Disclaimer: Guess what? Smallville doesn't belong to me, shock horror.
Rating: T, just to be safe
Summary: Set after Hydro, Clark must face the repercussions of what he has done, and an ever investigative Chloe decides to look further into the affair.
A/N: Not only is this my first Smallville Fanfic, but I also decided to make it harder for myself for the fact I live in Australia. We are still up to season five, so I apologise for:
a. Any errors in facts or character representation, and
b. Spelling or expressions which are slightly different to the American way.
Time: Set immediately after the Chloe/Lois/Clark scene in Hydro. Pretend like nothing happened after that point. :-)
AS GOOD AS IT GETS
Chapter 1: Aftermath
"See ya!" Chloe beamed brightly at Lois as they left the apartment. Once they were safely out of earshot in the Talon, Chloe rounded on Clark. "So," she began brightly. "Care to explain why Jimmy showed me pictures of you and Lois in a somewhat passionate position?"
"You saw that?" Clark asked weakly, staring at the ground in embarrassment.
"Duh, girlfriend," she reminded him, pointing to herself. "Speaking of which, you do remember that Lois is somebody else's girlfriend?"
Clark breathed out heavily. "Yes," he said somewhat sadly. "I do. And I feel awful, if it's any consolation."
"Well, it's not me you should be serious apologising to," she said simply, still grinning widely. "And you should feel awful. You were in the Green Arrow's outfit, Clark – Oliver trusted you! So did Lois – you took advantage of the whole situation!"
"I know!" Clark replied, frustrated. He took a seat at one of the tables, and Chloe followed suit. "I know. It was so hard, though – Lois thought I was helping her try to uncover Oliver as the Green Arrow. As it was, I was helping Oliver throw Lois off the scent. One thing led to another and it all just got messed up!"
"Messed up?" Chloe laughed. "For the benefit of those few of us who didn't witness the telling scene, you're going to have to take me through it."
Clark sighed, resting his head between his hands. "Fine. Lois called Oliver, just as, it turned out, everyone knew she would. She pretended she was being followed by a group of thugs. When I got there – in Oliver's costume – there really were thugs. I fended them off –"
"Naturally," Chloe interrupted.
"Then I helped her up –"
"Right there, you see, bad. The Green Arrow wouldn't have helped her up and stuck around. You should have made like the wind, Bullseye."
"Are you going to let me finish?" Clark looked at Chloe incredulously. She mutely nodded, so he continued. "Then she said something, like 'Your secret's safe with me, Oliver.' And then, she kissed me."
"Which would have been bad enough," Chloe's smile had not diminished in the slightest. "But now one is posed with the question, why did you kiss her back?"
"I don't know!" Clark exclaimed, shrugging his shoulders roughly. "I just did. Aren't you meant to kiss someone when they kiss you?"
"Well, theoretically, yeah. However, there was the fact that she has a boyfriend."
"I know."
"Who she thought you were."
"I know."
"Who you, funnily enough, weren't."
"I know!"
"And then – oh boy! – he did come around the corner."
"How was I supposed to know?"
"Your uncanny ability to hear a pin drop a mile away may just have come in handy. That, and – oh yeah! – wasn't it part of your plan that he should arrive when you were there?"
"Point taken," Clark replied glumly. "Wait – how did you know that was the plan?"
"The plan was pretty predictable," Chloe said smugly. "And finally, my favourite. The fact that it was Lois."
"So?" Clark avoided her gaze.
"Huh," was Chloe's reply. She feigned being stumped. "'So,' he says. I'm sorry, I thought I was talking to the same Clark Kent who believed that going out with Lois Lane was not even in the realm of possibilities."
"Those were her words, not mine!" Clark got to his feet. "Besides, that was about going to Prom, not going out."
"Same difference," Chloe snorted.
"So," Clark asked, dreading her answer. "What do I do now?"
"You have some serious butt-kissing to do with Oliver first off," Chloe stated, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And then you have to retreat to your loft and do some of that trademark brooding until you come to the – may I say it – pathetically obvious conclusion that you have a crush on my cousin."
"I do not!" Clark defended. "Besides, I don't have 'crushes.'"
"My apologies," Chloe said sarcastically. "Of course you don't do crushes. Well, that leaves only one conclusion. You love her."
As soon as Chloe said the words, she felt a slight ache in her chest and a pang of jealously. The feeling was soon gone, though.
"You," Clark pointed at her, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. "Are crazy. Completely crazy. By the way – the plan was not predictable!" With that he abruptly left the Talon, and Chloe was left alone at the table. Laughing.
Oliver Queen gave the punching bag one final cross as he heard the elevator approaching. When the door was thrust open by Clark, he went right back to hitting the bag.
"Well, I must say," Oliver called to Clark. "That was quite some rescue last night, Green Arrow."
"Oliver," Clark began uncertainly. "I'm sorry. About what happened. But look on the bright side – at least Lois doesn't think you're the Green Arrow anymore!"
"Yes, but I needn't have shown up at all. From what I hear, she knew I couldn't be the Green Arrow before I interrupted."
"Chloe told you?" Clark felt slightly betrayed.
"No, but she told Jimmy, who, in turn, told me. I can't express enough how wonderful it is to hear from a green photographer that my girlfriend knew I wasn't the Green Arrow because he was a 'better kisser.'"
"Oliver –"
"No, Clark. No more apologies. You kissed her. Why?"
"Actually, Oliver. If you remember, it was Lois who kissed me."
"But you kissed her back," Oliver spat, hitting the punching bag with one final, powerful roundhouse. "You could have ended it, but no. You didn't."
"Oliver," Clark was quickly running out of patience. "I don't know what you want from me! I helped you out – you wanted to keep your secret from Lois –"
"I don't want to – I have to!"
"And I helped you keep it. I've apologised for what happened, what more do you want?"
"I have no idea!" Oliver admitted, throwing his hands up, defeated. "I have no idea. What you've got to realise though, Clark, is that what you did hurt. You're my friend, and I trusted you. I still do, but I'm a bit shaken in that trust right at the moment. I think it's best if you just give me a few days to cool off."
"Of course," Clark made his way back towards the elevator.
"And I'd appreciate it if you stayed away from Lois for a while."
"Why?" Clark asked, as he stepped in. "She didn't know it was me, and she might become suspicious. Don't worry, Oliver. You have nothing to worry about – I don't like Lois. Not in that way."
"Right," Oliver sighed, turning back to his newest pursuit in the punching back. It was obvious he quite share the same opinion as Clark.
"How'd things go?" Chloe asked Clark, sitting down on the couch in his loft.
"Not great, but I think he'll forgive me – eventually."
Chloe laughed. "You know what? I knew you liked her!" She smiled triumphantly.
"Chloe, I do not like her! Why won't you let this rest?"
"Simple: because I know you do. Wow. This is big Clark. I mean, you kissed her. Clark Kent, bumbling, blushing farmboy from Kansas kissed Lois Lane, control-freak army brat. I mean, who'd have seen it coming? Besides me, of course."
"Chloe," Clark went to lean out the window. "I honestly have absolutely no idea what you are on about."
"Come on," Chloe pleaded to his better sense. "Clark, you've had this thing for Lois since, well, since you first knew her, really. I suspected it way back at that first rally she attended. And ever since, you've given all her boyfriends the third degree or worse!"
"Name one instance," Clark challenged, unable to think up a satisfying retort. "When I have interfered with Lois' love life."
"Easy."
"Fine. Go ahead then."
"Well, there was that happy little situation when you walked in on my cousin kissing AC."
"That was an accident!"
"Ah, but you see – the decent thing to do would have been to have discreetly walked out, hoping no one noticed. But no! That was not this farmboy's chosen action. Instead, Clark, you told her off!"
"I did not tell her off!"
"From what Lois told me, you called her name in a very accusatory tone. Much like a boyfriend who's walked in on his girl kissing someone else, if I may say so."
"Lois was exaggerating."
"Uh-huh. Because that's just the obvious conclusion," Chloe rolled her eyes. "Of course! How could I not have known?"
"Chloe, it's Lois we're talking about. She'll do anything to make me look bad."
"Oh," Chloe's voice took on the same fun tone it had back in Lois' apartment. "And that must really eat you up!"
"Chloe, enough," Clark said firmly. "Can we talk about something else now?" Chloe looked as though she could have gone on all night. "Please?" he pleaded.
"Fine," Chloe pretending to be crestfallen. She perked up almost immediately. "So – did you read the horoscope section of today's Daily Planet? I know stars are your go, and everything."
"I can't say I did," Clark eyed her suspiciously.
"You won't believe this, but I have the paper in my bag, as proof, if need be. Under your sign it says, 'You shall have to face the consequences of some drastic actions you have taken. Do not fear, however, because this will be your chance to throw away your inhibitions and soar if you let your heart lead you.' Funny, isn't it? Of all the days for horoscopes to finally be on the money..."
Clark rolled his eyes. This was going to be a long night.
Okay, not very long, compared to my usual marathon efforts in other sections. You know the drill, please R&R if you can be bothered, your reviews are what keep this writer writing! Fingers crossed the next part will be up in less than a week, but I usually make deadlines only to break them.
Jasmine of the Forest