Clark Kent (cousinofsteel) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2017-05-03 12:18:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, !log, ~2017 may, ~25 points, ~~clark kent (cousinofsteel), ~~~chloe sullivan (ladyofwatchtowr) |
Who: Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan
What: Happy Earth Birthday
When: May 3
Where: Starbucks
Warnings: none
Status: Closed/Complete
In complete honesty, Clark had been surprised to look at the calendar and realize the date. It was his birthday. His Earth birthday anyway, the anniversary of the day his pod had crashed on the Kent farm and he’d started his life on this planet.
He didn’t usually give it much thought these days. He used it as an official date when it was needed, and his parents celebrated it, Lois celebrated it, and sometimes people in the office would get together and bring a cake or something, but that was about it. He hadn’t even mentioned it to anyone in town. And how could he, with what had been happening? He didn’t personally know anyone who had gone missing, but a couple of them were important to his cousin, and he hadn’t thought it was right to mention his upcoming day.
Instead he just made arrangements to meet Chloe for coffee, glad that even if it was only for an hour or two, he was going to spend his birthday with a friend.
He arrived just before she did, just enough that he managed to order a drink for her and find them a table.
***
Of course Chloe remembered Clark’s birthday! She’d celebrated it often enough back home. Of course she couldn’t have been certain this Clark shared the same birthday, but one suggestion to meet up for it confirmed it for her.
She had a few things she had to get before she met with Clark, and she ended up being a few minutes late. She came rushing in, gift bags in hand along with the satchel that contained her laptop then plopped into the chair across from Clark with a huff and a smile.
“Hi!” she chirped. “Happy birthday!”
***
Clark shouldn’t have been surprised that she knew. She’d known a version of him, the way several people had here. He hadn’t been sure that the day would be the same, though, across those versions. What were the odds that across all the possible worlds, he would crash land on Earth on the same day?
He smiled brightly. “Thank you!” Just having a friend know at all was enough for him. “I’m glad you made it. I was starting to worry.”
Not really, not much anyway. A few minutes wasn’t anything to be concerned about, especially when he didn’t really know one way or another if Chloe was the sort of person who was routinely on time or routinely late.
***
Chloe was exceedingly punctual by Chloe time. This translated to everyone else not knowing for sure when she’d show up. But here she was with a sunny smile on her face. “Worry? About me?” She wrinkled her nose as she waved that off. “I’m way harder to get at than I seem.” She’d say she didn’t take risks, but that would be a lie and she never lied to Clark.
“Anyway…” she put two of the gift bags in front of him then dug a chocolate cupcake with red and blue frosting out of a third. There was even a candle in it that she lit and slid toward him as she sang. “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Cla-ark! Happy birthday to you!”
***
That should be embarrassing. It was a little embarrassing. But Clark wasn’t going to refuse that kindness. He only smiled, pretended he didn’t notice people looking their way, and obediently blew out the candle when she finished.
Only then did he peek in the bags, pulling the shirt in one of them out to get a good look and laughing.
“This is great, Chloe. Thank you. You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble.” He held the shirt up against his chest. “I think this is really me, don’t you?”
It was so him that a lot of people would find it unbelievable. His family’s mark wasn’t something anyone would expect to see on Clark Kent.
***
“You told me once what that meant,” Chloe said with a smile. It wasn’t an S, but a symbol of Krypton. Not many people knew that. “I got the giggles when I saw it in Walmart.” This place was weird about things.
She smiled at him. No, he didn’t look exactly like her Clark, but he was still Clark. Her best friend. “And hey. It was no trouble. So what are you going to do to celebrate?”
***
It was more than just a symbol of Krypton. It was his family. It was hope. It meant a lot to him and that was why, when it had come time to choose a symbol for Superman, it had been an easy choice.
Folding the shirt and putting it on the table beside him, he ducked his head. “Oh well. I didn’t have any plans. I don’t celebrate much.”
It wasn’t really his birthday in the traditional sense anyway. “And what with everything that’s been going on…”
***
Chloe’s smile diminished a little. That was so Clark. Always putting other people first. “All the more reason to take a moment to relax. Celebrate that you are here to help.” She lifted her smile as she reached across the table to put her fingers on his wrist. “We’ll find them. I’m tapped into the traffic cams with a facial recognition program running. It’ll ping my phone as soon as any of them comes out.”
***
The most important thing to Clark was making sure everyone else was okay. He was indestructible, more or less. It gave him a responsibility to protect other people. He didn’t like that he wasn’t being useful. That he couldn’t be useful.
He could fly all over town, with x-ray vision and super-sonic hearing and neither he nor Kara had found anything. There was something preventing them. He just didn’t know what yet.
“That’s good work, Chloe,” he praised, brushing right over his total lack of plans. “With everyone working together, I’m sure they’ll be back soon.”
***
Oh he wasn’t off the hook just yet. Chloe was far too clever and stubborn for that. She’d just have to get Clark to relax the sneaky way. “Back home I helped coordinate the League. This is a cake walk, but it’s kind of amazing how many people pulled together. I’ve never seen so many people rally around something like this.”
It really was impressive. Sure it was a small town and they were all stuck here together, but it wasn’t much different than Smallville, and there had been plenty of drama to be had there.
***
“No, neither have I.” He’d worked with some people before, here and there, but nothing like the way people had come together here. “It’s great to see.”
He just wished it was under better circumstances.
“You’ve never mentioned any League.” The same one the other people who knew him were a part of.
***
A sly smirk settled on Chloe’s face as she took on a smug posture. “I don’t go blabbing things to just anyone, Clark.” She winked. “And no one has asked anything about me. That’s part of my tricks. Ride under the radar. Go unnoticed and I learn all kinds of things.”
It was Chloe’s dharma to be overlooked. There was always someone prettier, smarter, whatever. She learned to use it to her benefit.
***
“I’m not just anyone, am I?” They were friends.
And Clark knew how to use being tall and handsome and somehow charming without meaning to be. He never meant to be charming. Or if he did, he failed miserably at it.
He’d never been good at that kind of thing. Any kind of thing. It was a wonder that he’d ever managed to get Lois interested in him.
***
“No,” Chloe admitted with a gentle smile. “You’re my best friend. Always have been and always will be.” She gave his wrist a squeeze then pushed at it. “Which is why I’m going to make sure you celebrate your birthday even if just for an hour.”
Clark was very charming when he wasn’t trying to be, it was true. Chloe had held a torch for him for years. He never saw her like that. First because of Lana, then Lois. One more thing Chloe had learned how to accept.
***
“Alright,” he conceded with an easy smile. “For an hour.”
That was all he really wanted for his Earth birthday anyway.
“While we’re celebrating, you can tell me how things are going.” They talked now and then, but it wasn’t as if they knew every little thing in each other’s lives, and there was always more for them to talk about.
***
Chloe looked exceedingly smug for getting her way then nodded to the cupcake. “Then eat up, birthday boy.” She, apparently, didn’t require solid food substance. Just the coffee, which she took a healthy drink of.
“Good!” she answered. “I’ve been going through the files older me made and learning that nobody really has a clue what’s going on. There’s a pattern to all this, I just know it. I just have to find it. Meanwhile, I’ve met other people who are working on it too so I’m unofficially organizing my own little think tank.”
***
There was never going to be an instance when Clark turned down a cupcake. Grinning, he did as he was told, eating most of the icing first.
“You’re getting to know some other people, then?” he asked, curiously hopeful. Chloe was a nice girl, she deserved to have a lot of friends, and if she was getting to know some people then people were obviously going to start seeing the Chloe that Clark had gotten to know. Who was happy and sweet and really, really smart. And loyal.
He might not have known her long, but he made very quick assessments.
***
Chloe nodded as she took another drink of her coffee as if her life depended on it. “There’s this place called WAMM. I met one of the guys that works there. Wes. Insane British accent. They’re working on things. Then there’s Kaleb. Super smart. Oh!” Now her smile faded a little. “Apparently the previous me was dating a guy that’s still here so that’s awkward.”
Which reminded her of something, and a frustrated scowl settled on her face. “The other me also put together a nifty mega-computer. Some guy named Stiles has it but he won’t let me have access to it. I tried hacking the ISP but apparently future me is better at building firewalls than I currently am.”
***
She’d actually mentioned that before, about the dating, but Clark didn’t see any reason to remind her of it. It was important to her, just a little piece of information that meant something and was on her mind, and so he didn’t mind hearing it a hundred times.
His head cocked slightly to the side. “Did he say why he won’t let you access it?”
Issues with their timelines shouldn’t really be a problem here. The recent, temporary flood of children from any number of possible futures had proven that. Clark could still see why knowing what would happen might not be a good idea, but it seemed unlikely to alter any course of events.
***
It was kind of always on the back of her mind since Chloe’s dating life was pretty much a non-entity most of the time. If asked, she’d say she didn’t mind. That she’d found ways to fill her time that were much more intelligent. Meanwhile, she’d see a happy couple being cute together and get a wistful smile on her face.
“I think he’s afraid I’ll want to take it from him.” Chloe made a face. “I’ve promised I won’t. I just want to see what’s on it.”
***
“I don’t see the harm in looking,” Clark said thoughtfully. “Oh well. I guess there’s nothing to do but wait and see. Maybe he’ll change his mind.”
He could easily gain access to it himself if it was necessary, but he didn’t like the idea of breaking into someone’s property without a good reason. Only if it was actually going to help prevent someone from getting hurt.
***
“Maybe you could talk to him,” she suggested with a pleading look. “Vouch for me. Get him to see reason. I don’t know.” Chloe slouched a bit in her chair. The more Stiles said no, the more she wanted to know what was on that computer.
***
“I don’t know if that would do any good.” Clark still didn’t realize just how well known he really was, what his name meant to people. “But I could definitely give it a try.”
If he ever met the man. It didn’t seem right to search someone out just for that. Again, unless there was a reason, unless it was a way to protect people.
“I’ll see what I can do,” he promised. It wasn’t a lie if he would do it if an opportunity presented itself.
***
Chloe let out with a squeal of excitement then lurched around the table to give Clark a big hug. “You’re the best!” One more squish then she let go with a laugh. Yeah, she really, really wanted to see that computer!
“So what about you?” she asked as she settled back down. “How many hearts have you broken already?”
***
Clark could only laugh in surprise, returning the hug one-armed. And then just laughing some more.
“I don't break hearts,” he protested. “There was one woman who asked whether or not I was involved, if you’d count that.” Obviously he'd told her yes, he had a girlfriend. Lois wasn't in Madison Valley, but Clark wasn't willing to give up on her yet. From what he understood there was always a chance, and it would take a lot longer than he'd been around for him to acknowledge how slim it was.
***
“Of course that counts!” Chloe gave him a mild look of disapproval. “She was asking because she probably wanted to ask you out. I wouldn’t say you broke her heart, but you probably made her sigh wistfully.”
Clark was a good looking guy no matter what universe, apparently. He had that dark hair and a jawline that went on for days. Not to mention the build. Ahem.
***
“No,” Clark laughed. “I don't think so.”
Though she had made excuses to go home fairly soon after that. Maybe Chloe was right after all.
No. That definitely couldn't be it.
“I'm sure it was just casual conversation.”
***
Chloe gave Clark a very bland stare, silently saying Oh come on. It was followed up by a lopsided smile.
“Clark. Whoever she was she’s a girl. You’re a good looking guy. She was asking to figure out if she had a chance.” Chloe smiled then. “Take it from me. A girl.” She chuckled as she winked. After all, she’d carried a torch for Clark for a long time.
***
“I definitely think you're wrong.” Good looking or not, and Clark wasn't really sure how much of that translated from Superman to him, he definitely hadn't had any impression she’d been interested like that.
Maybe because he wasn't interested like that, though she had been a beautiful woman.
Maybe it was just because he wouldn't realize someone was attracted to him if they hit him with a bat.
***
It was the latter that Chloe would bet on. It kind of made Clark adorable and frustrating all at the same time. But she knew from experience that pursuing this was a practice in chasing your tail. She just gave him an amused look and shook her head.
“Anyway,” she smiled. “I want to see pictures from that digital camera.”
***
“Of course.” He wasn't much of a photojournalist, but he could take pictures. And who knew, maybe it would be a lot of fun. Definitely a way to track his life here.
“As soon as I take some, I'll send them to you.” They would probably end up being a lot of his cousin.
***
“Good!” Chloe smiled then stood up. “And that’s your birthday hour.” She went around the table to give Clark a real hug this time. “Happy birthday. I hope you get a real present and those people are found.”
***