Inhale

by Te

Inhale
by Te
March 2001

Disclaimers: If they were mine, that couch would get a lot of use.

Spoilers: Vague ones up through Leech.

Ratings Note: NC-17

Summary: Clark wishes he could get a nice head cold, and then changes his mind about that.

Author's Note: All Laurie's fault. I didn't even know Superman had this power. Could be considered a sequel to "Jilling," but you don't have to read that one first.

Acknowledgments: To my IRC chicas for audiencing and such, and to my Webrain because I love them.

Feedback, like masturbation, is good and good for you. thete1@earthlink.net

*

Okay, so, it shouldn't have seemed so weird. At least... no weirder than the rest. He could run faster every day, he was strong enough to do serious damage to large moving vehicles and only mess up his clothes, he could... float -- whatever that meant* -- and he could steal the jobs of thousands of radiologists.

So, the morning he woke up -- thankfully in the bed -- and couldn't help noticing right away that the barn needed some serious cleaning, he should've figured something out, right?

He was some kind of alien, he had to start looking at things differently. Because... everything could wind up enhanced in some frightening and/or uncomfortable ways, right?

Clark sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair.

Right.

But he hadn't really noticed it on a conscious level, at least not beyond the "ew, no wonder people make all those jokes about farmkids" level. He'd just showered for an extra long time -- not too bad, considering that the stench had woken him well before the alarm -- and gone about his business.

Fixed himself breakfast, absently noting that he was glad he drank milk so quickly, because he could completely see how disgusting it would be if left to go bad, and even tried to get a head start on his afternoon chores.

Except that he couldn't get anywhere near the barn without gagging.

He'd actually asked his parents if they thought raccoons or something might have dragged some of the meteor rocks in there, even though there'd been none of the usual "hey, look, my veins are sure veiny!"

His mother had fussed over him, automatically checking his forehead for signs of a fever even though he was always warm, before frowning to herself. His dad had given him one of those Concerned looks, and asked about his powers.

After the whole Eric deal, it made sense he guessed.

Still, the only thing he could come up with was "manure smells bad," which wasn't a satisfying answer for any of them.

This is where he thinks it should've occurred to him. After all, he was no Lex-style genius, but all the tests agreed he was pretty darned smart. But no, he'd just wound up catching the bus with Pete and Chloe, which is when things got unfortunate.

Pete wore cologne. Pete always wore cologne, like, since they were twelve. It had never really registered beyond Pete's continual attempts to be a pint-sized ladies' man. Except this morning it had made his eyes water.

All alcohol burn and weird artificial musk.

They'd asked him what was wrong, and he'd muttered something about allergies.

At least Chloe didn't wear perfume. He was sure there was some carefully thought out rant on the subject as it related to her brand of feminism, but all Clark cared about was that if he scooted closer to her, and, well, turned his nose in her direction, he didn't have to look like this year's Depression Victim.

Though Chloe kept getting the weirdest look on her face. Somewhere between embarrassed and pleased.

Still, it was absolutely incredible to get out of the bus, because after a while he could tell exactly which classmates believed in personal hygiene and which didn't.

And he was pretty sure someone toward the back had smoked a great deal of pot sometime that morning.

He thought he maybe started to catch a clue then. At the very least, he stayed outside in the fresh, clean, blessedly clean Smallville air for as long as he possibly could, and wound up having to speed part of the way to class.

Which, unfortunately, was the "new" classroom they'd eked out in the basement when the student population started rising.

He knew that the janitors mopped the floor -- he could smell the cleaning fluid. He also knew that they must have just poured the stuff directly into water they'd been using elsewhere.

He could smell the Home Ec rooms.

He could smell the boys' locker room, which made him decide to skip gym.

A decision he decided was for the best after everyone showed up after gym in English class.

Teenaged girls, he decided, smelled a lot better than teenaged boys. Maybe it was something in the hormones, maybe it was something in the hygiene, but they just plain smelled better.

And this wasn't saying much at all.

Sometime around the lunch that made him rethink his personal standards of ew as related to the barn, Clark just gave up.

Sure, Chloe still smelled fine, but he was beginning to think she was the only girl who didn't wear perfume, or perfumed lotion (sickly sweet and weirdly rancid), or perfumed something.

And there was no way she wouldn't notice if he asked to just stick his head under her sweater for a while.

Clark brilliantly deduced that there was Something Up with his sense of smell, begged the school nurse to let him go home early, and got out of there as fast as his legs would carry him.

Walked instead of ran home, because winter took all of the bad smells out of the fields and just left the vague sense of sleepy life, and the back of his throat felt coated with everything he'd breathed in over the course of the morning.

Didn't they say that smelling things was just a way of tasting with your nose, with actual particles of what you were sniffing winding up inside your body?

Clark walked slowly. Very slowly.

And drank a lot of plastic-tasting water.

He could tell right away that his father had been working in the barn, actually hugged the man when he saw that he'd gone as far as hosing it down. And backed away quickly because...

He'd been working in the barn.

"Christ, son, what kind of farmer are you gonna be?"

"Um... a really queasy one?"

His father shook his head. "Ooookay. Why don't we go inside and see if we can work something out? Your mother is --"

"Baking apple pie, yeah. Have I mentioned that I love mom?"

His father rolled his eyes. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled to know it."

The kitchen was flour-y and apple-y and spicy in all the best ways, and, after sneezing explosively seven or eight times, Clark sat back and appreciated it. "Have you guys thought about home schooling? Because it's not just for right-wing freaks anymore, I hear."

His mother snorted and poured him some juice. "Do you think this is another... power developing?"

Clark shrugged. "I guess? I'm really beginning to wonder about the people I'm, you know, related to. Though at this point all I can think is that they spent a lot of time cleaning and eating dry, tasteless food. Mmm, rice cakes. Precious rice cakes." Clark snickered at himself and buried his face in his hands. "Suggestions welcome here, guys..."

"Um... I suppose 'hold your breath' isn't really helpful..."

"Dad, eventually someone is going to want me to talk to them."

"Not with that attitude."

"Right, right, I'm sorry, Dad. But... wow. Do you guys have any idea how bad teenagers smell?"

His mother covered his mouth. His father looked away. Conspicuously.

"What? What?"

"Oh, nothing, Clark, it's just..." His mother was on the verge of snickering. He could always tell. "I seem to recall a time when we had to threaten to ground you before you would take a shower."

Clark winced. "Er... point taken. So this is some kind of... karmic payback?"

"Son, I'm having enough trouble with the science fiction elements of our lives. Can we just leave religion aside for the moment?" His father looked almost pleading.

Clark grinned a little helplessly. "Okay, but, um... help?"

And they spent the next hour and a half or so discussing strategies from the power of positive thinking to carrying around a small, discreet bottle of potpourri -- "Mom, they already think I'm gay!"

His father backed him up on that, which Clark wasn't sure how to feel about. Yet more Things He Didn't Really Want To Think About. He wondered what Lex smelled like, and felt something like raw relief at the knowledge that the fact he wore cologne would keep him from testing any theories until he got things under control.

Finally, they decided to go with something like self-hypnosis, since sticking Anbesol up his nostrils just made him look really bizarre. After a while, he could just about convince himself that he couldn't smell his mother's shampoo when she was outside, which was almost like not smelling it at all.

In the end, he'd just have to test it on non-familiar things.

Like school.

Clark shuddered at the thought, and spent a good deal of time in his Fortress of Solitude wondering if there was any smooth way he could get Lana to stop wearing so much stinky makeup.

Sure, it made her look really pretty, but Clark felt a little green at the thought of getting it on his face if he ever kissed her, really kissed her.

Great. He'd finally managed to get her to ditch the meteor rock pendant, and now there was another reason he couldn't get close to her without wanting to yark. There was some kind of cosmic lesson there, he just knew it.

He sighed and started to call Pete to get the assignments he missed, except that his fingers kept dialing Chloe's number instead, and she wasn't even in those classes. He was just about to start wondering if he was losing his mind when he heard footsteps in the barn below.

Oh.

"Clark? Your mom said you were out here, but she wasn't sure if you were feeling okay, yet... anyway, I got your assignments from Pete. I'll leave 'em down here if you want."

And, well, it would fit with the whole "sick" thing if he told her to do it, but other than the apple pie, Chloe was the nicest thing he'd smelled all day. "No, it's okay, c'mon up."

Gave her a hand when she got to the top of the ladder and grinned.

"Wow, Clark, I always knew you were kind of anal, but this place is spotless."

Clark winced and shrugged. "I guess I just felt like a little winter cleaning?"

She gave him a cock-eyed smile. "I always knew you were insane. If you ever run out of things to polish here you can always come over to my house. My Dad would probably offer you a kidney."

"Er... that's nice?"

Chloe finished her impromptu inspection and flopped back on the couch, sending up a wave of mostly invisible hay dust and... scent.

Chloe still smelled really good -- she'd even taken off the small amount of makeup she'd been wearing at school, and Clark had a moment to wonder if it was some kind of all natural something or other before deciding that asking a girl what kind of makeup she used wasn't the best way to assure people of your heterosexuality... and Chloe still smelled really good.

He had no idea where he was going with that, because Clark thought she might even smell better than his mom's apple pie.

And she was saying something.

"... up with you today?"

"Wha...?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ground control to major dork, come in, dork... I was asking what was up with you today?"

There was something different about the way she smelled this morning... "Oh. Uh. Some kind of stomach thing, I think. It was bothering me all morning, and one look at lunch today..."

Chloe pulled a face. "Completely understandable. Trust me, Clark. The vending machines are your friend."

Had she taken a shower since then? No, that wasn't it... "Man can't live on Doritos alone, Chloe."

"Heh. That's because man hasn't tried."

And it *wasn't* perfume, because Clark thought he'd learned everything he ever needed to know about that after passing a group of cheerleaders today. It wasn't anything like perfume. Or... it was maybe exactly what perfume should be.

Inviting. Isn't that what they were supposed to do? Make you want to come closer to the person wearing it?

And Chloe was saying something and... Clark found himself on the couch. "Er... hunh?"

She was looking worried now, soft mouth pulling in on itself and brain working overtime behind her eyes. "Clark? Are you sure you're okay now? You're looking a little... flushed."

"Oh, I... yeah. I was just thinking..." Trailed off and hoped to God Chloe would change the subject, make a joke, something.

"About what?"

"Um... I don't know?"

Chloe rolled her eyes and sighed. She'd been chewing gum earlier.

She had... wow. When had her breasts gotten so...

"Clark!"

Clark blinked and shook his head and then Chloe turned toward him on the couch and Clark took a long, deep breath and... oh.

"What is with you today? Are you really sick? Because I'm perfectly willing to get your mom up here..."

"No! I mean..." She was... Chloe was... and he was not going to use his X-Ray vision for this, no, he was better than that, he almost never looked into the girls' locker room anymore, and besides this was Chloe, even though she... Small, strong hand on his shoulder and that smelled good, too. Smelled like... oh, God, she'd been touching herself there.

"Clark, you're worrying me, here. C'mon, give up the goods."

"The... goods?" If he turned, her hand would be right there. Her sex smelling hand, because that's what it was, that's what made the difference. All of that mildly sweet and peppery Chloe goodness plus sex, and Clark licked his lips and forced himself not to look at her.

"Yeah, you know..." Chloe squeezed his shoulder. "You tell me what's going on, I help you... out." Something low, almost choked in her voice, and Clark turned to look at her quickly and she was...

Looking at his lap.

More specifically, that part of his lap that was no longer safely covered with a baggy sweater because he'd taken it off sometime earlier and forgotten all about it and please, please let her just think it was just a fold in his jeans and please, please let him be able to keep his mouth shut, because...

He wanted to lick her fingers.

"Chloe, I..." And that was as far as he got before the sound of his own voice made him bite his lip. Before Chloe made a sound and shifted on the couch and oh, God, her scent.

Exactly everything perfume should be, only if it was there'd probably be chaos in the streets, in the barn, something, and he was licking her fingers before he was even aware of moving.

Sucking them when all he really tasted is mild soap and skin.

"Oh. Oh God, Clark..."

And all his brain registered was that it didn't sound like no, and when he managed to open his eyes, she just looked dazed. Lips parted and she was panting, just a little.

Her other hand was curled into a fist at her side, and her thighs were trembling a little under her jeans. Had to get there.

Took her hand in both of his and slowly pulled off, biting gently at her fingertips when she shuddered. "Chloe..."

"Yeah... I mean. Uh. What?"

Had to smile a little, but it wasn't as if he was in any better shape. Shifted a little uncomfortably, but wasn't remotely ready to adjust himself in front of her. Which probably didn't make any sense at all, considering the way her eyes kept shifting to his lap.

Considering what he wanted to do. "You..." Okay, how to say 'you smell so good I think I'm going to die' without coming off like a freak? "I mean... can I..." Blushed hard and looked down, then back up quickly, because Chloe was.

Spreading her legs. "Clark, tell me. We can... I mean, if you want..."

God, and shouldn't it make him calmer that she was getting so turned on? That she was at least as ready for this, as needy for this as he was? But there were no words in his brain, nothing remotely intelligent, at least. He thought he'd sound like a severely brain-damaged caveman if he even tried. Shook his head and took one of his hands from Chloe. She squeezed the other and he squeezed back, trying to be reassuring.

But he couldn't make himself look away from his other hand, the one cupping her knee. Moving up to squeeze her thigh and he swallowed hard.

Tried to look a plea into Chloe's eyes, but her eyes were closed.

Clark leaned in to kiss her, instead. Awkwardly, softly. Mouth closed against her open one, and then not closed at all, because Chloe's moan broke something inside him. Something he suspected might be vital to his continued survival, but nothing he could worry about right then.

Chloe shook her hand free and fisted it in Clark's hair and yanked him closer, kissing him hard and seriously, expertly in a way that reminded him of Kyle's mind-tampering, but in a good way. At least he knew now that Kyle hadn't actively told her somehow to kiss him that way.

This was all her.

And him. Because. God, why hadn't he noticed?

Didn't matter, nothing mattered but tasting her. Spearmint gum and clean, simple Chloe's-mouth, and he couldn't stop licking, even though he thought he might want to let her take control.

Just to see.

But... taste. Had to let her know what he wanted to do. What he thought he might need to do, and finally he got his other arm around her and she leaned back against it. Melted into him, against him, and Clark didn't stop until she pushed him off to breathe.

"God... wow. Clark..."

"Yeah..."

Nuzzled against her neck, smooth skin, soft skin, and it was an effort not to suck, but he really didn't want to send her home with a hickey.

Chloe didn't help at all. Tilted her head back and offered her throat and there was no way to resist. Compromised and scraped his teeth against her pulse points as gently as he could manage, and Chloe just tugged harder on his hair until he had to kiss her to keep from marking her.

Even better this time, wetter, and she made these little noises, whimpers and moans and Clark swallowed every one. Squeezed her thigh again and wondered if she'd make him say what he wanted.

Or if he should just --

And then Chloe grabbed his hand and yanked it up to her groin, pressing it there where it was, God, so hot and she was probably wet under there and he could really learn to appreciate assertive women.

Grinned against Chloe's mouth and dropped to his knees in front of her.

"Jesus, Clark --"

"I want to... I want to. You..." And it was okay when he was this close, right? "You smell incredible..."

"Oh God..." Weak little tug on his hair and Clark moved in, pressed his face against the seam of her jeans, spread her legs wider to give himself room. To let him see. Jeans tight enough to hint at everything beyond and he just had to...

Inhale.

Deep, long breaths and Chloe was whimpering again, hands out of his hair and scrabbling at her fly. She was shaking with it, she loved what he was doing and he could do this all day.

Nuzzled her as roughly as he dared and Chloe gave a choked off yell that made his cock pulse pre-come into his shorts. Later. Later.

And then she was pushing at the jeans, arching off the couch to get them off and Clark wasn't sure if he wasn't helping because he was afraid he'd rip the jeans apart or because he just wanted to see this.

Chloe stripping off her clothes for him. Chloe. For him. Knew he was grinning like an idiot and didn't care. Dove in as soon as the jeans were down around her knees and nuzzled a little harder.

"Clark! Jesus! My panties!"

And really, the fabric was on the thin side... Ripped them off with a quick jerk --

"Holy shit!"

Sucked the wettest spot into his mouth and groaned.

"Jesus, Clark, either we're both perverts or that's just hot..."

Clark laughed around her panties and grinned at her. Yeah, he was going a little nuts, and this whole situation was more than a little nuts, but Chloe was still... Chloe.

Even half naked and spread out on his couch and Jesus. Had to adjust himself, and only realized when Chloe moaned that he still had the panties in his hand. Oh. Rubbed himself through the panties, through his jeans, and watched Chloe watching him.

"Oh, God, Clark... don't come yet, okay? I want... I want to see you do it..."

Hissed in a breath and squeezed himself a little viciously. Again when Chloe gasped. Dropped the panties and stroked her thighs over and over. Smooth on the inside, a little prickly with near-invisible blond stubble everywhere else. "Yeah, okay, I'll show you... I..."

Nuzzled into her thighs, sucking kisses all the way up to the light brown thatch of her sex.

Looked up one more time to find her staring down at him, lips parted just enough, and did she want to... would she want to go down on him even half as much as he wanted to go down on her? Shuddered and kissed her mound and just breathed. All of it, everything he wanted centered right here, and his for the asking.

Brought his thumbs up beneath his chin and stroked the wiry curls over her lips. Wet there, slick, and he couldn't wait anymore.

Moved down and pushed in and licked her steadily with the flat of his tongue, some vague notion of getting all of that slickness, but there was just more and more with every stroke and Chloe was trembling again.

He would ask her what she wanted him to do, he will, but just... he needed this first. Had to push his nose right up against the little bump he suspected was her clit and nuzzle her that way and her hands were in his hair again.

Not pulling so much as grasping, and Clark made a note to go back there.

In a minute.

Grinned again and licked his way back down to her vagina, though suddenly that word seemed far too clinical for... this. Tight little hole, just perfect for his tongue. Kissed her there like he kissed her mouth and she just got wetter and wetter. Thighs alternately fanning wide and squeezing his head and the only thing he regretted about that was that it made it harder to hear the noises she was making.

The way she was saying his name, over and over like it was the only word she could remember, pushing up against his face in sharp little thrusts like she had to, and the thought hit him like a two by four to the spine. He could, maybe, someday, be inside her. Buried deep in this tight, hot, place and looking at her as she gasped and yelled his name...

Groaned against her and felt her tighten her hands in his hair and it was only the feel of her thighs under his palms that kept him from just grabbing his cock and going for it.

So hot.

Scent and taste drugging him, leaving him heavy and hard and mindless with it and he had to make her come.

"Clark oh Clark please --"

Moved back to her clit and licked at it faster, wondering if it would break the mood to ask her what she wanted now, and deciding to just wing it.

"Harder..."

Groaned again and sucked at the little button, catching it gently between his teeth and licking it that way and Chloe slammed against his face, holding him steady and gasping out what sounded like an orgasm. Thrusting and thrusting against him for long enough to make him glad he could hold his breath for a long time and then just collapsing back against the couch.

Sprawled and boneless and gorgeous. Flushed from her thighs to the hint of belly peeking out from under her sweater to her cheeks. Eyes closed and grinning.

One hand still in his hair and the other...

Rubbing at her own sex.

"Chloe..." Couldn't even recognize the sound of his own voice, and it made her shudder. He could see her flex from here, and that was just... "Chloe, I need --"

And that was all he managed to get out before Chloe pounced on top of him, pushing him back against the floor and kissing him hard. Tongue in his mouth and hands at his waist, tugging at his t-shirt until he pushed her back long enough to strip it off.

The last time he'd seen that look on her face she'd been staring at a chocolate cake in the bakery window. Oh. Wow.

And her hands were everywhere, stroking, squeezing, scratching and pinching and she just kept kissing him. Licking his face and biting his jaw and pushing him back to the floor whenever he tried to take a more active role.

"Lay back and take it, farmboy... I've been waiting for this." Kicked her shoes off, struggled the rest of the way out of her jeans and waited for him to say something.

"Uh... okay?"

She grinned at him and pushed and pulled until they were roughly parallel to the couch. Straddled him and scratched at his nipples again and again until he couldn't help but buck under her. God, she was only a couple of layers of fabric away from his cock.

Squeezed his eyes shut and curled his hands into fists to keep from just grabbing her and grinding her against him.

"Oh, Clark... you're so..." Trailed off and shifted a little, moving back.

"Chloe --"

"Shh..."

And she kept moving until she was straddling his knees, and then she started working on his fly.

"Oh God..."

Had him open and out faster than he would've imagined, one hand wrapped firmly around the base of his cock, the other stroking his belly.

"Chloe, please..."

"Yeah... yeah, okay..." And she sounded a little nervous, but she also sounded hungry.

Opened his eyes to find her staring down at his cock, eyes wide and mouth wet. She licked her lips while he watched and he moaned. God. No idea how to even ask for this, but Chloe didn't make him.

Bent and pressed a soft kiss to the head of his cock, already peeking out from the foreskin and leaking. Clark gasped and Chloe looked up, blinking. He could see his slickness on her lips and knew he wouldn't last much longer no matter what she did.

Had to reach out and touch it, smooth it against her kiss-bruised lips and she was so... "Chloe..."

She shivered a little and bent down again, licking away all the pre-come and occasionally just brushing her cheek against the shaft and Clark didn't realize he was arching for more until Chloe grabbed his hip with her free hand and squeezed.

"I... oh, sorry, I just -- oh God --"

Chloe sucked the head into her mouth and kissed it the way he'd kissed her pussy, dirty and wet and hot and Clark had to bite his lip to keep from screaming.

Heard something thump and dimly realized that it was his head against the floor. Nothing. Meaningless compared to Chloe. Blonde hair falling over her face, eyes closed and lips wrapped around him. "Chloe yes --"

She whimpered around him and he felt himself shoot more pre-come, felt her groan at the taste and she was taking him deeper. Squeezing a little harder at the base of his cock.

And then she started to stroke.

Wet. Slick. Sucking...

"Chloe, Chloe, I'm gonna come..."

She groaned again and sucked harder, stroked faster. Pulled back just enough to get her tongue in his slit and Clark arched and came, holding himself back from thrusting by sheer force of will until he was shaking all over.

Heard Chloe cough but all he could do for long moments was tremble and shoot. No one had ever... Chloe had just...

Collapsed against the hard, wooden floor and felt Chloe crawling back up his body. Felt the crinkly hairs of her sex against his thighs and managed to get his eyes open.

Chloe was wiping her mouth with the back of one hand and grinning, eyes lit up from the inside the way only she could do it. Just so bright.

Clark couldn't help grinning back.

"You look like you enjoyed that, farmboy."

"I'm a dork, Chloe, but I'm not dead."

She giggled, licked absently at the back of her hand and Clark just had to hold her. Pulled her down on top of him, smothering her small "oof" against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Wow, Chloe, that was... wow..."

"Mmm. Yeah. Just let me know the next time you wanna do that so I can wear my cheap panties."

Clark snickered a little. "Sorry."

"Liar."

"Well... yeah. You knew you smelled that good when you left the house..."

Chloe wriggled enough to get an arm free and whapped him upside the head.

"Ow."

"Those cost twenty bucks, farmboy!"

"Um... they were really pretty?"

She snorted. "Were being the key word here."

Clark grinned and squeezed her a little. Chloe was hard here and soft there and warm. She felt good. Especially those breasts he hadn't gotten to see. Yet. Wow. Clark wasn't sure he was technically brain-live anymore, but he also wasn't sure he cared.

Chloe mmmed a little and snuggled closer.

Did this mean they were dating?

Because... he could do this. He could definitely do this. She'd said she'd been waiting... God. He'd been an idiot. Because... well, for a lot of reasons. Clark peered down at the top of Chloe's head, but it didn't seem like she had any intention of moving.

Which... definitely worked for him.

Good thing Chloe liked idiots.

He wondered if he could actually say any of that aloud without Chloe taking a break from snuggling to try to beat him to death.

Clark decided he should probably stick to following her lead. It had worked pretty well so far. Grinned a little wider and squeezed her.

Listened to her breathe him in.

Heh. She'd probably let him hide under her sweater now.

End.

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