"Ow." Clark Kent grunted as he tried to lift a fence rail. "Hey, Chloe, what brings you all the way out here?"
Chloe Sullivan leaned against the fence and studied him carefully. In the twilight, he looked as big and strong as ever, but his face was drawn with exhaustion. Odd, she thought. Pete had said he'd faceplanted during math class, too. Ordinarily Clark seemed to have limitless energy, but today he seemed drained, somehow.
"I needed to talk," she said quietly. "You have a minute?"
"I guess." He gave up trying to lift the rail, dropping it to the ground with another grunt. "I don't suppose you want to help me with this fence?"
"Are you kidding? Don't you remember my policy on physical labor?"
"Uh... avoid at all costs, right?"
"Exactly."
"I need some help," he whined. "My arms hurt. My shoulders hurt. My back hurts. I'm one …show more content…
She stroked his dark, coarse hair, feeling how damp it was beneath her fingers.
Poor Clark, she thought. He was sweaty and tired and miserable, and there was nothing she could do to make him feel better.
A hug was all she had to offer.
*****
"Clark, you should have seen it," Pete said, grinning as he waved the Smallville Ledger in the air. "Eric threw the guy like thirty feet."
Chloe was watching Clark closely enough that she could see him wince. Pete, on the other hand, was oblivious. Pete was always oblivious. He'd been the one to provide her with most of the data that had helped her solve the mystery-- Clark suddenly couldn't run a couple of laps in gym class without panting and gasping for breath, Clark acted like he'd never had a cramp in his leg before, Clark had fallen asleep in math class-- but he hadn't put the clues together into any sort of coherent whole.
Which was, she supposed, why she was the investigative journalist, and he wasn't.
"Yes," she said brightly. "Not only did he recover my laptop, but I got my first professional
Chloe Sullivan leaned against the fence and studied him carefully. In the twilight, he looked as big and strong as ever, but his face was drawn with exhaustion. Odd, she thought. Pete had said he'd faceplanted during math class, too. Ordinarily Clark seemed to have limitless energy, but today he seemed drained, somehow.
"I needed to talk," she said quietly. "You have a minute?"
"I guess." He gave up trying to lift the rail, dropping it to the ground with another grunt. "I don't suppose you want to help me with this fence?"
"Are you kidding? Don't you remember my policy on physical labor?"
"Uh... avoid at all costs, right?"
"Exactly."
"I need some help," he whined. "My arms hurt. My shoulders hurt. My back hurts. I'm one …show more content…
She stroked his dark, coarse hair, feeling how damp it was beneath her fingers.
Poor Clark, she thought. He was sweaty and tired and miserable, and there was nothing she could do to make him feel better.
A hug was all she had to offer.
*****
"Clark, you should have seen it," Pete said, grinning as he waved the Smallville Ledger in the air. "Eric threw the guy like thirty feet."
Chloe was watching Clark closely enough that she could see him wince. Pete, on the other hand, was oblivious. Pete was always oblivious. He'd been the one to provide her with most of the data that had helped her solve the mystery-- Clark suddenly couldn't run a couple of laps in gym class without panting and gasping for breath, Clark acted like he'd never had a cramp in his leg before, Clark had fallen asleep in math class-- but he hadn't put the clues together into any sort of coherent whole.
Which was, she supposed, why she was the investigative journalist, and he wasn't.
"Yes," she said brightly. "Not only did he recover my laptop, but I got my first professional