Christmas on a Shoestring

by a campbell

Smallville, Clark Kent/Lex Luthor

Clark/Chloe, PG-13

Spoilers for "Lexmas"

Thanks to fajrdrako for the beta.

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"Today. Tree."

The bathroom door was open. Clark was mumbling wetly around a mouthful of water and toothpaste, a fluffy white bath towel knotted around his waist. Chloe, still lingering under the electric blanket, looked up from the newspaper and took off her reading glasses for a better view as he swished and spat into the sink.

She smiled. Even brushing his teeth, he was gorgeous.

"And you didn’t even have to remind me." Clark continued with a mouth freshly-rinsed, bending to wipe his lips with the hem of the towel. Chloe fought a blush and tried to conceal a broad grin as she got an eyeful.

"Right. I’m so pleased you remembered." She laid the paper down beside her and looked up with a bright, innocent smile as he approached the bed. Christmas with Clark, their first together in this apartment, and today they’d be picking out their first Christmas tree from the lot nearby. Her first real tree since before her mother had…left.

"I’m working on my memory skills. Come in handy on the new job." Clark seated himself on the side of the bed and leaned over for an open-mouthed kiss. He tasted of mint and cold water, and tongue, and Chloe’s senses spun.

Smiling, Clark pulled back, trailing gentle fingers from Chloe’s breast and down her side, tickling just a little.

"You are getting better," she nodded with a dazed grin.

**

"Mmmm...I love weekends," Chloe sat poised to bite into a poppyseed bagel slathered with grape jam. "Those wonderful two days when we get to have breakfast together-- two days in a row."

Clark set the coffeepot on the table and rustled in the paper bag for a bagel of his own. "This weekend, and next...and then you’ll have to have breakfast on your own for one weekend. The Planet is sending me to a conference in Phoenix in three weeks--and they’re paying for it!" He sat down, spread margarine thickly on the bagel and crunched into it as he flattened the sports section of the paper on the table with his elbow and free hand.

Chloe refilled her cup and added a spoonful and a half of sugar. "Hmm. I’m jealous." The Planet hadn’t paid for her to go anywhere until she’d been there for over two years.

"Yeah, right, Miss ‘Book-signing in Atlanta in two months'".

She grinned. "It’ll be hard without you, but I’ll do my best. Don’t forget, though: Alex will be staying with us for a few days when Lana goes to the hospital."

"Oh, yeah," Clark looked thoughtful as he chewed. "So we’ll need to stock up on the Kraft macaroni and cheese and Cocoa Pebbles next time we shop for groceries. How will we know when that will be?"

"We won’t. Not for sure. Due dates are just approximations, with a two-week window on either side."

"Now you sound like a medical manual,” said Clark with a wry laugh. "Is there anything you don’t know?"

Chloe’s response was a bright grin. "Nothing."

"And, are you taking some time off work? Because--"

"I should have some comp time left from the holidays. But no, we won’t have the exact date in advance." Chloe calculated mentally. "Well, not beyond a guesstimation. Her due date is January 27. Although I wouldn’t say she’s going to go that long, by the look of her."

Clark just chuckled again with a small shake of his head as he polished off the last of his bagel half and reached again for the bag.

“So when’s the conference?” Chloe folded her section of the paper and dipped her spoon into the bowl of instant oatmeal before her.

"January 18 through the twenty-first. I’ll be home by 9 or so that night if it doesn’t take too long to catch the shuttle at the airport."

"Well, that’s cutting it close. Hopefully Lily Luthor won’t decide to arrive early."

"You might have to do the parenting alone if she does. Was Alex early or late?"

"Hmm," Chloe thought a minute. "Late. About a week and a half. Remember how nervous Lana was? And big!”

Clark nodded and laughed again. "Well, then, we’ll probably be okay going ahead with our plans."

"Whoa, Clark. There are no guarantees that just because Alex was late, the next one will be."

"Well, maybe they should arrange for a backup. Have someone else lined up just in case we’re both tied up. My mom could--"

"Not a chance. I’m sure she’d love to, but your mom’s too busy being Mrs. Senator now. And you know how special Alex is. Lex and Lana can’t leave him with just anyone. I wouldn’t let them." Chloe leaned close to wipe a dab of margarine from Clark’s chin with the corner of a paper napkin. "And, without you there, I can have the little cutie all to myself! Good thing cereal and box macaroni aren’t perishable. What else does he like to eat, Uncle Clark?"

"He does love pancakes."

"Oh, well, then. We’ll be fine: Alex, Aunt Jemima, and me."

"Sure you’ll be able to handle it?"

"I’m up for it. Besides, your mom keeps telling me I need the practice. What’s up with that?"

"I’m not sure," said Clark. "Sometimes, you don’t come off as the ‘motherly’ type at all. All career driven and focused." He gazed fondly at her, looking so beautiful she caught her breath. "Then, at other times…I can see you with kids of your own. Easily."

"Yeah?" Chloe let her mind wander for a moment into a vision of stuffed animals and soft pastel blankets. She’d never really thought herself the motherly type, either, but lately…she glanced at Clark, half troubled, half pleased at the small, delicious flip her stomach executed as he smiled again. "And who do you see as the father?" Her hand crept across the tablecloth, fingers entwining with his.

Clark didn’t answer right away. Chloe waited as he pushed back his chair and rose to his feet, smiling as he ran hot water onto his breakfast dishes. "Hmm...I don’t know. Let me think." He turned back to the table and held out a hand for her dishes, "Finished?"

"Yup." She made a valiant effort not to be discouraged by his noncommittal response. After all, who knew whether a Kryptonian and an earth person could have children together. She’d leaned over the years that trying to pressure Clark was counter-productive, and she was loathe to tap in to what could be deep wells of anxiety and fear. He’d talk about it when he was ready, and not before.

She laid her knife and spoon crosswise on the plate before handing it to him, then brushed the stray crumbs from the tablecloth into her palm and let her fingers flutter over the wastebasket. "Let’s go."

Clark was pulling their winter coats from the closet. "Don’t forget. If Alex is too much for you to handle, I can always superspeed back to help." He held Chloe’s coat open for her to slip on.

"Thanks," said Chloe. "But I doubt that’ll be necessary." She ruminated a moment, while buttoning her coat, and then asked, "Do you know if Alex like Eggos?"

**

"Careful the ceiling fan!"

The Christmas party over, Clark and Alex hauled the tree into the apartment from the balcony, where it had stood since that afternoon. Gusts of wind and needles of snow blew in as they did so, accompanying their efforts. "Hey, Champ," said Clark. "You’ve been gypped. That big old tree at your place, and you’re stuck here with us and this tree that’s a twig in comparison." With Alex’s mother conveniently going into labor during the Christmas party, Clark and Chloe had detoured past Lex and Lana’s on the way home to collect Alex and a hastily-packed Spongebob pajama bag and drive the babysitter home.

"It’s beautiful,” Chloe insisted. "Not as big as the one Alex picked out for the Luthors, but just fine for us, and for this tiny apartment. And don’t you dare make him feel bad." She squatted down to Alex’s eye level, holding the child, still in his padded jacket, still. "Your dad said he’d give us a call in the morning so we can bring you home to open all those Christmas presents."

Alex responded with a giggle of delight as he shrugged out of his jacket. "All right!"

"What if he’s still at the hospital in the morning?" Clark wondered, brushing needles from his slacks on to the floor.

Chloe aimed an indulgent smile in his direction. Guys were perennially clueless about this sort of thing and too squeamish to do the research. Chloe spared a fleeting moment to wonder if Clark would be any different when it was his turn to be a father. "They really aren’t figuring it will take that long. It’s not like it’s Lana’s first baby. It should be a snap this time. Anyway, Lex said he’ll give us a call when it’s over. The broom and dustpan are in the kitchen, by the way."

Clark stood the tree up by the window in the metal holder. Chloe moved to help him hold it steady while he turned the screws and fastened it in. Then she leaned in to take a deep whiff of pine.

"Lex looked really good tonight," she said thoughtfully. "Not nervous at all, despite being the center of attention Guess a little of the ‘old’ Lex, the one who could run multinational corporations and discourse fluently with Japanese executives, is still in there somewhere."

"I thought he seemed a little out of it this morning," Clark said pensively. "I think he was more stressed than he’s letting on. Maybe worried about Lana."

"Wouldn’t you be?" Chloe wondered aloud, and then could have bitten her tongue. Despite the seven years that had passed since Lex and Lana’s marriage vows and nearly one year since she and Clark had made it more or less official with an apartment lease, every so often an uneasy thought would occasion a high-school style qualm.

"Sure. But not any more. I know she’ll be fine. She has Lex to take care of her now."

Chloe relaxed and stepped back to entwine her arm with his.

"Decorations, Decorations!" Alex was chanting, skipping around the tree. “Now for the decorations! Is there a star for the top, or an angel?"

Clark and Chloe gazed puzzled at each other for a full thirty seconds.

"Decorations, hmm..." repeated Chloe, giving Clark a playful shove. "Guess what, Uncle Clark? We don’t have any."

**

Fortunately, the Hallmark shop was right around the corner from their apartment. Chloe was a frequent customer for candles and wrapping paper, and even Clark had been known to stick his nose in now and then for a birthday card to send to his mom. The musical snowman by the door sprang to life and melody as they entered, and the sales clerk greeted them with a friendly but anxious nod. "Let me know if I can help you. We do close in twenty minutes!"

"We’ll be quick!" Chloe assured. The poor woman was no doubt eager to clock out and trudge home through the snow so her own holiday could begin.

"These’ll all be at 50% off the day after Christmas," Clark reminded her reproachfully, with a sweeping gesture at the bedecked aisle.

"Oh, hush," Chloe chided him. "What fun is that? We need them now. Christmas Eve, remember? Time to splurge."

The three wandered up and down among the shelves of the candle-scented shop, looking for bargains and not finding many. "They don’t mark them down until December 26 here," Clark grumbled.

"There’ll be a line outside the door when they open the day after tomorrow. I guarantee it." Chloe was holding a small and colorful teddy-bear ornament in her hand; the bear was surrounded by tiny drums and musical instruments; she turned it up, down and around, and fell instantly in love.

"Maybe if we went to K-Mart--"

Chloe sighed. "It’s Christmas Eve, Clark,” she explained patiently, "By the time we get there, K-Mart will be closed. Besides, we should put Alex to bed soon. Tomorrow will be a big day for him." She paused, reflecting on how “motherly,” she sounded, and let herself imagine for one brief moment that Alex really was their little boy, not Lex and Lana’s, and that she and Clark were equally concerned for the health and good spirits of their son.

The image caused both a thrill of pleasure and a little twinge around her heart. Maybe some day...

"Look at these, Uncle Clark!" Alex came skidding over, small, mittened hands festooned with ornaments.

"Very nice," Clark observed, “but you’d better put them back."

“All of them?” Alex sounded really disappointed.

"Most of them," said Chloe, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "We’re on a tight budget, Alex. But we do have this." She dangled the teddy-bear ornament, the cutest in the store, in front of Alex’s nose and enchanted gaze.

**

Back at the apartment, Clark lifted Alex high to place the star, a gift from Martha and Jonathan, on top of the tree. He gave the boy a hug before putting him down.

"There." The teddy-bear ornament from the Hallmark store hung front and center.

"Now we don’t have to worry about Phoenix. Or pancakes. This worked out just fine. I’ll make that Cocoa Pebbles run in the morning. Seven-11 will be open on Christmas, even if everything else is closed."

"They’ll be more expensive there," Chloe teased. "What would your mom say?" Clark flashed her a mock-miffed grin, and she smiled back. "But, yeah: just fine,” she repeated, as Clark flung himself on the couch, tugging at his tie and the top buttons of his dress shirt. Her stomach flipped, not for the first time that day, as he shot her a warm, sexy glance and beckoned.

"Come on, guys, let’s enjoy our tree."

Oh, yeah. Alex was here.

"Yeah!" Alex barreled onto the cushions and into Clark’s side and grinned up at them.

"Nice, huh?" Clark waved his hand at the tree.

"How come there’s only the teddy bear, Uncle Clark?" The bear was the sole ornament on the tree, except for the star.

"We’re on a tight budget this year, Pal. But there’s always next year. We’re bound to have more money, then. And don’t forget the after-Christmas sales."

Chloe smiled. Well-trained Clark said the same thing every year, had, ever since they were teenagers. She sat down on the couch beside the boys. Clark slipped one arm around Alex and smiled down at her. And again, she let herself imagine that Alex was their son, and that they were a family. You’re being really childish, she scolded herself mentally.

She came back to herself as Clark’s arm tightened around her.

"I love you, Chlo," His soft voice whispered warm in her ear.

Okay, so maybe that dream wasn’t too far off and impossible after all.

Clark’s other arm crept around her shoulder and she nestled in to his side as they both beamed up at the single, lone ornament on their first Christmas tree.

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