thought of losing Chloe has caused him to go temporarily insane. But he got brave. "Let's get inside. I need to tell you something..."

The bitter coldness of the rain and the gusts of wind that swirled around her head made Chloe feel dizzy. The Kent's yard seemed to swirl around before her eyes or maybe that was just the rain... Her outlook on the world became interspersed with momentary flashes of blackness. She tripped as she lost her bearings on her surroundings.

"Whoa, easy Chloe." Said Clark, catching her as she fell. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. I don't need your help." She insisted, squirming out of Clark's grasp and brushing her hand over one of her bleeding knees, which she'd scraped on the gravel driveway. She managed to make it inside the barn without tripping over again. Much to her relief.

"You shouldn't have come after me," she said, looking up at him as she sat down on the bottom step of the stairs, before she collapsed at Clark's feet. Clark helped her back onto the bottom step. She winced as she took a closer look at her knee. It wasn't a scrape, it was a gash. And she was bleeding profusely onto the floor of the barn. "Sorry, I'm spewing plasma and blood cells everywhere here." She laughed, her head still a little dizzy.

"It's ok. Come upstairs, there's a medical kit up there." He suggested, offering to help her to her feet. Despite still feeling shaky and cold, she stuck to her guns and was typically stubborn, in a way only Chloe could be. She declined Clark's offer of help, got to her feet and followed him up the stairs.

The cassette was still playing.

‘...If it don't hurt you,
It won't hurt me,
It don't hurt me,
Then it won't hurt you,
If it don't hurt you,
It won't hurt me,
I know...'

She shivered as she sat down on the couch.

"Blanket?" he said, wrapping one around her shoulders, concerned that under her gloss, her lips were slightly blue.

"Wha...what about you? You must be fre...freezing. You got about as wet as me." She pointed out, her lip trembling.

"I'll survive. You were out there longer than I was." he said, as he closed the windows to the loft completely. He shook his head sending rainwater everywhere.

"Clark!"

"What? It's not like a little more water's gonna hurt you." He protested, as he rummaged around in one of the sideboard's drawers looking for the medical kit. He took out a couple of Band-Aid's.

"Warrior Angel or Bugs bunny?" He smiled.

"Warrior Angel," she laughed. "I've always had a thing for the bald guys..."

Clark looked at her, a little confused. Did she mean Lex?

"Kidding, Clark! So are the Warrior Angel Band-Aid's something your Mom insists on buying, or is this another of the many dark secrets of Clark Kent?" She said, not able to suppress a giggle.

"Very funny, Chloe. Actually it was Ryan that insisted that she buy them. She wouldn't let him change his dressings unless he could have them secured with a Warrior Angel Band-Aid." He said demurely.

"You miss him don't you."She said, sympathetically.

Clark started to nod ever so slightly, and then turned away to get something to clean up her knee before he replied. Making her unable to gauge his reaction properly.

"He was only around for a few days Chloe, that's hardly enough time to get attached to someone." He replied. Chloe hissed as he used an antiseptic wipe on her knee. "Sorry. Now sit still." He placed the Band-Aid over the cut and gave it a pat.

"Ow! Watch it!" she said. "Now what was it you wanted to tell me when we were outside?"

"I don't quite know how I can start... How I can convince you..." he began.

"Just try me Clark. It's not like you can tell me anything that will shock me."

"Ok," he murmured. "The reason why I haven't let you get close, is because of me."

Chloe frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I... I'm scared. This is all moving so fast... It's so real..." He worried.

"That's because itis real Clark. Sometimes you have to face your fears. They're not always as bad as you think they are." She advised. "If I can, so can you."

"Ok. I love you Chloe. But you deserve better." He blurted out.

Chloe didn't know how to react. She was surprised, but happy. Did he mean it? How could he say he didn't deserve her? "I don't want better and I don't want anyone else. I just don't want to be a consolation prize." She told him.

"Chloe! You never were. Not once I realised how I felt. But I can't always be there for you. I think the dance proved that." He said, his brow puckering in a way that endeared him, even more to Chloe.

"Well it's just lucky for you that I've never been a needy girl." Chloe said with a smile, shivering as a droplet of water ran down her spine.

Clark smiled as sat next to her on the couch.

"I know. Chloe, you're freezing!" he said with concern as her took her by the hand. "Come one, get closer. We can share body heat."

Chloe shuffled a few inches closer to Clark. He simply sighed before he pulled her onto his lap, wrapping the blanket around them both and holding her close. Chloe sat rigidly upright on his lap, only staying close to him because of his gentle, but iron grip around her slender frame.

But as her shivering subsided she surrendered to the intoxicating sense of warmth coming from his body. She rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled into his taut, lean frame, now allowing herself to be completely enveloped in his hug. She breathed in his scent, which seemed so uniquely ‘farmboy'. A mixture of washing detergent, soap and hay. Although the smell of hay was probably wafting around in the breezes that swished into the loft through the gaps in the wooden slats of the wall.

She sighed contentedly. This felt so right. Almost as though she was made to fit perfectly into Clark's strong, caring arms.

He saw her look up, as he gazed down in adoration, she seemed to fit so snugly into his arms, it was as if she belonged there.

‘Chloe Sullivan, so wise in the ways of the world, but as naive as I in the ways of love.' He thought wistfully.

"What are you thinking?" She asked.

"Beautiful thoughts." He replied in a whisper, brushing a few stray strands of her golden hair out of her face.

She took his face in her hands, and gently traced his jawline with her thumb. Their eyes were locked on each other, and Chloe guided Clark's face closer to her own before her eyes fluttered close and her lips parted, ready to except Clark's.

Clark's lips were eager and excepting, responding in likeness to her own. Her arms tightened around his broad shoulders and back. They planted furiously passionate kisses on each other's lips. Each one growing in urgency and desire. Chloe fell back on the couch, pulling Clark with her, by the collar of his t-shirt, unwilling to let their kisses end just yet.

Finally they pulled away. Chloe looking breathless and flustered. Both their hearts pounding in their chests as they lay side-by-side.

"Wow!" gasped Clark.

He still had his arms wrapped around Chloe and had absent-mindedly slipped his hand under her shirt, stroking her back lazily with his fingers.

Chloe giggled. Her face aglow with happiness as Clark kissed her sweetly, his lips lingering, teasingly on hers for a little longer than they needed to.

"You guys are awfully quiet..." Lana's voice trailed off.

Chloe and Clark glanced towards the top of the stairs, caught off guard and mid-kiss.

"Lana, hey!" Said Clark, as he and Chloe sat up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." She said, her face looking pained as she struggled to maintain a steady voice. "I didn't know you two were..." She rested her hand on the banister, drumming her fingers nervously. "I'll just go."

"No Lana, stay." Chloe said, untangling herself from Clark's arms. "I thought it was still raining outside."

"It stopped a few minutes ago, so I thought I'd pop in to see if you were back yet." Said Lana, smoothly this time.

Chloe smiled. "Thanks Lana."

"Not a problem." She replied, clasping her hands together. "Now I'd better get going and leave Smallville's latest couple in peace." She said, pointing her clasped hands in the direction of the stairs. Chloe and Clark both smiled at Lana describing them as a couple. Chloe's hand found it's way into Clark's and he squeezed it tightly as he smiled at her.

"Bye Lana." He said, waving with his free hand.

For the first time in a long time his eyes didn't follow Lana down the stairs, but were focused solely on Chloe. He led her to the window and re-opened the shutters. The sun streamed into the loft. The air was crisp and fresh.

"I love the smell after a rainstorm," commented Chloe. "And I love this view. I always have." Clark nodded, studying her face as she looked out across the Smallville skyline. "So are we?" asked Chloe after a few moments of silence.

"Are we...what?" asked Clark.

"Smallville's latest couple? Because if this is just going to be a..." asked Chloe with a smile to rival the infamous Kent grin. Clark kissed her all of a sudden. Chloe looked perplexed, but happy. "What was that for?"

"Because I know you've been thinking about that for the past few minutes, so I figured we'd get it out of the way and be boyfriend and girlfriend." He replied.

"You remembered!" replied Chloe, with a chuckle.

"How could I forget my first kiss?" He said. "What about we have that dance now?" he whispered into her ear.

"Sure, but maybe we should try another song. My favourite doesn't seem to very lucky with us does it?" She asked him.

Clark nodded and switched the cassette player onto the radio. The song was slow and travelled lazily through the fresh summer air, as they started to dance again.

‘Did I drive you away?
I know what you'll say,
You say,
"Oh, sing one we know,"

‘But I promise you this,
I'll always look out for you,
That's what I'll do.

‘I say "oh,"
I say "oh."

Clark twirled Chloe around, then pulled her close as the song continued.

‘My heart is yours,
It's you that I hold on to,
That's what I do,
And I know I was wrong,
But I won't let you down,

‘Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah I will,
Yes I will...

‘I say "oh,"
I cry "oh."

Clark bent his head to kiss her, closing his eyes, as their lips met.

‘Yeah I saw sparks,
Yeah I saw sparks,
And I saw sparks,
Yeah I saw sparks,
Sing it out.

‘La, la, la, la, oh
La, la, la, la, oh
La, la, la, la, oh...'