Work Text:
The Mask
by Kathryn Kirkland
I have a lot of names. The Jock. The Best Friend. The Player. But none of those are me. They're all facades. Put up to hide the real me. No one knows the real me.
Ah, the real me. It's been so long since I've seen him. I don't even remember what he looks like. He's raw. He doesn't hide behind a friendly attitude.
Only one person has ever seen this side of me before. Chloe Sullivan.
She saw my true colors. Right after I almost lost her. She was in the hospital. Beaten and bruised. I was so scared. So scared that I let my real self come out.
Her eyes were closed. I went to her bedside. That's when it happened. When I felt my mask slip away. I reached out and gently traced the swollen bruise around her eye.
My guard was down. I should have worked harder to keep it up. When Chloe woke she saw me standing over her, tears in my eyes. I think it scared her.
She tried to sit up, but winced in pain. She was in pain. My Chloe was in pain.
When she gasped from the pain I couldn't help myself. I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her into my arms. The tears fell freely now.
I didn't realize until a few moments passed that she was comforting me more than I was comforting her. Her good hand was rubbing my back. She knew what was wrong before I had to say anything. She can always tell what I'm thinking.
"Pete, it's okay. I'm fine. I'm okay, Pete. I'm here. It's going to be okay."
She just kept repeating those words into my ear. Over and over. I didn't believe her. I think she knew that.
I cupped her head in my hand. Feeling her fragility. I never realized just how fragile she was.
I never realized until the day I almost lost her. The day I found myself.
"I love you, Chloe." It was all I could say. I did love her. Maybe not as a girlfriend, but as my best and closest friend.
"I love you, too Pete." With those words I pulled back. Laid her gently back against the mound of pillows.
We talked. About her, about me, about us. We talked for hours before Clark came in.
When he came in I immediately felt a change. Chloe felt it too. My mask was back on. Back on until some indefinite date when some tragic event would make it slip from my face.
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This is my first time to post a story. I'm so nervous!! What do you think?