[for Chloe]

[hero_farmboy]

Clark is not nervous. Not at all. That pacing he's doing outside Chloe's apartment building? Totally not nerves. It's just a second date and the first one was the one he was nervous over. This one should be a breeze.

He just needs a minute.

Finally, after taking a quick look around to make sure no one's watching, he takes a deep breath and speeds up to her apartment, knocking lightly on the door.

It's hard to not just walk in.

Comments

[hero_farmboy]

"You doubted me?" He looks down at her, mostly amused. "I'm hurt."

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

Chloe laughs. "Maybe a little. C'mon, seriously, the Grand Canyon? Talk about your impressive second dates, Clark."

[hero_farmboy]

"I"m not trying to impress you."

Beat.

"Okay, maybe a little, but mostly I just wanted to go someplace nice and there aren't a whole lot of regular date type activities left to choose."

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

Chloe laughs again.

"Riiiight, Clark. Because given the option between smalltown coffee and a trek in the Grand Canyon, you just had to go with the more ambitious of the two?"

[hero_farmboy]

Chloe laughter gets a Clark grin in return.

"Well, I did consider a picnic down by the lake, but I know how you feel about that. Besides," he shrugs, "I thought a grand gesture might be nice."

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

"...and now you're getting corny. Okay, you totally didn't warn me about bad jokes."

[hero_farmboy]

"If I tell you everything at the beginning, what incentive is there for you to stick around and find out what surprises I have up my sleeve?"

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

Chloe smirks. "To start? You're kind of a really good kisser."

[hero_farmboy]

Oh, look. Clark's blushing.

"Yeah, well, you're not so bad yourself." Which is something he's known for years.

"But seriously, kissing isn't everything."

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but starting with that on a list gets you to blush." Chloe laughs, beaming at him. "Which is seriously adorable, you know."

[hero_farmboy]

"Is adorable what I'm supposed to be going for?" It may be an honest question. It's good for puppies, but potential boyfriends? He's not so sure.

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

She nods.

"It's easy for a guy to be hot. But to be hot and adorable at the same time?" Chloe waggles her eyebrows playfully. "Let me guess: another one of your superpowers?"

[hero_farmboy]

"Well, I do have heat vision," he admits, more to get the topic off of his looks than anything else. Not that it's not nice to hear she thinks he's cute. Hot. Adorable.

Whatever.

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

"Seriously? How does that work?"

[hero_farmboy]

"How does it work?" No one ever asks Clark how he can do the things he does. They're usually more interested in the why. Leave it to Chloe to be different.

"Uh, I just think about it? Like, how much heat to give off and whether it's a continuous stream or just a single burst sort of thing."

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

"That's so cool. They guys and I never came across something like that." She tugs on his shirt sleeve, smiling at him. "Think you can let me down now for a demonstration?"

[hero_farmboy]

"Oh, right," Clark blushes yet again and sets her down on the ground gently. "I sort of forgot. You weigh next to nothing." In fact, the only reason he could feel her weight at all was because he forced himself to so he wouldn't accidentally squish her. Because that wouldn't really go well for his chances at a third date.

"You want me to set something on fire?"

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

Chloe nods. "If you think you can put it out?"

[hero_farmboy]

He gives her a look. "Of course I can." Either by sucking the oxygen away from it, but that could lead to him actually swallowing the flames and despite the fact it won't hurt him, just no, or he can pat it out with his hands. Which is a much better idea.

Clark gently pushes Chloe back behind him and off to the side, and then concentrates on a small patch of brush a few feet away. It's not long before little flames start to appear.

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

Chloe's eyes widen as she stares from Clark to the flaming bush. Like a moth to a flame, she walks over, reaching out a hand to touch it. Instantly, she recoils her hand away, placing the finger in her mouth.

"Okay, that is totally awesome."

[hero_farmboy]

"Chloe!" Clark stalks over to and, lifting her up by the waist, easily sets her away from the fire. "It's real, okay?"

Then he removes his jacket, tossing it off to the side, and starts patting the fire down and out, after a few minutes.

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

"Hey!" Chloe protests, staring at him with a wide open smile. "I just needed to check!"

[hero_farmboy]

Standing up, he brushes the dirt off the front of his jeans. "You were close enough that the heat should have sufficed. You didn't have to stick your hand in it."

Speaking of which, Clark is just to inspect that hand with a frown. "It doesn't look too bad."

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

Chloe rolls her eyes at him, glancing down at her hand. There's only a light burn on it, nothing horrible.

"Yes, mother," she replies. "I'll remember that the next time my date blows up a bush in the Grand Canyon."

[hero_farmboy]

"I didn't blow it up and besides, you asked me to," he reminds her, letting her hand go.